Stroke of Luck - Opal Carew Page 0,13

only time she’d ever felt anything like this before was with Quinn.

“What the hell are you two doing?”

At the sound of Quinn’s voice, she tried to jerk back, but Austin’s arm around her waist held her firmly, though she did lose her footing on the slippery tile and dropped against him again.

“If you don’t watch it, you’ll wind up flat on your back,” Austin said.

“Really?” Quinn said in an even voice. “Are you propositioning her?”

“Not at all,” Austin replied.

He turned April until she was pressed against his side, his arm around her, and guided her to a teak table, then eased her into one of the chairs around it.

“April slipped on the wet tiles when she stepped out of the pool. I caught her before she fell.” He turned to April. “Did you hurt your ankle?”

“No, I’m fine.” She couldn’t bring herself to look at Quinn, not wanting to see the disapproval in his eyes. Knowing he thought she was making a move on his friend.

Austin crouched down and wrapped his hand around her left ankle. His touch was so gentle she forgot to protest.

“It doesn’t feel swollen,” Austin said. “Let me see the other one.”

Before she could move, his big hand was wrapped around her right ankle. His touch continued to make her quiver inside.

“I’m sure she’s fine,” Quinn said through gritted teeth.

Austin released her ankle. “I’ll get some ice.”

She rested her hand on his forearm. “Really, Austin. I didn’t hurt anything.”

He nodded and smiled. “Okay. That’s good.”

He walked to the bar and grabbed a can of lemonade from the small fridge, then poured it into a glass and gave it to her.

“I thought we were going to spend some time in the water,” Quinn said.

“I’m game to go back in.” Austin glanced at April. “How about you?”

“Sure,” she said and started to stand up, but Austin rushed to her side and slid his arm around her.

“I don’t want you to fall again,” Austin said.

Water was still dripping from her hair, leaving the tiles around her wet.

“How about I give her a hand?” Quinn said as he stepped to her other side.

“Of course.” Austin waited while Quinn slid his arm around her, then relinquished his hold and eased away.

April felt more than a little overwhelmed by the whole thing.

As Quinn guided her toward the door to the patio, she started to feel dizzy. Being pressed against Quinn’s warm, masculine body made her senses go haywire. It was wonderfully familiar and welcome. She wanted so much to lean against him. To accept the support he was offering.

But she knew better. He didn’t want her. He would never be hers to rely on.

To love.

When they got outside and onto the hot stone patio, Quinn loosened his arm.

“You okay on your own now?” he asked.

“Yes, thank you.”

She slid away from his warm body and walked to the wide steps ascending from the long curve of the pool. She sat on one of the lower steps so she was immersed in the warm water to her waist.

She glanced at Quinn for the first time, and her breath caught at the sight of his ripped, broad-shouldered body. He walked toward the end of the pool, and she watched his leg muscles ripple as he stepped up on the diving board. Then he dove into the pool, his body breaking the water’s surface in a graceful, streamlined arc.

“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure Quinn understands what happened,” Austin said.

She glanced around, not realizing he’d followed her down the steps and now sat beside her.

“Good. I don’t want to cause any problems between you. You seem very close.”

“We are. We met two years ago at a mutual friend’s birthday party. We got to talking, and I could see the man was brilliant. And driven. Then he told me his innovative idea for a new cryptocurrency, and I knew it was going to be wildly successful.”

Austin smiled as Quinn swam past them, doing laps just like she had done.

“I have an instinct about people and about good ideas,” Austin said. “And I’m rarely wrong. Since I was sure his idea would make us both a ton of money, I backed him. Even learned enough about blockchain programming to roll up my sleeves and get involved. I believe for a good partnership to work, you both need to get your hands dirty.”

“And you did?”

“You mean get dirty?” he asked, a teasing gleam in his dark, periwinkle-blue eyes.

“No, make all the money you’d hoped for.”

He smiled in satisfaction. “And then