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“Has Henry gotten over the shock of being trapped in that building and that horrible article?” he asked.
I nodded. “He’s recovered. He was laughing and cheerful when I left for work.”
He paused. “How about you? How do you feel?”
I exhaled. “I was stressed out for a bit, you know. But being back at work has given me time to feel stable again. For once, my anxiety isn’t racing through the roof, replaying the same situation in my mind.”
He nodded. “That’s good. Do you want to hear something interesting? Last night, Lucas and I were at JFK, meeting my half-sister, Erin, for the very first time.”
I was really surprised, and Sean grinned.
“Is it that astonishing when I do something nice, Chloe?” he asked, his eyes full of heat as he tipped my chin up.
“For someone you haven’t met? A little,” I admitted with a breathy laugh. “How do you feel about her?” I asked.
Sean looked thoughtful. “I liked her. She was quirky and fun. Lucas took to her instantly. She was thrilled to be in New York and also happy that she got to meet Lucas.”
He rubbed his hand on his chin, looking a bit worried. “Lucas has another reason to be elated lately, and it doesn’t involve Brianna,” he said.
I frowned and put my hand on his chest.
“What is it?” I asked.
Sean sighed and leaned against the edge of his table, crossing his hands and looking out the window. “Lucas is happy because his mother is coming back.”
Ah. “And you’re not happy about having to part with him?” I asked, feeling a flicker of hope for the man he was becoming. Someone who was now attached to his son, who cared for the boy and was not ashamed to show it.
Sean appeared troubled. He straightened up and looked around. “For the past day, we packed up his things so that he could move back in with her—he wants to move out the very night she lands. If that doesn’t show you how excited he is to leave me … well, I don’t know what will. Have I not made any progress with my son in the past month at all, Chloe?”
I reached up to put my hands on either side of his face. “Sean, I promise you, you’ve made amazing progress with Lucas this month. When I spoke to Lucas on the phone one night, I could hear the pride in his voice while he talked about you. You know, he bragged to me that you helped him make a balloon-powered rocket with a straw and a string.”
I stepped back, a small smile curving my lips. “And I know for a fact that you’ve helped Lucas with his homework on the days that you’ve been in town.”
Sean was nuzzling my neck, his breath hot and ragged.
I took his hand in mine. “You’re a wonderful dad, Sean,” I said as my body came alive under his touch.
He leaned in closer, and I pressed my fingers into his hard, muscular back.
“But for a kid waiting for his mom to come back—especially after he’s not seen her for two months? It’s something no one can compete with. And parenting is not a competition, Sean. Lucas loves you both.”
I broke off as his hands tugged at my hair, pulling my head back and exposing my throat.
“Thank you, Chloe,” he said.
He bent his mouth to my neck, grazing it roughly with his lips and giving me a sudden nip. I was already breathing fast, and I yelped in surprise at that bite, but his only response was to widen his lips in a grin. He brought his fingers to my collarbone, teasing me by stroking the heated skin just above the dip of my cleavage.
He took my mouth in a kiss, biting my lower lip gently. The kiss intensified, deeper and deeper, his tongue playing effortlessly with mine until I was breathless. His hands wrapped around my back and pulled me snug to him, and I felt my pulse racing wildly, my heart throbbing against my ribs. The door to his office was closed, but not locked, and I ought to protest when Sean moved his hands down from the back of my head to my front, his fingers slipping expertly to cup one of my breasts through my blouse.
“Oh, Sean,” I muttered, feeling both relaxed and intoxicated by the act.
He walked me back to the wall, not breaking the kiss, and I felt like I was living someone else’s life. One where I was no longer invisible, but extremely desirable and wanted—by a powerful man like Sean Tassater, no less.
“What is it, baby?” he asked as his fingers moved to undo my blouse’s top three buttons. The top of my blouse gave way, revealing my push-up bra, and he wasted no time in pulling it down.
When he moved his mouth to suck my breast, my eyes fluttered shut.
“I’ve … wanted you … so … badly since you left for the conference,” I said, my words coming out in gasps as he sucked my hard nipple with his mouth while I ran my hand through his brown hair.