Reunited

by Kate Hoffmann

  "You asked for it," Keely accused, still twisting against him. She arched her hips into his, rubbing up against the erection that had grown the moment she started her little striptease. "And I'd say you enjoyed it."

  "And what do you enjoy, Keely?" He dipped his head to her breast and covered her nipple with his mouth, wetting the thin satin fabric of her bra. Then he pulled back and blew on the spot until her nipple peaked against the cold. "Do you enjoy that?"

  She continued to twist against him, but Rafe noticed a marked decrease in her effort. "Let me go," she demanded.

  Rafe caught both her wrists in one hand, then ran his hand along the length of her body. When he reached her panties, he delved beneath the scrap of satin and lace and touched the damp crease between her legs. "What about this?" he asked, drawing his finger against her again, probing deeper. Keely drew a ragged breath, then sighed softly.

  "Tell me you want that," Rafe said. "Tell me you want me to make you come."

  She turned her face away, refusing to answer him, but when he touched her again, she arched up against his hand. Rafe released his grip on her hands at the same time he began a gentle assault on her moist core. He watched her face as he touched her, watched the expression of intense concentration and pure pleasure as he brought her closer and closer.

  When she stiffened and held her breath, Rafe slowed his seduction, wanting to draw her orgasm out, make it more powerful. And then she moaned his name once and collapsed into spasms of pleasure, her breath coming in deep gasps, her body trembling in response.

  Rafe brought her down slowly, his hand wet with her desire. Again, she turned her face into his chest, refusing to look at him. Though he'd wanted to prove a point, Rafe suddenly regretted his choice of methods. He pushed back until he could look down into her face. And when he did, his heart twisted. A tear trickled down Keely's cheek and came to rest near her ear.

  He rolled off of her and stood beside the sofa, suddenly realizing the impact of what he'd done. "Keely, I-"

  "Don't say anything." She struggled to climb off the sofa, then bent to pick up her clothes from the floor. "I'm going to bed. You might want to think about sleeping with one eye open at all times, because the first chance I get, I'm out of here."

  Rafe winced when the bedroom door slammed. He flopped back down on the sofa and covered his eyes with his arm. He knew what he'd done to her, humiliating her by turning her own desire against her. But when it came to Keely Quinn, he couldn't seem to think straight. His emotions always took control, overriding his logic and common sense.

  She was right. He had kidnapped her and there was every chance a case against him would hold up in court. But he just needed the time to make her understand his side of the story, to make her see how much he…needed her.

  "Oh, hell," he murmured. He might as well admit the truth because it was right in front of his eyes. He hadn't brought her here to convince her of anything. He'd brought her here because he was afraid to let her go, afraid that he'd never see her again. He'd fallen in love with Keely Quinn. And there wasn't anything he could do about it.

  KEELY SNUGGLED beneath the thick down comforter, pulling it up to cover her cold nose. The morning light filtered through pretty country-style curtains and she tried to guess what time it was.

  She'd tossed and turned restlessly for most of the night, listening to the wind rattle the windows. After exhaustion finally overwhelmed the chaos in her head, she drifted off, but her sleep was plagued with fitful dreams. She should hate Rafe for what he'd done to her, but, in truth, she'd taken every ounce of pleasure he'd given her and savored it. True and uninhibited passion had always been elusive in her previous relationships with men. But with Rafe, all it took was one caress to break down her inhibitions. Goodbye, Catholic schoolgirl. Hello, nymphomaniac.

  Even now, after all she knew about his plans to destroy her family, she still couldn't control her desire for him. It was like a drug, insidious and addictive, destroying her self-control. Keely was certain if she looked for a lifetime, there would never be another man like him, a man who could make her ache with desire just by looking at him. Instead, she'd be left to compare each man who stumbled into her future with Rafe Kendrick and what they'd shared in the past.

  A soft knock sounded at her bedroom door and Keely sat up, clutching the comforter to her nearly naked body. "I'm awake," she called out.

