The Mighty Quinns: Ronan (25 page)

“What have I done?” she whispered.

Marcus smiled. “At least it’s not green anymore.”

* * *

M
ARCUS
AWOKE
SLOWLY
,
his limbs twisted in the sheets and his face buried in his pillow. Without opening his eyes, he reached out for Eden. But her half of his mattress was empty. He sat up and peered through the curtains of sail that hid the bed, but the loft was empty.

With a low curse, Marcus crawled out of bed and grabbed his jeans from the floor, then tugged them on. He glanced in the bathroom as he passed, then crossed the loft to the windows that overlooked the workroom. But as he turned, he noticed Eden sitting at his desk tucked in the corner, her gaze fixed on his computer screen.

He silently came up behind her and placed his hands on her arms. She jumped in surprise, glancing over her shoulder at him. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want to wake you.”

“It’s nearly midnight. Come back to bed.”

“In a few minutes,” she said.

“What are you doing?”

For a long moment she didn’t speak. “Finding out where I’ve been and what I’ve been doing.”

“What?”

“It’s been reported that I’ve entered drug rehab in Arizona. There’s another report that I’ve suffered a nervous breakdown and I’m staying at a spa in Switzerland. And then there’s the story that I’ve been kidnapped and my father is desperately trying to arrange a ransom.”

Marcus squatted down beside her and grabbed hold of her hand, twisting his fingers through hers. “But none of that is true.”

“They’re not going to leave me alone,” Eden said. “If anything, it’s going to get worse. I was stupid to think people would forget if I just disappeared for a while.” She pointed to the computer screen. “But the speculation is always going to be there. It’s never going away.”

“But it will stop eventually,” Marcus said. “Sooner or later don’t you think they’ll stop searching, stop speculating?”

She shrugged, then clicked on to another screen. “For nine ninety-five we can watch a clip from my video. Would you like to see it?” Her voice was cold and flat.

Marcus frowned at the sudden shift in her mood. “No, not really.”

She turned on him, and he saw a flicker of anger in her eyes. “Why not? Aren’t you curious? Every other man in the world is. Ah, but you got the real thing, didn’t you?”

“Eden, I don’t—”

“Maybe you should sell your story. I’m sure there’d be money in it for you.”

“Are you deliberately trying to provoke me?” Marcus asked.

She jumped out of the chair and pushed past him, pacing along the length of windows that overlooked the workshop. Marcus watched her for a long moment, noting the tension in her shoulders. He suspected this wasn’t really about the video, yet he wasn’t sure what to make of it. They’d just spent the most incredible night together and she—

Marcus drew a sharp breath. Did she regret what they’d done? They’d both been so cautious in taking that final step. And now that they had, there was no going back. There was something happening between them and they couldn’t deny it any longer.

He crossed to Eden and grabbed her arm, pulling her around to face him. “If you think I have anything in common with that guy on the video or any other guy you’ve been with, you’re wrong. Don’t blame me for your past, Eden. And don’t be so quick to count me as part of it.”

“Sooner or later
you’ll
blame me for my past, won’t you?”

Marcus shook his head. “Why would I do that?”

“You don’t think you will, but just wait. Here, let me show you who I really am. All we need is a credit card. Do you have a credit card?”

“Stop it,” Marcus muttered.

“No, we’ve always been honest with each other. Why not look at it? We can enjoy it together, as so many others will.”

Frustrated, Marcus decided to call her bluff. If she wanted a fight, he knew that watching the video would easily put him in the mood. “All right. Why not? I’ll go get a credit card.” He gently set her aside, then crossed the room to his dresser. His wallet was where he’d left it earlier, and he picked it up and tossed it at her. “Go for it.”

Marcus watched the emotions play across her face. He wanted to pull her into his arms and kiss the fears out of her. He wasn’t sure what had caused the upset, but Marcus sensed that she was doing her best to put distance between them.

