Always My Girl (The Shaughnessy Brothers) (14 page)

“Maybe I enjoy all the attention,” she said saucily and winked at him, and they both laughed.

“Sweetheart, I will gladly give you all the attention you want as long as you feed me.”

Instantly, sexy images of doing just that played in Anna’s mind. Sleeping with Quinn last night had been wonderful. Waking up in his arms had been like a dream come true. It was sweet. It was innocent. And it was completely comfortable. It was almost as if they were an old married couple.

No!
she corrected herself.
Don’t think like that. It implies boredom
. She most certainly did not want Quinn to be bored with her already. Maybe…

“Maybe we should just stop at the supermarket and get some groceries and I can make burgers back at my place. I wouldn’t mind some clean clothes, and you could run home too if you want, while I cook.”

“You just don’t want me to see what you do to the burgers,” he said suspiciously.

“Good grief! I was just saying—”

He chuckled. “I know, I know. You are just way too easy to tease.” He picked up her hand again and kissed it. “I like your plan. I could definitely go for changing out of yesterday’s clothes. I know we got to shower this morning and all, but a fresh set of clothes would have felt even better.”

“Okay, so it’s a plan. We’ll stop at the store and then you can drop me off at home and—” She stopped and cursed.

“What’s wrong?”

“My car! I totally forgot that my car is still crapped out at your shop!”

“Don’t worry about it,” he said. “I’ve got a loaner car you can use until we get yours taken care of.”

She sagged with relief but frowned.

“Now what?” he asked.

“I just hate having to do that.”

“It’s not a big deal, Anna. You need a car and I have one you can use. Don’t worry about it, okay?”

She nodded but still wasn’t happy about it. They pulled up to the supermarket, went in, and grabbed all the ingredients they needed for dinner.

“Do you have beer at your place?” he asked.

“I do.”

“How about ice cream?”

“Beer and ice cream? It just sounds wrong. And a little disgusting.” She shuddered at the thought.

He laughed again. “Well, not at the same time.”

By the time they were back in the truck, Anna was feeling the first tingles of excitement. Cooking a meal for Quinn and eating together were no big deal. They did that at least once a week. But she couldn’t help wondering how it was all going to be different this time. After all, they had kissed, they had spent the night together, and, if she was really lucky, they were going to again.

“You’re quiet,” he said as they drove through town.

“Just thinking.” She kept her gaze focused on the passing scenery because she was certain her blush would give her away.

“Anna,” he said, and when she didn’t look at him, he said it again. His smile was comforting. “Let’s just focus on dinner for right now, okay?”

Right then, Anna wasn’t sure if it was a blessing or a curse how he knew her so well. As friends, it was definitely a good thing, but in this new relationship—as lovers—it could get her into a lot of trouble.

In the past, they would talk about the relationships they were in. Quinn tended to overshare, but she wasn’t going to think about it. Who was she going to talk to now? What if they had a fight or a problem or if things just didn’t go the way she thought they would? He was her best friend and the one she turned to no matter what the problem was. Was she foolish for being willing to throw it all away on a relationship that may not work?

“You’re doing it again,” he said, pulling into her driveway.

“Get out of my head,” she snipped, but there was no real heat behind the words. Anna was surprised when Quinn climbed out of the car with her and carried the groceries into the house. The house was dimly lit, as the sun was starting to go down, and Anna didn’t turn on any lights and neither did he.

She turned to grab one of the bags and found Quinn right behind her. “Oh!” she softly cried. “I didn’t expect you to be right there.”

His blue eyes darkened as he looked at her upturned face and slowly walked her backward until her back gently bumped the countertop. He placed the bags on the counter. Strong arms came around either side of her, boxing her in.

“I should go home,” he said, his voice a low rumble.

Anna could only nod, but her eyes never left his.

“I need to get changed and make some calls.” He was listing all the reasons for him to leave, but all Anna could think about were ways to make him stay.

