The Mighty Quinns: Jack (5 page)

The highway twisted and turned, past residential areas and then leading into thick, dark forests. Jack kept his attention on the road, watching for sudden switchbacks and sharp curves. He suspected they were heading toward the coast and when he spotted signs for Muir Beach, he decided to pull off the road and into a parking lot.

He turned off the car and faced her. She seemed lost in her thoughts and he wasn’t sure whether he ought to interrupt. But then she turned to him suddenly. “What do you think of the notion of friends with benefits?”

Jack gasped softly. “Is that what you think is going on with your father and my—”

“No!” She drew a deep breath. “No. I was talking about us.” Mia frowned. “You do know what I’m talking about, don’t you?”

Jack held up his hand. “Yes. I know exactly what you’re talking about.” The twist in the conversation was completely unexpected. Hell, he’d been great at handling the hairpin turns on the road, but now, he wasn’t quite sure what to say. “Are we friends?”

“More like acquaintances. But I think we could be friends, given a little more time.”

“I agree,” he said. “So, why do you think this would work?”

Mia drew a deep breath, then reached out and grabbed his hand. She placed it on her chest. “Can you feel that?”

“Your heart?”

She nodded. “Feel how fast it’s beating? I can hardly catch my breath sometimes. And my brain is all mixed up.” Mia paused. “I haven’t felt like this in three years. In fact, I really haven’t felt anything in three years. I’ve made myself numb just to avoid feeling sad. And now, for the first time in a long time, I’m not numb anymore.”

He reached out and smoothed his hand over her cheek. “That’s good.”

Mia nodded. “Yes. And you have to admit, there is an attraction. I mean, I wasn’t sure, but then you kissed me. There is an attraction, isn’t there?”

“Oh, yes,” Jack replied.

“Then we should act on it.”

“Right now?”

“Not immediately. But soon. You are going home in a few days.”

He watched her face, searching for some clue to her feelings. But it was difficult to see much in the feeble light from the parking lot. “Come on. Let’s take a walk.”

He jumped out of the car and then circled around to open her door. Jack held out his hand and she placed her fingers in his. “This way,” she said. “There’s a walk to the overlook.”

A light mist hung in the air and Jack pulled her close to him to protect her against the chill in the air. “So, you really think this is going to work?” he asked. “No strings, no expectations?”

“I think it could,” she said. She turned to face him, grabbing the front of his shirt. “Kiss me again.”

Jack took her face between his hands. He knew it would have to be good, something that would soothe her doubts and insecurities. He bent close and touched his lips to hers. The moment they made contact, he felt his blood turn to fire in his veins.

A tiny sigh slipped from her lips as she wrapped her arms around his neck and he pulled her tight against his body. Every fantasy he’d had about touching her was instantly brought to life. She was warm and soft and Jack smoothed his hands over her hips.

There was no doubt in his mind that they’d be good together. Better than good, he suspected. Jack’s mouth molded to hers and the kiss deepened, the taste of her like some exotic nectar. Her body trembled beneath his touch and he drew back. “Are you cold?”

She shook her head. “No.” Mia grabbed his hand and drew him along the walkway, the fog growing thicker around them until he could barely see her beside him. He could hear her footsteps, feel her hand in his, but he was almost blind. And then, she stopped.

Jack felt her hands moving over his body and he leaned into her warmth. Without the benefit of sight, his other senses seemed more acute. He could hear every breath she took as well as the sound of his heart beating inside his own chest. In the distance, waves crashed against rocks—or was that the blood rushing through his veins?

Jack pressed her back against the railing and then yanked her hips against his. He was already hard, the need growing more intense with every moment that passed. There wasn’t much they could do, standing out on the edge of some invisible cliff. And yet, each caress was impossibly erotic, driving him to the limits of his desire.

He ran his hand beneath her shirt, splaying his fingers against the warm flesh at the small of her back. The longer they stood in the swirling fog, the colder it seemed to get and when he heard her teeth chatter, he picked her up and hugged her body to his.

