The Billionaire Next Door (13 page)

Those red and yellow Frisbees went faster and faster and the guys got more outrageous. Eventually, Sean went for a flying catch, springing up into the air and going horizontal to the ground—right as another guy came from the opposite direction. The two collided and fell hard.

Lizzie started to scramble to her feet…but they were fine as they rolled onto their backs and laughed. As she took a deep breath, Sean flashed her a thumbs-up then stood and went back into the fray.

While the horsing around went on, she felt as if she were playing with him even though she was on the blanket. Every few minutes or so, he would look over at her and wave. Or wink. Or he’d deliberately run by and do some wild catch around his back or pull off a crazy, convoluted toss.

He was showing off. For her.

Which was pretty darned charming.

By the time he came back to the blanket forty-five minutes later, he was breathing hard and a sheen of sweat covered his smooth skin.

“That was great,” he said. “Thanks.” He sat down, putting his forearms on his knees to air himself out as he regained his breath.

God, she wanted him. “You looked like you were having a wonderful time.”

“It’s been a while since I’ve just run around for no good reason.” He reached into the Deluca’s paper bag and took out a Poland Spring bottle. As he cracked the top, he shot her a quick smile then tilted his head back and poured the water down his throat, his Adam’s apple working in a rhythm.

When he brought his head back to level, he pointed at her, bottle in hand. “So what can we do for you? I mean, I’ve had my fun. We should do something you want to now.”

As she considered the offer, she prayed he couldn’t read minds. Because all she could think of was him moving down her body this morning…and how much she wanted him to do that again. Without interruption.

Sean frowned. “Hey, do you have enough sunscreen on? You look a little red.”

Uh-huh. Go figure. “Ice cream.”

“I’m sorry?”

“I would love some ice cream.” She put her hand on her stomach. “Even though I shouldn’t—”

“Ice cream it is.” He finished the water and sprang to his feet as if he hadn’t just run miles chasing a Frisbee. “You have a favorite place?”

“I’m easy.” Lizzie got up as he tucked his shirt into the back pocket of his jeans and together they folded the blanket. “As long as it’s cold and sweet, I’m happy.”

Just as they were about to leave, she frowned. “Wait a minute.”

“What?”

She looked around. She had her purse and he had the blanket and the bag of food and they’d left no trash. But something was off.

When she ran her eyes up and down his chest, she realized what it was. “Your cross. It’s missing.”

Sean’s hand snapped to his heart, and though he tried to fight it, she could see panic in his eyes.

“Don’t worry, we’ll find it,” she told him.

They walked the area he’d played in, but it seemed hopeless as he’d covered a lot of distance during the game. Then she remembered. Where had he fallen with the other guy? She headed over to where she thought he’d hit the ground and began crisscrossing the vicinity.

She was about to give up when she saw a flash of gold in the cropped blades of grass. “I’ve got it!”

Sean came running over and as she held out her hand he sagged in relief. He took the necklace and inspected the clasp, then put it back on.

“Don’t know how it fell off,” he said. “Everything seems okay.”

“You should get it checked.”

“I will.” His hazel eyes lifted and met hers, then he bent down and kissed her. “Thank you,” he whispered against her mouth. “Just…yeah, thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” As he pulled back, he was gripping the cross so hard his knuckles were white. “It obviously means a great deal to you.”

He glanced down. “Mac gave one to me and to Billy and kept a third for himself. I wear it because…hell, I don’t know.”

Abruptly, his lids dropped over eyes that had gone deliberately blank.

She squeezed his hand. “Let’s go.”

Sean kept it together as they walked away from where the necklace had been lost, but he cracked a couple minutes later.

The two of them were on the Arthur Fiedler pedestrian bridge that arched over Storrow Drive when he put his arm around Lizzie’s shoulders and drew her tight to his side. A few feet farther and he stopped altogether, gathered her in his arms and put his mouth to her ear.

“Lizzie?”

“Yes?”

“If I had lost that necklace…it would have killed me.”

“I’m so glad we found it.” As she hugged him, he absorbed her kindness, fed off it.

“Mac got the crosses for us right after he went through basic training and before he shipped out for the first time.” Sean kept speaking right into her ear, the only way he could continue. “I haven’t seen him in a decade and I talk to him once a year if I’m lucky…when he calls me on my birthday. So the necklace is all I have of him. Lose it, lose him.” Sean cursed as he heard what he was saying and pulled back. “Sorry, don’t mean to get melodramatic.”

Her arms tightened around his waist. “You’re not.”

Looking into her eyes, he felt as though the essential loneliness of his life was exposed, laid bare to the summer day and to her. For all the people he dealt with every hour of the week, for all the women he’d been with and the men he competed against, he was nonetheless alone.

