“Excuse me,” the nurse said softly. “Doctor Suarez would like to speak to a family member.”
Grace cast another loving glance to Nana, and whispered, “I’ll be right back. Don’t you dare move.” And followed the nurse to an office down the hallway.
“I’m glad we’re alone.” Nana glanced around them to make sure they were not heard. “How is she doing, doctor?”
Sebastian frowned. Doctor? “Excuse me?”
“You are Grace’s new doctor, aren’t you? I decided to pay her a visit and knit her a sweater. I also baked her favorite peach cobbler but the damn nurses can’t seem to find it.” Nana spoke with propriety, her voice steady and expression somber.
Sebastian swallowed. He could feel the color draining from his face, his blood thickening and freezing in his veins. “What kind of doctor do you think I am?”
“Whatever you call yourselves these days. In my time, we didn’t have fancy shrinks telling us everything would be okay. But, bless her heart, she should never have trusted Aidan.”
Sebastian curled his fingers into a fist. Fok. Who the hell was Aidan?
Chapter Five
It was after five by the time they returned to her house. Grace tossed her bag on the couch, and removed her high heels. They had spent a good amount of time at the nursing home. Those rare days her Nana remembered some part of her life were emotionally draining. Grace would put on a strong front and then would fall apart afterward.
After she had returned from getting an update from the doctor, she found Nana talking to Sebastian. Sebastian had been nice enough to give her time alone with her grandma while he went to the cafeteria to get something to eat. She imagined bringing him there would have been boring for him, and a part of her questioned his reasons. Why would he offer?
“I ordered Chinese.” He said, pulling her out of her musings.
“I could have made something.”
“No.” He walked to the kitchen, retrieved a glass from the cupboard and filled it with water. “You had a long day.”
When she heard him returning, she straightened her shoulders, accepted the glass, took a swig, and licked her lips. The protector in him was up to speed, in full force. Now that she knew he blamed himself for his mother’s death, she understood why he kept being so commanding in their marriage. Which, of course, didn’t mean she would choose to experience all of it again. Aidan had controlled her like a puppet, and she cut the strings for good. As good as the sex between she and Sebastian was, she had to remind herself that was all they had in common. Right?
Flashes of their easy conversation the night before stabbed at her mind. A cold shiver went through her, and she braced herself even though the room temperature was comfortable. You enjoyed talking to him. And if she was being honest, didn’t she like how he’d insisted with her earlier? She had forgotten the amazing partner he could be, when he wasn’t trying to call all the shots. An inside voice whispered she wasn’t allowed to harbor those thoughts. The man wanted a divorce, and that’s what he would get.
Determined to shake off her second guessing, she sat the glass on the side table and whispered, “Come here.”
He followed suit, and she proceeded to undo his belt. With a frown, he seized her wrists. “You don’t have to do this now, Grace.”
“Wasn’t that the deal? To get our fill? Let’s not pretend this isn’t anything other than a farewell fuckfest.” She shot him a glance, and found his eyes darkening. A tiny part of her wished he would protest her definition of their affair. Nonsense. Why would she want that?
He loosened the hold of his fingers on her wrist then let go completely. Smiling, she unzipped his pants and pulled them down along with his boxer briefs, and his cock jutted out, greeting her.
Well, well… whatever reservations he showed, his most honest body part was on her side. Without foreplay, she took the hard, thick length in her mouth, and Sebastian’s groan filled the void. She ran her tongue up and down his growing flesh, the tip of her tongue stroking the blood-pumping veins. Cupping his balls, she intensified the rhythm, grazing his skin, and he growled.
“You’re killing me.” He jerked away, and with a swift movement, flung to the sofa and then rolled her on top of him. Their mouths met in a toe curling, belly-fluttering kiss. She teased him with her tongue, and he bunched her dress at her waist.
He began to nip her jaw, his breathing as hard as hers. She let her hair fall back a bit, enjoying his strong body so close to hers, his spicy male scent pushing into her senses. When he reached her panties, she expected him to delve his fingers into her, or use his palm to cup her sex. Nope.