Maybe it hadn’t been a good idea to make love to Eden. Though she kept her emotions under control, when she did show them, they were raw with confusion. But resisting Eden and the pleasures her body promised had become an overwhelming task, and he wasn’t superhuman. There wasn’t a moment in the day when he didn’t want to touch her or kiss her. But falling in love with Eden would be a disaster in the making.

Marcus had never been in love, of that he was certain. There had been women in his life who’d kept him interested for a short time, but in the end he’d stepped back, unwilling to put his heart at risk.

Maybe Eden felt the same as he did. They could go so far, enjoying each other’s bodies without sacrificing their hearts and souls. But Marcus already sensed that they were wandering into dangerous territory now, unfamiliar to them both.

Marcus slowly crossed the room, then took his wallet from her stiff fingers. “You’re the one who wants a fresh start,” he murmured. “If that’s true, then forget the mistakes you made in the past. Walk away, Eden. Start your life now. Tell me what you want to do and I’ll help you.”

Eden drew a ragged breath and nodded. Then, her bravado crumpling, she wrapped her arms around his neck. Marcus scooped her up and carried her back to the bed. He lay down beside her and pulled her body into the curve of his, nestling her backside into his lap.

“Do you want to change your life?” he murmured, his chin resting on her shoulder.

“I’m not sure I have much choice.”

“You do. You can leave here today, hop a plane, and be back where you came from by tomorrow evening.”

“I can’t,” she said. “I want to stay here with you.”

“Then stay,” Marcus said, “and stop looking back.”

“We can’t hide out here forever,” she said. “Sooner or later we both have to go out into the real world again.”

Marcus nodded. “I know.” He realized that by pushing her to find a new life, he might just lose her for good. Why not allow himself this chance to get close? To finally see what it would be like to let a woman inside his life? He and Eden were similar in one way—their unhappy childhoods had molded them into cynical, wary adults. But at least Eden had searched for something more. She believed she could fall in love. Marcus had never truly believed it could happen for him. And even with Eden wrapped in his arms he still couldn’t make himself believe it.

“Sooner or later they’ll find me,” she said.

“I know,” Marcus replied.

“And if you’re with me, you’ll get caught up in it, too. Promise me that you won’t hate me.”

He kissed the spot beneath her ear. “I could never hate you.”

“I have to call them. My parents,” she murmured. “And I will, I promise. But before I do, I just need to know that I can do this on my own. That I can start again.” She laughed softly. “Where am I going to live? What kind of job will I get? What if I can’t do this?”

She rolled over and faced him, her eyes filled with doubt. His fingers came up to stroke her cheek. “You can stay here with me for as long as you want. I’ll help you.”

Marcus kissed her, gently parting her lips with his tongue. For now, she belonged with him. He needed to keep her close, to grasp at that tenuous connection they’d found with each other.

It wasn’t just desire driving him anymore. And though the physical release was intense, there was something more to it, something he wanted to hold on to. Marcus searched his mind for an explanation of what he’d found, but there were no words. It was more than satisfaction or release. Was it contentment?

Eden reached down between them and slowly unbuttoned his jeans. By the time she worked the zipper open, he was already growing hard with anticipation. And when she wrapped her fingers around him, Marcus closed his eyes and surrendered to her touch. He’d worry about all the complications later.

6

S
HE
SEDUCED
HIM
AGAIN
in the middle of the night, waking him with her caress. Half-asleep, Marcus had thought he was dreaming at first, but as he’d drifted toward consciousness he’d felt the heat of real desire pounding through his veins.

The clothes they’d worn to bed had easily been discarded, and in the darkness he’d explored her body by touch. When she’d climbed on top of him and taken him inside her, Marcus had found himself instantly aware of every movement she made and the effect it had on him. Caught in a dreamy half sleep, his body had responded instantly, attuned to every sensation. She had rocked above him, slowly at first, in complete control of herself and his responses. Blind to the beauty of her body, Marcus closed his eyes and let his imagination take over.

She’d climaxed without him even touching her, her orgasm quiet but intense. And the moment he’d felt her spasm, Marcus had joined her. When he’d finished, Eden had curled up beside him and fallen asleep as if nothing had happened.