“You could make your calls from here,” she said, her voice a breathy whisper. “And Bobby keeps some clothes here. I’m sure you could find something to—”

It was all she could get out before Quinn swooped down and kissed her. Where last night’s kisses had been slow and sweet, this time it was back to the fast and frantic kind they’d shared in his shop. Was it only twenty-four hours ago? she wondered.

Who cares?
a little inner voice cried out. And that’s when Anna’s mind just shut off as she let the sensations take over. Quinn’s body pressed against hers. The feel of his lips on hers. The way his tongue slowly reached out and teased hers. It was sensory overload, and if they never got around to eating dinner, she’d be perfectly okay with that. Starvation was completely worth it.

Her hands roamed the muscled expanse of his chest, up over his stubbled jaw, and into the thick, blondish hair she loved. She could feel his body vibrating as he growled into her mouth, and that’s when she knew they weren’t waiting. They weren’t going to talk or take it slow. Hell, they weren’t even going to barbecue.

She’d be lucky if they made it to the bedroom.

Just then, Quinn lifted his head and took a minute to catch his breath. “I’m not leaving.”

Anna couldn’t help but smile. “Good.”

One of his hands caressed her cheek, and his eyes followed its path downward—her jaw, her shoulder, before finally stopping and gently cupping her breast. He inhaled deeply while Anna almost melted on the spot. She sighed his name as her eyes fluttered closed.

“Look at me, Anna,” he said gently, and she had to force herself to comply. “Are you sure about this? If you’re not, I’ll go. I don’t want to, but I’ll go.”

She said his name again, and his hand moved back up to cup her jaw.

“This is different. You’re not a casual hookup. You’re not a one-night stand. I’m not just here for tonight, Anna.”

Relief flooded her because on some level, she had worried about that. She knew the kind of relationships Quinn usually had. She’d been warned by more than one person that it was a good enough reason not to get involved with him. And yet, hearing him put her fears to rest was as much of a turn-on as his kisses were.

“I want you to stay,” she said, her voice barely audible.

And before she could say another word, Quinn scooped her up in his arms and carried her to her bedroom. Excitement warred with disappointment. Part of her had been hoping they’d stay in the kitchen. She wanted to be the type of woman who caused a man to lose control—to the point where he had to have her right there, right now.

A goddess.

But this was good too, she thought as he placed her down on the bed. He straightened and pulled his T-shirt up and over his head, tossing it on the floor. His body was absolute perfection. For all the times she’d seen him shirtless, it was quite another experience to know he was doing it specifically for her.

And in a matter of minutes, she’d be able to touch it, feel it.

Quinn kicked off his shoes and socks, but when his hands went to the button on his jeans, he stopped and looked down at her, a bashful grin on his face. “Is it weird how I’m nervous all of a sudden?”

Anna couldn’t help the nervous bubble of laughter that came out. “Thank God you said it! I thought it was just me!”

He hung his head and chuckled. “Damn, Anna. I know this is what I want, and I…I just don’t know what to do.”

She pushed up on her elbows and looked at him, a smile of understanding on her face. And then she decided to have a little fun with him. “You mean you’re a virgin?” she teased.

And that broke the tension. A bark of laughter was his first response, but he was able to reel it in quickly. “Why don’t I prove to you how unvirginal I am?”

“Bring it.”

Quinn shucked his jeans but left his boxers on as he crawled on the bed and covered her body—kissing her along the way. “I think one of us is still overdressed,” he murmured.

She couldn’t help but tease him. “I was wondering why you left your boxers on.”

And then he rested his forehead against hers, closed his eyes, and smiled. “You’re not going to make this easy, are you?”

She shook her head. “I was hoping to make it…hard. Very, very hard.”

Slowly, Quinn lifted his head, his expression dark, serious. No more teasing. No more smiles. “Bring it.”

And she did.

Quinn was standing on Anna’s back deck after midnight, manning the grill. If anyone had told him he’d be doing this—or how he’d be doing it wearing nothing more than his boxers and a grin—he’d have told them they were crazy.

And yet, there he was.

He stretched and flexed his shoulders, happy to be a little sore. The last few hours had been the best kind of workout he’d ever had.

