Redemption (Book Two of the Shipwrecked Series) (8 page)

“I’m glad you came
back,” Sarah confessed as she looked up into Quinn’s gray eyes.  The hurt that
she saw there was astonishing.

“I didna expect
tae have feelings for ye, lass.  But it seems that the more I try tae fight
what it is that I feel for ye, the stronger it becomes.”

“I’m sorry, Quinn,
but I’m not her,” Sarah said as a pang of jealously overtook her.  She cast her
eyes down towards the floor, feeling the unwelcome sting of tears building
behind her eyes.

“Och, lass. 
That’s not why I want ye.  I ken that yer not her.  I doona want ye tae think
that I’m settling for you in her stead!” Quinn said adamantly as he pulled away
from Sarah and forced her chin up so that she would look into his eyes.  “What
happened tae Mairi broke something deep inside of me.  I thought that I would
never recover from losing her, in fact, there were many times when I wanted to
die. 
Ye
changed that, Sarah.  When ye came into my life it was like the
sunlight flooded suddenly into the darkness that had become my life.  I want
ye
,”
he said with conviction.  “I think that it was because of ye, because of these
feelings that ye’ve kindled inside of me that I was finally able tae grieve for
Mairi and lay her spirit tae rest.”

Quinn trailed the
backs of his fingers lightly over Sarah’s jaw line, gently tracing his way down
to her chin.  The pad of his thumb brushed softly over her lower lip and the
desire that he saw building in her eyes told him the answer that he had been
seeking. 

She wanted him in
return.

“I’m worrit that
I’ll fail ye.  I’m worrit that when ye need me I will fail ye as I did Mairi,”
Quinn revealed.  He stroked Sarah’s face longingly, trailing his index finger
lightly down her cheek.

“Fail me?” Sarah
asked haltingly, shaking her head sternly to cast off Quinn’s self-doubt. 
“You’d never fail me!  You saved my life…you saved Mairi’s life,” Sarah
pleaded, willing Quinn to believe in himself as she did.

“If I lost ye, if
I failed ye or if Mairi was hurt I’d…” Quinn trailed off.  He shook his head
and struggled to find the right words to express himself.  “It would kill me if
anything happened tae ye!”

“Nothing is going
to happen to me!” Sarah said firmly.  “You are strong and brave and-”

“And sometimes
being strong or brave isna enough!  I’m just worrit that I willna be able tae
protect ye from Adahy and if I canna, it would be more that I could bear,”
Quinn said, his handsome features racked with emotion.

“Look at me,
Quinn,” Sarah said firmly as she grasped Quinn’s face and forced his eyes to
meet hers.

“I believe in
you.  I have
never
felt this way about someone before.  You’ve brought
joy and happiness into my life.  I trust you to protect me and Mairi and I know
that-”

“May I kiss ye?”
he asked suddenly, interrupting Sarah’s defense of his character.

“Will you run away
this time?” she asked, searching his face.

“Nay, I won’t run
from ye.  I’m sorry for that,” he said sincerely.

A moment passed in
silence and all that Quinn could hear was the soft rising and falling of
Sarah’s breath and the thundering of his own heart while he awaited her
permission.

“Yes.  You may
kiss me,” she whispered as she bit her lower lip and contemplated what she had
just embarked upon.  Sarah knew that this kiss was the beginning of something
between her and Quinn.  She hoped that it would be.

Sarah held her
breath as Quinn leaned towards her.

His gaze dropped
to her lips, causing tingles of anticipation to run the length of her spine.

He lifted his eyes
to meet hers and came nearer, his pulse hammering in his veins.

His mouth brushed
softly against hers, causing butterflies to take flight in her stomach.  She
was startled by his tenderness as he slid his arms around her to pull her
closer, pressing her body intimately against his

Quinn’s lips moved
over hers, sending a shivering sensation all the way to her toes.  She
abandoned herself to the thrilling feeling and moaned softly against his lips
as his kiss became more urgent, more insistent.  Quinn’s tongue traced her full
lower lip and when she granted him entry into her mouth, the kiss took her to
new heights of pleasure.  Never had she dreamed that kissing a man could feel
so wonderful.

Quinn pulled back
from her and traced his fingers lightly over her cheek.  He rested his forehead
against hers and listened to his heart thunder in his chest.  How could this
woman unnerve him so?

