The Mighty Quinns: Jack (14 page)

When they finished with the lawyer, Jack and Elyse said goodbye to the lawyer. He was scheduled to meet with Katie and Kris later in the week and had encouraged them all to make plans to visit Aileen in Ireland.

Jack walked with his mother out to the elevator and they stepped inside. “I think I’m going to buy you lunch,” he said. “Any place you want. Cost is no concern.”

Elyse laughed. “I couldn’t help but think of your father, how happy this would have made him. He was always so proud of his Irish heritage. It’s almost like it’s a gift from him, too, don’t you think?”

Jack nodded. “What are you going to do now, Mom? This money gives you a lot of freedom. A lot of choices.”

“I haven’t decided yet,” she said softly. “Since I got back from California, I’ve kind of found myself at a crossroads. Spending time out there made me realize that I’d like to have a companion, a man who I could spend time with. I wouldn’t have to get married, but it would be nice to have an occasional date.”

“I think that would be a great idea,” Jack said. “Any prospects?”

“Ben has been emailing me,” she said. “He apologized for his behavior and asked if we could Skype this weekend.”

Jack shook his head. “I should have never taught you how to use social media.”

“You can’t put that toothpaste back into the tube,” she teased. “I just set up a Twitter account.”

“Are you going to see him again?” Jack asked.

“Are you and Mia going to see each other again?”

“Yes,” Jack said. “I’m flying back there this weekend.”

“Then, I think Ben and I would be better off as friends. And someday, parents of the bride and groom?”

“We’re not there yet,” Jack said.

When they reached the lobby, Jack stepped out of the elevator and held out his arm for his mother. But Elyse pointed across the street at a bookstore. “I need to pick up something,” she said.

They hurried against the light and when they got inside, he followed his mother to the fiction department. She walked along the shelves, then stopped and pulled out a paperback. “What are you looking for?” Jack asked.

She found a book and took it off the shelf. “Aileen Quinn.”

“Wow,” Jack said, taking the book from her. “I guess she is real.”

His mother grabbed several other novels from the same section. “I think I’m going to skip lunch today and spend some time reading. I’ve got a trip to Ireland to get ready for.”

“All right,” he said. “But don’t spend all that money in one place. And be careful on the train.”

Jack headed back out to the street. There was one thing he did need to do, one last step he had to take. The offices for the Tribune were only a few blocks away and the weather was warm and sunny, a perfect May day in Chicago.

This had been his town, the heartbeat of his life. It was hard to imagine loving any place as much as he loved his city on the lake. But once he moved to California, Chicago would be nothing more than a destination for an occasional trip home.

When he got to the office, he walked through the maze of cubicles toward the sports editor’s office. As usual, Jim Mortonsen was buried in work. His desk was stacked with books and DVDs, intermingled with papers and old coffee cups.

“Hey, boss. You have a few minutes?”

“I’m glad you’re here,” Jim said. “I’ve got something I need to talk to you about.”

“Same here,” Jack said. “Maybe I should go first.”

“No, you’re going to want to hear this.” Jim pointed to a chair. “Sit.”

Jack grabbed a stack of newspapers on the chair and set them on the floor, then sat down.

“I’m sure you know that the Tribune syndicates a number of our columnists. And with the state of the newspaper industry lately, the guys in the head office are looking for more opportunities to syndicate our best writers. But that means a change in editorial direction, a more national direction. They want you on the list, Jack.”

“They want to syndicate my column?”

“Not the column as it is now. They want you to focus more on baseball as a sport and not specifically the Cubs. You’ll get your own website linked to ours. You’ll develop a national audience.” He paused. “I know you’ve been looking at that job out at SportsNet,” he said. “I also know you interviewed out there this week. We don’t want to lose you, Jack. If you’re interested, then we’re willing to pursue this.”

“Would I have to stay in Chicago?”

Jim shrugged. “I don’t know. I can’t see why you would. You’d travel during the season, maybe write a book during the off season. If I had your writing talents, I’d jump at this. Forget SportsNet.”

