The Mighty Quinns: Rourke (12 page)

Frustrated, Annie turned on her heel and walked out of the cottage. How could she explain her feelings to Rourke when she really didn’t understand them at all? She trusted him completely and yet she couldn’t trust herself. She was twenty-five years old and it was time to see a little more of the world.

Annie had managed to convince herself that a trip to New York City was exactly what she and Kit needed.

Rourke walked outside and found Annie sitting on the porch steps. “I’m sorry,” she said. “As you can probably tell, I don’t deal with change very well.”

He sat down beside her, then grabbed her hand and pulled it to his lips. “I’m coming back. It’s not like I’m leaving forever.”

“I know,” she said. “But it doesn’t make things easier.”

“Annie, I thought we were just in this for sex. That’s what you said. That’s what you continue to say. Has something changed?”

Annie felt a sliver of regret. She didn’t want Rourke leaving without knowing how she really felt about him. But she’d never loved a man before, so she had no way of knowing whether these feelings were real or not.

She took a long, deep breath. “We’re not just friends,” Annie said.

“We aren’t?”

“You mean everything to me,” Annie said. “I didn’t want to need you, but I do. You’ve made my life so much better and I haven’t thanked you.”

Rourke slipped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “I wouldn’t leave if it wasn’t really important.”

“I understand,” Annie said. “When do you have to go?”

“I thought I’d head out early tomorrow morning. It’s a fifteen-hour drive and I can do it in a day if I leave early enough.”

“I suppose you’re going to want to get to bed early then,” Annie suggested

Rourke grinned. “Are you trying to seduce me, Annie?”

“You don’t take much convincing,” she replied. “I can just smile at you and you seem ready to tear my clothes off.”

“Then let’s do it. I’ll race you to the bed.”

At first, she thought he was just teasing. But then she saw the desire in his eyes. Annie couldn’t think of anything she’d rather do. With a soft sigh, she crawled onto his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Promise me you’ll come back.”

“I promise,” Rourke said.

“And promise, if there’s another storm along the way, you won’t stop and help another damsel in distress.”

Rourke chuckled. “I’m beginning to think that was the smartest decision I’ve ever made.”

Annie remembered that first night with him. From the moment she’d seen him, she knew she wanted him. He’d been so undeniably sexy and just his smile was enough to send shivers coursing through her body. That storm had changed her entire life. She was a different woman now, someone with the confidence to face the world on her own.

But now that she was ready, she didn’t want to be alone. Annie liked having Rourke with her, close at hand. He seemed to belong in her house, as if he’d been with her all along. She’d never been one to dream about marriage and a family, but with Rourke, it seemed like a possibility.

“I’ll race you to the bed,” she said.

“I don’t think so,” Rourke said. He slipped his arm beneath her knees and around her back, then stood, picking her up as if she were as light as a sack of feathers. “Tonight, we’re going to do everything very, very slowly.”

Annie leaned close, brushing a kiss across his lips. Then she traced the same path with her tongue. Rourke groaned softly as he pulled the screen door open. A cool breeze blew through the cottage and streams of midday sunlight washed across the floor. With other men, Annie’s desire had always cooled over time. But with Rourke, it only got more intense, threatening to consume them both.

He set her back on her feet next to the bed and then sat on the edge of the mattress, his hands removing her clothes, piece by piece. He lingered over each inch of flesh that he revealed, pulling her forward so that he could kiss her or caress her with his fingertips.

When she was finally naked, Rourke laid her back onto the bed, then slowly seduced her with his tongue. He found spots, both familiar and new, that sent wild sensations coursing through her body. Annie moaned softly when he found the place between her legs. Closing her eyes and tipping her head back, she lost herself in wave after wave of delicious pleasure.

He brought her to her release not once, but twice, and by the time she drew him up and guided him inside her, Annie was desperate to feel his body close to hers, to feel him drive into her with both gentleness and determination.

Though she hadn’t said the words in his presence, there was no doubt in her mind that she was falling in love with Rourke Quinn. But at the same time, Annie knew she was risking her heart. Love didn’t always last. And sometimes it wasn’t a force for good, but a force for self-destruction. Would she be like her mother? Would love drive her to madness? Annie wanted to believe she was strong enough to weather the worst of any relationship, but how could she be sure?

