There was something in the gruff quality of his voice that got to her, and Lana found herself suddenly struggling against a thick wad of emotion. She clenched her eyes shut and swallowed hard, nearly overcome with feelings for this man. Feelings that caused a painful ache deep inside her.
“I was terrified,” she said in a small voice. “I wanted to wrap my arms around you.”
He pulled her closer as she released a breath. Rubbing his hand down her spine, hugging her hard, he said, “Can you imagine how big that would have gone over? We would never have lived it down.”
“No.”
“And if we’re discovered in this shower together like this, we’ll get more than ribbing, Dempsey.”
“Right.” A rush of fear nailed her squarely in the chest. Common sense told her she was in way over her head. She gave herself a minute to fight the powerful emotions, then swallowed hard and drew in an unsteady breath. Bracing herself for the bereft feeling, she started to pull away. “Sean, I—”
He pulled her back, tightening his arms around her. “Not a chance,” he said, his tone gruff. Grasping her jaw, he lifted her face, covering her mouth with a soft, sweet kiss, one that made her pulse go berserk. Her heart was pounding so hard when he finally drew away that she felt it from her scalp to her toes. He combed her hair back from her face and then nestled her head firmly against his shoulder.
Sean gave her a tight hug, and then began rubbing her back. “Don’t have second thoughts,” he said quietly.
Lana pressed her face against the soft skin of his neck, her whole body trembling. She grasped the back of his head, holding on to him with what little strength she had. She took a deep, shaky breath, struggling to bring things back into focus.
He smoothed his hand up her back, his jaw pressed tightly against her temple. “Just so you know,” he said, as if warning her, “I never throw in a poker hand, Dempsey.” He carefully tucked some of her wet hair behind her ear, his touch oddly comforting. When he spoke again, there was a touch of amusement in his voice. “And I sure as hell don’t quit while I’m ahead.”
That prompted a shaky laugh, and the tension abruptly drained out of her. “I didn’t take you for a gambler, O’Neill.”
“Shows you that you don’t know everything about me.” He wrapped his wet towel around his waist. “You’d better exit first.”
Still stunned by what she had done, she dazedly turned and started to leave, her knees threatening to buckle with every step.
No, she didn’t know everything about him. She didn’t know how sexy his voice sounded when he was aroused or the way he would feel against her, his penis thick and hard. She hadn’t known those things. What she’d known about Sean was his ability to always understand how she felt. How he supported his family to the point of having no life of his own. A man whogavein every sense of the word. She wondered what would happen if Sean suddenly decided he wanted to take. She shivered with the thought of his dormant power. A power, if unleashed, would be purely devastating. And everyone, including her, would have to watch out.
She felt as if she’d been run over by a Mack truck.
CHAPTER3
“Hey, Bro?”
Sean looked up as his eighteen-year-old brother came across the garage floor of the fire station. Where Sean was tall and muscular, Riley was shorter and skinnier, but with a promise of a robust male body that he only had to grow into. His hair was longer and more blond, his eyes blue. He was wearing a pair of surfer shorts and a white muscle T-shirt.
“Riley, what are you doing here?” Sean set down his overnight bag.
Lana walked by and tousled Riley’s hair.
“Hi, Lana.”
“Hi, yourself.”
“I came to ask you to do me a favor,” Riley said, running his hand nervously through his hair.
“Again?”
“Isn’t that like the second time this week? But who’s counting?” Lana said.
“I’m supposed to mow the lawn, but Jeff called and said the waves are radical right now.”
Sean’s gaze flashed to his brother’s expensive surfboard tacked down to his car roof. His brother turned to look.
Sean’s eyebrows rose and his eyes narrowed. “I guess you were pretty sure of yourself.”
Lana chuckled and called, “Good luck, Sean.” Her eyes lingered on his face. He watched as she disappeared around the side of the doorway.
His brother snapped his fingers in Sean’s face to get his attention. “You always help me out, man.”