Hands shoved into his suit pants, Sean watched Beth circle the front lobby again. She looked edible dressed in a navy business suit with matching kitten heels.
"I like it, but can you afford it?" she hesitantly asked.
"I'm going to talk to Derrick about it. Hopefully I can work it out," he answered. Slowly he followed her around the lobby and down the hallway. She was unaware she was being stalked.
"I think the first floor would be good," she said over her shoulder.
He nodded. "I'd take two offices and combine them."
Opening the first door on the right, she stepped inside again. Alone in the building, they'd toured every office twice. Sean managed to finagle the keys from the realtor who was too busy to show the place.
Shutting the door behind them, Sean leaned against it and crossed his arms over his chest. He watched the subtle sway of Beth’s hourglass hips as she strolled the parameter of the room. Her jacket cinched at the waist, showing off her voluptuous curves. Already his body was hard and practically begged to be inside her. How long had it been since he was balls deep inside her? Hours? Way too long.
“I like it, Sean. If you can swing it, I think it will work,” she said, her back facing him.
He pushed off the door and went after her with complete focus. As soon as he was within arms length, he reached out and snagged her around the waist, then yanked her into his body. She squealed in surprise. A quick swipe of her hair to the side, he attacked her throat, sucking and biting.
“Sean,” she said breathless and melted into his firm hold.
With deft fingers, he opened her jacket, unbuttoned her pants and pulled down her zipper in a single fluid motion. Linking her hands behind his head, she pushed her breasts out further. Sean ground his body into her ass so she could feel the condition she put him in. His hand slid into her panties, to her soaked, silky folds. She wanted him as badly as he wanted her.
Unable to wait, he fell to his knees, stripped her pants off her body after sliding those sexy heels off her tiny feet. Again the black painted toenails got to him. He considered that to be one of the sexiest primping tasks she performed on her body.
Once her lower extremity was naked, he looked up at her while on his knees. Her eyes were glassed over and hooded. Sliding his large hands up her thin legs, he caressed every inch until he reached the apex of her thighs. Leaning forward, he ran his nose through her wet folds, the scent of her arousal engulfed him. A quick swipe of his tongue brought her tiny nub to attention. Taking it between his lips, he sucked hard, causing her to moan and sway. Her hands tangled in his hair for balance.
Sean fed off her like a starving man. Her juicy fluids coated his throat. A growl boiled up from him, vibrating against her sensitive sex. He slid a finger deep into her center, which caused her entire body to spasm. He added a second finger and curled them, finding that spot they both loved. This wasn’t a slow fuck, he slid his fingers in and out of her at a rapid pace while he continued to lap at her hot core. When he put more force behind his pumping, she screamed as an orgasm ripped through her.
He withdrew his fingers and shucked his clothing in lightning speed. Beth was still coming down from her release, unable to get entirely naked, so he stripped her bare. When unclothed, Sean spun her around, pushed her against the wall, and pinned her hands above her head. Willingly she spread her legs to take him into her. Lining himself up, he pushed into her hard and fast. She yelled and groaned his name. There was no controlling him. He lost his ever loving mind around her. Sean pounded into her, the sounds of their naked bodies slapping together echoed off the empty room walls. That sexy noise drove him higher and faster. Releasing her hands, he grasped her hips and yanked her body back to him with each thrust inward. He grunted with every pound. She groaned with every push. This is what he wanted from her, this raw sex that went along with making love. He wanted the thrill of knowing he could take her body anywhere he pleased, and she would oblige him. Beth gave him the best of both worlds. A minx and a lady. Funny that she was petrifyingly shy, but when it came to seducing her, she complied wherever he fucked her. An empty office building, the backseat of his car, poolside at his house, every room in both their homes, in the back row of the movie theater, and the park. God, he loved her.
Sean was close. His balls grew heavy, and his cock twitched inside of her. He pounded the hell out of her, knowing how she loved it fierce. About to reach around her body, he stopped when she screamed out another release, her body sucking him in deeper and pulsing around his shaft. His body jerked and violently emptied inside her. Groaning and pressing against her, he made sure every last drop of his seed marked the inside of her body. They had never used a condom since their first night together, and he couldn’t imagine not taking her bareback again.
