After dinner, they moved the party out onto the porch.
"Why don't you and Caleb take a little stroll?" her mom suggested. "It's such a nice evening. It would be a shame to waste it.
"I really should study. I've got an exam coming up." Please, think of a way to get out of this!
"Talia, it won't hurt you to take a walk," her dad insisted when she tried to avoid going.
"Yeah, Talia, it's just a walk." The sadistic little smile on Caleb's face sent a shiver down her spine. "What could it hurt?"
She excused herself to change out of the dress and into something more appropriate for a walk. With fumbling, nervous fingers, Talia sent Sean a text explaining that her dad was forcing her into a walk with Caleb and she was scared. Before she could slip her phone into the pocket of her jeans, it buzzed and startled her so much she dropped it.
"On my way," the text message on the phone read.
Sean was coming; the mere thought calmed her. Sean's imminent arrival would cause a good deal of drama, but she felt relief knowing that even if she'd blown him off for the evening, he was still willing to come to her rescue when she needed him. Another feeling tugged at her heart as well, something beyond the usual raw lust. She told herself that she would examine that in further detail later.
Talia slipped into the bathroom and banged around for a moment, buying Sean time to get across town. When it was impossible to stall further without arousing suspicion, Talia trudged downstairs. The living room was still empty, so she followed the muffled chatter to the front porch. When she stepped out of the house, Caleb stood and held his arm out for her to take.
When she refused his arm, he growled in anger. "You know I didn't send you those notes, right? I didn't know anything about them until that cop showed up on my doorstep. I wouldn't send a note. I'd show up and teach you a lesson the right way."
Talia tried to ignore his words. He'd lied to her before. She didn't trust a word spewing forth from that forked tongue. But it did seem more like him to use a physical threat than a note. Even that simple statement sent a chill blasting down her spine. She wrapped her arms tight around herself and stepped around him.
Standing at the edge of the porch, she glanced down the street. She wasn't disappointed when Sean's Harley came roaring up toward her house. He jumped off the bike almost before it lost momentum. He strode up to her, his eyes concerned. "You all right?"
"I am now." Her eyes filled with tears. Sean would protect her. Caleb wouldn't be hurting her tonight. Her knees sagged in relief and Sean's arm came around her waist in support.
"Why wouldn't my daughter be alright in her own home? Didn't I tell you to stay away from her? Twice now, I believe. Explain why you are here," her father's gruff voice called from behind her.
"Why wouldn't she be okay? I don't know, maybe because you were forcing her to take a walk with this abusive little jerk. A pretty damned good reason why she wouldn't be alright. And I'm here because she's afraid to be alone with him, sir." Sean spat out "sir" like it was an obscenity.
Her dad barreled off the porch with Caleb and his dad right behind him. The three of them presented a united front as they faced Sean, their postures defensive. Sean didn't back down even an inch. So damn sexy. With one arm, he guided Talia behind him. She clutched at the soft fabric of his T-shirt and peered around him at her father.
"You think my daughter needs protection from me? Who do you think you are, coming to my house like this?" her dad shouted.
"I don't want Talia near him," Sean said with a nod toward Caleb. "I've already had to make him take his hands off of her once, at my club. I'm not giving him the opportunity to get his paws on her again," Sean ground out, his words and tone clipped in anger.
"You need to get the hell off my property. I don't know what you think you know, but you're wrong. Caleb's a good kid who would never hurt Talia. His family and ours have been close for years. Get lost. Talia, get up on the porch now."
"You are entitled to your opinion, sir, even if it is the wrong one." Sean looked over his shoulder at her. "You wanna leave? We can get out of here right now, sweetheart. You just say the word."
Talia released her hold on Sean's shirt and hurried over to get on the motorcycle, putting a helmet on without giving a verbal response.
Sean called out to her mother, "Helen, I'll make sure she gets home safely later."
