Page 2 of Against the Clock

Mike didn't want a big party for his birthday, but his baby sister, Sonia, decided they needed to have one.His mom gave in, and they put together a big bash in her backyard and told him he had to invite a few friends.Sonia had handled the rest of the guest list—which explained why half of their cousins and other distant relatives were there.

"Why don't you come dance with me, Papi?"one of his cousins—I had no fucking clue what her name was—asked me, breaking me out of my trance as I stared at Quinn while she spoke to her daughter, Rosie.

"Na, I don't dance," I lied, leaning back to avoid being too close to her.

"It's okay, I can teach you," she purred, reaching for me with the longest red nails I had ever seen.

"He doesn't need dance lessons," Mike cut in, stepping around her to take the seat next to me.He handed me a beer and rested his ankle on his knee."He’s the best dancer here.”

This made her eyes light up as my eyes narrowed in his direction.

“Go on,Papi,” he taunted, nodding toward the dance floor.“Show her what you’re working with.”

I was about to open my mouth to object when I spotted Quinn being led to the dance floor by Rosie.

“Fine,” I muttered, setting my beer bottle down on the table between us.I got up and took her devil claw as she shimmied her hips toward the dance floor.

Once we were on the wooden deck with everyone else, I tried to force a smile as she looked at me over her shoulder while grinding her ass against my groin.Quinn turned in time to see it, her cheeks splitting while she tried to contain her laughter.She pulled her lips together in a thin line and held her hand in the air as she twirled Rosie a few times.

It only took half a turn before she spotted me and released her mom’s hand to rush over to me.

“Dance with me?”she asked, putting her hands together in front of her as she begged.I smiled down sweetly at my favorite “niece,” thankful that she had just saved the day.

“Sorry, I can’t say no,” I said to the devil woman and turned to Rosie before she could object.I caught a brief glance of her flicking her long, dark red hair over her shoulder before stomping off in her stripper heels.

“You saved me, kiddo,” I said to Rosie as I held her hands and danced with her.

“Yeah, you looked super scared,” she giggled.“Mommy says we should always help people when they need it.”

“Your mommy is right,” I agreed, looking up at Quinn as she watched us.

I spun Rosie around, noticing how much she looked like Quinn with her dark hair and brilliant blue eyes.Quinn’s eyes were a light shade of blue that sometimes turned gray, like Mike’s, but Rosie had more of her dad’s sapphire blue eyes that made them absolutely mesmerizing.I dreaded the day when she was old enough to date, knowing that Mike would have his hands full as an overprotective uncle.

We danced for a few more minutes until the song ended, and Rosie declared that she needed a drink of water.Quinn was about to go with her when her mom held up a hand and waited for Rosie to join her before leading her into the kitchen.

“Do you want to dance?”I asked, holding my hand out and hoping she would take it.

“Sure,” she smiled, letting me pull her into me as we moved our hips to the salsa music.

People whoreallyknew me knew that I loved to dance.When we were younger, I was always known as the life of the party because I couldn’t sit still.It didn’t matter what kind of music it was—I was moving.

Tonight was different, though.Maybe it was the gentle breeze that brushed past us and caressed our hot skin, or maybe it was how Quinn’s petite body fit perfectly against mine.Either way, I didn’t want to stop or let go.The song changed, and I looked up in time to find Sonia watching us with a mischievous grin as a slow, sexy song started playing.

I felt Quinn’s body tense slightly with the way I held her and thought about pulling away some so I didn’t make her uncomfortable.

“I can’t remember the last time I danced like this,” she said nervously, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

“Me neither,” I agreed.But it wasn’t because I didn’t dance much these days; it was because I had never danced with someone who made me feel what I was feeling while holding Quinn.

“I don’t think Justin and I even danced like this at our wedding,” she laughed, then looked away.I knew that it was still hard for her to talk about him after he died tragically on the job.Justin was also in the FBI—witness protection, just like Mike, though they rarely worked together.

I didn’t know what to say, so I stayed quiet and gently rubbed my thumb soothingly over her back.

Her mom came out of the kitchen a few minutes later without Rosie.I noticed her at the same time that Quinn did.Suddenly, she pulled away from me, her hands still gripping my biceps as her eyes rapidly scanned the backyard.

“Where is Rosie?”she asked, panic heavy in her voice.

She spun around, standing on her tiptoes, trying to get a better view.

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