Marcus turned his head and gazed at her in the early morning light, her face resting on the edge of his pillow, her fingertips nearly touching his face. Their encounter in the shower had been based on raw and very mutual need. But Eden’s silent seduction had been different.

As if awakening from a bad dream, she’d found some sort of comfort in his body and her power over it. When he’d tried to touch her, she’d simply linked her fingers through his and pinned his hands above his shoulders, interested only in physical release and nothing more.

He reached out and took a strand of her hair between his fingers. It was darker than it had been, now a warm shade of honey. Curls surrounded her face, making her look much younger than she actually was. Marcus wondered at the contrasts—the sweet, vulnerable girl and the determined seductress.

He liked both in his bed. With others, he’d always preferred to sleep away from home, making it easier to leave when he felt the need. But he wanted to keep Eden close.

The sound of Marcus’s cell phone echoed in the loft, and he carefully rolled out of bed and grabbed his jeans from the floor, finding the phone in his pocket. He flipped it open and recognized Dec’s cell number on the caller ID. Marcus paused, wondering if he ought to answer it.

He finally pushed the button as he walked across the loft to the bathroom. “Hey,” he murmured. “What’s up?”

“I’m downstairs,” Declan said. “Do you have coffee?”

Marcus stared at his reflection in the mirror, rubbing his palm over the stubble on his jaw. “No, we’ll have to go out. I’ll be right down.”

He quickly grabbed his jeans and pulled them on, then shrugged into a T-shirt. His deck shoes were at the door, and he slipped into them before crossing back to the bed. Bending over Eden, he kissed her forehead. Her eyes fluttered open and she smiled up at him. “I have to go out for a bit. I’ll bring back breakfast,” he said.

“Don’t leave,” Eden murmured, wrapping her arms around his neck. “Stay here with me.”

Marcus groaned as he tangled his fingers through Eden’s tousled hair. He kissed her again. “I have to go. Dec is downstairs waiting. If I don’t show, he’ll come looking for me and he’ll find you.”

Eden’s smile brightened. “Invite him up. We can all climb back into bed.”

Marcus growled playfully. “I don’t think that would be a good idea.”

“Then take me with you. I’d like to meet your brother.”

“Not today,” Marcus said, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “I’ll be back soon. Promise.”

Eden slowly let her hand drift down his chest, then hooked her fingers in the waistband of his jeans. “Don’t keep me waiting.”

When Marcus got downstairs, he found Dec perched on the hood of his BMW, dressed in khakis and a starched blue oxford. He slid to his feet as Marcus approached, holding up a bakery bag. “How did you know I was here?” Marcus asked.

“I took Ma to early mass and I saw your truck,” Dec said. “I brought breakfast.”

“Let’s go out,” Marcus replied. “I need something more substantial than that.”

Dec shrugged, then nodded toward his car. When they were inside, he glanced over at Marcus. “What’s up with you?”

“What do you mean?” Marcus asked.

A frown furrowed Dec’s forehead. “I don’t know. You just look…odd.”

Marcus raked his hands through his hair. “Thanks.”

“I thought you were staying out on Ross’s boat.”

“I figured it would be easier to finish up the smaller pieces here. More room and better equipment.”

Dec studied him for a long time before starting the car. He looked both ways before pulling out onto the street, then headed for their favorite diner on the main street of Bonnett Harbor, only three blocks away. “I got a call last night from Ian’s dispatcher. Eden Ross was spotted over at the Sandpiper Motel. A couple of tabloid photographers got a tip from the night manager and they staked out her room.”

“So what did she have to say?” Marcus asked, trying to appear as indifferent as possible.

“I didn’t talk to her. She managed to slip out without anyone seeing her. But the photographers mentioned there was a man with her and he was driving a pickup. Ian has her voice on 911 calling in the photographers as car thieves. That’s how she created the diversion.”

Marcus nodded. “Interesting. So where do you think she is now?”