Beth shuttered with tiny aftershocks. Sean pulled her upright against his chest, and they collapsed onto the floor, still joined together. He peppered her gorgeous face with butterfly kisses. She closed her eyes and relished his touch, managing to make him feel a hundred feet tall when she allowed him to cradle her.
“I love you,” she whispered, then opened her eyes to look into his.
“I love you,” he said. It was on the tip of his tongue to ask her to marry him, but he held it. He didn’t have a ring, and this wasn’t the appropriate place. His Beth deserved better. Wined and dined, red roses, the white horse and carriage, city lights, all that spectacle women dreamed of from the time they were little girls. "I think I’ll take the building and this room will definitely be one of my offices.” He grinned and winked. “I’ll be lucky not to embarrass myself with an erection every time I step into the room.”
She flushed her beautiful shade of red, sending his heart soaring.
13
Beth looked up at the house they stood in front of with awe. The place was a mansion in the middle of a wealthy neighborhood. This was where his cousin lived? The front door swung open, and a large man who looked like he should be leading a motorcycle gang stood before them.
“Sean,” the man said.
“Derk.” Sean reached out his hand and the other man took it. “This is Elizabeth Connors. She goes by Beth. Beth, this is Derk Forester,” Sean introduced them.
Derk’s dark eyes scanned her appreciatively. “Hello, Beth.”
Whatever inflection he used to greet her, Sean didn’t like because he stiffened. Apparently Derk didn’t miss it because he outright laughed and slapped Sean on the back. “Don’t worry about me man. I’m in knots over a cutie I can’t decide what to do with.”
“Can’t decide? What the hell is there to decide?” Sean asked as they stepped into the home.
Derk shrugged. “She isn’t a toy. Do I want that type of commitment?”
“Ah,” Sean said. Beth watched his demeanor loosen.
“What is a toy?” she asked curiously.
Sean wrapped his arm around her and kissed her forehead. “Don’t you worry about it.”
She rolled her eyes. There were times he treated her like a child, which irritated the hell out of her. Damn military alphas. Her father was the same exact way.
Two young children bolted down the long hallway, gunning straight for Sean who bent down and allowed them to tackle him to the floor. Derk closed the door and stepped away from the mayhem.
Pure joy radiated from Sean, a sight she would envision for the rest of her life. He took each kid under an arm and lifted them like a sack of potatoes. The children laughed and squirmed in his grasp, and he laughed along with them. Sean was a family guy. And he’d want children. She felt her heart drop. There was no possible way she could be a mother without her hearing. She refused to own a pet, let alone give birth to a tiny human that needed constant attention. Reality smacked her upside her head. She’d never make Sean truly happy unless she gave him babies.
Sean tilted his head to the side in question. Clearly he recognized something was wrong. Shoving down her onset of distraught, she plastered a smile. Though by hi
s narrowing of his blue eyes that didn’t fool him, but he chose not to confront her. For now. More than likely he’d put it on the back burner for later.
“These two hooligans are my second cousins, Caitlin and Daniel,” Sean said. “You two nutballs, this is Beth.”
“Hi Beth!” Caitlin waved under Sean’s arm.
“Hi Beth!” Daniel mimicked.
“Let’s go to the kitchen. In this house that’s where everyone gathers, all the time,” he said.
Spinning with the two kids, Sean strolled down the hall. Meekly Beth followed. At the end of the hall, to the left, they entered an enormous kitchen that was filled with people who were laughing and drinking, glasses of wine and bottles of beer in hand.
Off to the right Ryan stood and beamed her direction when they stepped into the room. He was the first to approach her and give her a kiss on the cheek. “Hello, sweetheart,” he said. “Don’t be nervous.”
She nodded, antsy, which caused him to laugh and give her a supportive squeeze.
Sean set down the two kids, who took off running towards two very large men standing in the doorway at the opposite side of the room. Both men beamed down at the children, then took them by the hands and led them away. Who were they?