“Tell me you love me,” she whispered, her voice breathless, his fingertips skimming across her lips. She didn’t care whether he meant it or not. She just needed to hear the words, to gauge her own reaction to them

“I do,” Rourke murmured, his breath warm on her throat. “I love you, Annie.”

She expected that familiar feeling, exhilaration mixed with dread, excitement mixed with terror. But to Annie’s surprise, there was none of that. Instead, she felt a sweet sense of security, a quiet satisfaction, and more than anything else, a deep optimism that maybe this was meant to be.

* * *

R
OURKE
SAT
IN
the lawyer’s office, staring down at his cell phone. He’d been in the city for three days and it looked as if it was going to take much longer than he’d originally anticipated to tie up the loose ends of his life and get back to Cape Breton.

He’d promised Annie that he’d call her and he made sure her cell phone was charged before he left. But he’d called her twice a day and hadn’t gotten any response. No answer or callback, leaving him to wonder if she’d forgotten him already.

Though he thought he knew Annie well, it was still nearly impossible for Rourke to read her. She kept her emotions so carefully hidden and when she did display an extreme response, he was left to wonder what had caused it.

Women were complex creatures, that was true. But Annie gave new meaning to the word
complex.
Every day he’d managed to peel back another layer and Rourke thought he was getting closer to the real woman, the resilient woman at the core of her being, the woman with the barely healed scars.

He punched in her number again, then listened as it rang. She hadn’t set up a voice-mail account, but she should be able to see that he’d called. Rourke cursed softly.

“Everything all right?”

He glanced up to see Maria sliding into her leather chair behind the desk. “Yeah. Fine.”

“All right, I spoke yesterday to Ian Stephens, Aileen Quinn’s representative in this estate matter. He explained to me that each heir will receive five hundred thousand dollars immediately and the other half of the inheritance after you’ve visited Miss Quinn in Ireland. She wants to meet her family members before she dies.”

“Why is she giving away her money before she dies?” Rourke asked.

“From what I’ve read, Aileen Quinn has plenty of money.”

Maria began to sort through the papers on her desk and Rourke watched her. At one time in his life, she was exactly his type—smart, confident, professional, with dark hair and a hot body. But as he looked at her now, he felt absolutely no attraction. God, was he really that hooked on Annie Macintosh?

Annie was odd, she was stubborn and there were times when she frustrated him to no end. And still, he couldn’t stop thinking about her.

“All right. You just need to sign this, right by the tab.”

Rourke did as he was told.

“And this at the bottom, with today’s date.”

When he’d finished signing all the documents, he pushed them across the desk to Maria. She handed him a letter. “This is from Mr. Stephens. You’ll contact him and he’ll make travel arrangements to Ireland for you. A visit is a requirement for the rest of the inheritance, so I suggest you make your plans soon. Miss Quinn is ninety-seven years old.” Finally, she withdrew an envelope from a folder and held it out to him. “Congratulations,” she said.

“Did you take your cut from this or will you bill me?” Rourke asked, opening the envelope to glance at the check.

“All the legal bills have been covered by Miss Quinn. I do have a gift for you,” she said, reaching down to grab a small shopping bag. “These are a few of her bestselling books. I thought you might like to read them.”

“Exactly how am I related to her?” he asked. “I don’t recall my father or Buddy talking much about family.”

“Through your grandfather Diarmuid Quinn. He was Aileen’s older brother. He had three sons—your father, Paul, was the youngest. The eldest was Alistair. Both Buddy and Alistair fought in the Second World War. Buddy survived and Alistair died during the invasion of Normandy.”

“My father never mentioned him. He barely mentioned his own father. Buddy never said anything about him either, except in passing. I got the impression that their childhood was not particularly happy.”

“I only have the facts here,” Maria said, “but I’m sure you could find out more with a little research.”

Rourke stood and held out his hand. “Thank you. I don’t think you know how much this means to me.”