Sebastian grabbed both sides with his hands, and ripped off her panties. “Grace, are you still on the pill?”
“Yes,” she breathed. The pressure of cotton being pulled against her skin ached for a bit, but not long. She positioned herself on top of his cock, and the moment he thrust his hips forward as she straddled him, she moaned.
He placed his hands on her buttocks, but she was the one dictating the rhythm. She undulated herself on him, moving faster and then slower, each time capturing his mouth with hers. The sensation was so fantastic, she didn’t want it to end. He thrust deeper, brought one hand to her clit, then began to flick it. “Let’s come together, gorgeous,” he whispered. “You tell me when.”
She would tell him when… Sebastian, giving up control in the bedroom? Riding him harder, she linked her arms around him and intensified the rhythm, which he followed.
“Sebastian… I can’t hold it any longer.” Within seconds, she contracted around him, and then her body shook against his. They held each other tight, panting and moaning in unison at the end. She rolled off him, and she closed her eyes. Wow.
“Who’s Aidan?” he asked.
Immediately, the glorious sex afterglow vanished. She sat up as if she’d been electrified. “Who told you about Aidan?” was her immediate question, but as she pulled down the dress and ran her fingers to smooth her hair, she answered herself. “Nana.”
She’d noticed Nana had been treating her like she was eighteen again, but during the rest of the day she had no clue she had shared anything with Sebastian.
“She thought I was your doctor.” Sebastian pulled up his boxers and looked at her.
She anchored her feet on the edge of the couch and drooped her arms over her legs. Taking a deep breath, she stared at the coffee table. Was she ready to share that part of her life with him? She hadn’t before… when forever was involved. Sebastian was a smart man. Wouldn’t he find out anyway? Besides, she didn’t want him to learn from someone else. Ideally, he wouldn’t learn at all.
“Aidan was my half brother.”
He nudged her elbow, and propped her to look at him. “I thought you were an only child. You always told me your parents took you on their trips.”
She clamped her lips shut. He cocked his head to the side, interested in her reply. Yeah. Lying to him just wouldn’t work. “My dad had him with another woman, a few years before he met my mom. Throughout my childhood I didn’t see Aidan very often.” Ironically, the image of the skinny, tall gangly boy with beady blue eyes zipped through her mind. “He lived with his mom in Ohio. Then, he moved out and started to join us for summer vacations every other year.”
Sebastian upped a brow. “Go on.”
“I was very unhappy with all the shuffling around. He suggested I move in with him. He was twenty-one and was working full time. I was seventeen could go to school and work in a fast food joint in the evenings. That was like a dream come true for me.” She laughed at herself, the sound bitter and sour. “I agreed, and my parents allowed me.”
Tears prickled the corner of her eyes, her voice close to breaking. She wiped them with the back of her index finger, and let out a sigh of determination. “We moved to this remote town in Ohio, and I couldn’t afford a cell phone. Back then, internet was still a luxury at least to me. Aidan said he would help me and teach how to live on my own. I was exci
ted to be in one place for a long time, to be able to meet people and become my own person, not just someone who followed whatever my parents decided.”
He drew his brows together. “That’s not what happened.”
“No. A week in, Aidan started to get very possessive, and he wanted to control my life. He would drive me to job interviews, not let me call my parents saying I needed time to adjust. I started to make friends with this girl in the apartment complex. Later I discovered he’d approached her and told her to leave me alone. He would scream at me, and I was frightened. I decided to leave his place one day. When he was asleep. But then he woke up before I could manage to flee and chained me to the living room radiator.” Sebastian went to give her a hug, but she gestured with her hand for him to stay put. If he held her right now, she would fall apart. Hot tears fell from her eyes, and her head pounded. Her shoulders heaved, as if she just moved a huge piece of furniture. A long tremor went through her, as if by telling him that story she was parting with the dark, turbulent part of hers. If only it were true. “Eventually the girl I befriended started to think it was weird she hadn’t see me for days, and even though I was duct taped and tied up when he was around, I pushed my feet against the wall to make a sound.”
