Sean: A Stepbrother Romance (Coded for Love 3)

Sean shot her a glance. “Chill, Sky.”

It really was too late to fret over how it’d happened. He should have warned Rory though.

Sky looked from Sean to Rory and back again. “I just said you weren’t in the city yet. Said call back in a few days. You’d be here in London by then.”

“They didn’t want to wait that long,” Sean muttered under his breath. If only he hadn’t gone to Wales. An image of Rowan had lodged in his mind. Rowan, fierce and strong, giving herself over to him while holding him back every step of the way.

Tension drummed at his temples.

Rory was speaking. “I remember Sky mentioning it. I thought it was someone you’d hooked up with inside, or a mate who wanted to get in touch.” He looked across the table at Sky. “You sure you didn’t mention Wales?”

She shook her head. “Positive.”

Sean waved his hand, dismissing the issue. “Process of elimination. You try not to let it happen when you’re inside, but things slip when you’re talking, things that get used against you. This hack is payment owed, nothing to do with you guys, okay?”

Sky gave a slight nod, but looked fretful nonetheless.

“I’ll sort this. Rowan won’t even know what’s been going on.” He noticed Sky’s eyelids dropped. Was she already passing information back and forth? “Better that way,” he said insistently. “You understand, Sky?” He paused until she met his gaze. “That it’s safest for her and Pixie, and our special ladies, if she hears nothing.”

Sky nodded. There were patches of color on her cheeks.

He eyeballed her, making sure she understood how serious it was.

“We’ll figure something out,” Rory said.

“No, I’m dealing with this alone. It’s my problem, I’ll sort it.”

Sky leaned forward, looking at him earnestly. “Please, Sean, let us help. We sorted that bloke Jackson together, didn’t we Rory?”

“Jackson? Is that loser still around?”

Rory shook his head at Sky. “Jackson was small fry. Don’t underestimate the situation.”

Sean nodded at his brother. “What happened with Jackson?”

Rory shrugged. “It was no big deal. He wanted my hacker kit.”

“Between us, we jinxed him.” Sky brightened up considerably as she filled him in. “We let Jackson think he’d got me as security. Rory handed over the hacker kit, but he’d programmed it to self-destruct after we got out of there.”

In the background, Sean noticed Draco shaking his head, but he was smiling too, clearly amused by a story he’d heard before.

“Nice one,” Sean commented.

Rory’s mouth quirked, but again he shrugged. “It’s not really comparable though, is it?”

Sean took a swig of his beer.

The dog got up and headed to the door. Sky stood up to let him out.

Sean took his chance and leaned over the table to get closer to his brother. “You could have given me a heads up about ‘the ladies’ and the fact there are now four of them.”

Rory shifted uneasily. “Sorry. Sworn to

secrecy, Bro.”

Sean sighed aloud. He knew how stubborn Rowan could be, first hand. “I realize you had to respect Rowan’s wishes, but…Christ, I went there and immediately put my bloody big foot in it.”

Draco chuckled. “I wish I’d been there to see it.”