Sean's Sweetheart (16 page)

Chapter Forty

A few days later, Talia waited just inside the restaurant for Sean to arrive. He must have really liked the place. Maybe he wanted to replace the sour memory of the last time they'd been here together. The door opened and she turned toward it with a smile. That smile slid right off her face when Claire walked in with Sean. Why would Sean bring Claire here after all she'd said?

Her former best friend flashed her a weak smile and turned to walk back outside.

Sean stepped between Claire and the door and nodded over at Talia. "Talk to her."

Claire turned back toward Talia and chewed her lips nervously before she whispered, "I'm sorry. I never should have said what I said."

No shit.

Talia stared at her for a moment before she spoke. "No, you shouldn't have. As my best friend, you should have supported me, one hundred percent. You shouldn't talk about me behind my back."

"I know. I was wrong." Claire wouldn't make eye contact. She fiddled with her keys and only glanced up at Talia a couple of times.

Talia stepped closer and waited for Claire to look up. "So why are you here?"

Claire smiled at her, tears running down her cheeks. "To say that I was wrong. About what I said. About saying it. About Sean. He came by my place a few days ago and said I was being a damned idiot. Took me a while to realize he was right."

Tears welled up in Talia's eyes at Claire's heartfelt apology. When she couldn't take it anymore, Talia pulled her friend in for a hug. God, how she'd missed Claire. She looked over Claire's shoulder to see Sean smiling at her. She mouthed, "Thank you."

When Claire finally let her go, Talia rewarded Sean with a big kiss. "You didn't have to do that."

"Yeah, I did. I don't want to come between you and the people you care about. Not your family or your friends. You know that, right?"

She nodded and leaned her head against his chest. Sean buried his face in her hair and just held her.

"I'm going to go now. Talk to Claire. Work this out. Okay?" He kissed her softly and walked out.

Claire wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "He really is one of the good guys, isn't he?"

She and Claire still had a lot to work out, but Sean's effort had them talking. Now, if she could just get her dad on board.

Chapter Forty-one

Sean bounded up the steps at Talia's parents' house. Before he got to the door it swung open and Talia rushed out, straight into his arms. Lifting her up into a passionate embrace, Sean covered her mouth with his own. She wrapped her legs around his waist and he carried her into the house, kicking the door closed with his foot before turning and pressing her up against it with hands roaming her body. She was as addictive as any drug. He couldn't get enough of her. Her legs tightened around his hips, she ground herself against him, and he groaned. He deepened the kiss and slid his hand up under her shirt. When she rocked her hips again, Sean broke the kiss and gasped for air. "No one else is home. You wanna go upstairs?" she mumbled against his throat where she was now nipping at the soft skin there. God, did he ever! But he wouldn't. Not here.

"Nope, not in your father's house. I'm not going there. No way, sweetheart." He laughed as he eased her back down so that her feet could touch the floor once again. "We have to meet the realtor in a few minutes, anyway."

After one more kiss, this one much less scorching, Sean led Talia out to the car and they drove over to the realty office. They followed her to the first listing, a newly built brick-front ranch in a subdivision on the outskirts of town.

"Even with upgraded floors, counters, and all the extras, this floor plan would be within the comfort zone price range you gave me," she told Sean as she unlocked the door.

Sean wasn't impressed with the exterior or the lot size. While the realtor was going on and on about the open floor plan and all the natural light coming in through the wall of windows at the back, he was wrinkling his nose at the tiny kitchen with its builder-grade cabinets. It wasn't that it was a bad house. It just felt very middle-aged couple downsizing, to him.

When he shook his head at her, the realtor directed them to her second offering of the night. It was in an older subdivision of town, close to Talia's parents' house. Although it offered more square footage than the first and had a bigger kitchen, it was still rather cookie-cutter in style with no personality. A bit lower in price than the first option, the realtor started to tell them about the backyard pool before she caught Sean's expression. It told her that her second try was also a strike.

