by Robyn Roze
“Does everyone in Mt. Pleasant have a frigging key to my house?” she said bitingly.
Sean, clearly taken aback, stood to give Shayna space.
“Your front door was unlocked, Shay. I didn’t mean to barge in. I did knock and ring the doorbell first, but you didn’t answer. I just wanted to make sure you were okay, after the way things ended earlier today. I left a couple of messages...” he trailed off, skimming his hand over his hair. “Look, I’m sorry. I’ll go.”
She closed her eyes and exhaled loudly. Crap, she still hadn’t turned that damn cell phone on, and Frank hadn’t locked the front door when he left. She glanced at the clock beside her bed. It was ten-thirty at night. Wow, she had really passed out from the day’s drama overload.
“No, Sean, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap at you like that. I’ve had a really lousy day. I didn’t get your messages because my phone has been off since yesterday, and then I apparently fell into a coma after the one-two punch from Dani and Frank.”
She stood, intending to go and splash some cold water on her face, but didn’t make it to her bathroom. Instead, she wrapped her arms around Sean, feeling an overwhelming urge at that moment for a warm connection. He squeezed her tightly, and she burrowed against him. He smelled so good, and he felt even better in her arms and against her body.
“I’m not sure I’ll be very good company tonight. A rain check might be safer.”
Hugging her closer, he whispered, “I’m not worried about playing it safe.”
She chuckled and snuggled closer.
“So, Frank came by today?” he asked, with what sounded like feigned disinterest.
“Yeah. Dani left here mad as hell and went straight to Daddy. She must’ve given him her key, because he walked in here like he owned the place.”
She felt Sean stiffen. “You didn’t know he was coming?”
“No! I’ve never invited him here.”
“What did he want?”
Shayna sighed wearily, not really wanting to rehash the day’s events.
“To apologize. To ask forgiveness. To sell me on starting over. Blah, blah, blah.”
Sean was noticeably quiet for a few moments. “History is a powerful thing, Shay. I waited until you finalized your divorce to start anything with you, because I wanted to make sure you went through with it.”
Shayna’s eyes narrowed. “I know, you told me that earlier today.”
Sean tucked his hands in his front pockets and looked resolutely at her.
“Shayna, if you think there’s any chance whatsoever you might want to get back together with him—tell me now—please. I’d rather know now than later, when I’m in too deep. I’m all grown up, I can handle it. Trust me when I say that I can handle it better now than later.”
Something was different about Sean. Where was this coming from? It had to be more than him finding out about Frank’s surprise visit today.
“What’s going on?” she asked.
He gauged her carefully, as if trying to make a decision.
“What aren’t you telling me?” she asked again. “What is it?”
Sean shifted his stance and exhaled. “I met your ex tonight.” Shayna’s mouth fell open. “He and his business partners had dinner at my restaurant. He asked for me specifically, introduced himself and his associates. Then he had a private chat with me before they left.”
The air rushed out of Shayna. She could feel the fury rising in her. Sean just watched her, guardedly, and waited. Her eyes swept side to side and she shook her head.
She stammered, “Why would, what was he—“
She placed her hands on her hips and inhaled deeply, shaking her head to clear the heavy fog of the day. “What did he say to you, Sean,” she asked crossly.
“What he said doesn’t matter. It’s obvious he wants you back,” he said with preternatural calm.
“I can’t believe he did that. Who does he think he is?”
“You still haven’t answered my question, Shay.” He had a wistful look. “If you need some space, some time to think about things, that’s fine—just tell me. Now.”
“What did he say to you, Sean?”
“What he said doesn’t matter. What you say, right now, is all that does matter.”
She thought seriously about what he was asking. Sean Parker, supremely confident, handsome, funny, smart, sexy as hell, was asking her to hurt him now rather than later.
With everything in her life feeling so uncertain and swirling around her, there was one thing she was certain of in this moment. She did not want to hurt this man, now or later.