“Those are the kids mannies, Jarrett and Russ,” Ryan answered her unasked question.
“Male nannies?” She knew that came out more presumptuous than she wanted.
A tall, extremely good looking man in a navy, tailored designer suit rolled his nearly black eyes and set down a rocks glass filled with an amber liquid. Scotch maybe? “Yes, my wife just had to hire them.”
A gorgeous blonde woman appeared next to him, stood on her tip toes, and kissed him hard on the lips. That seemed to pacify whatever unspoken issue there was over that comment. She spun Beth’s direction, stepped around her husband, and approached. Beth gasped. The woman was stunning. Sapphire blue eyes like Sean's and Ryan's, high cheek bones, full lips, and fair skin, she belonged on a movie screen. And she was tiny. But it was the aura of confidence she carried that made her seem almost regal. When the woman approached her, all activity in the room stopped and focused on the blonde.
“Hello,” the woman said when she was in front of her. “I’m Courtney, Sean and Ryan’s cousin.”
Oh. Dear. God. She’s the cousin they constantly talked about. Their description of her didn’t do the woman justice.
Courtney stuck out her hand. Timidly Beth shook the proffered hand. Without warning their cousin pulled her into her body, wrapped an arm around her shoulder, and spun her to face the group of people. She motioned to each person. “This is my husband Derrick.” The handsome eye roller. “My mom and dad, Sarah and Tom. These four men are part of the staff.” She motioned to four men you would not want to meet in a dark alley.
Sean stepped in front of his cousin. “I’ll do the rest.”
Courtney smiled and kissed him on the cheek, then went back to her husband who wrapped her up protectively. Was that a family trait? Sean constantly did the same thing with her.
Leading her towards an older couple standing next to Courtney's parents, Sean beamed proudly. "Mom and Dad, this is my Beth. Elizabeth Connors." He turned to her. "Beth, these are my parents, Jennie and Todd Millen."
Beth knew her hands shook as she reached out. This was terrifying. She felt like she was on display in a zoo exhibit for all to watch her reactions and actions.
"It's lovely to meet you, Beth," Jennie said and took her hand. "Sean has told us so much about you."
Todd snorted and reached out his hand. "He won't stop talking about you, Beth."
She knew she turned bright red. Ryan visibly barked out a laugh but tried horribly to cover it up with what she assumed was a cough he hid behind his hand— which granted him a shooting glare from his brother.
"Well dinner's ready. We can head outside to the tables," Courtney announced, saving Beth from more embarrassment.
They meandered their way downstairs and sat in their assigned seats. Clearly their cousin had gone all out for this dinner. Champagne poured into crystal flutes, candelabras centered a long table, cloth linens and napkins were all covered under a large canopy while soft dinner music played on a system that filled the outside air.
Once everyone was situated, Derrick stood at the head of the table with a glass of champagne in hand. "I would like to welcome everyone to my home, specifically Beth. Thank you for joining us this evening and giving us the opportunity to meet you. Hopefully there are many more dinners to come with all of us gathered around. To family."
"To family!" Everyone toasted in return.
What an entirely different dinner than the one that took place at her parents.
***
Cloud nine had nothing on Sean. His entire family fell in love with Beth. Both his parents hung onto her every soft-spoken word, Derrick quizzed her about starting up the business part of his clinic, Jack subtly questioned her about the day she was fired. Little did she know Derk and Smith listened intently and would probably track down and give those two former coworkers something to think about. The kids were all over her like a brand new shiny object. Entirely smitten, Daniel picked flowers and weeds until she had a bouquet laid out on the table. Caitlin climbed onto her lap and asked her twenty questions. There were a couple times Sean watched Beth try to maintain her composure when Cait turned away while jabbering, but she handled it brilliantly by tapping her on the shoulder and asking the four year old to repeat herself.
There was only one person he was wary of. Courtney. She was unusually quiet after the initial introductions. Throughout dinner her intense gaze never wavered from Beth. When they'd first arrived, he thought Courtney was on board with Beth, but now the tension coming off her was quite noticeable. What was going on in his cousin's stubborn mind?
