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His hand stayed at the small of my back, drawing me closer as the kiss lingered longer than necessary. Lucas giggled, pretending to gag, but Sean didn’t pull away. His eyes were fixed on me, burning with a hunger that was impossible to miss.
“I’m the luckiest man alive,” Sean said softly, his thumb brushing along my jaw as he finally pulled back, though his gaze never wavered.
Lucas, watching us intently, seemed to absorb the shift in his dad’s demeanor. “Yeah,” he said thoughtfully, “you seem … different.”
Sean grinned, wrapping his arm around me as we settled back in our chairs. The room suddenly felt warmer, more intimate. In that moment, I felt completely wrapped in his love and attention, as if the rest of the world didn’t exist.
After dinner, as we cleared the plates, Sean caught my hand, pulling me close, his lips brushing my forehead. “Anne has come over to take care of Lucas for a bit. Are you ready to head out?” he asked in a playful, secretive tone that made my heart skip a beat.
“Where are we going?” I asked, smiling as I looked up at him, already trusting wherever he was leading me.
“You’ll see,” Sean said with a wink.
We said good night to Lucas. Sean gave him a quick hug, ruffling his hair, before he retreated to his room, his mind buzzing about plans for his mom’s birthday, and then we slipped out of the penthouse.
Later, as the car finally came to a stop, Sean hopped out and hurried around to open the door for me. I stepped out, the cool night air brushing my face, and glanced around, curious about our destination. We were in SoHo, and nestled between a vintage bookstore and a cozy coffee shop was Erin’s Taxidermy.
Ah, now, I understood.
The storefront had plush velvet curtains framing the dark display windows. Inside, colorful birds were posed mid-flight, their feathers vibrant and delicate. I spotted a few lizards, quickly averting my gaze with a quiet laugh.
“What are we doing here?” I asked, my brow raised, amusement in my voice.
Sean smiled, slipping his arm around my waist. “You’ll see. Trust me.”
Sean opened the shop’s heavy wooden door. A bell chimed as we entered, and the scent of leather and chemicals waftedthrough the air, creating an atmosphere that was strangely inviting.
“Erin,” Sean called out into the empty room, and I looked around, wondering where Erin would pop out from.
I was both nervous and excited to meet her. Sean had met my brother a while ago, and I was aware that today was a big step for him. I’d “officially” met Lucas as Sean’s girlfriend, and now, I was meeting his half-sister.
I looked around at the taxidermy animals decorating the space. They were posed artfully, and their glassy eyes seemingly watched over us.
I gulped as I took in the rest of the shop. A life-sized alligator was on display, and I wondered if there were any other stories of odd animals a pet owner wanted to preserve. Off to the side were books on animal and bird anatomy, and the empty shelves had posters of animal skeletons.
“We won’t be here long; don’t worry,” Sean added at my side, a smile on his face as he looked at me.
I nodded. I had just spotted a cobra mount, head raised and its fangs bared, and I had temporarily lost use of my tongue.
Through a side door, a woman hurried in. She had the same striking features as Sean, but with piercing green eyes and raven-black hair in a pixie cut. She wore a folksy blue dress that suited her eclectic style, and she had a smile that was genuine and wide.
Her gaze fell on Sean first before she turned to me.
“Chloe, meet my half-sister, Erin Wallace,” Sean said. “Erin, this is Chloe?—”
“Nichols, yes, I remember,” Erin said, turning warm eyes to me. “He mentions you every time I speak to him, so I’ve been badgering him to let me meet you. I’m glad we’re finally meeting.”
“Same here. And your shop looks out of this world. You have a fantastic collection,” I said, looking around.
“Erin is obsessed with her job,” Sean explained. “She was desperate to show you the shop.”
“Do you have pets?” Erin asked me, a hopeful look in her eye.
I opened my mouth to respond when Sean gave Erin a look.
“Erin, I will not have you treating my girlfriend like a potential customer.”
“It’s a bad habit of mine.” She grinned at me with ease. “Come on. I’ll give you a tour.”