“That’s what I want to know.” The bite to Dax’s tone caught Sean off-guard. “Why is Alessa enrolled for the auction at Chains this Saturday when you weren’t planning on attending?”
“She’s what?” he snapped out in surprise before clenching his jaw in exasperation. Just what was the little minx up to?
“You heard me. Alessa signed up to be auctioned off for their charity fundraiser, the one you just told me last week you wouldn’t be participating in this year. Look, I don’t want to get involved with whatever is going on with you two, but damn it, Sean, I don’t want her hurt. It’s bad enough she’s having to juggle a problem at work I just heard about today, and that she refused my interference—which I’ll ignore, of course.”
That last line didn’t surprise Sean and was the only good thing Dax had to tell him. “I don’t intend to hurt her, unless it’s to bend her over and take her to task for this stunt as well as not sharing her work troubles with me. I’ll take care of it, you have my word.” Picturing Alessa on that stage, her lush body put on display then going to a stranger, put Sean’s rare temper on edge. She was his, and it was high time they both came to terms with that. “Are you still planning on bidding on Krista?”
“Yes, we’ll be there. Maybe Krista can talk Alessa out of participating. She’s still too green to know what she’s getting into with something like this.”
Dax’s frustration came through the line loud and clear and matched Sean’s. He didn’t know what he’d done to scare Alessa off, or if she was just getting cold feet because of feelings she hadn’t planned for. If this stunt was due to the latter, he could sympathize with her concern given the betrayals from others who had come and gone in her life. But that didn’t mean he would let her get away with running instead of coming to him with her fears.
“No, don’t have her do that. Let me handle this.” Sean paused a minute, sucked in a deep breath, and bit the bullet. “I love her, Dax. Trust me, okay?”
“Good to hear, bro. I’ll see you at Chains Saturday.”
Dax’s quick reply indicated his friend might have noticed where Sean’s feelings were headed before he realized it himself. So much for being the intuitive one among the gang of seven. Instead of confronting Alessa at the hospital, he decided to let her have the next few days to cope by herself before setting her straight come Saturday night.
Sean pulled into his father’s drive Saturday morning and saw his aunt watering the gardens. At least someone other than himself still cared about his mother’s flowerbeds. Sliding out of the car, he strolled up the walk with a wave when Vivian looked up.
“Thank you, Aunt Vivian. I try to keep up with the gardens, but don’t always have the time to come by as often as I should.”
“Yet, they still appear well-tended. Your father is holed up in his lab,” Vivian responded, her voice laced with a fondness Sean reciprocated. Too bad his father hadn’t inherited a touch of his sister’s nurturing nature.
“So, nothing’s changed. Has he been taking his walks and eating regularly?”
“When I prod him. No, don’t look like that. I know he frustrates you, and rightly so, but you’ll be happier if you accept him as he is, flaws and all. He’s not going to change.”
“Yes, Mom’s death proves that, doesn’t it?” Vivian blanched, and Sean blew out a breath of remorse. “Sorry, Vivian. Believe it or not, I have let that go, at least as much as I ever will. I’ll go see if he needs anything.”
“She would be proud of you. Remember that, Sean.”
He wasn’t so sure of that, but he let it slide as he entered the house and called out to let his dad know he was there. Since he knew Vivian would have the kitchen well stocked, he found himself pulled to do something he’d refrained from doing for years. Padding over to the picture of him and his mother propped next to her urn in the den, Sean gazed at their happy faces, wondering where the years had gone. He didn’t know if it was due to admitting his feelings for Alessa, or to the scare Paul’s heart attack gave him, but he could no longer suppress the desire to get answers he’d always sworn never mattered.
“You look just like her, especially your eyes.”
Sean heard his footsteps behind him but didn’t turn around to greet his father. “I’ll take that as a compliment. She was an attractive woman until the substance abuse took over.”
“It was meant as one.” Paul moved next to him, the look on his face wistful as he glanced down at the picture Sean held in his hands.
“Tell me something. What made you finally lower the boom on me when I was fifteen? She’d been gone for three years, and I had been striking out all that time with little response from you.” Sean set the frame back on the shelf, proud he’d kept his voice neutral, free of accusation.
