“Mom, Dad,” Adam said. “May I present Ms Amy Carter.”
Mrs Quinlan smiled warmly and offered her hand to shake. “How lovely to meet you, dear. Welcome to our home. Please enjoy your evening.”
“Thank you, Mrs Quinlan.” She glanced at Adam’s dad who winked and said hi. “Happy Anniversary to you both,” Amy added.
“Thank you, dear,” Mrs Quinlan said.
Adam started chatting with his dad about a business deal that Quinlan Senior was apparently involved in, leaving Amy grinning inanely at his mother.
“You have a beautiful home,” Amy said, hoping she was saying the right thing.
“Thank you – we built it ourselves from the ground up. Always worked hard, you know.”
“Yes, I can see that.”
“And what do you do?” his mom asked. “Are you a model?”
“Oh no! I’m just an operations director for a London software company which Adam and Dylan are interesting in acquiring.”
Mrs Quinlan grinned slyly. “I don’t think that’s all Adam’s hoping to acquire,” She leaned forward. “I’ve brought up my sons to know how to treat a lady. And I don’t mean holding the door open for her, if you know what I mean?”
Amy stifled her grin. “He’s a very good… man.”
Mrs Quinlan chuckled. “All my sons are good boys. And my daughter is a treasure. My children do me proud. Well, my youngest – Joseph – he’s going through a bit of rebellious stage.”
“Oh really?”
“Yes. He’s not taking his eldest brother’s death well. Are any of us?”
Amy suddenly realised that these people – who were extraordinarily wealthy and successful – still had normal human problems, like everyone else.
“I was very sorry to hear about your loss, Mrs Quinlan. I lost my mother when I was seventeen, but I cannot begin to imagine what it feels like to lose a child.”
Mrs Quinlan swallowed back her tears. “It’s been a terrible time. But I know Ivan would want us to carry on. I wish he were here to talk to Joseph, though. He was the only one who could really get through to him. Look at him over there acting as if he’s a blond Marlon Brando – can you believe it? And a few days ago he informed me that he intends to drop out of college to become a rock star. We’ve all tried talking to him, but he won’t listen.”
Amy glanced towards the drinks table and saw Joseph pouring himself a large whiskey. He noticed that his mother and Amy were looking at him, so he raised his glass to toast them with a cheeky grin. Amy turned back to Mrs Quinlan and chatted with her for a few more minutes, bonding with her over their respective family losses. Mr Quinlan called over to his wife to ask her a question, so her attention was taken away, just as Joseph appeared at Amy?
?s side.
He grinned at her and swigged his whiskey. “Would you care to dance with me, Ms Carter?”
Amy tensed up – was he flirting with her? “Oh, I’m not sure.”
Joseph gently grasped her hand. “Come on, nothing terrible will happen. It’s just fun. I don’t bite.”
Amy smiled and relaxed. A dance would be fun. The band were now playing a sassy jazz number, and Amy could hardly keep her body from swaying on the spot. She glanced at Adam, and saw he was still engrossed in the conversation with his parents, so she nodded, and followed Joseph to the dance floor, where they stood in front of each other slightly awkwardly, like teens at a prom. Joseph, of course, was a teen, albeit only just.
Amy gazed into his lovely blue eyes, which sparkled with mischievousness – just like his brother’s. He was such a charmer. So young, but already undoubtedly a heartbreaker. But there was nothing wrong with having a dance.
Joseph grinned at Amy and she chuckled, enjoying the attention. He raised a sexy eyebrow then yanked off his leather jacket with a flourish, before throwing it to the other side of the dance floor. Amy rolled her eyes, pretending not to be impressed, but actually, there was something captivating about this sweet young man. Maintaining playful eye contact, Joseph reached out and rested a hand on her shoulder, reminding her of his older brother’s orgasmic touch, which sent ripples of joy through her body. He wrapped the other hand around her waist and he gently pulled her forward, so their bodies were almost touching.
“Ready?” he asked.
She nodded. “I think so.”
Joseph ran his fingers from Amy’s shoulder down her arm to hold her hand, then they started to move their feet in time with the music. He danced very well, and Amy was happy to let him lead her around the dance floor, feeling graceful and free. She hadn’t been out dancing for ages, because work always got in the way, and it was wonderful to sway her body and twirl under his arm, frolicking and playing like kids pretending to be adults. As she felt her stiffness unravel, she realised that she probably wouldn’t have done this prior to meeting Adam – not in front of a room full of rich strangers. Adam had sparked something liberating deep within her soul, and she now understood that – even though her orgasms were highly erotic and adult – they were also incredibly childlike. It was like going home to a place she’d been craving all her grown-up life. Dancing and sex were natural and freeing.
Amy grinned, feeling like a little girl chasing butterflies. Joseph chuckled, also enjoying this moment.