Silent Love(2)

His brother shook his head. "He won't see it any other way, but he will  treat us with respect and more than likely give you the money."

"I don't want a gift," he said.

Ryan shrugged. "You might not have a say. Derrick's pretty damn in  control of what he wants and when he wants it. No isn't in his  vocabulary. Well, except for Court," he snickered.

Sean smirked. "True. I don't know how she deals with that man."

"She's lucky to have him," Ryan noted.         

     



 

"Agreed."

Sean pulled on his fleece, picked up his bag, and both men leisurely  left the locker room. They took the elevator to the ground floor and  headed towards the VA Hospital employee parking garage. Sean stepped  through the double doors that led to the garage and was hit in the chest  by a ball of coal black hair and thin limbs in a navy business suit.  Before he could reach out and grasp her, she flew back and landed hard  on her ass. Papers from folders skimmed across the concrete floor. She  landed so damn hard Sean and Ryan winced.

"Good lord," Ryan said from behind him.

Sean reached down to help the poor girl up. "Are you all right?"

That's when he was struck by lightning. A set of ocean blue eyes looked  up at him, frazzled and confused. Lined with black lashes, they hit him  straight in the gut.

"Jesus," Ryan whispered.

With his hand outstretched, Sean stood struck stupid, unable to find his voice.

Flawless, milky skin contrasted dramatically with her inky hair. Like a porcelain doll.

She reached up and placed her dainty hand into his. Engulfing her palm,  he helped her off the ground. Ryan dutifully chased dancing papers  around the garage.

"Sorry." Her voice was soft and delicate. If he hadn't been paying attention, he might not have heard her.

Pulling free of his grasp, her natural warmth left him. An odd feeling  of loss briefly washed over him. He watched her brush off her hands and  her backside, then pull her jacket into place. Cinched at the waist,  that suit highlighted her hourglass figure. It didn't matter how  exhausted he was, his body stirred at the sight.

Ryan approached with a stack of skewed papers. "Sorry, they're probably out of order."

"Thank you," she said, again her voice barely audible.

"You're welcome," Ryan said, handing her the papers. "Ryan Millen."

Sean couldn't miss how she zeroed in on his brother's lips. She blushed. "Beth Connors."

"The guy next to me who's lost his voice is my brother, Sean," his dumbass brother said.

Finally Sean shook off his momentary stupidity and rolled his eyes. He  stuck out his hand. "Sean Millen. Sorry to meet you like this, Beth."

She turned his direction and zeroed in on his mouth. Her tiny, pink  tongue darted out and wet her full lips. Sean could have sworn his dick  punched through his sweats. How fucking embarrassing.

Once again, her soft hand ended up in his, but this time her grasp was firm as she finally looked him in the eyes.

"Hello," she said softly. "I better get inside. I'm already fifteen minutes late."

"Nice to meet you, Beth," he said. "Maybe we'll see each other again around the hospital."

She nodded then quickly scooted around him and Ryan and rushed off. He  watched her, mesmerized. Her high heeled pumps clicked off the concrete  and stone floors, and her hips swayed just enough to make a man drool as  she hurried away.

"Man, if you don't go after that, I will," Ryan said. His brother stood just as struck as he was.

"Nope, mine first," Sean claimed dibs.

"Wonder where she works. I've never seen her before," Ryan mused.

They both turned and went to Sean's practical SUV.

"It's an enormous hospital, Ry. There are probably plenty of beautiful women we haven't met," he noted.

Ryan burst out laughing. "Yeah, right. If we don't find them, then tend  to seek us out, brother. Our rep precedes us in both hospitals."

And Sean hated that. He knew Ryan loathed it as well, but what could  either one of them do? They each hadn't found a woman they were willing  to settle down with, as well as one who would be willing to live with  their brother-in-law. Many years ago, Sean and Ryan vowed they'd stick  together through thick and thin. As they'd grown older, they'd somehow  managed to bond even closer to each other. They'd never be able to move  out from the house they shared without it affecting both of them. So  they needed to find women who were willing to share their daily lives  with each other.

