When walking out after class, Talia's gaze stayed on the weight area across the gym. Specifically on the tattooed dark-haired man who stared back at her. His attention was fixated on Talia every bit as much as hers was on him. That little grin on his face made her want to cross the gym and see how sweaty they could get.
Karly's laughter cut through her lusty haze. She glanced over at her sister. Her mom swatted Karly and admonished her to leave her sister alone. Heat rose in Talia's face and she ended up walking right into an elliptical trainer. Karly smirked at her while her mom wrapped an arm around Talia's shoulder to lead her from the gym.
"Well, he looks nothing like I expected. That's your bartender friend, isn't it?"
Talia nodded at her mother. She struggled to maintain eye contact with Sean even though her mother pushed her toward the exit. When they got to the door, Talia sent a little wave at Sean and smiled when he returned it.
Her mom's arm squeezed her into an awkward one-armed hug as she whispered to Talia, "You know, for someone who told your father he wasn't interested, that boy sure stared you down hard. Methinks he protest too much. I bet he cleans up nicely, doesn't he? Hard to tell when he's all covered in sweat."
Giggling at her mom's comments, Talia climbed into the car. She bit her tongue against the comment that begged to be blurted out. She didn't care what he looked like cleaned up. He looked damn good sweaty.
"What in the world is this?" Her mom pulled an envelope from under the wiper, opened the flap, and a picture fell out. The photo was dark, but clear. In the photo, Sean tucked a lock of hair behind her ear as they snuggled at the beach. A note on the back read:
Playing with fire will get you burned.
Remember that before you let him between your legs, bitch.
"Oh my God, Talia. Where did this come from? Is that you and Sean?" Karly snatched the photo from Talia's trembling fingers and read the words on the back out loud. Their mom gasped and grabbed her phone.
"Anna? This is Helen Richmond. I just found a threating photo on my car. Mmmhmm. Yes. No. Okay, we will meet you there." She dropped her phone into her purse and pulled out. "Anna said we shouldn't touch it or the envelope more than necessary. She wants to see it immediately."
They met Anna at the station and she took the photo. She helped Talia file a police report.
Tapping her fingers on the desk, Anna stared down at the photo. "Talia, honey, do you have any idea who might have done this? Any place we can start with this?"
Talia could only think of one person. "I had a bad breakup not long ago. Caleb... He could be behind this." Why couldn't Caleb leave her alone? Hadn't he done enough to make her life utter misery? The bastard just wouldn't quit. To this day, she wondered how she'd been so blind she missed his domineering ways, his need for control, and his unbending opinions.
Anna promised to look into it and sent the photo to get fingerprinted. Hopefully they would get a good print from it and do something before the situation escalated. They all had to get fingerprinted, since they'd touched the photo.
She stared out the window, tears in her eyes the entire way home. Even Karly remained quiet for once.
When they told her dad, he lost it. "I told you that damn bartender was no good! You need to steer clear of him. He's not good enough for you. That guy is nothing but trouble."
"Sam, how could Sean take a distant picture of himself? He was in the picture with Talia."
"I don't know. But he's to blame. I feel it in my bones." Her dad stomped out and slammed the door behind him.
He came back after a walk, calmer and more rational. His logic made sense when he insisted that Talia, her mom, and Karly all sign up for a self-defense class immediately. None of them argued. Talia wished she'd thought to take a self-defense class earlier. Maybe then she'd have been brave enough to stand up to Caleb.
Chapter Twelve
A few weeks later, Karly's birthday rolled around, and Talia couldn't wait. She'd insisted Karly have a party at Garden after they did cake and presents with their parents. It gave her a legitimate reason to see Sean again. The soft smiles and wave that Sean sent her at the gym led her to believe things might be okay between them, in spite of her dad's actions.
Talia dressed with care for the party. The last time she saw Sean—wearing sweaty yoga pants, no makeup, and a haphazard ponytail—she hadn't exactly presented the best of impressions. Tonight, she went for a more sophisticated look. She bought a new dress, white eyelet with a cute brown belt. It emphasized her curves, without being skimpy. Her hair and makeup she kept simple. Never one to dress slutty anyway, this outfit was typical Talia—girly, but not overdone.
