Always My Girl (The Shaughnessy Brothers) (18 page)

“I get it,” Anna interrupted. “Just let it go for today. Please. For me.”

He nodded and kissed his wife on the cheek, and then kissed Anna on the cheek as well before walking from the kitchen to join the rest of his family in the living room.

“You won’t be able to keep them quiet forever, you know,” Zoe said when they were alone.

“I know. But for today I just want everyone to get along.”

Zoe laughed. “You know that’s not very realistic. Whenever you get more than two Shaughnessys in the room, they’re bound to disagree about something. It’s just the way it is.”

“Oh, you don’t have to tell me. I know it’s the norm, but maybe they’ll find something else to argue about.”

Zoe sighed. “I wouldn’t hold my breath if I were you.”

“Hey, a girl can dream.”

* * *

He could barely hear himself think, the room was so noisy. It was full of conversation and laughter and, yes, arguments. With ten people around the table, dinner was boisterous to say the least.

There was steak and chicken Ian had grilled on the barbecue, salads, corn on the cob, dinner rolls, and baked potatoes. There was enough food for a small army—which they kind of were. Plates and bowls were passed around almost continuously.

Aubrey updated everyone on her health and how she was feeling with her pregnancy. Hugh grinned as he watched his wife, making sure she had everything she could possibly want to eat. Darcy talked about school, Riley talked about the possibility of a tour to promote his new album—if he ever finished it—and Owen shared how he had been offered the opportunity to teach at UC Berkeley at the Lawrence Hall of Science.

The only problem with all of this was everyone was talking at once.

Quinn looked around the table and caught a couple of words of each conversation. He thought about talking about how business was going, but he kind of felt like flying under the radar right then. Not about work, but he had a feeling he and Anna were under the microscope. It was their first time with everyone, and he suddenly felt uncomfortable in his own skin.

“So, Anna,” Ian said loudly to be heard over all his kids, “I hear you and Hugh are working on the contracts for the coastal property here. It’s very exciting!”

She nodded. “Things are moving along and my bosses are very pleased.”

“I’m sure. I know we’re all looking forward to having him work close to home for a while. So thank you for helping to make it possible.”

“Hey,” Hugh protested with a laugh, “I would have come around eventually.”

Ian laughed and shook his head. “Not soon enough.”

“Yeah, we’ll see how you feel when I’m around all the time,” Hugh challenged.

“I still think I’ll be okay with it,” Ian replied.

“Well, I can’t take all the credit,” Anna said. “I wasn’t really the one to approach him with the potential property. Quinn presented it to him first.”

“Dude,” Riley said with a grin, shaking his head. “Not cool. You totally stole Anna’s thunder.”

Quinn looked around and found the conversation had calmed down and everyone was looking his way. “What?”

“That was totally Anna’s place to present the property deal to Hugh. Why’d you interfere?” Riley asked. His tone was light, but it still rubbed Quinn the wrong way. Then he added, “Seriously, Anna, what do you see in this guy?”

Everyone laughed. “I always pictured you with a guy in a suit,” Hugh said with a playful grin. “You know, a businessman.”

“I agree,” Aidan chimed in. “You can do way better than our resident grease monkey here.” He looked over at Quinn and saw the tension there and then winked at Anna. “I bet a businessman wouldn’t horn in on your job.”

“I did not horn in!” Quinn snapped, slamming a hand down on the table. “I was simply trying to move things along to help her!”

“Call it what you want, Quinn,” Riley said. “But you still stole her thunder.” He shook his head and made a tsk-ing sound before focusing on Anna again. “I wouldn’t tolerate it if I were you.”

“It really wasn’t a big deal,” Anna said quietly, looking down at her plate.

And it hit Quinn for the first time—had he really done that? Had he stolen her thunder? Had he interfered when he shouldn’t have? He thought about it for a minute and shook his head.
Hell no!
This was the dynamic of his and Anna’s relationship—they helped one another out. They always had. That’s what friends did. And technically, when he had called Hugh, he and Anna had still been just friends.

Did she resent him for interfering?

Would she even tell him if she did?

No. Anna had a way of keeping certain things to herself—especially when it applied to things he did that upset her.