“Grace, tell me where the bastard is. I’ll kill him myself,” Sebastian said, his fingers curled into fists.
She placed her hand on his chest, and felt his heart racing under her palm. “No need. He was sent to a psychiatric institution. He won’t be bothering me again.”
He picked up her hand and kissed it with so much gentleness, her heart sang. Only thing was… her heart couldn’t sing. And the clearer she was about it, the better. “Thanks for listening.” She never shared that story with anyone besides her parents and grandmother, who had taken her in after she was found. Her Nana insisted she go to therapy, and many times drove her to the doctor’s office. “I’m a hot mess.” She glanced at the back of her hand, her black mascara had smeared all over. “You should go.”
“I’m not leaving,” he said, his voice soothing like a security blanket.
“I’m sorry we wasted the day as far as moving along with the business part of things, but I can’t think anymore. And we’ve had sex already. I’m hoping it met your quota.” She massaged her temples, her vein pulsating under her index fingers.
“I’m not expecting to have sex with you. I couldn’t be there for you then, let me be here for you now. We don’t even have to share the same bed. I’ll sleep on the couch.”
“No,” she rushed to say.
He shrugged, then placed both hands on his hips. “I’m not arguing about it. You need me. I’m here.”
“Fine,” she muttered. She wished she could stop the wild race unsettling her heart. When he had wanted to be in charge in the past, she had experienced little relapses of PTSD. The cold sweats, the dizziness.
A sensation as light as a cloud swirled inside her. She cleared her throat, unable to understand the emotions stirring her mind. Could this be a new beginning for her? Certainly, not for them. Sebastian was pushing for the divorce and ensured she would sign it. He had his multi-million dollar business in mind – and a sexual appetite that he was addressing with her. But, was that all?
“Don’t read too much into it. Grace,” he said, and she wondered if the man had a crystal ball app on his iPhone. “In a couple of days, our deal will expire and I’ll be flying to L.A. We’ll both get what we want. Right now I’m trying to be a gentleman. Indulge me.”
She clamped her lips together, and tried to curve them into a smile. What did she want? At this point in her life, it’s not like it made a difference to Nana if she was married or not. What about her? She ran her hands over her hair, and pulled it to the side. Keeping a nonexistent marriage just so she wouldn’t face a new life as a divorcee was unfair to Sebastian. “Of course.” She licked her lips and dashed to her room. “I’ll get you some sheets.”
“Take your time,” he said behind her, and she almost laughed at the irony.
***
“Grace, where have you been?” Sebastian’s somber tone of voice cut through the eerie night silence. Grace flipped on the light and walked through the hallway, her high heels clinking on the polished flooring.
“I was out,” she said, and threw her hands in the air as surrender. Her entire life she had cursed the freedom her parents gave her, the early independence she was granted but never earned. Well, it didn’t seem bad now, did it?
He sat on the oversize chair holding a glass of red wine. Besides a pair of black pajama bottoms, he was bare. She curled her fingers, willing away the need to run them over his smooth, washboard abs. The stern expression on his face was all the warning she needed.
“Grace, it’s midnight,” he said, barely moving his lips. Then, he rubbed his temples and let out an endless sigh.
“Sorry.” She took off her shoes and placed them by the glass coffee table. “Nana wasn’t feeling well and I went over to check her blood pressure. She’s okay I think.” She removed her jacket and bit back a smile. “Funny, she didn’t remember where the darn monitor was and we had to look forever.”
He took a sip of red wine. “Why didn’t you call me? I could have helped.”
Calling anyone to give updates on her location was something that just never occurred to her. Her parents appreciated her calls and twice-yearly visits, but they never fussed on knowing her whereabouts. Even as a little girl, when she went playing with other kids at the campgrounds, checking in every so often had never been a thing. “Sebastian, I’m getting tired of this.”