  Rafe slowly pushed the door open, then stepped inside. He held out a pair of oversize boots as if they were a peace offering. "I thought you might want to use the outhouse," he said. "I shoveled a path."

  Keely nodded. "Thank you. Are you going to accompany me or can I go on my own?"

  "You can go on your own," Rafe said. "And I've filled the bathtub for you. It's in the kitchen when you're ready." He turned and walked out the door.

  Keely jumped out of bed and quickly pulled on her clothes, then slipped her bare feet into the warmly lined boots. She clomped out into the living room and found her jacket, then hurried outside.

  The snow that had begun on their arrival had continued through the night and the windblown drifts blocked the driveway and nearly buried one side of Rafe's car. Fat flakes still fell, so thick that she could barely see the outhouse or the end of the drive. She dismissed an impulse to run up to the road and flag down a passing car. Rafe would see her from the cabin window long before a car came by.

  When she reached the outhouse, she slowly opened the door, checking for wild animals before she stepped inside. The keys were still at the bottom of the hole and she wondered how difficult it might be to fish them out. If she was successful, she could hop into his car and drive away right now.

  But even if she could find a stick or something long enough to use, the task would take time and a strong stomach. And Rafe would come looking for her after she was gone for more than a few minutes. And with the drifts as high as they were, she'd probably get stuck before she even reached the road. Maybe she ought to resign herself to listening to his story. Once she did, he'd take her home and that would be the end of it.

  "The end of it," Keely murmured.

  Is that what she really wanted? To walk away from Rafe Kendrick and never see him again? She had to make a choice. Once her father and brothers made the connection between their troubles and Rafe's manipulation, they'd hate him forever. And Rafe already hated the Quinns. No doubt, she'd be caught in the middle of a terrible tug-of-war if she didn't make a decision. But then that was assuming she had a future with Rafe. She'd be better off putting her money on a future with the Quinns.

  Keely quickly finished her business in the outhouse, then ran back down the path. When she got inside the cabin, she kicked off the boots and slowly walked into the kitchen. "It's still snowing out there," she called.

  Rafe held a bucket in his hand and slowly dumped steaming water into an old-fashioned copper bathtub. The tub looked so inviting, the hot water a chance to chase away the early morning chill. But she would have to take her bath out in the open. She wondered if this was another one of his games.

  "I hope this is all right. The tub came with the cabin. I think it's probably an antique. I built a shower in the back, but it's kind of cold and drafty. And I remembered that you liked baths." He poured another bucket into the tub, then stepped back. "That should do it." He pointed to the counter beside the sink. "Soap, shampoo, and towels. And there's a bucket here for rinsing. You can just fill it from the sink. I'll just be in the other room if you need anything."

  This wasn't a game. "Thank you," Keely murmured, surprised by the generous gesture. She shrugged out of her jacket. "You can stay if you want. It's not like you haven't seen it all before. And you can fetch more hot water for me." She started to strip out of her clothes and was surprised when Rafe turned his back to her as she did.

  When she was completely naked, she slipped beneath the steaming water, sinking down until it touched her chin. "Oh, this is wonderful." She closed her eyes and tipped her head back against the edge of th
e tub. A long silence grew between them and Keely opened one eye to find Rafe staring at her, an uneasy expression on his face. "Would you like to tell me now?"

  "Tell you?"

  "About your father."

  "Are you willing to listen? With an open mind?"

  Keely met his gaze. "I'll do my best."

  Rafe grabbed a chair from the table and pulled it closer to the tub, then sat down. He braced his elbows on his knees and hunched over, silently contemplating what he was going to say. After a long while, he finally spoke.

  "I remember the day that they came to the house to tell us my father was dead. They'd radioed in from the boat and the local sheriff came to break the news. We didn't know any details, but later, after the boat had come in, some of my dad's friends came by and explained how my dad got caught in the line and dragged under. From that moment on, I suspected it wasn't the truth. My father didn't make stupid mistakes like that."

