See Me .(25)

“There. Oh, wait.” She reached under her shirt and unfastened the white lace bra. After doing a Houdini number to remove the undergarment, her breasts bounced into their natural position. “Okay, Mr. Drennan. Tonight’s my lucky night. I can do this.”

She flung open the bathroom door, and there was no one there. Cautiously stepping from the bathroom, she peered around the small living room. No one. “Sean?”

“In here.” The velvety voice came from her bedroom. What was he doing in there? She walked into her room and saw just what he was doing. He’d corrupted her damn dog! The two were lying back against the wall of pillows resting on her headboard. He patted the mattress next to him as he munched on a potato chip. His hand slid over to let Penelope take one from his hand. “Come on. There’s a show about the Knights Templar on the History Channel. Want to watch it?”

“What? I thought…” She felt like a fool. Suddenly, her newfound courage was the stupidest thing she’d ever conjured up.

His eyes kept switching back and forth between the TV and her. “Do you usually sleep in that?” He uncrossed his ankles, then shifted and crossed them back. His big hands grabbed for the bag of chips and stuffed them in his lap.

She felt more naked than if she’d been in her birthday suit. “No.” The way he was studying her legs made her feel uncomfortable. She knew they weren’t slender like the women he was used to seeing at the gym. Her belly’s pooch wasn’t the flat abs he was used to either. Damn! Damn! Damn! He said he liked girls with meat on their bones. Had she imagined it?

Fight or flight took over, and she sprinted for the bed to hide under the covers. Penelope snorted at the invasion and snuggled closer to Sean’s side.

“I forgot a glass of water,” she said.

“I’ll get it.” Before she could protest, he was out of the bed and headed for the kitchen.

Abigail looked down into two soft brown eyes. “He’s really nice. Think we should let him stay overnight?” She stroked the dog’s back. The furry little beast perched her chin on Abigail’s thigh. “Okay, he can stay.”

Sean strolled back into the room much slower than he’d left. He’d taken his shoes off. Abigail took in the sight from his white-socked feet up to the tips of his cropped hair. He was a fierce sight. All lean muscle and catlike grace. The clear glass in his hand looked so small compared to his strong hands.

“What?”

She reached for the glass. “Nothing.”

The bed shifted as he leaned back down against the headboard. “Then why is your face so red?” His lips tipped up into a sly grin.

“It’s not. I was… Oh, just watch the show.” She gulped down half the water before leaning over to set the glass on the bedside table. “Did you know the Freemasons are considered the descendants of the Templars?”

“Did you know that Friday the thirteenth is an ominous day because the Knights Templars were killed on that day?” He smirked. “I took a religious studies class in college.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah, oh. I’m more than a musclehead, ya know.”

Now her face was red. She could feel the heat all the way down her neck. “I didn’t mean… What I meant was that… I didn’t mean—”

“It’s okay.” He dug into the bag of chips. “People take one look at me and think I’m a jerk or a dumbass.”

She wasn’t about to confess she’d had that preconceived notion as well. Guys who looked like him always seemed to turn their noses down at her. But Sean was different. He was strong and kind and funny and… She stopped herself. Her chest did a funny tickle as her heart sped up. All she could think about was reaching over and pulling his big body on top of her own. The weight of him would be enough to sustain her for the rest of her life.

“People think I’m some kind of leather dominatrix.”

She loved the sound of his easy laugh. She had a sneaking suspicion he didn’t let many people hear it.

“I knew you had a riding crop hidden somewhere in here.”

She punched his arm. Dang, he was hard. It hurt her knuckles far more than it hurt his bicep.

“Hey, can I ask you a question?”

“If you give me one of those chips,” she said. He leaned the bag over so she could grab a few chips. Penelope took two before Abigail chomped down on the last one.

“Why were you beating the shit out of your answering machine the other day? You looked scared to death and pissed as hell.”

Abigail almost choked on the dry chip. “No reason. I have a temper. No big deal.” Justin’s words stung her brain once again. Tell anyone, and next time I’ll make sure you’re dead.