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Tyler snorted "You say that like I’d care" He held out a paper bag "You want the other pretzel?"

Quinn hugged her hands to her sto on a lettuce leaf "Nah"

"Coulls"

"If you insist" She took the bag and tore off a stretch of pretzel Butter and salt and heaven

They’d been out here on this deserted stretch of beach for fifteen minutes, and she’d been sure the beach-fire-blanket coet into her pants Nick’s words about Tyler using her to get at hi around in her head

But Tyler hadn’t made a move toward her Even now, he left a clear five feet of space between the center

Take that, Nick

He’d bought her pretzels as promised, then walked a few laps of the o for a drive when stores began unrolling their security gates His anger from yesterday seeht coone

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 Hehis tail, but if youmove, he’d bite your hand off and co

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 lohistle 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 saht, when he’d dropped that line about Nick being one lucky bastard

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

It h 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 knohat that et under his skin You could look like a supermodel and I would have said you were a total turnoff"

"Hirl 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 knohat to say She needed to undo this She needed to undo this right now She’d kept this secret from everyone as important to Nick, and now she’d practically told his e 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 fro"

She needed a rewind button A ti to be back at the dance studio, falling on her face in front of Ada

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

And as she supposed to say to that? Here she was sitting with a guy she was attracted to, and she was going to have to pretend to be madly in love with Nick, just to keep a stupid secret

But Tyler looked over, and she could read it on his face He knew

Her voice was soft, almost lost in the sound of the surf "No

Not really"

He started toit into the fire, unlit His expression was fierce, all angles lit by the fla to leave

Was he going after Nick? Was he going to take this inforainst his brothers somehow? Or was he--

Tyler took her face in his hands and pressed his lips against hers

Quinn stiffened in surprise--then yielded He was rough and forceful, but in all the right ways She’d kissed a lot of boys, but Tyler kissed like aFirst, his s low in her belly Then his hands, finding her waist, pushing her down on the blanket Then his tongue, pulling at hers

His body felt secure against her, and his ared her there on the blanket When he drew back to look at her, she wanted to grab his shirt and drag him back down

But then she remembered what she’d just said

"Please don’t tell anyone," she whispered

"Tell anyone what?"

"About Nick"

He straightened his arht "Nice," he said with clear derision The fire whipped higher behind hi about that stupid f--"

Quinn slapped him Hard, with all the passion of their kiss and her panic behind it "Don’t you dare call hiht her arot in her face "Don’t you dare hitto call him a stupid fk"

Oh It wasn’t better, but somehow, it was

She looked up at him "I’m sorry"

"For what" He said it flatly, not even a question He didn’t even wait for an answer, just moved off her to sit back on the blanket and stare at the fire