See Me .(70)
He hugged her closer and pressed a kiss on the top of her head. “I need you too. And yes, the business does need my expertise.” Her head rose and fell with his gentle laugh. “Abigail?”
She yawned. “Hmm?”
“If I had a respectable job and could make enough money to support a family, would you move in with me?” The thudding of his heart beneath her ear sped up. “My mom didn’t teach me much, but she did show me that a man has to be able to take care of his woman. He can’t just leave her behind to fend for herself. If he really cared, he’d stay, and they’d take care of each other. I can do that, if you could just give me a chance.”
The sound of his fragile voice made her want to hold him forever. “If I didn’t have a respectable job and was able to also support a family, would you move in with me?” she asked.
He paused, and a sour pit grew in her stomach. “Yes,” he finally said.
“Well, then, my answer is yes too. But I don’t think my place or your place is going to be big enough for the three of us. Besides, Justin knows at least that Fantasy Emporium is in the warehouse. It’ll just be a matter of time before he figures out I live there too.”
“I don’t have much in my apartment. There’ll be room. We’ll figure something out. I know I can keep you safe. How do you think the mutt will do, living with a guy?”
Abigail tipped her head up to see the outline of Penelope sleeping on the blanket. “I think she’ll be more than okay with it. But you can’t fatten her up anymore. She barely wants to take walks now the way it is, and now she waddles.”
“A little bacon now and then never hurt anybody.” The slight sheen of sweat from their lovemaking session was drying, and she shivered from the night breeze. “Are you cold?” Sean tugged on the cover and pulled it up over them. “There. Now, go to sleep. Tomorrow’s going to be a long day. I have all sorts of fun planned for you.”
Abigail shivered again, but this time it wasn’t from the chill in the air. The thought of new naughty delights made her body hum. “Promise?”
Sean hugged her closer, wrapping her in the safety of his arms. “Promise.”
Chapter Fourteen
Ron was waiting for her when she walked into the front lobby. “Do you want the good news or the bad news first?”
She poured a mug of coffee and motioned for him to follow her into the office. “Well,” she said before taking a sip from the steaming cup, “the good news.”
“We had four bites on the accounting job since we got back. The voice mails have been pouring in for over a week. I’ve set up interviews for next week.”
Abigail knew who the right man for the job would be. She just had to convince him to apply for it. “Okay, so what’s the bad news?”
Ron shut the office door. “Remember the guy who wanted to interview for a performer spot, the guy you were going to interview on Monday?”
She set the mug down and booted up the computer. “Yes.”
“Well, he’s here, and he looks great. He went to the bathroom. I didn’t know what you’d want to do. Here’s his file. I figured, he’s here and you’re here. He’s got a nice build, tall and kind of thin, but good enough. Do you want to go ahead and do it today?”
Nothing could spoil her mood this morning. It’d been over a week since they’d gotten back from the camping trip, and she’d decided to jump-start her new life with Sean. And without Justin. “Sure,” she said and took the folder from Ron’s hand. “Send him in.”
“Great!”
Ron walked out of the office and said something to someone in the lobby. She heard the man tell Ron he was excited to be here. Abigail tugged on the hem of her T-shirt and flipped open the file. The guy had a strong jawline with a creamy, olive skin tone. She pulled out another snapshot when she heard Ron thank someone for dropping off a package.
Ron spoke again, and Abigail looked at the doorway.
“No,” she heard Ron say. “She has an appointment. She can’t see you right now.”
A man suddenly appeared in the doorway to her office.
“Mike, you can’t go in right—”
Abigail looked up and screamed. “No! No! No!” Her chair flew back, and the plants on the windowsill crashed to the floor.
“Hi, Ms. Swanson. I’ve been waiting to see you,” Justin said as he started to walk into the office. Ron stepped in beside him and grabbed his arm.
“Listen, man—”
Justin tore his arm away from Ron and headed straight for Abigail’s desk.
She sidestepped around him and ran toward the file cabinet.