She was out of control
Lily pushed Brian back into the leather seat of the limo. Brushing his shirt aside, she smoothed her hands over his chest, hard and muscular, then leaned forward and pressed her lips to the soft dusting of hair beneath his collarbone. But when she let her fingers drop to his trousers, Brian grabbed her hands and drew them away.
Are you sure about this, Lily?
She smiled. He didnt have to be such a gentleman, but Lily was glad he made the attempt. Theres nothing wrong with two She moved back to his trousers. Consenting adults She worked the button open. Engaging in mutually satisfying She slowly drew the zipper down. Sex.
Most guys had probably dreamed about hearing those words. And Lily never dreamed shed be the one saying them. But shed had enough of relationships. What was wrong with taking her pleasure where she found it?
Havent you ever just been swept away by the moment? she asked, playfully nipping at his neck.
Yeah, Brian groaned, pulling her closer to him. I think thats happening now.
Dear Reader,
Its hard to believe that Im almost at the end of my Quinn saga. Yet another handsome Quinn brother has fallen victim to love, and this time I almost didnt want to type the last page of the manuscript. Ive gotten used to having these Quinns around!
Conor, Dylan, Brendan, Keely and Liam all found love, and now its Brians turn. And this stubborn and single-minded news reporter needed just the right kind of woman to tempt him. Public relations expert Lily Gallagher was the one, though falling in love was the last thing she wanted to do.
Ive been so grateful for all the notes that youve sent me about the Quinns and I hope youll follow their stories right to the end. Next month Brians twin brother, Sean, meets his match. And after that, I guess Im going to go through a little Quinn withdrawal. But Im sure Ill find a handsome hero waiting around the next corner.
Be sure to visit my Web site at www.katehoffmann.com for information on all my releases.
Happy reading,
Kate Hoffmann
The Mighty Quinns: Brian
Kate Hoffmann
www.millsandboon.co.uk
Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Epilogue
Prologue
WIND-DRIVEN RAIN LASHED at the windows of the house on Kilgore Street. The storm had rolled off the North Atlantic a day ago, a noreaster with the force of a tropical hurricane and the chill of a midwinter blizzard. Brian Quinn stared out at the flooded street from the second-story bedroom window, his forehead pressed against the glass.
He knew the Mighty Quinn was a seaworthy boat and that it had weathered storms much worse than this, but Brian still couldnt banish the worry from his head. Seamus Quinn was a great captain and he didnt need the Coast Guard to tell him the forecasthe felt it, he smelled it in the air and saw it in the clouds. But the Mighty Quinn was late coming in, already six days past the longest trip that Brians father had ever made. And Brian could see the worry in Conors eyes and the grim set of Dylans mouth. They were worried, too.
The fishing had been bad all summer and the Mighty Quinn had been forced farther and farther out to find swordfish. But now, the season was winding down and the weather becoming more unpredictable. After the last trip, Conor had tried to convince their father to head south as so many other fishermen did during the fall and winter.
Though it would mean the six Quinn boys would be on their own for five or six months, Conor had assured Seamus that he could handle things at home as long as the money kept coming in. He had run the household for seven years now, ever since their mother had walked out. Conor cooked and cleaned, he helped with homework and meted out discipline. And he tried his hardest to keep their situation from teachers and neighbors and anyone who might consider Seamus a neglectful father. A heavy load for a fourteen-year-old.
Brian glanced over his shoulder. His twin brother Sean was already in bed, the threadbare quilt pulled up around his chin, his nose buried in a comic book. Liam, the youngest Quinn, had crawled into bed next to Sean, curling up against him for warmth. The seven-year-old had given up begging his brother to read the comic for him and was now mouthing the words as he read for himself.
Bri! Check those buckets in the hall, Dylan shouted from the bottom of the stairs. It wont do any good if they overflow.
Brian sighed. One of these days there would be enough money to fix the leaky roof and to paint the sagging porch and to pay the phone bill before it got disconnected. There was always the next run to the Grand Banks and dreams of a hold full of swordfish and the chance to offload first and command the highest price. But Brian had learned that his fathers big dreams very rarely came true.