Sadness flitted across Paul’s face. “You have your aunt to thank. When she heard about you getting expelled then arrested, she told me in blunt terms I’d better do something before I lost you, too. And that, Sean, I just couldn’t bear, no matter you may believe otherwise.”
Sean didn’t miss the quaver in Paul’s voice, the slight catch responsible for the tight clutch around his chest. “That would’ve been nice to know years ago. Since you’re in the mood to talk, why haven’t you buried Mom’s urn?”
Surprise widened Paul’s eyes and his gaze flew to the ceramic vase. “I’d have thought you could figure that one out. I need it here as a reminder of what I lost, of how I failed the one time it was most important I succeed.” He reached up an arthritic hand and caressed the fancy swirls decorating the urn before dropping his arm with a sigh. “I have to get back to work. Thank you for stopping by.”
“Dad,” Sean called after him, his throat clogged with emotion. “You and I, we’re good, just so you know.”
A smile softened Paul’s lined face and his eyes turned wet, but he just nodded and walked out of the room. Sean knew he’d likely forget their whole conversation by the time he reached his home lab, but that was all right. He would remember. Now, there was one other person Sean needed to get answers from, then set right, and he was looking forward to doing just that in a few hours.
“I CAN’T BELIEVE you’re doing this,” Krista grumbled. “Does Sean know?”
Alessa jerked from the sharp pang at hearing Sean’s name, glancing away from the accusation in Krista’s eyes. Dax’s un-asked for interference with Charles’ harassment resulted in Dr. Ward having his hospital privileges revoked yesterday, ending the week on a high note until her insecurities had kicked in first thing this morning. With them came all the reasons why she shouldn’t be going through with this auction tonight. The small room was crowded with the girls who had signed up to take part in Chains’ charity, all appearing to wait with barely suppressed excitement for their turn on stage. All except her. The longer she sat there, wearing nothing but a baby doll see-through nightie and thong, the more she dreaded walking out there and facing a room full of strangers whose only interest in her was the limits she’d written on her card.
“I told you, we’re not seeing each other anymore,” she reminded Krista. And, since he’d made no attempt to contact her since Wednesday, she do
ubted he would care what her plans were tonight. Apparently, Sean’s father had been right.
“And you won’t tell me why,” Krista prodded.
“Must I remind you again he was only doing me a favor by introducing me to the lifestyle? There isn’t anything else between us. You should believe me.”
“Oh, I believe you think that, but remember, I saw the way Master Sean looked at you both times we played together on the yacht. You refuse to believe me. Crap, there’s my call.” Krista reached over and squeezed her hand. “If you’re not sure about this, don’t go through with it. Promise me, Lessa.”
Alessa nodded. “I won’t, I promise. Now go. I’m sure Master Dax is chomping at the bit to haul you out of here.” She watched Krista scamper onto the stage before the door shut again, leaving her to feel more alone than ever.
Sean’s silence following his last stab at calling her three days ago hurt more than hearing his father say he would never allow himself to care for her. Like driving the last nail in a coffin, the quick way he’d withdrawn from her life buried the last of her hopes he might track her down, refuse to accept her silence and show he wanted more than the temporary arrangement they’d first started. Why had she allowed herself to fall in love? Maybe it wasn’t love. That was one emotion she possessed little experience with, her feelings for Krista coming the closest. Maybe she only relished his control, and the ‘off the charts’ climaxes he could induce. Then she recalled the warm sensation that had nothing to do with sex that his probing, intent looks could evoke, the way he had taken care of her when she’d been so sick with cramps and how his over-protectiveness extended to simple matters, such as driving home late from work.
Tears welled and she blinked to hold them back. She didn’t want to spend the evening with another stranger or go back to the sub scene; she wanted what she couldn’t have. Master Sean. The next girl skipped out onto the stage and Alessa cringed at the raucous round of applause. She pictured Krista with Master Dax and knew she couldn’t go out there and settle for less now. With a quick word to the bouncer outside the door, she left through the back door and went down the stairs along the side of the stage, praying no one noticed her slithering away like the coward she was.