The Mighty Quinns: Jack (6 page)

“I don’t know. That’s different. I think it was because she wasn’t the right one. I think when the right one comes along, I’ll know it.”

“Maybe,” she said. She smiled at him. “You made my toes curl. That’s a start.”

He laughed, then grabbed her hands and pulled her on top of him, wrapping his arm around her. “How’s your leg?”

“Better,” she said, dropping a kiss on his lips.

“It’s been quite a day.”

Mia snuggled against him. “Very unexpected.” She closed her eyes and let her thoughts drift. She felt comfortable in his embrace, completely relaxed...warm...safe.

She didn’t realize she was asleep until the chill woke her up. Snuggling closer to his chest, she searched for warmth, but it wasn’t enough. Reluctantly, Mia opened her eyes only to find the light of morning filling the car. She sat up straight, then realized that sometime during the night, Jack had turned off the ignition. The car was silent.

She twisted in her seat and wiped the moisture off the window, peering out into the bright morning light. “Time,” she murmured. Mia grabbed Jack’s wrist, causing him to jerk awake.

“What?” he said, frowning.

“Time,” she said, pulling his watch in front of her. Mia swiped at her sleepy eyes then groaned. “It’s almost seven-thirty. We need to get back to the house.”

Mia crawled into the driver’s seat and started the car. To her relief, there was still enough gas to get home. “How did we fall asleep?” She glanced over at him. He was still half-asleep.

“I don’t know. Can we stop for coffee?”

“No! We have to get home.”

“Why?”

She drew a deep breath, then took a moment to consider his question. Why? They were virtual strangers. They’d spent the night together. And though they hadn’t indulged in a full-scale seduction, they had messed around a little bit. On the other hand, they were both adults.

“Do you want to explain this to my father?” she asked.

“Will he even notice?” Jack countered. He shook his head. “Don’t worry. We took a drive. The fog set in. We stopped and then fell asleep.” He reached for her shirt and passed it to her. “You may want to put this on. The story will probably be easier for him to swallow if you aren’t dressed topless.”

Mia glanced over at him. A giggle burst from her lips and she leaned back into the leather seat. This was crazy. Her once orderly and unremarkable life had been turned upside down by the appearance of a handsome man. She was tearing off her clothes and kissing in cars and—and feeling more alive than she had in years.

Grudgingly, she took the blouse from his hands and unbuttoned it. “He and your mother probably won’t even have noticed we were gone last night,” she said.

“Oh, I wouldn’t count on that,” he said. “My mother notices everything.”

“Right. I suppose you have to let her know when you’ll be in at night or she’ll wait up?”

“Are you under the impression that I live at home?”

She pulled the blouse on and started on the buttons. “I thought you said—”

“No,” Jack said. “I don’t live with my mother.”

“But you—”

“I have a flat in Wicker Park. I live about thirty minutes from where I grew up.”

“Oh, well, never mind, then. So she won’t be waiting up.”

“Maybe not. But she’s going to wonder where we were all night. Maybe if you drive fast, we can make it home before she gets up. If we’re lucky, they had a very late night last night and they’re both sleeping in.”

Mia turned on the car, then glanced over at him and smiled. She couldn’t help herself. She reached out and grabbed his face and pulled him into a long and very expressive kiss. “Good morning,” she said.

Jack chuckled as he shook his head. “Drive. Before you get us in any more trouble.”

It was a good morning. Even though she didn’t sleep well, she felt as though anything was possible. She felt...optimistic. As if she’d cast off the gloom of the past three years and walked into the sunlight—and right into Jack Quinn’s arms.

3

W
HEN
THEY
GOT
BACK
TO
the house, Mia and Jack hopped out of the car and went their separate ways, promising to meet up in a half hour for breakfast. Mia had insisted on making a quick stop at a bakery in town, determined to have an excuse for her early absence.

