Dinner had been strange yet ordinary at the same time. They’d sat down like a family, but watching Mike and Quinn floundering for common ground had been excruciating. No amount of cajoling by Liz had smoothed the path. No, only time and grace would help these two work things out. Mike took tentative steps during the meal, making feeble offerings of a skinny olive branch, while Quinn dug in with a surliness that made Sarah flinch at times. While he might argue he was looking out for his mom, Sarah suspected the reasons were more complicated. Vulnerable, wounded Quinn was striking out like an injured bear. And how would throwing Ronan into the mix change the dynamic?
Quinn continually shot her concerned glances, and she responded with reassuring smiles. He didn’t need to add worrying about her onto his heap. So she tried her damnedest to project a calm exterior while inside she still quaked like an aspen leaf in a howling wind.
He must have seen through her flimsy facade because when they were alone, he tipped her chin up so she looked at him. “I’d guess by the dark circles under your eyes that you’re exhausted, Sunshine. We need to put you to bed.”
Yeah, he was right. She’d been too bone-weary to change into a suit when Liz had invited her to soak in the hot tub with her and Mike. She was almost too bone-weary to go to bed—or maybe she was reluctant because tonight of all nights she didn’t want to sleep without Quinn’s arms wrapped around her. Had she been able, she’d have crawled into them already and snuggled there for the duration.
“Am I going there alone?” She managed a light, almost playful tone.
“Afraid so to start, babe. Until I can get rid of the PUs—”
“PUs?”
“Parental units?” He kissed the tip of her nose. “You’ve never heard that one?”
“Can’t say as I have. Maybe because I only had the one.”
“That reminds me. Have you told your mom about today?”
Sarah’s eyes widened. “Hell no! That would mean telling her the whole sordid story. I’d be handing her ammunition—”
“You never told her about Wolf?” His voice rose with disbelief.
She shook her head. “I only told Gage.”
Quinn chewed on his bottom lip.
“What’s zooming through that brain of yours, Sparky?”
His eyes lasered in on hers. “Just wondering if you’ll ever tell your mom about me.”
She opened her mouth, but nothing came out. Her brain was in flux, thoughts cascading in a torrent, rendering her speechless.
He rubbed his forehead, and his mouth turned down as though melancholy tugged at it. “I’m guessing not, by the look on your face.” A pause and a head shake. “Forget I said anything. Besides, we have to be practical. Telling your mom would mean telling your brother too.” He let out an extended, lung-emptying sigh that plucked her heartstrings.
When she climbed into her own empty bed, she was more confused than ever. A solid night’s sleep. That’s what she needed, and she’d sort out the meaning behind Quinn’s words and her tangled feelings with fresh brain power. Liz had promised to let Archer into Sarah’s room on her way to bed, and Sarah drifted off.
Sometime later, she woke when the door opened and Archer padded in. Consciousness winked on just enough to remind her she’d fallen asleep troubled, that she had questions to resolve. With a grumble, she settled back into her pillows, chasing oblivion. A rustle of clothes, and the covers were lifted. As alarms began sounding in her head, a familiar scent she loved and the big body it belonged to slid against her back. Strong arms banded around her, pulling her close. Quinn’s warm breath ruffled her hair.
“What about your mom?” she whispered in the dark.
“Don’t care,” he whispered back. “I need to hold you.”
A long, contented sigh escaped her, and she relaxed in the warm cradle of his arms. A thought rocketed to the surface, where it bobbed. “Wolf must have thrown the rock,” she mumbled.
“Mmm … but the cops said he wasn’t in town then. Plus, he didn’t know anything about me or where I live.”
That’s true. But she wanted the whole mess tied up with a neat little bow so she could descend into untroubled sleep. “Kids.”
“Or the wind,” Quinn agreed in a voice thick with fatigue.
When she next stirred, light seeped through the windows and Archer whimpered softly to go out. She slid from Quinn’s hold, let Archer out, and hit the bathroom. Quinn’s hulking frame had barely moved when she slipped back under the covers and faced him. Eyes shut, a dozy half-smile on his face, he wordlessly encircled her and drew her against him. Heavy and hard, his shaft pressed against her abdomen.
“Someone’s happy to see me,” she purred.
He hummed his agreement.
She dropped her hand between them, and her fingertips traced the head cresting the waistband of his boxers. He let out a growl, and she slipped her hand inside, wrapped it around his thick length, and began a slow, sensual pumping.
The growl became a long, low groan.
“Do you want me to stop?” she whispered.
“Fuck no,” he muttered.
A knock sounded on her door, followed by Liz’s voice. “Sarah? You awake, doll?”
Another groan, and Quinn flopped onto his back. “Great timing, Mom,” he grumbled under his breath.
“Just getting up, Liz,” Sarah called, trying not to giggle. “Be out in a minute.”
“Okay. I’ll make some coffee.”
Quinn blinked at the ceiling, then turned his head to Sarah with a devilish smile. “Morning, Sunshine. How’d you sleep?”
She propped up on an elbow and leaned her head into her palm. “Much better after someone climbed into my bed.”
His look turned tender, and he ran the back of his hand along the side of her face. “Me too. I didn’t like you being so far away.”
“A little risky with your mom