Though they didnt talk about their fathers drinking and gambling out loud, Brian knew his older brothers had tried their best to deal with the lack of money. Conor had taken to meeting the Mighty Quinn when it came in, hoping to deter Seamus from a visit to the pub and a drunken all-night poker game. And Dylan had learned to hide the money jar after Seamus got home, knowing that it would gradually disappear at their fathers hand.
Hes not comin home tonight, Sean said. He wont bring the boat in in this weather.
Is Da all right? Liam asked.
Yeah, hes all right, Brian murmured, getting up from the window. He wandered out to the hall and checked the row of buckets that Conor had set out to counter the leaking roof. Then he hurried back to the bedroom and hopped into bed, pulling the covers up over his chest.
If he just went to sleep, then it would be morning and the storm would be over and his father would be home and everything would be all right. Your feet are cold, Li, Brian complained. Keep em to yourself, ya little dosser.
Shut yer gob, Liam said. Read me. Come on, Sean. Read me just a little.
The stairs creaked. Conors coming up, Sean said. Ask him for a story.
But instead of Conor, their brother Brendan poked his head in the room. Con says lights out, he said. School tomorrow.
Will Da be home tomorrow? Liam asked.
Brendan forced a smile then shrugged. Dont know, Li. But hell be home soon.
Liam sat up and brushed his hair out of his eyes. Is he all right? My teacher said the storm was bad.
Brendan sat down on the edge of the bed and grabbed Liams foot beneath the quilt, tickling it playfully. Of course hell be all right. Da can steer through any old storm. He glanced back and forth between Brian and Sean, a silent warning not to contradict him.
Yeah, Brian agreed. When I went out with Da last summer, he told me about a storm that had fifty-foot waves and wind so strong it could blow a man right off the deck. This isnt near as bad, Li.
Liams expression shifted, now more worried. How high are the waves?
Theyre just wee little waves, Brendan said. Why dont you shove over and Ill tell you a story. He crawled in between Liam and Brian, leaning back against the headboard. What story do you want to hear?
The stories were a Quinn family tradition and when Seamus was home, he told a different tale nearly every night. They were wonderful stories of their legendary ancestors, the Mighty Quinns, those brave and clever men who vanquished evil. But when Seamus told the stories, the fables also featured scheming women. At first, Brian hadnt understood why the Quinns distrusted women so. But then hed come to realize that the tales were laced with Seamuss own opinions about womenopinions based on their mothers desertion.
Her name was never spoken in the presence of their father but Conor talked about her every now and then. She had been beautiful, with long dark hair and pretty green eyes. And though Brian had been only three when she left, he remembered one thingthe red flowered apron that she wore every morning. He could still feel the starched fabric between his fingers.
Odran and the giant, Sean said.
Murchadh Quinn, the mighty seaman, Liam suggested.
Eamon and the enchantress, Brian insisted. Though Brendan was only eleven, he told the tales the best. He wove stories full of excitement and vivid images, better than any action movie or comic book.
I just remembered a story that Da told a long time ago when Con and Dylan and I were younger, Brendan said. I dont think youve ever heard this one. Its about Riddoc Quinn who was the smartest of all our Quinn ancestors. In fact, Riddoc Quinn knew everything.
No one can know everything, Brian said.
Ah, but Riddoc did. For he was a very watchful lad. He didnt talk much, but saw a lot. Brendan pointed to his temple. And he was also a great thinker. Like me. And a little like Liam, too.
Get on with the story, gobdaw, Sean said.
Brendan cleared his throat. Riddoc Quinn lived in a tiny village on the Irish seacoast in a small stone cottage perched on a craggy cliff. His parents were plain and simple folk who couldnt read or write, but Riddoc taught himself to do both. He read every book in the village and when there were none left, he visited nearby towns to borrow more. But that wasnt enough. Riddoc spoke with every person who passed through the village, asking of their travels, wanting to know about the rest of the world.
Is this going to be one of those stories that were supposed to learn something from? Sean muttered. Like study hard and stay in school?
Brendan reached over Liams head and gave Sean a cuff. Shut up or Ill make you tell the story. And youre just about the worst storyteller in all of Southie.
Keep going! Liam cried.
