What Love Can Do: O’Neill Brothers (Home to Green Valley Book 1)

Eight

The moment she said those words, it was like the bell signaling the start of a horse race. Quinn wasted no time peeling back the rest of his shirt, standing and unzipping his jeans. The last time she’d seen him this way, he’d hung in the doorway, teasing her. Now she’d get to see what was underneath those jeans. He slid them down slowly, chuckling a moment at his striptease. Then, he pulled his shorts off and stood there like a perfect marble statue.

He’d mentioned having played professional rugby in Ireland, and Lilly could definitely see the results of that. His body was athletic, not over muscled, and there was that wide chest again—strong and perfect for laying her hands and cheek against should she ever fall asleep against it. His skin was lightly olive-toned with soft brown hair lining his chest, converging in a line down his strong abs, ending between his legs. She tried not to stare, but it was difficult. His equipment was long and thick—a lot larger overall than Ben Miller’s—with ropy veins and a thick, purple head.

“You’re blushing,” he said, his voice taking on a deeper edge. “That’ll teach you to be careful what you say.”

“I’m not scared of you, or any naked man,” Lilly mused, unbuttoning her jeans and sliding them down the length of her slender legs. She left her lacy panties on for good measure, just to have a layer on between them. She was excited and terrified all at once, and the truth was, she was acting more brave than she felt around Quinn. When she motioned for him to lie down alongside her, he did as she asked, taking his time and making a bit of a show, running his hand through his hair and being all Adonis about it.

She laughed. “Just lie down already. It’s cold!”

He closed the space between them, and everything was right with the world. Amazing what another warm body next to her could do for a soul, what cold emptiness could melt away just having a stranger there to keep one company. But even as she had the thought, she acknowledged this wasn’t just any body making her feel this way; it was Quinn’s and the press of his flesh against hers was unlike anything she’d ever experienced before.

“Is this okay for you?” He cupped her face in his hand and kissed her lips gently.

Lilly nodded, focused solely on his mouth, sucking and drawing in his lips, tasting his delicious kiss. The effects of the beer and wine and jasmine and gardenia scent and his pheromones made her hold onto his shoulders as though he were a life preserver, which wasn’t too far from the truth. He was the first man worth talking to and looking at to come through Green Valley in a while, and she would enjoy him while she could.

He groaned softly under his breath, and one of his hands, those hands she’d been watching all night, slid up and massaged her breast. “Beautiful…” he murmured, kissing her neck.

Her head fell back. So…incredibly…hot. His mouth moved down her neck until his lips closed over one of her nipples, hard with anticipation, and a soft moan escaped her. His tongue played with it, sucked and teased it, while his fingers played with the other nipple. She was so wet, he’d probably be able to tell just looking at her panties. He kissed between her breasts, then squeezed them against his face.

“You like that?” she asked, hands in his hair.

“I love it,” he breathed. It almost didn’t sound like him. He resumed sucking her nipples, and she asked him to do it a bit harder. As much as she wanted to slide her panties right off and mount his hard cock, she held back. They had the whole night ahead of them.

His hands slid down her tummy, then back up between her legs. He pressed two fingers there, on the outside of the cotton fabric, watching her face and her eyes close, as he massaged her clit through the lace.

Jesus.

She wanted him to consume and overwhelm her. She wanted to use him and make him use her at the same time. She pushed his hand away slightly before it became too much, and he looked up, confused, afraid maybe she’d decided to stop. “Lean back, Quinn,” she said, and he rested back against the lounge chair cushion on his elbows, as she kneeled in front of him and ran her hands over his crotch. His cock had definitely grown harder since he’s undressed, as it laid firm and hot against his belly. She wanted to feel him inside her mouth.

Sliding her burning hot body against his, a sly smile escaped her lips, and suddenly, her fingers curled around his thick cock, nicely-sized, throbbing and inviting. She would treat him to what her lips could do, what she’d spent all day fantasizing over.

His mouth opened, as he gasped for air. “Oh, Lillian…”

“Yes?”

“You’re killing me.”

“Good.”

She left a trail of kisses from his strong chin to his neck, down his chest to one of his nipples. She stopped to suck on one, hearing him moan, while she continued to caress his hard shaft. Lowering one hand, she cupped his balls, testing their weight. His eyes, always so aloof, glazed over with fiery intensity. “You like this?” she asked him.

“Hell, yes.”

