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seventeen
Sunny woke to the smell of aftershave. When she blinked her eyes open, he was nothing but a shadow in the dark, straddling her body. Sunny could feel the ties on her pajama top coming undone. As her sight adjusted, she saw the final tie in between Sean’s teeth.
She’d almost forgotten it was Saturday night. Sean, sneaking in after his shift and waking her in a variety of ways, had become an unspoken tradition throughout December. He never woke her the same way twice, but he also never disappointed.
When they were done, they collapsed into darkness and didn’t regard each other until they’d satisfied themselves just as greedily with sleep as they had with sex.
The next morning, as she watched Sean dress in silence, she said, “Your buddy is coming here tonight. He’ll be getting a massage from my sister before the Christmas Eve dinner.”
“Good,” Sean said, buttoning his shirt. “I think she’s had some kind of effect on him already. He’s less grumpy and limpy all around. This should really help fix him up.”
“She’s really good with her hands,” Sunny said. “If he’s in pain, she can help.”
Sean glanced up from his task but didn’t slow. “There’s a lot about him she doesn’t know.”
Sunny sat up in bed, keeping the sheet tight around her chest.
“Don’t worry,” Sean said, watching her. “He’s a good guy. There’s just a lot she doesn’t know. It’s not just physical pain. He’s done one too many tours in the fucking sandbox.”
Sunny loosened her grip and the sheet fell below her breasts. “Cici has a lot of experience with that. She was at Walter Reed every week for years. Massaging the wounded who came home. All volunteer.”
Her naked body caught his eye. “I didn’t know that.”
“It’s the whole reason she became a therapist,” Sunny pressed. “My father was closed-off, half-deaf and walked with a cane because of Vietnam. He never let anyone help him, but Cici was able to do it without him knowing. Worked it in, a little at a time, until her foot, leg and shoulder massages became routine.”
Sean came over to the bed and sat down on the edge of the mattress. “You’ve certainly lived up to your end of the bargain.”
“And what about yours? You get Janice Matteri’s restraining order off my back yet?”
Sean grasped her ankles and pulled her toward him. He leaned over her, renewed hunger in his eyes. “I can’t do anything about that. But I am biding my time to send animal control over there when she’s not expecting it.”
“Really?” Sunny’s arousal grew as she pulled him closer. “Then I guess I won’t have any reason to steal her dogs.”
He silenced her with a rough kiss. Sunny had learned that she could say just about anything to Sean and he wouldn’t blink. In fact, the bolder she sounded, the more aroused he seemed to get.
“Not that I was ever stealing her dogs.” Sunny undid the shirt that Sean had just buttoned. “Or other abused and neglected pets that I see. I’m totally a law-abiding citizen, Detective Callahan.”
Sean stripped off the bedsheet. He pulled her into his lap. Sunny ran her hands up his stubbly face and sucked his lower lip in between her own. “There’s this place out on White Fern Road.” In fact, now that she spoke the address out loud, Sunny felt guilty she hadn’t made it back out there. “Can you send animal control over there, too?”
“What, you have a list for me now?” Sean’s fingertips ran up her spine. “You start throwing more stuff into the pot, I might have to do the same.”
Sunny was just about to let things go where they may, even though this would be the first time they had sex that wasn’t under the cover of darkness, when she caught a glimpse through the window of Pete’s truck, rolling up the drive. “Oh!” She jumped up and grabbed her robe, slipping it around her shoulders while she struggled to get her arms in.
“What’s the matter?” Sean’s brow creased.
“Pete’s here.”
“Who’s Pete?” Sean looked around the room, like Pete might be hiding somewhere.
“A friend.” She got her robe tied and fluffed out her hair. “He’s going to finish some decorating for me. For tonight’s party. Stuff I can’t reach. He helped with all the rest. He helps with everything. Meet you downstairs.”
“Um.” Sean stood up and started buttoning his shirt again. “Okay.”
Pete slammed his truck door, which didn’t shut properly because it was dented. It required Pete opening and closing it twice more before it latched. “Morning, Sunshine!” he called as Sunny stepped out.
“Morning!” Pete was the only person Sunny would allow to make that joke. She collected the newspaper from the stoop and straightened her robe. “You’re earlier than I thought.”
“Some of the new dogs are early risers,” Pete agreed. “Decided to get a head start. You can go back to bed, Sleeping Beauty.” He nodded toward the house as Sunny approached. Then his gaze shifted to over her shoulder.
