Starting From the Top (Starting from 5)

T would know. Sean was Tegan’s ex too. They broke up a few years ago, shortly after we launched Zero. Tegan was happily married to Dec now, but I knew Sean and he were still friends. I didn’t get it. Not that I had any issues with Sean. He seemed cool enough, but he was super intense.

Not my kind of people. Sean was too wealthy, too self-assured, too worldly, too connected, too experienced. And he was really fucking handsome. Total DILF material.

Sean was at least two inches taller than me, with close-shaven salt-and-pepper hair, light eyes, and chiseled features. He’d rocked the bald look for a while, and it had totally worked for him. I wondered why he’d grown his hair out when I ran into him at Tegan and Dec’s surprise wedding reception at Justin and Gray’s house a few months ago. Not that it mattered. He looked hot either way…like a commanding, badass, seasoned warrior.

Like I said, total DILF.

He was the last dad I’d fuck, though. We had nothing in common. Seriously. I respected Sean’s friendship with T, but I couldn’t relate to him at all. Not to mention, I had a serious aversion to arrogant, bossy dudes with authoritarian complexes who liked being called Daddy.

Ah, that explained the naked greeting…I think. I didn’t need to know.

I shot a quick glance at the door before narrowing my gaze. “You’re that Sean. You’re my neighbor?”

“I am.”

“You’re Fiona’s ex-husband?”

“Yes.”

His deep timbre moved through me like a sound wave as he stepped onto the front porch, closing the distance between us. A whiff of his woodsy aftershave and a hint of peppermint made my dick twitch in appreciation. I had a weakness for sexy, masculine scents, but I ignored my body’s sudden flare of interest with practiced ease. Some men went directly to the “no zone,” and Sean was one of them.

I squinted at him suspiciously. “You knew who I was. Why didn’t you tell Wyatt? And why am I here, anyway? You can hand over the color wheel at Tegan and Dec’s barbecue tomorrow yourself. See ya.”

“Not so fast.” He grabbed my elbow before I turned away. “You’re here now, and I probably won’t remember. Come on in.”

“Whoa. There’s a naked man looking for his daddy in there. I’m out.” I widened my eyes and added, “Unless you’re serving popcorn.”

Sean furrowed his brow. The gesture was intimidating as fuck.

“Naked man?” he repeated.

“Your boyfriend?”

“I don’t have a boyfriend.”

“Your fuck-buddy, then. What do I know? You had to see him when you drove up. He’s hot. I’d do him,” I admitted with a casual shrug.

Sean gave a half chuckle. “Good to know. You’ll have to catch him another time. He’s leaving. Come in.”

I bristled at his commanding tone. I doubled down, crossing my arms. “No, thanks. I’ll wait.”

“Don’t be silly. It’s cold out here.” He fiddled with the lock, glancing over his shoulder. “Close the door behind you.”

Grr. I hated being told what to do.

I gritted my teeth and obeyed, following him through a grand foyer with a vaulted ceiling and a patterned stone floor. A huge iron chandelier floated above an ornate round table decked with expensive-looking knickknacks and a tall vase filled with seasonal branches. The elegant ambience was broken by the series of family photos hung in groups of four over a bench. I didn’t have a chance to inspect them, but they were most likely Sean’s kids.

I curbed my curiosity, passing a formal living and dining area before reaching the great room, where Sean was seemingly in the midst of silently scolding the now-dressed hunk. No words were exchanged, so I might have been mistaken. However, the vibe was tense. I couldn’t begin to guess why. If anyone was getting the boot, I figured it would be me. Who in their right mind would toss a sexy sure thing out and keep me around any longer than necessary?

I stepped closer, eyeing them warily. “Color wheel?”

Twin gazes snapped my way.

Sean inhaled deeply and addressed his guest. “It was on the front porch. Any idea where it is now, Thaniel?”

“I put it in your office. I thought someone dropped it off for you and…I was trying to be helpful,” he replied with a weak smile. When Sean didn’t reply, Thaniel hooked his thumb toward the front door. “I should go. I’ll, um…I’ll talk to you later.”

Sean kept a steady gaze locked on the younger man until he disappeared from view. When the door clicked shut, he finally turned to face me.

“I’ll go find it and let the dog out. Be right back.”

I wandered to the built-in bookcase in the corner of the room behind a baby grand piano. Row after row was chock-full of well-worn hardbacks. I perused a few titles on the eye-level shelves. They were mostly classics and nonfiction tomes about the Civil War. I traced the ragged binding on an especially thick book before picking up a framed family photo of two kids with a younger-looking Sean.