was worth. “You game for a picnic?”
She looked at him, glasses fogged from the hot water, for once her mouth unpainted. She had a world of mistrust in her gaze. And a vulnerability that twisted at him.
“Come on,” he coaxed. “I’m the bestest, you know.”
She smiled at that. “Yes. Yes, you are.”
Grinning, he bent to kiss her on the cheek. Just a little kiss. A little thank-you kiss.
Only Carly turned to look at him, and their mouths lined up.
Perfectly.
She made a little sound, and Sean pressed closer still, needing to hold that kiss for as long as he could. He might have stayed like that forever, except he became aware of a violent tugging on his pants.
“Kiss me, too!” Melissa yelled.
“Okay.” Still stunned, Sean bent low, gave her a sweet little peck on the cheek.
“That’s not the same!”
Carly let out a startled laugh.
And at the sound, Sean felt lighter than he had in a very long time. “No, it’s not the same kind of kiss at all.”
8
FOR THE FIRST TIME in Sean’s life, he was attracted to a woman, and it had nothing to do with her physical appearance. He couldn’t blow it off to…well, he didn’t know exactly.
They saw a movie. Went on a picnic. Had a walk on the beach.
Melissa had a great day, and Sean had to admit, so did he.
It wasn’t until he’d showered for the dreaded required cocktail party that night that work came into his brain. It almost seemed like an imposition.
He came out of the shower, reached for his clothes and stopped short. Would Carly have something to wear to go with him tonight? And how could he not have thought of it before?
He doubted she had much money, and she certainly didn’t seem to have a wide variety of clothes.
Cursing himself, he slipped into his pants and went down the hall to her bedroom.
“Yes?” She didn’t open the door to his knock.
“Can I talk to you?”
“Uh, now? I’m a little busy.” She did sound rushed. “I’m trying to get ready.”
“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. I might have forgotten to mention it’s dressy…”
“You mentioned.”
“Okay, well…” Ah, hell. “Carly, do you have something to wear?”
“Now’s a fine time to ask,” she said, but at least there was a smile in her voice.
“Yeah, I know. I’m sorry. So…” He stared at the closed door, feeling like an idiot. “Do you? Have something to wear?”
“Go away, Sean. I’ll be ready in a second.”
YES, CARLYNE had something to wear. But no, it wasn’t going to be sleek and slinky and earth-stopping.
She looked at herself in the mirror and felt…plain.
It was new, this feeling, this not turning heads. Who would have thought she’d miss that? “Did you change your mind about taking me with you?” she called to Sean, not knowing if he still stood outside her door. In the mood for a little trouble, she hauled it open with a satisfying yank. “Because, if you did, that’s really just fine with me-”
Oh, Lord.
He still stood there, wearing only his pants. His chest was wet, as if he’d showered and hadn’t taken time to towel off.
Had he said his swimming was a stress reliever? Because man, oh, man, it had truly done wonders for his physique. Those broad shoulders, that sleek, smooth chest…
“I didn’t change my mind about taking you,” he said. A tiny rivulet of water ran down his jaw, dropped to his chest and slowly slid over his ribs, past that stomach she wanted to touch, and disappeared into his pants. They were open, proving he’d indeed been in some kind of hurry, and if there’d been better light in the hallway she might have gotten to see-
“Did you change yours?” he asked, his voice low and husky.
He’d seen her staring. And he was staring back. Only it wasn’t in quite the same heated, hungry way, and she couldn’t say she blamed him.
She wore a full black skirt, to the floor. The matching sweater was a zippered tunic, leaving her covered from chin to toe. It was purposely unrevealing and not even close to sexy. But it suited Carly.
If Carlyne had dressed like this, whoever her date was would have been bitterly disappointed, as she was known for her beautiful, sophisticated and naturally sexy style.
But Carly wasn’t sophisticated.
Sean didn’t look disappointed, though. In fact, he wasn’t looking at her body at all, but into her eyes. She saw relief that she was going with him, and something else that made her breath catch.
Had she thought he
He was, oh, he definitely was, and it was her own little miracle.
“I just wanted to make sure about your dress,” he said quietly. “I should have asked before now.”
She’d done nothing to deserve it, and yet he cared about her. Another miracle. “Are you…going like that?”
Mischief filled his gaze. “Is that a problem for you?”
“Not for me. But you might find it tedious with all the women in the place following you around, drooling.”
He laughed, looking a little embarrassed, which she found unbearably sweet.
The men in her world knew exactly how gorgeous they were.
“I’ll be ready in five,” he said.
In five minutes exactly, he met her in the foyer, and Carlyne nearly fell over.
She’d seen him in jeans. In casual wear. Oh, and his bathing suit, let’s not forget that mouthwatering experience. But she’d never seen him dressed for success. Quite simply, he took her breath away.
“Okay?” he asked.
Okay? He could have walked right off the glossy pages of any magazine. “I, uh, yeah. You look…”
Mrs. Trykowski walked in the front door. “Beautiful!” She gave him an enthusiastic hug. “Only thirty years younger, Seany, my boy, and I’d go for you myself.”
To Carlyne’s amusement, he reddened as he kissed Melissa goodbye.
The little girl clung, throwing her arms around her uncle’s neck. For exactly one second, Sean hesitated, as if surprised by her genuine show of love and affection. As if he didn’t quite know what to do with all that emotion.
Over Melissa’s head, he met Carly’s gaze.
Just as baffled by matters of the heart, Carlyne lifted a shoulder and gave him a little smile. Closing his eyes, he wrapped his arms around Melissa and returned the hug.
It was a family moment, a special one. And suddenly she yearned for some of that same love and affection in her family.
But then Sean was taking her arm, leading her down the walk, and they were alone in his car.
He put the key in the ignition but didn’t turn. Instead, he faced her, looked at her,
“You’re beautiful.”
With a snort, she pushed up her glasses and turned away.
His hand settled on her arm, and reluctantly she turned back.