“Tell them I’m interested,” Jack said. “I’ll be happy to sit down and talk to them.”

As he strode back through the newsroom a few minutes later, Jack couldn’t help but smile. When things were going bad, they were bad. But he’d never experienced a run of good luck like this. First, meeting Mia. Then the inheritance. And now, a job offer that could solve all his problems.

Jack’s cell phone rang and he looked down at the screen to see a text from Mia. He smiled to himself and pressed the button to read the message. But as he did, his smile faded.

I can’t do this any longer. It’s over.

* * *

M
IA
STARED
DOWN
AT
HER
cell phone. She’d sent the message yesterday and Jack hadn’t responded. What did that mean? she wondered.

She wanted to take the text back, to erase it from her memory and his. But she couldn’t. Once it had left her phone, it was out of her control.

“Stupid girl,” she murmured.

Since Jack had left last week, she’d been feeling more and more insecure. She’d begun to question her own feelings, wondering if everything that she’d believed was real was just all part of some silly infatuation.

Maybe she wasn’t meant to be in a relationship. Absence was supposed to make the heart grow fonder. It only made her crazy with doubts and insecurities. Though Jack had called her at least two or three times a day, Mia found herself wondering if he was beginning to question his own feelings, as well.

Was that why he was so reluctant to return to San Francisco? She kept asking when he was coming back and for the past three or four days, he’d given her vague answers.

Maybe this was all in her imagination. Maybe she was just blowing up the situation in her head. Sending the text yesterday was more of a provocation than anything else. But he hadn’t responded. Now what was she supposed to do?

Jack had promised to always tell her the truth. So if he wasn’t interested in returning, then he would have told her. But he also should have responded to her text.

Mia looked both ways, then crossed the street and began the long hike up the hill to her flat. Even a rush of work couldn’t distract her thoughts. She had two big design projects that had come in on Monday and needed a quick turnaround.

Mia slowed her pace as she came to the steepest part of the hill. She usually drove to work, but a new exercise regime had become part of her plan to forget about Jack Quinn. She’d walk the two miles to and from work every day. She’d also decided to give up caffeine and eat at least three servings of vegetables a day.

As she approached her flat, she saw a figure sitting on the front steps. Her heart leaped as she thought it might be Jack. But then she chided herself for even going there. Her neighbor often sat outside on the stoop on sunny afternoons, doing his crossword puzzle and sipping a latte from the nearby coffee shop.

It wasn’t until she was almost home that Mia realized she had been right all along. She hesitated as she saw Jack push to his feet. He’d only been gone a week, but it had seemed like much longer.

A tiny gasp slipped from her lips as their gazes met and in that instant, she knew how wrong she’d been to doubt him. It was all there in his eyes—the need, the passion, the affection.

Mia slowly approached him, wondering who would be the first to speak. But in the end, she just walked right into his arms and pressed her forehead to his chest. Jack groaned softly and pulled her tight against his body, his hand tangling in her hair.

They stood on the sidewalk for a long time, silent, the simple contact enough to convey their feelings. And when she finally drew back, Jack captured her face in his hands and pulled her into a long, desperate kiss.

“Don’t ever do that to me again,” he murmured, his lips skimming over her eyes and nose before he found her mouth again.

“I’m sorry,” Mia said. “I’m so, so sorry.”

“I thought I’d lost you.”

“It was stupid. I was just feeling insecure.”

“Mia, you don’t have to feel that way with me. I know what I want and all I want is you.” He kissed her again, this time more gently, as if his own worries had been calmed.

“It just all happened so fast,” Mia said. “And I kept thinking that I’d imagined it all. How does anyone fall in love in just four days? That’s crazy!”

Jack chuckled. “No, not crazy. We’re just...efficient.”

“There’s nothing wrong with being efficient,” Mia said. “I’m so glad you came back.”

