1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Shannon

I 'm running around in the kitchen like a crazy person because my husband won't stop bugging me. He needs everything to be perfect for his best friend. I'm not really a good hostess, but he was too nervous to just do a barbecue, which was what I really wanted to happen tonight. Less for me to do, and my husband is the king of the grill, or at least, that's what he makes me call him.

I look at the dining table to see if I've missed anything. Everything is as perfect as I could have possibly arranged. The true reason my husband is so nervous is that he wants to ask his best friend to partner up with him. They have a strong connection and the past ten years have been tough on their friendship.

He wants someone near that he can trust with his business, and Sean fits the bill.

Ah, fuck the table, fuck this. If John didn't like it, he should have done it himself. He's making me a nervous wreck as well, and I don't appreciate that. I'll make sure he makes it up to me later tonight, but for now, I'm going to go shower and get dressed.

I have the perfect outfit for tonight. Nothing too sexy or too frumpy. Firmly in the middle. I don't want John to get any ideas halfway through dinner; then, before I know it, we're in the guest bathroom fucking like rabbits with our guest at the table. Yeah, I'm not going through that again. No matter what he promised.

It's not that I was embarrassed to be heard. It's just that after five years, we're still at the honeymoon phase, it seems, and other couples don't really appreciate getting caught in our net. So, a few less Christmas cards and fewer get-togethers have been the result.

I walk in on John, getting ready.

"Wow, look at you. You're going all out. Sean isn't the King of England, you know." I walk to him and help him with his cufflinks.

"He's a good friend and a veteran. He deserves to be welcomed home properly."

"Ok, ok, don't get your panties in a bunch. Do you want help with that tie?"

"No, I've got it." He's very quiet, almost too quiet. I walk into his arms and hug him.

"He's going to be so happy to see you. It's going to be great." I assure him.

"You don't mind that I want to partner with him, do you?"

"What? Of course not! It's your business, and it'll give us more time together."

"It's your business too."

"Bah, in name only, and just so I can sign the checks if you are not here. I've got my own stuff going on, you know that."

"Ok."

"Stop thinking so hard. Go get a drink and let me get ready."

He walks out of the room, still in a broody mood. I'll work on him some more when I'm ready. It just shows me how worried he is because normally, he'd be taking a shower with me, even with only thirty minutes to go.

I start getting dressed.

Now that I have a few minutes to myself, my mind starts working in overdrive. I haven't seen Sean in five years, not since our wedding day when John introduced us. It was a disaster. I felt the attraction to Sean immediately, and I had to work hard to shut it down. Here I was, getting married in a few minutes, and just looking into this man's eyes had me reconsidering.

But it's been five amazing years with John. I need to keep that foremost in my thoughts. I can't react to Sean the way I did back then. And now it's worse because John wants him deeply ingrained in our lives—in our business. He wants his friend with us. I don't know how I will deal with that when it's been just the two of us for so long.

That's another reason my dress is more conservative than what I normally wear. I saw the heat in Sean's eyes that day. He wanted me as much as I did him. My face gets hot, and I know I am blushing just remembering that moment. The truth is, I don't even know Sean. Not his personality, not his values, nothing. All I know is John considers him his best friend and wants him at his side for the foreseeable future.

I send out a prayer to the Universe that the attraction is not there anymore and that this new stage in our lives turns out as wonderful as my husband wants it to be. Our marriage is a happy one, and I want to keep it that way.

I finished getting ready and then sat on the recliner we had in our bedroom. I want to meditate for a few minutes before this man comes into my house, my home.

Sean

I'm at a bar in the airport, drinking watered-down whiskey. I'm due any minute at John's, but I need to get a handle on myself. My best friend is amazing, and I have an inkling that he wants me to go into partnership with him. Truth is, I don't want to sign up for another tour. I'm ready to be back home and pivot my life into a new adventure. The problem is her . I pat my wallet as if making sure the picture is still there. I know it's there. I look at it every morning.

Meeting my best friend's fiancé five years ago was a shock to me, and I was thrilled I had somewhere to escape to after that wedding reception. It was akin to being starstruck, and it took me sleeping with a ton of women when I was on leave to be able to stop seeing her in my head. Then John sent the wedding pictures, and I was lost.

I met John in basic training, and we became fast friends. We always had each other's backs, and I was devastated when he said he no longer wanted to serve. But it had been twenty grueling years, and he wanted to settle down. Less than six months later, he told me he had found the one and would marry her as soon as he could convince her they were meant to be together.

Am I even ready to see Shannon again? I'm not sure. What I do know is that I want to be there for my best friend, and I think whatever business proposition he has for me will be a great opportunity for both of us.

I see a beautiful woman at the end of the bar making eyes at me, but another woman's eyes are on my mind already, so I ignore her and finish my drink.