Which, apparently, was a lot over the years.

Knowing he wasn’t capable of participating in any more conversation, he ducked his head and focused on his meal, thankful the conversation turned to Hugh and his plans for the new resort.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Anna was eating and she was even participating in the discussion, but Quinn couldn’t bring himself to. Right then, his head was messed up.

What if everyone was right? What if he wasn’t right for Anna? What if she did deserve to be with someone else? Instantly, an image of some corporate guy in a suit sprang to mind and it made him angry. The guy was faceless and yet Quinn could feel the rage building.

What was so wrong with him that made everyone so damn certain he was wrong for her? Granted, he hadn’t been the most observant guy over the years, but he was working on it! Why wasn’t he getting any credit for trying to be a better person?

He was so lost in thought that he didn’t notice everyone standing up and starting to clear the table. In the Shaughnessy house, it was a group effort. No one person had dish duty; everyone did. For once, Quinn was glad to get lost in the shuffle. Conversation flowed around him, and when things were almost done, he ducked out and went to the backyard. The sun had gone down, and for a minute, all he could do was stand there and breathe, his head thrown back.

“I wish I had my telescope with me.”

Quinn didn’t need to turn his head to know Owen was coming up beside him.

“The sky on a clear night offers an ever-changing display of fascinating objects you can see, from stars and constellations to bright planets, the moon.” He sighed wistfully. “If you want, I can point out some of the things you’re seeing.”

Shaking his head, Quinn straightened and looked at his brother. “Thanks, but…not tonight.”

“They’re all wrong, you know.”

“About what?”

“You,” Owen said simply. He wasn’t looking at Quinn; his attention was still on the sky.

“Oh yeah? What makes you so sure about that?” Quinn asked, curious to get his brainiac brother’s spin on the whole thing.

“For starters, there’s more to you than just being—what did they call you? A grease monkey?” He looked at Quinn with confusion. “I’m guessing it’s a play on words because you work on cars.”

Quinn couldn’t help but chuckle and nod.

“Anyway, I don’t understand why they say it like it’s a bad thing. Aidan builds houses, Hugh builds resorts, and Riley builds songs.” He shrugged. “You build cars—and not just one kind of car, every kind. You need to have a working knowledge of how every kind of car works. Most people don’t understand how an internal combustion engine operates. You do.” Then he turned and looked at Quinn. “Seems to me that makes you smarter than they are.”

Well, hell. “You think I’m smart?” Quinn asked quietly.

Owen nodded. “You’re one of the smartest guys I know. You’ve mastered so many different things already—and you didn’t go to school for any of them. I mean, I know you had to get certified to be a mechanic, but for you, that was just a technicality. You already knew how to do everything. You put your mind to something, and you make it happen. It’s impressive.”

Wow. His genius brother was seriously standing there telling him he was impressed. Damn. “Yeah, well…no one else sees that.”

“Does Anna think that?”

“What?”

“That you’re just a grease monkey?”

Quinn chuckled. “No,” he said, smiling. “She’s never thought that. It doesn’t matter what I’m doing or what I’m trying, she makes me feel…hell…she makes me feel like I’m the best at it.”

“It’s because you usually are,” Owen said simply.

“Dude, knock it off. I’m blushing.”

Owen looked at him oddly. “I wouldn’t really know. It’s dark out here.”

Leave it to Owen to take him literally. “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“Do you think I’m wrong for Anna?”

“No.”

“Care to elaborate?”

With a sigh, Owen faced him. “People like to argue how opposites attract. And in some ways, it’s true. But it seems to me what you and Anna have is something most people only hope to attain.”

“And what’s that?”

“You genuinely like each other.”

Quinn’s eyes went a little wide. “That’s it? No scientific facts or figures?”

Owen shrugged. “From the first time the two of you met, you clicked. You were instant friends and you’ve stayed that way. Why? Because you have a love and respect for one another. Granted, it didn’t turn into a romantic love until recently, but I think it’s always been there. It just needed time to be nurtured.”

“I wish I could believe that. My track record is really working against me here—at least where everyone else is concerned.”

