The Mighty Quinns: Riley (5 page)

She drew a deep breath. “All right. One more time. But if I kill it again, we're done. At least for now.”

“Crossed fingers,” Riley said. “Just a nice smooth switch, one pedal out, then the other in. Feel where the clutch catches.”

She did as she was told, focusing on the clutch as she let it out. And suddenly, she realized what he was
talking about. She felt the clutch engage and gave the car a bit of gas. To her astonishment, they started off down the road, the ride smooth.

“Oh, my God!” Nan cried. “I'm doing it. I'm driving in Ireland. I'm driving in Ireland.”

“All right, now let's shift.”

“No, no, no. Let's just stay at this speed.”

“Nan, we can't drive in first gear forever. Shifting isn't hard once you get going. Just push the clutch in, shift and let it out slowly.” He put his hand over hers on the gearshift. “Ready?”

Nan winced. “Ready.”

“Clutch in. Shift. Clutch out. And there we go.”

She laughed. “All right, now we're moving. This isn't so hard. What's next?”

“Third gear,” he said. “Speed up a little. Clutch in. And shift. Clutch out.”

They rolled along on the deserted road, Nan's mind spinning with all the things she had to remember. The steering wheel was on the wrong side of the car and the car was on the wrong side of the road. And she had three pedals where there were usually two. And the gearshift made things nearly impossible. But now that she could drive, her adventures could begin.

The truth was, as long as she couldn't drive, Riley would be required to accompany her wherever she wanted to go. “Stop sign,” she said, pointing down the road. “Stop sign!”

“Don't worry. Just do what you do in your car. Take your foot off the accelerator and put it on the brake.”

To her relief, the car began to slow as it approached the stop sign. But then it began to shudder.

“Clutch in, clutch in,” he said.

But she wasn't quick enough and the engine died. They slowly rolled up to the stop sign, the car silent. “I think this would be a good place to stop for today,” she said.

He slipped his arm around her shoulders. “You did a fine job of work there. A few more lessons and you'll be ready to go solo. Until you're ready, I'll drive you wherever you want to go.”

Nan smiled. “Don't you have to work?”

“Nah, my brother Danny is going to work for me. He's barely worked all summer, so he owes me some time.” Riley reached over and grabbed her waist. “Come on, let's switch.” He pulled her on top of him, wriggling toward the driver's seat.

But the car was ridiculously small and their limbs tangled together until it was impossible to move. “Now I know how those clowns feel,” she said, laughing.

“Wait,” Riley said. “You're coming very close to un-manning me.”

“You're the one who wanted to do this!” Nan cried. “We could have used the doors like normal people.”

“Oh, but it wouldn't have been half as much fun.” Riley finally pulled her legs on either side of his hips. His face was pressed into the side of her chest. “I think maybe we should rest for a bit,” he murmured. “Just like this.”

“Why do I get the idea that you planned this?”

“Oh, I think this is one of those happy accidents,”
he said. “And now that you're here, what are we going to do with ourselves?”

Nan felt her left leg cramping and she stretched it out. But as soon as she did, the car began to roll. “We're moving,” she said.

He looked out the window. “Is your foot on the clutch?”

“I don't know. I can't see my foot.”

They twisted around, Riley trying to get into the driver's seat. Nan screamed as the car continued to roll.

“Ow,” Riley shouted as she kneed him in the groin.

“Sorry, sorry.”

When he finally settled in the driver's seat, he pulled the emergency brake and the car stopped. Cursing softly, he shoved the door open and stepped out of the car, then circled around it and pulled open her door.

“What? I'm not driving again.”

He reached in and took her arm, gently drawing her out of her seat. But the moment she stood, he yanked her into his arms and into a long, desperate kiss.

Nan leaned back against the car, surrendering to the feel of his mouth on hers. His hands moved over her body, sending shivers coursing through her. She arched against him as her instincts took control, the need to get closer overwhelming her senses.

