The Irredeemable Billionaire (Muse series)

by Couper, Lexxie

  She raked her hands down his back, squeezed his butt cheeks, and pulled him deeper inside.

  He stretched her. Wide. Wider than she’d been for a long time.

  Pain licked through her, instantly replaced by pleasure. She caught her whimper before it could escape. It was incredible. Surreal and incredible.

  “My Grace,” Sebastian moaned again, his stare finding hers. “How much of my life have I wasted…” He stopped. Buried his face into the side of her neck and sank deeper.

  She closed her eyes and gave herself over to the sheer pleasure consuming her.

  “Sebastian…” she whispered his name. His name. Not anyone else’s, a name she’d known for almost all her life. The name belonging to the person who had helped shape who she was to this day. Because of Sebastian she’d stood toe-to-toe with bullies and alpha-male bosses and dangerous patients on callouts and never batted an eye.

  Head pressed to the side of her neck, he stroked farther into her and then withdrew. He threaded his fingers through hers before rolling his hips and filling her again, slowly.

  And again.

  “Sebastian…” she whispered once more. Who would have thought his name would sound so honest, so perfect on her tongue?

  She arched into his thrust, moving with him, a fluid rhythm that amazed her. “This is so…”

  “Perfect,” he groaned, lifting his head enough to find her gaze. Desire burned in his eyes. “This is perfect. You are perfect.” He dropped his forehead to hers, his strokes growing faster.

  Locking her ankles at the small of his back, she clawed at his shoulders. “I’m going to…” An inferno ignited within her, crashed through her. Claimed her.

  Rhythm seemed to desert Sebastian’s strokes, and he buried his face into the side of her neck, groaning her name over and over.

  Together. They orgasmed together. How could it be so…right? So in sync?

  Another delicious wave of pulsing heat crashed through her. She mashed her hand to her mouth, biting her lip as she did so. She couldn’t cry out, no matter how good it was.

  Sebastian slammed harder, faster into her, his lips and breath hot on the side of her neck.

  They moved together for a lifetime and then came down from the rush together.

  Smoothing his hand over her side, he dragged his lips up to her temple. “For every crappy, mean, horrible word I’ve ever said to you, Grace, I am sorry.”

  Her heart forgot how to work.

  No. She couldn’t fall in love with him. That’s not what was happening here. Was it?

  “Sebastian,” she whispered. “Don’t…”

  Don’t what? Be wonderful? Be everything I haven’t had for two long years?

  He kissed her, a tender brushing of his lips over hers.

  But that was enough. Enough for her heart, her resistance, to crack. To crumble.

  Oh God, she was in love with Sebastian freaking Hart.

  “Let me clean up,” he murmured, shifting his position.

  He withdrew from her, the slick friction a tormenting promise of more, and walked into the bathroom. Her body ached for him already. Heart pounding, she squeezed her eyes shut and pinched the bridge of her nose. How could she have let herself fall in love with him? Did she have no brain? Or was she just a masochist?

  The bed dipped, and then he was tugging her to his side, his body warm and firm and so bloody inviting.

  Why resist? He’s changed. You’ve changed. Maybe you’ve been given a second chance at happiness?

  The faint beep of an incoming message on her phone sounded in the kitchen. At this time of night, it was likely Justin. Did he see Sebastian’s car out the front? Had he seen the footage of her taking on the photographer? Or was it her mother-in-law, texting from London?

  Another beep. Why hadn’t she gotten around to changing Edith Wilder’s incoming message tone?

  Sebastian pressed his lips to the top of her head. “Did you want to see who that is?”

  “No.” She didn’t. Not at all. “I want to stay here and fall asleep listening to your heart.”

  A low groan vibrated deep in his chest, and he drew her closer. “Where have you been all my life?”

  She chuckled, drawing lazy patterns on his chest with her fingertips. Yeah, she really did have a thing for hairy chests, it seemed. Who knew? “Well, for quite a significant part of it, right next door to you.”

  He laughed. “If I had a time machine, I’d go back and tell my younger self to stop being a dick, take you in my arms, and kiss you stupid.”

