by Melissa Blue
His tongue slid in, out, and around the curve of her mouth. Her skirt refused to budge and he groaned, laid down beside her, never letting his mouth lose the contact. His hand closed over her left thigh, pushed it aside as wide as the tight material of her skirt would allow.
He hadn’t really touched her, and already she was wet, because her body knew what came next. His hand slid up, beneath the skirt and rested at the edge of her core. She buried her fingers in his hair, pulled him closer to deepen the kiss. Silently, she gave him permission to do what they should have been doing since he scowled at her over Jeremiah’s head. They should have told the client to wait in the lounge and gotten this out of the way so Sebastian could bend her over the desk and release some of the tension they’d bottled up for two months.
He brushed aside the soaked material and ran a thick finger over the tight bud. Her hips rose up as if to force him to continue the delicious caress.
He dipped two fingers into her sex and hissed. “You’re so fucking wet already.”
She’d been wet the moment his hand slid down her back to help her cross the street. That was sad and depressing and pathetic. One simple gesture without guile could make her want to come. She brushed her lips against his to get him to shut up and do more things with his tongue. She shouldn’t have. They were in a park, a public place but she needed him to keep on touching her.
He chuckled. “Don’t you worry. I’m going to make you come like you want to. Just let me—fuck. You’re so tight and wet for me.”
She rocked her hips, and he closed his mouth back over hers, the way it should be. He tasted the same—wicked, absolutely wicked. Her memory hadn’t done him justice. It had tried to slap a label on his texture and flavor. No. Simply wicked. That was all she could think as he pushed his fingers deeper, curled to find the spot to drive her wild.
“I remember exactly what made you beg. This right here,” he said.
His slow, deep strokes made her whimper and he groaned in kind. And she would come if the flush of heat continued to build and spread through her. Sebastian savored each quickening of her sex. He stopped long enough that he had to build the orgasm back up, right on the edge. Again and again, until there was nothing left to do but go over the brink in one long, hard shudder, soaking the fingers buried inside her. Because he was a master at this, he rolled his thumb over her clit, forcing her to come again. Harder, wetter and then he added a third finger.
His voice was gruff and filled with the taste of him—wicked, absolutely wicked. “You’re tight but you want to take more.”
“Then give it to me,” she said and then moaned when he teased her clit to build her back up for another orgasm.
“Oh,” he said slowly, softly. “I will, but first, you’ve got to tell me you lied.”
She tugged on the hair at the nape of his neck. Sebastian grunted and the glint in his blue eyes said he liked it. “Never, and you’re a bastard for asking me right now.”
He leaned down, nipped at her earlobe and brought her to the point of climax again. He whispered, “I know.”
He sucked the soft flesh into his mouth and bit her a little harder. He had her right there. Right there. So close.
“Until you confess this is all I’m going to give you,” he promised.
He wanted her vulnerable and exposed. She couldn’t do it. Not even if it meant the ache, deeper and unquenchable, could be sated.
“Just remember,” she said. “I know all the ways to make you come too.”
“You do, but I’m the only one who can say I had you trembling, moaning and practically begging. In a park. I win this round, my Darling Nikki.”
She heard Sebastian’s chuckle—the sadist—right before he made her come again.
Chapter Five
“How are things between you and your co-publicity manager?”
She flushed and thanked the heavens her boss couldn’t see her face. Nicole pushed the earbud in deeper and shifted into a more comfortable position behind her desk. The chair creaked and the noise brought Sebastian’s gaze her way. He’d made her blush frequently for the past two weeks. This time was no different. The flush heated, and he smirked before concentrating on his phone call, one he took in his area of her office. The early morning sun warmed the room and so did he.
“He’s working out fine,” Nicole said. “Don’t know why he still has to shadow me. He knows his stuff.”
The absolute truth, the kind she’d only utter at gun point? Her co-publicity manager had become quite insufferable, and she only had herself to blame. She’d thought sooner or later he’d break. A moment filled with heat and need would hit them and boom they’d start going at it. Except at it meant everything he could possibly do to her, all but the one thing she really, really wanted.
It was like the weekend they shared except for the insanity of him being the biggest tease ever to be spawned. For two weeks. They took lunches together. They talked, not chatted. He conned her into taking breaks every four hours, including an hour lunch. A smile formed. He’d rewarded her for that one. Hemmed her up against a wall and licked her clit into mindless oblivion.
The bastard.
More than a few times Nicole thought she had him. Finally they could have sex, he was going to give and let go of the lie. Let them have exactly what they’d been craving. Nope. The man had more restraint than a nun.
She tore her gaze from the cocky swagger, because every time she let herself look too long, the longing for more would start. That would be disastrous. She had no delusions about their relationship. He had ambition. If Sebastian had the chance, he’d take her job without losing a wink of sleep and would still lick her into mindless oblivion.
You didn’t let a man like that in your heart. You damn sure didn’t admit thinking about him when it had been clear the affair would end the moment the lock on the hotel door clicked back in place. You didn’t dare utter things about changes and fatigue about the life you’d been living.
Nope.
“Nicole!”
“Hmm?”
