The Mighty Quinns: Danny (7 page)

Danny stared up at the ceiling. “Half-naked fairies must have been pretty racy for the turn of the century.”

“I'm sure they were,” Jordan said. “There are mermaids beneath the water.”

“You shouldn't have brought me here,” Danny said, shifting his gaze to the water. “It's like holding out a bottle of water to a man dying of thirst.”

“You want to swim? Go ahead. It took forever to fill.
Nearly a week, but the new heater is working and it's warm enough to use now.”

“Really?” Danny didn't wait for her answer. He tugged off his T-shirt as he kicked off his shoes and socks. But when he reached for the button on his jeans, Jordan sucked in a sharp breath. Danny glanced up and she quickly tried to compose herself. “Sorry. I figured boxers were just as good as a bathing suit.”

“Oh, no,” she said, “that's fine. Go right ahead.”

“Turn around,” he said, twirling his finger in the air. “I wouldn't want to make you blush. Unless, that was your plan all along in bringing me here. Getting me starkers.”

“That's exactly what I was thinking of,” Jordan said. “Go ahead, what are you waiting for? I'm looking forward to the superhero underwear.”

He glanced down then winced. “To tell the truth, I seem to have forgotten my underwear this morning,” he replied.

She quickly covered her eyes and a moment later, she heard him jump into the shallow end of the pool. When she looked again he was submerged and swimming to the deep end, his naked form visible beneath the wavering water. As he came closer to the surface, she turned back around.

“All right,” he called. “You can look now.”

She peered through her fingers. Danny bobbed at the far end of the pool, his arms stretched out along the tile deck. “Are you going to come in? The water's beautiful. Warm enough to be comfortable, cool enough to be refreshing.”

“You're naked,” she said.

“I promise, I'll stay on this end. And if you're shy, just leave your clothes on.”

“I'm not going to jump in with my clothes on.”

“Then take your clothes off. I won't look.” Danny watched her face as she considered her options. “Oh, I can see those wheels turning. Should I cast aside my inhibitions and give it a go? Or should I pretend like I'm a good girl? I know you're not a good girl, Jordan. There's a wild woman under that proper dress and cardie.”

“Don't presume to know what I'm thinking,” she warned.

“We're both adults,” he said.

“I'm your boss, you're my employee.”

“I'm your artist, you're my muse,” he countered.

“More like I'm a canary and you're a hungry cat,” she said.

“All right, don't come in.” He pushed off the side and submerged, kicking and stroking beneath the water before he came up in the middle of the pool. “This is incredible. The perfect way to relax after a long day at work. A bloke could get used to living like this. In the lap of luxury.”

“Money doesn't always buy happiness,” Jordan said.

“Who says that? And who even believes that's true?”

“I do,” she said. Jordan kicked off her shoes and pulled up her skirt, then sat down on the edge of the pool, dangling her feet in the water. “My father has all the money in the world and he's never really been happy. He always seems to need more. When is it finally enough? When can you sit back and enjoy what you have?”

“I don't know,” Danny said. “I never really thought about it.”

“I do,” she said. “All the time.”

“Are you happy?” he asked. “I mean, right now, at this moment.” She thought about her answer for a long moment, a frown wrinkling her brow. “It's not a trick question.”

“It's not the money. That's not why I want a place at Kencor. I'd work for free if it were challenging work. I love my job.”

He swam across the pool and stood in front of her, the water lapping at his waist. Droplets streamed over his skin and clung to his lashes. “You don't convince me,” he said softly. “I want to know what makes you smile.”

“Watching silly animal videos on YouTube,” she said. “Eating a whole pint of chocolate ice cream at three in the morning. Getting the hiccups from drinking too much champagne.”

“Do I make you smile?” he asked. Danny wrapped his arms around her legs and gently pulled her closer to the edge. “When I touch you?” He smoothed his hand along her thigh, beneath her skirt. “Would you smile if I dragged you in?”

“No,” she warned. “I'd be mad. My phone is in my pocket and I don't think my watch is waterproof.”

Danny stepped between her knees and reached up to slip his hand around her nape. He gently pulled her toward him until their lips were just a few inches apart.

A tiny sigh slipped from her throat when he removed her watch from her wrist and set it on the pool deck. Then, Danny smoothed his hands over the skirt of her
dress until he found her cell phone. He slipped it out of her pocket and set it beside her watch, then gently pulled her into the water. Jordan didn't even bother to protest. What was the point? Trying to deny her impulses would only frustrate them both.

When her feet touched bottom, she reached for the hem of her dress and pulled it over her head, then tossed it to the pool deck. She'd chosen her underwear very carefully that morning and was satisfied that the scraps of lace and satin were enough for now.

