Angels in Seashore Cove (Love and Laugh in Seashore Cove Book 2)

by Maggie Van Well

“A little. Probably the stress of getting those cupcakes done on time.”

  “How about a neck rub—better yet, a full backrub?”

  She paused with her hand on her shoulder and studied him. “Really? One of your massages would be awesome right now!”

  “Okay, let’s go back to your bedroom so you can lie down and relax.”

  Once he gathered matches, towels and a few scented candles, Sean followed Dianna down the hall, his body trembling in renewed anticipation. Oh, man, he was going to enjoy making her moan.

  With a deep sigh, she flopped, face first, onto her bed. “Okay, Mr. Donovan. Work your magic.”

  “I need you to do something for me first.”

  Her shoulders slumped. “I knew there had to be a catch.” She turned her head and faced him. “What is it?”

  “Take off your shirt.”

  “What?”

  “And bra.” He set up the candles, lighting each one before turning on her radio, switching through the channels before he landed on a soft rock station.

  She sat up, her mouth slightly ajar. “You never had me take off my shirt when you massaged me before.”

  “I never gave you a full backrub before.”

  “Oh.” She appeared uncertain for a moment, but then shrugged. “Fine. Turn around.”

  “You do that while I get that massage oil Sonia gave you before she decided she didn’t like you.”

  “Bite me, Donovan!”

  Oh, I’m going to. In all the right places.

  Sean chuckled at her reaction. He always did know how to push her buttons and he was about to put all that knowledge to good use.

  He found the oil right where he knew it would be—next to the tub in the pretty wicker basket he’d given her last Christmas. Shortly after he and Sonia started dating she’d given the oil to Dianna as a friendly gesture. Funny, how he didn’t even feel an ounce of regret or hesitation at the thought of his former girlfriend. Especially since what he was about to do was because of her expertise. She’d taught him early on in their relationship how to give a good massage.

  He paused in his task. Wasn’t using your ex-girlfriend’s talents to seduce another woman considered douchey?

  Damned if he knew. And damned if he cared.

  He stood by the bathroom door and called out, “You all set?”

  “Yup.”

  Walking the few steps to her room, he gripped the lotion tightly before he entered.

  And then he nearly lost his breath.

  Dianna lay on her stomach, with her arms folded under her head. The skin on her back was smooth, perfect, but it was the swell of her breast as it pressed into the mattress that nearly had him dropping the bottle in the hopes of startling her enough to make her jump up. Topless.

  But he couldn’t do that. He wasn’t playing fair as it was.

  Then again, when had he ever played fair?

  He kneeled next to her on the bed, flipping open the top of the lotion and squirted a liberal amount into his hand.

  Let the games begin.

  ***

  Dianna gasped, unsure if it was due to the warm lotion touching her skin or the instant electric shock that went through her from Sean’s touch.

  Funny, that never happened before.

  Well, okay, maybe once or twice.

  Or fifty.

  “Sorry, I should’ve warned you.” Sean applied pressure to the back of her neck. “Next time.”

  She nodded and relaxed once again, letting out a long slow breath, feeling tranquil almost to the point of intoxication. Man, she loved the seductive earthy scent from the candles. The dark room and soft music added to the dreamlike feeling even more.

  He sure knew how to put her at ease.

  Then Sean moved his hands to just below her shoulder blades, pressing his thumbs into the tight muscles. But it was his fingertips that had her holding back a gulp. They rested just at the point where the swell of her breasts began.

  Dianna held her breath. Would he be so bold as to touch her more intimately? No, of course he wouldn’t.

  But what if he did? Would she let him?

  The breath she held nearly choked her as she realized she would. Had she been too quick to reject his offer to make love to her? At the time it made perfect sense to turn him down flat, but now, as his hands worked their magic along with the candles and soft music, she wondered what would happen if she suddenly turned over.

  He’d be shocked, that was certain. But would he take the hint? Would he continue to massage and caress? Would he still be willing to teach her?

