The Mighty Quinns: Jack

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“No, I want to see what they’re doing. How are we supposed to keep this under control when we don’t know what’s going on?”

Mia shook her head. “I’m not spying on them.”

“Who says we have to spy? You and I just decided to go out and get a drink and, funny enough, we just happened to end up at your dad’s favorite restaurant.”

Mia stared at him for a long moment. “Wow. Do you let your mother go grocery shopping on her own or do you follow her around with the cart telling her what cereal to buy?”

Jack shook his head and held out his hand. “If you don’t want to go, give me your keys.”

Mia couldn’t help but think he was going too far. What could possibly happen between Ben and Elyse when they were out in public? “You know, my dad isn’t such a bad guy. In fact, he’s really kind of a catch.”

“I’m sure he is,” Jack said. His expression softened. “I know he is. It’s just that my mom hasn’t dated at all in more than forty years. If your dad makes some kind of move, she won’t know what to do.”

“I think you underestimate your mom,” Mia said.

Mia got behind the wheel, Jack jumped in the passenger seat and they sped off towards town. When they reached the restaurant, they noticed the black Mercedes parked out front. Mia gave the keys to the valet and she and Jack walked inside and found a spot at the end of the bar. Most of the dining room was visible through a wide arched opening in the wall and after a quick search, Mia located her father and Elyse at a booth within easy sightlines.

Jack ordered them both a glass of wine and they settled onto the comfortable stools. “He’s holding her hand,” Mia said, craning her neck.

Jack glanced over and cursed beneath his breath. “Already? Your father moves fast.”

“Holding hands is fast? Just because a woman holds a guy’s hand, it doesn’t mean they want to sleep together.”

“There’s a lot you can communicate through holding hands,” Jack insisted.

“Oh, please,” Mia said. “Teenagers hold hands. It’s…kind of sweet. They’re just friends.”

Jack grabbed her hand and laced his fingers through hers, gently pinning her arm onto the bar. He slowly slid his fingers back and forth in a lazy rhythm that was startlingly sexual in nature.

Mia swallowed hard and tried to maintain her composure. The feel of his palm pressed against hers, trapping her hand on the cool wood of the bar. Mia’s breath caught when he turned her hand over and ran his index finger along a line from her wrist to her forearm.

“Holding hands can lead to all sorts of things,” he murmured, his gaze fixed on the spot where he touched. A tiny smile played at the corners of his mouth and Mia realized that he was enjoying this—almost as much as she was.

She swallowed a groan when he flipped her hand over and began to draw lazy circles on her palm. If this was what he did to a woman just holding her hand, what might he do to her in bed? Though Mia wasn’t unfamiliar with the seductive powers of the opposite sex, she certainly had never enjoyed the pleasures of a man who really knew what he was doing in the bedroom. She thought those men only existed in movies and erotic novels.

“I—I think you’ve proved your point.” Her voice cracked slightly and she pulled her hand away from him to grab her wineglass.

“Thank you,” he said with a self-satisfied smile.

“Although, I really doubt that my father possesses that level of skill at seduction.” This time she did allow herself to groan out loud. “I never thought I’d be talking about my father’s sex life. This is ridiculous.”

“They’ve had six months of exchanging letters and phone calls,” he said. “You have to expect some level of…longing.”

A giggle burst from her lips. “Longing? You seem to have an awful lot to say about romance. Are you speaking from experience? Or do you just do a lot of reading?”

“I’m a journalist,” he said. “I’m observant.”

“How many times have you been in love?” The moment she asked the question, she wanted to take it back. It was too personal and made her seem too interested in his past. She’d only met him seven hours ago.

“A few,” he said. “What about you?”

Mia wasn’t sure whether she ought to tell him the truth—that she’d never been in love—or whether it would be better to just lie. “Same,” she said.

In truth, she’d never really allowed herself to completely surrender to a man. While her mother was ill, she’d been too preoccupied to think about a social life and after her mom died, Mia spent her spare time with her dad, helping him cope with living on his own.

Maybe it was time to think about herself. What was wrong with indulging in a little romance with Jack Quinn? A kiss here or there might be fun. And she had a feeling that the sex would be incredible. And better still, he’d be gone in a few days, which meant that she wouldn’t have to deal with any long-term consequences. Unless, of course, Ben and Elyse ended up together and she had to face Jack at family functions.

Well, there was the perfect reason not to indulge her fantasies about this man. Knowing her sisters, they’d be able to see it the moment he walked into the room. And the last thing she’d want is to be fantasizing about her stepbrother over Thanksgiving dinner. That was just—weird.

“Look, look.”

His voice interrupted her thoughts and she looked over at the table to see her father draw Elyse’s hand to his lips. Mia held her breath as he kissed it and she felt emotion well up inside her.

Even after three years, she still saw sadness in his eyes. But now, he seemed so happy, so…young and carefree. Was it selfish of her to want him to be alone for the rest of his life? She couldn’t imagine that he’d ever be able to replace her mother, but maybe it wasn’t about replacing what he’d lost, but finding something completely new.

Tears pushed at the corners of her eyes and she drew in a sharp breath. “We have to go,” she said, grabbing her purse from the bar. “Now.”