“It shouldn’t matter what everyone else thinks. What do you think? Do you think you’re the right man for Anna? Do you believe you have staying power even if you don’t wear a suit to work?”

Quinn didn’t know what to say.

His confidence was slightly rattled after dinner, and he wasn’t so sure of anything right then.

Something was becoming blazingly obvious to Anna—she and Quinn spent most of their time alone at her place.

After the dinner at Ian’s, Quinn had been a little sullen and withdrawn, and she normally had to work at getting him to relax. They spent almost every night together, but she was beginning to realize they had gone out more when they were just friends than they had since they’d started dating.

Not that she was complaining—not really. The time they spent alone after work was her favorite part of the day. They’d share dinner, watch movies, and make love. The man was insatiable, and she was finding her inner goddess was too! But there was going to come a time when they both needed something more. Neither of them was antisocial, and next week they had their monthly softball game. They’d been on the local league together for years, and it was something they’d always enjoyed. She could only wonder how Quinn was going to handle it. Maybe she needed to nudge him out of their routine and see how it went.

It was after six on a Thursday night when he showed up. He looked exhausted and sexy as hell. Anna’s original plan had been to grill a couple of steaks and watch the Yankees game, but after her realization earlier, she changed it.

Quinn kissed her thoroughly before walking over to the refrigerator and grabbing a beer. It was a very domestic scene—including the “Hi, honey! How was your day?” and it normally made Anna smile. Unfortunately, she didn’t feel much like smiling. She felt like shaking things up.

“I don’t feel like cooking tonight,” she said casually, grabbing a bottle of water for herself out of the refrigerator. “I was thinking we’d go into town and grab something to eat, maybe some pizza or something.”

Placing his beer down on the counter, Quinn looked at her. “You should have called me. I would have picked one up on the way home.”

She shrugged. “Nah. I really want to get out and eat someplace. Come on. We’ll keep it casual. Just go and get changed, and we’ll go.”

He looked completely uncomfortable. “Seriously, Anna? It’s been a crappy day. The Camaro is giving me fits, and we have cars parked all over the property waiting to be worked on and not enough space or manpower to get to them all. I was really just looking forward to staying in tonight.”

“We stay in every night,” she reminded him. “We went out more before we started dating.” Then she chuckled. “Although I don’t really think we can call this dating since we haven’t gone out on any dates, so I guess I should rephrase and say we used to go out more before we started sleeping together.”

His anger was apparent. “What the hell’s gotten into you?” he demanded. “So we haven’t gone out much. I didn’t think you minded.”

She shrugged. “Normally, I don’t. But tonight I’d like to go out. I didn’t think it was a big deal. Obviously I was wrong.”

He huffed and raked a hand through his hair, sending his hat flying. “Look, if you had mentioned it earlier, I would have been a little more mentally prepared for it, that’s all.”

“Since when do you need to be mentally prepared to go for pizza? For crying out loud, Quinn, I’m not asking you to take me to the Four Seasons; it’s just a quick dinner so I don’t have to cook!”

He studied her hard for a minute and then seemed to relax. “You’re right, you’re right. I’m sorry. Like I said, it was a crappy day. Give me a few minutes to wash up and change.” He walked back to her bedroom and she heard the bathroom door close.

For a minute, she almost felt bad. Almost felt the need to go and tell him to forget about it and she’d cook for them instead, but she had a feeling that’s what he was hoping for. The old Anna would have done it, and she was done being that girl. Why, all of a sudden, she didn’t know. But right then, the only thing she was certain of was that she was tired of being kept locked up and not seeing anyone.

Well, anyone other than the Shaughnessys.

Fifteen minutes later, they were in his truck heading into town. “So…pizza?” he asked.

“Sure. Unless there’s someplace else you’d like to go.”

When they drove past Main Street, Anna questioned it.

“There’s a really good seafood place I’ve been wanting to try,” Quinn answered. “We can get pizza anytime. What do you say?”

She wouldn’t have minded if he’d asked before they’d passed the pizza place, but whatever. “Sure. That sounds good.”

Thirty minutes later, Anna was a little suspicious. “This is kind of far, don’t you think?”

Quinn shrugged and parked the truck. “Yeah, but sometimes the good places are worth it. Come on. All the guys at the shop have been talking about this place and telling me how good it is.”