Sean turned back to his bike and her father followed him. Panic rose up and Talia feared she'd done the wrong thing by calling Sean. God, she didn't want her dad and Sean fighting over her. Grabbing Sean by the arm, her dad spun the big man around to face him. Sean jerked away from him and continued on. Her dad was still shouting when they drove away.
The ride was a blur as Talia got lost in her own head. Her father's reaction worried her. She wasn't afraid he would physically hurt her, but he was going to flip his lid over her leaving with Sean. Why wouldn't he believe Caleb capable of hurting her? He kept taking Caleb's word over hers.
Talia didn't register their location until they came to a halt.
"You brought me back to your apartment?"
He rubbed the back of his neck. "We can go somewhere else if you want. I really don't want to be around a lot of people right now. I'm still pretty riled up."
She could understand that. She wasn't much up for a crowd herself. So, she let him lead her inside.
"I'm sorry I dragged you into this, Sean. I didn't mean for you and my dad to get into it again tonight," she ventured in a quiet voice after a few minutes of silence.
"I wasn't dragged, I volunteered. You didn't ask me to come. I just couldn't live with myself if I didn't try to do something and he hurt you," he responded in a tight voice. "I didn't want to get into it with your dad again. I'm sure he hates me."
"Probably! He didn't care much for you to start with. I'm not sure which was worse for him, knowing you were a bartender or your age."
He chuckled at that. "Then I suppose he doesn't know about my record?"
She laughed. "That would be a definite no! And if you combine the three and couple it with three confrontations and counting…"
"He would rather shoot me than let me near you?"
She nodded and Sean laughed. He grabbed the remote, turning on the TV, and they settled down to watch a movie.
Chapter Twenty-six
The shouts from next door drew Anna from her book. Hopping up, she stepped outside to see what had caused the commotion. Sam stood at the curb shouting as a big black Harley drove away. Talia's red hair flapped in the breeze as she clung to Sean's massive back.
Sam stomped back toward the house.
Shit.
She better make sure he wasn't going to do something stupid, like get a gun and follow them. Helen sat with some friends on their porch. Their flabbergasted expressions told the story. When Sam came out with keys in his hand, Anna stepped up with a hand on his chest to stop him.
"You need to calm down first, Sam. It won't do you any good to follow them now. I know Sean Turner well enough to know that if you take this fight to him, he won't back down. Let it go for a moment. Tell me what happened."
With a quick rundown of the evening's events, Helen brought her up to speed. She narrowed her eyes as she looked at the young man before her. She'd suspected something had happened to Talia, but she knew it wasn't Sean. Now Caleb, on the other hand, looked like an arrogant little fuck.
"Sam, Helen, I have something I would like to talk to you two about in private, please."
She advised Caleb and his family to go home. The other family quickly said their good byes, leaving Anna alone with the Richmonds. It took some convincing to get Sam to sit down. Once he did, she started talking.
"I don't know how to say this without just coming out and saying it bluntly. I think someone abused your daughter." She darted her eyes between Sam and Helen. Father and mother. Waiting for the inevitable explosion. It didn't take long. She knew it wouldn't.
"That damn bartender.
I'll kill him, the bastard. I knew he was no good for Talia." Sam hopped up and started pacing, muttering threats beneath his breath.
"Sam, sit down for a minute and hear me out please. I know this is hard to hear. But I really think someone hit Talia. I've had suspicions for a while."
Helen covered her mouth with her hands and her eyes filled with tears. Shaking her head no, she tried to deny it.
"Have you noticed a change in her personality? Less interest in friends? Wearing more modest clothing?"
At Helen's nod, Anna continued. "Can you pinpoint when that started? Was it over the last month? Or before that?"
"Before. She's been more normal since… she broke up with Caleb." The lights came on for Helen. "Oh God, and we tried to push then back together."
"Caleb?" Sam asked.
Anna nodded. "I believe so. I talked to Talia a few weeks ago about Sean. I asked her point-blank if he had hurt her and she denied it. She didn't appear to be lying."
