'I thought your mother left the family when you were young,' she said.
Sean was surprised she remembered the conversation they'd had. 'She did. She came back to Boston a year ago last January with my sister, Keely, who was born after my mother left. I haven't been able to talk to her since she returned.'
'Why not?'
He'd kept the feelings bottled up inside for so long that he wasn't sure he could express them in words. But as he looked at Laurel, he knew she'd be the one to understand. 'I don't know. I was angry at her. I didn't trust her. When I was little, I used to believe she was my angel, watching over me from heaven. My father had told us she'd died in a car wreck.'
'And she hadn't?' Laurel said, her expression filled with sympathy. 'That must have been very confusing for you.'
He picked up his wineglass and took a gulp of the wine. 'I went to fetch my da from the pub one night,' he began, measuring each word. 'And he was boasting to his buddies that he'd sent my ma packing because she'd been with another man. That's when I started to hate her. I blamed her for all the bad things that happened to us. But I never told anyone about what I'd heard.'
'That's a pretty big secret for a kid to carry around.'
'It was like weight that dragged me down. I didn't let myself feel anything. And today I found out that I was wrong. She didn't break her marriage vows. I'm not sure what to do with that revelation.'
'Let it go,' Laurel said. 'After my mother died, I carried around an anger for her that I couldn't understand, I was ten and she'd left me and I blamed her because she didn't fight harder. If she loved me, she could have beaten the cancer.' She paused, as if her emotions were about to overflow. 'And then, one day, I just let it go. And memories of the good times came back and I could love her again.'
'I don't have any memories,' Sean said.
'Then make some new ones,' Laurel urged. 'Spend some time with your mother, take her out to lunch, find out who she is. At least you have that chance. Don't waste it.'
Sean reached across the table and slipped his hand around her nape, gently pulling her toward him. The kiss began as simple gratitude, but then, after a few moments, it became more-an apology, a promise, an invitation. They both stumbled to their feet, the table still between them.
He stepped around it, his mouth locked on hers, then pulled Laurel into his arms. All the anger had faded, replaced by need, stronger than anything he'd felt the night before. He wanted to make love to her right then, to reassure himself that she truly did care for him. He needed Laurel more than he'd ever needed a woman in his life.
Sean cupped her face in his hands and stared down into her eyes. 'How did you get so smart?' He kissed her again, letting his hands drift over her body, taking in the soft curves and sweet angles as if they belonged solely to him.
He was tempted to drag her up to bed, to show her how much he needed her. But last night's encounter had left them both anxious and confused, ripe for the argument they'd had. They needed time to sort out these feelings, time to let them grow naturally. He groaned inwardly. Every instinct told him to enjoy her while he could. But Sean wasn't interested in short-term pleasure. If there was something real between him and Laurel, he needed to know, and this was the only way to find out.
Sean gently set her back from him and smiled. 'Dinner is getting cold.'
She swallowed hard and forced a smile. 'Right. Dinner.'
They passed the rest of the evening in easy conversation, Sean surprised at how good it felt to discuss his childhood with her. She listened and offered her thoughts, then questioned him, prompting him to reveal more. But through it all, the kiss they'd shared hung between them like a ticking alarm clock just waiting to go off. With every minute that passed, Sean wondered how much longer he could resist touching her.
He managed to make it through dessert and then helped her clear the table and do the dishes. As they worked, they finished the bottle of wine, both of them relaxing into each other. And when the dishes were finished and the kitchen cleaned, the next step was obvious.
It would be so easy to walk up the stairs with her and to make love to her for the rest of the night. But for the first time since he'd met her, he believed that there was something special between them, something that needed to be treated with greater care-something that just might last.
Laurel wiped her hands on a kitchen towel, then carefully folded it and set it aside. 'It's late,' she said, glancing up at the clock. 'Nearly midnight.'
Sean slipped his arms around her waist and pulled her near. His lips found hers again and he kissed her, gently exploring her mouth. When he stepped back, her eyes were still closed. 'Time for bed.'
Laurel opened her eyes and he caught a flicker of apprehension there. 'Right. I am tired. And you've had a busy day.'
'And since Sinclair isn't here, I think it would be better if I found another place to sleep.'
A look of surprise suffused her pretty features. She opened her mouth, as if ready to protest, then suddenly snapped it shut. 'You don't want to sleep with me?'
'Of course I do,' Sean said. 'But I think we need to be a little more careful, don't you?'
'Careful?' She paused as if trying to come to grips with his reasoning. 'You're right.' Laurel cleared her throat. 'So, I guess I'll see you in the morning.'
'Thanks for dinner,' Sean said, smoothing his hand over her cheek. 'It was very nice.' He kissed her once more, doing his best to keep his desires in check. And then she walked out, his gaze following her until the kitchen door swung shut.
Sean inhaled a deep breath and let it out slowly. He waited a few minutes, then followed her up the stairs. As he passed her bedroom door, Sean stopped, fighting the temptation to go inside and to lose himself in her incredible body. He imagined her slipping out of the sexy black dress she'd worn, then discarding the lacy scraps of underwear. He imagined himself running his hands over her naked body and gently laying her down on the bed.
A soft moan slipped from his lips and he turned from the door. If he planned to get any sleep at all, he'd have to find a room as far away from Laurel's as possible. 'It's going to be a long night,' he murmured.
But he couldn't wait for tomorrow. The way he felt now, anything was possible.
Chapter 7
Laurel raked her hair out of her eyes and slowly descended the stairs, following the scent of coffee. Since Alistair was still in New York with Sinclair, Sean must have risen early-at least, earlier than 10:00 a.m., which was when she'd finally rolled out of bed.
She'd spent a restless night, unable to sleep or to stop thinking about Sean. Somewhere in the house, he'd fallen into a bed and she wondered if he'd slept at all or if he, too, had been plagued with memories of the night they'd spent together. It seemed so silly to sleep alone when they'd shared so much passion just twenty-four hours before.
After their dinner conversation, she felt closer than ever to Sean. They'd tipped the balance of their relationship and she didn't want to set it right again. This was now as much about pleasure as it was about business.
Did he really care for her or was this still just about a paycheck? What would he do if she suddenly decided not to pay him? She'd promised him twenty thousand at the end of their month together, but what if she informed him that she didn't plan to pay? That it, in fact, didn't feel right to pay? Would he still want to stay? Did his feelings for her run deep enough to survive the end of their 'marriage'?
Laurel sighed, then stopped to study her reflection in a tall mirror. What had begun as such a simple plan had turned her life upside down. And the man she'd hired to be her husband had become something so much more. Falling in love with Sean Quinn hadn't been part of the plan.
Satisfied that she looked as good as she could in her sleep-deprived state, Laurel pushed open the swinging door of the kitchen. She froze when she saw a pretty woman standing next to Sean, sipping a cup of coffee and chatting with him. She was dressed in a flattering summer dress that hugged her slender figure.
They both turned to look at her and Sean smiled. 'Good morning,' he said. He crossed the room and took
