The Mighty Quinns: Danny (8 page)

“I'm not nervous,” she said. “Why would I be nervous?”

He shrugged. “You shouldn't be. It's just that the pub can be a wee bit…well, everyone will be happy to meet you, I can promise that.” He jumped out of the car and jogged around to her side, then opened her door. “You look beautiful, by the way.”

She took his hand and got out of the car. “Thank you.”

He let the dogs out of the back, then slipped his arm around her waist. “I know this won't be anything like the clubs you go to in New York but you'll have fun, I promise. We're going to dance and sing and have a few
pints. And at the end of the night, I'm going to take you home and make love to you.”

“Can't we just skip to the last part? I'm really not much of a party girl.”

“If you don't like it, we'll leave. But I promise, I'm going to show you a good time.”

“Then let's go,” Jordan said. “I'm ready…I think.”

The pub was noisy and crowded when they walked inside. Danny wrapped his arm around her shoulders and guided her through the crowd, calling out greetings to friends as he passed. Jordan pasted a smile on her face and tried to appear friendly.

Suddenly, a beautiful dark-haired girl appeared out of the crowd. “You're here!” she cried. “And you've brought a friend.”

“Nan Galvin, this is Jordan Kennally. My boss and my—”

“His friend,” Jordan interrupted, holding out her hand.

Nan took Jordan's hand and gave it a firm shake. “Hello. I'm Nan. Tiernan, actually, but everyone calls me Nan. I'm the soon-to-be sister-in-law. Not
so
soon. New Year's Eve. You're American. Kellan didn't mention that. He also didn't mention how pretty you are.”

“Yes, I'm from New York. And—and thank you.”

“Madison, Wisconsin,” Nan said. “Come on, I'll get you a drink. Do you like margaritas? No one knew how to make them here. Can you imagine that? I guess they're not very Irish. Now, everyone is drinking them. I'm not a fan of Guinness. It makes me burp.”

Nan took Jordan's hand and led her to the bar. She
glanced back and waved at Danny and he grinned. “How long have you been in Ireland?” Jordan asked.

“Since July.” She paused and smiled. “I rented the Quinn family cottage for my vacation and decided to stay for the rest of my life. What about you?”

“I've been here for sixteen months.”

“Really? That's a long time. Then I'm sure you've been to plenty of pubs.”

“Just for the occasional meal,” Jordan said. “I didn't really get out much…until Danny.”

“Well, then, we'll have to make sure you have a grand time, won't we?” When they reached the bar, Nan shooed a man off his bar stool and offered it to Jordan. When their drinks arrived, she handed the margarita to Jordan and gave a toast.

“To the mighty Quinn brothers. The sexiest men in all of Ireland.”

Jordan clinked her glass against Nan's then took a sip. The other woman wasn't at all what she had expected. Her dark hair was cropped short and curled around her face, and though she wore barely any makeup, she was strikingly beautiful in a pure and natural way. “Danny said you're engaged to his brother Riley. I haven't met him. I know Kellan, but not him.”

“He's over there, on stage singing.” She took a sip of her drink, then set it down. “I would warn you off about the Quinn brothers, but I think it would be wonderful for Danny to find someone.”

“Oh!” Jordan was startled. “No, it's not like that. I can't fall in love with him. I'm leaving in a month.”

Nan smiled. “Of course you can't. That's what I said, too.”

“I'm sure that I won't—”

“Enough of this!” Danny appeared out of the crowd and took Jordan's hand. “I want to dance, woman. And there's no one in this place that I want in my arms but you. Will ya dance with me, Jordan?”

Jordan looked back and forth between Danny and Nan. Though she'd prefer to sit quietly at the bar sipping a drink, this talk of love was too much. She'd known Danny less than a week. “I'm not sure I know how,” Jordan said, turning back to Danny.

“It's simple,” he said. “I'll teach you.”

Nan gave Jordan a wave before she disappeared into the crush of people on the dance floor. They walked past the stage and Jordan stopped to watch the singer. Riley Quinn looked like his two brothers, with the same dark hair and pale-blue eyes, the same devilish smile and to-die-for body.

