second time, more scorching than the first. When he was done, he stood up and opened her front door, saying, “Have a good night, Carly. See you in the morning.”
“Fine. He kissed me when he left. And it felt just about right,” she told Brynn.
***
“Welcome back,” Sean said, walking into Brynn and Alec’s office Monday morning. “Ready to get to work?”
Alec looked up at him, snorted and picked up the coffee he’d purchased on his way to work. “No. Please don’t tell me you have a meeting scheduled today. I’m not up to it.”
“Do you really think I would have done that without telling you first?” Sean knew how much Alec hated meetings and came in late half the time, if he showed at all.
“I wouldn’t put it past you.”
“Aren’t you cheerful this morning? I thought for sure you’d be all relaxed after your honeymoon.”
“I was. Until we tried to go to bed last night.” Alec stopped and narrowed his eyes. “I know you know what I’m talking about, so admit it.”
Sean was at a loss and shrugged. “Nope. Sorry.”
“Carly let Droopy sleep with her last week. He cried all night long until Brynn gave in and put him on the bed with us. That is the last thing I want, a dog between my wife and me.”
Sean shook his head, amused. He knew Droopy spent the one night in bed with Carly, but not every night. That was funny. What a little softie she was. “Why would you think I would know about that?”
“Because I hear you’ve been making time with her.”
“What?” What had Carly said to Brynn? They’d had one date at her house. He kissed her. Twice. But still, that was far from making time with someone, even if he had been thinking about it.
“Relax,” Alec said, laughing at Sean’s expression. “I’ve never seen you look so stressed before.”
“What exactly do you know?”
“Nothing more than you went to dinner at her house. Why, is there more than that?” Alec asked, eying Sean more seriously.
“No. Not really.”
“No, or not really? Which is it?”
“Nothing more than dinner. Do you have a problem with it?” Sean asked, getting defensive. He never expected Alec of all people to judge him on this. Not when Alec married his employee. Carly was just a friend of theirs.
“No problem. Just tread carefully.”
“Why is that? What aren’t you telling me?”
“Nothing much. I don’t know all that much about Carly’s past really. I just know she is sweet and tender. Brynn is pretty protective of her, but I’m not sure why. So go carefully.”
“I am and I will. I know Brynn is protective of her and I expect your wife will be in here talking to me at some point.”
“I’m sure she will be.”
“But I’m sure you both know I’ve never been someone who took advantage of a woman before either.”
“Nope. You aren’t like that. Again, just be careful. I don’t know much about her personally, other than bits and pieces Brynn has said over the months. But I get the feeling there is something under the surface there. Good or bad, it’s still there.”
Sean suspected the same thing. “Don’t worry about it. You know me. I’m pretty casual about things.”
“That might be what I’m worried about.”
Family
Sean looked over at the vibrating phone on his desk to see his mother’s face grinning back at him. Snatching it up quickly, he answered, “Hi, Mom.” She called him at least three times a week, if not more. Since it was Friday and he’d only heard from her twice this week, he was expecting the call.
“Hi, baby. How are you doing?”
He cringed over the “baby” endearment, but he knew she’d never stop calling him that no matter how many times he asked. “I’m doing well. Just catching up on some work.”
“You aren’t working too hard, are you?”
“Never, Mom, you know that,” he joked, just like he always did when she made the comment about him working too hard.
“I don’t believe you now any more than I did
“Fine. He kissed me when he left. And it felt just about right,” she told Brynn.
***
“Welcome back,” Sean said, walking into Brynn and Alec’s office Monday morning. “Ready to get to work?”
Alec looked up at him, snorted and picked up the coffee he’d purchased on his way to work. “No. Please don’t tell me you have a meeting scheduled today. I’m not up to it.”
“Do you really think I would have done that without telling you first?” Sean knew how much Alec hated meetings and came in late half the time, if he showed at all.
“I wouldn’t put it past you.”
“Aren’t you cheerful this morning? I thought for sure you’d be all relaxed after your honeymoon.”
“I was. Until we tried to go to bed last night.” Alec stopped and narrowed his eyes. “I know you know what I’m talking about, so admit it.”
Sean was at a loss and shrugged. “Nope. Sorry.”
“Carly let Droopy sleep with her last week. He cried all night long until Brynn gave in and put him on the bed with us. That is the last thing I want, a dog between my wife and me.”
Sean shook his head, amused. He knew Droopy spent the one night in bed with Carly, but not every night. That was funny. What a little softie she was. “Why would you think I would know about that?”
“Because I hear you’ve been making time with her.”
“What?” What had Carly said to Brynn? They’d had one date at her house. He kissed her. Twice. But still, that was far from making time with someone, even if he had been thinking about it.
“Relax,” Alec said, laughing at Sean’s expression. “I’ve never seen you look so stressed before.”
“What exactly do you know?”
“Nothing more than you went to dinner at her house. Why, is there more than that?” Alec asked, eying Sean more seriously.
“No. Not really.”
“No, or not really? Which is it?”
“Nothing more than dinner. Do you have a problem with it?” Sean asked, getting defensive. He never expected Alec of all people to judge him on this. Not when Alec married his employee. Carly was just a friend of theirs.
“No problem. Just tread carefully.”
“Why is that? What aren’t you telling me?”
“Nothing much. I don’t know all that much about Carly’s past really. I just know she is sweet and tender. Brynn is pretty protective of her, but I’m not sure why. So go carefully.”
“I am and I will. I know Brynn is protective of her and I expect your wife will be in here talking to me at some point.”
“I’m sure she will be.”
“But I’m sure you both know I’ve never been someone who took advantage of a woman before either.”
“Nope. You aren’t like that. Again, just be careful. I don’t know much about her personally, other than bits and pieces Brynn has said over the months. But I get the feeling there is something under the surface there. Good or bad, it’s still there.”
Sean suspected the same thing. “Don’t worry about it. You know me. I’m pretty casual about things.”
“That might be what I’m worried about.”
Family
Sean looked over at the vibrating phone on his desk to see his mother’s face grinning back at him. Snatching it up quickly, he answered, “Hi, Mom.” She called him at least three times a week, if not more. Since it was Friday and he’d only heard from her twice this week, he was expecting the call.
“Hi, baby. How are you doing?”
He cringed over the “baby” endearment, but he knew she’d never stop calling him that no matter how many times he asked. “I’m doing well. Just catching up on some work.”
“You aren’t working too hard, are you?”
“Never, Mom, you know that,” he joked, just like he always did when she made the comment about him working too hard.
“I don’t believe you now any more than I did
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