Total pages in book: 98
Estimated words: 93957 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 313(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 93957 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 313(@300wpm)
Curiosity won. I squinted at the picture as if the effort might tell a story on its own. I knew next to nothing about children, but from what I could tell, they were past the toddler stage. Oh, and the boy was older than the girl. They were cute…light hair, light eyes, and sweet smiles. They looked like Sean, though I couldn’t pinpoint how. I focused on Sean and damn it, I had to admit, he’d always been a handsome motherfucker.
“Found it. What are you doing?”
“Snooping.” I returned the frame to the shelf and smiled. “How old are your kids?”
“Parker is almost thirteen and Penny’s nine. That photo is at least six years old.” Sean tapped a narrow rectangular book against his open palm.
“They’re cute.”
His eyes crinkled at the corners in amusement. “They have their moments. Want something to drink?”
He moved into the adjoining family-style kitchen, setting the color wheel on the marble island and shrugging his jacket off before opening the fridge.
“No, thanks.” I let my gaze travel over his broad shoulders and thick biceps tugging at the seams of his oxford shirt. “Are they here?”
“Who?”
“Your kids?”
“No. They’re with their mom.” He slid a water bottle across the island to me and gestured toward the barstools, issuing a silent command for me to sit.
Because I was me, I ignored him and leaned against the counter instead. “Then why’d you kick your boyfriend out?”
“I told you, I don’t have a boyfriend.” He uncapped a beer bottle and took a deep pull.
I watched his Adam’s apple slide in his throat, noting that his sexy end-of-day stubble was more like a light beard.
Okay, so I was perving on my friend’s ex. Guilty. I was a sucker for eye candy in whatever form it took. The second the sexy, naked dude opened the door, my curiosity had been piqued. And that was before I knew this was Sean’s house. There was a good story lurking here, and it was none of my business. Which of course made it more intriguing.
I pointed at his beer. “Do you have another one of those?”
Sean quirked a single brow. “You said you didn’t want anything.”
“I changed my mind.”
“All right. Sit.”
I ignored the command but thanked him when he uncapped another bottle and handed it over. He skirted the island and took a seat, raising his beer in a silent toast.
“Why did you—”
“Sit,” he repeated brusquely. “It’s been a long fucking day. My neck hurts, and my back is killing me. If you’re gonna ask twenty questions, could you please make it less painful on me?”
“Well, since you said please…” I flopped onto the seat next to me, leaving a barstool between us.
“Thank you,” he snarked.
“And thank you! You’re a real gentleman.”
His lips twisted in a reluctant smile. “Occasionally. How’s your new place coming along?”
“It’s almost finished. Wyatt says we’ll be wrapping up within the next couple of weeks. I can actually sleep there tonight. Good thing, ’cause the lease on my apartment was up. The bad thing is that I can’t bring my cat home until the paint is dry. And for some reason, that color wheel is supposed to help me graduate from bachelor gross to bachelor suave. I’ve been told painting the walls plain white won’t get me there.” I sighed heavily and took another sip, aware that I was babbling.
Sean chuckled. “Who’s taking care of your cat?”
“My old neighbor. She has three of her own, and Tabby kind of adopted her. Mrs. Muñoz is home more than I am and has better treats.”
“Your cat’s name is Tabby?”
“Short for Tabitha or tabby cat. This guy I went out with a couple of times helped name her. I think I’d had a bit too much to drink and everything sounded great. But she fits her name.” I set my bottle down and looked around the well-appointed great room. “Where’s your dog?”
He inclined his head toward the bank of floor-to-ceiling windows nearby. “Outside. I’m sure she’ll make an appearance soon. Brace yourself. Lullah is very friendly.”
“Cool. I love dogs. What kind?”
“Black Lab. She’s five years old and only a little less rambunctious than she used to be. And she loves everyone.”
I smiled, then narrowed my eyes thoughtfully. “Even the naked guy?”
“Was he really naked?”
“Stark nakers and hung like a horse. Which begs the question…why are you sitting here with me when you could be bangin’ him? He was obviously ready to go.”
Sean gave me a wry grin. “You got a good look, eh?”
“It was hard not to…pun intended.”
Sean snort-laughed. “He answered the door with a boner?”
“A halfie. And he was looking for his daddy. That had to be you. Did you send him to time-out?”
“Ha. Ha.”
I shifted sideways on my stool and leaned on my elbow. “Seriously. Give me details. My life is boring as fuck right now.”