But fury and aggression hid there, just below the surface.

He is not nice, Quinn.

She knew that. Tyler was like an attack dog who’d failed out of doggie school. He might eat treats out of your hand and wag his tail, but if you made the wrong move, he’d bite your hand off and come back for the other one.

It was kinda terrifying.

And kinda sexy.

“What?” he said.

Quinn didn’t look away. Why bother? He’d already caught her staring. “I was thinking you’re kind of hot when you’re not being a total dickhead.”

He let out a low whistle and looked back at the sky. “Turn a guy’s head with talk like that.”

She expected him to see that as some kind of invitation, but he didn’t move.

After a moment, his voice dropped and he said, “Thanks.” He paused. “You’re not breaking any mirrors yourself.”

But he still didn’t move.

It thrilled her and exasperated her at the same time. Like last night, when he’d dropped that line about Nick being one lucky bastard.

Either he’s not using me or he’s not interested.

It made her want to provoke him. “I thought I was enough to turn you off from sex forever.”

Now he turned his head and looked over. The fire turned his blond hair gold and bounced off his eyes. “That had more to do with Merrick than with you.”

“I don’t know what that means.”

“It means I said that to get under his skin. You could look like a supermodel and I would have said you were a total turnoff.”

“Hmph. Nick would say any girl was a turnoff.”

As soon as the words were out, she wished she could suck them back into her mouth.

Tyler went still.

Oh, crap.

Oh, crap.

Take it back take it back take it back.

But she didn’t know what to say. She needed to undo this. She needed to undo this right now. She’d kept this secret from everyone who was important to Nick, and now she’d practically told his mortal enemy.

She had no idea what to say to change the course of this conversation.

Haha, just a joke. Look! A bird!

Sure.

“That’s interesting,” Tyler finally said. He sat up and pulled a cigarette from the pack in his back pocket. “Very interesting.”

She needed a rewind button. A time machine. Something. She’d give anything to be back at the dance studio, falling on her face in front of Adam’s perfection. Anything.

She sat up on her heels. Could she beg him to keep it a secret? Would that be better or worse than pretending it wasn’t a secret at all?

“So you’re not really his girlfriend,” said Tyler.