'I know. It's too large for just one person. But the house was in the family, I grew up here, and Uncle Sinclair refuses to let me sell it, so I live here.' Silence descended over them. 'I guess this is it,' Laurel murmured.
'I'll walk you inside,' Sean offered. He pushed open his door and circled around the back of the limo, reaching Laurel just in time to help her out of the car. They walked hand in hand to the front door, her wide skirts rustling on the cobblestone driveway.
Laurel punched in the security code and the door automatically unlocked. She turned to him. 'I guess this is it,' she murmured.
'Not quite,' Sean said. In one quick movement he reached down and scooped her up into his arms, then kicked the door open with his foot.
'What are you doing?' Laurel cried.
'Finishing the job,' Sean muttered. He stepped inside the darkened house, then closed the door behind them.
'You don't have to maintain the charade for the limo driver. He doesn't work for the family. I don't think he's going to say anything.'
If she thought he was playing a part for the driver, then she was sorely mistaken, Sean mused. He had just managed to come up with an excuse to touch her again and had taken action. Slowly, Sean set her back on her feet, but he let his hands rest on her waist.
He struggled with a sudden impulse, and lost. Throwing all caution to the wind, he kissed her, long and hard and deep. He needed to experience the taste and feel of her lips on his this one last time. Only then could he walk away.
What was it about Laurel Rand that he found so… comfortable? He'd fumbled with conversation for a moment in the limo, but the whole afternoon and evening he'd felt relaxed and easy with her. With other women, he'd always been on edge, unsure of what they wanted from him, suspicious of their motives. The deal he'd struck with Laurel had given him license to enjoy her without the usual games that came with romancing a woman. The instant he'd first touched her, and then when he'd kissed her, he hadn't been forced to think about what to do next. He'd just enjoyed the sensation.
Sean pulled back, but Laurel wrapped her arms around his neck and refused to let go. Slowly he backed her against the wall until her body was trapped against his. He pressed his hips into hers, surprised to find himself growing hard with desire. Where was his self-control? Why was it so simple to want her?
All those old tales of the Mighty Quinns raced through his brain but did nothing to stop him. His hands drifted up her rib cage at the same time his mouth traced a path down to her bare shoulder. If this had been a real wedding night, they'd be making love on the foyer floor before the hour was out. But they were not much more than strangers and this was a stolen moment.
'You should go,' Laurel murmured as she furrowed her fingers through his hair.
'I should.' He pressed his lips into the curve of her neck.
'We're going to be sorry if we let this go any further.'
'We will,' he replied.
She inhaled a ragged breath, then pressed her palms against his chest. 'You're right.'
Sean stared down into her eyes. 'Sometimes I'm wrong.' All she had to do was to give him the slightest sign and he'd carry her to the nearest bedroom. But he saw only indecision in her eyes. Why make this more complicated? He'd completed his end of their bargain and now it was time to walk away. Besides, he knew he was more suited to be her temporary bridegroom than her permanent lover. It was obvious that Laurel Rand was the marrying type-and he wasn't.
'It was nice being married to you,' she whispered with a weak smile. 'Thank you for helping me out.'
'And thank you for the ten thousand,' Sean said. He reached up and ran his fingertips along her cheek. 'Have a good time on your honeymoon. I hope you find another husband-a
Laurel nodded and Sean stepped toward the door. But the sound of her voice made him turn around. 'Would you like to-' She paused.
'Would I like to what?'
A tiny frown furrowed her brow and then she shook her head. 'Never mind. It was a silly idea. Goodbye, Sean Quinn.'
'Goodbye, Laurel Rand.'
Quinn's Pub was crowded and noisy when Sean walked in. Saturday nights were always the busiest and now that Quinn's had been written up in a tourist guide as 'authentically Irish,' business had been booming. Sean hoped he'd find at least one brother in the bar, though with five of the six Quinn brothers now married or engaged, the odds weren't as good as they used to be.
Sean hadn't bothered to go home to change after he'd picked up his car at the church. On the ride over he'd been more preoccupied with thoughts of his short and very sweet 'marriage' to Laurel Rand than his choice of wardrobe. There was a spot at the bar between two eager ladies and they smiled at him when he entered. Since the other brothers were off the market, the target on his back had grown much bigger. There was only one Quinn left and the girls who frequented the pub considered him the ultimate challenge.
But there was only one woman who occupied his thoughts tonight-his 'bride,' Laurel Rand. He strolled through the pub and was surprised to see his twin brother, Brian, behind the bar. His fiancee, Lily Gallagher, sat on a stool, deep in conversation with Brian. The three of them had lived together until the end of August when the newly engaged couple had found a new apartment.
A quick scan found Dylan and Meggie in the rear of the pub, playing pool. Lily saw Sean first and her expression was welcoming, but when Brian turned, he let out an astonished gasp. 'What the hell are you wearing?' his brother asked.
'A tuxedo,' Sean replied, sliding onto the stool beside Lily.
'I know it's a tuxedo,
'You're not the only one who can wear one of these things. I can be sophisticated.'
'So what can I get you, Mr. Bond? A martini, shaken not stirred?'
'Give me a Guinness,' Sean said. 'And some duct tape for your mouth.'
Brian chuckled as he grabbed a pint glass and wandered over to the Guinness tap. Sean slipped out of his jacket, then draped it over the bar. He withdrew a folded paper from the breast pocket and unfolded the agreement that Laurel had written out, his gaze dropping to the delicate scrawl of her signature. Suddenly the paper was snatched from his fingers.
'What's this?' Brian asked.
'Give me that,' Sean said, standing to reach out across the bar.
'Brian, give it back,' Lily insisted.
But his brother danced away. 'Does this have to do with why you're dressed in that tux?' He stared down at the paper and began to read it out loud. ''I, Laurel Rand, promise to pay you, Sean Quinn, the sum of-' Holy shit. Ten thousand dollars?'
With a low curse, Sean braced his hands on the bar and jumped over it. He retrieved the paper from Brian's hand, then grabbed him by the front of his shirt. It had been like this their whole lives, the best of friends and then, a moment later, the worst of enemies. Maybe that's what twins were all about. 'Stay out of my business,' Sean said.
'What the hell is goin' on here?' Seamus demanded, wandering over to observe the commotion.
'Your sons are about to come to blows,' Lily said. 'And I'm going to play pool with Dylan and Meggie before I get stuck in the middle.' With a little wave, she headed to the back.
Seamus turned to Sean. 'Get out from behind my bar. People will mistake this pub for some hoity-toity place if they catch a look at you.'
Brian clapped Sean on the shoulder. 'I didn't mean to get into your business.'
'Yes, you did,' Sean said.
'So why did you get all dressed up?'
