Sean's Sweetheart
By Allie Kincheloe
Blurb:
Sean has spent five years cleaning up his life. He’s shoved his past behind him and built a profitable business in the town’s most popular dance club. Falling in love with a college sophomore wasn’t in his plans. But, from the moment he rescued Talia, she brings out his every protective instinct.
He tries to resist getting involved on a personal level. Talia’s persistence, however, is stronger than his will.
Despite just ending an abusive relationship, Talia finds an instant connection with a man unlike any she’s dated before. Older, tattooed, and totally inappropriate for her, Talia couldn’t keep Sean off her mind, especially once he calls her “sweetheart” in that deep drawl of his.
When Talia is in danger, they discover just how strong their relationship is. Can Sean and his sweetheart make things last when horrors from their pasts come back to haunt them and family seems determined to keep them apart?
Excerpt:
Sean
let Talia clasp his hand in her small soft one as she led him across
the parking lot. He shouldn’t encourage her like this, but he
couldn’t bear to dim her eyes with disappointment whenever he
pulled his hand away. Her brother and father stood looking over the
loaded pickup. They caught the tail end of an argument between Zane
and his dad as they walked up.
Her
father grunted. “That couch is damn heavy and once we go up and
down those stairs twenty times with all those little boxes, we’re
gonna be too tired to carry that couch upstairs. I swear the darn
thing is made of lead.”
Releasing
his hand, Talia wrapped her arms around her dad from behind in
greeting. “Would it make you feel better if I said I brought
someone to help with the heavy lifting, Daddy?”
The
older man glared in response as Sean shook hands with Zane. He
reminded the older man of his name and stuck his hand out in
greeting. Her dad’s eyebrow rose, but didn’t offer his own hand
in return. Well, alrighty then. Would it kill him to be polite?
The
older man scowled at him and said simply, “Sam Richmond.” The
overprotective father crap was getting old.
Zane
broke the tension. “Okay, Dad, we will do it your way. Sean, you
think you can handle one end of the couch while Dad and I get the
other? It’s really heavy. I didn’t realize how heavy, until Dad
and I were loading it by ourselves. I, for one, am glad you are
here.”
He
nodded and the three of them pulled the couch off the truck. Talia
tried to help, but Sean told her to just grab a box, he didn’t need
her underfoot when they went up the stairs. Zane snickered at the
glare on her face, but didn’t comment on it until Talia stomped up
the stairs ahead of them.
“You
are a brave man, Sean. Brave, I say. You haven’t seen her temper
yet, have you? She acts all sweet and shy, but she’s a little
hellion when you piss her off. And I think you may have done just
that.”
Sam
chuckled at Zane’s words, but didn’t say anything as they carried
the weighty couch up, pausing at each landing to angle it around the
support posts in the breezeway.
Once
they got it to the landing of the third floor, Sean could see Talia
standing with her arms crossed outside the locked door of her
brother’s apartment. She looked angry. Crap, Zane was right. He was
in trouble. Where’d that spirit go when she was dating that asshat?
They
eased the couch down next to the door and Zane dug the keys out of
his pocket to unlock the door. Shoving past her brother, Talia
snatched up her box and stomped inside. Sam laughed out loud. “Yup,
she’s mad.”
Sean
sighed and shook his head. Well, at least he’d made her dad laugh
even if it was because he’d pissed Talia off. The heavy couch put
up a hell of a fight going through the door. They finally battled it
through and had to take a minute to catch their breath. The crashes
and bangs coming from the kitchen made Sam and Zane both snicker.
Zane
elbowed Sean, mock-whispering, “Good luck.”
When
the other men started back down the stairs to get more boxes, Sean
followed the noise to Talia. With her back to him, he watched as she
slammed the cabinet door with such force it rattled.
“Hey,
I didn’t mean to upset you out there,” he murmured. As he laid
his hand on the small of her back, she tensed at his touch.
“You
said I was in your way. Do I look like a child? Or maybe you think I
am too stupid to get out of the way?” Her eyes flashed in anger as
she spun to face him.
“Now,
I never said that. I just didn’t want you to get hurt, that’s
all.”
“I
thought you were different, Sean. Caleb always treated me like I was
too stupid to breathe on my own, and I won’t go through that again.
I can’t.”
“I
really didn’t mean it like that. I should have phrased it
differently, I can see that now. I’m sorry.” He didn’t get how
he’d called her stupid, but he enjoyed seeing this side of her.
He’d have to piss her off more often if she’d look at him like
that. It was a heck of a turn-on for her to be confident enough to
stand up to him. He liked his women to have some spunk. Damn, she’s
gorgeous when all worked up. He wondered if her eyes filled with such
fire when she made love.
He
moved closer and she retreated in response until she bumped into the
counter. Tilting forward and placing his hands on the granite next to
her hips, he surrounded Talia with his arms. He whispered low in her
ear, “Anyone ever tell you how stunning you are when you are mad?
Your eyes are sparkling and so damn expressive. Sweetheart, you’re
really making me forget that we need to be just friends.”
He
nuzzled her throat, inhaling her sweet scent. Her hands reached up to
fiddle with the button placket on his shirt. When she leaned toward
him, he knew she’d forgiven him. She shuddered and he pulled back
to look at her. When she licked her lips, he couldn’t take it
anymore. Fuck being just friends. He needed to taste her again.
Groaning, he bent his head toward hers. A mere second before his lips
touched hers Zane kicked the door open and walked in with another
box.
Biggest
cock-block ever.
Buy links:
Authors Bio:
As a busy mother of five, Allie sneaks time to write between breakfast and tickles. Always a Kentucky girl at heart, she currently makes her home near Nashville. Visit her at
www.alliekincheloe.com
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