  She smiled, moving her fingers to one of his small, taut nipples. “Pretty certain I know what I would have done if you’d done that.”

  “Kick me in the shins?”

  “Kick you in the shins.”

  He laughed again, smoothing his hand down to her hip, her bottom. Hell, he had the most incredible hands. And holy crap, did he know how to use them.

  “I made a stop-motion movie once about you and my shins,” he said, his voice a low rumble against her cheek. “Titled it The Ford Kicks Back.”

  Pushing away from him just enough to see his face, she frowned. “Really?”

  “Yeah. Took me a month of hard work and dedication. It finished with the Plasticine figurine I made of you turning into an alien and being beamed up into a spaceship. After you kicked the Plasticine shins of my figurine into mush, of course.”

  “Of course.”

  He grinned. “It was a masterpiece. Well, it was a masterpiece for a twelve-year-old. And my second film.”

  A delicious little ribbon of joy twisted through her at the thought of twelve-year-old Sebastian playing with Plasticine. “Did you ever make a sequel?”

  “Don’t believe in sequels. You tell the story the first time. Anything that comes after that is just a grab for money.”

  “Ah. I see. So there’ll be no follow-up to Samantha and Dave? Probably for the best.”

  “Ouch.” He winced, lips twitching. “Good to see you’ve got your bite back.”

  “It went away?”

  A small frown pulled at his eyebrows, and he nodded, brushing a knuckle over her cheekbone. “That first morning when I discovered you were Cody Wilder’s mum? I spent quite a bit of that morning wondering where your bite had gone. Missing it, to be honest. You aren’t you without it. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m glad it’s back.”

  Lowering her cheek back to his chest, she closed her eyes and resumed drawing patterns over his skin. Her bite. The thing she’d prided herself on all the way through her teenage years and early twenties. She’d blamed the world, blamed Gary’s death for beating her down, but maybe she’d let herself be beaten down. And all it had taken was Sebastian coming back into her life for her to find it again.

  “Grace?”

  His soft whisper made her lift her head. “Yes?”

  “I want to make love to you again. Right now. More than you could possibly understand. But I only had one condom in my wallet.”

  “Does it help if I tell you I’ve got a contraceptive implant in my arm?” Holy crap, her voice was husky.

  Was she doing this? Trusting him like this?

  And more to the point, would he trust her?

  He rolled her onto her back, nestled his groin between her thighs, and kissed her. A lot. Didn’t stop kissing her. Not even when—after so much kissing later—he slowly slid into her.

  Chapter Eleven

  Being woken by a ten-year-old jumping on the bed was a new experience for him.

  As was frantically grabbing at the sheet before said ten-year-old could discover he was naked in bed with said ten-year-old’s mother.

  “Get up, get up, get up.” Cody bounced on the end of the bed, grin wide.

  No problem there, buddy. Hell, how did he hide the morning glory trying to pitch a tent in the sheets?

  “All right, all right. We’re up.” Grace waved a hand at Cody as she sat up. She’d put her Captain Kirk shirt back on. When? They’d both still
been naked and awake somewhere around two a.m., and well on their way to their third mutual orgasm for the night. After that… Well, he must have fallen asleep.

  He flicked her a quick glance. She seemed so relaxed about Cody busting them in bed together. Damn, he liked that.

  Cody grinned. “Did you know Mum beat up a photographer’s camera yesterday?”

  Bunching the sheet just below his navel, Sebastian nodded. What time was it? “I did. Think I might have to make a movie about it.”

  “Can you get Scarlett Johansson to play her? I like her as Black Widow. She’s hot.”

  “Ha-ha.” She threw the sheet to the side. Thankfully, to the side he was lying—cowering—on. “You are both hilarious. I have hilarious men in my life now. Yay. Go get dressed for school, bug, and I’ll go make breakfast.”

  She climbed out of bed.

  He, however, had to stay put. At least until things down south settled down. Or until Cody left the room.

  Note to self: stash some boxers here ASAP.

  “Outta here.” Cody bounded from the bed and out of the room.

  Checking on the below-the-belt situation, he frowned. “Didn’t I lock the door last night?”

