Beyond Affection: Callaghan Brothers, Book 6

by Zanders, Abbie

  “Who was he?” Craig asked, pulling open the cabinet that was so well stocked with medical supplies. As a joke, everyone in her family bought her first-aid kits for her last birthday, given her proclivity toward accidents. It was proving to be more practical than she would have liked, especially since Craig had moved across the hall.

  “Who?” It was immature on her part, perhaps, but if he was going to accuse her of acting like a child, she would oblige him.

  He shot her a look that told her, without a doubt, that he was not amused. “Don’t make me have to find out on my own, Lacie, because I will.”

  Yes, he probably would, she thought, and he wouldn’t be subtle about it. Craig knew everyone in town and had a way of ferreting out information that was downright scary sometimes. By telling him herself, she might avoid being the topic of a few local inquiries.

  “Shane Callaghan,” she said, wincing when he pulled the tape tight around her hand. The name obviously struck a chord, judging by the way her hand was folding inside his strong grip. The slight ache turned into a sharp pain; she made a noise of protest until he let up.

  “What the hell were you doing with him?”

  “Having coffee,” she said with a scowl, snatching back her hand and trying unsuccessfully to flex it. “He guest lectured for Professor Stevens tonight. I fell asleep in his class.”

  Despite his ire, one side of Craig’s mouth twitched. “You fell asleep in his class? Did you drool on the desk, too?”

  “Afraid so. He had a heck of a time waking me up. Apparently I slept well past the end of the lecture and the janitor was about to lock me in.” Some of the tension drained from Craig’s face as he actually cracked a tiny smile. “He asked me if I was okay to drive, I said I was going to grab some coffee, and he said that sounded like a good idea. End of story.”

  She didn’t go into any more detail than that, shrugging it off as if it meant nothing. To admit to anything more would get Craig’s protective hackles up. Besides, she didn’t know if it would amount to anything. She certainly hoped it did. And if so, she would deal with Craig then. She’d learned to pick her battles with him.

  “That’s it?” he asked, finishing up the wrap and stepping back.

  “That’s it. Satisfied?”

  He stared at her for a long minute as if trying to decide if she were telling him the truth, then nodded. “I worry about you, Lace. You’re too trusting. Any number of guys would take advantage of that.”

  She nodded, though she disagreed. She did not consider herself unreasonably trusting, nor did she think Shane Callaghan was the type of man to take advantage of anyone, but she held her tongue. Craig was finally calming down, and she didn’t want to get him riled again.

  “Thanks, Craig,” she said, trying to stifle a yawn. “But I’m really beat, and I’m afraid that caffeine rush is over. I’ve got school tomorrow.”

  “Alright, babe. I’m out of here. Lock the door behind me, yeah?”

  “I will.”

  “’Night, Lace.”

  “Goodnight, Craig.”

  With a sigh of relief, Lacie closed the door behind him, engaging the deadbolt as well as the chain. She exchanged the thawing bag of peas for a wrap-around ice pack and shuffled toward the bedroom, where she peeled off her clothes and slipped between the sheets, not even bothering with the effort of pajamas. Her head barely hit the pillow when her cell chimed softly. She looked at the display, frowning when the caller id showed up as “withheld”.

  Who the heck would be calling her at this hour? Curiosity got the best of her. “Hello?”

  “Lacie? Did I wake you?” Shane’s voice flowed fluidly through the phone and into her skin. It was bad enough when she was fully clothed and in a public café, but now that she was naked between her sheets in the darkness it was downright erotic.

  “No, I was just crawling into bed.”

  There was a momentary pause before he asked, “I suppose it would be improper for me to ask what you’re wearing?”

  If anyone else had said those words to her after knowing her for only a few hours she would have made a very rude comment and hung up on him. But this was Shane, and she could hear the teasing in his voice. Once again, he was an exception to her usual rules. She chuckled. “Very.”

  “Right. I’ll just use my imagination then.”

  “You do that.”

  He laughed, confirming her belief that he was having fun with her and was not a complete pervert.

