by Chloe Maddox
My face turned a degree darker, and I was about to open my mouth and say something when the entire place plunged into darkness.
“The backup generator should kick in,” I said, nervously.
There was something about being locked in a tight space that I wasn’t too fond of.
I wasn’t outright claustrophobic, but I was pretty close.
I heard Sean fumble with something before the flashlight on his phone blinded me. He apologized as he moved it away and looked down at Leia who didn’t seem affected in the slightest.
“Can you lead me to the fuse box? I’ll check on the circuits.”
I nodded and poked my head outside. “Hello?”
I was met with a deafening silence before a quick glance at my watch revealed the time. Everybody had been gone for ages. They probably got tired of waiting for Sean to finish.
Gingerly, I stepped forward careful not to hit anything as Sean followed closely behind. I held up the phone as he examined the fuse box and frowned.
“I don’t know what the problem is.”
His ears perked, and he tilted his head to glance outside the window.
“It’s raining.”
Awe filled my voice as I glanced behind him to see the tiny splashes of water hit the pavement. “Wow, it’s unusual for it to rain this time of year.”
“Yeah, I know, but look. I like how quiet the world gets when it rains,” Sean said, reverently.
My head was leaning against his side as I peered out. “I like how it smells.”
A low whine interrupted the moment, and we both jumped apart guiltily even though we weren’t doing anything.
“We should check on Leia,” I said, softly as I avoided meeting his gaze. Softly, we made our way back to my office where Leia saw us and instantly relaxed.
Her eyes drifted shut, and Sean snorted and shook his head. “Figures she’d sleep through this.
“That’s because she feels safe. If she felt like there was any kind of threat, she wouldn’t have gone to sleep,” I told him.
“I don’t suppose we could pry open those doors?” Sean asked, hopefully.
“We could, but that would be pretty hard. Given that they are electronic, they are state of the art tech, so that means that essentially we are locked in.”
I took a scrunchie out of my back pocket and gathered my hair into a loose ponytail. Sean slipped off his jacket and carefully placed it on the back of a chair.
He dropped to the floor and crossed his legs Indian style. I gave him a weird look as he patted the spot next to him.
“Don’t worry, I won’t try to make a move on you,” he assured me.
“Unless you want me to,” his voice dropped an octave as he gave me a sexy smirk.
I rolled my eyes. “It must be your winning modesty that draws people in, right?”
Quickly going over my options, I decided that I would join him on the floor, but I kept a decent amount of space between us, so neither of us would be tempted to cross the line.
“How did you know?” he asked, dryly.
“Beats me,” I said, playfully. “It really is a mystery.”
“So, what made you decide to become a vet?”
“I love animals,” I responded, automatically.
“That’s kind of a generic response, isn’t it? Come on, dig deeper,” he encouraged. “There must’ve been a specific moment in time that made you stop and realize this is what you wanted to do.”
I craned my neck and thought. “Actually, I wanted to open my own school.”
Sean threw his head back and laughed. “Seriously? So, what happened to that plan Principal Lewis?”
“Nothing really. I had all these grand plans.”
“Such as?” he prompted.
“You’re going to make fun of me.”
He held up his right hand and placed the right hand over his left. “I solemnly promise I’ll try not to.”
A smile played on the edge of my lips. “Alright, I guess I could revel it to you. Honestly, I didn’t go into logistics. I just knew that I wanted it to be called Disney international school.”
Sean began to slap his thighs as a deep throaty laughter, escaped his lips. Tears of mirth started rolling down his cheeks. “Wait, wait, let me guess. The uniform would be Disney characters.”
“Yeah, yeah, yuck it up, but I’ll have you know my friends thought it was inspired,” I said, darkly. “If it weren’t for that dreaming fading into obscurity, I could’ve been filthy rich.”
Sean wiped away a tear. “Alright, Oprah. Sorry to burst your bubble, but it sounds more like a fantasy than a reality.”
I laughed in spite of myself. “Eventually, I realized that obviously. In any case, that dream quickly took a backseat when I discovered my love for the stars and planets.”
“And? You could’ve been some hotshot on the moon right now.”
I held up my thumb and forefinger. “There was just one teeny tiny little problem.”
“What’s that?”
“I’m afraid of heights.”
Sean scoffed. “Your career choices are like a match of ping pong.”
“Intense and precise?”
“No, haphazard and all random.”
I placed my hand on his shoulder and playfully shoved him backwards. He was about to topple over, but his hand reached out and stayed on my shoulder, so he could steady himself.
My eyes met his, the amusement reflected in both our eyes when suddenly the mood shifted. His hand stayed on my shoulder, and I suddenly felt my mouth go dry.
“So, why did you want to become a chef?” My voice fell to a hushed whisper.
“Oh, it’s pretty simple actually. I wanted to impress girls at first, but then I realized, I had a knack for it, and I enjoyed it.”
“You didn’t want to do anything before that?”
“I thought about being an architect, but I couldn’t imagine building things for other people, so yeah, here I am.”
“Hmm, that’s cool though,” I offered.