“I had to. I have big news. Very big news. I didn’t want to tell you until I was sure what was going to happen, but you are looking at a man with his future in his own hands.”

“Did SportsNet call?”

Jack shook his head. “Fate did. I just inherited a boatload of money from a long-lost relative in Ireland. Enough to make it possible to choose a new life for myself. I also got an offer to write a nationally syndicated column about baseball. So, my prospects are looking up.”

“I’ve always wanted a guy with prospects,” she said.

“You have one. And now, you’re going to have to figure out how long you want to keep him.”

“Would forever be long enough?” Mia asked.

“I think forever would be just about right.” With a laugh, Jack pulled her into his arms, then scooped her up and carried her up the front steps. “You know, I might be moving in for a while. Just until I get things settled. Can you handle a roommate?”

“Well, there will be few rules,” Mia said.

“Oh, the rules. Isn’t that where we started?” Jack asked.

“These will be much easier to follow. First, you have to tell me that you love me every single day, rain or shine.”

“I love you,” Jack said. “I’m pretty sure I loved you the first moment I saw you.”

“And you have to kiss me at least once every hour when we’re together. It doesn’t have to be a huge kiss, but it needs to be regular.”

“Have I filled my quota for the day?”

“Not quite, but we’ll get to that in a bit.”

“And finally, you have to make love to me every night from now until forever.”

“What about mornings?”

“Those would be optional,” Mia said. “But encouraged. Do you think you can follow those rules?”

“Absolutely,” Jack said.

They got to the landing and Mia unlocked the door to her flat, letting them both inside. As soon as the door was closed behind them, he pulled her into his arms again and enjoyed a long, lazy kiss, his mouth teasing at hers until she was forced to surrender.

It was all so perfect that it was difficult to believe it was real. But then Jack scooped her up and carried her into the bedroom and she knew the best was about to come.

“What are you doing?” Mia asked.

Jack tossed her down on the bed. “Rule number three. Make love to you at least once a day. I figured I better get started right away. Why delay when I’m perfectly ready to take on my duties right this moment?”

Mia giggled, then got to her knees. She quickly stripped off her blouse. “All right. I think I’m ready for the rest of our life to begin.”

They both fell back onto the bed, laughing and teasing as they worked their way out of the last of their clothes. Mia had never really believed that she would find true love. For her, it had always proved elusive. But then Jack walked into her life and changed everything.

Perhaps it was luck. Maybe it was fate. Or maybe they’d just been waiting for each other all that time. But Mia wasn’t ever going to doubt their feelings again. She’d found forever in his arms and that’s exactly where she intended to stay. Forever.

9

“W
E
’
RE
GOING
TO
BE
LATE
,”
Jack said. “All the guests will be waiting on us.”

Mia laughed as she tugged off his tie, then tossed it aside. They’d dressed once already and now they’d just have to do it again. “We have plenty of time. The ceremony isn’t scheduled to start for another twenty minutes. Nobody will start looking for us for at least another ten. I’m sure you can wrap everything up by then.”

Jack cursed softly. “You know, we’re going to have to have a little discussion about these rules that you keep setting down. Sometimes, I get the feeling that you enjoy enforcing them a little too much.”

“Really?” Mia asked. She reached for the zipper of her gown and slowly drew it down. She tossed it over a chair and stood there, wearing only a sexy bustier and lacy panties. The moment Jack got a look at the underwear, he shook his head.

“Nice. Now you’ve taken to cheating.”

“How is sexy underwear cheating?”

“You know I can’t resist that stuff.” He stepped forward and began to work at the laces but Mia shook her head. “We’re not going to have time for that now,” she said. “Not unless you want to be late.”

Jack pulled her down on the bed, then sat up, bracing his hands behind him. “God, you are so beautiful. Just perfect.”

Mia had never believed she was anything out of the ordinary. But now, with Jack looking at her, his eyes glazed with desire, she could believe it. Mia pulled him to his feet and slowly began to take his clothes off. He stood silently watching her. With each piece of clothing she discarded, Mia took to the time to appreciate the body beneath.