Jack had decided that he’d just take a wait-and-see approach. To his relief, he heard the shower running in his mother’s bathroom when he stepped through the front door of the guest cottage. His bedroom door was closed and as soon as he got inside, he stripped off his clothes and redressed, this time in a T-shirt and running shorts. Then he tossed some water on his hair and walked out into the kitchen, determined to make a pot of very black coffee.

As he stood and watched the coffee stream into the glass pot, his mother emerged, wrapped in her favorite robe, her hair damp. “Oh, thank God you’re making coffee.” She stood next to him and waited, her gaze fixed on the coffeemaker.

“Late night last night? I didn’t hear you come in,” Jack said.

“Not surprising, since you weren’t in yet at four.”

“You stayed out until four a.m.?” Jack asked, stunned at his mother’s behavior. She’d always been early to bed. Eleven was the latest she stayed up.

“It was wonderful,” she said. “We never stopped talking. And I was afraid that we’d talked about everything over the internet these past six months.”

Jack thought he saw a blush color her cheeks. “So, it went well?”

“It went really well. And I should be exhausted, but I’m not. Today, we’re going to a farmer’s market and taking a winery tour. Then we’re going to drive into the city, have dinner there and see a movie.
Dr. Zhivago.
”

“That’s one of your favorites.”

“Ben and I saw the movie the last summer my family spent at the cabin. I’ve never been able to watch that movie without thinking about him.”

She was so excited that her whole demeanor had changed. She wasn’t his sixty-three-year-old mother anymore, she was a silly, flustered young woman. And though he wanted to warn her about becoming too invested, too early, Jack just couldn’t bring himself to kill her happy mood.

“I’m glad. It’s too bad you have such a short time together.”

“It is,” Elyse said wistfully. “You know, I’m kind of hoping he’ll ask me to stay a little longer.”

Jack forced a smile. “He’d be a fool not to.”

She looked up at him. “You’re a good son.”

He felt a sliver of guilt. Was he really a good son? If he was, then maybe he might be more enthusiastic about her finding a new man. Maybe he ought to just allow her the chance to try again and stop worrying about a relationship failing.

“Yes, I am,” Jack said. He opened the cupboard and reached for a pair of mugs, then filled one for his mother. She gave him a grateful smile and took a sip.

Elyse nodded. “Now, why don’t you tell me where you were until just a few minutes ago?”

Jack paused. “I was with Mia.”

His mother studied him for a long moment. “I’m not sure I should be happy about that. Are you telling me you spent the night together?”

“In the technical sense. But not in the biblical sense. We took a drive, it got foggy, we waited for the fog to lift and ended up falling asleep.”

“And that’s it?” she asked as she smoothed her hands over her coffee mug.

“Yes,” he lied. Hell, there were some things that he had to keep private.

“She’s a lovely girl,” Elyse commented. “You could do a lot worse.”

“Mom, I—”

Elyse held out her hand and shook her head. “Just listen to me for a moment. You have spent your whole life watching out for our family. But now it’s time for you to put down that burden and start to think of a family of your own. I think that’s why things didn’t work out with Melanie. We were always more important to you.”

“You’ll always be—”

“No, we won’t. You’re going to meet someone and she’ll take your breath away. She’s the one who will mean the most to you.”

Jack swallowed hard. Mia took his breath away. But he’d known her for exactly one day, not long enough to make any lifelong decisions. “Don’t get ahead of yourself,” he warned.

“Just promise me that you’ll start to think more about yourself,” she murmured. “I can survive quite nicely on my own. And your sisters will be fine, too.”

Jack stared at her for a long moment. He wasn’t sure he understood what she was saying.

“I know about the job offer in Los Angeles,” she continued. “And I think you should consider it.”

“How did you find out?”

“I called your office a few weeks ago and Danny mentioned it. He thought it was a very good offer, Jack.”

“I’m a Chicago guy,” Jack said. “I’ll always be a Chicago guy. I’d hate L.A.”