  Rafe went on, telling Keely about the aftermath of his father's death, the funeral, his mother's emotional breakdowns, the insurance money that seemed to evaporate in the face of Lila's medical bills. "When I was a teenager, my mother was rattling on and on about my father's death and she mentioned something about Seamus Quinn and murder. At first, I thought she was just delusional, but I was curious. I never forgot what she said, and when I got older and had a little more money, I started to do some investigating. A few months ago, I finally tracked down one of the crew members who was on that run with my father. And he told me what really happened on the Mighty Quinn."

  Keely listened closely as the rest of the story unfolded. Rafe told it in a cold, unemotional voice, as if he were recalling the death of a stranger rather than his own father. When he finished, he released a long breath. "So you can see why I have to know what happened. My father's death changed my life-it made me the person I am today. And sometimes I don't like that person very much. There's this…rage that I can't seem to get rid of. If I finally know the truth, then maybe I can let it go."

  "Even though it means ruining another man's life?" Keely asked.

  "If he wasn't your father, would you feel the same way, Keely?"

  Keely considered his point and was forced to concede. In any other case, she'd be behind him one-hundred percent. "Probably not. But the fact is Seamus is my father. And if you get what you want, I may never know him."

  "When I started this, I wanted revenge. But now I just want the truth. If you can understand that, Keely, then I'll understand if you have to side with your family."

  Keely nodded, then reached out her hand. "Shampoo."

  Rafe stood up from the chair and grabbed the bottle. Keely slid down beneath the water to wet her hair, then popped back up. She waited for Rafe to hand her the shampoo, but instead he stood behind her and began to wash her hair himself.

  "I don't believe my father is capable of murder," she said. "I know him. It's not possible. And nothing you say to me is going to make me believe that."

  "I hope you're right," Rafe said as he lathered her hair.

  Keely closed her eyes again and relaxed into the luxurious feel of his fingers in her hair. Though the feeling was incredibly sensual, the task was ordinary and it made her feel closer to Rafe than she ever had making love to him.

  "I'm sorry about last night," he murmured.

  "I know you are."

  Keely tipped her head back and Rafe rinsed her hair. Then he set the bucket down and wiped his hands on his jeans. "Well, I guess I should get things cleaned up around here. The plow should be coming soon to clear the drive and I'm sure you want to get back to Boston."

  "How are we going to get back? We don't have any car keys."

  He turned and reached into the kitchen cupboard, then withdrew a key ring. "I always keep an extra set up here. Just in case."

  Keely couldn't help but smile. "And I was actually trying to figure out a way to retrieve the keys from the outhouse." She paused, playing with a mound of soap bubbles near her shoulder. Now that Rafe was ready to take her home, Keely wasn't sure she wanted to go. Somewhere, deep in her heart, she knew that this might be the last time she and Rafe would see each other.

  He was right. She had to make a choice-either him or her family. But she wasn't ready to make that choice just yet. If they left now, she'd have a few more hours with him and that would be it. Keely closed her eyes. Now or later, it wouldn't make much difference.

  "Good," Keely said. "I'm going to be glad to get back to Boston."

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  RAFE STOMPED his feet on the rug just inside the door, noting that his ankle only gave him a twinge of pain now. He carefully balanced the load of firewood in his arms as he kicked off his boots. Peering over the top of the wood, he found Keely where he had left her an hour ago. She was curled up on the sofa in front of the fireplace with a book she'd found-his dog-eared copy of Dickens's Great Expectations.

  "The snow hasn't let up," Rafe said. "The roads are probably pretty bad. But we should be plowed out soon."

  "It's going to be dark soon. If you hadn't thrown your phone away, you could have called and found out when he'd be here."

  Rafe nodded. "Right." He wasn't going to tell her that he had a cell phone in his coat pocket in case of a real emergency. A drifted driveway wasn't worth a phone call. The more time he had with Keely the better.

