Sean: A Stepbrother Romance (Coded for Love 3)

Sean sighed. “Yeah, it’s about fixing it for good, done and dusted. Walk away.”

“Maybe Draco will come up with an idea.” Rory reached out to squeeze Sean’s shoulder.

It didn’t help. Sean still felt like taking another wall out.

A voice from the house interrupted.

Sky stood in the kitchen doorway, hands on hips. “When you’re done bonding, get your arses inside. Rowan’s here.”

Rowan? WTF?

Sean glanced over just in time to glimpse Rowan behind Sky. She turned on her heel and stomped away into the kitchen. Not before he caught the ferocious look on her face. He figured it mirrored his own. He was livid too.

Rory’s eyebrows shot up. “Oh, fuck.”

“Jesus Christ that woman will be the death of me.” The pit he was in got a bit deeper. Grabbing the front of his T-shirt he pulled it up and wiped his face on it before dropping it back into place. “I told her to stay put.”

Even so, there was a deep, instinctive pleasure in the sight of her, even if it was the last thing he wanted in right now.

“She’s stubborn,” Rory replied, “They all are, even Draco. It’s a family trait.”

“You try to keep a woman safe...she ignored everything I said.” Sean felt sheer frustration, then he thought about holding her close, and he took a deep breath. “Better get it over with.”

He’d barely stepped through the door when she started on him.

“Look at the fucking state of you.” Her scathing expression took him in from head to toe, the mucky T-shirt, the grazed knuckles and blood stains. Her eyes blazed.

She looked so hot. His own rage dissipated, leaving only frustration. “Why the hell are you here, Rowan? I told you to stay at home, where you are safe.”

Sky and Rory stood by the sink, exchanged a couple of whispers, then strolled out of the room together, leaving them to it.

Meanwhile, Rowan was in full flow. “You bastard, you walked out on me. The ink had barely dried on your meaningless promises.”

Growling under his breath, he stared her down. “Tell me you didn’t bring Pixie with you.”

“No, I bloody didn’t. She doesn’t deserve any of this.” She lifted her hands in despair. Her eyes glistened with anger and unshed tears. “Three days out of jail and look at the mess you’re in.”

Sean couldn’t think straight. The overriding urge to calm her, to hold her, was the only thing guiding his actions. He attempted to move closer, reaching out to her. “Let me explain.”

She held up her hands, warning him off. “Don’t you come near me.”

“I just want to talk.” That wasn’t true. He wanted to hold her, to love her.

“Nothing you could say can make this better. I only dragged myself here to fuckin’ Narnia because I wanted to give you a piece of my mind.”

Narnia? Trust her to come up with that one. It was apt. However, frustration and concern bit deep into Sean. “Give it to me. Then you can get straight back on the train and get the hell out of Narnia, as you call it.”

Her mouth opened. “You bastard. You’d like that wouldn’t you. Shuffle me off out of the way. Well, no. You won’t get it so easy, Sean Rattigan. I listened to you, I believed you. All those empty promises. Then you walked out. How do you expect me to feel?”

For a silent moment he gritted his teeth, closing his eyes to contain his emotions. “They weren’t meaningless promises. And I want you to go home to keep you safe, you silly bint.”

She stared at him, fuming, her mouth pursed, then she stomped over and beat her fists against his chest.

He took each blow, letting her work off her head of steam.

“How dare you talk to me like that!”

She was close now, right up against him. He bided his time.