Sean stood behind the bar when she walked in. When they made eye contact, she waved and sent a shy smile his way. His broad smile, and the hand he raised in greeting, warmed her heart. Telling her sister she would be right back, she took up an empty seat at the bar.
Sean ambled over and leaned forward onto the counter in front of her. "Hey, sweetheart, it's good to see you again. I wasn't sure you'd come back, but I've been hoping that you would."
Her pulse ticked up and heat rose in her cheeks. "Do you call all the women in here sweetheart?"
He chuckled before shaking his head no and asking her if she wanted a drink.
"No, I just wanted to say hi. Look, I don't need rescuing tonight," she said with a flirty flip of her hair.
Throwing his head back, he howled in laughter. "The night is still young."
Joy filled her at the deep sound of his laugh. The last bit of lingering doubt that her father had ruined their fledgling friendship vanished. Thank God.
Talia twirled on the barstool and watched Sean pour drinks. He had a smile for everyone. He came over to chat with her every chance he got, and she enjoyed their conversation even though it was interrupted by his work. She didn't even mind the times when he walked away to mix drinks for others since it gave her an opportunity to look at him. She couldn't stop staring.
He wasn't the type of guy she would have dated in the past, not being slim and somewhat preppy. No one would ever call Sean preppy, that's for sure. The blue plaid button-down he wore brought out the blue of his eyes, and his sleeves were rolled up to mid-forearm, giving a view of the bold tattoos on his arms.
Hanging out at the bar, however, meant ignoring her friends and siblings. Zane came over and tried to entice her back to their party. She balked. Sean was over here.
Sean overheard. "Go on. Hang out with your friends."
"But I was enjoying talking to you."
"And I'm not going anywhere." He waved an arm out toward the bar. "You know where to find me."
Talia turned to her brother. "Zane, I'll only come back to the party if you can convince Sean to take my number."
Sean chuckled. "You know I'm too damn old for you."
Zane tapped his fingers on the bar. "Well, she seems to think otherwise. Come on, man. It's just a number. You don't have to use it."
Talia slugged Zane for that one. Doesn't have to use it? The hell he doesn't!
Sean didn't say anything else, but he did slide a napkin across the bar to her.
She smiled at him and wrote her number down with the pen he handed her. When she held it out to him, this time he didn't crumple it up. He folded it with care and slipped the napkin into the front pocket of his well-worn jeans—jeans that hugged all the right spots and fueled a few hot fantasies.
"Now go on back to over there and have some fun. Celebrate with your sister. Let me work, you little distraction," he told her in mock seriousness. When she sent him a cheeky wink, he burst into laughter once more. "Go on now, get."
She rejoined her sister's party, fully expecting to be teased over the amount of time she'd spent at the bar talking to the bartender. Not even Karly, who never passed up an opportunity to pick on her sister, made a single comment. She only smirked at Talia in a knowing manner. Talia relaxed and let herself enjoy the evening with her siblings and friends.
&
nbsp; Talia couldn't help but notice the extra attention Zane was paying Claire. She kicked him under the table. "So, Zane, where's Brittany?"
He looked at her in confusion. "We broke up. Didn't I tell you?"
"Nope." That was news to her. I wonder if his crush on Claire had anything to do with that.
Claire seemed to perk up a bit at that news, but the aloofness she always showed around Zane quickly returned. When some random guy stopped by and asked her to dance, she nearly fell over in her hurry to get up.
Zane sighed.
"It's my party. No one is allowed to be sad. Zane, I think you need to dance. Beth's here alone. Show her some of your moves."
Beth rolled her eyes, but she smiled at Zane and nodded. The two of them joined Claire and her partner out of the dance floor.
Karly seemed a little pensive, despite her earlier comments. She kept her eyes on the entrance. "Garrett should hopefully get here soon. He had to work late tonight."
"Well, at least he is coming. Work is a legit reason to be late, don't you think?"
