The Courage To Love (Love On The North Shore) (13 page)

Then she met Sean, and something about him had her reassessing her decision. From the way he treated his mom and talked about his sister, she knew family meant a lot to him. The night of the town block party, he’d protected her without a second thought. At least a few of her past boyfriends wouldn’t have done that unless a camera was around to capture the scene.

Now that she’d started this thing with him, she wished she had more time in North Salem. In about another week, she’d be in Boston. Although she’d yet to say anything, she wanted to keep seeing him while she stayed in the city. Depending on traffic, the trip from North Salem to Boston only took forty minutes. Then when her time in Massachusetts ended they could see where they stood.

Of course she had to get Sean to agree. So far he hadn’t mentioned continuing their relationship after she left The Victorian Rose. Maybe he assumed once she left that was it. She hadn’t made any indications otherwise at least not yet. Before she did she’d like to have some idea of how he might respond. She knew he desired her physically. He’d more than proven that in bed the night before, but emotionally he was difficult to read. Even so, it wouldn’t hurt to drop some subtle hints and see if he picked up on them.

***

After he picked up supplies at the wholesale warehouse, Sean took the long way back to town. For days his mother had been driving him nuts. Every time she saw him, she asked if something was bothering him. In the past she’d done the same thing, but it hadn’t annoyed him like this. He’d never been one to share his concerns or problems. He solved them himself, as well as all the problems that had effected his family since his father’s desertion.

But he’d never had a worry like this one. His mom’s reaction to finding out his dad was in town worried him more than anything. She seemed so content these days. She saw friends again and occasionally visited Charlie and her husband in Virginia. It had taken a long time, but she was more like the mom he remembered. Under no circumstances did he want to risk all the progress his mom had made.

Which brought him back every time to whether or not he should confront his father and find out what he wanted before he reappeared at the house.

Sean pulled into the parking lot at Quinn’s Hardware. He recognized a few cars and guessed Mr. Quinn must be in the store today. Rex Bryan and George Dahl only came in the store to bullshit with Mr. Quinn. More than likely they’d be gathered around the back table where the Quinn’s kept donuts and coffee.

The bell over the door rang when he pulled it open. From the register, Jessica waved hello as she rang up a customer.

“Sean.” Tony Bates, a good friend and the town administrator’s son, greeted him when he stopped in aisle six. They’d both lived in town their entire lives and had graduated together.

“Tony. How have you been?”

“Good, but apparently not as good as you. Who’s that hot little number you’ve been escorting around? Heard you and Brendan got into a fight over her at the block party.”

He’d all but forgotten about the incident at the block party. He should’ve known that everyone else hadn’t.

Sean grabbed the bag of grout he needed off the shelf. “Her name is Amelia and she’s a guest.”

“Where she’s from?” Tony followed him toward the register, his own supplies in hand.

He didn’t miss that Tony hadn’t even asked if she was from town. Not a single person moved into town that the Bates family didn’t know about, especially if the newcomer was a young beautiful woman. “California.”

Tony handed over his credit card as he spoke. “I hope you’re showing her some North Salem hospitality.”

Sean understood Tony’s sexual innuendo loud and clear and, judging by the way Jessica rolled her eyes, so did she.

“He never does subtle,” Jessica commented once Tony left.

“Tony doesn’t know that word.” He placed his own supplies on the counter. “Is your grandfather here today?”

Jessica nodded. “In the back with Rex and George. He’s been trying to come in two days a week now. I still think it’s too much for him, but you know him. He won’t listen to anyone.”

Two years earlier, Mr. Quinn took a fall from a ladder and broke his hip. He’d spent months in a wheelchair. Now he was able to walk with only a cane, but the accident had slowed him down. “Tell him I said hello.” Sean knew better than to get involved in one of their conversations. The last time the three older men had dragged him into one, it had taken him an hour to extricate himself.