"Okay, so could you tell me what it is that you don't like about these two homes? Then I can maybe find some better options for you," she asked as she pulled out a notepad.

Running his hand through his hair, he glanced around. "I don't know. They're both nice houses, I guess. I… Okay, look, I grew up in the projects. I live in a crappy no-frills apartment right now. I've never lived anywhere that felt like a home and not just a house. That's the best way I can describe it. Which I know isn't much for you to go on. I can't tell you exactly what I am looking for other than that. But I know these aren't it."

"Maybe you want something with more character?" Talia suggested.

"I showed a house earlier in the week that had tons of character—and I mean tons—if that's what you are looking for. As far as I know it should still be available. Even if someone has made an offer, maybe I can show it to you and see if that's the kind of feel that you are looking for. It was a fixer-upper, but it may at least give us more of an idea what you want. What do you say?"

At Sean's nod, she stepped out to make a call. Once she had confirmed that it was okay to show them that house, she gave them the address and they followed her over to the historic district near downtown. They pulled in the drive of a turn-of-the-century Victorian. The yard was overgrown. Paint peeled on the porch and trim and a gutter dangled loose on the front corner. The wraparound porch begged for a swing. Now
this
was a place he could see as home.

"I know it needs work. It is well under your price range, however, so you would have plenty of room to do some renovations. And I do mean well under. It's priced at about a third of the cost of the first home I showed you."

Sean nodded and bent down to right a planter that had tipped over. He ran a hand down the wrought iron railing around the porch. Following the realtor inside, Sean looked around the house, a tiny smile on his face. Opening a set of double doors they found a library complete with built-in bookshelves that surrounded the room. It was part of the tower section of the home so it felt odd in shape, but cozy.

"It has a library," he said as he turned to Talia. He grinned at her—a house with a library. That was a sign, right? Had to be.

"I know! It'll be great when we fill it with all our books, won't it?"

He liked the sound of that.

Wrapping his arms around her, he pulled her in for a hot, but short kiss. "What was that for?" she asked with a giggle.

"You said
our
books. You can see yourself here, right? This is it. This is home, right?"

She nodded and Sean kissed her again, her feet leaving the floor as he lifted her into his arms. The realtor cleared her throat from across the room. Talia blushed, but the smile on her face didn't fade.

"Well, since it does have a lot of repairs, I would recommend you sleep on it. Think about the cost of what you would need to fix. Make sure that the scope of repairs is something you are willing to take on. If you are interested in making an offer, give me a call."

Sean drove them back to his apartment. The moment the door closed, he swept her into his arms and sealed his lips to hers. Trailing kisses down her throat, he begged her to stay the night. When she agreed, he led her into the bedroom.

"So, that house is perfect, right? Well, it has the potential to be perfect, anyway. Can't you see us sitting there on the porch swing watching the kids play in the yard?"

"You want kids?" Talia smiled up at him, her hands slipping inside his shirt now that she'd worked all the buttons free.

"Yeah, some day, don't you? I want a family. I never really had one. I know you're still young and having a family probably isn't high on your priority list. I'm fine with waiting a while 'til you are ready. But I do want kids, yeah."

"I think it's great that you want a family someday. I do too." Talia kissed her way from his shoulder to his chest.

"Umm, a couple weeks ago, when we were in the shower, we didn't use anything. It might be a good idea for you to get on the pill or something," he mumbled to her, fiddling with the zipper on her jeans.

She nodded and nipped at his chest, but didn't speak.

Groaning, he pulled her back up so he could kiss her. Flipping them so that she was beneath him, his lips moved over hers. Keeping his movements slow, he undressed her, his lips and teeth nipping and sucking at the racing pulse in her throat. Standing up, he removed the rest of his clothes and grabbed a condom from the nightstand before joining her back in the bed.