Sighing resolutely, she said unequivocally, “I’m not going back to Frank. I meant it when I said it last night, and I mean it now. He broke my heart once. I won’t give him the chance to do it again.”
Noticeable relief washed over Sean, his face softening, body relaxing. He inhaled deeply before closing the gap between them and grasping her face in his hands. A satisfied smile curved his lips.
“That’s all that matters to me,” he said hoarsely, as he dropped down to seal their lips in a scorching kiss. Their hands roamed, searched, stroked, and pressed their bodies together. Shayna, standing on tiptoes, could feel his prominent arousal against her belly, causing the heavy heat and throbbing between her legs to intensify further.
She broke from his hungry lips and begged with a whisper, “Now, Sean. I need you right now—fast, hard, right now.”
His low, throaty growl elicited her needy moan, as they hurriedly undressed each other. Shayna dropped down on the bed and began scooting further up, locking onto Sean’s heavy-lidded eyes as he stalked above her in the milky moonlight. Then he pressed between her legs and cupped her face in his strong hands, still focusing his eyes on hers.
When she felt him at her entrance, a sharp breath pushed passed her lips. He kissed her hard as he drove into her. She heard herself whimper as he pumped harder, deeper. God, he made her feel so needy...the kind of neediness she hadn’t felt for a man in thirty years, hadn’t expected to ever feel again.
He kissed and sucked at her neck, working his way back to her lips. Then he coaxed her eyes open. She knew after last night that he liked her to watch him watching her come, and she was almost there. As she arched in her release, Sean nipped at her neck and moved down to suck her nipple. Shayna raked her hands through his thick hair as her spasms gave way to much needed relief.
He withdrew and, grabbing her hands, pulled her up and off the bed. She followed him hand in hand to the glass panel he slid open, leading to the private deck. Positioning himself sprawled on a chaise, he guided Shayna to straddle him and remain standing. His hands caressed her thighs and buttocks as he nipped at her belly and just above her closely cropped curls, before dipping down and greedily sucking her clit.
A quick, unexpected orgasm sliced cleanly through her. Then she felt his fingers stroking her centerline before plunging into her slick core while his thumb gently circled her clit. She swayed and writhed above him, her face falling back toward the starry sky, her hands gripping the top of the chaise as he teased and tormented her into oblivion before pulling her down onto his hard heat.
She gasped from the sudden fullness, quickly riding him, clenching him tightly with her core, as he tweaked and sucked hard at her nipples, bucking beneath her. Shayna slanted back and reached between his legs, caressing and squeezing him. She heard his breathing quicken as his release tore from him in a roar. Then he pulled her close wrapping his arms possessively around her until his heart slowed and his breathing regulated.
Warm air currents rustled through the surrounding trees and skated across their fevered flesh. They let the silence of the star-filled night blanket them as they laughed softly and murmured sweet, heated sentiments to one another.
Sean’s broad hands smoothed along Shayna’s thighs, up along her hips, around her slender waist and over her breasts, ending softly around her throat, where he stroked her jaw line with his thumbs. The stars ref
lected in his eyes, glimmered with the lustful, reverent look he leveled at her.
“You’re beautiful, Shayna—inside and out,” he said huskily.
Sean’s hands skimmed up to cup her face and he looked at her resolutely in the silvery moonlight.
“I’m expecting a fight, Shay. From your ex. He isn’t going to go away quietly.”
Shayna narrowed her eyes and began to shake her head.
Before she could speak, Sean pressed a finger to her lips and said determinedly, “I don’t care who he is, Shay. He’s not going to win this one.”
CHAPTER 10
The long ride in the wide elevator gave Shayna time to organize her thoughts and to smile indulgently as she thought about the new man in her life—someone she had never expected. She caught sight of her reflection in the framed, beveled glass opposite. She blushed and looked away, shaking her head softly. Good lord, she felt like a kid again, her heart racing, palms warming, and knees weakening, just at the thought of Sean Parker—at the images of them together. She brought her fingers to her lips to quell the growing smile.