  Heat surged between her legs. Her nipples hardened, digging into the sheets. The sensation was sweet, intense, almost painful and she lifted her chest from the mattress in an attempt to ease the pressure.

  Her movement caused Sean’s hands to slip. They brushed the sides of her breasts. His fingers paused for the merest of seconds before they began rubbing again.

  She hadn’t realized he’d leaned forward until he whispered in her ear, “How does that feel, Princess?”

  With one word she could either put an end to his onslaught or change their relationship forever. One word would have him move on to less sensitive areas or have him touch her in places that would send her flying.

  “It feels,” she inhaled deeply and closed her eyes. “Wonderful.”

  Sean rested his chin on her shoulder, giving himself just enough room between her back and his chest to keep his hands moving. His breathing became somewhat haggard as he massaged from just below her shoulder blades out toward her sides. With each pass he followed her curves further and further until they fully caressed the gentle side-swell.

  The fire between her legs burned hotter and Dianna lifted herself slightly onto her elbows, waiting with bated breath for Sean to fully capture her breasts.

  Then the doorbell rang.

  Dianna’s heart stopped, her eyes flew open as she lowered herself again. “Who could that be?”

  Sean continued his onslaught. “Just ignore it. Whoever it is will go away.”

  But the bell sounded again, this time accompanied with a determined knocking.

  With a deep sigh, he stood. “You better go see who it is.”

  Dianna sat up and grabbed her bra and shirt, disappointed that Sean had turned away from her. Had she read the signs wrong? Had he just been massaging her side muscles and in her fog-filled mind thought it was more than it really was?

  Once her shirt was in place, she headed for her front door.

  “Hi!” Angie and Jack sang in unison.

  “Hey!” Dianna forced a smile. “What’s up, guys?”

  “We were sitting at home watching TV when Angie said, ‘Why don’t we go next door and visit with Dianna.’”

  “And then we saw Sean pull up,” Angie continued, “and we thought, great! We can visit with both of them.”

  Dianna ran her tongue over her lips, wondering if she should make an excuse or beg them to stay. “That’s very sweet of you, but—”

  “We thought, since Sean isn’t your boyfriend or anything we wouldn’t be interrupting. So here we are.” Angie offered a huge smile.

  The couple walked into her house uninvited. Jack thrust a china platter into her hands. “We brought cookies.”

  Dianna closed the door. Cookies. Well, that tore it. She couldn’t ask them to leave now. “How sweet! I’ll—I’m—be right back.”

  After she put the dish on the counter in the kitchen, she peeked into the living room and saw Jack and Angie sitting comfortably before sneaking down the hall to her room. She walked in and closed the door behind her.

  Sean rose from bed and walked over to her. “Shall we begin where we left off?”

  Yes, please! “We can’t. We have company.”

  His brow furrowed and for some reason appeared uncertain. “Who?”

  “Angie and Jack. They’re in the living room.”

  “You could make an excuse for them to leave.” He stepped closer. His cologne mixed wi
th the scent of the candles nearly had her dragging him back over to the bed, good manners be damned. But she couldn’t. Her great-aunt Mary would haunt her if she did. “I wasn’t quite finished,” he continued.

  She opened her mouth to speak, but the intense look in his eyes stalled her words. Was he propositioning her or just looking to finish what he’d started? And what exactly had he started? “They brought cookies,” was all she could croak out.

  “Oh. Aunt Mary.” He stepped back and nodded, knowing all about the rules of etiquette Aunt Mary insisted they follow. “Lead the way.”

  Dianna headed out the door, but halfway down the hall, Sean grabbed her arm. She faced him, startled.

  “Maybe we can finish this after they leave.”

  Here it was, another chance to call an end to this madness. And once again, she found herself ignoring it. “Do you think you’ll be up for it?”

  His mouth lifted in a one-sided grin. “I have a feeling I’ll be very up for it.”

  She opened her mouth to say something, but instead hurried the rest of the way to the sanctuary of the living room wondering what exactly that smirk was about.