“Let’s go back to the car,” he murmured. He took her hand and they hurried along the walkway, using the rail to guide them through the dark. When they reached the Mini Cooper, they put the top up and then got inside, Jack behind the wheel. He started the car and turned on the heater, then fiddled with the radio until he found a station with soft jazz music.

“Better?” he asked.

Mia held her hands up to the heat. “Much better,” she said. “This is spring in San Francisco.”

“We don’t drive in fog like this in the midwest,” Jack said, peering out the window.

“Oh, don’t worry. It disappears as quickly as it rolls in. Just wait a bit and it will be gone.”

“What are we going to do until then?” Jack asked.

“What everyone else does in the fog,” she said. Mia twisted in her seat, then crawled over the console, settling herself on Jack’s lap. He reached down for the lever on the seat and it slid back.

“Try the other one,” she murmured, her body settling against his as she straddled his hips.

He found it and the seat back released until he was nearly lying down beneath her. “That’s convenient,” he said with a chuckle. “Now what?”

“I think it’s time for those benefits,” she murmured. Mia reached down for the hem of her shirt. Not bothering with the buttons on the crisp cotton blouse, she pulled it over her head. The lights in the parking lot offered a hazy illumination and he could make out a lacy scrap of a bra in a pale color.

Jack let out a tightly held breath, then reached up to smooth his hand over her breast. A tiny moan slipped from her throat as he rubbed his thumb across her nipple. A few hours ago, he’d been wondering how he might make this happen. And now, it was happening with very little effort at all....

He couldn’t help but wonder what was going through her mind. From what he’d been able to glean, she’d never really gotten over her mother’s death. Even after three years, she seemed to be...fragile, and vulnerable. Was this really what she wanted or was she, as she admitted, just grasping for something to make her feel anything?

Mia’s fingers tangled in his hair and she bent close and kissed him, her tongue teasing at his. She was perfect, he mused. Exactly what he needed at the moment. With a facile touch, he twisted his fingers through her bra strap and drew it down over her shoulder. Jack cupped her warm flesh in his palm, slowly bringing her nipple to a peak through the silky fabric. And when it was hard, Jack leaned forward and pulled the bra aside.

His lips found her nipple and he teased at it with his tongue. It had been a while since he’d enjoyed any intimacies with a woman. After Melanie, there’d been a few one-night stands, but nothing worth remembering. Yet, here he was, indulging again in no-strings sex. But it didn’t feel that way. There was some strange connection between the two of them, as if they weren’t really strangers at all.

Mia reached for the buttons of his shirt and worked at them until she reached his lap. She parted the crisp fabric, exposing his naked chest. Then, with a soft sigh, she stretched out on top of him. Suddenly, he felt her stiffen.

“Ow,” she said, wincing. “Ow, ow. Cramp.”

She tried to roll off of him, but got caught against the gearshift. A curse burst from her lips and when she could move again, she crawled over him and tumbled into the backseat. Stretching her leg above her, she rubbed her calf.

Jack twisted in his seat and watched her. “Maybe we should take this elsewhere?”

She glanced over at him, then began to laugh. “Come back here,” Mia said, holding out her hand.

“I’m not sure that’s physically possible. This car is better suited for a family of gnomes.”

“Oh, but it’s so easy to park in the city,” she said.

“It is not physically possible for me to occupy the same space as you.”

Mia sighed dramatically. “So what are we going to do?” she asked. She reached for her boots and tugged them off her feet, then tossed them on the floor along with her socks.

Jack held his breath as she made her way back to the front seat. Hell, he didn’t know what was going to happen next. But he was pretty sure she was ready to enjoy it.

* * *

M
IA
SLIPPED
HER
FINGERS
through his hair and pulled Jack into another kiss, curling up on his lap, her body wedged against the steering wheel. She’d expected to be nervous. After all, it had been almost a year since she’d made love to a man. She couldn’t remember much about that night, only that it hadn’t been what she was looking for.

But this was different. There was warmth and sweetness here with Jack, an attraction that couldn’t be denied. When he touched her, she shivered and burned at the same time, her body aching for more. It would be all right. He would make it all right.