  “I know there’s some protocol for exactly how long a man should wait before calling when a woman gives him her number, but I’ll readily admit to being woefully ignorant of such things and hope that you find my confession adorably honest enough to let me slide. Would you please have dinner with me this Friday, Lacie?”

  The warmth that had sparked at the first sound of his voice now blossomed from the very core of her being, filling her with a sensation she found both intensely pleasing and exciting. “I would very much like to have dinner with you this Friday, Shane,” she said without hesitation.

  She could practically hear the smile in his voice. “Excellent. Wear something nice, elegant but not too formal. I’ll pick you up at seven.”

  “Sounds good.”

  “Lacie?”

  “Yes?”

  “Pleasant dreams.”

  With Shane’s velvety voice echoing in her head and the promise of seeing him again in three days, there was no doubt of that.

  Chapter Four

  Lacie was a patient person by nature, but anticipation rode her hard for the next several days. It was a good thing her kids kept her so busy. There were only a couple of weeks left in the school year, and there was still so much to do.

  During the daytime hours, her mind was sufficiently occupied with word walls, story time, and other things to keep a room of twenty five-year-olds focused and busy. Not so in the evenings, when her thoughts were decidedly more adult-oriented. More than once she’d had to pull herself back from daydreaming about her upcoming date with Shane while grading papers or planning out the next day’s lessons.

  Shane hadn’t provided much in the way of hints, so her active imagination was working overtime conjuring all sorts of images. She knew they were going to dinner, and that it would be a nice place. That left a lot of room for supposition.

  Where were they going? Would there be that same inexplicable, instant attraction between them, and if so, would it be as strong as it was the first time? Would she be able to make it through the night without tripping or walking into something or knocking something over? If it went well, would he attempt to kiss her goodnight this time?

  That last thought sent yet another delicious tingle of anticipation through her. Of all the things she’d been thinking of, kissing Shane was one of her favorites. In every one of her private, late night fantasies, Shane Callaghan was an exceptional kisser.

  “So who’s the hottie?” Corinne asked, sprawled across Lacie’s bed as Lacie tried on her seventh dress.

  “Who says he’s hot?” Lacie asked, turning in the mirror and frowning at her backside. Time to break out the Jillian Michaels DVDs again, she thought, having lost the motivation to exercise every day like she once did.

  “He must be for you to give him the time of day,” Corinne quipped, sliding gracefully to her feet and selecting a black sheath from Lacie’s closet. “We all know how particular you are.”

  Lacie took the dress and slipped it on. It was perfect. Conservative but flattering. Subtle, but sexy.

  “I’m not that particular. It’s just that very few men ask me out.” It was true. There were quite a few who had shown interest, but for some reason, things never seemed to progress very far.

  “That’s because Craig scares them off.” Corinne’s tone was less than cordial.

  “You think so?” Lacie frowned. How would she even know that?

  “Duh,” her sister said. “He’s like white on rice, Lace. You being the rice.”

  Lacie laughed, b
ut inside she squirmed. Craig was attentive, and he did seem to be around alot. Lacie chalked it up to having too much time on his hands and too few outside interests. He was lost without his wife, lost without Brian. As Brian’s sister and Mikaela’s best friend, maybe he saw a bit of both of them in her and clung to that.

  “He’s a little overprotective, I admit, but it’s not like he’s a stalker or anything.”

  Corinne snorted, but thankfully let it go. There were more important issues at stake here. “So... a name?”

  Lacie’s grin was brilliant, her unease dissipating instantly as visions of blue eyes and a sexy grin filled her mind. “Shane Callaghan.”

  Corinne, rooting through Lacie’s limited jewelry collection, whirled around in shock. “Really?”

  “Really,” said Lacie, pleased with her sister’s response.

  “Oh. My. God. He is the epitome of hot. How’d you manage that?” Corinne handed her an antique silver bracelet with tiny blue sapphires and a matching necklace, then plopped down on the bed. “Dish.” Cross-legged, leaning forward eagerly with her elbows on her knees, she demanded the information.

  Lacie obliged, relaying the story of how they met while Corinne stared, open-mouthed. “You fell asleep in his class, drooled on his hand, fell over a desk, and walked into a doorway?”

