A Prince of a Guy (Red Hot Royals #1)(25)

The unthinkable happened the next morning, Saturday.

He didn’t want to go to the office. He wanted a weekend at home, no work, complete with relaxing. He wasn’t sure what that entailed exactly, but he would figure it out.

It was early when he walked into the kitchen, but Melissa and Carly were already there. They stared at him in surprise.

“You’re late for work,” Melissa said, pointing her finger at him. “Bad boy.”

“I’m not going to work.”

Melissa grinned.

Carly went still.

“I’m taking the day off.”

“To do what?” Melissa asked.

“Well…” He glanced at Carly, then laughed. “I’m not sure.”

“I’ll pack,” Carly said quietly.

She thought it was over. And the two weeks were. His heart squeezed because he didn’t want her to go. In spite of everything, he didn’t want to say goodbye. “Yeah. About that—”

“Can we have a picnic?” Melissa demanded, oblivious to the tension around her.

“Just a minute, Melissa.” Sean lowered his voice to a mere whisper for Carly. “My sister needs some more time.”

“She’s not coming back?”

He shook his head. “Not for at least another week.”

She looked deep into his eyes for a long moment. “I didn’t expect that.”

“I know. Will you stay?”

Melissa was bouncing around at their feet. “So can we? Can we have a picnic?”

Carly was looking at Sean. “Yes,” she said.

Melissa beamed, thinking she had her answer. “Yippee! A picnic!”

Carly avoided Melissa’s gaze and started cleaning the breakfast dishes. “Have fun,” she said.

Melissa threw her arms around Sean and gave him a sloppy, wet kiss on the cheek. “You’re the bestest,” she cried.

Sean wiped his slobbery cheek, smiled at Melissa, then moved behind Carly, who was washing a pan for all it 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—”