The windows in the car had steamed up and the heat was warm on her bare skin. It was impossible to do much in such a confined space, but that didn’t keep Jack from exploring her body. His hand skimmed over her naked skin, tracing a path from her shoulder to her breast and then lower, the caress leaving a warm imprint.

“What do you want?” he whispered, his breath warm against her ear.

“I’m not sure what I want would be possible in this car,” she said. “Although it might be fun trying. Maybe I should have bought a Prius. They’re much roomier.”

His fingers found the button on the front of her jeans. He flipped it open, then slowly drew the zipper down. “Let’s see what we can do, shall we?”

Mia smiled as he slid his hand lower, moving toward the moist spot between her legs. She shifted, allowing him to touch her freely against the tight jeans.

It was such an intimate act and she felt completely vulnerable to him, but Mia didn’t care. He was taking her exactly where she wanted to go and she didn’t want to stop. She felt free and alive, as if the dark cloud hanging over her had suddenly burst into a warm shower.

His mouth found hers, catching her in a deep and powerful kiss. She arched against him and his fingers moved closer. Mia stretched her leg out, pressing her foot against the passenger-side window. It was just enough to bring another cramp in her calf and Mia cried out.

His kiss grew more passionate and Mia realized that he thought she was in the midst of an orgasm. “Cramp,” she cried.

“What?” he said, drawing back.

“Another cramp. Ow. Oh, this one is bad. Damn it’s in my foot now.” She looked down at her bare foot to see her toes curl. A giggle slipped from her lips. He’d made her toes curl.

“Does this always happen when you get...excited?”

Her eyes began to water from the pain and she tried to stretch her leg, but the car was just too small to move. “No. It just happens when I take a 5-mile morning run that’s mostly uphill and then forget to stretch in the afternoon.” She gasped. “I think I’m going to die here.”

Jack opened the door and slid out of the car. A few moments later, he opened the passenger side and sat down, pulling her legs onto his lap. “Which one?”

“Left,” she said. “Foot.”

He began to massage her foot, kneading the arch with his thumbs, then moving to her ankle and then her calf. The interior of the car was warm and cozy against the chill outside. It was as if they were in their own little world. Nothing existed outside of the two of them.

Mia closed her eyes and leaned back against the door. “That feels so good.”

“I always eat bananas,” he murmured.

She opened her eyes, laughing. “What?”

“To prevent cramps. I think it’s the potassium.”

“Electrolytes,” she said. “Do you run?”

“Only if someone is chasing me,” he said, chuckling. “No, I usually try to get in five miles three or four times a week.”

“And what else do you do to get that body?” she asked, pressing her other foot against his naked chest. She wanted—no, needed—to know more about him. Maybe then she’d understand this undeniable attraction. Was this simply physical? Or was there more to it?

“I play a little basketball with the guys at the office.”

“Tell me about your office,” she said.

He observed her for a long moment, still gently rubbing her foot. “Why the questions?”

“Conversation is about all we have right now. My body is telling me we should slow down a little.”

“Your body is telling you this car is too small for any kind of fun,” he countered.

Mia paused and watched him. “Usually I know someone a little better before we...you know...”

“Do it?” he asked.

“Yes. It’s just a little strange.”

“What do you want to know? Ask me anything.”

“You said you’d been in love a few times. What about the last time? What was she like?” Usually, Mia wasn’t so bold, but this wasn’t an ordinary relationship. It was kind of like guerrilla seduction. There were no rules, nothing was out of bounds.

“She’s really nice,” he said. “We’re still friends. We were together for six years.”

Mia gasped. “Six years? That’s a long time. Why so long?”

“It didn’t seem like a long time,” Jack said. He glanced up from her foot. “Oh, you’re asking why we didn’t get married?”

“It’s a valid question, don’t you think?”

Jack shrugged. “That was my fault. It just never felt like the right time. Or maybe, the right time for me. She wanted to get married. I was ambivalent.”

“Why do you think that was?”

He grabbed her foot and pressed a kiss into her instep. “Maybe we should get back to those benefits we were enjoying. You don’t want to hear all my sad stories.”

“Maybe it was because you didn’t want to love someone and lose them again? Like you lost your father?”