Her hero. Her savior. And her undoingâ¦
Rourke Quinn found her on the storm-tossed shores of Cape Breton. The woman in his arms was unconscious and bleeding. And Rourke knew her. Annie MacIntosh was the town outcastâa wild thing. And as untamed and beautiful as the Atlantic itself. This storm was just the thing to keep Rourke as close to her as he dared....
Annie grew up fiercely independent. She was a survivor, needing no one and nothing. She cut herself off from the town and society, relying only on her raw need for survival. But Rourke unleashes a hunger she never knew existed. This manâthis strangerâsatiates an appetite she hardly dared imagine. Itâs more exciting and more turbulent than that storm that rages outside. And Rourke has only one chance with the wild girl he canât live without...before losing her to a world he can never be part of.
Praise for Kate Hoffmannâs MIGHTY QUINNS
âThis truly delightful tale packs in the heat and a lot of heart at the same time.â
âRT Book Reviews on The Mighty Quinns: Dermot
âThis is a fast read that is hard to tear the eyes from.
Once I picked it up I couldnât put it down.â âFresh Fiction on The Mighty Quinns: Dermot
âA story that not only pulled me in, but left me weak in the knees.â
âSeriously Reviewed on The Mighty Quinns: Riley
âSexy, heartwarming and romantic, this is a story to settle down with and enjoyâand then reread.â
âRT Book Reviews on The Mighty Quinns: Teague
âSexy Irish folklore and intrigue weave throughout this steamy tale.â
âRT Book Reviews on The Mighty Quinns: Kellan
âThe only drawback to this story is that itâs far too short!â
âFresh Fiction on The Mighty Quinns: Kellan
âStrong, imperfect but lovable characters, an interesting setting and great sensuality.â
âRT Book Reviews on The Mighty Quinns: Brody
Dear Reader,
One of my favorite things about writing books for Mills & Boon is the opportunity to explore interesting new places. When I decided to do this latest quartet of Mighty Quinn books, I was excited to have the chance to choose four very different settings, in various parts of the world. Of course, the final book had to be set in Ireland, but for this book, I played with the settings of Central America and Africa before deciding on the island of Cape Breton in Canada.
With its vibrant Celtic culture and old lighthouses, I knew right away that this was the perfect place for a Quinn to fall in loveâwith the countryside and the heroine!
So, for all my Canadian fans, this oneâs for you. I hope Iâve represented this beautiful corner of your country well. I think itâs the perfect place for Rourke and Annie to find their happy ending.
Enjoy!
Kate Hoffmann
KATE HOFFMANN has written more than seventy books for Mills & Boon, most of them for the Blaze>® line. She spent time as a music teacher, a retail assistant buyer and an advertising exec before she settled into a career as a full-time writer. She continues to pursue her interests in music, theater and musical theater, working with local schools in various productions. She lives in southeastern Wisconsin with her cat, Chloe.
Dedicated to the memory of Rita MacNeil,
an extraordinary voice from an extraordinary place.
Prologue
âITâS BEEN SO long. Iâm beginning to lose hope that weâll ever find them.â
Aileen Quinn stared out the window of her office at the slate-gray sky. Autumn was quickly turning to winter and she dreaded the damp cold that would settle into her bones. In her younger days, sheâd traveled to the south of France during the worst of the Irish winter, soaking up the sun along the Mediterranean coast. But she hadnât traveled for years, finding herself more comfortable in familiar surroundings.
âI have one more lead to check on your brother Diarmuid,â Ian said, leafing through his notes. âBut Iâm sad to say that weâve found nothing on Lochlan. I have researchers on four continents looking for him, but he just disappeared. Off the grid, they call it.â
Aileen had hired Ian Stephens months ago to help her research the parents sheâd never known for a chapter in her autobiography. She had grown up in an orphanage, believing that sheâd been the only daughter of a destitute Irish widow whoâd died of consumptionâafter her husband had been killed in the Easter Uprising. But Ian had discovered four older brothersâsiblings she hadnât rememberedâwhose fates had been scattered to the winds when their mother couldnât care for them.
âIâm another year older,â Aileen said. She forced a bright smile. âI never intended to live to see my ninety-seventh birthday. Good Lord, Iâve lived far too long.â
âYouâre the youngest ninety-seven-year-old Iâve ever met,â Ian said with a smile. âLook at you. Youâre still writing, still active.â
âThatâs lovely of you to say, but it doesnât make this old body of mine feel any younger.â Aileen laughed softly. âIn my mind, Iâm still a young woman. When I look in the mirror these days, I barely recognize myself. I wish I could have some of those years back.â