Except he didn’t feel alone now.

He kissed Lizzie at first just in thanks for her understanding and acceptance. Then he kissed her some more because he didn’t want to stop.

As the sun fell on his bare shoulders and people walked by and cars zoomed underneath them, he dropped the bag and the blanket he was carrying, dug his hands into her hair and tilted her head back so he could go deeper into her. In response, she settled against him like warm water, flowing over his hard edges, both soothing him and exciting him.

He closed his eyes and let himself get good and lost in her. Oh, man, did he have plans for them. Tonight, he was going to go back to her apartment and make love to her. Slowly. Thoroughly. He was after the closeness, not just the orgasms, and he was going to hold her afterward until he was ready to do it again. Then he was going to sleep next to her and wake up looking into her face.

When he finally pulled back from her mouth, he brushed her lower lip with his thumb. “I can’t feel my legs. How about you?”

She laughed a little breathlessly. “I’m on fire.”

“Then we’d better cool you down.” He kissed her quick. “How’s Ben & Jerry’s sound?”

“Perfect. I’d love some of their Mint Oreo in a waffle cone.”

“Ask and ye shall receive.”

They meandered off the bridge and hooked up with Newbury Street, joining the crowd that strolled down the sidewalk. There was a line in front of Ben & Jerry’s, but the breeze was nice and soon enough their cones were being handed to them. As he pulled a twenty out of his wallet, Lizzie went for her purse.

“No, wait. Let me—”

“My treat,” he said. After he gave the bill to the kid behind the register, he nodded to the door. “Shall we?”

The kid called out, “Don’t you want your change?”

“Yeah. In the tips jar.”

“Hey, thanks, man!”

Sean smiled and followed Lizzie out into the sun.

“I really like that about you,” she said as she stuck a white spoon into her waffle cone and brought some of the chunky ice cream to her mouth.

“Like what?”

“That you tip generously. Mmm, this is so good.”

Sean watched her lick her spoon clean and had to put the blanket in front of his hips. God, men were letches, weren’t they? But man…he wanted her.

He cleared his throat. What had they been talking about? Oh, yeah…“Well, I know what it’s like to live off tips. I’ve waited a lot of tables in my day—”

“Sean? Sean O’Banyon?”

Sean frowned at the male voice and looked over his shoulder. When he saw who it was, he felt an absurd impulse to shield Lizzie, to protect their day together.

Except it was too late. As a well-dressed man headed right for them, he knew that the bubble he’d been in all afternoon was about to burst.

Lizzie smiled at the gentleman who was hustling up to them. He looked veryGreat Gatsby in his white linen slacks, crisp blue button-down and navy-blue blazer with a kerchief in the pocket. His loafers were shiny and tasseled and his round glasses were made of tortoiseshell.

He looked very pleased to see Sean. “Sean! How do? I haven’t seen you since—”

“Rolly, it’s good to see you.” Sean stuck his hand out. “How are you?”

“Fine, fine. And you? I’ve heard you’re doing great things with—”

“So how is it possible you’re in town on a sunny Saturday? Is the whole family here with you, too?”

“No, no. Sarah and the kids are at the house on the Vineyard, lucky devils. I had to come in for business. I’m sure you know how that—”

“I’d like you to meet my friend, Lizzie. Lizzie, this is Rolly.”

The man smiled, revealing perfect teeth. “Good Lord, where are my manners? It’s a pleasure.”

Lizzie shoved her spoon into her cone and offered her hand. “Nice to meet you.”

“Enjoying the day with Sean, are you?” he said as they shook.

“Very much.”

“You know, I didn’t think the great SOB ever wandered around—”

“You need to give my regards to Sarah,” Sean cut in.

“Of course, and I hope you’ll come out and visit us sometime on the Vineyard?” Rolly smiled at Lizzie. “Friends are always welcome, too. We have a big house and the more the merrier. Well, I must off to the club. I’m late, which I despise.”

As the man waved and dissolved into the pedestrian stream, Lizzie glanced at Sean. His brows were down low and his mouth set tight.

She was not surprised when he said, “How about we head home? I could use a shower.”

“Sounds good,” she said. Even though it didn’t. She wasn’t in a hurry for the day to end, but she sensed that even if they kept walking around now, it would be over anyway. Sean had gone somewhere in his head and his mood had changed. Which was odd. Rolly Whoever-he-was had seemed perfectly nice, yet Sean had been in a hurry to get rid of him.

They were quiet as they walked down Newbury then went through the Commons and down into the parking garage. Sean didn’t say much on the way home, and when they pulled up to the row house, she had a feeling he was going to make an excuse to go upstairs.

She told herself it was better this way as she could start getting her résumés out.