Though it was difficult to ignore the fact that Danny was naked, Jordan decided to keep her gaze fixed firmly on his face to avoid any embarrassing moments. “It
is
nice,” she said.

He slipped his hands around her waist, his attention moving to her lips. “I'm going to kiss you again,” he murmured. “It's past five, so I think it's legal.”

He leaned forward and brushed his damp lips against hers. A flood of need raced through her and suddenly, she felt as if her heart might beat right out of her chest.

Maybe it was the warm water or their lack of clothing, but any attempt at self-control by either one of them had gone missing. Her fingers furrowed through his hair as the kiss deepened. She couldn't breathe, couldn't think. Every ounce of her being was focusing on the wild sensations racing through her body.

She wanted to stop, or at least slow down, but she seemed unable to put together the will. When his lips trailed along her shoulder, Jordan gasped. And when he cupped her breast with his hand, a little moan sneaked out. All she could do was react.

Maybe she'd known all along that this was coming.
From the moment she'd met Danny, there'd been a powerful attraction. She ruffled his damp hair as his lips trailed from her neck to her collarbone. He drifted lower still, until he could tease at her nipple through the wet fabric of her bra.

Pleasure washed over her, so intense that she felt as if she were drowning in sensation. Jordan closed her eyes and threw out her arms, floating on the surface as he gently explored her body with his hands and his mouth. It felt like total surrender, as if the real world no longer existed. She had no worries, no doubts and nothing holding her back. She was a woman, from the tips of her toes to the top of her head, and for the first time in her life, she was truly comfortable with it.

And then a familiar sound echoed through the cavernous room. Jordan opened her eyes and groaned softly.

“Ignore it,” he said, pulling her up into his embrace.

“I can't.”

“What could be so imp—”

“It's probably my father. He calls every Friday about this time for a progress report. If I don't answer he gets—well, he doesn't like it.” She carefully untangled herself from Danny's embrace and walked over to the edge of the pool. Bracing her hands on the edge, she boosted herself onto the deck, then retrieved her phone.

“Hello, Daddy,” she said, hurrying to the stairs and away from the echo of the pool. In truth, she was almost happy for the interruption. Things were moving far too fast with Danny and she needed a chance to take a breath.

From now on, she was going to think before she ripped off her clothes and gave in to the charms of a naked Irishman.

D
ANNY WOKE UP
with a start, yanked out of a deep and dreamless sleep. The dogs were at the front door of the caretaker's cottage, barking frantically. He swung his legs over the edge of the bed and stood, wondering what had set them off. Dragging the sheet along with him, he wrapped it around his naked body.

“Shush,” he said, walking out of the bedroom and flipping on the lights. “What are you two about?”

A frantic rap sounded on the door and he opened it to find Jordan standing on the other side. She was dressed in just a T-shirt and her panties, her feet bare.

Pushing past him, she stalked inside, then spun around to face him. “Were you just in the house?” she asked.

He looked at her and shook his head, trying to reconcile her strange appearance at his door. “What time is it?”

“I—I don't know. Late. Maybe two?” Her expression was etched with fear. “Were you just in the house?”

Danny raked his hand through his hair. “No. I was asleep.”

“Don't lie to me,” she snapped.

“What the hell are you talking about, Jordan? After you left, I came right back here. I've been here ever since. Though not by choice.”

“Someone was in my bedroom,” she said. “I was having trouble sleeping and I turned over and opened my eyes and he was standing in the doorway. I could see him.”

Danny reached out and drew her into his arms. “It was probably just a nightmare.”

“No!” she cried, shoving away from him. “I reached out to turn on the light and then he was gone. But I heard his footsteps in the hall. I ran out to follow him, but there was no one there.”

“Sometimes your mind can play tricks on you.”

“I know what I saw.”

“The doors were locked. How could anyone have gotten in the house?”

She drew a ragged breath, then sighed softly, sinking against his body. “I—I don't know. I was just so—I was sure I—”

Danny smoothed his hand over her hair and drew her closer. “Do you want me to go back and search the house for you? I'll take the dogs. If there's anyone in the house, Finny and Mogue will find them.”

“No. I'm fine.”

“You can stay here with me, if you like. We'll look into this tomorrow.”

She glanced up at him, eyes wide. “I can't stay here.”

“Why not? Nothing is going to happen.” He took her hand, lacing his fingers through hers, then drew
her along toward the bedroom. “I'll stay on my side of the bed and you have to promise to stay on your side.”

“I don't know,” she murmured. “Maybe I should take my chances in the house.”

“Your choice,” Danny said with a shrug. “I can send the dogs back with you. They'll protect you.”

“Maybe that would be best,” she replied.