  “You did. I unlocked it after you fell asleep.” She dragged her hands through her hair, her stare jumping about the room. Hmm, maybe she wasn’t as relaxed as he’d thought? “I don’t like the idea of locked doors. I don’t know how Cody would react.”

  Throat growing thick, he pushed himself up into a sitting position. “He seemed okay with finding me here. In your bed.”

  She looked at him. And then away. “He hero-worships you.”

  Why did she sound so…

  Shell-shocked? Hesitant? Was she regretting letting Cody find them together?

  Regretting being with him?

  A cold knot twisted in his gut.

  “Hey?” Be calm, Hart. “Grace?”

  My Grace. He’d called her that last night. It didn’t feel like a lie at all. Or a mistake.

  “Grace, look at me.”

  She did, expression unreadable.

  “You freaking out? Want me to go?” He shifted on the bed. The need to climb out of it, to walk to her and take her in his arms ate at him. But he couldn’t. Not while he was still naked. Not when Cody could come back in. “Tell me what to do, and I’ll do it.”

  Words he’d never uttered before in his life. And yet they felt so right.

  Pinching at the bridge of her nose, she closed her eyes. “I’m not freaking out. I’m just…getting my head around things.”

  He swallowed. “Good things, though? Right?”

  She dropped her hand and smiled. A haunted smile. A beautiful smile. But still a conflicted one. “Good things. I think. Maybe. I don’t know. Give me a day to process it all.”

  A day? He wanted to spend the whole day with her, not spend it worrying she might tell him to sod off out of her life.

  “Okay.” He nodded.

  She studied him for a second. And another.

  “Don’t stress, Hart.” She walked over to him and, as he looked up at her, lowered her head and brushed his lips with hers. “Unless you do something really stupid, I think this could…could work out.”

  “I won’t do anything stupid.”

  She drew a slow breath. “Okay, I need to shower. Can you get Cody his breakfast, please?”

  “Your wish.” He threw off the sheet and scrambled to his feet.

  She ran a quick gaze over him. “Please don’t do something really stupid, okay?”

  Before he could respond, she strode into the adjoining bathroom and closed the door.

  He dressed quickly. Jeans, shirt. His shoes and socks could come later.

  Cody was sitting on the sofa doing up his shoelaces when he walked into the living room. “Heya, buddy.”

  What did he say? Heya, Cody, I hope you don’t mind me sleeping with your mum? Heya, Cody. I’m thinking it might be a good idea you and your mum move in with me.

  Jesus, moving in? Talk about putting the cart before the horse. She hadn’t even told him she liked him, let alone anything more significant. Amazing, mind-blowing sex was one thing, but by her own admission, she had to process what was going on.

  Was part of that the very fact she’d promised her dead husband she’d never replace him?

  “Hi, Seb. Can you take me to school today?”

  “Absolutely.”

  Cody grinned. “Cool. What’s for breakfast?”

  “Omelet?”

  “Excellent.”

  He made three omelets. Grace hadn’t appeared by the time he placed all three on the dining table.

  Cody attacked his with all the gusto of a hungry ten-year-old.

  Sebastian poked at his. Where was Grace?

  “Are you living here now?”

  The question, uttered around a mouthful of eggs, jerked his stare back to Cody.

  Cody pushed his glasses up his face and swallowed. “I told Mum you can be her boyfriend if she wants. I like you.”

  “What did she say?”

  “She tickled me.” And with that, he went back to eating his breakfast.

  “Cody?”

  Hell, his chest was tight.

  “Yeah?”

  “Were you…” He stopped. Swiped at his mouth. Scrubbed at the back of his neck. “You’re not upset about me being in bed with your mum? Angry? I like your mum. A lot. And I’m not trying to replace your dad. I know I could never do that.”

  Blue eyes studied him. As unreadable as his mother’s. “I know.”

  “So…” It was hard to breathe. Like the room had been sucked of air. “So if I did ask your mum to be my girlfriend, you’d be okay with that?”

  He needed to double-check. To be sure Cody was okay with it.

  “Sure.” Cody scooped up some more omelet onto his fork. “But I will punch you if you make her cry.”