  ***

  It didn’t take long for Sean to realize Jack and Angie were in no hurry to leave. If it weren’t for the fact that he wanted to get Dianna back into her room and continue with his seduction—something he’s never had to do before, but discovered was a huge turn-on—he would’ve enjoyed himself. Jack and Angie were a lively couple and watching them together was very entertaining.

  After a cutthroat game of Texas Hold‘em, Dianna’s neighbors had insisted on moving onto Trivial Pursuit. They were playing teams and so far, Angie and Jack were winning.

  Angie picked up a card and read it, her mouth twisted. “Oh man, this is so easy. And it’s for a chip too.”

  “Come on.” Dianna took a small bite of her cookie. “What’s the question?”

  “What is the largest planet in our solar system?”

  “Wow, that does suck for you, huh?” Dianna smiled at Sean, that mischievous grin making his gut twist. “I do believe that’s Jupiter.”

  Angie slapped down the card and picked up another one, handing it to Jack for him to read.

  Dianna did a little dance in her chair, singing as she picked up a green chip and placed it into its slot. “We get a chip, oh, yeah, oh yeah, and go again. Oh yeah, oh yeah.”

  God, how had he never noticed how sexy her playful side was? She glanced at him, winked and his dick twitched.

  That was it. All the barriers were down. He wanted this woman crushed beneath him, panting and moaning his name and he was going to have her.

  And whatever came afterward—well, he’d deal with it then.

  He shifted in his chair. Right now, he had to end this game and bid their guests goodnight.

  But the hours ticked by and their company never seemed to get bored or tired. By the time they’d finished the second game of Trivia, Dianna was staring into space while he fought to keep his eyes open.

  This was not what he’d planned.

  Damn it, he’d been so close to seducing her. He could tell by the way she’d squirmed and shifted on the bed earlier that she wanted him to. It’d taken every ounce of self-control not to flip her over, kiss her and finally satisfy the urge to touch every inch of her body.

  “Take your time, son. There’s no rush.”

  For one discomforting moment, Sean thought Jack read his thoughts, but then realized he referred to the question Angie had just asked.

  Sean feigned ignorance and the game moved on, but Jack’s words resonated in his head. He did need to slow it down—well, not too slow, he did only have a week, after all—but he needed to cool his jets. He wanted Dianna’s first time to be special, something to cherish, not rushed and disappointing.

  So when Jack and Angie won Trivia again and Jack asked, “Anyone wanna play Twister?” Sean stood and stretched, for the first time, happy the tireless couple had interrupted his plans.

  “No thanks, I’m going home before I’m too tired to drive.”

  Dianna put the game board into its box then followed him to the door. At first it appeared she couldn’t meet his eyes, but then she raised her chin and met his gaze head on. “Thank you for all your help.”

  He kissed her cheek, denying the urge to aim for her lips, but let the kiss linger nonetheless. “Anything for you. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  He left with the image of pink inching into Dianna’s cheeks. A great image to have, but not the one that would put him to sleep tonight.

  Chapter Fourteen

  “ARE YOU SURE we are allowed to do this?” Angie wrung her hands as she studied the tall, older woman chatting on the phone.

  “Positive. Adriel said we can only observe people involved in our assignment and she is part of it.”

  Angie and Jack stood in the kitchen of Sean’s parents, Cain and Ellen Donovan. The home was gorgeous, well designed but still managed to have a welcoming feel to it. A testament to how well Sean’s mother did her job.

  For three days, Angie and Jack had found ways to intervene with Sean’s seemingly endless pursuit to seduce Dianna. From Jack staying late at Sean’s pub and pretending to be too drunk to take care of himself while Angie was away, to Angie begging Dianna to make a birthday cake for a non-existent friend, to whispering suggestions that repeatedly went unheeded.

  At some point, Angie feared both Sean and Dianna would run in the opposite direction if they saw either of them approach.

  Or get a restraining order.

  But this—this seemed a step too far.

