Yours at Midnight Read Online Free PDF Page A

seconds.
    Her brothers shook hands with Quinn. Her sister got up and hugged him, then pointed at the kids and introduced them one by one.
    Lyric couldn’t watch. She didn’t want to see the look on Quinn’s face when he took in her family. She sank deeper into the couch and picked the lint off her black pants. Her mother and sisters-in-law swept in with greetings and a tray of hors d’oeuvres.
    Now would be a good time for a latent concussion to strike so she could excuse herself. Or she could just slip away. Since Lyric was the youngest of four and spouse-free, no one would probably even notice she’d left.
    “Hey,” came a deep, sexy, entirely annoying voice.
    The couch dipped and someone—someone who smelled really good—almost brushed his leg against hers as he got comfortable.
    Her breath caught. “Hi.” And damned if she didn’t peek at him without meaning to. Despite the conflicting feelings swirling around inside her, she wanted Quinn to touch her again. Like that . She hated that she’d always been drawn to him because of the attention—even unwanted—he gave her.
    Tomorrow. Tomorrow she’d call a girlfriend and make plans to go to a bar next week. She needed to flirt and have fun. She needed to take steps toward her resolution.
    Quinn wore a dark green button down shirt, his fawn-colored hair was neatly combed, his jaw was clean-shaven. Damn him. He looked more handsome than she ever remembered. He smiled—the kind of smile that made a girl’s toes curl.
    No, no, no.
    “How are you?” he asked.
    “Good.”
    “Still pissed at me?”
    “Yes.”
    “I’m sorry.”
    She turned her head. The sincerity in his eyes caught her off guard. She wanted to drown in their depths and remember only the good parts of their relationship. The time he’d picked her up in the pouring rain when her car had broken down. His way with words when he wanted to be sweet. The love letters. God, she hadn’t thought about them in forever.
    The time he’d made love to her so that she forgot everyone and everything but the two of them.
    “For what exactly?” she asked.
    “A lot of things.” His knee grazed hers. He nodded toward the kids. “The family’s grown.”
    Lyric rushed to her feet. “I need to help in the kitchen.”
    In her haste to escape, she tripped over a scattering of Max’s Lego’s, fell, and bumped her chin on the coffee table.
    In less than five seconds, concerned family members surrounded her. But it was Quinn who brushed the hair out of her embarrassed face. The contact sent quivers through her that were totally inappropriate in present company. In any company, actually.
    “I’m fine. I’m fine.” She waved everyone off.
    “Jesus, sis, where’s the fire?” Hank asked.
    “Jar, Dad,” Hank Jr. said from in between his dad’s legs.
    Lyric cracked up. And couldn’t stop. Hank Jr. didn’t miss a thing. Pretty soon uncontrollable laughter filled the entire room. She couldn’t remember the last time they’d all laughed so hard. She caught Quinn’s brown sugar eyes on her. They sparkled like there was a galaxy of stars behind them just for her, and she knew, knew, at that moment, that the plans she’d carefully laid out were about to change again.
    Because honestly, no girl could resist a look like that.
    “Aunt Ric,” Joey said, the giggles finally subsiding, “do you need a Band-Aid?”
    “That’s very sweet of you to ask, but I don’t think so.”
    “If you change your mind, I know where they are and I can get you one.” Joey beamed up at his mom. Ella patted his head, pride written all over her face.
    Max stepped over a pile of Legos and wrapped his arms around her neck. He placed a kiss so tender on her chin, she thought she might die. “Better?”
    “Much.” She wrapped him in a bear hug and didn’t ever want to let go.
    For the next half hour she was spared from any interaction with Quinn while her family asked him a gazillion questions about New York, his work, his