She supposed it made sense. It was a small place—barely more than a shack—and she could only hope the inside was more appealing than the outside.

Quinn took her by the hand and pulled her in close, kissing her deeply. “Maybe after dinner we can go for a walk on the beach. There’s supposed to be outside seating in the back that overlooks the sand.”

And then she relaxed. She was being suspicious for nothing. Maybe he really did just want to take her someplace different and have a date that wouldn’t include a dozen interruptions from everyone in town.

“I think it sounds absolutely perfect.”

And it was. She was completely dazzled by this side of Quinn. They talked all through dinner, and she was pleasantly surprised at how amazing the food was. The place certainly didn’t look like much, but it more than made up for it with its meals.

After dinner, they walked along the beach hand in hand. The sky was clear and the breeze coming off the water was refreshing. They’d kicked off their shoes, and to Anna, it could quite possibly have been the most perfect date.

“I’m glad we did this,” he said after a few minutes.

“Me too.”

“I know you may not believe this, but…I really just don’t think of things like this. I’m not usually that kind of guy.” He shrugged.

“I don’t know about that. In the past you’ve told me—”

He cut her off. “I don’t want to talk about my past. I was a completely selfish jackass, Anna. I never should have talked to you about my dates, and I certainly don’t want to be reminded of them.”

She looked at him and smiled softly. “I don’t think you were a selfish jackass, Quinn. I just miss going out places with you. We used to go to the movies or bowling or…anyplace. I’m beginning to feel like you’re embarrassed to be seen with me.”

That stopped him in his tracks. “
What?!
Why would you even say such a thing? I would never…could never—”

“You have to admit it seems pretty suspicious,” she interrupted with a nervous chuckle. “You never want to go anywhere anymore.”

He reached up and cupped her face in his hands. “Did it ever occur to you that I don’t want to share you with anyone else? That maybe now that I’ve realized how much you mean to me, I want to show you as much as I can? Or maybe because you’re so damn sexy and my every freaking fantasy that I can’t wait to get you alone, so I can touch you, kiss you, and love you from head to toe?”

His words made her weak. “Oh my…”

“Even standing here right now, all I can think about is getting you home, undressing you, and making love to you until neither of us can move.” He leaned in and kissed her cheek. “All day long, I think about you.” He kissed her forehead. “The drive home seems to take forever because all I can think about is being with you.” Another kiss on the tip of her nose. “And it’s not just the sex. I just want to be with you. You’re my home. My heart. I love you.”

And then she couldn’t breathe. It was everything she had ever dreamed of—only it was better because it was real. She sighed his name as she reached up and touched his face. Tears swam in her eyes. “I…I never thought… I just…”

“Shh… I know. I don’t deserve you. I know that. But you’re everything, Anna. Everything.”

She shook her head. “I feel the same way about you. I always have. I love you too.”

And then, finally, his lips claimed hers, consumed her. They stood locked together with the waves crashing on the shore and stars shining in the sky, and Anna lost all track of time. When Quinn raised his head, the look of pure need there almost brought her to her knees.

“Let’s go home,” he said huskily, taking her hand in his again as he began to lead her back to the truck.

She could only nod.

The entire drive home, Quinn kept her tucked close to his side, his hand playing with her hair and skimming up and down her neck. Anna had to fight the need to climb into his lap and beg him to pull over and have his way with her right then.

As if reading her mind, he turned and gave her a sexy grin. “Patience. I promise you we’ll be home soon.”

“Not soon enough,” she said, snuggling closer.

By the time they pulled into the driveway, she was ready to explode. She needed to touch him, to have his hands on her, and it didn’t matter if they made it to a bed or not. A slow smile crept across her face.

Reaching over, she ran a hand up his denim-clad thigh. She loved the way his eyes closed as he sighed. “So…I’ve always had this…fantasy,” she said softly, her hand roaming up and down his leg and up his stomach and chest.

“Really?” he said in a low voice.

“Mm-hmm,” she purred. “I always thought you looked very sexy driving this truck. I remember you had another one in high school, and I used to imagine what it would be like if it were me you were fooling around with in it.”

