The mighty Quinns: Liam - By Kate Hoffmann Page 0,30

As he’d told Sean, all he had to do was ask and he’d have his answer. But as he walked toward Ellie’s apartment, he realized that after he had his answer, the questions would only become more complicated. Right now Ellie was a beautiful woman, bright, sexy, funny. He’d known his fair share of women and they all possessed similar qualities, but Ellie had them in a unique combination.

But what was it that made her different? Was it the secrets she kept? Had Liam found her attractive because, for once in his life, he couldn’t read a woman’s thoughts? There were moments when he wished he could strip away everything, like peeling away layers of clothes. The closer they got to intimacy, the closer he got to the truth.

Liam glanced over his shoulder as he crossed the street to her apartment. If he crossed that bridge, he might never come back. It was clear from the intensity of the kisses they’d shared that he and Ellie would be incredible together. Even now he could imagine the feel of her skin beneath his hands, the weight of her body on top of his, and the heat that would race through his blood when he was inside her. If he tasted that, there might be no going back.

He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed her number, then stared up at the third-floor windows. When she answered, he caught himself grinning. “Hey, there.”

“Hi,” Ellie said.

Liam imagined her face, the tiny smile curling her lips, her eyes bright. “What are you doing?”

“Working on cover letters, reading the want ads. I made a few calls to some headhunters about jobs in Washington, D.C., and Chicago.”

Liam’s jaw went tight at her comment. He didn’t want to think that she’d be walking out of his life as quickly as she’d walked in. “Why don’t you forget about that and come out with me?”

“Where are we going?” Ellie asked.

“I don’t know. I thought, since you’re new to the city, I’d show you the sights of Boston. I’ll pick you up in ten or fifteen seconds. Be ready.”

He switched the phone off, then took the front steps to her building two at a time. When he’d buzzed her apartment, she’d unlocked her door and was waiting for him on the third-floor landing. She wore a faded pair of jeans and a bulky wool sweater. Her dark hair was tied back in a pretty scarf, and though she wore very little makeup, she still managed to look gorgeous.

“Where were you?” Ellie asked.

“Out front,” Liam said, jogging up the stairs. Without even thinking, he grabbed her around the waist and gave her a quick kiss, their tongues touching for an instant and the taste of her going straight to his head.

“You’re a pretty confident guy, aren’t you?” she murmured, pressing her palms against his chest.

“No one can resist my charm,” Liam teased. “Get your jacket. It’s raining.”

She disappeared inside the apartment, but Liam decided to stay in the hall. The urge to spend the afternoon necking on her sofa would be too much to resist. When she reappeared, she’d pulled a rain hat over her head and bundled herself in a jacket. She handed him her umbrella as she zipped up her jacket.

“We won’t need the umbrella,” he said.

“Let’s walk. I want to go see that pointy thing and it’s a perfect day for a walk.”

“It’s raining,” Liam said.

“I was reading this book last night called Experience Your Life. It was all about living for the moment. A walk in the rain can be refreshing.”

“It’s wet,” Liam said.

“It can cleanse the soul. Everyone needs their soul cleansed now and then.”

“All right,” Liam said, figuring his soul could use a decent bath. “We’ll go to the pointy thing, which just happens to be the very famous Bunker Hill monument.”

“That’s even better. We’ll get some history with our walk.”

Liam grabbed her hand and tucked it in the crook of his arm as they started in the direction of Monument Square, a place he’d visited countless times as a Boston schoolboy. But they’d just reached the other side of the street when he remembered his camera. The light was unusual, the sun filtering through the haze every now and then, and the rain shimmered off the pavement, exactly the kinds of conditions for a great photo. “Wait here,” he said. “I’m going to run back to get my camera.”

He turned and jogged to his car, then retrieved one of his