In truth, the job was something he might have seriously considered if it hadn’t been for his ties to his family in Chicago. There was only so far he could go as a sports columnist. But this was a broadcast commentating gig along with the possibility of his own show on the nation’s top-rated sports network. He’d have guests and he’d be able to interview players live and on camera.

Instead, he’d put it out of his mind completely, knowing he couldn’t move away from his mother and sisters. There’d been other offers in the past and the answer had always been the same—no, not now.

But maybe the time was coming to make some changes. He’d been in a rut lately and now that he and Melanie had moved on, and his mother was newly independent, it was something he could consider.

He’d never really thought about life without any worries or responsibilities, a life where he was completely free to make his own choices. Everything had always been about the family, making sure everyone was healthy and happy and secure.

“Maybe you ought to talk to them first before you reject the possibilities,” Elyse suggested.

“Maybe I should.” Still, he’d feel a lot better if his mother wasn’t just scraping by on her teacher’s pension. But a new job would pay more, so he could hire someone to fix things around her house when needed. And he’d only be a plane ride away.

A knock sounded on the door and they both turned to see Ben standing on the other side of the screen. “Hello, there,” he said, nodding at Jack.

“Morning,” Jack said.

“Mia went out to the bakery this morning. We’re having breakfast next to the pool if you’d like to join us.”

“I’ll be out as soon as I dry my hair,” Elyse said, her smile wide and her eyes sparkling.

“I could eat,” Jack said. He walked to the door and stepped outside, then headed toward the pool, Ben following behind. Though he’d only been away from Mia for a short time, he found himself wondering how she was doing.

As he approached the pool, her father called out. “Look who I found,” Ben said. “Jack was up and about.”

Mia gave him a coy smile. “Morning. Did you sleep well?”

“Like a baby,” he said. Jack pulled out the chair beside her and sat down and Mia handed him the plate of pastries. He grabbed a cheese danish and bit into it. “Did you make these yourself?”

Mia laughed. “I was up all night baking.”

“Is that what you call it?” he murmured.

“Well,” Ben said. “I’m glad to see that you two are getting along so well. Elyse and I are driving up to Sonoma for the farmer’s market and then we’d planned to check out a friend’s winery. Would you two like to tag along? It will be fun, the four of us.”

“No.” They both answered at the same time, glancing at each other, then turning their attention back to Ben.

“Actually, I have some work to do,” Jack said. “I have to watch the Cubs game and work on my next column.”

“And I have work, as well,” Mia said brightly. “But you two go along and have fun.”

Ben got to his feet and held out his hand to Elyse as she approached. “I think we’ll do just that. Are you ready my dear?”

Elyse smiled. “Absolutely. Let’s go.”

Jack and Mia watched as their parents walked back toward the house. “They were awfully anxious to get rid of us,” she murmured.

“I know,” he replied. “And they look a little too happy for my tastes. Did your father tell you that they were up until four this morning? My mother said they were talking. I don’t know if I believe that.”

“Do you think he’s kissed her?” Mia asked.

“No,” he said. “She would have mentioned it.”

“Really?” Mia asked. “You and your mother talk about things like that? My father still thinks I’m a virgin.”

Jack raised his eyebrow. “Are you?”

“No!”

“Because, if you were, I could help you do something about that. Just say the word.”

Mia picked up a powdered sugar donut and threw it at him. The pastry hit him in the face, exploding in a shower of white powder. With a tiny scream, she leaped to her feet and ran away, but Jack was quicker. When he caught her, he grabbed her around the waist and pulled her body to his.

His lips found hers and he drew her into a long, deep kiss. She melted into his embrace and when they finally paused to take a breath, she looked up at him. “Your place or mine?”

“I don’t know,” he said. “What do you think?”

“I have a better idea.” She grabbed his hand and pulled him along to a small pathway, cutting through lush foliage and a thick cover of trees. A small clearing opened up and Jack found himself staring at an ornate glass garden house. Mia ran ahead and opened the French doors until the entire house was filled with the morning breeze.