Anna Hannigan.

He still couldn’t wrap his brain around it. His best friend, the girl he’d grown up with, had completely rocked his world. Quinn found he was suddenly jealous of every guy she had ever dated, any guy who’d ever touched her. She was beautiful and sexy and, he thought with an even bigger grin, a goddess in bed.

Yeah, he’d said it—he’d actually spoken those words to her while they were in bed, and she had blushed and then given him a sexy grin that had him getting hard all over again. He was hard now just thinking of it.

Damn burgers. He flipped them and made sure they were done before plating them and shutting off the grill. Walking back into the house, he found Anna wearing the T-shirt he had discarded earlier and nothing else. She was putting the rest of their meal together and hadn’t noticed him yet.

How the hell had he been so blind for so long? When had he simply stopped paying attention to the woman she was becoming in favor of only seeing her as the girl she had once been? And how was it he was lucky enough that she wanted him?

Quietly, he stepped farther into the room and watched her. She spun around and moved with such grace that it left him mesmerized. And then she bent over to get something and…

Holy hell!

Stalking across the room, he put the plate down on the counter and came up behind her. Anna let out a little squeal of surprise. “I didn’t even—”

Spinning her around, his mouth crashed down on hers as his hands went to her waist and lifted her until she was seated on the counter. Then she squealed again as the cold surface hit her bare skin.

“Quinn? What…?”

“No talking,” he said between kisses. “Just let me… I need…”

And then he was done talking for several long, breathless minutes.

* * *

Cold burgers certainly weren’t a favorite, but knowing she was the kind of woman who made a man completely lose control certainly was!

Anna quickly heated up the patties before putting them on the buns and making up their plates. Quinn was sitting on the couch, flipping through the TV channels like she had asked him to. Not that she really wanted him to, but she needed a few minutes to pull herself together after their impromptu romp.

The look in Quinn’s eyes as he’d made love to her had been better than anything she’d ever fantasized.
He
was better than anything she’d ever fantasized.

Picking up the plates, she thought of how this scene was so familiar and yet now so different. Quinn smiled at her when she stepped around and put their plates on the coffee table.

“There isn’t a whole lot on right now, unless you want me to find something on Netflix,” he said and then reached for one of her hands and pulled her down on the couch beside him.

“It doesn’t really matter to me. Any one of the late night shows is fine.”

Quinn nodded, flipped to one of them, tossed the TV remote aside, and immediately picked up his burger. Before he took his first bite, he turned toward Anna. “I’m just warning you, this isn’t going to be pretty. I’m starving.”

“Ditto,” she said, and then they each dug into their meals. They ate in silence for the most part, stopping to laugh or comment on what they were watching on television. When Anna was done, she slouched back on the couch. “Too. Much. Food.”

He chuckled. “No such thing.” Wiping his mouth, Quinn looked toward the kitchen. “You bought ice cream, right?”

She waved her hand toward the kitchen. “Help yourself. I’m too tired to move.”

Standing, he stepped over her outstretched legs and then bent over and kissed the top of her head. “Rest up while you can. This is simply refueling!” Then he winked at her and walked to the kitchen.

Anna wasn’t sure if he was serious or not, and as much as she really wanted sleep, her body was already humming and more than willing to stay up and play. “Traitor,” she mumbled.

“Did you say something?” Quinn called out from the kitchen.

“Nope,” she replied. “Just talking to the TV.”

* * *

The next morning, Quinn took Anna to his shop and gave her the keys to his truck.

Anna looked at the keys and then at Quinn like he was crazy. “I don’t understand. Why am I taking your truck? I thought you said you had a loaner for me to use.”

He shrugged, but his gaze didn’t meet her eyes. “It’s no big deal. I want to make sure you’re safe driving around.”

She couldn’t help but grin. “And the loaner isn’t safe?” she asked playfully, nudging him with her shoulder. “Are your customers aware of this?”

“It’s fine, but…this is better.”

