One look at Sean’s scowling face told Deanna that maybe she shouldn’t have agreed quite so readily to stay. Bracing herself for an argument, she walked over to the booth, pad and pencil poised to take his order.
“You’re here late,” he said, his tone neutral. “I went by the apartment, but Ruby told me Joey had talked you into working till closing.”
“He was in a bind,” she said, instantly on the defensive.
Sean scowled. “Joey always seems to be in a bind. Do I need to have a talk with him?”
She slapped her pad down on the table and placed both hands against the edge as she leaned down to scowl straight into Sean’s face. “Don’t…you…dare.”
He actually winced under the intensity of her gaze. “Crossing the line?” he inquired mildly.
“Oh, yeah.”
“Come on, Deanna, you know I’m right,” he said reasonably. “You’re going to wear yourself out.”
“I just got back from vacation.”
“Which will be wasted if you plunge right back into a back-breaking schedule. And what about Kevin?”
She frowned at him. “Don’t use Kevin to try to make me feel guilty. He’s getting plenty of attention. In fact, if you were so worried about him, you could have stayed at the apartment and kept him entertained. This is about your need to control me.”
He seemed genuinely shocked by the accusation. “Don’t be absurd. I don’t want to control you.”
“That’s not how it looks to me.”
“I’m worried, dammit. Is that a crime?”
Deanna studied his face and realized he was dead serious. She sighed and slid into the booth opposite him. “Sean, I’m healthy as a horse. There’s no need to worry about me.”
“You fainted,” he reminded her.
“That was weeks ago,” she said, dismissing the incident. “You landed in the hospital the same night. You don’t hear me fretting about you being back at work.”
“It wasn’t even three weeks ago,” he said. “And it was different for me. I had a couple of minor injuries.”
She rolled her eyes at his dismissal of his burns. “And I’ve had a vacation since then, and you saw to it that I ate everything in sight and got plenty of sleep.”
He frowned. “You actually slept?”
“Sure,” she said cheerfully, realizing exactly why that annoyed him. “Didn’t you?”
“No,” he all but growled.
“Sorry.”
His gaze swept over her, lingered here and there, then came to rest on her mouth. “We could solve my sleepless nights fairly easily.”
She couldn’t seem to swallow past the sudden tightness in her throat. “Oh?” It came out as a croak.
“My place. Tonight.”
“I thought you were anxious for me to get home to my son,” she said.
He grinned. “Not that anxious. He’ll be asleep soon, anyway.”
“How convenient for you.”
“It could be,” he agreed. “So? What do you think? My place? I have a chilled bottle of wine. Some cheese and crackers.”
The invitation had seduction written all over it. There wasn’t a doubt in Deanna’s mind that if she went to Sean’s, that wine and cheese would still be untouched come morning. A huge part of her was tempted to throw caution to the wind and say yes. Another part held back.
“Another time?” she suggested, not even attempting to hide her regret. “I have an appointment first thing in the morning before work.”
His frown slammed back into place. “An appointment at that hour? To do what?”
“I’m looking at an apartment.”
“You’re leaving Ruby’s?”
“It was always a temporary solution. And I really think she’d like to have a little more privacy. Plus, then I wouldn’t be the buffer she needs to avoid dealing with her feelings for Hank.”
Sean chuckled. “That cuts two ways, you know. You haven’t had to decide what to do about me, either.”
Just then the one remaining customer beckoned for his check. Deanna stood up, winked at Sean and said, “I wasn’t aware you’d given me anything to decide.”
She could feel his gaze on her as she gave the man his check, then took his money up to the register. By the time she’d finished, she found Joey sitting in the booth with Sean.
“If he’s trying to convince you to work me fewer hours, ignore him,” she said as she joined them.
“Actually, I was suggesting he fire you,” Sean said, his gaze unrepentant.
Deanna immediately bristled.
“Settle down,” Sean advised. “I was only teasing.” He glanced at Joey. “See what I mean, though. She’s edgy.”
Joey held up his hands. “I’m not getting in the middle of whatever is going on between you two. You figure it out, let me know. Now get out of here. I need to close up and get home to Paulie.”
Deanna was very aware that Sean’s gaze never left her as she took off her apron and grabbed her purse from the cupboard under the register. “You coming or not?” she asked as she headed for the door.
“Right behind you,” he said. Outside, he caught her hand. “Where are we going?”
“I don’t know about you, but I’m going home,” she said emphatically.
“I’ll walk with you,” he said, falling into step beside her. “Dee?”
“Yes.”
“Do you have any idea what we’re doing?”
“Driving each other crazy?” she suggested.
“I’m serious.”
“So am I.”
He stopped and drew her around to face him. “Good crazy or bad crazy?”
She looked deep in his eyes and saw the genuine confusion. It mirrored her own. She lifted her hand to his cheek. “I’m still trying to figure that part out.”
Sean sighed heavily. “Let me know when you do, okay?”
Deanna smiled at the plaintive note in his