Sweaty and content, Sean sprawled on the bed next to Talia. She gave him a final kiss for the evening, drifting off to sleep with his hand rubbing up and down her back. She didn't seem upset about their slip-up, so he wasn't going to stress over it.

He made up his mind to put in an offer on the Victorian in the morning. And once it was his, he would ask Talia to move in with him.

Chapter Forty-two

Even the rain couldn't dampen Sean's mood as he walked back to his car. He'd put in his offer for the Victorian. The agent said he had a good chance of getting it. There was one other offer out on it, but his offer was cash. She said cash offers tended to be stronger and preferred, so he was hopeful.

Talia knew he was interested in buying the house, but he wasn't going to tell her about the offer until he knew either way. He didn't want to get her hopes up, in case things didn't work out. He put his car into reverse to back out of the parking space when he spied the small jewelry store a couple doors down from the real estate office. Putting the car back in park, he sat there for a moment, staring at the window of the little store.

Cutting the car off, he ran through the rain into the jeweler's. The older lady behind the counter dropped the tray in her hands and rings scattered. She gasped and covered her mouth with her hands.

Shit.
Why did everyone have to react like that? He was in a button-down and khakis; wasn't like he was wearing chains and leather. So he was a big guy with tattoos. He could still buy jewelry.

"I'm looking for a ring for my girlfriend?" Maybe if he said something, she'd chill out. She still eyed him nervously though.

"What sort of ring?"

"Engagement ring. Not a diamond though. She doesn't like diamonds. Something less flashy. She's not really into flashy." He kept his hands out to his sides and moved slowly toward one of the cases to look. He didn't want to scare the old broad even more.

He could see her shift into professional mode, finally, as she realized she would make a sale.

"We have some nice emerald solitaires, or how about a freshwater pearl?"

Shaking his head no, Sean kept looking around. The bell over the door rang out behind him. Glancing up, he saw Zane and a buddy of his rush in out of the rain.

"Sean! What are you doing in here? Talia's birthday isn't until October."

Crap. He was busted.

"He's looking at engagement rings, actually, young man."

"Engagement ring! What! Dude, Dad will lose his damn mind if you send my sister home with a diamond on her finger." Zane's voice rattled a few of the cases with the volume.

Rubbing his neck, Sean waited for the younger man to end his rant. Well, crap. He'd actually thought Zane liked him. When Zane quieted, Sean spoke.

"I know. You think I don't know he hates me? I love her though. And I…" he trailed off as he spotted the perfect ring.

"Ma'am, can I see that one right there?"

Pulling the ring out of the case, she cautiously handed it to Sean. "Opals aren't traditionally used as engagement rings, however lovely. This is a fire opal, notice the coloring. It is certainly an exquisite ring but I'm not sure I would consider it less flashy than a diamond though."

Zane walked over to look at the ring in Sean's hand. Raising an eyebrow in question at his girlfriend's brother, Sean held it out for Zane to see. Taking it from Sean's hand, Zane examined it closely.

"It's perfect. For the record, I approve. I just don't believe Dad will."

Maybe he hadn't been wrong about Zane after all... Slapping Zane's shoulder, Sean told the jeweler he'd take it. He even let her talk him into the matching necklace, thinking it would be perfect for her birthday.

"Damn, man. My sister has you tied up in knots." Zane laughed.

He couldn't deny it. Now he had to come up with the perfect proposal. Maybe he could get her to go hiking with him again and he could ask her at Garden Falls. They'd had their first kiss there after all.

"Are you going to ask Dad's permission?" Zane's voice cut through his daydream like a chainsaw. Ask Sam? Not likely. The man would cut through him with a chainsaw if he tried.

"I value my life more than that. I know it's not going to go well. He'd never give his permission."

Zane nodded. "You might want to at least talk to Mom about it. Let her break it to Dad."

Sean promised to think about it, leaving the small shop with the newly purchased engagement ring in hand. He had to plan this perfectly.