Chapter Four #2
Quinn’s smile was wry as she turned toward her apartment. “Meggie,” he called her back.
She turned around, her eyes avoiding his probing gaze.
“Your phone number’s been changed?”
She’d nearly forgotten; it was necessary to call her dad tonight and give him the new number, otherwise he’d worry. “Yes,
would you like my new one?”
Quinn shrugged. “There isn’t any reason for me to have it. If I want you, I’ll knock,” he stated matter-of-factly.
Meggie flushed slightly and regarded him with unhappy eyes before silently agreeing with a short shake of her head.
Quinn could be so difficult to understand. When he’d kissed her last weekend it had been one of the most beautiful, tender
kisses of her life. She had felt her body, her spirit communicating with his. It was almost as if their inner beings had cried
out to one another.
And now, just a few short days later, Quinn’s attitude was returning to that of a polite neighbor. It didn’t make sense.
Pausing, her hand on the apartment door, Meggie glanced back to his apartment. She’d been to his place several times now;
never had he invited her inside. It was as if he wanted to keep her out of his life.
She felt a crazy kind of hurt in her heart. She’d been rebuffed before.
Friday afternoon Jill was knocking at Meggie’s door almost the minute she arrived home from work.
“Hi.” She sauntered into the room, “I see the boogeyman didn’t get you.”
“No.” Meggie placed the back of her hand to her forehead dramatically. “I’m safe for another week.”
Jill giggled. “Dad’s not home, mind if I use your phone?”
“Go ahead.” Needlessly she pointed it out to Jill. While the girl was dialing Meggie walked into the kitchen, making an excuse
of looking in the refrigerator because she didn’t want Jill to think she was listening to her conversation.
Jill followed shortly thereafter. “Dad’s going to be a few minutes late. He said it was all right if I stayed here, if you
don’t mind.”
Meggie glanced up from behind the refrigerator door. “It’s fine with me. Want a can of soda?”
Jill shrugged. “Soda rots your teeth.”
“It also causes cancer in laboratory rats and gives you pimples. Want one anyway?”
Jill nodded eagerly and held up both hands. Meggie tossed her the aluminum can.
They sat together in the living room, feet propped against the coffee table, sipping their drinks.
“I have a key to Dad’s apartment,” Jill volunteered. “Fridays after school I take the bus here. That way Hariette doesn’t
have to worry about me coming home and all.”
“What about your clothes?” Meggie questioned, crossing her legs at the knee.
“I keep some of my things at Dad’s and if I want to bring something special I put it in my backpack.” Jill toyed with a button
on her shirt. “Usually Dad’s home early on Friday nights; he tries to be, anyway. But he’s working on some big case and is
going to be late tonight. He’ll probably have to work tomorrow too.” She tilted her head back, not bothering to disguise the
disappointment in her eyes. “It’s my birthday tomorrow.”
“Jill, that’s great.” Meggie straightened, setting her drink on the coffee table. “We should do something special. I’ve been
wanting to visit Lloyd Center. Do you think your dad would mind if we went shopping?”
“Lloyd Center? Really?” Jill’s round eyes lit up eagerly.
The huge shopping complex was unique. Built on two floors, it had a large ice skating rink situated in the middle of the bottom
level. Spectators could look down from the upper floor to see an array of skaters gliding their way across the ice. Mothers
dropped their kids off for an afternoon of fun while they shopped.
“Dad wouldn’t care,” Jill continued.
“Good, I’ll look forward to it.”
The doorbell chimed and Meggie rose to her feet with a fluid grace that was as natural as water’s gentle flow over a waterfall.
“It’s Quinn,” came the deep, baritone voice from the other side of the door. When Meggie opened the lock, he greeted her with
a curt smile. “Meggie.”
“Hello, Quinn.” She smiled gently. He looked tired; and irrationally she longed to reach out, smooth the hair from his face
and massage his temples. A mental picture of him lying on the couch, his head cradled on her lap, flashed across her mind.
Quickly Meggie lowered her lashes, afraid he could read what was in her thoughts.
“Is Jill here?” he questioned abruptly.
Meggie stepped aside. “Come in, we’re just finishing a can of soda.”
He did so grudgingly, his mouth curved in a cynical line that Meggie hated.
“Hi, Dad,” Jill called to him, her eyes twinkling. “Did you pick up something for dinner? I’m starved. And, Dad, can Meggie
eat with us tonight? She’s taking me shopping with her tomorrow, isn’t that great?”
Again, Quinn’s dark eyes rested on Meggie.
