All I Want by Natalie Ann Page A

which rooms did you paint?”
    “No way. There is no way I’m telling you. You’ll walk around inspecting them with a magnifying glass. You’re just going to have to guess, but I bet you wouldn’t be able to tell which ones Sean and I did.”
    “Sean and you, huh?”
    Crap. “Yeah. Sean was recruited too, and Isabel put everyone in teams of two. I was left by myself, so when Sean walked in, Phil told him to pair up with me.”
    “Why are you blushing?”
    “I’m not blushing. What are you talking about?” The room did feel warm right now, but she didn’t think she was blushing.
    “I’m trying to restrain myself from jumping up and down and pointing my finger at you and singing that you have a crush on Sean,” Brynn replied, giggling.
    Carly eyed her and remembered the time she did exactly that to Brynn when she accused Brynn of having a crush on Alec. “So, what if I think he’s attractive? There’s nothing wrong in that, is there?”
    “I knew it,” Brynn shouted and pointed her finger.
    “Knew what?”
    “I saw you two dancing at my wedding. Don’t think I didn’t. It looked awfully cozy to me. Alec and I even talked about it last week.”
    “You talked about me on your honeymoon? Seriously, you had nothing else better to do than speculate about Sean and me on your honeymoon? That’s pathetic.”
    “No, pathetic is you trying to pretend like there’s nothing there. So level with me, what’s going on?”
    “Would you be upset if there was something going on with Sean and me?”
    “Not at all. Why would you even think that?”
    “Just checking. Anyway, he came over for dinner on Wednesday.”
    “Really?” Brynn asked, her eyes going wide. “Was that your first date?”
    “Yes, why?”
    “Here, at your house? You cooked him dinner?”
    “I did,” Carly replied, getting annoyed. “What is so shocking about that?”
    “Just that you don’t normally bring any men to your house and yet you had him here on your first date.”
    Brynn was right. It was shocking. Carly had always been careful about having men over to her house. She liked to keep that space; to have a place that was hers, that was nice and calm at all times. If things got out of hand or uncomfortable, Carly always wanted to be able to leave. She couldn’t do that if it was happening in her house, and trying to force someone to leave wasn’t always easy.
    “So, what happened? How did it go?”
    “It was nice. I learned a little about his family, he learned a little about mine. And no, before you ask, he doesn’t know about my mother or much of my past. He just knows that we moved here when I was ten, not much more.”
    “Okay. I would have really been thrown for a loop if you told him about your mom.”
    “Not exactly something you say on a first date. Even a second or third. So, no, he doesn’t know much. It was a good night. We clicked. There, does that make you feel better?” She knew if she didn’t give Brynn at least a little bit of something juicy, Brynn wouldn’t ever leave for the night.
    “Yes, I do feel better. I’ll feel even better if you tell me he kissed you, and how it felt.”
    “Really, Brynn, that is being immature,” Carly scolded, but laughed just the same.
    “No, it’s not. Tell me, or Droopy and I stay until you do.”
    Carly thought back to that night. When Sean was getting ready to leave, he’d bent down and rubbed Droopy’s head, then stood up and leaned toward her, his lips hovering over hers gently, almost like he was afraid to touch her. But she wanted him to kiss her, so she wound her arms around his neck and pulled him in closer. Then he just took over, his mouth opening hers, his tongue swooping in, tasting her, retreating, then coming back for more. When he finally pulled back, his smile was a mile long, and she had to reach out and steady herself by placing her hand on his chest. He noticed too; there was no way he couldn’t have.
    He leaned forward and kissed her again, a