  “Pretty much.”

  “Think it would work for me?”

  Lacie laughed. “Like you could ever be anything less than graceful, Rinn. Syrup doesn’t move as fluidly as you do.”

  “So true,” Corinne admitted without a trace of vanity. She’d been taking ballet and gymnastics since she was a toddler. She didn’t walk as much as flowed.

  She pointed at the tape covering Lacie’s hand. It stood out like an eyesore against the elegant black dress. “We need to do something about that, though,” she remarked. “Do you need it?”

  Lacie looked at her hand. It still ached if she moved a certain way, making her think that she might have fractured a few bones after all. She’d meant to go down and get it x-rayed, but it had been a busy week.

  “No, I think I’ll be alright.” She held out her hand for Corinne to cut the wrap with a small pair of cuticle scissors. As long as she didn’t move it too much, she’d be okay for a couple of hours. She would just make sure she didn’t order any food that required a two-handed maneuver, like cutting.

  Lacie was just about finished dressing when Corinne glanced out the window. “Uh-oh. Don’t look now, but here comes Craig and Shelly with a pizza and a stack of movies from Redbox.”

  A stab of guilt shot through Lacie before she could fully squelch it. “It’s Friday night,” she said, hoping Corinne didn’t catch the forced casualness in her voice.

  As part of a joint custody agreement with his in-laws, Craig had his daughter on the weekends. Craig’s wife - Shelly’s mother - died tragically in a car crash two years earlier. Fortunately, Shelly had been too young to fully comprehend what had happened.

  Lacie thought the world of the little girl; she was such a sweetie. Shelly was in Lacie’s morning class. Ever since Craig moved into the apartment across the hall six months earlier, it had become somewhat of a tradition to order takeout and watch movies together. It had never been an issue before; Lacie rarely had other plans.

  Corinne pinned her older sister with a look. “He doesn’t know you’ve got a date, does he?”

  Lacie didn’t meet her eyes, focusing on sliding on the thigh-high hose instead. “It didn’t come up.”

  “Oh, Lace. It’s getting worse, isn’t it?”

  “Yes,” Lacie breathed. She didn’t bother lying to her sister, she’d see right through it.

  Corinne had been the first one to say something to Lacie when Craig’s interest seemed to go beyond what might be considered reasonable, but Lacie had any number of rationalizations for his behavior – they had grown up together, Craig had always been like a second big brother, he felt an added responsibility since Brian had gone missing. Corinne pointed out that those same reasons could be applied to her as well, but that Craig’s obsession only seemed to extend to Lacie. Over the last few months, Lacie found herself agreeing with Corinne more and more, though she would not admit it, not yet. She was getting close, though. Maybe it was because he was living right across the hall, but the overall effect now bordered on smothering.

  “Have you tried talking with him about it?”

  “Yes. Hasn’t helped much, though. And afterwards I feel really bad, you know? Like I just kicked a puppy or something.”

  “This is serious, Lace. You need to talk to Dad.”

  “And say what exactly? Craig’s looking out for me too much? He makes sure I get home safely every night? Calls me every day to see if I need anything? Insists on repairing every little leak and squeak for me? Jeez, Rinn, Dad’s more likely to pat him on the back than tell him to back off. He had a barbecue in celebration when Craig informed him the place across the hall opened up and he was taking it.”

  Corinne bit her lip. “Well, when you put it like that I can see your point. But I don’t know, Lace. I know Craig has had a really hard time of it and all, and Shelly is like the sweetest little girl ever, but he’s starting to give me the creeps. Have you seen the way he looks at you sometimes? There’s nothing brotherly about it.”

  “You’re overreacting,” she said, but inwardly, Lacie suppressed a shudder.

  “Oh, fuck me,” Corinne breathed, slicing into Lacie’s thoughts. Lacie was just about to admonish her for her vulgarity when she joined her at the window to see what had commanded such an exclamation. For a few moments her heart stopped beating and she found the same phrase echoing in her own mind. Shane Callaghan had just pulled up to the apartment building in a sleek black Lexus. He was beyond devastating in a black suit, white shirt, and silvery blue-gray tie.