Karly interrupted her with a squeal. She jumped up and ran away from the table and jumped into her not-so-secret boyfriend's arms.
They returned to the table and snuggled close to each other. The couple spoke softly to each other, unintentionally excluding Talia from their conversation.
While happy for her sister, Talia couldn't help but feel utterly alone at that moment. She glanced up at the bar, Sean had his back to her talking to the other bartender. She pulled out her phone and opened a word game.
A shadow crossed her screen. "That's not the kind of fun I meant for you to have."
Looking up, Talia's evening got better. Sean stood next to their table, smiling down at her. Her heart started pounding when he held out a hand.
"Dance with me?"
Slipping her hand into his, she let him lead her out onto the hardwood. The last beats of an upbeat song died down and a slower song began to play. Sean drew her close.
"You plan the slow song?"
He chuckled. "Of course. I set the playlist."
The crowd around them faded from her consciousness. Sean's embrace became her entire world in that moment. Eyes closed, Talia pressed her cheek into his chest. The steady thump of his heart called to hers. The spicy scent of his aftershave filled her nose. His hands settled on her hips and held her tight as they swayed to the music. The flannel of his shirt soft against her face contrasted with the firmness of his muscles beneath the fabric.
Talia felt his breath against her forehead as he dipped his head. She tilted her face up toward him. When he brought a hand up to cup her cheek, she leaned in to his touch. His thumb grazed her lower lip. She shuddered at the intensity in his eyes. Her hands clutched at his shirt and her breath caught in anticipation of his kiss.
The song ended.
Another couple jostled into them on their way to their table and killed the moment.
Sean dropped his hand and stepped away from her. He led her back to her table and kissed her wrist before releasing her hand and heading back to the bar without a word.
Thoughts of Sean distracted Talia the rest of the evening. Sean had almost kissed her, again. That she was sure of. If only that song hadn't ended so soon. Still, she left Garden in high spirits. The line of shot glasses lined up in front of Sean made her hesitate to interrupt him, but she stopped by the bar to say goodbye. He pulled her in for a quick hug and she had to restrain herself from skipping when she left the club.
Despite her dad, despite Caleb, despite her age… maybe she had a chance with him after all.
Several days passed without a single word from Sean. Then a full week. Not a call, not even a text. Talia began to lose hope. Perhaps she'd misread him? She'd been certain he'd nearly kissed her on the dance floor. And the beach too. So, why hadn't he called?
Saturday came and she had the day off work, a rarity for a part-timer who worked retail. Having no plans meant Talia was still lazing around the house at noon. The jingle of her phone rang out from across the room. She hopped up to answer it, but didn't recognize the number. Her shaking hands almost dropped the phone before she answered with a quivering, "Hello?"
"Uh, Talia?" A deep familiar voice came through the line.
"Sean! I didn't think you would call."
"I nearly didn't. I'm still not sure us spending time together is a great idea. But," he trailed off for a second, "I want to. I thought I'd go hiking today, up at the state park north of town. I wondered maybe if you were interested in going."
"I'd love to go with you. I haven't been up there in years. When did you want to leave?" Talia already had her head stuck in her closet as she answered him.
"Could you be ready to leave in, uh, say half an hour?"
She agreed and hung up the phone. She sat waiting on the front steps when Sean drove up. He walked around to open her door.
Once he got in and started the car, they headed north to the state park.
"Which trail do you want to try?" he asked after they arrived, looking at a map of the trails. The main trail head started close to the parking area and split into three separate trails. The first looped quickly around the visitors' center while the other two were longer.
"The one to Garden Falls? I know it's the longest of the trails, but I've never seen the falls and I've heard that it's beautiful."
He chuckled. "That's my favorite trail. I hoped you'd pick that one. It's where the name of my club came from."
"You own the club?"
