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His lips find mine for a tender, sweet kiss. “Seriously, Calliope. If I haven’t already told you, I’m falling for you.”
Those words mean everything to me. I no longer feel scared by the thought of falling in love again. I only feel joy and a sense of peace I’ve never felt before.
I belong with him. I belong in his arms, in his life. I belong in this wonderful man’s world.
I kiss him, but this time it’s deeper. It lingers, and when our lips part, he breathes out a sigh. “That puts every other kiss in the history of kisses to shame.”
Running a fingertip over his bottom lip, I smile. “We will do that again after we eat.”
He gazes into my eyes. “I hope you have a huge appetite because I ordered extra.”
“I’m starving.” I move toward one of the chairs that face his desk. “I can’t wait to eat.”
* * *
I lean backin my chair and watch Sean as he takes a business call. After his desk phone rang the first time, he called his assistant to remind him that he had been instructed to hold all calls.
I could tell by the shift in Sean’s expression that something needed his immediate attention. He confirmed that when he told me he needed to return the missed call but wanted me to stay put.
He handles whoever is on the other end with ease, even though I can hear that they have raised their voice. The phone may be pressed to Sean’s ear, but the volume of the caller’s voice is loud enough that I can catch bits and pieces of what he’s saying.
Not wanting to full on eavesdrop, I glance around Sean’s office.
The first time I was here, I was too nervous to notice any small details. I was completely focused on the man sitting behind the desk because I had called the police on him just hours earlier.
My gaze catches on a series of framed photographs sitting atop a shelf near the window. I push back from my chair to get a better look.
As I make my way toward them, I glance at Sean to find his gaze pinned to me. A slow smile slides over his lips.
I know that look.
If he weren’t in the middle of a heated business discussion, I imagine he’d have me pinned to the wall or spread out on his desk with his head between my legs.
I shake off that thought because I don’t want to have to explain why I’m blushing.
I turn my attention to the framed photographs. One is of Sean and Declan. They look a few years younger than they are now. I can tell that they’re in an office. It’s much smaller than anything I’ve seen in this building but behind them is a cardboard sign with their surname scribbled across it in black marker.
The picture next to it is of a couple with two boys standing in front of them. The woman in the photo is cradling a baby in her arms. I pick up the frame to get a closer look, and I instantly recognize the taller of the two boys. It’s Declan. The other one has to be Sean. He can’t be more than nine or ten years old.
In the third photo, Sean’s older but only by a few years. His hair is longer. He’s sporting some sparse facial hair, and his T-shirt is stamped with the logo from a fast food place. He’s with three other young men who look to be the same age as he is. If pressed to guess, I’d peg them at sixteen or seventeen.
“Take an hour to consider what I just said.” Sean’s voice catches my attention. “Then call me back.”
With that, he ends the call.
“That seemed to go well,” I tease.
Laughing, he pushes to his feet, buttoning his suit jacket. “It’s all in a day’s work.”
I glance back at the photos. “How old were you in this picture?”
He closes the distance between us with a few measured steps. “Sixteen. That was taken at the boarding school I went to. Those guys are my three closest friends.”
I stare into his face, noticing the soft smile. “What are their names?”
He taps a finger against the glass of the frame. “That’s Graham, next to him is Harrison, and on the end is Kavan.”
Kavan.
