Free The Mighty Quinns: Rourke by Kate Hoffmann

and faster.
    Annie felt her body betray her, felt her fingertips and toes begin to tingle. When the spasms shook her body, they took her by surprise and she couldn’t stop herself. But as if he was waiting for a sign, Rourke pulled her hips against his and thrust once more before following her over the edge.
    It seemed to go on forever and when Annie could finally think rationally again, she found herself oddly frightened. How would she ever do without this? How could she sleep in this bed alone and not want him here with her, driving her to the edges of desire, possessing her body and her soul?
    She had dealt with so much loss in her life, yet all of it had been out of her control. But this was one thing she could control. If she wanted him to stay, she could ask him to stay. Every night could be like this night.

4
    T HE STORM WAS winding down outside. The wind was merely a breeze now and the rain had stopped hours ago. After another round of incredible sex, they fixed dinner together.
    Rourke had opened the shutters, but once the sun went down, the inside of the cottage was cast in the soft light from the oil lamps. Annie was curled up in her chair next to the fire, reading a book of Whitman’s poetry out loud as he finished the dinner dishes.
    It was nearly midnight, but neither one of them was thinking about sleep. In truth, Rourke didn’t want to sleep. If this was the last night they spent together, he wanted to enjoy every minute of it.
    He glanced over his shoulder at Annie, snuggled up beneath a crocheted throw, her hands kept warm by fingerless gloves. There were so many things he wanted to say to her, yet he was afraid he’d scare her off. If he’d learned anything over the past two days, he knew when to speak and when to hold his tongue.
    He’d have to wait until she asked him to stay another night. She’d asked him not to leave but that had been heat of the moment. He worried that if he made the offer to stay now, she’d balk. Her brow would furrow and she’d give him a suspicious look, then explain once again that he would be leaving the island once he finally left her bed.
    “The weather’s looking better,” he said, folding the dish towel and setting it next to the sink.
    “These storms usually blow themselves out after a couple days.”
    “I noticed that some of the shingles had come off your roof. I’m thinking I’ll run into town tomorrow and get some materials so I can patch your roof. You wouldn’t want it to leak.”
    She slowly closed her book. “I thought you’d be leaving in the morning.”
    “And I’m thinking I might stick around a little longer,” Rourke said. He held his breath, waiting for her response. But to his surprise, she merely shrugged.
    “Suit yourself.”
    “I kind of wanted to see if your seal comes back tomorrow.”
    “She will,” Annie said, opening the book again.
    Rourke rubbed his hands together, then walked over to the door, peering out the window into the darkness. They’d been cooped up in the cabin for forty-eight hours. He was beginning to get a little restless.
    “So what do you do to entertain yourself?” he asked. “I mean, if I wasn’t here to entertain you, what would you be doing right now?”
    “I read.” She held up her book. “Sometimes I write poetry or songs. I sketch. And paint. I sew. I have a loom in the parlor and during the summer, I weave. I garden and take walks in the summer. There’s plenty to do.”
    He shook his head. “And you don’t ever get bored?” Rourke crossed the room and sat down across from her in the wooden rocker. Bending forward, he braced his elbows on his knees. “The one thing I’d miss is my music.”
    “Don’t you have one of those iPod things?” she asked.
    “Yeah, but that doesn’t compare to the sound system I had in my apartment.”
    With a sigh, she dropped her book on the hearth and stood up. “Grab that lantern. If you want music, I’ll get you music.”
    She opened the door and they