Leaning in, she kissed him on the cheek. “You’re very sweet. Thank you.” Then she looked around the parking lot. “What are you going to drive?”

“I’ll probably use the Corvette,” he said blandly.

Anna’s jaw dropped. “
The Corvette
? You’re seriously going to drive the Corvette? You never take it out!” She took the keys to the truck and put them back in his hands. “I can’t. I can’t take the truck. I’ll take the loaner or I’ll call Bobby.”

Quinn took her hands in his. He was momentarily distracted at how soft they were and remembered how incredible they’d felt roaming all over his body. Shaking his head free of the erotic images, he focused on Anna. “It’s not a big deal. We’ll look at your car today and hopefully have it back to you tomorrow. I can handle driving the Vette for a day or two.”

“But you baby that thing,” she reminded him anxiously. “You treat that car better than some people treat a real baby. I don’t want you doing this on my account. Really. It’s not a big deal. Please.”

He pulled her into his arms and kissed her soundly. “No arguing. Take the truck and get going. I want to get your car up on the lift, and I’m sure you have calls to get caught up on since you were out of the office yesterday.”

“Oh!” she cried. “That reminds me. I can’t believe I forgot to tell you! Hugh decided to buy the property I showed him! Can you believe it?”

“Are you serious? That’s great!” And then he pulled her back into his arms and spun her around excitedly before kissing her again. “I knew you could do it!”

“This is huge,” she said when he put her back on her feet. “Because it’s a commercial property deal, the paperwork is a little bit more of a nightmare, but once everything is signed, sealed, and delivered, I can finally think about a new car. Just think—this will be the last time you have to patch the Honda up!”

“I just want you to be safe, Anna,” he said, his expression going serious. “I’m sorry if I made you feel bad the other night. I was…” He shook his head. “It wasn’t right. You know I’ll do whatever I can to fix the car and make sure it’s safe for you, and if I can’t, I’ll help you get another car.”

She pulled back. “Quinn, I appreciate your helping me with the loaner for a couple of days, but if the Honda can’t be fixed, I’ll take care of it.”

He threw his head back and let out a growl of frustration. “Why do you argue everything with me?”

“I do not argue everything,” she said defensively and then frowned when Quinn gave her a pointed look. “Okay, fine. I argue some stuff, but this time it’s legit. I don’t expect anyone to help me get another car. I’ll make do until my commission on the property comes through. It’s not a big deal.”

As much as Quinn wanted to argue with her, he decided to bide his time. The car was a complete disaster, and he’d patched it up far too many times. Every time he gave her the keys back, he begged her to just sell it for scrap and get another car, but Anna held firm. He understood her reasoning—sort of. She didn’t want to take on the financial burden of a car payment, but she wasn’t thinking about her own safety.

He was.

And whether she liked it or not, Anna Hannigan wasn’t going to get the last word this time.

* * *

A week later, Anna was still driving Quinn’s truck. He wouldn’t tell her exactly what was wrong with her car, just that he was waiting on parts. It all seemed logical, but she couldn’t help but feel bad about it.

Quinn, on the other hand, was having a good time driving his beloved Corvette. He thanked her every time he saw her for forcing him to drive it. They would laugh about it, but deep down, Anna still felt guilty. Worse, she felt like a charity case and she hated it.

They had spent every night together and each one had been hotter, sweeter, and sexier than the night before. Anna couldn’t believe how easily they had transitioned from friends to lovers. She kept waiting for something to happen—for something to go wrong where they’d both look at one another and be like, “Well, we tried,” and call it a day.

Not that she wanted to. Hell no. Quinn Shaughnessy had always had a knack for making her heart race, but now? She had to fan herself. The man was an incredible lover—not that she’d tell him so just yet; he had a huge ego as it was. No need to add to it. They were able to sit and talk about their days and joke and laugh one minute and then be tearing at each other’s clothes the next. It was never boring and she was loving every minute of it.