She hurried toward the door, weaving through the patrons waiting for a table. When she reached the sidewalk, she stopped short and gulped in a deep breath of the cool evening air. The parking valet approached her and she held out her hand to stop him, then took off down the sidewalk.

The farther she got away from the restaurant, the less she knew what she was crying about. Was this about her father or was it about her own pathetic love life? For the first time in years, she found herself attracted to a man and she couldn’t bring herself to act on it.

Why couldn’t she have met Jack Quinn in a bar or at the grocery store? She could have indulged in a quick and simple affair without a second thought.

“Mia! Hey, wait up.”

She brushed the tears off her cheeks and pasted a smile on her face, then turned.

When he caught up to her, Jack reached out and gently grabbed her arm. “What’s wrong? Are you all right?”

“I’m fine. Just a little overwhelmed, that’s all.”

He stared down into her eyes. “I’m sorry. I know this is hard for you.”

Mia nodded and fought back a fresh surge of tears. She laughed softly. “I really miss my mom.”

His hand moved to her cheek and he brushed the dampness away with his thumb. “Don’t cry.”

“Actually, I think a good cry is exactly what I do need,” Mia said. She’d kept her emotions in check for so long, trying to stay strong for her father. But now, it felt as if she could finally let go. He was fine now. And she was a mess.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured. He stared down into her eyes, searching her gaze. And then, cupping her cheek in his hand, he turned her face up to his and kissed her.

Her breath caught the instant before their lips touched and she felt giddy and light-headed. And then, his mouth covered hers in a deep and delicious kiss. Mia’s knees wobbled and she grabbed the front of his shirt to balance herself, her fingers splaying against his chest.

He took her touch as an invitation and the kiss grew more passionate as he molded her mouth to his. Mia knew she’d been kissed before. But she was also certain that she’d never been kissed like this, with such raw desire and unbridled lust.

When he finally drew back, they just stared at each other for a long time, neither one of them sure what to say. “What do you want to do?” he asked.

She wanted to kiss him again. But Mia knew that wasn’t what he was asking. “Maybe we should just leave them alone.”

Jack nodded. “All right. I think that would be best.”

As they walked back to the parking valet, he grabbed her hand and drew it to his lips, pressing a kiss below her wrist. “I’m sorry if I caused those tears.”

“Sometimes it feels good to cry,” Mia said, drawing a ragged breath. And sometimes, it felt really good to kiss a man.

WHEN THE VALET BROUGHT the car, Mia handed Jack the keys, then crawled in the passenger side, slumping down in the seat and pulling her knees up to her chest.

“Where to?” he asked.

Mia shrugged. “I don’t care, just drive.”

Jack started the car and pulled out into the street, then wove through the village until he found the highway. The night was warm and the top was still down on the little convertible. April in Chicago could be chilly and damp. If he couldn’t enjoy kissing Mia, he’d at least enjoy the weather. He turned south, following the signs for the city.

“Are you all right?” he asked.

Mia nodded. “I just get emotional at times. Whenever I really need my mother, I just feel so…lost. I should go see a shrink. I’m just not dealing with my grief very well.”

“Why? Because you miss your mom? Mia, if you want my opinion, you don’t want to lose those feelings. It’s all right to miss her. I still miss my dad. I still have imaginary conversations in my head with him. We talk about all kinds of things.”

“Really?” she said, turned toward him. “I do that, too. Lately, I’ve been trying to stop myself. I mean, I don’t actually think she’s here, but I kind of feel like she might be listening.”

“Maybe she is. I like to think the same thing about my dad.”

They drove for a long time in silence and when they reached the intersection for Highway 1, Mia pointed to the right. “Turn here.”

The highway twisted and turned, past residential areas and then leading into thick, dark forests. Jack kept his attention on the road, watching for sudden switchbacks and sharp curves. He suspected they were heading toward the coast and when he spotted signs for Muir Beach, he decided to pull off the road and into a parking lot.

He turned off the car and faced her. She seemed lost in her thoughts and he wasn’t sure whether he ought to interrupt. But then she turned to him suddenly. “What do you think of the notion of friends with benefits?”

Jack gasped softly. “Is that what you think is going on with your father and my—”

“No!” She drew a deep breath. “No. I was talking about us.” Mia frowned. “You do know what I’m talking about, don’t you?”

Jack held up his hand. “Yes. I know exactly what you’re talking about.” The twist in the conversation was completely unexpected. Hell, he’d been great at handling the hairpin turns on the road, but now, he wasn’t quite sure what to say. “Are we friends?”

“More like acquaintances. But I think we could be friends, given a little more time.”

“I agree,” he said. “So, why do you think this would work?”

Mia drew a deep breath, then reached out and grabbed his hand. She placed it on her chest. “Can you feel that?”

“Your heart?”

She nodded. “Feel how fast it’s beating? I can hardly catch my breath sometimes. And my brain is all mixed up.” Mia paused. “I haven’t felt like this in three years. In fact, I really haven’t felt anything in three years. I’ve made myself numb just to avoid feeling sad. And now, for the first time in a long time, I’m not numb anymore.”

He reached out and smoothed his hand over her cheek. “That’s good.”

Mia nodded. “Yes. And you have to admit, there is an attraction. I mean, I wasn’t sure, but then you kissed me. There is an attraction, isn’t there?”

“Oh, yes,” Jack replied.

“Then we should act on it.”

“Right now?”