Sean parks his Jeep on the edge of the grass near the driveway at my brother's house.
My brother and his wife built their beautiful home in a gated community. They entertain a ton, and there's a lot to look at around here.
Two-story modern style home with too many bedrooms and bathrooms. Lush landscaping, in-ground pool, three-car garage, and two outbuildings.
I wouldn't enjoy this much space, but they love it. My brother is a success in his business dealings as a developer, and they own a couple of boutique gyms, one main one where Joanie sort of reigns as queen.
Sean and I are still on a beach trip high. He has had his hand on my thigh the whole way here, and I've been leaning to kiss his neck or cheek once every couple of minutes.
He is unassumingly sexy. You look at him, and you think yeah, he's handsome and tall. But his attitude on life, fortitude, intelligence, his passion. The way he treats other people and me. Nobody can blame me for looking at him the way I do.
While we were sitting in that chair in the sand, I had leaned my head back on his shoulder as he cuddled me on his lap. I slid the glasses off my face and took the liberty of putting my face right in the space between his neck and shoulder.
A satisfied sounding sigh escaped Sean as he softly rubbed his palm on my back. "Liv, you want kids?" He asked in my ear.
"Yeah," I murmured.
He didn't say anything else, just moved his arms to clasp around my back.
The sound of the waves, the warm sunshine, the smell of Sean's aftershave. It was nirvana.
He looks over apprehensively in the Jeep. "You okay?" I ask, my hand going to his hair, fingers threaded into his curls.
"With you? Always."
"Sean, you're so wonderful and amazing, and I don't deserve you at all." My lips softly kiss his several times before he lets out a satisfied sound. He pulls my body closer to his, his tongue sliding across my mouth before kissing me deeply.
His voice is hoarse as he pulls back from me. "Liv," he breathes out. "I can't even - I don't know how to -"
He shakes his head once, smiling widely, and cups my face with one hand. "Can you please stop trying to make me fall in love?"
I'm sure my eyes look as soft as his. Kind, gentle green eyes. "You don't want to fall in love, babe?"
"I do," he says quietly.
I close the distance between us, putting my arms around his neck, and he pulls me right onto his lap again. He runs his knuckle across my cheek for a few seconds. "Beautiful girl."
Biting my lip a little, I run my fingers through his thick head of hair. "I want you."
"Don't tease me," he says ruefully, squeezing my hips. "I don't want to have a hard-on in front of Will."
"Alright," I agree, but then I'm grabbing his face, crashing my mouth against his, and hearing a satisfied noise from the back of his throat.
"Okay, let's head in then." I exit the car first and hop down to the ground.
"Hey!" He calls out as he gets out, too. "Get that cute ass back here."
"Are you going to behave in front of my brother?" I ask over my shoulder.
I turn to look at him in his handsome, tanned glory. He strides to meet me by the garage, grinning broadly. "I'll be good. Let's go."
"Hi!" Will calls out happily to us as we come inside their house.
"Hi!" I go toward him with my arms out, and he wraps me up in the biggest hug for a minute. I start to pull back, but he sighs happily, not letting me go. Sean shoots me a grin before leaving to go outdoors.
"Will." I giggle as he continues to hold me.
My gaze drifts to the deck. Sean is standing on it with some friends. I love how that boyish grin lights up his face. His eyes are mischievous as he seemingly tells a joke to Eric, and Eric laughs loudly.
Will pulls back, holding my face in his hands. "You look so good, Bug. So happy." He drops them to fold his arms over his chest.
"I am," I agree, stealing another glance at Sean.
"He's a great person."
"He is. And I'm so glad you agree."
We head outside to join the rest of the group. "Rodrigo!" I squeal happily as I see my Portugal friend.
"Hey, lindeza," he says with an easy grin and a kiss on my cheek. "How have you been since I've last seen you?"
"Not bad. What's new with you?"
"Wait. Did I see you come with Sean Ryan?"
"Yeah, why?"
He snickers. "Just amusing you're dating somebody in law enforcement."
"It is?"
"Yeah, you know, you're so wild and delinquent," he says with a teasing grin.
I wrinkle my nose. "What? That's crazy."
"You eloped in Europe," he points out.
"And weren't you lucky to witness it all? From the first date to the wedding."
"Uh-huh," Rodri says dryly. He has his arm around me as we walk back to the deck. "Well, this one might be a keeper." He squeezes my shoulder.
As I walk toward him, Sean grins at me happily, and Rodrigo heads in the other direction. Sean slides his arm over my shoulder as he continues to talk to Eric.
"Hey, Eric!"
"Hi, Liv! Wow, you look great," he says, gesturing up and down toward me.
"I do?" I feel very plain today with what I'm wearing. "Thank you."