They'd known each other for less than a day and yet this kissing had become almost second nature. Pleasure was the only objective and any inhibitions she might have had were gone. She wanted him to touch her, to kiss her, to completely possess her body. She wanted him to strip off her clothes and wrap her legs around
his waist and bury himself deep inside her. All these thoughts came rushing forth, shocking her, yet piquing her desire at the same time.

Her pulse pounded and adrenaline rushed through her body. She grabbed the hem of his T-shirt and pulled it up, running her hands beneath the soft fabric. His chest was smooth and muscular, a soft line of hair running between his collarbone and his belly.

The kiss continued to deepen, but then he broke away. Riley slid down in front of her. He pressed his face to her belly, then slipped her shirt up, trailing kisses across her torso. His palm found the soft swell of her breast and Nan moaned as he ran his thumb over her nipple.

A moment later, he was back at her mouth, kissing her as if he couldn't seem to stop. She felt weak and powerful all at once—unable to resist yet certain of how much he wanted her. Was it even necessary to slow things down? Or could they just admit where this was heading?

He leaned into her and she could feel his desire, the hard ridge of his erection evident through the faded fabric of his jeans. Nan fought the urge to touch him there, but her curiosity got the better of her. She smoothed her hands over his belly and then moved lower.

His breath caught in his throat and then he growled softly, cupping her face in his hands. “What are you doing there?” he murmured. “Trying to drive me completely around the bend?”

“I'm just having a bit of fun,” she teased. Nan glanced up at him. “Would you like me to stop?”

“I think that would be best for now. But I reserve the right to continue on later.” He looked around, then gave her a quick kiss. “Come on. If we don't hurry, we're going to miss the sunset.”

They got back in the car, this time with Riley behind the wheel, then headed down the coast road. Nan was no longer interested in the landscape passing by, beautiful as it was. She couldn't seem to keep her eyes off of Riley. How could a man as beautiful as he was find her desirable?

It had to be the fact that she was American. To him, that meant exotic and men always preferred exotic to ordinary. Or maybe she just looked like someone who would be easy to seduce. Having a vacation affair was much simpler than dealing with a real relationship. Ten days and it was done.

In truth, it really didn't make a difference why Riley was attracted to her. She wasn't going to question his desires, especially when hers were just as strong. She'd come to Ireland to lose herself in new experiences, to find an adventure. A passionate affair with Riley Quinn was exactly what she wanted.

The little Fiat headed down a steep hill, then up a rise. Nan glanced out the window, then sucked in a sharp breath. “Oh, my God.” She looked over at Riley. “It's stunning.”

He nodded. “I thought it would be good tonight. There were just enough clouds on the horizon to make
it grand.” He pulled the car off the edge of the road. “Let's go get a better look.”

They followed a footpath to the top of the rise. Below them, the Atlantic crashed against the rugged shore and far out on the horizon, the setting sun had lit the sky ablaze with brilliant pinks and oranges. Soft streaks of color shot into the deep blue sky, nearly touching the first stars that twinkled above them.

“It's not often like this,” he said. “But when it is, it's always spectacular.”

Nan wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him. Furrowing his hand through her hair, he kissed the top of her head. She felt so incredibly alive standing here with him, all of her senses overwhelmed by him. She was still Nan Galvin, but a better version of herself, a woman comfortable with pleasure. Was this what her mother had experienced?

“What's the name of this place?” she asked.

“Cod's Head,” he said. “That's Ballydonegan Bay. And out there is Dursey Island.” He pointed straight out to sea, to a spot near the sun. “And over there is America. Where you came from.”

Home seemed so far away; not just geographically, but emotionally, Nan thought to herself. Since her father had died, she'd felt so alone in her quiet, empty house. Maybe it wasn't a surprise that Ireland felt comfortable. It was part of her DNA and half of her family history.

“I need to do something while I'm here,” Nan said. “And I may need some help.”

“Name it,” he said.