We lapsed into silence as I stared at his hand on my shoulder, unsure if I wanted it gone, or if I wanted it to stay there. He was about to remove it when he noticed where my eyes were going, but I covered both of my hands with his.
“Don’t move,” I whispered.
Sean froze as I closed the space between us and straddled him. He sucked in a breath as his hands immediately went to the small of my back. “Isabel, what are you doing?”
I placed my hand on his lips as my heart thundered in my chest, beating a steady staccato. “Shh, no talking, and no thinking. At least until the lights come back on.”
I waited for him to nod before I removed my fingers and replaced them with my mouth. His lips were soft at first, gentle and hesitant, but once I began to deepen the kiss, Sean responded by eagerly threading his fingers through my hair and tilting my head to the side to offer him better access.
Chapter 4
If I thought our first kiss was earth shattering, then I was heavily mistaken.
Kissing Sean when we were both stone cold sober was much better. It allowed me the time and ability to appreciate the kiss for what it was.
Now that my brain wasn’t muddled by vodka, I was able to fully enjoy how his lips felt pressed against mine. They were smooth, but hard. Soft but persistent.
What frustrated me though was the way he was kissing me, as if I was some fragile china doll he was afraid to break. He cupped his hands around the back of my neck, but he refused to do much else.
Not even when I swayed my hips suggestively. He just made a low noise in the back of his throat that let me know he was enjoying this as much as I was, but he didn’t make any other moves.
When the need for air became too great, I broke away and began to pepper his neck with kisses taking the time to inhale his scent. It was a heady combo that was going straight to my head and making me feel like I was high.
“Isabel.” His voice was low and guttural, but he stil
l held very still beneath me. As if he was afraid. If it weren’t for the bulge that was poking me, I would’ve thought he wasn’t interested at all, but I could tell by the change in his breathing, and the way he was responding that he wanted me just as much as I wanted him.
“Sean,” I said in response, my voice breathy with desire.
“We shouldn’t do this,” he panted as he threw his head back, and his nails dug into my shoulders. “You just got out of a relationship.”
“Are we stating facts now?” I whispered as I pushed part of his shirt down and started biting down on his collarbone.
“No, it’s not that, but I don’t want you to regret this,” he said, his voice a hushed whisper as he brushed my hair back from my eyes. His head rolled forward, and he forced himself to look me directly in the eye.
“You’re in a vulnerable state right now, and I won’t take advantage of that.”
I gave him an incredulous look. “I’m throwing myself at you, Sean. How is that taking advantage of me? If anything, I’m taking advantage of you.”
Sean lifted up his shoulders then let them fall. “This? No, this isn’t taking advantage because I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want this to happen.”
“Then why are you talking about it instead of doing other things?” I nipped at his neck to prove a point.
Sean smiled faintly. “Because while I may not be the relationship guy, I’m also not going to be the jackass who does that to you.”
“You’re not doing anything to me.” I huffed as I leaned back and placed my hands on my hips. “Not physically much to my dismay nor emotionally.”
Sean sighed. “If you would just think for a second, Isabel. You’d realize that I’m trying to do right by the both of us.”
“It just sounds like you’re coming up with excuses,” I muttered as I shoved my hair behind my ears.
“I know it seems like that,” Sean acknowledged. “But I think that—”
Determined to not let it slide, I leaned forward and pressed my lips firmly to his neck and began to suck. Sean trailed off as he sucked in a harsh breath, his hands fluttering anxiously at my sides, not trying to touch me, but not moving away either.
“Sean, just tell me that you don’t want me, and I’ll stop,” I whispered in between kisses. “Say it.”
“I can’t,” he admitted.
“Why not?” I pushed.
“Because I do want you, but you have no idea what you’re getting yourself into, Isabel. It’s not just that I’m not into the whole relationship thing. I’m also an alpha male.”
I stopped what I was doing and scooched back. “What does that mean?”
“It means I get possessive, and I like being in control,” Sean said, his dark eyes serious as he regarded me coolly. “I think you should really think about whether or not you want to get involved with someone like me.”
“So what if you’re possessive and like being in control? That doesn’t sound so bad.” I dismissed his fears. “Is that really what you’re afraid of?”
Sean captured my gaze with his, and the intensity of his eyes had me stuck. Like a deer caught in the headlights.
“It’s not cute, Isabel. If that’s what you’re thinking. I know a lot of women want their men to be possessive, and in control. Hell, a lot of them get off on that kind of thing, but that’s because they don’t know what a true alpha is like. It’s not that we tame women, it’s that we want to possess them as thoroughly as they possess us.”
The easygoing countenance fell from my face.
Something about what he was saying spoke to me though.
On a primal level, but I didn’t know if that was just my libido talking, or if I genuinely wanted to be with him like that.
“I don’t understand,” I said, quietly.
Sean ran his hands through his hair causing it to stick out on all ends. My fingers itched to pat it back into place, but I resisted by placing them behind my back.
“If we get involved, regardless of the time frame then that means that I intend to fill you up, Isabel. Every inch of you, and I expect the same in return. I don’t just mean physically.”
Transfixed, my hands moved to his beard, and I began to stroke it.