Jessica’s smile confirmed his decision. “Will do.” Her smile faded as she handed him back his credit card. “Um, Sean…” Jessica rolled her lips together.

Sean waited. Thanks to their shared past, Jessica sometimes sought him out for advice much the way a younger sister would a brother.

“Yesterday your father came in.” Jessica naturally had a soft voice, but now it came out more like a whisper as she leaned forward.

The credit card cut into his palm.

“He talked to Grandpa for ten or fifteen minutes, and he asked me about you and Charlie before he left.” Jessica’s voice stayed low and her eyes reflected the concern he heard. “I didn’t tell him anything that everyone doesn’t already know, but I thought you should know.”

“Thanks for the heads up. Don’t tell my mother, Jessie. She doesn’t need to know.”

“I won’t, and I’ll ask Grandpa not to say anything either, if he sees her.”

Sean grabbed the bag off the counter. “Thanks.”

Outside he slammed his truck door closed. What the fuck? First the no good bastard showed up at the house, and now he was visiting the Quinns. Who else had he talked to? News spread through town like wildfire. If his father kept making stops into town, it was only a matter of time before his mother found out. Whether he wanted to or not, he’d needed to confront his father and put an end to his visits.

***

“I feel like I’m eating dinner with a tree.”

Sean dropped his slice of pizza. Next to him Mia sat and picked at her grilled chicken salad as a new action movie played on the flat screen television.

“Sorry, I just have stuff on my mind tonight.”

“When something bothers me, I find talking helps. I’m a good listener, Sean.” Mia put her salad down on the table.

“Good to know. Do you like the movie?”

Mia rolled her eyes. “Let me guess: this has something to do with your father?”

The muscle in Sean’s jaw twitched.

“Did you hear from him again?”

“No,” he answered through clenched teeth.

“Did your mom?” She knew that remained his number one concern.

“He’s been visiting town. He stopped in to see the Quinns yesterday.”

Sean’s voice remained unchanged, but she felt the anger emanating from him as if it were a tangible thing. She turned and swung a leg over his so she straddled his lap and began massaging his shoulders. Underneath her hands, his shoulders stayed tight as she worked to undo the knots.

“What did he want?”

The muscle in his jaw twitched again. “Who the hell knows?”

She rubbed harder, determined to help him relax. “Maybe you should just talk to him. Find out what he wants and then maybe he’ll go away.”

His shoulders shagged a little. “I reached that conclusion today, too,” he answered, sounding more resigned than angry now. “I emailed him earlier. Got an email back before you came up.”

She heard the snap when Sean rolled his neck to the side and slid her hands up his neck to continue the massage there. “And?” Pulling teeth would be easier than getting info from Sean.

“I agreed to meet with him next Saturday night in Boston.”

She danced her fingers up and down his neck. “If we’re done filming for the day, I’ll go with you if you want.” She remembered his reaction when his father appeared the other night. A friend might be a handy thing to have around, especially afterward if things didn’t go so well.

Sean pulled back, causing her hands to fall away. His brows dipped down as he digested her statement. “I thought you were out of here on Sunday?”

His tone of voice told her so much more than his words alone. He knew she would be checking into her hotel in Boston that Sunday and would start filming on Monday, so he’d associated those events with the end of their time together. That was her fault. Evidently she hadn’t dropped enough hints about continuing their relationship. “I check into The Regency on Sunday, but I don’t see why we can’t keep seeing each other. Even if everything goes according to schedule, I’ll be in Boston for a month.” She leaned in, cupped his face with her hands and dropped the barest of kisses on his mouth.

“I like spending time with you, and Boston isn’t far.” She kissed him again, this time with more pressure as she dropped her hands and looped them over his shoulders. “If you really don’t want to, I’ll accept that but—” She kissed him again, this time she traced the seam between his lips with her tongue until he opened to her, then she plunged inside. She let the kiss continue until Sean’s fingers tangled in her hair and then she pulled back. “I hope that’s not the case.”