"Yeah. Bought it almost five years ago. I changed the name, and the whole concept. He had it set up as a pretty shabby bar that catered to a rougher crowd. I wanted a place where teenagers and even older people would be able to come have a good time and be safe. Cut out the riff-raff, and we have a strict alcohol limit to make sure things stay safe. I restored the brick, uncovered all the stained glass. I built all the planters myself. You've seen all the plants we have. I wanted it to live up to its name and feel like you were in a garden. You know that it used to be a church? Who'd have thought someone would put a bar in an old church, but it works."
"And you named it after a waterfall?"
"Yeah. Wait until you see it, then you'll understand. It's tranquil. Peaceful. The area around it is all lush and green, plants everywhere. The sound of the waterfall rushing over the rocks makes me never want to leave. I come up here a lot to just sit and think."
His passionate description of the waterfall increased Talia's excitement about seeing it. However, the trail proved more difficult than she'd anticipated. She stepped on a branch. Her foot slid down the packed earth path. Oh shit!
Sean grabbed her when she slipped and kept her from falling on her ass. He clutched her waist and hauled her back against his chest. His hand had bunched up the cotton of her T-shirt and now laid on her bare stomach. Heat radiated deep within her at his very touch. He held her close until she regained her footing. His hand caressed her waist when he withdrew it. Breathe!
When they reached the waterfall, his zealous love for the area made sense. She'd never seen anything more beautiful in her life. From high above the trail, the water fell through a canopy of trees into a small pool. The trail skirted around the edges of the pool and led to a large outcropping of rocks. Beneath the massive old trees, smaller plants filled the understory. Wildflowers were everywhere and ferns spilled over the path, softening the edges. In awe, she spun slowly, taking it all in.
After admiring the scenery, she turned toward Sean. He looked like he belonged there. Leaning against a large boulder, he seemed to be taking in her every movement. His stance brought him down closer to her height. The smile on his face set something fluttering in her chest. Caught off-guard, Talia simply reacted. She stepped close and slipped between his legs, tugging his head down toward hers for a kiss. For a moment, he stood as still as the stone he leaned against. Then he growled deeply and wrapped his arms around her.
His lips pressed hard against hers; his
tongue slipped into her mouth and battled hers for control. Tangling a hand in her hair, Sean adjusted the tilt of her head and deepened the kiss. He hadn't shaved that morning. The rough stubble on his chin rubbed against her face.
Clutching at the soft cotton encasing his powerful shoulders, Talia moaned into his mouth. He pulled his lips from hers and kissed his way down her cheek. Burying his face against her throat, Sean nipped and kissed. Her knees gave way, but Sean's strong arms kept her upright. He flicked his tongue against a sensitive spot and her toes curled. Tugging his hair, Talia directed him back up and captured his lips with her own once more. And then, as fast as it began, it was over.
Sean pushed her away and put some distance between them. His voice was gruff, but he refused to make eye contact. "We can't do this. Talia, I'm not the guy you want. I can't be what you need. What you deserve. Sweetheart, you have no clue what you would be getting into with me."
"Don't I get a say? What if I want you?" Talia argued. She grabbed his arm trying to get him to look at her. He shook free of her grasp and turned to head toward the car. "Sean, what the hell? You set me on fire with that scorching kiss and then reject me? I don't understand. Why can't we do this?"
"Let's head back. I'll take you home." He spoke in a serious tone. A tone she heard from her dad a lot. What she always thought of as her dad's no-arguing voice. Was it really too much to ask to just get to know him?
He started back up the trail. She was reluctant to follow, but she needed him to drive her home. She'd ruined everything with a single kiss. The best kiss ever, her traitorous libido hissed. Her lips still tingled from the power in his kiss which only confused her more. Talia wanted him more than anything right now, but it seemed he didn't feel the same. Yet if he wasn't interested, why did he kiss her back? Sean was sending out mixed messages. Maybe he didn't even know what he wanted.
Sean stomped back to the car and while he held the door for her, he didn't say a word. The tense car ride brought tears to her eyes. He spoke as few words as possible for the entire drive. By the time he pulled up at her house, she'd given up on holding back the tears now running down her face. Sobs were now fighting to explode out. She couldn't even look at him. Sean tried to help her out of the car and moved to walk her inside.
Sean's Sweetheart Page 4