Danny pulled her into his arms. “Just follow me,” he said. And off they went, spinning and stepping around the floor to the crazy rhythm of the music. They bumped into a lot of people, but that seemed to be part of the fun. Gradually, Jordan picked up the steps and before long, she didn't have to think about her feet at all.

They danced three songs before the tempo slowed to a quiet ballad. Danny drew her close and wrapped his arms around her waist. “Are you having a good time?” he murmured, his breath warm against her ear.

Jordan nodded. “I am. I've never really danced like that.”

“And now that you have, what would you like to do next?”

“I'd like to kiss you,” she said. “But I don't think that would be a good idea.”

He brushed his lips against hers. “I think it's a grand idea. What next?”

“I'd like you to do that again, with just a little more…tongue.”

He did as she asked, capturing her lips with his and slowly tracing them with his tongue. He lingered for a bit, then kissed her deeply and Jordan sank against him, her knees going weak.

The sound of the music and the crowd faded around them and Jordan lost herself in the rush of desire that overwhelmed her body. It had become so easy to need him, and yet it frightened her at the same time.

She hadn't been prepared to feel this way, to completely surrender to emotion and physical need. But she couldn't help herself. His touch, his taste, it had become an addiction too overwhelming to resist. When he touched her she felt beautiful and powerful, as if everything in the world were hers to enjoy.

“What else?” he murmured, his lips damp on her cheek.

“I want you to run your hands over my body like you did this morning before we got out of bed. I want to feel your lips on my skin. And I want you to take all my clothes off and I want to take all of your clothes off and—”

“Stop,” he growled.

“Why?”

“Because if you keep talking like that, I'm going to have to leave the pub with a bar tray over my lap.”

Jordan arched against him, her hips meeting his and he groaned again. “Just from talking?”

“You have that effect on me,” Danny said.

“Maybe we should take a walk and get some air,” Jordan said. “We'll cool off a little bit.”

“And that's a fine idea. Lead the way.”

He grabbed her waist and gently pushed her along through the crowd, walking behind her. When they reached the front door, Danny held it open and they both stepped outside onto the street. “Come with me,” he murmured.

“Where are we going now?”

“Some place where we can be alone.” He pulled her into the doorway of a shop and kissed her again, his body blocking her view of the street. His fingers skimmed along her waist, then worked at the buttons of her dress. When he finally cupped her breast in his palm, he moaned softly. “Jaysus, I need you. I've never needed a woman like I need you right now.” He grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the doorway. “We can't stay here.”

When they passed an alleyway, he pulled her into the shadows and pressed her back against a brick wall, parting the front of her dress until he found her nipple with his mouth. He teased at the peak through the lacy fabric of her bra. Jordan's breath caught in her throat and she sighed, waves of delicious sensation coursing through her body.

His hand slid beneath her skirt and before she could catch her breath, he touched the damp spot between her legs. Jordan arched against him and he gently stroked her through her panties. She was already on the edge
and it didn't take much more to make her shudder with pleasure.

Jordan tried to occupy her mind with something else, work, plans, schedules. But it was no use. He was determined to prove his power over her. She tipped her head back, her fingers clutching at his shoulders. And then, her body throbbed and wave after wave of sensation coursed through her. A moan slipped from her lips and though she knew they might be discovered at any moment, Jordan didn't care.

When the last spasm died in her body, Jordan looked up at Danny and found him smiling. He touched his lips to hers in a gentle kiss. “Sorry about that,” he murmured. “I didn't realize you were so close.”

“Neither did I,” Jordan whispered.

“Can you walk?”

She nodded. He took her hand again and led her out of the shadows. Her legs felt boneless and it was all she could do to put one foot in front of the other. They walked past the bakery and then found the path that led to the smithy.

Finny and Mogue were sleeping on the stoop and they raised their heads as Danny opened the front door. The moment the door latched shut behind them, Jordan knew what she wanted. With frantic fingers, she stripped off her clothes and then started on Danny's.

