In Too Deep by Sharon Mignerey Read Free Book Online

a little hot that Quinn had filed a request for an injunction to stop the exploratory drilling within a twenty-mile radius around the hydrothermic vent.
    â€œIf you want to play hardball,” Jones had said, “you’ll be getting yourself in way deeper than you can imagine. We will be drilling. Get used to it.”
    Until now, Quinn hadn’t thought that anything about their conversation could be construed as a threat. Was it? He wished he didn’t feel so woozy and out of it, which left him with the feeling that he had overlooked something important.
    Though their professional differences kept them from being close friends, Quinn liked Dwight well enough. They had gone kayaking a couple of times, which had been fine. Ashad their occasional Friday afternoon basketball games on the dock.
    â€œThat’s some mighty deep thinking you appear to be doing there,” Ian said.
    Quinn nodded, meeting the other man’s narrowed gaze. “Just remembering a conversation I had on the ferry yesterday. I’ll check it out.”
    The narrowed gaze became a frown. “You bring trouble to Lily’s door—”
    â€œStop it.” Lily flashed Quinn an apologetic smile. “You’ll have to forgive Ian. He sees a boogeyman behind every bush.”
    â€œThat’s ’cause there were bad mens. Lots of them,” Annmarie piped in.
    â€œAs for those bad men—” Lily said “—that’s behind us, and they’re in prison.” At Quinn’s questioning glance, she added, “I testified in a murder case last spring, the man was convicted and he’s in prison. Since then, Ian has been a little edgy.”
    Quinn caught the other man’s gaze, certain there was a wealth of information that Lily had left out of her light explanation. Ian Stearne didn’t strike him as a man who imagined things. He did strike Quinn has the kind of man who took care of his own, though. Quinn admired that.
    â€œLily’s car is almost identical to mine.” He cleared his throat. “If today wasn’t an accident, it has to do with me…not her.”
    â€œSomething involving Anorak?” Rosie asked. “They’ve made it real plain to the fishermen they expect to begin drilling soon.”
    Quinn knew better than to throw even the most casual of stones before checking his facts. “I don’t know, but like I said, I’ll check on it.”
    â€œEat,” Lily urged. “Our dinner is getting cold, and I’ve had about enough of this. Today was an accident. That’s all.”
    Quinn hoped she was right. He flat-out hated the idea that somebody else’s argument with him could have put Lily orAnnmarie in danger. The quicker he figured out if Anorak or Dwight Jones had anything to do with today, the better.
    Â 
    His name being whispered brought Quinn wide awake.
    After a second of disorientation he remembered where he was. Spending the night with Lily and her family. He really had intended to go home, but instead found himself in Lily’s queen-size bed, while she slept with her daughter.
    He’d watched Lily and Rosie put clean sheets on the bed, but they still smelled like Lily, a scent he liked better by the hour. Long after he’d gone to bed and turned out the light, he had imagined having her in bed with him, naked, hot and willing. She wouldn’t be so worried about waking him at the two-hour intervals that Hilda had prescribed if she knew how unruly his thoughts were.
    He turned his head toward the open doorway. The hall light behind Lily backlit her slim figure. To his disappointment, she was wrapped in some kind of thick bathrobe that prevented the light from revealing a bit of her body.
    â€œWhat time is it?” he asked.
    â€œA little before one.” She came into the room, knotting the sash of the robe more firmly around her waist.
    That meant he’d been asleep not even two hours.
    â€œHow are