Ryan grasped the nape of his neck and hauled him into the side of his body. "Let's get you home. You look awful."

Sean snorted. "Thanks."

"That's what I'm here for." Ryan grinned.

He returned the same grin. How could he not? He loved the hell out his  younger brother. Ryan's non-serious nature kept him in check. If he  didn't have Ryan, he might lose himself in his sober personality.





2



As Beth rushed to the elevators that would take her to the  administrative floors of the VA hospital, she silently berated herself  for making an ass out of herself. Of course she would literally bounce  off one of the two hottest bachelors in the city. Oh, she'd never met or  seen them before, but the Millen men's reputation of swoon worthiness  was well known. Clearly this rumor rang true.         

     



 

Stabbing the button at the elevator, she balanced the paperwork in her  hands. She cursed under her breath at the time it would take her to put  the mess back in order.

When the doors opened, Beth rushed inside and hit the top floor button.  She'd already been running late this morning because of a phone call  from her father checking up on her. She often forgot to call in every  other day, and her parents worried when she didn't. She couldn't blame  them.

At the fifth floor, the doors opened, and three men stepped inside  dressed in suits. She recognized them as the VP, Director of Operations,  and Head of Security. All three slimes. She focused on the floor, not  making eye contact. Part of her felt ashamed she no longer had the  confidence to meet people in the eyes, but it was better that way.

The elevator ride seemed painstakingly slow. Glances from the three  jerks over their shoulders didn't go unnoticed through her peripheral  vision. Some day she might get past those leers. She just wished it  would happen soon.

When the elevator jerked to a stop and the doors opened, they all filed  out and headed opposite directions. Beth hurried down the hall to her  tiny cubicle. As soon as she slid into her space, she slammed the pile  of papers on the desk and logged onto the computer to clock in. Once  punched into the system, she breathed a sigh of relief and slumped down  in her worn office chair. Another day, another dollar.





At noon, Beth slinked out of the building and down the block to the  restaurant to get a chicken salad to take back to the office. She was  secretly addicted to the menu item. The vinaigrette dressing tasted so  good she was positive she moaned aloud with every bite.

After picking up the order she placed online, she rushed back to her  cubicle and ate at her desk. Alone. The great part about eating by  herself, her mind got to wander back to the man candy that was Sean and  Ryan Millen. While she carefully prepared her salad, those sapphire blue  eyes of Sean's assaulted her mind. She'd never come across a man with  that eye color. The man's chest had been hard as a rock, hence her  bouncing off him like she hit the side of the brick building. How old  was he? He looked to be in his thirties. He couldn't be older than that.  His warm hand had felt fantastic wrapped around her tiny, normally cold  hand. She'd bet he was a cuddler. A small snort escaped her nose.

She'd love to ask around but didn't have any friends or acquaintances at  the hospital to try to gossip with and find out any info. Oh well, that  would be for the best anyway. Not like she was interested or he was.  She wouldn't be able to go out with him. Which was a depressing thought.  She sighed and sank back into her chair, instantly losing her appetite.  Tears formed, and her breath hitched. Unable to stop the droplet that  escaped her eye and tried to slide down her cheeks, a swipe of her face,  she pushed the salad aside and hid behind her hands. How lonely she'd  become. How much she desired to be able to have a Sean Millen in her  life, but that was asking too much from the universe. One favor a  lifetime, right? She already cashed that in four years ago.

Less than a minute she allowed herself to wallow in self misery. She  couldn't afford another period of depression. Or therapy. Closing her  eyes, she willed her dark thoughts away. Time to get back to work. She  needed to earn money for that necessary new computer and house program.





3



For the first time in what felt like months, Sean felt rested and  revived. His three days off benefited him greatly. Except for one thing.  Beth. That girl riddled all of his thoughts his entire time off. He  didn't know what the hell he was thinking. She couldn't be near thirty  years old. That age difference should have him leaving her in the  parking garage, but it didn't. Nope. All he envisioned were those ocean  blue eyes gazing up at him in utter bafflement.