"Not Turner?" Sam asked. He still was spoiling for a fight, Anna could see that.
"No, I would be the first to tell you if it was him. I really don't think it was. She said Sean helped her out with another guy, but they were just friends. Said he wasn't interested in dating her."
Sam and Helen both nodded.
"We encouraged Talia to date Caleb. Not only today. How did we miss signs that he was hurting her? We see her every day. What does that say about us as parents?" Helen said, her face covered with tears.
Sam sat next to Helen and pulled her close, comforting her. "I owe her an apology. I was forcing her to go on a walk with him."
Turning back to her, Sam asked, "Anna, do you happen to know where Turner might have taken her?"
Karly cleared her throat and said, "I… Uh… I know where he lives."
"How do you know that?"
"I, uh... I was there with Talia once."
"Do you know anything about Caleb abusing your sister?"
"Well, I know he left bruises on her arms and she seemed afraid of him. I never saw him actually hit her, but I think he did."
"You should have told us. What's that address?" She gave them the address and Sam pulled his keys out of his pocket again.
"Wait a minute. What if I go with you to talk to him and Talia together?" While Sam seemed to have calmed down some, she'd best go along and keep an eye on things. Emotions ran high. Sam's rage may have settled to a simmer, but Sean could still be boiling. She'd seen the extent of his temper a few years back and didn't want a repeat tonight.
Sam nodded and Anna headed home to get her keys. A few minutes later, Sam climbed into the car with her and they headed across town. They swung by Garden, but Sean's bike wasn't there, so they continued on to his apartment. She prayed she wasn't making a big mistake throwing the two hot-headed men in a room together.
Chapter Twenty-seven
Credits rolled across the screen, signaling the end of the movie. Talia put another DVD in the player and moved back to the couch. She waffled for a moment, but instead of retaking her previous spot, she sat next to Sean. He didn't object and when she snuggled in to his side, he put his arm around her shoulders with a contented sigh. She glued her eyes to the screen, but her attention was on the big man she leaned against. His words yesterday had made his interest clear. But she spent twenty minutes summoning the courage to make a move.
His breath stirred her hair and she looked up to see Sean watching her, not the movie. A warm smile crossed his face when their eyes met. He breathed her name before bending his head to hers. His lips grazed hers with the faintest touch. She raised her head toward his and the second pass of his lips was firmer, yet still the softest kiss she had ever had.
This kiss held a tender quality their previous kisses had lacked. She brought her hand up to his stubble-covered jaw as she returned his kiss. The movement of his lips against hers was slow and almost lazy. When she sighed and melted into him, he deepened the kiss. His tongue twined around hers and his arms held her close.
He broke the kiss. "Are you sure? Sweetheart, we take this much farther and I'm never letting you go. If you don't want to be more than friends, now's the time to say so."
"I know what I want. And it's always been you. From the day we met, I've wanted you. You were the one pushing me away, silly goose." She nudged him and giggled wildly when he tickled her as punishment.
The tickles turned to caresses and the giggles to moans. Sean pushed her down onto the couch and covered her body with his own. His lips nibbled up and down her throat and she couldn't get enough. She tugged at his shirt, eager to touch skin. He moved over her, slowing the pace with his gentle, languid kisses. The moment his tongue brushed hers again, there was a loud knock at the door. Releasing her, he pulled back with a groan. Sean gave her one last kiss before rising to see who was disturbing them.
Sean's broad frame filled the doorway and blocked her view of their visitors. But the two familiar voices told Talia who stood in the hallway. She sat up to go to the door herself. But Sean opened the door wide and invited the pair in.
"Dad, Anna, what are you guys… well, I guess I know why you are here. Silly question, huh?"
Anna's curious gaze swept over the small apartment. Glancing at Sean several times during her observations, she looked amazed. "Not what I expected from you, Turner." She nodded in slight approval at him before taking a seat in the only chair in the living room.