They stumbled to the bedroom and by the time they reached the bed, they were both naked. Jordan pulled him down on top of her. How had she gone her whole adult life and never felt this desperation, this overpowering need?

He moved to find a condom in the bedside table,
but Jordan stopped him. It was her turn this time. She wanted to watch him, to bring him to his climax, to memorize his every reaction without losing herself in her own pleasure.

“Don't,” she whispered. “We won't need them. Not yet.” Jordan trailed a line of kisses down his chest, stopping at his belly.

Danny's fingers tangled in her hair. “What are you about?”

“You'll see,” she murmured, wrapping her fingers around his stiff shaft. “Just relax. I'll take care of everything…”

 

“D
ANNY BOY
!”

The shouts echoed through the empty interior of the Speckled Hound as Danny stepped inside the pub. His father was serving breakfast to the Unholy Trinity—Markus Finn, Dealy Carmichael and Johnnie O'Malley—three pensioners who were regular customers at the Hound. Kellan and Riley were sitting on the opposite end of the bar, reading the newspaper.

“There's our boy,” Riley shouted. “What's brought you back here so soon?”

“Never left,” Danny said. “We spent the night at my place rather than drive back.”

“Too much of the black stuff?” Kellan asked.

“Something like that,” Danny said. He sat down at the bar. “Can I get a couple of cups of coffee to take away and some soda bread? Warmed up. And toss some butter in the bag.”

“Where's the girl?”

“Still asleep,” he said.

Kellan looked up from the paper. “You've got yourself a girl?”

“Sure and he has,” Riley said. “Brought her to the pub last night, though they only stayed for three dances. Then they started snogging on the dance floor and a few minutes later they were gone.”

Nan came out of the kitchen, a coffee mug in her hand. Her expression brightened when she saw Danny. “Good morning, you! Is Jordan with you? I forgot to tell her last night that she should come to our engagement party. You'll tell her, won't you?”

“Wait a bloody minute,” Kellan said, glancing between Nan and Riley and Danny. “This girl, the one you were snogging. It's Jordan?”

Danny winced. “Well, yes. That would be correct. Jordan and I are…involved.”

“You've been working for her for five feckin' days,” Kellan shouted. “How the hell is that possible?”

“Don't ask me,” Danny said. “I'm as surprised as you. But there's no problem.”

“You're sleeping with your boss,” Kellan said.

“Not actually. She's not my boss. She's my muse.” Eamon Quinn walked out of the kitchen, a coffeepot in his hand. Danny turned to him, anxious for a change of subject. “Hello, Da. How was your holiday?”

“Oh, it was grand. Got back late last night. You know how your ma loves Scotland. We expected to be back a few days ago, but there was another festival that Maggie just had to see. Bought a kilt, she did. What does a good Irish girl need with a bleedin' kilt? It's sacrilege, it is.”

“I like the girl,” Nan said, sitting down next to Riley.

“What girl?” Eamon asked.

“Danny's new girlfriend,” Nan replied. “Or his boss. Or his muse.” She giggled. “Take your pick. She's very pretty. But then, all American girls are pretty, don't you think?”

Danny grinned. “Yes, they are. You should visit Castle Cnoc and see the work she's done on the manor house. I'm sure she'd give you a tour.”

“That would be lovely,” Nan said. “It will give me another chance to convince her of your fine qualities and noble ambitions.”

“I do believe our brother is in love,” Riley teased. “Look at him. He looks besotted. He's got that well satisfied look. And he can't keep himself from smiling.”

Danny shook his head. It
was
hard to keep from grinning when the only thing going through his head was thoughts of Jordan…naked…asleep in his bed. “I'm not in love,” Danny assured them all. “I've only known her less than a week. And you're the besotted one in this family, Riley.”

“Well, I'm happy he's found a nice girl,” Eamon declared. “It's about bloody time. I was starting to wonder if any of you lot would ever settle down.” He walked over to the Unholy Trinity and leaned against the bar. “We made the bet on Riley and Nan. What say we put some money on Danny and this new girl?”

“You're gambling on my love life?” Danny asked.