Standing in her living room, she looked at her overnight bag that was waiting by the door. Quinn was due to pick her up any minute. They were heading to Hugh and Aubrey’s for the weekend, so she and Hugh could go over the contracts for the sale of the property. They’d been emailing and talking on the phone, but when he asked if they could get together and talk, Anna was more than willing to do so. He extended the invitation to Quinn as well, so they were making a weekend of it.

Their first official outing as a couple.

It scared the hell out of her.

Not that she had any real reason to be scared or nervous. All the Shaughnessys had known about her feelings for Quinn for a long time. Hugh had even laughed about it when they had last seen him. But now that it was real? She just hoped Quinn was going to be able to handle the good-natured ribbing she was certain Hugh was going to throw his way.

Only time would tell.

The knock at the door made her jump, but she didn’t have to walk over to open it—Quinn let himself in. “Hey, gorgeous,” he said, sauntering over to her. “You all ready?” Without waiting for her answer, he leaned down and kissed her.

She loved that about him. It usually took less than ten seconds for him to take her in his arms and kiss her. Like he couldn’t wait any longer to do it. She sighed against him. How had she survived all this time without being loved like this by him? When he lifted his head and smiled, her heart raced.

“Are you all packed?” he asked.

Anna nodded. “Sure am. I really didn’t need much—Hugh said we were staying in. I don’t think he wants to take Aubrey out just yet.”

“Tell her to give us a safe word,” he said with a chuckle as he stepped away and went to grab her bag, “and we’ll break her out of there.”

“A safe word?”

“Yeah, you know, like a code word to let us know she needs to escape.”

Anna laughed. “You may need to take your brother out someplace so I can get Aubrey out of the house for a little while. Even if it’s just to go and grab some groceries, I’m sure she’ll appreciate it.”

“No doubt.”

“Although your brother just may surprise us. Maybe he’s not being overprotective or hovering. Maybe—”

“You’ve met Hugh, right?”

Anna rolled her eyes. “Stop. He’s been getting better!”

“Not that much better,” Quinn replied. “Trust me. For all the progress he’s made since meeting Aubrey, this whole situation has more than likely set him ten steps back.” He looked around the house. “Is everything locked up?”

She grabbed her purse and her keys. “Yup.” Turning off the kitchen light, Anna turned and followed Quinn out the door. “We’re taking the truck, right?”

Quinn shook his head. “Nah. I figured we’d take the Corvette.”

She stopped dead in her tracks. When Quinn got to the car and put her luggage in the trunk, he turned and noticed her standing there. “What?”

“You are freaking me out!” she said with a nervous laugh. “Who are you, and what have you done with Quinn Shaughnessy?”

He walked back over to her. “What’s the big deal?”

“You’ve had this car for a year, and you drove it home from the dealership and that was it. Then you decided you could drive it to and from work until my car was ready—which, by the way, do you have any idea when that will be?”

He shook his head. “Still waiting on some parts.”

She looked at him oddly. “It’s taking an awful long time for them to come in. What’s the hold up?”

Quinn took her hand and led her over to the car. “It happens sometimes, especially with older cars. Don’t worry. We’ll get it taken care of.”

He was being evasive, of that she was certain. But why? He opened the car door for her and then she remembered her original question. “Oh yeah…so after a year of not driving this car, now you want to take it on a road trip?”

“It’s not really a road trip. They only live an hour away.”

“But still—”

“Anna?”

“Hmm?”

“Get in the car,” he said lightly before placing a light kiss on her nose and walking around to his side of the car.

* * *

“Blink twice if you want me to slip a Valium in Hugh’s tea,” Quinn whispered loudly to Aubrey, and they all broke out in laughter.

Except Hugh.

“Not funny, bro. Seriously.”

Quinn just laughed harder. “Dude, the doctors all said Aubrey is fine and you’re treating her like an invalid!”

“It’s not quite that bad,” Aubrey said lightly, in defense of her husband.

“Don’t let him keep going with this,” Quinn said, leaning back in his chair and reaching for his drink. “You’re going to start to go crazy before too long.”

“I don’t see anything wrong with pampering my wife,” Hugh said as he smiled at Aubrey. “She deserves it.”