“Yeah. Why not? It’s your first night in Ireland. I think I should try to make it memorable.”
“All right. It’s a date,” she said.
Riley grinned. Now all he had to do was convince Danny to work at the pub tonight-and if things went well, for the next ten days.
“NOW, LET THE CLUTCH out very slowly and at the same time, give it a bit of…I think you’d call it gas.”
Nan focused on Riley’s instructions. She’d been behind the wheel for nearly a half hour and managed to drive no more than five or ten yards at best, and that was on a completely flat road. “All right. Slowly. Slowly,” she said. The car stopped with a jerk, the engine dying. “And I’m going to ruin your car in the process. This can’t be good for it.” She turned to Riley. “Are there no cars in Ireland with an automatic transmission?”
“Of course there are. I just don’t happen to own one. So this car will have to do, unless you plan to see Ireland by bicycle or on foot.”
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.
