Chapter 13
QUINN
Normally, I’d be panicking at the prospect of being trapped in a room with no cell phone and no way out for hours, but being in here with Kane feels right.
And the Jameson helps. Our conversation has ranged from silly to serious, and when I mentioned the job offer back in Boston, I felt something from him.
A vibe. When I told him I was staying in Pelican Point, I swear I detected a look of relief crossing his face.
Even though it probably means he won’t get my pub.
Sorting through the box of my parents’ things awakens feelings in me that have been locked away for too long.
Having Kane with me as I take this bittersweet journey into my past is ironic, given the connection between our families.
And surprisingly, it’s comforting. I suppose because he’s also suffered the loss of a parent.
As I continue to share memories of my mother and father, he lets me talk, merely lending an ear and listening as words pour out of me that I’ve kept bottled up inside for an eternity.
When he finally does speak, his simple expression of sympathy reinforces an emotional connection that I can’t deny.
The intensity of that connection grows stronger as we come together in a kiss that’s potent, yet tender at the same time.
I honestly don’t know who initiated the kiss—me or him.
Does it matter? No, it doesn’t, because I’m all in.
When we finally break apart, he caresses my cheek with his palm. “Quinn, do you believe in fate?”
“Fate?”
He nods.
“I don’t know.”
“Well, I believe. And everything I know up to this point is telling me that you are back in Pelican Point for a reason. It’s time for the rivalry to end. It stops with you and me.”
His eyes bore into my soul and my breath hitches at the depth of emotion emanating from him.
This gorgeous man is telling me we are meant to be together.
And my heart is telling me to listen to him.
I place my hand at the back of his head, lightly running my fingers through his hair and gently pulling him down with me as I lower us to the floor.
Rather than putting his weight on me, he shifts our bodies sideways so that we’re facing each other lying down.
“Are you sure about this?”
“In this moment, yes. I’m sure this is where I want to be. Here with you. Is that enough for you?”
“What if I want more?”
I give him a sassy smile. “Fate will determine whether there’s more. Now stop talking and kiss me.”
And he does. Then he begins a thorough exploration of my body with his lips and hands, gently nibbling and tasting as a heat builds within me that can only be quenched by him.
Our heavy breathing and throaty moans mix together to create an erotic song that fills the otherwise silent room with the beautiful sound of two people coming together.
I want to feel his skin next to mine, so I tug at his shirt in frustration. “Off.”
His chuckle warms my insides as he ceases his ministrations only long enough to remove it. “Better?”
“Yes,” I sigh, as he resumes his touches, moving lower and lower, until his fingers make their way between my legs.
He then hikes my dress up just enough so that he can slide his fingers into my panties to play with my most sensitive area.
My own fingers find their way back into his hair and I tug on his head, silently willing him to put his lips where his fingers are.
“Tell me what you want, Quinn.”
“I want your mouth between my legs.”
A deep growl is his only response as he gently positions me onto my back and slowly removes my panties, deliberately teasing me with his unhurried movements.
Just when I think I can’t wait another second, his tongue finds my folds and his fingers continue to pleasure me.
I feel his other hand at my breast, his fingers lightly gliding back and forth across my nipple before giving it a firm pinch, which practically causes me to explode.
I then begin to babble incoherently. “Kane, please. I need…I want…” In response, he increases the pressure and frequency of his movements, leaving me throbbing with need and begging for relief.
He answers my cries by plunging his tongue into my core and flicking it rapidly until waves of pleasure crash over me, carrying me to a climax so intense that I literally see stars.
When I eventually come back down to Earth, Kane gathers me in his arms, whispering sweet endearments in my ear.
Desire builds in me again, as my hand makes its way to the bulge in Kane’s jeans.
I unfasten the button and lower the zipper for better access to his cock.
As I stroke his member, Kane leans back and closes his eyes.
I then climb on top of him, positioning my core on his manhood, rocking back and forth.
