Page 34 of Savage Promises

“Of course.” Ma smiles. “And she’s Shea Quinlan now. Don’t forget it.”

“Aye.” I sit taller, even prouder to be a Quinlan. Our cousin Trace married the only daughter of the former mob king, Fergus O’Rourke.

After we finish our coffee and say goodbye to my mother, I walk Lennox to her car.

“You okay to drive? Ma is a bit heavy-handed with the whiskey in those coffees.” I lean in and wish she’d let me test her blood alcohol level by kissing her.

“I’m no stranger to coffee and Jameson,” Lennox reports back, sounding sharp.

I shove my hands into my pockets to brace against thechill. “Where is your apartment by the way?”

“Brooklyn. It’s...one of Rafael’s apartments.”

As much as I want a deep dive into Rafael Marchant and what the story is behind their relationship, other than he travels a lot, I’m sure I’ll see something I won’t like. Like maybe she’s crazy about the guy and is playing it cool. Protecting him.

I let the crisp evening air cool down my rage.

“What about you?” Lennox asks, playing with her car keys. “Where do you live these days?”

“Lower East Side. Brownstone.”

She scoffs. “Hello, million-dollar crib.”

“Something like that.” That’s not even the tip of the iceberg.

Lennox clears her throat. “I hope Neve will enjoy living there.”

We stare, the unsaid truth blaring silently.

She won’t.

Iwon’t either, not with Neve.

And especially not when I feel this way about Lennox. With the faint scent of a coming rainstorm, I help my future sister-in-law to her car. An older model Mercedes.

“You keeping this tank maintained?” I ask, knowing how expensive these foreign models can run for maintenance.

She bristles, crossing her arms. “I got it covered, Quinlan.”

I step closer, unable to help myself. “You deserve better, Donnelly.”

She holds her throat. “Not everyone has a rich father who hands out a fleet of luxury cars to his sons, Shane.”

When my face falls, she’s practically hugging me, her arms everywhere. “God, I’m sorry. Your da. I forgot for a moment. He’s still so present.”

“It’s okay.” I draw her in. “Now, why don’t you let mehave someone I know look at that Benz, or better yet, send you a new one? It’s part of the family deal.”

“Nice try,” she cuts me off, her tone sharp as a blade again. “I can take care of my own car.”

The tension between us thickens. The unspoken words hang like the murky moon. It has me thinking, fuck it. I reach for her cheek, brushing a strand of hair away. Her skin is soft, and the way her breath hitches has me shaking like I’ve never touched a woman before.

It’s not supposed to be anything more than a goodbye kiss on the cheek. But my lips catch hers, and for a moment, everything disappears.

We stand frozen, the edges of our lips continuing to touch, aching for more, and the world narrows to just Lennox. Her warmth, her scent, the way she melts against me before pulling back.

“Shane, we can’t,” she whispers, her voice trembling.

There’s no clarification. We both know what’s happening. How the attraction is exploding between us.

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