She loved hearing him say it, felt the power within her to make him feel this way, and smiled. With a good grip on him, she slid her hand up and down over his hot skin, while he took advantage of her proximity and suckled on her tits again. As much as she would’ve liked to continue stroking him like this, she was dying, too. She needed to taste him and get a feel for him inside of her mouth.

Moving down, she positioned herself between his legs, and taking his cock in one hand, she laid it flat against his belly and came up underneath him, licking his balls and closing her mouth around one.

“Jesus, Joseph, and Mary, Lilly.” He let out a long moan.

“Three too many there, Quinn.” She stroked him while sucking on his balls, sliding her tongue up over his skin to his cock. Finally, she twisted her mouth around the head, feeling the velvety smoothness before taking him in completely, sucking her cheeks tightly around him. She pulled it out with a pop and looked up to see his totally mind-blown face.

“Holy shite…”

She smiled. You had no idea, did you, Quinn? Eyes on his, she slapped him onto her tongue a few times to watch his mind get blown. Then, in one slow fell swoop, she slid her mouth over him, taking in as much of him as she could, pushing his whole cock as deeply as it would go.

His breathing became intense, and she knew she had to pull him out before it was too late. Suddenly, he sat up, almost possessed. “Stand,” he said, and she did. She had never gotten commands from anyone before. It was thrilling, sexy as hell, to say the least.

She bit her lip. “Yes, sir.”

He hooked his fingers around the sides of her lace panties and slowly pulled them off, down the tops of her thighs until he revealed her most sensitive core. Sucking in a breath, he paused. Was something wrong? “What is it?” she asked, hinged on a whisper.

He smoothed his fingers over her shaved skin then glided two fingers between her lips, causing her to gasp. “Shaved and smooth. Just lovely, Lilly,” he said. “And you’re so wet.” He pulled her panties down to the edge of her heels. “Look at you, all perfectly naked out here where anybody can see you—naughty girl.”

Lilly beamed and bit her lip. “Quinn, if you need…” She hoped he had a condom, or she would go and get one for him.

“I’ve got it,” he said, reaching into his jeans and fishing around in his wallet. “Turn around…stay there,” he commanded.

Turn around!She could hardly stand it. She did as she was told, her muscles shaking from how much she wanted him. His hands spread over her lower back and ass. She smiled at him over her shoulder in case there was any doubt in his mind that she was enjoying this. He reached over to the other lounge chair and brought back a soft cushion, positioning it in front of her. “Lean down on it,” he instructed.

“Oh, my. You’re winning the bad boy contest, I think.”

“Was there ever any doubt?” He tickled her back playfully.

Again, she did as she was told and quivered with anticipation. Then, she felt him lower his body, and a moment later, his hot tongue slid between the lips of her pussy, hands firmly on her ass. He moved down to her clit, flicked his tongue around it, then sucked on it until she moaned so loudly, she was sure someone nearby would hear her.

“I like that,” she said.

“I know.” He took it up a notch and slid a finger then another into her sweet folds.

“Oh, God, yeah.” So fucking good. “Please…don’t stop.”

“I wasn’t planning to,” he said, and the tongue onslaught continued. She wanted to come but wasn’t ready, and besides, she wanted, more than anything, for him to glide into her and fuck her good and hard.

“Do it,” she said.

“What’s that?” he asked teasingly. She could hear the smile in his voice.

“Fuck me, please,” she begged.

“You said you want me to fuck you now?”

“Yes!” she said. “Please, Quinn.” She wanted to feel him pounding her. He stood behind her, as she reached back, grabbing his cock and pulled him closer. He took a moment to work the condom over his throbbing cock.

One hand on her waist, the other on his erection, he slowly pushed himself into her wetness, then he grabbed a hold of her hips. He filled her up good, his whole cock pounding into her. Yes, oh my God… With every thrust and pull of her hips toward him, she felt her body tightening, getting ready for sweet release.

God, she loved this. She didn’t care if he would be gone in a week. She would enjoy this while she could. There was nowhere she would rather be right now than making love to him in this private paradise overlooking the valley. In fact, as good as it felt doing it this way, she wanted to see him face-to-face. She wanted him to look into her eyes when she came.

She reached back for his hand, forcing him to slow down long enough so she could twist around and lie on her back.

“You want it this way?” he asked.

“Yes,” she said. His elbows rested on either side of her, and his face lowered to hers, kissing her over and over sweetly. Her legs tangled with his to lock him in, and together, they formed a knot. He thrust into her harder, and with each time, she felt herself getting closer. “I’m going to come,” she told him when the waves were on the edge.

