Butterflies in Honey (Growing Pains #3)(96)

“…but Blake was still talking to the other guys. Marcus reported back. I didn’t think it was professional, which was why I asked him to stop.”

Krista half turned back to look at him. His head was still leaned back, his eyes were still closed, but he had a large, boyish smile on his face. His eyes opened half way and his smile grew at Krista’s scrutiny.

“He apparently doesn’t respond well to authority figures. So when that didn’t work,” he continued casually, “I took off the professional veil when I ran into him outside the hotel.”

“You just ran into him, huh?”

“Yes. It was great timing actually—there was no one else around and he was smoking a cigarette outside one of the service doors. I thought I would repeat myself about how he treated you professionally.”

“I imagine your tactic was a bit different?”

“A bit.”

“Thanks.”

“I was worried you would end up in his bed.” Sean said it so casually Krista almost missed the worry behind his words.

“Because of the danger thing?”

“You seem attracted to bad boys.”

“Yeah, I think I like the danger. It gets my blood flowing.”

“Yes…” Sean drew out the word like he was thinking about their episode earlier. She got a spark of anticipation.

“But I wouldn’t do that,” Krista said. “Not at a work thing. Not when you would hear about it. I may be a bitch, but I’m not a royal bitch.”

“Just a big bitch.”

“Janice says you need a big bitch.”

“Does she? And she meant you, I imagine?”

“That’s what Marcus said, yeah,” Krista admitted.

“She’s right. You’re the only woman that I’ve ever dated that I can’t anticipate. Your brain doesn’t seem to work normally.”

“Ouch.”

“I meant that in the best of ways.” Sean chuckled and squeezed her.

He brought his head up and his lips softly traced the line of her neck. She angled her head to allow him more access as her groin gave a familiar tug.

“You keep me honest,” Sean said, leaning back again. “And on my toes. Life is always electric with you. I missed you. Badly.”

“Funny way of showing it.”

“I know. It’s funny, I never talked to Janice about you. I never told her my interest or history or anything. But one day, right after you had left my office, she came in and said, ‘Sean, I’m leaving for the day. Also, if you don’t grovel, and I mean stick your face in the mud and kiss her feet, that girl is never going to accept you.’ She gave a curt nod, turned on her heel, and walked out. I’ll never forget it. She never mentioned a word after.”

“You didn’t do much groveling.”

“Not to your face, no. I didn’t think you’d accept it, not without slapping me again.”

“You’re never going to let that go, are you?”

“No way!” Sean laughed. “You took me by surprise on that one. If you had been a dude with a closed fist, you would have knocked me out flat.”

“You deserved it.”

“I know. Can I ask now, without a smart ass answer—what’s next for us?”

Krista didn’t want to answer that question. The bottom line was…she didn’t know.

“I guess we date for a while and see what happens.”

“Fair enough.”

She could hear the disappointment in his voice. She knew he wanted his long wait to be over, and for her just to jump back into his arms as though no time had passed. If only it was that easy.

They spent a relaxing hour just sitting in the tub. They spoke little, but every so often Sean would breath a deep sigh of satisfaction. Either that, or he would lean forward and kiss her neck softly. When her fingers started to prune up she got restless.

“Shall we adjourn to the sitting room?” She asked in a stodgy English accent.

“Lord, Krista, how I missed you. Missed this.”

“No sense in marring the moment with the past.”

“No. Suppose not.” Sean’s hands slid up her stomach to her br**sts. She felt his lips on her throat, sucking and licking gently. “I need to go get some clothes for tomorrow. Otherwise I’ll be doing the walk of shame for our whole company to see.”

“Already moved.” Krista closed her eyes as his hands slid back down her body.

“My clothes?” His hands stopped at her h*ps in anticipation of her answer.

“Yeah. I had Marcus move your clothes up here.”

Sean was still. She could feel his breath on her neck.

“Is that okay?” she asked hesitantly.

“When did you do this? Or have him do it, I guess.”

“Not long before I asked you to come up here. Is that okay? I just figured you wouldn’t mind a little R and R. I guess I could have waited until after the bar scene was over…”

“I thought all this was spur of the moment. I didn’t realize you planned it out…”

“Is that okay?” Krista asked for the third time. And she would keep asking until she got an answer—he should know that by now.

“Yes. Very much okay.” Sean nuzzled her neck. His hands again rested on her hips.