"You do," Sean agrees quietly, smiling down at me. He leans down and quickly whispers in my ear, "Cheery and bright and beautiful."
At his compliments, I curl a little more into him to face him and let my hand rest on his chest.
Doing a quick survey of the yard, I am searching for my sister-in-law when I notice Chris is sitting at a table with a girl on his lap, his arms wrapped around her.
His eyes meet mine, and I pull back from Sean to not to seem like I'm rubbing his face in it. "I'm going to go say hello to Joanie."
He runs his hand against my cheek for a second. "Okay, beautiful."
I walk toward her, and I am about to pass by the table where Chris is sitting.
"Hey, Chris!" I say to him cheerfully as I walk toward Joanie.
He ignores me.
Joanie doesn't ignore me, though. She hugs me tight, then pulls back and smooths both sides of my hair. "I'm sorry about Chris," she whispers, looking over my shoulder at him.
She's glaring at him, to be more accurate.
"Will said he needed to be invited. Even though I knew he would be here with somebody else, and you would bring Sean."
She lightly smacks my arm. "Speaking of Sean, you two are so cute."
She looks over to him, so I do, too. "He's unbelievable," I rave, curling my hand around her forearm.
She laughs, moving closer to me. "I'm so glad. I mean, I love Chris, and I wanted you guys to be together."
I lean over so only she can hear. "I did, too, but..."
She leans back a little, her eyes flickering over to where Chris was. "He's watching you."
I shake my head. "I wish he wouldn't. It's tough to see him. I don't want to hurt him, even though he seems quick to hurt my feelings these days."
I sigh. "He never used to be like that to me, JoJo. I don't know what made him change his mind so abruptly, but the last time before, you know, that night, was your wedding."
I find Chris' eyes again, locked on mine. He doesn't look away. And all I can see there is hurt. And all I feel in my heart is pain.
Tearing my eyes away, I smile over at Sean again. "Sean is just, you know, he shows me," I take a breath in and pause for a beat, trying to find the right words. "He shows me what it's like being adored by somebody. I've never had it like this before, Joanie. He doesn't play games at all."
She slings her arm around me. "I'm so glad." We walk back up to the deck, arms around each other, and stand next to my brother.
I'm laughing at something Will said to me, and when I look up, I see Chris making out with the girl on his lap.
I watch them, and I see him look at me out of the corner of his as he sucks on her lips, making sure I know he's not interested in me that he's moved on.
That hurts, Rollins.
I turn my head away. "Do you need help with anything?" I ask Joanie.
"Nah," she waves her hand.
"I'm going to use the bathroom." I need a break from the show.
I smile at Sean as I head inside, and he gives me a warm smile and a longing look. He's likely thinking about when I was on his lap in the Jeep.
After washing my hands, I fix my hair in the mirror. There's a knock on the door as I finish up.
Pulling the door open gently, I find Chris is standing right there.
"Excuse me," I say, my cheeks burning.
"Why are you torturing me?"
"What are you-?"
Holding my shoulders, Chris guides me back into the bathroom and closes the door. "Why are you torturing me?" He repeats.
"I don't know what's happening," I say, moving backward until my hands are touching the sink counter behind me.
He touches the hair at my temple, smoothing it back. "You look so goddamn happy with him that it makes my stomach hurt."
"Please le-" I look up to meet his eyes, and they indeed do look pained.
His hand cups one side of my face, the other on my hip. My hands are still on the counter.
"Why couldn't it have been me?"
This is so unfair.
"You know I wanted you! But you play games with me and shut me out."
"I shut everybody out."
"Well, Sean doesn't shut me out. He treats me like gold."
He looks down at my mouth like he wants to kiss me. "Stop, Liv."
I go to move away, but he holds on to me.
"I don't want to hurt you. Ever."
"Then, why did you?" I whisper as a tear goes down my cheek.
"Don't hate me," he says, moving in closer. "Liv, you know," he sighs, covering his eyes. "You know that I have always had a fucked up life, and I'm sorry that I can't do anything right since, you know."
He smells like beer, and Gucci cologne, and Chris.
"Have you been drinking?"
"I have to." Chris rubs his nose against my shoulder. "I can't be sober when I watch him touch you like that."
"Chris..." I whisper.
"Baby." He kisses the side of my face and then starts getting closer to my mouth.
I swallow thickly. "This is inappropriate. Please let me go."
He looks at me sadly. "I can't. I tried."
I step out of his embrace and grab the doorknob. He puts his hand on the door to stop it, his body touching mine. "I know you still feel it."
He combs the hair over my shoulder, grazing my ear with his lips. "You're it for me, Livvie baby."
I can't stand it a second longer. I rip the door open and jog through the house to find Sean. I step out on the deck into the sunlight, trying to calm my racing heart.