Sarah stared into
his eyes.  They were so very close to hers.  She focused on their gray depths
and saw the deep penetrating hurt that resided there.  She also saw an honesty
that she had never witnessed in the eyes of a man.  Quinn Murray held her now
in his arms and bared his scars, his vulnerability openly to her. 

She vowed silently
to piece back together Quinn’s broken parts.  She vowed to work as hard as she
could to restore love and joy in his wounded eyes.  Oh how she wanted this man,
broken parts and all.

 Sarah slid her
hand from beneath Quinn’s shirt and grazed her fingers over the warm skin of
his neck until they settled behind the base of his head.  Quinn closed his eyes
in response to her touch and his breathing became ragged.  His gray eyes opened
and locked with hers as she raised her lips to meet his.

The kiss began as
a question, as her lips brushed lightly across his.  The question was answered
when Quinn claimed her lips beneath his own, kissing her urgently now, with all
of his pent up longing.  His lips surged over Sarah’s and he buried his hand in
her thick, black hair.  His tongue was probing, begging for entry to her sweet,
wet mouth, and when she gladly yielded to him, Quinn groaned with pleasure. 
His tongue dipped into her sweet mouth and when it brushed against hers, Quinn
thought that he might combust from the raw desire that Sarah’s mouth kindled
within him.

Sarah welcomed
Quinn’s kiss and she moaned with pleasure as his tongue dueled with her own. 
Her palm pressed against his sinewy chest and she relished the taste of his
insistent mouth upon her own.

Quinn broke away
from Sarah, his breathing shaky now.  He hovered just beyond her lips and
closed his eyes, savoring how good it felt to allow himself the pleasure of
kissing Sarah’s sweet lips.  He kissed her lips softly once more and then pulled
her head down to rest against his chest.

“I didn’t know
that kissing could feel like that,” Sarah confessed, visibly shaken from her
bodily response to Quinn’s kiss.

Quinn smiled
arrogantly, pleased with himself for unnerving Sarah.  “What a gift tae ken
that I was the first man tae kiss ye properly.”

Sarah blushed.  “I
liked it very much.”

“Did ye now?” he
teased as he nibbled at her ear and sent shivers coursing down her spine.

“Yes, I did,” she
whispered honestly, reveling in the new sensations that kissing Quinn had given
her.

His mouth met hers
again, this time with a fierce possession that lit Sarah’s blood afire.  His
lips boldly coaxed Sarah’s apart and she yielded to him eagerly.  Quinn’s
tongue swept into her mouth, staking claim to her with its hot yet gentle
touch. 

Sarah was
emboldened and she pressed her tongue against his, eliciting a growl of
approval from deep within Quinn’s throat. 

Overwhelmed, Sarah
broke away from Quinn, shaken from the affect that his kiss had upon her.  It
took her a moment to catch her breath and regain control.

“What did I do tae
deserve ye?” Quinn murmured, his gray eyes glowing with affection as he
caressed Sarah’s cheek tenderly with his long fingers.  “How is it possible
that ye came tae me right at the moment when I needed ye the most?”

Sarah smiled and
leaned into his caress.  “I was just thinking the same thing,” she confessed,
looking up at him.  “When you found me, I was at such a point of desperation. 
I thought that I was going to die!  And then to find this…whatever it is
between us, it’s so unexpected, but so wonderful that I can hardly fathom that
it’s true.”

“Aye, it is. 
Mayhap we were meant tae find each other on that day.  I can only suppose that
we were,” Quinn said softly as his fingers trailed lightly over the skin of
Sarah’s collarbone.

She closed her
eyes and surrendered herself completely to the sensation that Quinn’s touch
brought her.  It was delicious, and she wanted to enjoy it.

Chapter Five

“No!  Stop!  No…please!”
Sarah cried out into the darkness of the cabin.  Her head thrashed from
side-to-side as she writhed in fitful protest.

Quinn leapt from
his pallet next to the fire and was at her side in an instant.

“Shh…” he
whispered as he brushed Sarah’s hair back from her face and gently tried to
rouse her to wakefulness.

His efforts were
futile.  She was deep within the grips of her nightmare and her frantic cries,
her pleading tore at Quinn’s heart.

Someone had hurt
Sarah badly.  She was afraid.

“No!” she called
out again, wrestling beneath the blankets and flinging out her arm in protest.