Danny couldn't think of anything he wanted more than to have Jordan in his bed. From the moment they'd first kissed it had been all he could think about. But it had to be on her terms. Since her father's call, she'd been a bit more aloof and he knew exactly what she was thinking. Having an affair with him would probably break all kinds of rules that she couldn't afford to break.

“I'll walk you back and make sure everything is all right.” He strode into the bedroom, grabbed his jeans and tugged them on. Then he pulled his jacket from the bedpost and when he returned to her, draped it over her shoulders. “Come on, let's go.”

As they walked outside into the chilly night, he whistled softly to the dogs and they fell into step behind them.

“You probably think I'm crazy,” she said.

“No. Does anyone else have a key to the house? Did you ever give one to any of the workmen?”

“No. I've always been very careful. And I lock the temporary doors from the inside with a padlock. There's no way to get in once I've locked everything.”

They walked through the dark house. He could feel her tense beside him and he slipped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. When they reached her
bedroom, he walked inside first. “I thought you said you turned on the light.”

“I did,” she said. “At least, I think I did. Maybe this was just all a dream.”

Danny turned on the bedside lamp, then carefully surveyed the room. There didn't seem to be anything amiss. “Come on, hop in.”

The dogs explored the room as Jordan crawled back into bed and pulled the covers up to her chin. Danny sat down on the edge of the bed. “The dogs will bark if anyone comes into the house.”

“Stay here a little longer,” Jordan said.

“Sure. Do you have any whiskey? Maybe a drink would calm your nerves.”

“There is a bottle downstairs.”

“I'll go get it and check all the doors and windows. You stay here with the dogs.”

Jordan turned onto her side and clutched his hand. “I feel so stupid. It was probably just a bad dream. I had that curry for dinner and I always have weird dreams after spicy food.” She looked up at him. “I'm sorry I bothered you.”

“It's not a problem,” he said. He dropped a kiss on her lips, not really thinking before he did. She was so close, it just seemed like the most natural thing to kiss her. But as soon as he drew back, Danny realized that one kiss would not be enough. “I'll be back in a few minutes.”

The house was silent as Danny walked through the lower floor, checking the windows and the doors. He had to believe that Jordan had seen
something
to send her running to him in the middle of the night. When
he checked the library, he noticed one of the windows was open a crack and shut it. But before he turned out the light, he spotted a muddy footprint on the floor near one of the bookshelves.

It was the print of a man's shoe or boot, a bit larger than his own, with a different pattern on the sole. Bending down, Danny ran his finger over the footprint and found the mud still damp. “What the hell,” he muttered. Someone
had
been in the house, and not very long ago.

He grabbed the bottle of whiskey from the table in the library, along with two glasses and headed upstairs. For now, he'd keep his discovery a secret. It wouldn't do to scare Jordan. But he had no intention of leaving her alone in the house now—with or without his dogs.

When he returned to the bedroom, Danny found her sitting up in bed, Finny and Mogue curled up beside her. He chuckled softly as he handed her a glass and poured whiskey into it. “I usually don't let them sleep on the bed.” He snapped his fingers and the dogs jumped down to the floor. Danny sat down beside her and poured himself a glass.

“Did you find anything?” she asked.

Danny shook his head. “No. Everything was locked up tight. But I'm going to stay here tonight with you anyway. Just to be certain.” He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her up against his body.

She relaxed, resting her whiskey on his stomach as she nestled into the curve of his body. Danny sipped at his drink as he rubbed her shoulder, his palm smoothing over her silken skin. His thoughts focused on that part of her body then drifted back to their swim in the pool.

How much would it take to get them back to that
moment, to that instant when their eyes met and the world seemed to stand still? He nuzzled his face in her hair then pressed a kiss to her forehead. He wasn't going to go there. Not until she was ready.

“Feel better?” he asked.

“Yes,” she said.

The whiskey warmed his belly and relaxed his body. But it only made the thoughts of her more intense. He ran his hand over her arm and she turned in to him, her warmth seeping through the jeans he'd pulled on. It wasn't enough just to touch her.

Danny leaned over and pressed his mouth to hers, his tongue slowly tracing the crease between her lips. When he drew back, she was watching him. They stared at each other for a long time, neither one of them moving or speaking. Then Jordan pushed up on her elbow, her hand slipping around his neck to draw him near.

A long, soft kiss was his reward for his patience. And when she finally drew back, he knew that they'd started where they'd left off earlier. In fact, to his surprise, she'd decided to jump ahead a few steps.

She worked the buttons open on his jeans, then ran her hand from his belly to his chest and back again. Her touch sent his senses reeling and he wasn't sure if he could maintain his control at this kind of pace.

When her hand dipped lower, Danny groaned. It had been a while since the last time he'd had a woman. And he'd never had any trouble taking care of a woman's needs before his own. But this woman could do things to him that had never been done before.