“You have been distracted these past few weeks. What is he doing? Tell me the truth.”
“At the moment, he’s convincing John Paul to let Chelsea explain what happened on his show. Well, what we told her to say.”
“John Paul? The conservative who only lets women who are married or are wearing purity rings on his show? Are you serious?”
“As a heart attack.” Sebastian turned to her with a mile-wide grin, and her heart fluttered. She ignored the pesky sensation and said, “And, I think he just got it.”
Anna made a lewd sound. “If I wasn’t already married, I’d marry that man. By the way, I heard about the challenge between you. Now I have my complete faith in you, but if he can get Jeremiah to show up for the bachelor auction, I might offer him a managing director position. If he stays on for another two years.”
The flutter died. “What?”
“Don’t sound put out. I’ll split it.”
Her fist balled on the desk. “Split it? Ah.” She’d been working, practically killing herself, for a piece of the PR agency. She’d forgone branching out on her own to help build this place to what it was. And Anna was going to split it? She swallowed back the bitterness climbing up her throat.
“Why else do you think I paid an arm and a leg for him to work me? I wanted to see what you guys could do together. I’m beyond impressed.”
“Thank you.” Her jaw clenched. “Anyway, I’ve got a call coming in on the office line.”
“I’ll let you go then. Tell Sebastian he’s doing a great job. I’ll call him later in the evening.”
“Sure. No problem.” The phone line clicked in ear. She closed her eyes and her back teeth ground together.
“What is it?”
She jolted, opening her eyes. Concern furrowed his brows. Genuine and without guile, but he had ambition. Why else walk away from a firm he’d been with for years? Freaking out wouldn’t do her any good. And, maybe, he
wasn’t after her job. Maybe Anna had made promises about a career climb to Sebastian, like Anna had made to Nicole, and planned to change them at the last minute.
Hopefully those promises didn’t include stepping on Nicole’s head to get there. Anna had said managing director. That meant splitting the business in three ways. Instead of one step closer to actually being an equal and respected as one. One step closer to not being another publicist who worked more hours than necessary for little return that clients turned around and screwed up again anyway. She’d worked like that for years to get where she wanted and he’d get that same brass ring in two.
She smiled. “Nothing. Excuse me. I’ve got to powder my nose.”
Sebastian’s gaze narrowed, and he straightened. “Right.”
Using one of his tactics, one Nicole picked up on fairly quickly, she walked out before he could get another word in edgewise. Once in the bathroom, she took out the earbud. A small gadget compared the wide expanse of the marble counter. A minute little thing that had practically lived in her ear for the past few years. With that wee gadget, she’d took and made calls at all hours of the day and night. Nonstop. Without a real break. She glared at it and seethed.
Nicole had been busting her ass and for what? She could practically hear Anna’s nattering words. Someone else is doing as good a job, but I’ll give him everything you’ve tried to work for. You’ve made a few mistakes. I’ll focus on that instead of the countless ways you went above and beyond the call of duty.
Pressure built behind her eyes, but Nicole would be damned if she let one tear fall. A savage noise broke from her throat. She bent over and ripped off her heel. She banged it down, squashing the ear piece like a bug.
The door closed with a click, and she scuttled back in surprise. Seeing who it was, she let out a breath. “Goddamn you. It’s the women’s restroom, Sebastian.”
“Yeah, but you looked like you were about to murder someone. Making sure you had an alibi.”
Tired now, she put a hand on the sink and leaned against it. For years she’d worked hard to gain respect and equality. She’d ignored her own life for her ambition and she couldn’t give that up, not even a piece of it. To him. It would feel like the lost of something so much greater than a piece of Limelight.
“No one’s dead,” she said.
“It’s a symbolic murder.” He motioned to the earbud. “Everyone knows that’s one step away from a real one.”
She intended to laugh at the lame joke, but part of the sob broke away and spilled out instead. Sebastian made a soft sound, and then he was there. His arms wrapped around her, warm and steady. The next sob, too, got away, and his embrace tightened.
“Don’t tell anyone I did this.” His chest muffled her words and the piece of herself she was trying to hold back, slipped away. “If you do, your death won’t be symbolic.”
“I promise.”
“You broke your last one.”
“I know. This one I’ll take to the grave.”
“You can’t show any weakness in this business.”
“I know, but you can’t live your life through this business either. I don’t know what Anna said, but don’t let it get to you. Everything is an illusion in our line of work. Everything is about what things are supposed to look like. It’s never really the truth. Not in publicity. You can’t live through an illusion. It’ll drive you nuts.”
“I should know,” she whispered, face still pressed in his chest. He stiffened, and that’s when Nicole realized what she’d said. Out loud.
“You’ve been holding out on me.” Curious interest colored his tone.
Pulling herself together, she wiped her face and tried to push away. “I’m going back to work.”
Sebastian’s fingers curled around her arms. “You don’t have to tell me what that means, but you’re calling it a day.”
“You’re not my boss. So, no, I’m not.”