  Angie had some misgivings about Jack’s plan. But when they ran out of ideas, she really had no other option short of tying one or both of them to a chair.

  “This seems wrong. You know I’ve never been thrilled about whispering suggestions to Sean and Dianna, now you want to do it to his mother?”

  Jack grabbed her shoulders and turned her to face in Ellen’s direction. “Look at her. Listen to her.”

  She did as instructed, filtered past Ellen’s spoken words to the thoughts deep within her soul. It didn’t take long for her to find the place that belonged to her sons. They were her everything. Her joy. But she worried for them. Scared they would never find love or true happiness. Scared because of their actions, especially Tucker’s.

  Tears filled Angie’s eyes at the sorrow this woman felt. She wanted peace, longed for grandchildren, but feared one or both of her sons would find neither. She delved further, wondering how far she should go, and then she came upon the thoughts buried deep in her mind. The nightmare of every mother.

  Losing a child.

  “No.” She gasped as a terror, so strong it nearly buckled her knees. “No!”

  “Angie, come back!”

  She followed Jack’s voice, knowing that with him lay comfort. She jerked into her own thoughts, her body shaking, tears wetting her cheeks. Her chest heaved as she tried to push away the horror she’d just experienced. “I went—I went too far.”

  Jack engulfed her in a hug. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have made you do that.”

  “How do they do it, Jack?” She sniffed, sucking in much-needed air. “How do parents live with such a deep-seated fear of losing a child?”

  He rubbed her back, hugging her tighter. “I don’t know. My guess would be their love for them outweighs everything else.”

  He eased her from him and stroked her cheek, sorrow prevalent on his handsome face. “Forgive me?”

  “There’s nothing to forgive. Because, now I know, we have to do everything in our power to make this turn out right.”

  Jack brought her back to their apartment, seemingly still rattled by what had happened a few moments ago. He sat her down in the evil wicker chair and squatted in front of her. “I’m at a loss. We’ve been so busy at keeping them apart, we haven’t had the chance to help them find each other as soul mates.”

  “We have to focus on one problem at
a time. Tackle the most pressing.”

  “Which is getting Sean to stop trying to seduce Dianna.”

  “We’ve tried that. I think we need to go another way.”

  “Do you have any ideas? I’m fresh out.”

  Angie nodded slowly, her composure returning. “Yes, I have one.”

  “Tell me.”

  “I’ll revisit a dear friend. Good old fashioned psychiatry.”

  ***

  Dianna peeked out her front door, for the hundredth time, pacing and waiting for Sean’s Porsche to turn onto her street. He’d texted two hours ago saying he had a surprise for her. She had no idea what it could be, but it involved getting dressed up.

  She tugged at the hem of her new dress as she plopped down onto the side chair and forced herself to sit still, hoping the golden silk fabric with lace overlay wouldn’t be too much for whatever Sean had planned. It was a little dressier, and sexier than the dress she’d worn on her date with Dean.

  It worried her how much she hoped Sean liked it.

  He’d been around a lot lately, taking her out for ice cream, to the movies, a ballgame. Nothing out of the ordinary, really, except for one thing. Sean had grown very affectionate with her. Well, he’d always been affectionate. Maybe touchy-feely was a better way to put it.

  Nothing as bold as the day he’d given her the back massage, but definitely more than usual. Little things like, holding out her sweater for her and then pulling her trapped hair out once she had the garment on. Opening her car door and letting his hand linger on her back, guiding her into her seat. Any time they walked next to each other he had his hand on her shoulder or the small of her back.

  And she discovered she liked it.

  All of it.

  The doorbell pulled her out of her thoughts, making her heart jump to her throat just as she jumped to her feet. At first she thought it might be Sean, but then quickly realized if it were, he would just walk in.

  She opened the door and smiled at her neighbor. “Hi Angie.”

  “Hi sweetie. Oh, my, you look pretty. I hope I’m not disturbing you.”

  “You are never a disturbance.” Dianna stepped aside to allow her friend entrance. “However, I do have plans tonight. What’s up?”