question was, how did he get her alone without causing problems with Derrick?
“So, you finished your medical training. What field was it, again?”
“Respiratory therapy,” she answered.
“You like it?”
“Love it,” she replied with a wide grin. “The hours are crazy—we work twelve hour shifts—but I’m so glad I went into this field.”
“So what does a respiratory therapist do, exactly?” She’d told him before about her job at the hospital and her patients, but Derrick wouldn’t know that and it would seem strange if he weren’t curious about Von. Besides, he liked hearing her speak.
Von proceeded to tell him about her work, her patients, some of the cases she’d worked on. He listened intently. Every now and then Derrick stirred impatiently, but whenever he interrupted or tried to change the subject, Sean brought it right back to Von with another question. He stared into her eyes the whole time, making sure Von knew she was the sole focus of his attention. With his gaze, Sean tried to tell her what he couldn’t say with words.
He’d done some crazy things in his life, but attempting to seduce another man’s fiancé right under his nose was new. Discreetly sniffing the air around them, under the leftover scent of food he could smell Von’s growing excitement and confusion. He knew from her letters that Derrick ignored her except for when it was convenient for him. For a caring, sensitive woman like Von, being the center of a man’s attention would be heady and seductive, a type of foreplay.
Though it obviously flustered her, she couldn’t help but respond. Taking a risk, he reached out and lightly stroked one of her hands that rested on the table, timing it right when Derrick looked away at one of the mounted televisions near the bar. Von sucked in a sharp, inaudible breath, widened her eyes, and snatched away her hand like he’d burnt her. But underneath that prim and proper shirt she wore, her nipples pebbled and the enticing aroma of her arousal increased incrementally. Being a lycan had its advantages.
Derrick made another restless move. Deciding he’d pushed enough, Sean got his former army buddy talking about his church and his time in seminary.
The waitress came and cleared the plates from the table and asked if anyone wanted dessert. Derrick and Von both declined, but remembering Von mentioning once that she loved cheesecake, Sean ordered a slice. When it arrived, she gazed at it hungrily.
“I love cheesecake but it’s so rich, I can never eat the whole thing by myself,” he lied. “Are you sure you two don’t want any? I’m willing to share.”
“No, I’m sure,” Derrick answered.
“What about you, Von? You gonna do the charitable thing and help me out?”
Torn, her gaze bounced back and forth between the dessert and Derrick.
Sean gave her another verbal nudge. “You know, gluttony is a sin. So is waste. Think of all those starving children in Africa,” he teased. “I’d hate to leave half of this on my plate because I was too greedy to resist.” He forked a piece of the semi-sweet confection and put it in his mouth. “Mmm, so good.”
That was all the prompting she needed. Von picked up her spoon, stating, “What kind of woman would I be if I didn’t save you from yourself?”
She spooned a piece of the pie and swirled it in the strawberry glaze before bringing it to her mouth. The sound she made was so orgasmic, he wondered if she’d make the same noise when she was coming around his cock. He bit back a triumphant smile, pleased to be giving pleasure to the woman he loved, in even such a small way.
“Derrick, you sure you won’t have any, man? There’s plenty.”
Derrick flicked a glance his way. “No, I’m fine,” he said while watching his fiancé with a frown.
Von took two bites of the cheesecake and stopped. “Thank you. That was good.”
He nudged the plate in her direction. “Here, have some more. I insist.”
She shook her head.