Kate Hoffmann - Sean

A shudder raced through Laurel's body, and when his fingers found the spot between her legs, she cried out in surprise at the jolt that followed. She had imagined what it might be like between them, but she'd envisioned a seduction more traditional-a bed, the judicious removal of clothing, and then a slow, easy stroll toward release. But this was frantic and wild, uncontrolled to the point that she couldn't think. Every moment was marked by new pleasures and a need that twisted her to the core.

"What are you doing to me?" he murmured, his lips warm on her breast. "Why do I want you so much?"

He plunged his fingers inside her and she cried out, nearly reaching her pleasure right then. But Sean slowed himself, his breath coming in deep gasps, his body tensed and waiting. He bent to retrieve his wallet from the pocket of his pants.

Laurel smiled as he dumped out the wet contents and found a foil package. It took only a moment for her to sheath him and then he was inside her, their joining more powerful and desperate than anything she'd experienced in her life. He pulled her legs up around his hips as he drove into her, each stroke taking her closer to the edge.

Soon she lost all sense of time and reality, the water splashing around them and the steam filling her lungs. Laurel ran her fingers through his hair and watched his face as he made love to her, marveling at the exquisite mix of pleasure and pain suffusing his features, the concentration that seemed to propel him forward and at the same time hold him back.

As if he could sense her watching him, he opened his eyes and their gazes locked. He slowed his movements, pulling out much farther before plunging back inside her. Laurel sensed that he was waiting for her. She shifted over him and a wave of pleasure raced through her.

He saw it in her face and, a moment later, they were at the edge together. His mouth covered hers as he came, his shoulder muscles going tense before he exploded inside her. He moaned, murmured her name, and then she joined him, tumbling through ecstasy, held tight in his arms.

Gradually, reality returned and Laurel felt the water on her skin and the marble on her back. She nuzzled her face into his neck and waited for her breathing to return to normal. Completely sated, she was afraid to put her feet back on the floor, afraid that she couldn't stand on her own.

Sean reached over and turned off the water, then kicked open the door, still buried deep inside her. As he carried her to the bed, dripping water along the way, he kissed her softly. "We should make it a habit to shower together every day," he said.

"To conserve water," she said.

He chuckled as he laid her on the bed, his body stretching out on top of hers. Laurel ran her hand across his cheek. When Sean smiled, she felt as if anything was possible, as if there would be many showers that ended in many more evenings like this. Maybe that was a dream or a fantasy or wishful thinking. But for now, she wasn't going to question her good fortune. She was simply going to enjoy it.

Sean opened his eyes to the morning sun streaming through the bedroom window. Pushing up on his elbows, he glanced at Laurel, curled up beside him. Her hair, a riot of honey-colored waves, fell over her face. He brushed the curls back and kissed her cheek.

Her eyes fluttered and she looked up at him, a sleepy smile touching her lips. They'd only slept for three or four hours, but he didn't miss the rest. Losing himself in Laurel's body all night long had both exhausted and exhilarated him. He smiled at her as he stroked her cheek. "Morning."

"Is it? Or is it afternoon?"

"It's just past nine. God, you look pretty."

Laurel groaned and covered her face. Her fingers went to her hair and she groaned even louder.

Sean grabbed her hands and pinned them above her head. "I'm not kidding. You do look beautiful."

Her expression turned serious. "About last night, I-"

He dropped a kiss on her lips. "What about last night?"

"We share a bedroom," she said, "and we pretend to be husband and wife. But that wasn't about pretending last night, right?"

"I wasn't faking anything," Sean said, his expression serious. "Were you?"

A pretty blush stained her cheeks and she burrowed her face into his shoulder. "No, it was all very real… and wonderful." She looked up at him. "Do you have any regrets?"

Sean pressed his lips to her forehead. "No."

To his surprise, he realized he was telling the truth. He'd never in his life made love to a woman without regrets. The morning after had always been uncomfortable for him, especially since he didn't allow himself to hang around that long. Going in, he'd always known there wasn't a chance for a real relationship, and that had always caused an uneasy guilt the day after.

But with Laurel he felt nothing but utter contentment. He could imagine a relationship with her, going out to movies and dinner, spending quiet nights at home watching a ball game, waking up in each other's arms and making love all night long.

Everything he'd been avoiding for so long had now come to pass. He'd played the Mighty Quinn and he'd lost his heart. But oddly, it didn't feel like a loss. There wasn't an empty space where his heart had once been. Instead, when he was with Laurel, he felt as if his heart were growing, breaking the shell that had protected it for so long.

"I'll go get us some breakfast. You stay in bed."

"Toast," she murmured. "And coffee. No Irish breakfast."

He bent and kissed her cheek. "Toast and coffee."

Sean tugged on his jeans, not bothering with boxers, then grabbed a shirt. He glanced over at Laurel as she closed her eyes again, her hand curled near her face.

Maybe he shouldn't have stepped into that shower last night, but an irresistible force had drawn him there, a force he couldn't deny any longer. Since the first time he'd kissed her, Sean had known it would come to this. There was something about Laurel that made him forget all his fears. With her, he felt both safe and completely out of control, two feelings that he'd never really experienced before.

Here he was a thirty-year-old man, and he'd never allowed himself to get close to any woman he'd ever known. He'd never had a real relationship-at least nothing that involved mutual trust and honest emotion. Until now. With Laurel, it was real.

Sean sighed as he stopped at the top of the stairs. Hell, he should know what was going on. The Quinn family curse had struck again. He'd rescued Laurel from a marriage to a con man and another Quinn had fallen victim. Yet now that he had, it didn't really bother him. Spending time with Laurel made him feel good… happy.

As he walked down the stairs, he heard the doorbell ring. "I'll get it, Alistair," he called. He didn't hear a reply from the butler so he continued to the door. When he found Eddie Perkins waiting on the other side, he regretted ever heeding the bell.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Sean demanded.

Eddie frowned. "Do I know you?"

Sean stepped out of the house and closed the door behind him. "You don't remember me?"

Eddie shook his head slowly, then stopped. "Oh, yeah. You're that guy. The one who was there when they arrested me. I asked you to-" Suddenly the significance of Sean's presence hit him. "Hey, what the hell are you doing here?"

"I'm here to keep you away from Laurel," Sean muttered. "Why aren't you in jail?"

"I was," Eddie said. "My second wife posted bail. She has a very forgiving nature."

"Get out of here," Sean warned. "If I see you around Laurel again, I'll beat the crap out of you."

"I have every right to see her. She's still my fiancée."

"She was your fiancée," Sean reminded him.

"Missing our wedding wasn't my choice. And I want to make it up to her. We were in love once and I think we could be again."