Kate Hoffmann - Sean

Sean stepped out of the house and slowly crossed the terrace to where Laurel stood. A flood of emotion raced through her and she didn't know what to say. In one simple move, Sean had made her dream come true. With hard work and determination, she could make the center happen without her trust fund and without Sinclair's approval.

"Thank you," she said, not sure whether to laugh or to cry. "Thank you so much."

"It went well? She liked your idea?"

Laurel threw her arms around Sean's neck and hugged him hard. "Yes! She said it was a good idea. And if her board of directors agrees, her foundation will give me money to get the center started. All I have to do is-"

Her words were stopped by his kiss. Sean cupped her face in his hands as his mouth covered hers. A tiny moan slipped from her throat. It seemed as if weeks had passed since he'd last kissed her. In reality, it was barely twelve hours.

When he finished with her lips, he moved to her eyes and her nose. "I missed you," he murmured.

"I missed you, too."

"I didn't sleep last night. I couldn't."

"I couldn't, either," Laurel said. "Maybe we should go back to bed."

He hesitated for just a moment and Laurel thought he might find some excuse to refuse her invitation. But then he bent and swung her into his arms, carrying her through the house and up the stairs. Laurel wanted to thank him for all he'd done. And she couldn't think of a better way.

She was the most beautiful woman he'd ever touched, ever kissed. And Laurel was the only woman he'd ever loved. Sean moved above her, knowing his release was just a heartbeat away. This had to be love. He'd never felt anything as powerful as what he felt for Laurel when he was deep inside of her.

He rolled to the side and pulled her on top of him, her legs straddling his hips. But the sight of her naked body, her hair curled around her face, her skin gleaming in the low light, was more than he could handle. He grabbed her hips and stopped her from moving, holding his breath as he fought his release.

"Don't," he murmured. "Don't move."

Laurel opened her eyes, smiled at him, then brushed a kiss across his lips. "I won't move." A current of pleasure shot through him as she shifted above him, but he refused to give in.

He took her face in his hands, furrowing his fingers through her hair. Laurel arched back, closing her eyes as she braced her hands on his chest. He wanted to tell her how he felt, but he was afraid if he said it out loud and she didn't return his sentiments, he might never be able to say the words again. This feeling he had when they were together, this undeniable need to possess her and to move inside her, to lose himself in her body, would never go away-even if she did.

Sean reached between them and touched her, bringing her closer to the edge. Laurel moaned, then moved against his hand. And then, suddenly, she sucked in a sharp breath and shuddered. Sean felt her body spasm around him and, without moving, he let himself come.

His orgasm was quiet yet powerful and he watched her cry out in pleasure, his shaft still buried to the hilt. His heart slammed in his chest and he gasped when she finally moved, taking the last he had to offer. With a low moan, Laurel collapsed on top of him, nuzzling her face into his neck.

"We can take a nap, if you like," she murmured.

He stroked her back from her nape to the delicious curve of her backside, enjoying the feel of her skin beneath his palms. "I'm not sleepy anymore."

Laurel pushed up next to him, her hair tickling his chest. "Amy said something to me earlier. She said you'd been cursed. A family curse. What did she mean?"

"It's stupid," he said.

"Tell me," Laurel insisted.

He'd opened his heart to her already, each time surprised at how easy it was. At first, he'd thought it was just Laurel and the trust he felt when he was with her. But maybe it more about the "marriage" they shared. He'd had a chance to experience what marriage might be. He'd allowed himself to believe that she might be there for him, not just for a day or a month, but for the rest of his life.

All the benefits of marriage, but without the commitment, he mused. Suddenly, avoiding the Quinn curse didn't seem so important. "My father used to tell us stories when we were younger about our Mighty Quinn ancestors. Our ancestors were always strong and clever and heroic. A lot of the stories he told were old Irish fables and myths, but he always gave them a twist. The women characters were always the enemy."

"Why was that?"

Sean shrugged. "My da was a man scorned by a woman and he wanted to protect us from the same fate. The stories had the desired effect. Seamus Quinn's six sons were bachelors, until the family curse hit a few years ago."

"What is the curse?"

"I'm not sure if there really is one. My da thinks it goes way back in Ireland-he's got some story that explains it all. Here in Boston, it started with Conor. He met his wife, Olivia, when he rescued her from a local mobster. And Dylan rescued Meggie from a fire, and Brendan saved Amy from a bar brawl."

"I don't understand how that can be a curse," Laurel said. "A curse is a bad thing and they did good things."

"The curse is that they fell in love with the women they rescued," Sean explained. "In Seamus's eyes, my brothers were victims, not heroes. And I'm the last one left."

Laurel ran her fingers over his forehead, pushing his hair out of his eyes. "If you don't want to be a victim, then don't rescue anyone."

"I already did," Sean said.

"Who?"

"You. I saved you from Edward."

A long silence grew between them as the implications of his words sank in. Maybe he didn't have to tell her that he loved her. Maybe she'd understand on her own. If he believed in the curse, then it wasn't a choice for him-he was destined to love her.

"Tell me one of those stories," she said.

Sean groaned. "I'm not good with the stories. Brendan is the best. And Brian tells a pretty good tale. I'll just mess it up."

"Try," she said. She bit his neck playfully. "If you tell me a story; I'll give you ten kisses."

"Ten? I'll settle for twenty."

"Fifteen," she said. "Fifteen very long, deep, wet kisses for one story. It's a fair price. You're not going to get a better deal anywhere else."

Sean didn't have any intention of shopping around. He liked the way Laurel kissed. "I'll tell you a story about a merrow named Duana. A merrow is like a mermaid. Very beautiful. Mermen aren't seen often, but in ancient Ireland, the merrows often took mortals as their lovers. There are some Irish families who actually believe they descend from the merrows." He paused. "I want a down payment."

Laurel giggled and then kissed him, putting everything she had into it, seducing him with her lips and her tongue, pressing her naked body against his. "Go on," she said when she finished.

"Duana, like the other merrows, dressed in a cloak made of sealskin, and when she wrapped herself in her cloak, she could swim in the deepest, coldest water, just like a seal. But to walk on land, she had to leave her cloak at the edge of the water. This was dangerous. If a mortal found a merrow's cloak, then he had power over her and she couldn't return to the sea. This is what happened with Duana. One day, Kelan Quinn, a poor fisherman, found her cloak and took it, thinking that it might keep him warm in the damp winters of Ireland. He knew that it was a valuable cloak and so he hid it well in the thatched roof of his cottage for safekeeping until winter came."

"If a merrow doesn't go back to the sea, will she die?"

Sean frowned. "I don't think so. Conor would probably know. I think they just long for the sea because it's their home. Many farmers and fishermen wanted to trap a merrow because merrows are very rich. They have chests of gold and silver and jewels that they've taken from shipwrecks. But Kelan didn't know that he'd taken the cloak of a merrow. And when a beautiful woman appeared at his door the next day, he let her inside.