When he got there, Lana sat talking with two squad members from the station, Pete Meadows and Ron Sharp. Pete was a womanizer, and Ron was a natural-born charmer. They had both mentioned to him how hot Lana was. A possessive feeling that was new to him served to increase his pace. He put down the beers and pretzels. He, Ron and Pete exchanged greetings.
Sean spent the rest of the evening vying for Lana’s attention and playing a tug of war with Pete over buying her beers. A couple of times she gave him a sharp look as if to say, “What is wrong with you?” But he was in agony watching Lana flirt with Pete and Ron. Finally, as other people they knew filtered back to their table, Sean had had enough and rose.
“Lana, I’ll walk you out.”
She was busy greeting a cop friend of Sienna’s, Rosa Santana. “I’m not ready to leave yet,” she said, frowning. She looked at her watch. “It’s still early.”
At that moment, the band started to play, and Pete rose, “Lana, would you like to dance?”
“She’s dancing with me,” Sean said and put his hand on her wrist.
“I thought you were leaving, O’Neill,” Pete said, taking her other wrist.
“Could you both stop?” She shook off their hands. “I don’t feel like dancing right now,” Lana said testily, giving Sean a narrowed-eyed look that could melt steel.
For the rest of the evening, he fumed but acted like his easygoing self. He didn’t want his friends and squad members to catch onto the fact that his and Lana’s relationship had changed.
But it hadn’t really. They were still friends, right? Sex was the only thing that had really changed in their relationship. When Lana finally got up to go, Sean said he was leaving, too.
They got into their separate cars, and she waved to him as she pulled out of the parking lot. He beeped his horn and headed in the other direction toward his apartment. But the more he thought about Pete and Ron, the more he wanted to define his sexual relationship with Lana.
He turned his car around and headed for Lana’s house. When he got to Lana’s bungalow, she was just getting out of her car.
Before he could even get out of the car, Lana said through his open window, “If you’ve come to apologize, I’m not in the mood. That was very subtle, Sean. I don’t particularly like to be used in a tug of war.”
Sean sat there and watched her quick steps up the walk and cursed himself.
With more force than necessary, he opened the door and slammed it closed. He marched up to her house while she was still fumbling with the lock.
He said through clenched teeth, “I didn’t like the way Pete was looking at you.”
“What do you have to say about it? We’re friends.” She tried harder to get the door open, not even glancing at him.
“As a friend, I’m giving you advice. He’s a womanizer.”
“Don’t you think I know that? I’m not stupid.”
She jiggled the lock, the nervous trembling of her hands making the simple turning of a key into a major chore. When he suddenly leaned into her to help her with the door, the shock of sensation that coursed through him left him weak and shaking.
“Will you stop it,” she cried loudly, as he tried to help her with the door. She turned around and he wobbled into her. The door unexpectedly opened, and since he was leaning so heavily against her, she completely lost her balance and both of them went sprawling onto the hardwood floor.
She gasped as he landed on top of her. She pushed ineffectually at him as she spat out, “Get off me, you idiot. You’re crushing me.” She wheezed, unable to keep the laughter out of her voice.
He’d never had a fight with Lana before, mostly because he was so laid back. Add sex to the mix and this is what happened. He was jealous. His father always told him to just apologize to a woman. No matter whether you thought you were right or not. Lana was too important to him to fight with her.
Sean braced his arms on either side of her head and lifted himself off so that she could finally inhale. He looked at her, her eyes shining. Warm amusement sent a wry smile to his lips, and he was chuckling, and then laughing.
Between bursts, he forced out, “I’m sorry. I’ve been a complete jerk,” he continued more calmly.
They both burst out laughing again, and Lana choked out, “Yes, you were. Whatever possessed you to one-up him like that all night? I’ve never seen you like that, Sean.”
The laughter faded from his face, and he smiled at her, a lazy contented smile. He shifted and the door slammed.
“Seems like you bring out the best and the worst in me,” he said as he lifted his hand and gently touched her mouth. “Such beautiful lips.” Sean suppressed a groan of desire.
He tensed, coiled like a spring. His whole being centered on the soft skin of her mouth beneath his caressing fingers.
A primeval passion was slowly building between them, erupting and completely eclipsing all other thoughts and emotions.