The Mighty Quinns: Dermot-Dex

She thought about it, then smiled. “You can teach me how to drive,” she said.

“We don’t have a car.”

“We’ll figure that out. We could always rent one. A convertible. I’ve always wanted one of those old Cadillac’s with the tail fins. You know, a classic sixties car.”

Kieran looked around. “They don’t have any cars here,” he said.

“Actually we do deal with cars, as well,” the salesman said. “There’s a lot out back. I could show you a few if you like.”

“No, no, no,” Kieran said. “We’re taking the train.”

“We’re taking the train,” Maddie said, nodding in agreement.

They paid for the guitar and walked back out into the midafternoon heat. Kieran took the guitar from her hand. “I’m going to be your roadie,” he said.

“If you were my roadie, I would have broken one of the cardinal rules of touring.”

“And what is that?”

“Don’t sleep with the roadies,” she said, laughing. “You never would have gotten past my mother. She approves all hiring on tours. She would have known that you’d be too tempting to resist, so you never would have gotten the job.” She paused. “It’s funny, but we probably would have never met if we hadn’t run into each other at that bus station. I might have decided to fly. Or your bus could have arrived late. And yet all the fates conspired to—”

“What?”

“I’m going to write a song about that,” she said. “I have to go back to the hotel now.”

“You don’t want to get some lunch?”

Maddie shook her head. “No. You get something to eat. I really want to get this idea down before it slips out of my mind.”

“I’ll walk you back,” Kieran said. He took her hand as they hurried down the sidewalk, startled by the sudden change in her. He’d just assumed Maddie was always playful and a little flighty. But now, she seemed so completely focused that he had a hard time adjusting to the change.

Kieran wondered if he’d ever really know her completely. Maybe that was a good thing. There was always something new to discover, something interesting to learn about this beautiful woman. And he wanted to know it all.

“A TOAST,” KIERAN SAID, holding up his champagne flute. “To your new song. Whenever I hear it, I’m going to think of Topeka. And the two nights I spent with you.”

Maddie giggled, the effects of a half bottle of champagne bubbling up inside her. She sent Kieran a sexy gaze. “I left my heart,” she sang, “in Topeka, Nebraska.”

“Kansas!” Kieran said. “We’re in Kansas.”

“Whatever,” Maddie said. “Nebraska, Kansas. I’m just happy I’m here.”

They’d enjoyed an early dinner at the hotel restaurant. Maddie felt a bit guilty after she’d spent the afternoon, alone in their room, working on a new song. But when inspiration struck she knew enough to take advantage of it. It rarely came with such strength and focus as it had that afternoon. Though she wanted to leave her professional world behind her, at least for a time, she would have to make a living sooner or later. And she never knew where the next hit song would come from.

“Maybe sometime you’ll sing it for me?” Kieran asked, watching her over the rim of his champagne flute.

“Maybe,” Maddie said. She wasn’t sure why she wasn’t ready to sing for him yet. Maybe she just wanted to leave her professional life behind a little while longer. Or maybe, she was afraid if she did sing, he’d take her mother’s side in all matters and urge her to get back onstage.

Now that the song was written and committed to memory, she’d decided to turn her full attention back to Kieran. She put on her party dress, fixed her hair and invited him to join her in the hotel restaurant.

“That dress suits you,” he said.

“Thank you.” Maddie slipped out of her shoe and ran her foot along his thigh beneath the table.

His eyes went wide. “What are you doing?”

“I’m trying to seduce you. I’ve gotten you drunk and now I’m moving on to step two—overt physical contact. But I’m obviously not doing a very good job if you can’t figure that out.”

“Sweetheart, you don’t need to try. Just looking at you across the table is enough to get me going.”

“It’s the pink dress, isn’t it?” she said, brushing the tiny strap off her shoulder.

“No. I’d want you even if you were wearing that hoodie and your beat-up jeans. It wouldn’t make a difference.”

“You know, I’m not wearing anything under this dress.”

Kieran groaned. “Don’t tell me that. I was really looking forward to ordering dessert. They have banana crème pie.”

Maddie took another sip of her champagne, then reached for the bottle to refill her glass. But the bottle was empty. “Do you want to order another?”

Kieran shook his head.

“Are we going to do this?” she asked.

He nodded.

She set her champagne flute down, then stood up and tossed her napkin on the table. “I’ll race you. First one to the room gets to undress the other.” With a laugh, she took off through the restaurant. Maddie looked back over her shoulder to see him dealing with their waiter and the check.

She made it to the elevator first, but as she was waiting, he caught up to her. To her surprise, he headed for the stairwell. They were on the seventh floor and she knew she’d never beat him up the stairs.

Maddie punched at the button and a moment later, the elevator doors opened. She hurried inside and pressed the button for her floor, but as the doors were closing, an elderly couple hurried toward her.

“Hold the elevator,” the man called.

She glanced over to the panel, cursing softly, then stepped forward and caught the door. The couple smiled gratefully as they got inside and pressed the button for the third floor. The doors closed and the elevator moved upward.

When she finally reached the seventh floor, Maddie stepped out of the elevator and walked to the room. Kieran was waiting at the door with the key card, his shoulder braced against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest. He wasn’t even out of breath.

“You win,” she said.

“Oh, don’t look so disappointed,” he teased. He unlocked the door and held it open. “We’re both about to get naked and do what we’ve been waiting to do since the moment we met.”

She arched her brow, giving him an inquisitive look as she passed. “Since we met? You were thinking about this in the bus station?”

“Well, not this. But I was attracted and thoughts of a sexual nature did cross my mind. I remember thinking that your lips would probably taste like cherries. I’m a guy. What can I say?”

He followed her into the room, then grabbed the Do Not Disturb sign from the door and hung it outside. Maddie waited for him, the champagne making her mind buzz and her body boneless. He sat down on the end of the bed and slipped his hands around her waist, pulling her toward him.

For a long moment, he didn’t move. He just stared up into her eyes. Had he changed his mind? Was he going to find some excuse not to ravish her? Maddie knew the attraction between them was mutual. So why was it taking him so long to make a move?