  Keely lowered her book to her lap, then turned to him. "Maybe we should just plan to stay," she said. "After all, it's New Year's Eve. It might be nice to ring in the new year in the peace and quiet of the north woods, away from everything going on in Boston."

  Rafe was happy that she'd come to that conclusion on her own. If he'd suggested it, she probably would have fought him all the way. "There's food in the refrigerator. And I think I've got a bottle of champagne around here somewhere from last New Year's Eve."

  "Leftover from one of your other kidnap victims?" Keely asked, one eyebrow arched.

  "No. I've never brought a woman here before. You're the first." The smile faded from her face and her gaze shifted back to her book. Rafe cleared his throat. "I was thinking of taking a walk. Would you like to come with me?"

  Keely shook her head. "I don't have any boots. Remember? You burned them up in the fireplace?"

  He glanced over at the rug near the door. "You could wear those."

  "I can't walk very well in those."

  "We'll walk slowly. And I have a down jacket you can wear and a decent hat. You'll be warm, I promise. And we won't go far."

  "All right," Keely said. "I could use some fresh air."

  Rafe was glad for the company. Besides, if this day was their last together, then he was going to do all he could to make it memorable. He bent down and helped her put the boots on, then tied the laces tightly until her feet were secure inside. Then he helped her slip into his old down jacket. To top it off, Rafe pushed a plaid hat on her head, complete with earflaps.

  "I bet I look beautiful in this getup," Keely said.

  He stared down at her, fighting the urge to pull her into his arms and kiss her. "You always look beautiful."

  "Let's go," she murmured.

  The wind had died down, but snowflakes still drifted between the trees as they broke a pathway to the lake. The woods were perfectly quiet and, for once, Rafe felt as if the world had slowed down enough for them to relax. "I'm sorry I can't get you back to Boston today," he said.

  Keely shrugged. "I'm a little nervous about what's going to happen when I get there. I guess I could use an extra day to figure out how I'm going to do this. It's so easy standing on the outside looking in. I know who I am and I know who they are. But to them I'm just going to be some stranger trying to barge into their lives. I'm worried about how they're going to react."

  "Just barf on their shoes and they'll fall in love with you," Rafe said.

  She glanced over at him and smiled winsomely. "Will they? I mean, just because we're family doesn't mean they have to accept me. I'm always going to be an outsider. I
don't share the same memories as they do." She stopped walking and stared out at the lake. "And I'm afraid they might blame me."

  "For not telling them sooner?"

  "No. For making my mother leave."

  "How is that even possible? You weren't born when your mother walked out."

  "But I was the reason," Keely explained. "When she found out she was pregnant with me, she took off. If it hadn't been for me, she would have stayed."

  Rafe reached out and tucked a windblown strand of hair beneath her hat. There were times when all he wanted to do was drag her into his arms and kiss away her worries. When she talked about her family, she seemed so vulnerable. "You can't blame yourself, Keely. I used to think it was my fault that my mother had her mental problems. Because I wasn't able to replace my dad. Because she didn't feel safe with me taking care of her. But her problems weren't my fault any more than your mother's choice to walk out on her family was your fault."

  "Still, it's going to be hard telling them. I keep imagining their reactions. Dead silence would be horrible. If they don't believe me at all, I don't know what I'll do. They could yell at me." She brought a hand to her throat. "But I have proof." She pulled her necklace out from beneath her sweater, the necklace she'd worn since the very first time he'd made love to her. "My mother gave this to me. It's a claddagh. An Irish symbol of love and fidelity. My mother says Seamus will recognize it."

  "Are you going to tell him first?" Rafe asked.

  She shook her head, then slipped the necklace back beneath her sweater. "I don't think so. I think I'll tell one of my brothers and get his reaction before breaking the news to Seamus."

  "And I suppose you're going to tell them about me," Rafe said.

  Keely nodded. "I am. I think they need to know. Maybe it will help."

  "It will be the end of us," Rafe said.