was definitely something simmering under the surface.
Or maybe it was just because Kristine couldn’t resist the chance to climb back into bed with her ex.
But whatever it was, she heard herself say, “Yes. I’ll go to the lake with you.”
The corner of his mouth turned up in a sinful smile. “You won’t regret it.”
She probably wouldn’t. And that was the root of the problem.
8
“ M Y APOLOGIES FOR the earlier disruption,” Sean told Ian an hour and a half later. Technically, his firm wasn’t responsible for letting in Ebbe, but it was their job to ensure any issues that popped up were dealt with swiftly. Frankly, he had coaxed her out of the gallery faster than he would have expected possible. Given that most of the guests haven’t even arrived, he hoped it wasn’t that big of an issue that she had gotten a little mouthy. He was profoundly grateful her intended plan to strip naked had been thwarted before anyone had seen anything they didn’t need to see.
Ian shrugged. “No worries. Everyone’s got something to say, right? I welcome opinions on my work.”
Ian was handling it better than Sean would have if it was his big night to shine. Maybe there was a lesson there. “I don’t think she was exactly offering an opinion. More like a condemnation.”
Laughing, Ian took a glass of champagne from a passing waiter. “I get that a lot. Nudity bothers people for some reason. It doesn’t bother me. It’s the most obvious form of expression modern humans have.”
Sean couldn’t argue with that. He wanted to express himself naked with Kristine tomorrow at the cabin. While he had thought she would eventually cave and agree to spend time with him, he had been surprised at how easy she had been to convince. The thought made his mouth hot and his cock throb.
Fortunately, the evening was winding down and tomorrow would be here sooner rather than later. Kristine had been flitting around the room all night, her cheeks flushed and her smile wide. To someone who didn’t know her, she looked in command of the situation, but he recognized the signs of strain. She was definitely stressed. This job was clearly important to her. He also imagined she must be starving. She hadn’t eaten from what he had seen.
“I can understand that,” Sean told Ian. “So how long are you in Minneapolis?”
“Just another week, then we’re rolling out and heading to six more cities before the end of the year.”
“Sounds exciting.”
“More like tiring.” Ian gave him an ironic smile. “But it goes with the territory.”
“I can imagine.” Sean knew all about working a lot of hours. The majority of his twenties had been spent building his business. While his college friends had been out catching Twins games and trying every bar uptown, he had been answering emails and taking his mentor’s clients out for business dinners. There hadn’t been any time for fun, and while he was now reaping the rewards financially of that discipline, sometimes when he was up at midnight in his apartment, still working, a glass of wine his only companion, he had to wonder if there was a way to balance work and play more effectively.
“Running your own business is probably similar to my experience,” Ian said. “It’s rather relentless, isn’t it?”
Sean nodded. “It is.”
“Are you married, or is there a girlfriend?”
“No,” he said automatically. But then as he always did when women asked him the same question, he immediately felt compelled to be completely honest. “Well, technically, I am still married, though we split up ten years ago. We never quite bothered to get that divorce.”
“No kidding? Ten years is a long time.” Ian looked at him curiously. “Are you still friends?”
“Trying to be.” Or something like that.
“Good luck with that, mate. I don’t imagine it’s easy.”
“I guess nothing about relationships is easy.” Now why the hell was he getting into this with Ian? Maybe because his
Or maybe it was just because Kristine couldn’t resist the chance to climb back into bed with her ex.
But whatever it was, she heard herself say, “Yes. I’ll go to the lake with you.”
The corner of his mouth turned up in a sinful smile. “You won’t regret it.”
She probably wouldn’t. And that was the root of the problem.
8
“ M Y APOLOGIES FOR the earlier disruption,” Sean told Ian an hour and a half later. Technically, his firm wasn’t responsible for letting in Ebbe, but it was their job to ensure any issues that popped up were dealt with swiftly. Frankly, he had coaxed her out of the gallery faster than he would have expected possible. Given that most of the guests haven’t even arrived, he hoped it wasn’t that big of an issue that she had gotten a little mouthy. He was profoundly grateful her intended plan to strip naked had been thwarted before anyone had seen anything they didn’t need to see.
Ian shrugged. “No worries. Everyone’s got something to say, right? I welcome opinions on my work.”
Ian was handling it better than Sean would have if it was his big night to shine. Maybe there was a lesson there. “I don’t think she was exactly offering an opinion. More like a condemnation.”
Laughing, Ian took a glass of champagne from a passing waiter. “I get that a lot. Nudity bothers people for some reason. It doesn’t bother me. It’s the most obvious form of expression modern humans have.”
Sean couldn’t argue with that. He wanted to express himself naked with Kristine tomorrow at the cabin. While he had thought she would eventually cave and agree to spend time with him, he had been surprised at how easy she had been to convince. The thought made his mouth hot and his cock throb.
Fortunately, the evening was winding down and tomorrow would be here sooner rather than later. Kristine had been flitting around the room all night, her cheeks flushed and her smile wide. To someone who didn’t know her, she looked in command of the situation, but he recognized the signs of strain. She was definitely stressed. This job was clearly important to her. He also imagined she must be starving. She hadn’t eaten from what he had seen.
“I can understand that,” Sean told Ian. “So how long are you in Minneapolis?”
“Just another week, then we’re rolling out and heading to six more cities before the end of the year.”
“Sounds exciting.”
“More like tiring.” Ian gave him an ironic smile. “But it goes with the territory.”
“I can imagine.” Sean knew all about working a lot of hours. The majority of his twenties had been spent building his business. While his college friends had been out catching Twins games and trying every bar uptown, he had been answering emails and taking his mentor’s clients out for business dinners. There hadn’t been any time for fun, and while he was now reaping the rewards financially of that discipline, sometimes when he was up at midnight in his apartment, still working, a glass of wine his only companion, he had to wonder if there was a way to balance work and play more effectively.
“Running your own business is probably similar to my experience,” Ian said. “It’s rather relentless, isn’t it?”
Sean nodded. “It is.”
“Are you married, or is there a girlfriend?”
“No,” he said automatically. But then as he always did when women asked him the same question, he immediately felt compelled to be completely honest. “Well, technically, I am still married, though we split up ten years ago. We never quite bothered to get that divorce.”
“No kidding? Ten years is a long time.” Ian looked at him curiously. “Are you still friends?”
“Trying to be.” Or something like that.
“Good luck with that, mate. I don’t imagine it’s easy.”
“I guess nothing about relationships is easy.” Now why the hell was he getting into this with Ian? Maybe because his
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