“She can’t be far,” Dec said. “She had her father’s Mercedes and left it behind.” He paused. “She must have gone home at some point to get the car, and we missed her.”

We. Somehow Dec had assumed that Marcus was part of the “team.” And for a fleeting instant Marcus thought about telling his brother the truth. In his opinion, Eden needed to talk to her father and ease Trevor Ross’s mind regarding her whereabouts. The longer she stayed under the radar, the more difficult it would be to explain to everyone involved why she’d waited so long. Hell, Marcus had given up any hope that Trevor Ross would invest in his business now. He’d cut his losses. In truth, he much preferred to take Eden’s side in the matter.

But that wouldn’t square him with his brothers. In their eyes, family loyalty came first, far ahead of any passing affections he might have for a woman. Dec and Ian both had a job to do, and he’d stood in their way.

Even if he wanted to come clean, how the hell was he supposed to explain himself? Had he become so enamored that he’d lost the ability to think for himself? Marcus had to admit that Eden Ross was pretty persuasive, especially when she turned on the sex appeal. And Marcus had never been good at reading a woman’s true intentions. He’d been drawn in before he realized what was happening.

“What are you going to do?” Marcus asked.

“Ross is sending a security detail over to the house to watch for her. Ian put out an APB on her after she called in that false emergency. And I’ve got a new assignment from Ross.”

“What is it?” Marcus asked.

Dec pulled the car into the parking lot of the diner and switched the ignition off. “Nothing you’d find interesting.”

Marcus watched a subtle shift in his brother’s expression and recognized the signs. Ian and Dec had always kept secrets from him when he was younger, but Marcus had devised an easy way to recognize a lie. Dec tried too hard to look indifferent, and Ian hid his lies with elaborate distractions. Considering that every emotion Declan felt could be seen in his face, Marcus could tell he was lying now.

“Would you like to tell me about her?” Marcus asked, grateful to find a way to deflect attention from his own lies.

Dec sighed. “She’s nothing special, certainly not enough to tempt me.”

“Be careful,” Marcus warned. “You’ve got money riding on this.”

Dec laughed sharply. “I’ve got money riding on Eden Ross, too. And there’s no way I’m going to lose on either one of those deals.”

Maybe Dec already had, he mused as he stepped out of the car. Eden was safely hidden in Marcus’s loft. And if Dec’s mystery lady was anything like Eden, then Dec didn’t stand a chance with her either. In truth, the agreement they’d made and the money they’d put down made it all the more difficult to remain celibate. Given the choice, he’d take Eden over the money any day.

When they walked into the diner, they found Ian enjoying a cup of coffee at the counter, dressed in his uniform. He happily joined them at a booth along the front windows. Alice, their favorite waitress, dropped three menus on the table and filled their coffee cups.

Ian glanced over at Marcus and frowned. “What’s wrong with you?”

“See, I asked the same thing,” Dec said.

“Nothing,” Marcus said. “I’m tired. I’ve been working late. I’m hungry. Is that enough or do you want more?” He’d been having mind-blowing sex with the most beautiful woman in the world. A guy had a right to look different.

“Any luck with Eden Ross?” Ian asked, turning to his younger brother.

“She’s in the wind,” Dec replied. “I checked the cab companies, the private limos, even the bus station. She just vanished. Whoever she was with must have had transportation. She could be anywhere by now. Why is it so damn hard to find this girl? Sometimes I feel like she’s right under our noses.”

“Did anyone besides the night manager actually see her?” Ian asked.

“Nope. But the photographers gave me a photo of the guy. Can’t make out much. He’s tall, over six feet, with dark hair. And she let him into the room like she knew him. There’s been a rumor going around that she’s been kidnapped,” Dec said. “Ross hasn’t gotten any ransom note, but it doesn’t seem like she’s being held against her will.”

Ian nodded. “She checked into the motel alone and paid cash for one night. If she’d needed help, she could have asked then. And why would she steal her father’s car?”

“Doesn’t sound like a kidnapping to me,” Marcus said. His brothers turned to him, clearly uninterested in his opinion.