  Jesus, he could love this kid.

  “And I will let you,” he said. “But I promise I won’t.” He extended his hand across the table. “Deal?”

  Cody studied it for a few seconds and then clasped it in his own small one. “Deal.”

  It was singularly the best handshake Sebastian had ever been a part of.

  “What’s a deal?” Grace hurried into the room, dressed in her paramedic uniform, crazy, curly hair barely contained in a ponytail. “Damn it, we’re going to be late.”

  “I get to punch Seb if he makes you cry.” Cody grinned. “And he’s going to ask you to be his girlfriend.”

  Grace ground to a halt, staring at them both.

  Sebastian’s phone burst into life in his jeans pocket.

  “I just…” Sebastian held up a finger as his phone burst to life. He yanked the phone from his jeans pocket, then looked at the screen.

  Shit. Judge Myers. Why was Judge Myers calling him?

  “I’ve gotta take this.” He pushed himself from the table, connecting the call as he did and striding through the house to the front door. “Judge. What can I do you for?”

  “I require a meeting with you, Mr. Hart. This morning. Can you be in my office by nine?”

  Nine? A cold lump settled in his gut. So much for taking Cody to school. Or spending as long as he could with Grace before she went to work.

  “Or earlier, if that is possible.”

  It wasn’t a question. Rather, an instruction.

  “I can.”

  “Good, I will see you soon.”

  Cold lump pinballing around his stomach, he made his way back to the living room. Cody was gone. Grace was standing at the kitchen sink, rinsing dishes. The omelet he’d serve up for her was on the counter, protected by cling wrap. Untouched.

  “I have to go.” The words were like dust in his mouth. “A meeting. One I can’t miss.” With the judge who thinks I’m a self-indulgent tosser. “Can you tell Cody…”

  Shit. He did not want to say what he had to say. He didn’t. Not at all.

  Grace grew still at
the sink.

  Fuck it. Myers can wait. “I’m in the Ferrari, so he’s in for a treat.”

  Her shoulders slumped and she let out a soft laugh. “Okay. He’s just cleaning his teeth and then he’ll be ready.”

  Pocketing his phone, he crossed to where she stood. “If I was to walk up behind you now, press my body to yours, and kiss the back of your neck, what would you do?”

  “I don’t know.” She met his gaze over her shoulder. “Why don’t you try and see what happens?”

  He walked up behind her and slid his hands over her hips.

  She turned in his arms as he was lowering his head to kiss the back of her neck, rising up on tiptoe to capture his lips with hers.

  The kiss was hot and hungry and shook him to his core. It was also over far too soon.

  Pulling her lips from his, she turned back to the sink just as Cody came bounding into the living room.

  “Ready, Seb?”

  Yes. He was. For everything this new life he’d found himself in was offering. Completely ready.

  “I’ll call you later,” he said to Grace. His Grace. No one else’s.

  She nodded. “’Kay.”

  Cody bolted for the front door. Sebastian hurried after him and then paused at the open front door as Cody said, “Hi, Mr. Fitzsimmons.”

  “Hi, Codes.”

  Codes? Stupid nickname.

  “You’ve got a visitor again, I see? Mr. Hart is here a lot these days.”

  “He’s Mum’s boyfriend.”

  Silence answered the proud exclamation.

  Unable to stop his smile stretching, Sebastian walked through the door. “Morning, Justin.”

  No need to stir the pot anymore. Even if Justin did want Grace, she was off-limits now. Unavailable.

  Justin regarded him, Baxter at his feet. “Hart. You move quick, I see.”

  He shrugged. “When you find someone as incredible as Grace, you don’t muck about.”

  Justin’s jaw bunched.

  “C’mon, buddy.” Sebastian crossed to his Ferrari, parked in the driveway. “School awaits.” He nodded at Justin. “Catch you later, mate.”

  The drive to Cody’s school was filled with conversations about movies, superheroes, and—just as they reached the drop-off zone—Cody’s school project, due at the end of the week.

  “Can you help me finish it tonight?” Cody unclipped his seat belt. “I’ve been putting the photos and video into the computer, just like you showed me.”