Sean watched me carefully, but he was unable to gauge my reaction when minutes passed, and I was still silent.
“Say something,” he said, hoarsely. “I can’t stand the silence. You can yell at me or scream or call me insane. God knows I’ve heard it all before, but don’t respond with silence.”
I opened my mouth then hesitated before he gestured for me to continue. “Is that why you don’t do relationships?”
“It’s too complicated,” Sean agreed. “In part, that’s why. Most women think they would be okay with being with a man like that, but then they try it out and decide it isn’t for them. So, I decided to save myself the time and heartache, and just not get attached.”
“You can’t not get attached though.” I ran my fingers through his hair, smoothing it down which seemed to calm him. He relaxed beneath my touch, but his eyes were still watchful and alert.
“You can if you’re careful not to exceed a time limit.”
“Meaning?” I prompted.
“It takes two months to develop a habit, so the key is not to stay involved with someone for that long, and to keep the times when you’re together brief and limited. Nothing inherently personal, or something that would make you connect otherwise it makes it harder,” he clarified as his hands moved across my back in slow circular motions.
“But you’re getting to know me now,” I pointed out, softly not wanting to scare him.
What he said made sense. It was why bits and pieces of his personality were at odds with each other. Deep down, he wanted to be loved, but he’d opened himself up before, and he’d gotten rejected multiple times, so he just gave up.
To Sean, it was easier to emulate the biker personality, and maintain the façade if it meant protecting his heart.
“Yeah, I don’t know why I’m doing that,” Sean admitted. “It’s taking me by surprise too.”
“Wow.” I blew a strand of hair out of my face.
“Too much?” he asked, his tone light and teasing, but the caution evident in his eyes.
“It’s a lot to process,” I said. “But I don’t think that’s a way to live.”
“What do you mean?”
“It seems like you’re running from life, having a flexible job like that, so you aren’t tied down. Only committing yourself to the bikers, and only just admitting that maybe you need a dog for company? That seems very lonely.”
“As lonely as a vet who stayed in a relationship because she was used to it? Not because she actually wanted to be there?” he asked, quietly.
“Yeah, something like that.”
“Then I guess we’re both learning about life choices and risks.”
“How about we just stay here in this moment? No long-term choices, no risks, and no loneliness. Just you and I.”
I squeezed my eyes shut and pressed my forehead to his. I could feel him hesitate. Years of instinct, of taking off things when things got too real at war with how he felt in this moment until finally he relaxed and closed his eyes.
I listened to the sound of his heavy breathing and noted how our hearts beat in sync as if they were marching to the beat of their own drum. In a way, I supposed they were. We were caught in our own bubble in that moment with nothing and no one else to penetrate it.
Slowly, Sean tilted his head up and with a deep moan that sent chills up and down my spine, he pressed his lips to mine. I shuddered as I melted against him, my body pressed against his. He took his time exploring and teasing my lips with his, but soon the kissing growing hungrier, more demanding, and he bit down on my bottom lip.
My mouth parted with a sigh as he plunged his tongue into a mouth, and I angled my head, so that we’d both have access. Sean tried to gain the upper hand, but I was giving him a run for his money as m
y hands ran over the smooth planes of his back.
After a while, he wrenched his lips away and helped me out of my shirt. I did the same for him, so that we were pressed chest to chest, glistening with sweat, and the urging of an unfulfilled promise.
Sean ran his fingers across my skin, marveling at the texture in low soothing voices as he pressed his lips to every patch of skin available until my entire body hummed with suppressed energy.
I couldn’t recall being touched like this since….
Actually, who was I kidding? I’d never been touched like this. With so much fire and passion. Like I was a gift he couldn’t wait to unravel, and he was taking his time undoing the ribbon.
Impatiently, I pushed myself closer, eager for him to have his hands all over me, but Sean held back and shook his head as he pressed his finger to his lip.
Right, he was the alpha male.
I understood what that entailed, but did that have to include torturing me?
Sean lowered his head and pressed a feather light kiss to each of my breasts, so that they were practically straining against the fabric, eager for some kind of release.
“Look at that,” he marveled, his voice tinged with lust. “Hard as pebbles.”
“I could say the same thing about you,” I said, huskily as I glanced down between us.
Sean chuckled, a deep throaty sound that had me clenching my legs reflexively. “You have no idea.”
Sean kept his eyes on me as his hands reached behind and expertly unhooked my bra. He tossed it over his shoulder where it landed in a heap along with both of our shirts. I could barely make out the smooth contours of his body with the moonlight slanting in, but I could already tell he had one of those slim and hard bodies.
The ones featured in magazines except his looked real and not photoshopped.
“Like what you see?”
“Do you?” I challenged, a smirk playing on the edge of my lips.
“Very much.”
“Why don’t you show me just how much?” I challenged as I leaned back on my hands, arching my back, and exposing the upper half of my body to him completely.
“Oh, I plan to,” he promised as he crawled forward on his hands, his eyes never once wavering from my face. Once he reached me, he caught both my hands in one of his, making sure to hold them in a vice like grip, so that I wouldn’t be able to get away.