Maria smiled. “Are you free for lunch?” She paused as if unsure about what she was going to say next. “Now that you’re no longer a client, I thought we could get to know each other better.”

Rourke felt flattered, but he had absolutely no interest is this beautiful woman. “I can’t,” he said. “I’m actually involved with—I’m in love with someone else. And I need to get home because I’ve really been missing her.”

“She’s a lucky girl,” Maria said, disappointment etched across her features.

“No,” Rourke said with a chuckle. “I’m the lucky one.”

He took her hand and shook it. “Goodbye. And thanks again.”

“If you ever need any other legal help, please don’t hesitate to call us.”

Rourke strode out of the office. As soon as he got to the elevator, he pulled out his cell phone and dialed Annie once more. When she didn’t answer, he decided to skip his next appointment and head back to the island.

The sooner he got to Cape Breton, the sooner he could get on with the rest of his life—a life that included Annie. He’d initially planned to stop by his father’s old office to put Ed and his associates out of their misery. He had no intention of investing in a failing business, even if his father founded it and Rourke had given it eight years of his life. But he would agree to come on as a consultant, to try to help them turn things around. He owed that much to his father. He decided he could tell them that by phone.

He glanced at the time on his cell phone. It was nearly noon. Traffic was crazy in the city. If he drove straight through, he might be able to be back by dawn. He smiled to himself as he thought about slipping into the cottage and crawling into bed with Annie.

He hadn’t slept well since he’d left her. Somehow, he needed her beside him or things didn’t feel right. They were out of balance. His life was on the island right now and not anywhere else, not even in the city he’d called home for his entire life.

He found his SUV in a parking ramp two blocks from the lawyer’s office. He was all packed up and ready to go. As he slipped into the truck, he loosened his tie then yanked it off. Closing the door behind him, Rourke sank back into the leather seat.

It hadn’t really hit him until now, but this money had come at the perfect time. If he was careful with it, he’d never have to worry about a job again. It was enough for a lifetime with Annie.

Hell, he could have fallen in love with a girl who coveted eight-hundred-dollar designer shoes and dining in expensive Manhattan restaurants. Instead, he had Annie, who rarely wore shoes and preferred dried fruit and beans to fine cuisine.

As he was pulling out of the parking ramp, his phone rang. He glanced at the screen and recognized his mother’s number. “Hi, Mom,” he said.

“I just wanted to confirm our dinner plans,” she said.

“Actually, I was about to call you. I’m going to head back to Cape Breton right now. I finished up with the lawyer and I’m just going to skip the meeting with Kopitski. There’s nothing left to say. I’m not going back.”

“You have so much money now. Why go back to Cape Breton at all?”

He didn’t have the energy to explain it all to his mother. There would be hours of questions and a lot of answers he wasn’t prepared to give. “There’s a woman. And I’m pretty sure she’s the one. And that’s all I’m going to say for now, so don’t ask for more, Mom. Listen, I’m trying to navigate traffic and I shouldn’t be on the phone. I’ll call you when I get back to Cape Breton. And don’t obsess over this until I do. Her name is Annie.”

“Annie,” his mother said. “It’s a nice name.”

“It is. Bye, Mom.” He shut off his phone and tossed it on the seat beside him. But almost immediately, it rang again. He picked it up and said, “Mom, I said no questions.”

“Rourke?”

He didn’t recognize the voice on the other end of the phone. “Yes?”

“Hi, it’s Betty Gillies. I had a hard time tracking you down, but I found your number on one of our old orders. She doesn’t know I’m calling but—”

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“I’m not sure what happened between you and Annie, but I thought you’d want to know.”

“Nothing happened between us. I’m just in New York for a few days. I’m headed back to the island right now.”

“Well, for some reason, she refused to call you.”

“What happened?”

“She was walking out on the rocks and slipped and broke her ankle. It was a terrible break. She splinted the break herself, made a crutch for herself and then dragged herself out to the road. Sam Decker found her and that dog of hers walking into town. She’s in the regional hospital in Sydney now. They’ve done surgery on her ankle, but she’s going to need some help when she gets home.”