He was fantastic in the kitchen too! She giggled inwardly. After finding out she had missed lunch and dinner, he had foraged through her cupboards and refrigerator late last night, making gruyère and ham paninis with a delicious fruit, cheese, and nut-laden spinach salad.
Inhaling deeply, she closed her eyes and switched focus to the task ahead of her. When the chime announced the end of her journey to the top floor, she straightened and smoothed out her sleeveless gray pencil dress. It was a perfect match for her eyes. She went sleeveless as often as possible at this time of year, seeing no reason to hide all those hours at the gym.
“Here you are, Mrs. Chastain. So nice to see you again,” the elevator operator said with a smile.
“Good to see you, too, Charlie. And it’s Ms. Montgomery, now,” she informed him, patting his shoulder softly. He looked embarrassed, but before he could apologize, Shayna smiled and added, “There’s no way you could’ve known that. I haven’t made it legal yet.” He seemed relieved and nodded, gesturing to the exit.
Shayna sauntered fluidly across the marble floor, pushed smoothly through the ornate mahogany double doors, and stepped into the posh reception area. She continued her path past the first line of defense and turned left to head down the hallway, ignoring the blustering receptionist who quieted when the switchboard lit up.
The staff in the hallway parted, offering her wide berth and watching popeyed as she passed them, focused tightly on her mission. She turned to her right and saw the executive secretary working busily at her oversized desk, guarding the entryway to the top dog.
“Hello, Brittany.” Shayna announced her presence with an arctic chill. She hadn’t seen this little trollop since she found Frank balls-deep between her legs three years ago. All the color from Brittany’s over-painted face drained and, she swallowed hard.
“I see you’ve been promoted,” Shayna continued. “I’m sure you earned it—the hard way.”
The girl’s brown eyes widened and she looked like she might vomit.
“Is he in his office or the boardroom?” Shayna asked, in a chilly, dismissive tone, looking down with palpable disdain at the girl displaying her silicone breasts in her too tight, too low-cut knit top.
Brittany cleared her throat and brushed some dark tendrils from her face. “Office, but he’s with—“
Shayna threw her hand up to quiet the girl, so she didn’t have to hear another word from the tramp. With a side glance, she saw Brittany reach for the phone.
“If you pick up that phone, I will break your arm, little girl.”
Brittany inhaled sharply and placed her hands in her lap, covering more of her flesh than the ridiculously short skirt did. Shayna continued her determined march to Frank’s carved mahogany door and flung it open—hard. When she stepped inside the expansive corner office, Frank’s head popped up from the documents he was reviewing on his desk, his two partners in leather wingbacks opposite him with folders and papers in their laps, glancing worriedly at one another. All three men clearly startled by her unannounced entrance. She and Frank locked hard stares.
Without looking at his associates, she said, “Hello, George. Hello, Robert. Get out,” one corner of her mouth curled slightly, as she ordered them away.
She could see their reflections in the floor-to-ceiling windows, shrugging and looking at one another and then to Frank for guidance. He nodded without taking his eyes off Shayna. The two men tentatively gathered their documents and files. Exiting, they gawked back into the room as they closed the heavy door behind themselves.
Shayna raised her chin as she watched Frank consider his options. He stared up at her for a moment, then removed his reading glasses. His blue tie was a bit askew, and his white dress shirt appeared a little rumpled. The suit jacket was tossed on a nearby side chair. He couldn’t hide the carnal approval on his tanned, weathered features as he drank in every inch of her figure. Shayna cocked her head at him knowingly, and chuckled inwardly. Whoever coined the phrase “looking good is the best revenge” couldn’t have been more spot-on.
“Really kicking yourself, aren’t you, Frank?” She snorted delicately, lithely sitting back in one of the black wingbacks, allowing the slit at the side of her dress to snake up and flaunt her toned thigh, deliberately crossing it over her other leg and exposing more smooth skin. Frank’s eyes traveled the length of her long bare legs. He licked his lips at the sight before him, before flicking his eyes up to hers.