She didn’t try to fight the hold because it felt nice. It felt like nothing else mattered in that moment. Sebastian’s fingers, warm and strong, holding her against him as if he could stave off the worse of what she was feeling. As though this was the kind of relationship where one listened to the other, come hell or high water.
Nicole sighed as a spurt of hope splashed against her common sense, burning a hole in it. The hope? Damn, she hoped his fast-talking would come next. She wanted to see if he cared. Even a little. The fast-talking only came out when he wanted something from her he couldn’t quite admit to himself. Though, she knew waiting for it was a road heading heart first into disaster.
“No, I’m not.” Sebastian pulled her closer, made sure their gazes were locked when he spoke the rest, “But I like to think of myself as your lover, and as your lover I can see you need a day off. If that doesn’t persuade you, I can make one phone call. So either I’m your lover or the bastard who made you take a day off. Your choice. I’m fine with either label.”
Her heart fluttered like it always did. Her lover demanded she take care of herself. Her lover. Aw, shit. Heart first into disaster it is then. “Since we, technically, haven’t had sex again, guess you’re going to have to be the bastard.”
He growled, soft and low, and then kissed her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and fell into it. He wrapped both arms around her, kissed her deeply. His tongue, hot and silken, lapped up her breathy moans. He backed her up against the counter and groaned. The slacks did nothing to hide his desire.
He pulled back, breathing heavily. “I’ll take the day off with you. Say yes.”
“As my lover or a bastard?”
His forehead rested against hers. “Today I want to be the former. I’m fine with that.”
It was the give Nicole had been waiting for. Yes, she knew he was ruthless. He had boundless ambition, but she wanted to feel, at least, like they were even. She wouldn’t be the only one vulnerable. The only one who needed whatever this was between them more than him.
“Ok.” Barely mid-morning, it would be a whole day off. A first in a long time.
“Since you killed your earbud, I’ll make the call. Be ready in five minutes.” He sighed, tilted her face up. She couldn’t read the emotions passing behind his gaze, but her chest tightened, filled with an emotion she didn’t want to feel. Not for him. Anyone but him.
“Five minutes,” he said again.
He released the hold on her, turned and stalked out the bathroom. Alone, it was easier to let the laugh turn into a small sob.
Chapter Six
Sebastian stole a glance at Nicole’s face when he flicked on the lights in his home.
“Your maid service hates you,” she said.
His home was stuffed with glass and things that constantly needed dusting, so she was probably right. “All things I’ve picked up during my travels and promo-whoring for others.”
Her gaze roved over the wall dedicated to signed guitars, framed photos, key chains, watches and a lot of other things one picks up working the circuit. If he bothered to insure it, the wall would probably cost more than he paid in rent for a year.
Other than the promo-whoring corner, the rest of his apartment was built for comfort. Two baby-blue, linen-covered love seats sat on either side of a large window facing the bay. A table and a lamp picked up from a cherry auction separated the space. A long coffee table sat in the middle of the room, beneath it an area rug that covered most of the wooden floor. The massive dark-gray couch faced an even more massive flat screen TV. It was his sanctuary. His escape from the bustle of work.
He hadn’t even thought twice about bringing Nicole here and allowing her entrance to his inner sanctum. She needed something to appease the sorrow, and he had stepped up to give it to her. Dangerous actions and needs had clouded his mind. Yet seeing her take in his home, Sebastian couldn’t scrounge up the right tone of regret or fear.
“I’m surprised you keep it all,” she said. “I re-gift. A lot.”
Her comment made him think of why they were at
his place. He threw his suit jacket over the couch, sat on the edge of the back and faced her. Sebastian hadn’t expected to feel this invested in whatever it was they were becoming. Something their boss had said made her usually vibrant skin go pale. An instinct to protect her had drowned out his thoughts, and he’d followed her into the bathroom. Her tears almost broke him, and that was just wrong. They were lovers, nothing more.
He wanted her in his bed, and, yet, he needed her to tell him the truth. Wanting honesty from your lover wasn’t asking for a king’s ransom, was it? Still, asking for something with an emotional depth left him a little breathless. He’d avoided love ever since he’d gone heartless and ruthless and almost ruined a man’s life because of it.
Sebastian chose words that would invite more conversation, but if she tried to avoid the landmine, he wouldn’t complain. “I love what I do and all the perks that go with it. I like the challenge, and at the end of the day it’s enough for me.”
“The paycheck doesn’t hurt either. Or getting diamond-encrusted watches.”
“Goes without saying, but I’m a salesman. Always have been. If I hadn’t needed to get a little revenge, I might have stayed a sport’s agent.”
“Yeah, falling in love didn’t change you. It was the heartbreak.”
Leave it alone. He’d done more than enough damage when he followed her, held her and called them lovers. Leave. It. Alone. “And, you should know?”
She shrugged out of her suit jacket and tossed it on top of his. Sliding between his legs, Nicole began to unbutton his shirt. “I was waiting to see if you’d pry.”
“How could I not? The Nicole Harrison, publicist to an exclusive list, publicity manager to the esteemed Limelight firm…she has a dark past. Had to ask.”
“Not dark. Cliched. I fell for a man. He made me believe in happily ever after, and then he fileted my heart.”