The Mighty Quinns: Thom

“You got him drunk to prove a point?”

“I just couldn’t live with the guy,” Thom admitted. “He’s like a big drooling puppy. I need someone a little more interesting. More mature. With less drool.”

“All right. We’ll find someone else. I can contact an agency and they’ll send over some candidates.”

“I can think of an excellent candidate,” he said. “Perfectly qualified. Interesting to talk to. Stubbornly disciplined. Beautiful to look at.”

“You want a woman?”

He gave her a boyish grin. “I want you.” He leaned closer and grabbed her hand. “The question is, do you want me?”

She drew in a sharp breath and tried to control the pounding of her heart. This was crazy. But it could be a great opportunity. If she was with him full-time, she might have a chance at succeeding in taming The Beast.

But was he making the offer because he truly wanted her help? Or was he interested in something else? Something that had nothing to do with business or professionalism or...

Still, she had to take that chance.

“If I agree to do this, you have to do exactly what I tell you. You have to trust me completely.”

“Why should I trust you if you don’t give me the truth?” he asked.

“I told you, the team—”

“Not about that. You didn’t answer my question.” He leaned closer and she held her breath. “Do you want me?”

“The truth and you’ll trust me?”

“Exactly.”

His lips were just inches from hers, and Malin fought the impulse to close that distance and kiss him. “Yes,” she breathed.

His kiss was tentative at first, his lips just barely brushing hers. But then he slipped his hands around her waist and pulled her closer, and she felt the warmth of his tongue.

Malin had been kissed by a variety of men in her past, but she’d never experienced a kiss that was so perfect. Just the right mix of overwhelming passion and unspoken desire.

When he finally drew back, she couldn’t help but sigh, wishing that it might have gone on for a bit longer.

“Well?”

She opened her eyes to find him staring down at her, his expression cool, his lovely mouth set in a hard line. Malin cleared her throat. “It was...nice.” She swallowed hard. “Quite pleasant. But if I’m going to take the job, we can never do that again.” She snatched her hand away and rubbed her palm against her hip. “You have to promise.”

“I’ve never been very good with promises,” he said, his voice low and rough. Thom reached out and smoothed his fingertips across her cheek. “I’m tired. I need some sleep. We’ll talk more in the morning.”

As he walked away, he pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it aside. Malin hurried after him into the bedroom. She stopped short as she watched him skim his jeans down over his hips and kick off his trainers. When he reached for the waistband of his boxer briefs, she quickly turned her back.

“If we’re going to be living together, you should probably get used to this.”

Get used to what, exactly? Malin wondered. Get used to seeing him half-naked? Get used to hanging out in his bedroom at night? Get used to wondering what it would be like if she allowed him to kiss her again? There were so many things racing through her mind, she couldn’t imagine what he meant.

“I’ll just say good night,” she murmured. “And see you in the morning.” She risked one last glance at him as she hurried out of the room. It was enough to glimpse him in all his naked glory, with broad shoulders, a narrow waist and muscular backside, before he slipped beneath the covers.

She pulled the bedroom door shut behind her, then hurried back to the living room. She stood in the center of the dimly lit room, waiting for her heartbeat to slow and her head to clear.

The image was still burned on her brain, and she sighed softly and savored it for a long moment. Then she firmly put it out of her mind.

* * *

AFTER THE EVENTS of the day, Thom assumed he’d fall into a deep sleep almost immediately. But every time he closed his eyes, his thoughts returned to the woman he’d invited into his home.

When he finally drifted off, images of Malin continued to tease at his mind. Then he awakened and realized that she was so close, close enough to call her name, close enough to find her and carry her into his bed.

Women had a very specific place in his life, a purely sexual place. He’d had a number of affairs over the years, but they’d never lasted long. Sooner or later, women realized that he never had any intention of truly opening himself up to them.

Something as simple as affection had never been present in his childhood, and he didn’t find it necessary in his adult life, either. Pure desire didn’t require romance to burn hot and intense.

Maybe Malin was right to keep their relationship on a platonic, businesslike level. He wasn’t capable of romance, and she didn’t strike him as the type who’d indulge in carnal pleasures without it. Hell, in his experience, no woman was truly happy to avoid romance in favor of simple physical pleasure.

Thom tossed aside the covers and grabbed a pair of sweatpants, tugging them up around his hips before wandering out to the kitchen. He found Malin curled up on the sofa.

He squatted down beside her and took the opportunity to study her face. He hadn’t realized how much her emotions colored her expressions. In sleep, she looked like a teenager, young and fresh-faced, a light sprinkling of freckles visible across the bridge of her nose.

He felt the familiar pull, the need to possess her, to touch her and seduce her, to prove that the desire he felt was mutual, even though she’d already admitted it was. Thom reached out and took a strand of her pale hair, rubbing it between his fingers.

She stirred slightly and he quickly stood, retreating to the kitchen. He made a pot of coffee and put breakfast on the stove. As he waited, Thom observed her from a distance. They had a whole day ahead of them. How would it end? Would they share another kiss, or would she put a quick end to his fantasies?

When the coffee was done, he poured a mug for each of them, then carried the mugs back to the sofa. He sat down next to her and set the mug in front of her nose, hoping the smell might wake her up. But Malin was obviously a deep sleeper. He tried calling her name, shaking her shoulder, tickling the bottom of her feet and pulling her hair, but nothing seemed to rouse her.

Finally, impatient, Thom gently pinched her nose shut. A few seconds later, she jerked, then waved her hand in front of her face. Thom quickly sat back and picked up the coffee mugs, clutching them in his hands.

“You’re awake,” he said, holding out the hot coffee.

Malin rubbed at her eyes and slowly sat up. Her fingers immediately went to her hair, and she ran them through the tangles before grabbing the mug with a nervous smile. “What time is it?”

“Early. Seven-thirty.”

“I fell asleep,” she murmured.

“I expected to find you curled up in front of the door.”

She smiled. “I’m not used to staying up that late. I’m usually in bed by ten.”

“Not much of a party girl?”

“I used to be,” she said with a wistful tone. “When I lived in New York, we went out all the time. But I don’t really have a lot of friends here. Most of my old friends are married and have children.”

“Same with me,” he said with a shrug.

A long silence grew between them as she sipped at her coffee. “So...so what do you do about it? I mean, how do you deal when you’re...lonely? You have family, right?”