“Me too.” Then, she saw it in his eyes—she’d reached through to him. He was at his most vulnerable. He kissed her again, his lips soft, eyes smiling at her adoringly. “I’m ready.”

“Do it,” she told him, and suddenly, he poured over the edge and into her.

The waves came for her too, concentrating on one, all-encompassing spot, a blinding white pleasure ripping through her. She cried out and held him. His breathing peaked then ceased, then he laid down beside her without another word.

They didn’t talk for quite some time, both of them lying there under a happy shower of meteors. Lilly was the most content she’d been in a long time, and she dozed, head in the space between his chest and neck, listening to the heavy sound of his breathing and soft snoring. At some point, she shifted and turned the opposite way, and when the soft light of dawn began creeping underneath her eyelids, she felt the warm fuzziness of the blanket cocooned all around her.

What time it was, she didn’t know, but there, on the cushion next to her, were a bunch of pale blue hydrangeas in Quinn’s place with a scrap of paper, and on it, a scrawling: See you later, beautiful woman.

Lilly smiled.

In the kitchen later that morning, she wondered what on Earth she was going to do about Quinn when she next saw him? Would he act as though nothing had happened? Would they get together again? Would she see him every night while he was in Forestville? But most of all, how strong could she be when it was time to part? The inevitable. Sure, it had all seemed like a good idea last night, but damn—he’d been so sweet, so sexy, she wondered now, while scooping muffin batter into tins ready to bake, how would she be able to say goodbye to him when the time came?

Her mother blustered into the kitchen with arms full of grocery bags. “I just ran into Avery Benson at the market,” she said, setting paper bags down and giving Lilly a raised eyebrow with the power to make her feel guilty, even though she hadn’t done anything wrong.

“And? Who’s pregnant?” Lilly tapped the tray of muffin batter on the counter to knock out the air bubbles.

“Every girl in town soon, if they’re not careful.” Mom took out can after can and stacked them on the counter.

Lilly shot her mother an annoyed glance. “What does that mean?”

“It means…that Avery told me who those O’Neill boys are.”

Lilly’s stomach sank into her feet.

“They’re the sons of Maggie Phillips.”

“Who’s Maggie Phillips?” Lilly asked even as she remembered Quinn saying his mother hailed from this area, then asking her about the Phillips winery. Last night, Paul had mentioned a Maggie and Grant as they were leaving. But Quinn had denied his mom going by any other name than O’Neill. Had he lied?

“Who’s Maggie Phillips? Come on, Lillian, youngest daughter of Richard Phillips, Sr.? Owner of Phillips Vineyard and Winery down the road? The daughter who left town for Ireland when she was barely twenty, and nobody’s seen her since? Have you been living under a rock?”

“I—I’ve never heard of her.” And she hadn’t. But she was more concerned with the fact that apparently Quinn had lied to her. Why?

“Lillian, you have to have heard me mention her from time to time. She married an Irish man she met down at Mulligan’s Tavern, a guy named Grant O’Neill. Those must be her boys staying with us.”

Lilly’s heart twisted. Okay. So it seemed Maggie and Grant were Quinn’s parents. But why was Quinn and Con being here a big deal, even if they were Maggie Phillips’s sons? She wasn’t sure what the problem was, but her mother, Avery Benson, and the older women in town had a way of making everything seem like a huge problem that needed discussing—probably the biggest reason Lilly felt she needed to take that internship and get the hell out of Forestville. “So what, Mom? His mother died, and he wanted to see where she was from.”

Mom looked at Lilly sideways. “Lots of folks were upset when Maggie up and left, Lillian, not just her parents and sisters, but her fiancé too—the one she left behind to get hitched with the Irish guy. Not me, though. I was perfectly happy with it.” Mom harrumphed in a way Lilly had learned over the years not to pursue unless she was ready to hear something she didn’t like.

“What does that mean? Why the scoff?” Lilly leaned against the counter and crossed her arms over her chest. Even though her mom hadn’t accused her of anything, didn’t even know she had spent the night with Quinn O’Neill, Lillian was already ready to defend him, if necessary. “Why should I care what their mother did thirty, however many years ago?”

“Because…” Mom placed the cans inside of the cabinet a little harder, more angrily than absolutely necessary. “The jilted fiancé of Maggie’s was your father—after he dumped me for her—before I took him back again.”