“Maybe so,” Dec said. “But given the rumors, Ross is about ready to call in the FBI.”

Marcus shifted uneasily. This was getting out of hand. He had to talk to Eden.

Marcus took another sip of his coffee, then set his cup down. “I really need to go. I’ve got a lot of things to do today and I’m good with just the coffee.” He grabbed his wallet and withdrew a twenty, then tossed it on the table. “Breakfast is on me. I’ll talk to you guys later.”

“Where are you going?” Ian asked. “First you cut out on dinner the other night and now breakfast. For a guy who runs his own business, you seem to be on a pretty tight schedule.”

“I thought you were hungry,” Dec said. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you have a woman stashed back at your place.”

Marcus scoffed, shaking his head. “Yeah, right. If I had a woman in my bed, I wouldn’t be here having coffee with you tossers.”

“Good point,” Ian said.

Marcus slid out of the booth, but Dec stopped him before he could make his getaway. “When you go back out to the Ross place, let me know if you see anything.”

“Or anyone?” Marcus asked.

“Just keep an eye out. She went there once—she may stop by again.”

Once Marcus stepped outside, he drew a deep breath of the damp morning air. The minute he got home he was going to have a talk with Eden. The longer she dragged this out, the more consequences there would be in the end. They both needed a plan or this affair of theirs would turn into a major disaster.

* * *

E
DEN
ROLLED
OVER
IN
bed and opened her sleepy eyes, squinting to see the clock on the beside table. Pans clattered in the kitchen, and she flopped back into the soft pillows and stretched. A pleasant exhaustion settled over her, and she smiled to herself as she drew the sheet up over her naked body.

Thoughts of Marcus drifted through her mind, images of his handsome face, eyes closed, passion suffusing his features. Her fingers tingled and she reached out and grabbed his pillow, inhaling his scent.

When it came to desire, nothing seemed to stand between them. When he was inside her, she felt completely vulnerable and infinitely powerful at the same time. She’d discarded the last of her inhibitions. With Marcus, sex was an adventure to be shared.

Eden crawled out of bed and drew the sail around her body. “I thought you were going to bring me breakfast in bed,” she called.

A few moments later an older woman appeared, a dish towel clutched in her hands. “I’m sure I could make you something if you wanted,” she said softly, her words tinged with an accent.

Eden drew a sharp breath, then forced a smile. “I’m sorry,” she murmured. “I thought you were Marcus.”

She smiled warmly and nodded. “I’m not.”

“Are you the maid?” Eden asked.

“I do occasionally clean up after Marcus,” she said. “That much is true. Are you sure I can’t get you some breakfast, dear?”

“I—I’m just going to get dressed,” Eden said.

“That would be a fine idea. I’ll just get back to work.”

Eden scrambled to find something to wear, but the only clothes within reach belonged to Marcus. She pulled a pair of his boxers from a pile of clean laundry on the floor, then slipped into a T-shirt. By the time she got to the kitchen, the housekeeper was heating water in the teakettle.

“Can I make you a cup?” she asked.

“Yes,” Eden replied. She sat down on one of the stools and observed the woman. She wasn’t dressed like a cleaning lady. She wore a pair of tailored pants and a cotton sweater set in a pretty shade of blue. An uneasy realization dawned and Eden’s stomach lurched. “You’re Marcus’s mother, aren’t you?”

She glanced up and smiled. “I am.” She held out her hand. “Emma Quinn.”

Hesitantly Eden accepted the gesture. “Liselotte,” she said. “Liselotte Bunderstrassen.”

“What a lovely name,” Emma said. “Lisa…?”

“Just Lisa is fine,” Eden said.

Emma reached into a canister on the counter and withdrew a handful of tea bags. “Earl Grey or chamomile?”

“Chamomile,” Eden said.

“How long have you and Marcus known each other, Lisa?” Emma asked as she set two mugs next to the cooktop.

“Not long,” Eden said, then swallowed hard. She certainly didn’t want his mother to think this was a one-night stand. “But long enough. He’s very sweet.”