She heard his soft chuckle, hating how it made her nipples so goddamned hard. “Somehow I don’t believe that. Or do you come for every man you give a lap dance to?”
“Get over yourself!” White hot fury and embarrassment burned through her so hot she half expected to burn to ash right where she stood, taking him with her. No such luck. Sean remained where he was, blue eyes glowing, radiating that sexy, arrogant manner that oozed dominance and made her crazy. She’d never met a man she felt was strong enough – or worthy enough – for her to even consider voluntary submission. And, goddammit, she wasn’t about to start now.
Nicki kicked the bike hard, and took off like a bat out of hell. Visions of his intense blue eyes raking over her possessively followed her all the way home.
Chapter Five
“So you’re on babysitting duty today, huh?” Maggie carried a big plate of warm cookies over to the table, along with a quart of whole milk. She slid herself down carefully in the seat adjacent to his, her expression tight.
“Yeah, kind of,” he said with a sheepish grin. “But you know I love you, right?”
“You love my cookies,” she corrected on an exhale, but her smile was genuine. As an only child, it had been quite a culture shock for Maggie to find herself as part of a big family when she hooked up with his brother Michael, but she was adjusting nicely. One of them was almost always with her now whenever Michael got called into the hospital. He didn’t like leaving her alone at their farm when she was already three days past her due date, especially when he worried that her irrational fear of doctors and medical procedures in general might keep her from getting to the hospital on time.
“Hey, Mags, you ok?”
“Yeah, I’m awesome,” she said, sounding slightly winded. “I think your nephew’s going to be a linebacker for sure.” She grimaced as she rubbed her belly and blew out measured breaths.
Sean grinned boyishly. “Can I?”
“Knock yourself out.”
Sean gently placed his hand over Maggie’s distended belly. She guided him to the side. His hand visibly jumped.
“Holy shit, Mags. That kid’s strong!”
“Yeah, tell me about it,” she said, wincing. “I think I might need my ribs taped after the delivery, though. Ever since he turned he’s been doing a number on them.”
Within a few minutes, she exhaled and gave him a grateful glance. “Thanks, Sean. I think he recognizes your voice already. He does that whenever he hears one of you, and refuses to calm down until you acknowledge him.”
“My pleasure. These cookies are awesome, by the way.”
“Thanks. This waiting is driving me crazy, so I’ve been baking up a storm. So, are you going to tell me about her or do I have to wait to get the dirt from Taryn?”
He should have known. Maggie didn’t miss anything. She was also the only one Sean could talk to. She never laughed or made jokes at his expense, always listened, always had time for him. Her little farmhouse in the country had become the place to go when any of them needed to get away from the rest of the family for a little while. Helping out Michael was just a bonus; he would have found himself here regardless. Plus her cookies rocked.
Sean grinned. “Not even Taryn knows about this yet, Mags. “
“Ooooo,” said Maggie excitedly, her eyes sparkling. “An exclusive. I’m honored.”
“You should be. But... I’m not even sure there’s really that much to tell.”
“Start with the basics. What’s her name?” Maggie rubbed her belly, both hands making large circles, her breaths deep and even.
“Nicki.”
“Hmmm, pretty. Is that short for Nicole? Nicolette?”
Sean frowned. “Not sure.”
Maggie waved it off. “Doesn’t matter. Where did you meet her?”
“The garage, actually.”
“Car trouble? That’s what brought Taryn into town, right?” Maggie sharply sucked in a breath. “Another kick,” she explained when Sean looked at her suspiciously.
“Yes to Taryn, but no to Nicki. She’s visiting her brother, Nick. He works for me.”
“Nick and Nicki?”
“Yeah,” Sean smiled. “Twins.”
“You’ve got something in common with her already, then, huh.” She shifted on her seat. “So, I’m guessing she’s gorgeous. Probably a perfect size six.” She looked down ruefully at her big belly.
“She is beautiful, Mags. Sexy as hell, too. Full of fire.” He paused, a frown tugging his lips downward. “She’s working up at Angels while she’s in town.”
“No wonder she caught your eye. I hear Callaghan men really go for exotic dancers,” she joked, reminding Sean of how she and Michael had met when she danced at Ian’s bachelor party as a favor to a friend.
“She’s something else. I’ve never met anyone like her. I want to throttle her and kiss her at the same time. And when the other guys were watching her dance? I wanted to kill every one of them. That’s not like me, Mags.”