Page 21

Sean walks in, gym bag slung over his shoulder. And he's... shirtless. My brain short-circuits.

His torso is sculpted with the kind of definition that belongs in fitness magazines. A light sheen of sweat makes his tan skin glow in the morning light. Ink peeking from under his collarbone. A trail of dark hair disappears beneath the waistband of his shorts.

I forget how to function as a human being, wanting to tear my eyes away before he catches me ogling. But I stay rooted to the spot.

Sean wipes sweat from his neck with a towel like he hasn’t just walked in looking like every woman’s gym fantasy. The man has the audacity to look like that before coffee.

I drop a spoon.

“Morning,” he says casually, dropping his bag by the door. “Didn't expect you guys to be up so early on a Saturday.”

“We, um—” My voice comes out squeaky.

How embarrassing, Wren.

I clear my throat, managing to tear my gaze from him. “Eric's an early riser. Always has been."

“Hi!” Eric abandons his coloring and runs over. “Look what I drew, Uncle Sean.”

Sean crouches down to examine the paper Eric thrusts at him, and I'm grateful for the distraction. I need to get myself together. It's just a chest. A very nice broad chest, butstill.

“That's some dinosaur, buddy. Is that a volcano behind it?”

“Yeah! T-Rex lived when there were volcanoes everywhere!”

“Is that right?” Sean ruffles Eric's hair.

I take another sip of coffee, willing my face to cool down. When I look up, Sean's watching me with his brows pulled together.

“Everything okay? You look a little flushed.”

“Oh, I’m fine! Very fine and cool. The coffee’s just hot.” I wave my mug without thinking and some coffee sloshes over the rim. “Oh, shoot!”

“Here.” He grabs a paper towel and hands it to me. He's standing so close now I can smell his post-workout scent. An intoxicating mix of clean sweat and something woodsy. There’s a tiny scar near his shoulder I never noticed before.

I dab at the spill with devoted attention.

“Thanks.”

“Did it spill on you?”

“Oh, not at all. It’s cool. Chill.”

“Um. So, I wanted to let you know I'll be out today.” He leans against the counter, combing his fingers through his messy hair. “My company's handling an exclusive event, and I need to supervise.”

“Right. Of course. Secure all the things.”

I look around for something to busy my hands with now that I’ve finished dabbing. I can’t bear to look at him for long, else he’ll be able to tell just how attractive I find him.

My eyes latch on a lemon. Perfect. Because my life revolves around them. I grab it, studying the lemon with interest.

“You'll be alright here with Eric?”

“Of course.” I nod too fast. “We'll be fine. Great. I might make cookies with Eric. Or watch a movie. Or both. Whatever. We're good. You go do you!”

Why am I rambling? Get it together, Wren.

Sean takes a step closer, and my mouth goes dry. Four feet between us. Three. Two. I feel the shift in the air like a magnet pulling me in. He towers over me, his presence filling every inch of space between us. His eyes dip. Lips. My lips.