The Mighty Quinns: Tristan

Exposing the Enemy

Lawyer Tristan Quinn has never met a woman he couldn’t charm, so he’s confident he can convince three elderly women to sell their artists’ colony to a developer. He poses as a writer to gain their trust. But then he meets Lily Harrison—the ladies’ sexy, quirky niece—and Tris realizes he’s in for way more than he bargained for...

Lily can smell a lawyer a mile away. Expose him—that’s what she needs to do. One piece of clothing at a time—until he’s naked and they’re at each other’s hungry mercy. She can’t trust him. She definitely can’t fall for him. She just needs to keep her friends close...and her enemy much, much closer!

Praise for Kate Hoffmann’s The Mighty Quinns

“[Kate] Hoffmann always brings a strong story to the table with The Mighty Quinns, and this is one of her best.”

—RT Book Reviews on The Mighty Quinns: Eli

“The [Aileen Quinn storyline] ends as it began: with strong storytelling and compelling, tender characters who make for a deeply satisfying read.”

—RT Book Reviews on The Mighty Quinns: Mac

“[Hoffmann’s] characters are well written and real. The Mighty Quinns: Eli is a recommended read for lovers of the Quinn family, lovers of the outdoors and lovers of a sensitive man.”

—Harlequin Junkie

“A winning combination of exciting adventure and romance... This is a sweet and sexy read that kept me entertained from start to finish.”

—Harlequin Junkie on The Mighty Quinns: Malcolm

“Ms. Hoffmann’s voice is smooth, calming and soulful.... If you are looking for a steamy romance with an engaging storyline, give this book a try.”

—Harlequin Junkie on The Mighty Quinns: Roarke

“The Mighty Quinns: Jack is one of those stories that will capture your mind and heat your emotions. It was impossible for me to put this steamy, sexy book down until the last page was turned.”

—Fresh Fiction

Dear Reader,

One of the best things about being a writer is creating interesting characters. Sometimes those characters live entirely on the pages of my books, but other times they seem to come to life in my mind. They almost seem real. And I enjoy their company so much that when I finish the book, I actually feel a bit lonely for these temporary “guests.”

The Mighty Quinns: Tristan was one of those books that brought together an odd community of characters that really stayed with me long after the book was finished. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!

Happy reading,

The Mighty Quinns: Tristan

Kate Hoffmann

www.millsandboon.co.uk

KATE HOFFMANN lives in southeastern Wisconsin with her books, her computer and her cats, Princess Winifred and Princess Grace. In her spare time she enjoys sewing, baking, movies, theater and talking on the phone with her sister. She has written nearly ninety books for Harlequin.

To Judge Andy S. for helping with legal matters.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

Dear Reader

Title Page

About the Author

Dedication

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Epilogue

Extract

Copyright

Prologue

THEY’D LIVED IN the blue house on Downey Street for just five months. Tristan had been so excited to move in. A real house after the family of five had spent their summer living in the car or sleeping in a tent. But when his father had died and the cold weather set in, things became desperate again.

They scraped together just enough money to survive from panhandling, petty theft and their mother’s disability payments. The Quinns couldn’t pay their rent, but no one wanted to evict tenants in the middle of winter. That was what their mother depended upon—the guilt of strangers.

Tristan stood at the window, scraping his finger over the frost that coated the inside. The heat and the electricity had been turned off two months ago. They’d been forced to depend upon a smoky fireplace for warmth and a gas-station restroom for water and plumbing facilities.

“Where is she?” Tristan’s little brother, Jamie, asked.

Their mother had taken their other brother, Thom, out to pinch some food from the local market. They’d been caught last month stealing a box of cereal, but the store owner had refused to press charges during the holiday season. He’d sent them home with a huge box of food that had lasted nearly a week.

Up and down. That was the way life seemed to work for the Quinns. Just when things started looking a little better, something would knock them down.

Tristan rubbed his arms through his jacket, his breath clouding in front of his face. His mother and Thom had been gone far too long. Something had happened, and Tristan was afraid of the consequences.

They were always just a few steps ahead of CPS—Child Protective Services—the dragon that loomed over their small world, waiting to snatch one or all of them away. Tristan couldn’t go to the police to find his mother because they’d discover that he and his brothers were alone, living in an unheated house in the middle of a Minnesota winter. And then CPS would separate them, possibly forever. So he and his brothers were forced to wait and wonder where their mother was—sometimes for a day or two, sometimes, if she managed to score some booze or drugs, for weeks.