Quinn opened his eyes and scanned her face. “You wanted to fool around in my truck?” He looked toward the house and then back at Anna. “There’s a bed just a few feet away.”

“Yeah, but…” she began, “we can finish up in there. I think it would be really hot if we got things started right here.” Shifting, she got up on her knees and started kissing his neck. “You don’t even have to do much. This is more about me…and what I always wanted to do.”

“Anna,” he sighed. “Baby, you’re killing me.”

“I’m just getting started.” She gently bit him and then ran her tongue over the same spot. Quinn hissed in a breath, and in the blink of an eye, she was sprawled out across the seat with him stretched out on top of her.

“Now you’re just teasing,” he growled before kissing her roughly, his tongue dueling with hers until she began to whimper beneath him. He raised his head. “Tell me what you want, Anna—anything, and it’s yours.”

“I want you to make love to me right here, right now.” Her eyes never left his as she issued her sexy challenge. She waited for him to argue. She waited for him to try and change her mind.

Then she squealed with delight as he quickly began to work on the button of her jeans.

“Your wish is my command,” he said before his lips claimed hers again and made one of her long-time fantasies come true.

* * *

A week later, her suspicions were not only back, but they were pretty much like a giant neon sign she couldn’t turn off. Since their dinner and walk on the beach—and subsequent hot sex in his truck—they’d gone out four more times, each place farther from home than the last. She was seriously beginning to get a complex.

Anna tried to remember all the things Quinn had said to her about why he enjoyed being alone with her, and sometimes it was enough. But she couldn’t help but be a little annoyed by some of it. She was all for being alone with him and not wanting to share him with anyone—particularly the little fan club of women who seemed to flock to him whenever they used to go anyplace local—but she was still willing to try. It would mean so much to her to see him willingly ignore the women and claim her as his in front of people they knew.

After each date, they’d come back to her house, and just when she was ready to comment on where they’d been and how far away it was, he’d seduce her to the point where she barely knew her own name.

It was a gift he had.

But one she was starting to really resent.

“I thought you had a house to show tonight?” Quinn said, coming out of the bedroom dressed to play softball.

Anna had done the same while he was in the shower. She shook her head. “Nope.”

“Are you sure?” he asked, grabbing a couple of bottles of water from the pantry. “I thought you said something about showing the two-bedroom place over on Billings.”

“Quinn, I think I would know if I had an appointment. If you don’t believe me, look at my calendar.” She took her phone out and slid it over to him and then walked over and found her day planner and did the same. “No showings.”

“Oh.”

“Besides, I wouldn’t miss a game. I’ve never missed a game.” She chuckled. “And I think the team would miss me if I wasn’t there. I’m the queen of first base. You guys would lose without me.” She said it with a smile but noticed he didn’t seem amused. Sighing, she leaned against the countertop. “Okay, spill it. What’s wrong?”

“What? Nothing. Nothing’s wrong. Why would you even say that?”

“Um…maybe because you’re acting like a complete tool. You’re making it seem like you don’t want me at the game tonight and I want to know why.”

“You’re imagining things, Anna. That’s not it at all. I’m just… I guess my head’s just not in the game, that’s all. These restorations are harder than I thought. Maybe I shouldn’t play.”

Yeah, her suspicions were almost blinding her now. “Don’t be ridiculous. You’ve never missed a game no matter what was going on in your life.” She reached for her duffel bag and slung it over her shoulder. “Come on. Let’s get going or we’ll be late.”

“I left my mitt at home. Why don’t you go ahead and I’ll meet you there?” he suggested.

Anna wanted to argue but found she couldn’t. All she could do was sigh. “Just make sure you’re there in time for the first pitch,” she said wearily and walked out the door. Quinn followed silently behind her.

He gave her a distracted kiss on the cheek.

And he didn’t respond to her statement.

Anna sat in her car and watched him drive away, wondering what in the world she was going to do. There was a time when they’d told each other everything—even if it wasn’t comfortable. But for some reason, Quinn was keeping this to himself. It was obvious he was uncomfortable with the game tonight, and she couldn’t understand why. Did he think she was going to demand sex in front of everyone?