Sean pulled her mouth back toward his. “It’s not.” Without any further explanation, he took possession of her mouth again.

Heat unlike anything she’d ever experienced before with a man exploded deep inside her. They were both still fully dressed and already her body quivered from the memory of his rough hands on her skin. It remembered every stroke and pet from the previous night. The rough pads of his fingers had teased her nipples before they sank inside her. During the entire experience he had once again been so gentle it had shocked her. She’d never expected a man of his size could be that gentle, yet he’d treated her as if she might break with one wrong move. Tonight, though, she’d make sure he knew that wasn’t the case.

Breaking away from their kiss, she grabbed the hem of her top and pulled it over her head. She curved her lips into a seductive smile all the while watching Sean’s face. Reaching behind herself, she undid the clasp of her bra and tossed it onto the floor with her top. In front of her Sean swallowed and his erection grew harder against her.

“We need to do something about this,” she whispered as she rubbed her hand across his bulging jeans before pulling at the hem of his T-shirt.

Sean’s eyes swept across her bare skin. Then he grabbed his shirt by the neck and yanked it over his head. Circling his arms around her waist, he tried to pull her against him again.

Placing a hand on his chest, she pushed him back. “These too.” She hooked a finger from her other hand under the waistband of his jeans and tugged.

“You first,” he said, his voice low and husky.

With a nod she slid off his lap. Slowly and deliberately, she undid the button of her cotton shorts, teasing him as her gaze locked on his. She inched them down over her hips before letting them hit the floor. Kicking them away, she stood, her hands on her hips, and watched his eyes travel across her body. With each sweep of his eyes, her breathing quickened and the anticipation inside her built.

“It’s your turn, Sean,” Mia said, surprised by how breathless she sounded.

The corners of Sean’s mouth went up as he leaned toward her. Without a warning he dropped a kiss just above her navel. “You’re not done.” He hooked two fingers under the string holding up her thong and tugged.

She allowed the strip of fabric to fall, then stepped out of it when it landed around her ankles.

“Mmm, much better.” His hands skimmed down her sides before his right hand dipped between her legs. A shiver went through her and she grabbed onto his shoulders.

Sean heard Mia moan and the lust raging in his body went from hot to all out inferno. The questions in his head about their relationship from a moment ago evaporated and he stood. Locking his lips on hers he started them toward the bathroom and his bedroom on the other side. His calf banged into the pizza box on the coffee table, but he didn’t pause to pick up the mess it created when it landed on the floor.

The cool tiles beneath his bare feet sent a shiver through him as he led them through his bathroom. When they crossed into his room, the texture under his feet changed again. Without stopping, he continued until they hit the side of his bed. Gently, he pushed Mia onto the bed and then took a step back. Something akin to awe flashed through his head as he looked down at the woman on his bed waiting for him. His eyes never left her as he discarded the rest of his clothes and joined her.

Content to just feel her naked body against his for a moment, he wrapped an arm around her waist and kissed her. Much to his surprise she pushed him onto his back and rolled on top of him. Then she looked down at him. “Right now I’m in charge,” she said, grabbing a condom from his nightstand drawer and sliding it over him. “Maybe next time you can have control,” she whispered before taking him inside her. “But just maybe,” she said with a wicked smile on her lips.

***

Afterward, Sean watched her hand move up and down his stomach, and although it tickled a little, he remained silent. With the lust in his body sated, at least for the moment, his mind moved back to his original thoughts. He’d expected that when Mia checked out on Sunday they would end their little...Sean’s thoughts paused. What should he call this thing between them? It wasn’t a relationship, at least not a romantic one. Maybe the term fling described it. Whatever you called it, he figured the expiration date on it to be Sunday. Her proposal to continue it surprised him, and he wasn’t dumb enough to say no. Any red-blooded male would give anything to be with Mia Troy, voted two years in a row as the world’s sexiest woman.