“I see you’ve promoted your ‘on again, off again’ girlfriend. That’s nice—you never know when you’ll be on again. This way, you can just pull her in here for a nooner. That is, if you remember to take your little blue pill.”
He winced, and his eyes creased at the snide remark.
“Or maybe you felt like you had to promote her? You know, in hopes of avoiding a potentially nasty and embarrassing sexual harassment lawsuit?” Shayna smiled sardonically.
“Well, you’re quite the smartass today, aren’t you, Shay? Feel better?” Frank said, in a clipped tone.
“Oh, I do, Frank. I really do,” she said with a broad smile, chuckling throatily. Then she sighed indulgently.
Understanding registered on Frank’s face. He clearly realized where the heightened confidence and luminous glow were coming from...or, rather, who had put it there. His eyes turned wistful, and he reclined resignedly in his executive chair, appearing defeated, but she knew better.
He drummed his pen tip on the desk blotter. “So, he told you about our little chat last night?” Frank quipped with raised brows.
“What?” she asked playfully. “Oh, that. Sean mentioned it in passing, but that was it. Trust me. We definitely don’t waste our time talking about you.” She winked. “Sean’s a grown man. He can take care of himself.”
“Sure about that, Shay? Have you had him checked out? Because I have. If there’s anything you’d like to know, just ask,” he said arrogantly, as he pulled a file out of his top drawer and slapped it down on his desktop. “People with our kind of money need to be careful, sweetheart.”
Shayna huffed loudly. “Tell me about it. You can’t even trust the people closest to you, not even the ones you’ve known most of your life.” She nodded faintly when she saw the anger and regret flash across his face.
“Let’s see if I can summarize what’s in that file of yours. That way you can stop worrying so much about me and get on with your life.” Shayna paused for affect. “Sean’s parents were among the first to settle in Mt. Pleasant, before greedy land developers gobbled it all up. The Parkers took a big risk with the little bit of money they had, and started Gaetano’s—named after Sean’s mother’s grandfather. She was a war bride from Tuscany, by the way, in case your snoop didn’t put that in the file. Anyway, his parents worked hard and hoped to start a family, but things didn’t work out the way they planned. Oh, the business did well after a while, but they were unable to have
a baby. But, as fate would have it, the Parkers were finally blessed with a change-of-life baby: Sean Nicholas Parker. They were quite busy with the restaurant, worked tremendous hours, and expected Sean’s help more as he got older. He rebelled, like many teenage boys, and found himself on the wrong side of the law a time or two, mostly fights and some minor vandalism. In fact, his father sent him to a local boxing gym thinking they could beat the fight out of him.” Shayna arched a brow and shook her head slowly. “But none of that stopped him from graduating class valedictorian from Mt. Pleasant High School.” Shayna paused and bit her lip, then sighed. “He’s a bad boy and smart as hell. I find that to be an irresistible combination.”
Frank sunk further back in his chair, resting his elbow on the desk and holding his loosely fisted hand against his tightly pursed lips, staring pointedly at her.
Smoothing her dress, she continued, “Anyway, Sean enlisted in the Navy as soon as he graduated from high school. He wanted to get away from everything, get his head on straight. He joined as a sailor, earned a business degree, and was honorably discharged as an officer. He only came back to Mt. Pleasant when his mother became ill with breast cancer. He helped his father with the business for a couple of years before his mother passed away, followed six months later by his father, Rex. Died of a broken heart—at least that’s what Sean thinks. I’m sure you already know that it was tough for him in the beginning, for all kinds of reasons. Losing both parents so close together, a mountain of debt from the business, blah, blah, blah, he had to file for bankruptcy. He could’ve left after that, but he decided to start again—in honor of his parents. He’s had his ups and downs with the restaurant over the years, but he’s always managed to pull it back up. Of course, it’s much harder when cities and developers are in bed together to squeeze out the little guy, family-owned businesses, in favor of monolithic, ubiquitous chains that have all the charm of a sterile exam room.”