The Mighty Quinns: Thom

To tame the beast...or set him free?

Pro hockey player Thom “The Beast” Quinn is the team’s bad boy—the street kid who hit pay dirt when he learned to shoot a puck. But when his reputation gets a little too naughty for the team’s liking, they give him a warning: shape up, or be benched. And the one calling the penalties is none other than sexy Malin Pederson, the boss’s daughter.

In her head, Malin knows that if she can reform Thom Quinn, her future with the team will be set. But her body urges her to indulge in the kind of wicked pleasure that only the sexy athlete can provide. And in her heart, Malin realizes that this is a man she can’t walk away from, even if it costs her everything...

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.”

—Mills & Boon Junkie

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

—Mills & Boon Junkie on The Mighty Quinns: Malcolm

“This is a fast read that is hard to tear the eyes from. Once I picked it up I couldn’t put it down.”

—Fresh Fiction on The Mighty Quinns: Dermot

“As usual, Hoffmann has written a light yet compelling tale with just enough angst and long-term background story to provide momentum for the next member of the Quinn family we are most certainly going to meet.”

—RT Book Reviews on The Mighty Quinns: Ryan

Dear Reader,

When I was a child, my father would regularly spin wonderfully colorful stories for me and my three younger siblings. On Saturday mornings, we’d crawl into bed with my parents and my dad would recollect the time my mother (always the intrepid heroine of these tales) went big-game hunting in Africa or rode an elephant across the Alps.

Is this where I got my storytelling talents? I’m not sure. But I know it’s where I got my love for the tradition of a well-told tale. My second novel for Mills & Boon, published twenty years ago, was a takeoff on the Cinderella fairy tale. And now, eighty-five stories later, I’m about to tell another tale, this one based on Beauty and the Beast.

The Quinns are back for another trilogy, featuring “beastly” heros! I hope you’ll enjoy!

Happy reading,

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 Mills & Boon.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Praise for Kate Hoffmann’s The Mighty Quinns

Dear Reader

Title Page

About the Author

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Extract

Copyright

Prologue

“HE’S GONE! And he’s not coming back!”

“Shut up, Thom! Just shut your mouth.” His older brother, Tristan, glanced over at the youngest boy in the trio, Jamie. Jamie’s eyes swam with tears and Thom cursed himself. The three boys were so close in age that he often forgot that James was still dealing with the fears of a seven-year-old.

Thom reached out and grabbed Jamie’s hand, giving it a squeeze. “We’ll be all right. We’re better off without him. He was just an old drunk who couldn’t keep a job.”

“Don’t say that,” Tris warned. “He was our da and we shouldn’t talk like that.”

Thom wanted to clock his brother. Tristan was almost two years older than Thom, and he understood the reality of their situation. But ulike Thom, Tris was trying to stay positive, hoping that it might keep their mother from losing herself at the bottom of a bottle of vodka.

Life had never been easy for the three Quinn boys, but Thom knew it was about to get worse. It had begun to unravel three or four years ago, when their da had lost his job. Denny Quinn had started drinking and gambling away the small paycheck their mother brought in. Their parents started fighting more, and a once happy family began to fall apart.

But it hadn’t been too terrible until two weeks ago. Until their father had gone out for a pack of cigarettes and hadn’t come back. A policeman had come to the door, and Thom had overheard what the man had said to his ma—Denny had been killed during a botched armed robbery, trying to make a getaway after grabbing a wad of cash from an open register.

“At least he won’t have to worry about money for food,” Thom muttered. Like they did.

“What?” Tris asked.