The Mighty Quinns: Kellan. Kate Hoffmann

testing the limits of his control. He was hard. She could feel it. But Kellan had other ideas.

      “Go to sleep,” he murmured.

      “I’ve been sleeping all day,” Gelsey replied.

      “I haven’t. And we have a busy day ahead of us tomorrow.”

      “What are we doing?”

      “I have no idea. But I’m sure we’ll have fun. I suspect it will require a lot of energy, though.”

      Gelsey smiled to herself and snuggled a little closer. She didn’t need to hear anything else. She had another day and maybe another night to spend in this world, with this man. And that was all she really wanted.

      “You can’t resist me forever,” she said.

      “I can’t?”

      “No,” she whispered. There’d come a moment when he’d ache for the touch of her hand or the feel of her mouth on his body. And then, she’d give him what he’d given her … sweet, shattering release. And after that—they’d see what happened. Right now, the possibilities seemed endless.

      KELLAN ROLLED OVER in bed, stretching his arms over his head. His legs were tangled in the bed linens and he kicked them aside, then reached out to Gelsey. But the opposite side of the bed was cold and empty. He sat up and drew a deep breath. The soft sound of her voice drifted in through the open door. It sounded as if she was talking on the phone.

      Kellan glanced over at the clock on the bedside table. It was just past 5:00 a.m. and dawn was still hours away. Swinging his legs over the edge of the bed, Kellan stood and tiptoed to the door. A floorboard creaked beneath his feet and he paused, waiting to see if she’d noticed.

      “Really,” Gelsey whispered. “I’m fine. I’m safe. I’m with friends. I just didn’t want you to worry.”

      After a long silence, she spoke again. “Yes, I have everything I need for now.”

      Who was she speaking to? It sounded like a parent. But maybe it was a boyfriend. Or a husband.

      “I—I lost my mobile,” Gelsey said. “If Antonio calls again, tell him … tell him that …” She cursed softly. “Just put him off. Don’t tell him anything.” She paused again. “All right. I know you do. Take care.”

      He heard her set the phone back into the cradle. By the time she returned to the bed, his eyes were closed and the sheets pulled up around his waist. She sank down beside him and a moment later, he felt the warmth from her naked body against his. Kellan wrapped his arms around her and nuzzled his face into the curve of her neck.

      “Are you awake?” she whispered.

      “I wasn’t … until now. Where were you?”

      “Bathroom,” she lied. Gelsey shuddered and wriggled back against him, her backside nestled into his lap. “I’m so cold. I just can’t seem to stay warm.”

      It was a blatant invitation to touch her, to run his hands over her bare skin. Kellan considered his options. Why even bother to resist, he mused. She was offering herself to him without any conditions. Why not enjoy her company while she was here? He reached out and smoothed his hand over her shoulder, pushing her hair aside until he could kiss the curve of her neck.

      The warmth of his lips on her skin was enough to get him aroused again, enough to make him forget all his doubts about who she was and where she came from. In truth, the mystery about this woman made it even more exciting, more dangerous.

      She turned to face him and almost immediately, her mouth found his. She kissed him without any hesitation, her tongue tangling with his as he pulled her beneath his naked body. Everything about her was perfect, her long, slender limbs, her pale silken skin, the addictive taste of her lips….

      Kellan groaned as she slid her leg up along his hip, his growing erection cradled at the juncture of her thighs. It would be so simple to just slip inside her and he ached to join in this way, to share such an intimate connection.

      He hadn’t planned on unplanned sex. Part of the reason he’d focused on her earlier was that he wasn’t really sure he had any condoms with him. He usually kept a box in the side pocket of his duffel, but he’d put his emptied bag in the boot of his car to get it out of the way.

      Gelsey pressed her palm to his chest. Kellan was sure she could feel his heart slamming against it. He’d always had such control around women, trying to figure out what they wanted, and what he was willing to surrender to get what he wanted. It was like a chess game, only with naked bodies and unsatisfied desires.

      But he didn’t want to think now. He just wanted to feel. And when Gelsey ran her palm between them, then wrapped her fingers around his shaft, Kellan closed his eyes and groaned. He didn’t know anything about her, except her name. And one other thing. She could make his body ache like no other women ever had.

      “I need to go get a condom,” he murmured.

      “You don’t keep them in the bedroom?”

      “They’re in my duffel. I think.”

      “Where is your duffel?”

      “In my car.” Cursing softly, Kellan crawled out of bed. This would no doubt prove to her that he wasn’t the smoothest guy on the planet.

      “Aren’t you going to put some clothes on?” she asked.

      He shook his head. “No. That will take too long. I’m just going to make a run for it.” Kellan hurried to the front door, grabbing his keys from the table as he passed. With a squeal of excitement, Gelsey followed him, tugging the quilt off the bed and wrapping it around them both.

      “You don’t have to come with me,” he said. “It’s freezing out there.”