Everything about him was exactly what she found beautiful in a man. His broad chest and sharply defined shoulders, his narrow waist, his long, muscular legs. He wore his masculinity with such a careless grace, as if he barely thought about the impression he made.

She pressed a kiss to his chest and then slowly worked her way over to his nipple. He drew a sharp breath as her tongue teased it to a stiff peak before moving on to the opposite side.

Though they only had a few minutes to spare, Mia wasn’t in any hurry to move things along. She knew him so well that she could predict his reactions to her touch, to her caresses. This might be the only chance they had all day to be together and she was going to take complete advantage of it.

Slowly, she moved against him, around him, always keeping contact with his skin, her fingertips skimming his flesh as she moved. When she was behind him, Mia reached around and ran her palm along the length of his stiff shaft.

Jack groaned as he slipped his hand around her waist and pulled their bodies together. His cock pressed against her stomach, the hard ridge meeting the lacy fabric of her bustier. And when she reached down to caress him, Mia heard him suck in a sharp breath and then groan softly as her fingers closed around him.

She loved the effect her touch had on his body, the way she could control him with just a movement. She nuzzled her face into his chest and then slowly moved lower, leaving a damp trail with her lips and tongue.

When she reached his belly, he tangled his fingers in her hair, trying to slow her descent. But Mia was determined to test the limits of her seductive skills. She’d never felt bolder or more empowered than she did now. She wasn’t just playing at sex, she was experiencing it, fully and completely with a man she loved.

When she took him into her mouth, his reaction was swift. His body jerked and he clutched at her hair, a tremor running through him. Mia was gentle at first, using her tongue to tease at him. But then, as his passion began to build, she showed him how much she was willing to give him.

Again and again, he drew her back and she knew he was fighting for control. But then, she’d edge him even closer the next time. It was like a game they played, Mia in control and Jack fighting her all the way.

Time seemed to stand still for them. They were existing in a haze of need where every sense was heightened. When he touched her body, shivers skittered over her skin, and when he whispered her name, it sounded like music to her ears.

She tried to think rationally, but there was no reality anymore, just this crazy fantasy with this man she adored. When she’d teased him long enough she slowly kissed her way back to his mouth.

“Are you ready?” she whispered.

“We should probably use a condom,” he murmured. “Just to keep things tidy.”

Mia bent down and retrieved her clutch purse from the floor and opened it, pulling out a length of three. “I always come prepared,” she said.

“You expected this to happen? Here? Today?”

“Darling, when it comes to you, I know to expect the unexpected. And you have to admit, this is pretty unexpected.”

“I guess there are all kinds of surprises to come.”

They finished quickly, then dressed and hurried out of Mia’s bedroom. By the time they got downstairs, the entire family was already assembled in the garden of her father’s house, standing in a semicircle and watching the doors expectantly.

“Where were you?” Dani whispered.

“I was having trouble with my zipper,” Mia said with a smile.

She heard Jack laugh and she turned to him, pressing her finger to her lips. “They’re coming.”

A moment later, the sound of a solo guitar filled the late summer air. The French doors opened and Elyse stepped out, dressed in a vintage gown, looking like a 1950’s movie star. She wore an orchid in her hair and carried a bouquet of the same.

She was joined by Mia’s father and they slowly walked toward the group, their children and grandchildren assembled before them. Mia had promised herself she wouldn’t cry, but in the end, she couldn’t help herself. Jack slipped his arm around her and pulled her close, kissing the top of her head.

“Someday that’s going to be us,” he whispered.

Mia nodded. “Soon,” she said.

“But we’re not going to follow your rules that day. The sex is going to have to wait until after the ceremony.”

Mia smiled through her tears. “I suppose that’s something we could negotiate.”

“That, my dear, is a deal breaker.”

Mia had no doubt she’d accept his terms. After all, she had decided to spend the rest of her life with him. A few compromises could be expected.

After all, forever was a very long time.