Riddoc and his family lived near a powerful sorcerer named Aodhfin and Aodhfin had two daughters named Maighdlin and Macha. Aodhfin spoiled his daughters, giving them anything they wished for, conjuring up pretty dresses and expensive gifts. The beautiful Maighdlin became very selfish and greedy. Her sister Macha was a plain and guileless girl and so it was as they grew older. Maighdlin demanded more and more of her father, putting on the airs of a princess while Macha concentrated on her studies, learning Latin and Greek and reading great books.
As time passed, Aodhfin knew that hed have to choose an heir to his magical powers. Though Maighdlin was grasping and unfeeling, Aodhfin knew she could become a powerful sorceress, maybe the most powerful in the land. But Macha was compassionate and generous, the type of person who would use her power for good.
The old sorcerer was torn between his two daughters and spent many sleepless nights pondering his decision. He asked his friends to help him, but they were unable to make a choice for they were afraid that if they chose wrong, they might suffer later. As he was walking in the forest one day, Aodhfin came upon a peasant and decided to ask his advice. The peasant grinned and told him, You should ask Riddoc Quinn for he will know the answer. He knows everything.
He would know, Liam said. Riddoc Quinn was the smartest boy in Ireland.
That he was. But he wasnt just book-smart. Riddoc understood others, their flaws and their strengths, for he had met many people in his quest for knowledge and understanding and had learned from each of them.
And so Aodhfin sent for Riddoc Quinn and brought him to his home, a dark castle deep in the forest. The old sorcerer couldnt believe that this boy dressed in rags was the person he sought. I have heard you possess great knowledge, the sorcerer said. Riddoc nodded. Then I will leave the decision to you, said the sorcerer. You will choose between my two daughters and tell me which one will become a great sorceress. But first, you must tell me how you plan to decide. Riddoc thought about this for a long moment. I will give them a test, he said. I will ask them three questions which they must answer honestly.
Sean groaned. Oh, no. Like a spelling test? This is a dumb story. I want the Odran story.
Its the right way to decide, Brian countered. Its the most fair.
The day of the test approached, Brendan continued, and the sorcerer grew worried that Riddoc was not the right person for the job. After all, he possessed no mystical powershe was just an ordinary boy. Perhaps it would be better to use magic, a potion or a spell to make the decision clear. For the first test, Riddoc placed three items on a table in front of each of the daughtersa ruby, pearl and a simple stone polished smooth by the sea. He asked Maighdlin to choose the most beautiful stone. Of course Maighdlin chose the ruby for it was the most valuable. But when he asked Macha, she chose the stone from the sea.
Macha is too dumb to be a sorceress, Sean said.
The sorcerer thought so, too, Brendan continued. How could Macha be a sorceress if she couldnt even recognize the value of a jewel? But Riddoc saw that Macha recognized the beauty in simple things. The next question was more difficult. Riddoc brought three men before the girlsa handsome knight, a wealthy shopkeeper and a monk. He gave Maighdlin a pouch of gold coins and asked her to give it to the man who needed it most. But Maighdlin was not about to be fooled. She gave a third to the knight for his protection, a third to the shopkeeper for a bolt of silk, and a third to the monk for his blessing. When Macha came into the room and was faced with the same choice, she held on to the bag of gold. I cannot give this bounty to any of these men for none of them need it. The knight is cared for by his liege and the shopkeeper makes his living from the goods he sells. And the monk has taken a vow of poverty. Where is the poor farmer whose crop has failed or the mother who has too many children to feed?
Brian nestled down in the bed, pulling the covers up to his chin. The wind still rattled the windows and water still dripped into a plastic bucket beside the bed. But as he listened to Brendans story, he felt the real world fade away. He saw the sorcerers castle in his mind, the deep forest. He saw Riddocs tiny cottage near the sea. Though hed been born in Ireland, he remembered nothing of that country. But he could feel it pulsing through his body now.
The old sorcerer sighed. Macha was too tender-hearted to ever wield great power. But Riddoc knew that Macha was kind and generous and sympathetic to those less fortunate. There was one final question that Riddoc decided to give to the daughters. You may ask me one question, he said. A question that you want answered more than any other. They pondered their choices for a long time. Will I be the most powerful sorceress in Ireland? Maighdlin asked. Will I ever find true love? Macha asked. This proved what Riddoc already knewMacha had a pure heart. He turned to the sorcerer. You must give Macha your power, he said.