Her dad did his share of looking around as well. His eyes lingered on the shelves full of books and the stacks of novels here and there. "You've read all these?" he asked Sean in a gruff voice. Talia was impressed. Her dad seemed to have a handle on his emotions. If only he would start listening about Caleb.
"Yes, sir. Well, most of them anyway. I'll get to the others someday." Sean looked perplexed at the older man's topic of conversation. The confused expression on his face made clear his expectation of another rant about Talia, not a random comment about books.
Sitting on the couch next to Talia, her father pulled her into a swift but warm hug. "I'm sorry for scaring you earlier. I never would've insisted you spend time with Caleb if I'd known you were afraid of him. I knew you broke up with him, but I didn't know… Anna told me tonight that there may be some truth to what your friend here said earlier about Caleb hurting you?"
"Caleb hit me more than once. He always wanted things to be his way and when they weren't he would make me miserable. I shouldn't have dated him as long as I did. At the beginning, I tried to be what he wanted. He convinced me it was my fault that he hit me. Then, I was fearful of what he might do."
She broke off with a tiny almost sob. "That night at Garden, when Sean stepped in, I was truly afraid he might hurt me. Dad, if Sean hadn't been there that night and gotten me away from Caleb, I don't know what would have happened. He threatened to kill me that night. That was the catalyst for me to break up with him."
Sean sat on Talia's other side. His weight caused the cushion Talia perched on to shift his direction. She tilted his way and giggled a little as she tipped into him. "Oops!"
Sean made no attempt to right her position and she chose not to move either. Her father glared a bit when she wiggled back into Sean and he slid a warm arm around her middle. With her back against his muscular chest, Talia faced her father and Anna.
Anna spoke up then. "So, I take it you were mistaken when we had our conversation a few weeks ago." She stared at the tattooed arm wrapped around Talia's waist.
Talia smiled at the older woman and trailed her fingers up Sean's arm. Before she could answer, Sam asked, "Okay, so I have to know. How long have you been dating this guy behind my back? I thought you two were just friends. You told me you were friends."
Talia flinched back at the hate in her dad's eyes. Eyes that settled on Sean. "You assured me you hadn't even asked my daughter for her number and you weren't interested. You lied to me, boy."
Sean sighed and ran his free hand through his hair. "Like I told you at Zane's, I d
idn't lie to you. But your daughter…she's determined. Before I even knew what happened, we were hanging out. It's not something I had planned, I promise you that."
"Daddy, I gave him my number. Twice, actually. The first time he crumpled it up and threw it away right in front of me." She elbowed Sean and smiled when he grunted. "The second time he took it. I really didn't think he would call, but I hoped…"
"I almost didn't," he whispered as he buried his face in her hair. His arm tightened slightly around her as he pulled her closer.
Anna and Sam swapped concerned glances at the tender display. Talia noted the exchange between her father and their neighbor, but didn't comment on it.
Sam repeated his previous comment, "So, since neither of you answered me when I asked how long you have been dating, I'm going to ask again. I'm assuming that you are, since you're all cuddled up together."
Sean raised his eyebrows in question when she tilted her head his direction. She grazed his lips with her own before turning back to her father.
"We haven't kept anything from you, Daddy. Today, things changed. Neither of us wants to be 'just friends' any longer."
Her father looked ready to explode when he got confirmation that they were dating, but whatever it cost him, he held his tongue for the moment. A little muscle in his cheek twitched. He managed a grim smile that didn't make it to his eyes. "I think maybe we should discuss this over dinner one night soon. Not at midnight, and with your mother present, perhaps? Let's go home for now, and you and your mother can plan a dinner for him to come to soon."
Talia beamed at her father for the effort. They still had work to do to get their relationship back on solid ground, but he was trying.
"Now, I've got work in the morning. Think we can head home soon?"
Talia sighed. She didn't want to leave Sean when he'd finally given in, but her dad was right. It was late. And she had class in the morning. She turned and gave Sean a big hug and a brief kiss at his jaw line.
Sean's Sweetheart Page 9