The Mighty Quinns: Eli by Kate Hoffmann

legs on either side of his hips before he began a slow, lazy exploration of her body. Her T-shirt came off after only a few moments and the feel of the summer breeze on her naked body made every sensation more intense.
    Eli drew her closer, nuzzling her breast before teasing at the nipple with his tongue. Lucy wondered why she’d been so afraid of this, so determined to push him away. There was nothing wrong with enjoying the physical attraction between them.
    He shifted, his hard shaft pressing against the damp spot between her thighs. Suddenly, she couldn’t wait any longer. There was no need for seduction. Lucy knew exactly what she wanted and she was determined to have it.
    She reached down and hooked her fingers around the waistband of his boxers, then slowly drew them down along his hips. When he kicked them aside, she found the condom and tore open the packet.
    Eli closed his eyes as she smoothed the latex over his shaft. A moment later, she moved above him until his erection pressed at her warm entrance. Grasping her hips, Eli gently guided her down on top of him, drawing her closer until he was buried deep inside her.
    As she began to move, Lucy realized this was more than just a physical attraction. She’d never experienced anything so perfect, so right. Eli was sweet and sexy, but he was also a man who accepted her exactly the way she was.
    The pleasure began to build deep inside her, but this time, she wasn’t afraid to let go. With Eli, she didn’t feel vulnerable. She didn’t want to hide her emotions. She wanted him to see her surrender, to know that he was giving her what other men hadn’t.
    Lucy pressed her hands against his chest and tipped her head back, pleasure pulsing through her body with each stroke. But when Eli reached between them and touched her, she was lost. Every nerve in her body tingled, every ounce of her attention was focused on the spot where they were joined.
    And then it hit her, powerful spasms that rocked her body, coursing through her like an electrical current and leaving her skin flushed and her nerves tingling. Somewhere in the midst of her release, he’d joined her, and as Lucy drifted down to reality, she opened her eyes and watched Eli do the same.
    Lucy collapsed against his chest. “Why did you come back to me?” she asked.
    â€œI just wanted to talk to you. I needed to hear your voice.”
    â€œThat’s it?”
    â€œNo, but the rest can wait,” he said.
    â€œTell me,” Lucy insisted.
    â€œWell, I just found out that I may or may not have inherited a million dollars. And that the man I thought was my father maybe isn’t my father at all, and my real father could actually be alive.”
    Lucy frowned. “You could just admit you missed me.”
    â€œAll right. I missed you. And there was no way I wanted to leave things the way we did yesterday.”
    She laughed. “A millionaire?”
    â€œIt’s a very long and complicated story and I’ll explain it later.”
    She leaned closer and dropped a kiss on his lips. “I want to hear all about it.”
    They spent the entire day together and never put all of their clothes back on. After a morning in bed, they spread a blanket in the grass in front of the cabin, and had a picnic lunch. Then they planted a few more rows of vegetables in her garden before returning to the bed for a nap.
    But a day was all she’d allow herself. The project had to come first.
    So he left that night. She kissed him goodbye and made him promise that he’d return in a month. As he walked away, four weeks apart seemed an impossible thought to Lucy. And yet, it had to be her reality, at least until next April.
    Â 

4
    August
    T HE CALL HAD come at 3:00 a.m. Annalise drove over from her house and woke Eli from a deep and dreamless sleep. Lucy Parker had missed her weekly check-in with the producers and they were worried something had happened to her.
    In