  “Any chance you’re feeling ill and need me to cover for you?” Corinne asked hopefully.

  “Not a prayer,” Lacie breathed, forgetting her injured hand as she tried to wipe her suddenly moist palms on her dress, feeling a nauseating pain echoing up her arm and right into the pit of her stomach. She’d have to remember not to do that.

  Corinne could barely contain her excitement when Shane knocked on the door a few minutes later. She opened it, grinning from ear to ear like a Cheshire cat. “Come on in,” she said. “My sister’s almost ready.”

  * * *

  Shane stepped into the apartment, allowing her to close the door behind him. The young woman who greeted him had the same honeyed hair and similarly unusual shade of blue eyes that Lacie had. She was grinning broadly, not even trying to hide the fact that she was checking him out from the back as well as the front.

  “You must be Corinne,” he said smoothly. “Lacie’s younger sister.”

  “Not that much younger,” she grinned suggestively, but it was done with such obvious good humor he smiled right along with her.

  “Rinn!” Lacie admonished, entering the room. “Ignore her,” she said to Shane. “She hasn’t quite mastered her hormones yet.” Corinne uttered an undignified snort in response but Shane didn’t hear it. His smile faded as he got his first good look at Lacie.

  “You look... stunning,” he said. Gone was the adorable klutz in jeans and a hoodie that had fallen asleep in his class. In her place was a gloriously sexy, curvaceous woman sheathed in black, her bared skin glowing with a natural radiance that made him want to lick his lips. Her blonde mane had been tamed into an up-do that left small strands framing a face perfectly done with the slightest hint of makeup.

  “She does, doesn’t she?” Corinne said smugly, openly taking credit for the make-over. “All my doing, of course. Hey, you guys match.”

  They did. Perfectly, he thought. And their clothes went together well, too.

  “Shall I put those in some water?” Corinne prompted, a mischievous glint in her eye as she pointed to the bouquet of flowers Shane still held in his hand. He and Lacie seemed to have been frozen, staring at each o
ther like star-crossed lovers.

  Shane blinked, remembering the flowers. “Of course.” He grinned and held them out to Lacie. “For you.”

  She took them, bowing her head to inhale their sweet scent. “They’re beautiful, Shane. Thank you.”

  “Hey, Lace, do you have a vase around here somewhere?” Corinne called from the kitchen area. “No, of course not,” she mumbled a few seconds later, when no response was forthcoming. “Why would you?” She gave up and filled a glass pitcher sporting pictures of lemon slices along the sides with water, lifting the flowers from Lacie’s hand and placing them in the makeshift vase.

  “Oh, for heaven’s sake,” Corinne said, rolling her eyes. “Are you guys going out to dinner or are you going to stand here making googly eyes at each other all night?”

  Lacie flushed a dark pink, but Shane laughed. “Dinner first, googly eyes later. What do you think?”

  “I’ll try, but no promises. You’re gorgeous.”

  Shane’s grin grew, his eyes sparkling with a thousand little points of light. “Thank you,” he said, his voice a deep caress. Lacie seemed slightly confused until Corinne leaned over and whispered loudly, “You said that out loud, sis.”

  “Ah, fudge,” she said, her cheeks growing even pinker. Shane held out his hand. “Shall we?”

  “Have fun, kids,” Corinne said as she closed the door behind them. “Midnight curfew, Cinderella. Charming, behave yourself.”

  Lacie started apologizing for her sister when the door across the hall suddenly opened and a male form filled the doorway. He took one look at Lacie and Shane, a brief look of barely contained fury washing over his features before he hid it carefully beneath a mask. Shane caught it, recognizing him as the man who’d been with Lacie at the re-zoning meeting.

  “Lacie!” said the little urchin scooting through Craig’s legs to hug her. “You look like a princess! Who’s your friend?”

  Lacie’s features softened; she obviously adored the little girl. “Shelly, this is Shane. Shane, this is Shelly and her dad, Craig Davidson.” The men nodded tightly to each other. Shane smiled and said hi to the little girl.