The Mighty Quinns: Kieran by Kate Hoffmann Page B

another person completely. Not even the people who were supposed to be looking after her best interests—her agent, her manager, her producer. They all answered to her mother, who had been the ultimate authority.
    But she could trust Kieran. How strange was that? She only just met him a few days ago, yet she sensed that he was someone who would always be on her side.
    “I like this,” Maddie said, brushing his dark hair from his eyes. “It’s the perfect way to end the day.”
    “We’re not doing anything,” Kieran said.
    “I don’t need to do anything,” Maddie said. “I just need you near me.”
    “How close?” he asked. He was already hard, his erection pressed against her belly. He moved above her, teasing at her entrance until she could think of nothing but the moment when he’d bury himself inside her.
    “Closer,” she murmured. She whispered softly in his ear, telling him what she wanted him to do, enticing him with words.
    When he groaned softly, she knew that he couldn’t wait much longer. He nuzzled her neck, kissing and biting softly, moving above her in a slow, erotic dance. Maddie reached between them to caress his shaft, now hard and ready.
    “I have to get a condom,” he whispered.
    “I don’t want you to leave me,” she said.
    “I’m just going across the room.” He chuckled softly. “I promise, I’ll come right back.”
    The moment he broke contact, she felt the loss—of his heat, of his desire, of the comfort that his nearness brought her. But a moment later, he returned. Maddie took the box from his hands and after tearing open the plastic package, smoothed the latex over his shaft.
    He entered her slowly, the sensation so exquisite that it took her breath away. Everything seemed to be operating at half-speed between them. Time had ceased to exist and the outside world had gone dark and quiet. This was all that mattered, Maddie thought to herself as he began to move.
    Nothing in her life would ever be the same. From now on, she would live knowing that there was a man who was her perfect match in passion and pleasure. Every moment between them was a revelation, a discovery of the power of sexual attraction and simple affection.
    It was more than enough...for now.
    * * *
    T HE C ADILLAC BEGAN to overheat about an hour after they got back on the road the next morning. Kieran pulled off the freeway and parked the car on the edge of the country road, letting it cool down before he started it again.
    Maddie perched on the back of the front seat as he peered beneath the hood. “What’s wrong with it?”
    “I don’t know,” Kieran said, wiping his hands on his jeans. “Maybe something wrong with the thermostat or the radiator. The belts look okay. It might be the water pump, although I’m not even sure this thing has a water pump.”
    “Could it be all of those things?” Maddie cried. “Maybe we should just replace the whole engine.”
    Kieran chuckled. “Maybe it’s just one of those things. But we’re going to have to get it looked at. It’s nothing I can fix.” He slammed the hood, then returned to the driver’s-side door. “We’ll try starting it after it cools down. If it overheats again, we’ll have to call a tow truck.”
    He was tempted to tell Maddie that something like this was to be expected when you don’t do your homework at a used-car lot. But she’d been so pleased with her purchase. And he’d been happy for her.
    In truth, that’s all he really cared about. Making Maddie deliriously happy. Maybe that wasn’t exactly what his grandfather was hoping for when he sent his grandsons out to find a new life. But for Kieran, it wasn’t about the place or the job. It was about finding someone who meant something, someone to build a life around.
    Kieran imagined his brothers. New Mexico, Wisconsin, Maine. What were they doing now? Where were they living, who had they met? He couldn’t imagine any of them tangled up in a relationship already.
    They were