They were in the middle of discussing the spread for the baseball game when Derrick leaned over and whispered into Courtney's ear. Her gaze swung to Beth, then to him, then to her husband. She bit her bottom lip and nodded. Her shoulders sagged and the air went out of her, like she'd been defeated. What the fuck was wrong with her? Certainly she didn't have an issue with Beth. He'd kill her.
After dessert the entire party stood from the table and lingered in the backyard, drinks in hand, laughing and talking about a trip to Kennywood Park on Saturday. Derrick invited Sean and Beth to join in and both thought it would be a refreshing day out. You could never be too old for an amusement park.
"Forgive me for asking," Tom, Courtney's father said. "Beth, how did you lose your hearing?"
Sean felt Beth stiffen under his arm that was wrapped securely around her waist. Everyone grew quiet.
"Dad," Courtney scolded. That was the first word Sean heard from her since the dining room.
"That's all right," Beth said. She took a deep breath and blew it out. Was she going to answer? Unbelievable. Even he hadn't had the guts to ask how she'd lost her hearing. Leave it up to his direct uncle to get answers. "It happened close to five years ago," she said. "I'm sure you heard about it on the news. There was a car explosion in the city. Right in broad daylight."
Holy shit.
Sean's gaze swung to Courtney whose face drained of color. Instantly the stilled silence grew frigid, but Beth didn't take notice. Why would she?
"I happened to be leaving a jewelry store when the car exploded," she explained.
"What the fuck," Carl breathed.
Beth thought he was talking about her ordeal and focused on him. "I almost died. I was hit by shrapnel and went through many surgeries, including some plastic surgery. The sound broke my eardrums. At the time they worried about saving my life, not my hearing."
Sean could have sworn his heart skipped a beat. Oh, god. Oh, no. His eyes bounced from Beth and back to his cousin, who stumbled backwards into her husband's arms. Tears fell down Courtney's face. Ryan stepped in front of Beth to shield her from their cousin's sight and motioned his arm to leave.
"Let's go," Se
an said to Beth, already dragging her towards the stairs with Ryan beside her.
She looked at him confused. "Is everything all right?"
They didn't make it.
Courtney grabbed Beth and yanked her around. "Did you see him?" she pleaded. "Did you see him?"
Confusion donned Beth's features.
"Back off, Court," Sean growled.
His cousin ignored him. "Did you see the man in the SUV? Did you see him?"
The shocked expression on Beth's features showed the moment she understood what Courtney asked. "You mean did I see the man when the car exploded?" she asked horrified.
"Yes, did you see him?" Courtney demanded, her tone growing impatient.
"Courtney!" Derrick yelled, storming up behind her.
"Stay out of this!" she screamed back at her husband, then spun back to Beth. "Tell me now. Did you see him?"
"No! I was too busy shielding myself, losing my hearing, and getting impaled by blunt objects," Beth bit out.
His cousin was too quick for anyone to have stopped her. The sound of the smack Courtney laid across Beth's cheek ricocheted off every outside surface.
All hell broke loose.
Grabbing her cheek and crying out in shock more than pain, Beth whimpered. As Sean went to insert himself between the two women, he accidently nailed Courtney in the arm. She stumbled back enough to put distance between the two women. Derrick caught his wife from falling to the ground. Ryan rushed Beth up the deck steps and out to their car. Sean didn't say a word as he ran after them.
A few steps behind his brother, Sean watched Ryan shove his girl into the front passenger's seat of his SUV. Almost at the driver's side, he heard Courtney scream from behind him. "Sean!"
Unaware of how close his cousin was, he wheeled around, his arm tossing up. As if in slow motion, he watched his fist hit Courtney across the mouth, her lip split open, and blood splatter out. Completely by accident, he punched her. A woman. His beloved cousin. She fell to the grass and grabbed her face, blood spewing out from between her fingers. He almost bent down to help her and apologize but stopped himself.
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