“Not too long ago, after my father died, I was going
through some things in the attic. I found a box of my mother's things and inside, there was a packet of letters from Ireland. For years, from the time she left Ireland until she died, she carried on a correspondence with someone named Carey.”

“Is that his Christian name?”

Nan blinked, surprised by his question. “Then it would be a man? I thought maybe Carey was a woman?”

“Could be either,” Riley said.

“She must have talked about me in the letters because this Carey always thanked her for the news. And my mother sent pictures, too. That's why I thought she was a woman. Maybe a good friend she met on her trip? She could even be a distant relative. But she lives in Ballykirk, or at least she did twenty-seven years ago.” Nan looked up at Riley. “I want to find her. I want to know what my mother was like when she was my age.”

“Is that important?”

“There are so many conversations that we never had a chance to have,” Nan said. “And I know so little about her. My father didn't like to talk about her, so I didn't bring the subject up. And her parents died when I was a teenager and I never really had the courage to ask them before that. I don't know why, but I have to know everything I can. And after reading the letters, Ireland was the best place to start.”

“Do you have an old address?”

“There was only just the name of the town. I assumed that the town was small and the postmaster probably knew everyone.”

“Tomorrow, after breakfast, we'll go ask at the post. That's a fine place to start.”

“You don't think it's impossible, then?”

“Ireland is different from the States,” Riley said. “People usually stay closer to home.”

“I have ten days to find her,” Nan said. And ten days to find herself. Who would she be when she got on the plane to go home? And how would her life change after that? A tiny sliver of fear shot through her, but she brushed it aside.

Adventure sometimes came with risks, but for the first time in her life, she wanted to take those risks.

 

A
FTER WATCHING
the sunset, they'd taken a long drive along the coast of the Kenmare, then drove along the river valley to Glengarriff, where they stopped for dinner. For Riley, it had been the perfect first date, full of conversation and laughter.

He hadn't wanted it to end but he knew as soon as he took her home it would probably be over. He wasn't sure she'd ask him to stay. They barely knew each other. And though she enjoyed kissing him and touching him, that might be where it all stopped. In an attempt to prolong the night, he decided to take her back to the Hound.

The pub was busy for a Monday night. The boys from the local rugby team had decided to stop by for a pint after their match and had brought their opponents with them. A couple of the lads had invited Nan to play darts with them and she'd happily agreed.

Riley watched her from across the pub, ready to rescue her if any of the boys got bold with her. She
seemed to be having fun, but every now and then she'd glance his way and smile, as if they shared a secret.

“She's a pretty young thing,” Danny said, leaning over the bar. “Where'd you find her?”

“She's staying in the cottage,” he said.

“I thought you said some old lady had let the place.”

“I was wrong.”

“Well, now, there's a lucky mistake. Just watch yourself, boyo. It's wouldn't do to fall in love with her. Americans always go home.”

“I know,” Riley said, nodding. He took a long sip of his ale then noticed the group around the dartboards getting a bit rowdier than before. “I think it's time to take her home. Before they all start drooling on her.”

As he wove his way through the patrons, Riley couldn't help but wonder just what he was doing. Danny was right. Nan would be leaving in ten days. Falling in love with her would be an exercise in futility. But holding back his affections wouldn't be right, either. He wanted to surrender to this crazy infatuation and see where it led. And if it led to sadness in the end, then he could handle it.

When Riley reached the group, he slipped his arm around Nan's shoulder and whispered in her ear. “Come on. Let's get out of here.”

“Up the yard, Quinn!” the boys shouted. “We're in the middle of a tournament here. You can't steal our star player away now.”

“Get back, you shower of savages,” Riley teased, pushing them aside. “She's had enough of you warped eedjits.”

“Not without a fight, we won't,” Donal Duffy said, stepping forward and raising his fists.

“I'm not going to fight you,” Riley said. He turned to see a fearful expression on Nan's face. “He's just joking.”

Donal puffed out his chest. “No fists. We'll sing her a song and you sing her a song. She chooses the winner. And if she chooses us, she stays until the end of our little tournament.”