Page 57 of Flock
“I thought you said it was my decision.”
He threads his fingers through my hair. “I don’t like your decision. At. Fucking. All. But I’ll respect it. If that’s what you really want.”
He’s got his mirrored sunglasses on and I pull them off, sliding them on so he can’t see the emotions I’m sure I’m broadcasting. “I won’t be treated like that.”
“Then don’t allow yourself to be, but your point’s been made with me. I’m sorry, baby,” he murmurs, and I can only hope it’s sincere. “You’d better believe I’m going to have your back when you need it.” He presses my hand to his chest. “Believe that if you don’t believe anything else about me.”
I can’t deny him. I can’t, no matter how much it scares me. I want Sean—I want his words to ring true—and the only way to know if they will is by taking a chance on him, and riding this out.
“I thought I was doing the right thing, but I don’t know what that is when it comes to you.” He looks torn, his eyes losing focus as he says this.
“What do you mean?”
I feel the shift in his posture, all signs of play gone. “It means for both our sakes, I should probably leave you alone, but I’m not fucking going to.” He flattens me to him and kisses the life out of me. I moan, my hands instantly clutching him as he inappropriately deepens our kiss. But that’s Sean, and it’s one of the things I love so much about him. He kisses me and kisses me, and I take it, giving back just as much. When he pulls away I’m on fire, unable to hide the rapid rise and fall of my chest.
“Fuck, I look good on you.” He lifts the glasses resting on my nose and presses his forehead to mine. “I really wish I hadn’t brought these assholes with me.”
I peek over to see Dominic perched on the shallow end of the pool.
“My father has security cameras set up everywhere, and he’s already threatened me about company. This isn’t going to bode well.”
“We’ll handle it.”
“You’ll . . . handle it? How?”
He nods toward Dominic and I groan.
Sean turns back to me. “Look, he isn’t easy. But he’s here because he wants to be.”
“Is that supposed to make me feel better? The guy is a motherfucker.”
Tyler claps his hands together, joining us at the loungers. “Cool, Mom and Dad made up. Time to celebrate.” He grabs a beer from the cooler, shakes it up and sprays us with it.
“You shit,” I smile, just as Sean lifts me honeymoon style into his arms and jumps us into the pool. When we emerge, I’m grinning, and it’s no doubt the goofy kind that tells him far too much. He gazes down at me and kisses me before he sends me flying. I shriek as I come up, his sunglasses half-on/half-off.
“You ass, I wasn’t ready!”
“Then I guess you better up your game,” he taunts when I charge at him. We frolic in the water as Tyler makes himself comfortable in a lounger, turning up his radio. Sean’s phone rings and he gets out of the pool, holding up a finger to me before answering that shows me it’s important. “Hey, Dad.”
I make my way over to Dominic, who is sipping a beer. I can’t see his eyes behind a pair of classic black Ray-Bans, but I know they’re on me as I wade through the water toward him.
“I guess you want an apology,” he flips his glasses to rest on his head, his thick black hair cradling them easily. Soaking wet, he looks even more deadly; his lashes darker, everything darker. It’s impossible not to note his appeal. And his venomous smirk makes breathing around him no easier.
“I won’t hold my breath.”
He holds up a finger, downing his beer, and I roll my eyes. “Okay, I think I’m ready.” He exhales as if he’s about to give a grand speech. “I’m sorry I told Sean I caught you staring at my dick.”
I can’t help it. I burst out laughing.
He gives me his first genuine smile and it knocks me for a loop.
“You are a rare bastard.”
“I prefer motherfucker. At least then, it would be somewhat factual. Isn’t that right, Tyler?”
Tyler doesn’t flinch from where he lays basking in the sun. “Fuck you.”
Dominic grins and I shake my head.