Then she led him inside. “My parents used to have parties out here when we were kids,” she said. “They’d all lounge around drinking cocktails and dancing. My sisters and I would watch from the woods.” Mia pulled him down on a wide, comfortable chaise, upholstered in a flowered fabric. “I had my first kiss out here when I was sixteen, at my birthday party.”

“How did that go?” Jack asked, brushing his lips across hers in a teasing way as he braced himself above her.

“I’m sure you can do better.”

He stretched out beside her, dragging her body against his. She wore a simple sleeveless dress and as he ran his hands over her body, he realized that all she wore beneath it was a pair of panties. Pulling her on top of him, he smoothed his hands around her waist. “There is one thing we forgot,” he murmured.

She reached into the pocket of her dress and pulled out a small plastic package. “I came prepared.”

He laughed. “Good girl.”

* * *

I
T
WAS
THE
PERFECT
WAY
to make love, Mia mused. They had the entire day in front of them so there was no need to rush. And Jack seemed to enjoy a lazy pace. They didn’t bother to undress each other. Instead, they merely brushed clothing aside to touch and explore.

He was gentle and sweet and then suddenly, desperate and determined. It felt as if she were riding a roller-coaster, with passionate highs and languid lows, making her breathless with every moment that passed.

He explored her body with his hands and his lips, kissing her, trailing his damp tongue across her naked breast. Her body ached for the feel of his skin on hers.

Mia twisted her fingers in the faded T-shirt, then pulled it over his head. He was hard and ready, the ridge of his erection visible through the fabric of his shorts. Mia reached down to touch him, running her fingertips along his shaft.

He groaned softly and she smiled to herself. Mia hadn’t had that much experience with men. She’d had lovers in the past, but the sex had never been very exciting. But with Jack, she already knew that past inhibitions had slipped away. Maybe she’d been too young or too insecure. But she was twenty-five years old now, a grown woman, and she knew exactly what she wanted.

A soft morning breeze blew through the gazebo sending a shiver skittering along her spine. But she wasn’t cold or frightened of what was about to happen. Every nerve in her body was ready, anticipating the untold pleasure that she was about to experience.

Her dress had become a distraction. Frustrated, Mia pushed up onto her knees and reached for the hem, then slowly revealed her nearly naked body. Jack smiled as he took in the sight of her, appreciation evident in the gleam in his blue eyes. Tossing her hair over her shoulder, Mia bent close and kissed him.

They’d have this day and night together. Sometime tomorrow, she’d drive him to the airport and he’d leave. There was every chance that she’d never see him again. But what if that wasn’t true? What if this was more than just a passing affair?

It would call into question her reasoning. She wanted something simple and uncomplicated, something that would shake her out of her doldrums and put her life as a woman back on track. She wanted to think of herself as sexy and exciting, the kind of woman who’d take risks with her love life and spend a little time on the edge.

But if she allowed herself to have more than just a sexual attraction for Jack Quinn, she was putting herself in danger. He was funny and sweet and exactly the kind of man a girl could fall in love with. But that wasn’t what she wanted right now. She wanted passion without any strings attached. Mia wanted to be the kind of woman who could take what she needed from a man and then walk away.

He wanted to take his time, but suddenly Mia wanted to rush, to make sure she didn’t back out. Were the tremors coursing through her body fear or excitement?

When she reached between them to stroke him through the fabric of his shorts, he groaned softly. But as with her dress, the clothing soon became a hindrance. Mia shimmied off him and then hooked her fingers around the waistband and pulled the shorts off.

When he was naked, lying beside her, Mia slowly took stock of the man she was about to seduce. He was beautiful, his body finely muscled, his limbs long and lean. She’d imagined a man like this in her bed—flawless, powerful and irresistible. But never in her wildest dreams had Mia believed the fantasy would come true.

Though the foreplay was enticing and exciting, Mia couldn’t wait any longer. She found the condom she’d given him and tore open the package, then smoothed it over his shaft. He watched her silently, as if trying to understand her impatience. But when she pulled him on top of her, he didn’t hesitate.