“Shh…it’s
alright.  I’m here, Sarah.  Yer safe,” he whispered.  Unsure of what else to
do, Quinn lay down next to her on the bed and gathered her flailing body
against his chest.

Much to his
surprise, Sarah stopped fighting and fell quiet.  Her breathing slowed and she
turned instinctively towards Quinn.  She nuzzled against his chest and placed
her open palm on his pectoral muscles.

Pleased and
surprised by her reaction, Quinn kissed her hair and wrapped his arms securely
around her.

“Yer alright now,
lass.  I’ll keep ye safe,” he whispered as he looked down at the beautiful
woman he cradled against his chest.  She was so innocent, so trusting of him. 
Quinn wanted more than anything to protect her, to keep her safe.  To keep her
safe as he had not been able to do for Mairi.

He studied her
openly now, able to observe her fully now that her captivating green-brown eyes
were closed in peaceful slumber.  Her dark, full lashes rested on her cheeks. 
She looked so young.  So beautiful and innocent.  Her lips were full and curled
up delicately at the side.  It was almost as if her face held the slightest
hint of a smile.  Her skin was the most stunning shade of olive and it was unmarred
in its perfection. 

Quinn’s eyes
lingered over Sarah’s lips.  He fought the sudden urge to lean down and kiss
her.  She had tasted so sweet when they kissed.  He had not been able to get
the thought of kissing Sarah out of his mind.  He scolded himself.  To take
advantage of her while she was fast asleep would never do.  He wanted her awake
and willing when he kissed her.  He wanted to see the fire dance in her eyes
again. 

Quinn swallowed
hard as the gravity of his feelings settled in.  He listened closely to the
steady thudding in his chest, the sound of his heart beating rhythmic and
strong.  Was he capable of loving her?  Could she and the babe heal the wounds
of his soul?  Could they piece together his scared and broken heart?

Quinn looked down
at Sarah again.  She looked so right in his arms.  He kissed her forehead again
and pulled her closer.  She moaned sweetly and snuggled into his chest.  Quinn
smiled.  For a fleeting instant, he knew that he could love her.

 He wanted to give
Sarah the world.  He struggled to push away the feelings that tarnished his
newfound happiness.  No matter how hard he tried, the thought crept back into
his mind.  Sarah deserved better.  Sarah deserved a man that was whole and
unbroken. 

..ooOoo..

Sarah sat up abruptly
in bed.  She was startled into wakefulness and disoriented by her
surroundings.  Her eyes scanned the small cabin and she leaned back onto the
featherbed.

Quinn’s
cabin.  I’m still here.  I’m still safe. 

Mairi!

She
jumped from the bed and pushed the disheveled black masses of her hair back 
from her face. 

Where
is my daughter?

Her
heart beat rapidly as adrenaline coursed through her frazzled veins.  Her eyes
darted around the room and when they settled on Mairi, she froze in place.

A
broad smile overtook her worried face and her hand flitted involuntarily up to
her heart.  Tears welled in her eyes and she bit her lower lip to force them
back.

Quinn
sat in the chair before the crackling fire, head leaned back against the
chair.  He was fast asleep.  His shirt was off and the fire-light danced over
his tanned, muscled frame.  His unbound hair was free about his shoulders, the
thick chestnut masses curling slightly.

Sarah’s
heart caught in her throat.  In his large, work-hardened hands slept her sweet
daughter.  Quinn had Mairi clasped to his chest, her bare skin against his. 
Mairi’s tiny fingers were splayed across Quinn’s bare shoulder and her head
rested contently against his upper chest.  Her mouth hung open and she made
occasional sucking motions as she nestled against Quinn in the fire-light.

A
tear cascaded down Sarah’s cheek despite her best intentions not to cry.  This
was how a family was supposed to look.  This was what Mairi deserved.  She
deserved a father who loved her, who would protect her.  This was what Sarah
wanted more than anything.  She admitted silently to herself that she wanted
Quinn.  She wanted all of him, even the broken parts.  She wanted him for Mairi
and also she wanted him for herself.

What
sort of magic had Quinn Murray cast over her to make her feel this way so
quickly?  Sarah had hardened her heart towards men, never having been dealt
more than pain or suffering by their hands.  Quinn was different.  He was
gentle and caring and his touch stirred something within Sarah that she had
never dared to imagine was possible.