The slender shoulders gave a delicate shrug as she batted her eyelashes wickedly. “Yes, what’s for dinner? I’m starved.”
For a moment Meggie was sure she saw the corners of his mouth quiver with a suppressed smile. But if so, he quickly restrained
the amusement.
“If you give me the money, I’ll run down the street and bring back some chicken,” Jill offered enthusiastically.
“And I’ll make a fresh green salad and set the table,” Meggie elaborated.
Quinn’s gaze bounced from his daughter to Meggie. “Why do I have the feeling I’m being blatantly manipulated by you two?”
Jill stood, holding out the palm of her hand. “Because you are,” she said frankly, and winked at Meggie.
There was silence for a moment as Quinn withdrew his wallet from his hip pocket and handed several bills to Jill. He didn’t
say a word as Jill grabbed the money and her jacket and flew out the door. He may not have said anything, but the slant of
his mouth showed he was none too pleased.
“Be a sport,” Meggie chided. “I’ve been wanting to talk to you all week and you’ve been a regular cold fish.”
Thick brows shot up. “A cold fish?” he spat.
“What else would you call it?” she demanded with a smile. “I could almost feel the Arctic chill through the walls.” Some of
the teasing laughter left her glinting eyes. “If you’re angry with me about something, Quinn, I wish you’d say so and be done
with it instead of closing yourself off from me.”
At first the steely gaze bore into her as if he was going to deny the accusation. But gradually a softening light entered
the dark depths and he smiled, relenting. “I’ll be back in a few minutes,” he said. “I’m going to take a shower.”
“Okay,” Meggie agreed. Her heart felt like it was going to trip over itself from the effect of his smile. He hadn’t said a
word about Sam, the telephone call or their conversation earlier that week. Even without verbal communication Meggie knew
everything was going to be fine between them.
Quinn returned first, his hair damp from the shower. He’d changed clothes and was dressed casually in dark slacks and a rust-colored
sweater that was open at the throat exposing blond, curling hairs. For an insane instant Meggie was tempted to run her fingers
over the short hairs and wind her arms around his neck.
Her fingers remained in front of her as she stood at the kitchen sink, tearing apart pieces of lettuce for the salad.
Quinn moved behind her, his hands sliding over her shoulders and down her slender arms. Meggie closed her eyes, fighting the
temptation to lean back against him and surrender to the bold tide of awareness he was capable of arousing within her.
Gently his lips spread sweet, tender kisses along the side of her neck. Meggie rotated her head, her long hair falling aside
to grant him easier access. Shivers of delight ran up her spine.
When his hands applied a subtle pressure, turning her around, Meggie slid her arms around his neck, anticipating the union
of their mouths. Her pulse was thundering in her ears as his lips fit firmly over hers. Her mouth parted slightly in welcome
as she surrendered to the crescendoing beat of her heart.
Quinn kissed her again before shuddering and dragging his mouth from her. He inhaled sharply and buried his face in the slim
column of her throat.
For a long while he did nothing but hold her as if he couldn’t bear to let her out of his arms. When he spoke his voice was
no more than a husky whisper.
“You smell good.”
“So do you,” she replied shakily.
His hands closed over her shoulders again, as he pushed himself away. “Thank you, Meggie,” he murmured.
She was perplexed. “Thank me? For what?”
Tenderly he brushed a stray curl of thick hair from her temple. “For bringing a bit of sunshine into Jill’s and my life.”
Her dark eyes widened. “Good heavens, you make me sound like the Good Ship Lollipop.”
A strange, brooding look came over him. “In a way you are. You don’t live in the real world. You have this rosy picture of
life and God that is so completely removed from reality I find it shockingly refreshing.”
The sensation of happiness and well-being plunged to the pit of her stomach.
“Quinn . . .” She wanted to explain her beliefs, but a long finger at her lips halted the words.
“I didn’t mean to put you on the defensive; I wouldn’t want to hurt your feelings. The minute we met, I knew that you were
going to be bad news.” The amused twist of his sensuous mouth took the sting of rejection from his words. “I could see the
only sane thing to do was stay clear of you. But I can’t. You creep into my mind at the oddest moments. I lie in bed at night
with only a thin wall separating us and I’m tormented with what I’m sure must be the fragrance of your perfume.” He paused,
shrugging his shoulders expressively. “When you’re around, Jill laughs. I can’t remember the last time I heard the sound of
her giggles. But that’s not all. You make me want to laugh again, too.” His fingers softly examined the contour of her chin
and the delicate bone structure of her cheek before coming to rest on her lips. “Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?”
A willing captive to the magic of his spell, Meggie didn’t hear the sound of the front door opening.