His jaw clenched in irritation, but thankfully, he lowered his voice. “I just noticed you getting a bit tense. I wanted to check in.”
Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath, shoving any irritation into the box I keep shoved in the corner of my mind before looking back up. “I’m fine. Really. Just busier with work. I don’t need a session with Dr. Lane. I’ve got barre to help me through any tension I may have.”
“Yeah,” he said skeptically. “Okay. Just let me know if you need anything.”
“I will.” One more deep breath. “Okay, I’m heading to the wine and girl talk.”
“Have fun. Tell Alex to find me later,” he joked.
“Gross.”
Before walking away, I turned and offered a small smile to Kent and Daniel.
Daniel merely lifted his glass and nodded. Because what else would he do? It’s not like we were friends. He was a nice man doing me a favor. He was only an acquaintance. However, when I met his ice-blue eyes, familiarity hit my core like I knew him more.
“Wine?” Alexandra asked, already handing me a glass.
“Why, thank you. Are you old enough to drink?” I joked.
We all laughed at her glare, her age being a long-running joke we poked about with good nature. She was nineteen when she met my brother, who was in his thirties.
“Age is just a number,” Olivia chimed in, as she was dating Kent, who was almost forty.
“What’s the opposite of cougars?” Carina asked.
“Call it what you want,” Alex started. “But Erik’s age doesn’t matter because what he does to me in—”
“Nooooooope,” I interjected, making them all crack up. “Anyway,” I said pointedly, changing the subject to Carina’s daughter. “Where’s Audrey?”
“Probably watching How to Train Your Dragon for the seven-hundred and eighty-second time. She’ll be out for dinner, which I need to finish up.”
“I’ll help,” Olivia offered.
Alex lifted her half-empty glass. “Let me finish my wine, and I’ll be right over.”
We stepped out of the kitchen, so we didn’t get in the way. We’d just made it to the couch when Sean came over.
“Hey, Hanna,” he greeted. His voice was deep and soothing if I took the time to break it down. He really was very attractive, almost like a Chris Pine doppelgänger with those lips.
“Hey, Sean. How are you?” I adjusted my position, facing him fully, and placing my hips against the couch. The added bonus was it gave me more space, and no one could stand behind me.
“Better now.” It was a cheesy line, but it did the trick to make me laugh.
Alex not so subtly bobbed her brows behind her wine glass.
“Sorry, that was pretty corny.”
“A little. I prefer y equals m-x plus b as my favorite one-liner.”
“Oh. My. God,” Alex groaned.
I groaned internally, cringing at my own words. What was wrong with me, saying a math pun to such a cute guy who potentially also thought I was cute?
Sean’s laugh had my eyes snapping open. “That’s a good one.”
“You understood that?” Alex asked.
“I mean, I’m an accountant. Math is my foundation in life.”
Alex shook her head, and I laughed, feeling a little lighter since I walked in.
At least, until he reached out like he was going to push my hair behind my ear, and I jerked back, almost falling over the couch.
His hand froze before dropping. “Sorry,” he muttered.
My entire body flamed with embarrassment. I stared down, not wanting him to see my beet red cheeks.
Idiot. Idiot.
Ringing blotted out any sound, and I tried to breathe deep, hoping it all passed. I was sure that by the time I’d decided to look up, Sean would be long gone.
But Alex, my beautiful, soon-to-be, sister-in-law, saved me. She cleared her throat, pulling my attention to her and asked, “How was barre?”
It took me a moment to process her words, and I blinked.
“Barre?” Sean asked.
Jerking my eyes over, I was so surprised that he hadn’t run as far as he could get from me, I stuttered over my words. “Oh, um…it’s a ballet exercise class.”
One side of his mouth tipped up. “That’s hot.”
“Oh.”
Really, oh? That’s what you’re going to follow that up with? Super smart, Hanna. Sofia reprimanded.
“It totally is,” Alex said, saving the conversation again. “And Hanna is amazing. She’s so flexible and bendy. Super bendy.” She leaned over and bumped her shoulder to mine, rambling away. “I mean, how many talents can one girl have. She’s gorgeous and a math whiz. Pretty much the whole package.”
I stared slack-jawed and shocked at the word vomit; it was like she was trying to get me a job.
“Anyway, Erik looks like he wants me to come talk to him. Nice chat, Sean.”
With that, she headed to Erik, who clearly had his back to her and was engrossed in a conversation with Ian.
A high-pitched, slightly manic giggle broke free as I gathered the courage to turn and face Sean. When I did, I found his full lips pinched, trying to hold back a laugh.