He waited, holding his breath, as her hand slipped beneath the waistband of his jeans. Danny was almost
afraid to touch her, afraid that just the simple feel of her flesh beneath his fingers would send him over the edge. She still wore the T-shirt and panties and he was almost grateful that she was covered.

But that gratitude didn't last long. Suddenly, she got to her knees and pulled the T-shirt over her head, tossing it aside. Danny's breath caught in his throat. She was, by all standards, the most beautiful creature he'd ever seen.

He quickly stripped off his jeans and she rid herself of her panties. When they were both naked, she sat next to him, as if she wasn't sure how to proceed. “I've never been much good at this,” she whispered.

“I find that very hard to believe.”

“If I'm doing something wrong, I want you to tell me. Promise?”

He shook his head. “We'll show each other,” he said. “Take my hand.” She did as she was told. “Show me where you like to be touched.” Slowly, she placed his hand on her breast.

That was all it took to start them down a path of undeniable pleasure. That simple contact, the soft weight of her flesh in his hand, the stiff peak of her nipple, sent waves of desire racing through his body.

A sigh slipped from her throat and Danny pulled her down next to him and captured her mouth in a kiss filled with overwhelming need.

He pulled her beneath him, drawing her legs up alongside his hips. She was soft and warm, every inch of her naked body like a revelation. Had he ever felt this kind of need before? Had he ever been so determined to possess a woman?

Though he wanted to lose himself inside her, Danny realized that he'd left the condoms back at the caretaker's cottage. He weighed the risks of leaving her, knowing how easily the connection between them could snap. There were other ways to satisfy them both.

He moved against her, his shaft sliding along the moist slit between her legs. Jordan gasped, arching against him in response, her breath quickening. Danny closed his eyes, enjoying the sensations racing through his body. It was as close to sex as they could get without actually having sex and he thought it would be enough.

But for Jordan, it wasn't. She shifted beneath him and his next thrust was met with a different kind of resistance. He slipped inside her once, then quickly withdrew.

“I have condoms,” he murmured. “But they're back in the cottage. I can go get them.”

“I have condoms. And they're in the bedside table. I bought them after we met,” she admitted.

Danny stretched out on top of her and opened the drawer, then grabbed the box. He quickly sheathed himself and a few seconds later, slipped back between her legs. He kissed her softly, his hands braced on either side of her shoulders, his shaft gently probing at her damp entrance.

It took every ounce of his willpower to wait, to move against her without plunging deep. But with every stroke, she seemed to grow more impatient, her moans tinged with frustration. And when he finally gave in, the sensation of entering her warmth nearly sent him over the edge.

Danny sensed she was close and every now and
then, he pulled out and rubbed up against her for a time, before slipping back inside.

Jordan's breath quickened and he continued to tease her until she was clutching at his shoulders and delirious with need. When the first shudder wracked her body, he knew that he could finally relinquish control.

Jordan arched against him, crying out as her body convulsed in a deep and powerful orgasm. He felt her tighten around him and drove into her one last time, then let himself go, his orgasm exploding deep inside her.

They continued to rock together, slowing the pace as the intensity of their pleasure subsided. It had been so quick, yet so powerful, nothing at all like he'd planned. He'd imagined a long, slow seduction, a gentle teasing before complete surrender.

This had been nothing more than a headlong rush toward mutual orgasms.

Danny pulled her down on top of him then rolled to his side until they faced each other. “Whoever told you that you weren't good at that ought to have the shite beat out of him on a daily basis.”

“I think he might have been compensating for his own shortcomings,” Jordan said.

“Shortcomings? Really?”

“Yeah,” she said. “Really short shortcomings.”

As he wrapped her in his arms and tucked her body into the curve of his, Danny found a certain satisfaction in the notion that he'd been the best. It was a good place to begin.

 

T
HE END OF
D
ANNY'S FIRST WEEK
of work was cause for celebration, at least according to him. In Jordan's mind,
they'd been celebrating every night in her bedroom. There hadn't been any question where he'd sleep at night and each evening, after a late dinner and a sunset hike along the cliffs, they'd climb the stairs and begin a lazy night of lovemaking.

Jordan glanced over at him as he steered the car through the narrow streets of Ballykirk. Though she would have been happy to find their fun between the sheets, Danny had insisted that they go out. His brother Riley was singing at the family pub and everyone would be there.

He pulled the Land Rover into the narrow lane behind the blacksmith shop and stopped it. “Now, don't worry about meeting the family. You already know Kell, though I think he's back in Dublin this week. Oh, and Ma and Da are still in Scotland. But you'll like Riley. And his fiancée, Nan, is American, so you'll have that in common.”