Dylan lifted Meggie onto the edge of the pool table
Then, stepping between her legs, he pulled her nearer, molding her body against his naked chest. She was so warm and soft, he couldnât get enough of her.
But her sweater was becoming a hindrance. Impatient to continue, Dylan reached down and grabbed the hem, then slowly tugged it up. Meggie met his gaze and the desire burning in her eyes startled him. With a soft sigh, she brushed his hands away and, in one quick motion, pulled off her sweater, then tossed it aside.
Dylan could barely breathe. She was the most beautiful thing heâd ever seen.
Meggie started shivering, and Dylan could see the indecision in her eyes. But just when he was about to call an end to this intimate exploration, Meggie reached out and slipped her fingers beneath the waistband of his jeans. Scooting back onto the pool table, she pulled him with her, until he was nearly lying on top of her.
âIâm not very good at this game,â she murmured.
Dylan groaned. âHoney, if you were any better, the game would already be overâ¦.â
Dear Reader,
Who can pass by a fire station without hoping to catch a glimpse of the ultimate heroâthe firefighter? Iâm not sure about you, but I think those fire stations have more than their share of hunks in residence. So, when I started planning THE MIGHTY QUINNS miniseries, I decided it was time to turn one of those real-life heroes into a romantic oneâDylan Quinn.
Like all hunks, Dylan has left a trail of broken hearts behind him. In fact, my heroine, Meggie Flanagan, was one of Dylanâs first casualties. So, years later, when he pulls her out of her smoky coffee shop and falls for her immediately, whatâs a girl to do but take advantage of the situation?
I hope you enjoy watching the second Mighty Quinn fall. Look for Brendanâs story next month, the final book in THE MIGHTY QUINNS trilogy. And then visit my Web site at www.katehoffmann.com to learn about my first single-title release, Reunited, which features another Quinn sibling, available in June 2002.
Happy reading,
Kate Hoffmann
THE WINTERâS SNOW had melted and a damp wind blew off the Atlantic, bringing the scent of the ocean into the South Boston neighborhood around Kilgore Street. Dylan Quinn climbed higher into the old tree, scrambling up branches that were just beginning to show their springtime buds, branches that could barely hold the weight of a squirrel much less an eleven-year-old boy. If he could just get a wee bit higher, maybe he could see the ocean from his perch. His da was due home today after almost three months away.
Winter was always a difficult time for the six Quinn boys. When the weather became too brutal in the North Atlantic, the swordfishing fleet drifted south, following the fish into warmer waters. And The Mighty Quinn, his fatherâs boat, followed the fish wherever they went. With the coming of winter came the familiar fear that always grew in the pit of Dylanâs stomach. Would Da remember to send them money for food? Would Conor be able to keep the family together? And would they all avoid the mistakes that might bring the social workers calling?
âCan ya see him?â
Dylan glanced down to find his younger brother Brendan standing beneath the leafless tree. He wore a tattered coat and his daâs cast-off wool cap and his breath frosted in the air around his head. Like all the Quinns, he had nearly black hair and pale eyes that were an odd mixture of green and gold, strange enough to cause comment whenever they all appeared as one.
âGet away,â Dylan yelled. Though he and Brendan were close in age, lately heâd come to resent his little brotherâs constant presence. After all, Dylan was eleven and Brendan was only ten. The kid didnât have to follow him everywhere he went, hanging on his every word.
âYouâre supposed to be watchinâ Liam and the twins,â Brendan said. âIf Conor comes home and finds you out here, heâll eat the head off you!â
Their older brother, Con, had left the two of them in charge while he walked to a nearby market to buy food. They were down to their last dollars and if Da didnât come home today, Con would be forced to pinch whatever he could from the grocery to feed them for the weekend. They got breakfast and lunch at school, so it was easy to get through the week. But weekends were the worstâespecially when the money ran out.
âAh, shut your gob, you maggot,â Dylan shouted, the ache of hunger acute in his stomach. He hated being hungry. It was the worst feeling in the world. When the pangs got too bad, he focused on his future, on a time when heâd be grown and living on his own. Heâd have power over his own life then and the first thing heâd be sure of was that his cupboards would always be filled with food.
He saw the hurt in Brendanâs eyes and immediately regretted his angry words. Theyâd always been the best of friends, but something inside Dylan had changed. Lately, he felt the need to distance himself, to rebel against the hand heâd been dealt. Maybe it would have been different if his mother had stayed. Maybe theyâd be living in a nice warm house, wearing new clothes and having food on the table every night. But any dream of that ended six years ago, when Fiona Quinn left the house on Kilgore Street never to return again.