His moans shoot straight to my center, causing my nipples to harden and my vee to throb with need once again.
“Kane, please. I want to feel you inside of me.”
He pulls me down to him in an urgent kiss, then says, “I don’t have a condom. We can’t risk it.”
“I’m on the pill. And I haven’t been with anyone since long before I left Boston. There’s no risk to you.”
“I haven’t been with anyone either and I had a checkup six months ago. So if you’re sure…”
“Yes, I’m sure. Hurry, please.”
He rids himself of his jeans and underwear in record time and sinks into me, then turns me on my side and hikes my leg over his so he can go deeper.
“God, you feel so good, Quinn.”
He begins to move slowly and deliberately in a rhythm like a slow dance, so tender it practically brings tears to my eyes.
I lock eyes with him, mesmerized by the feeling of being connected in a way I’ve never experienced before.
As we continue to move together, his breaths quicken and he lets out a grunt before plunging his tongue into my mouth and emptying himself inside me.
Much later, I wake to the sound of the front door opening and closing, and footsteps walking through the bar.
Disoriented, I’m not sure where I am until I turn my head and find myself looking at a jeans clad-crotch.
My head is in Kane’s lap. Then it all comes flooding back.
Getting locked in the office. Finishing off the bottle of Jameson.
Long conversations leading to leisurely lovemaking and a night of connection beyond anything I’ve ever experienced before.
Thank goodness at some point we put our clothes back on, otherwise there would be a mad scramble to get dressed before Maeve opens the door.
I ease myself off the floor and bang on the office door to alert Maeve.
“Maeve! We’re trapped in here. Let us out!”
I turn back to Kane. “Time to get up. Maeve’s here.”
He wipes the sleep from his eyes and I momentarily get caught up in the look of early-morning-adorably-disheveled Kane. What would it be like waking up to that vision every morning? I push the thought out of my mind as Maeve opens the door from the other side.
“Are you alright? How on earth did you get stuck in here? And who is we?”
The look on her face as she eyeballs me, then Kane, is priceless. But she doesn’t say another word in front of him.
It’s a good thing. I’m definitely not ready to answer any probing questions, so I make light of the situation. “It’s all Kane’s fault. Before I could warn him about the wonky door, he shut it behind him when we came back here to work on festival planning.”
“You should have called me. I would have come to your rescue.”
“Well, I would have, except I left my phone sitting on the bar and he didn’t have his with him.”
Maeve’s only response to that is a high arch of one brow.
The following day before we open for business, the front door of the pub swings open. Unfortunately, the man who I spent an incredible night with is not the one who walks through it.
“What can I do for you, Darren?”
“I took the liberty of drawing up the contract for exclusive rights to your taps. As anyone can see, you need my help. Rumor has it your event permits haven’t come through yet.
The health inspector hasn’t signed off on your repairs.
And apparently, Kane O’Brien is also having issues with his pub.
You really need to distance yourself from that man if you want Kavanaugh’s to survive.
” He gives me a smug look. “With my contacts and influence, Kavanaugh’s can be viable once again.
Without me, both bars will probably end up closing down.
As a marketing professional, surely you know the commercial land you’re sitting on is worth far more than your businesses.
Get ahead of the inevitable. You’d be better off selling out now and walking away with a little money left in your pocket. ”
The arrogance of this man! As he drones on, my mind races through all of the crazy things that have happened over the last few weeks to both me and Kane.
Equipment failures. Missing deliveries. Surprise health department inspections.
Darren has to be behind all of it. But what’s in it for him? What’s his motive?
I come out from behind the bar, boldly standing in front of Darren.
I pick up the contract and rip it in half right in front of him, letting it drop to the floor like the garbage it is.
I then turn on my heel and walk away from him toward my office, not even sparing him a backward glance.
His blustering and flustering doesn’t bother me in the least, but a chill goes down my spine when he utters a veiled threat.
“You’ll be sorry.”