He rose to his feet. “You had the miscarriage less than a week ago. I’m just trying to look out for you.”
“Why? To protect me? From what? A speeding ticket? The only thing I need protection from is you,” she said before she marched to their bedroom. Alone.
The coffee machine chimed and startled Grace. She shook her head, willed those memories away and suppressed a yawn. He was still sprawled over her couch. Even sleeping, his features were strong, his face, manly handsome. Long lashes swept over his eyes.
One more day. Today they would visit some places large enough for an industrial kitchen, and that was the last step before she signed the divorce papers and let him out of her life for good.
Why not enjoy it? She took her apron off, stalked toward him and nudged his elbow. “Sebastian,” she said, her voice sweeter than maple syrup. Before she carried on, she cleared her throat and tried a firmer tone. “Sebastian, time to wake up.”
The lazy, carefree way he yawned made her want to snuggle up to him. Except she couldn’t— not during the day, when they had things to do. “What time is it?” He rubbed his eyes and sat up.
“Ten past eight.” She smiled, and wrestled the desire to run her fingers along his chest.
“I never… sleep that long.”
“I know.” During their short marriage, he was usually up and showered by six a.m., checking the news channels and Internet for updates on stocks and foreign currency. Yeah. She supposed even when he wasn’t the uber-millionaire he had become; he watched over his assets. Too bad she had been just one of them. “I made breakfast, come eat.”
She surged to her feet and led him into the kitchen, and gestured for him to sit at the table. When she brought him the syrup dipped doughnut, his gorgeous eyes sparked. A ripple of satisfaction ran through her, and she enjoyed knowing she, too, could surprise him.
“Koeksister. How come…”
“No big deal. I searched online and decided I could give it a try.” She doubted it would be half as good as the one his mother used to make. He lifted it to his mouth and a low groan left his lips after he swallowed a bite.
She twisted her clammy hands together. “Approved?”
“It’s delicious.” He put another piece in his mouth. “Thank you.” The reverence in his voice, along with his boyish expression quickened her pulse.
“My pleasure. It wasn’t that hard. I’m a chef
, you know,” she rambled. “I like to try new things.” With a shrug, she cut a piece for herself and sat across from him. For some time she avoided to look at him, trying to manage the heat spreading across her neck and cheeks. Despite all the sex they had experienced, this moment was undeniably domestic.
She had to admit the pastry rolled down smooth, the syrup taking her on a semi-orgasmic trip. She drank her coffee and finished the food in silence, staring down until she put on her invisible big girl panties and glanced his way. Oh lord…
He had propped his elbow on the table, and although he played with his fork and his plate was half-empty already, she couldn’t help the sensation that he had been watching her the entire time. Little currents surged through her, short-circuiting her nerve endings. They didn’t race to her sex like usual. No. They concentrated in her chest, gathering into a couple of staccato beats to symbolize what she wasn’t willing to admit out loud. What the heck am I going to do now? How am I going to survive this? Again.
She swallowed hard, managed to stand up and quickly took the plate to the countertop. “We should get going soon. You said the realtor is waiting for us at ten.”
Chapter Six
“Think prime real estate.” The realtor grinned and gestured with his hand. “The location itself will put you on the map.”
Sebastian barely noticed the open floor plan of the space set in a coveted strip mall with shops and businesses. All his focus was on her. Ever since the previous night, he tried to understand what was going on between them. Her revelation of her atrocious half brother made him want to punch the guy to no end.
Could he blame that Aidan bastard for the way she hurt him? Did he want to? Finding a reason why she bolted out of their marriage was dangerous. It meant maybe there would be a way to patch things up. Was he ready to open up for her again? He cracked his knuckles.
“How much is rent? And deposit?” she asked, and Sebastian hated himself for letting his mind wander when hers was nicely grounded. She inspected the place with a trace of a smile on her lips. Although she didn’t giggle or sound super enthusiastic, Sebastian could tell this space – the third they visited – was a winner. And she was aware of it.
Accidentally Still Married (The Naked Truth #2) Page 5