“I have to admit I didn’t think he’d ever date another woman who worked for him after what happened with Emma.”
“You worked with Emma?” I didn’t know why I was surprised. Amanda had already told me she’d been working for Seb for almost four years.
“Sure did,” she said before taking a sip of her coffee.
“What was she like?”
“She was really sweet.”
I’d been hoping she would tell me the other woman was an insufferable bitch. How petty was I? “Things were serious between her and Seb?” I knew I should have been asking Seb these questions, but my curiosity trumped propriety.
“They seemed to be,” she said, nodding slowly. “I know she was a little further along in the relationship than he was, but I think if she’d stuck around, they would have gotten there eventually.”
“What do you mean?”
“I think Emma wanted to move in with him. I know she was hoping to marry him eventually, but Seb wasn’t there yet.”
The thought of Seb marrying another woman prompted an uncomfortable ache in my chest. I hadn’t known him long enough to feel so territorial, but since we’d been spending nearly every moment together for the past week, I’d already invested more time in him than guys I’d dated for months.
“Don’t get me wrong,” Amanda said. “He was crazy about her. Treated her like a princess.”
“He did?” The yogurt tasted sour all of a sudden, as though it had passed its expiration date. It was my own fault though. I’d started probing where I had no business. Now I had to deal with the consequences.
“Yeah.” She smiled. “I thought it was the sexiest thing I’d ever seen, a big, tough guy like Seb doing little things to show his girlfriend how much he cared about her.”
“Like?” God, this was torture. If I had been smart, I would have excused myself to use the restroom. But apparently I had a masochistic side I wasn’t well acquainted with because I had to hear more.
“Walking her out to her car when it got late, bringing her coffee in the morning, surprising her with flowers for no reason.” She grinned, looking as though she was lost in her vicarious memories of another woman’s love affair. “I remember one time when U2 was in town—that was her favorite band—and he surprised her with front row tickets. He even managed to snag backstage passes. I’d never seen Emma happier.”
“That’s nice.” I’d never had anyone do anything like that for me, nor had I ever expected it. I wondered if he’d been burned so badly by Emma he would forever have his guard up now.
“Skylar, may I have a word with you?”
Amanda’s guilty expression told me she feared Seb had heard the gist of our conversation and wasn’t pleased. I would make sure he understood it wasn’t Amanda’s fault.
“Sure.” My hand was shaky when I tossed the half-eaten yogurt in the garbage. I turned with a fake smile, but it slipped as soon as I saw the look in his eyes.
He wasn’t just hurt or disappointed that I’d been poking my nose into his business. He was furious. And now I had to deal with the fallout. I rushed to keep up as he strode through the shop, ignoring any bids for his attention, before climbing the steep steps leading to his office. He slammed the door hard enough to make me cringe before he turned on me.
“You wanna tell me what the hell was going on down there?”
Instead of cutting straight to the chase, I opted for the coward’s way out, trying to buy a little time to justify my actions. “Amanda and I were just taking a break, getting to know each other better.”
“But you weren’t trying to get to know Amanda, were you?” he asked, planting his hands on his hips as he glared at me. “You were trying to find out about my relationship with Emma.”
My gaze hit the freshly polished wood floor before landing on the new area rug I’d hauled up there earlier. The office was really coming together, and I felt as though Seb and I were falling apart.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered. It would have been a mistake to try to defend my actions. If he’d been digging around in my past, asking my friends questions he should have been asking me, I would have been angry too. “I had no right to talk to Amanda about your personal life. It won’t happen again.”
He sighed before stepping forward and gripping my shoulders. “Amanda’s a nice girl, but she’s just my employee, not my friend.”
“I understand,” I said, still unable to meet those piercing blue eyes I was learning to love.
“Do you?” He tipped my chin up with his index finger, forcing me to look at him. “There’s nothing you can’t ask me. I thought you knew that.” His hands slipped to my waist, and I finally felt as though I could release the breath I’d been holding.
“I just knew Emma was a sore subject. I didn’t think I should—”
“She is a sore subject,” he said, stepping back.
I immediately missed the contact and regretted mentioning her name. He clearly still had feelings for her, something that wouldn’t have been so painfully obvious had I not opened this kettle of worms in the first place.
“She was the first girl I cared that much about.” He turned his back on me, running a hand over his freshly styled hair. “It took me a long time and a lot of girls to feel that way.”
I swallowed, unable to acknowledge his statement even though I felt it to the very core of my being. I wondered whether he would ever care about me that way. Would he ever be able to love me the way he’d loved her?
“I haven’t felt that way since.” He turned to face me, and I saw his turmoil. I wanted to say or do something to soothe him, but I didn’t know how to fix this—or him. “I was beginning to think I’d never feel about anyone the way I felt about her… then I met you.”
I sucked in a breath, staring at him, waiting for him to save me from the tightrope I’d been walking since he overheard my conversation with Amanda.
“What I feel for you is…” He inhaled deeply, closing his eyes. “It’s intense, Skylar.”
“For me too,” I whispered. I needed to say something to assure him he wasn’t alone in this.
“I know we haven’t known each other long.” He chuckled, though he seemed more grim than amused. “Hell, we haven’t even slept together yet.”
I’d known that would come up eventually. We’d kissed in his office last night after everyone went home. It was meant to be a good-night kiss, but things got heated, and we started tugging at each other’s clothes. But he put a stop to it, claiming he didn’t want our first time to be in his office with me bent over his desk. I appreciated his restraint, but I’d left feeling frustrated and confused just the same. I wanted to be with him, to take our relationship to the next level, but he didn’t seem to be in a hurry, and I couldn’t figure out why.
“Whose fault is that?” I snapped. I pinched my lips together when I realized I’d let that spill out.
Shock was written all over his face, as though he was as stunned as I was that I’d had the gall to say that aloud. He flattened his palm against his chest. “You’re blaming me for not trying to get you into bed?”
He’d dressed up for the meeting with the network execs, wearing black dress pants and a white shirt open at the collar. His black blazer was slung over the back of his swivel chair. Damn man looked good enough to eat, reminding me again that he’d left me high and dry last night, and I deserved to know why.
“You can’t deny I’ve been giving you the green light, especially last night.” I was tired of tiptoeing around him. If we were going to have a real relationship, I couldn’t suppress my feelings. “The only reason I was asking Amanda about your ex this morning is because I assumed she had to be the reason you shot me down last night.”
He gaped at me before snapping his mouth shut. “Are you insane? It’s been over between me and Emma for almost three years! How could you think she has anything to do with what’s going on between us?”
I was glad I’d worn one of my favorite black power suit
s today. It made me feel more commanding as I stood up to him, as though we were somehow on a level playing field. “I think you just admitted every relationship you’ve had since Emma has been pretty inconsequential. It’s been all about sex, am I right?”
“I don’t see what that has to do with—”
“You feel something real for me, and it’s scaring the hell out of you.” He wasn’t the only one who could be intimidating. I could act the part as well as anyone. Stepping forward, with my insides quivering, I stared him down. “If you make love to me, you won’t be able to deny it anymore. You’ll have to put yourself out there again and take a real risk. But you’re not sure you’re ready to do that. Admit it -- you’re scared.”
His neck was corded when he curled his lip back, almost snarling at me. “You think I’m scared of this? You think I’m scared of what I feel for you?” He grabbed my hand, dragging me toward the door.
“What the hell are you doing?” I demanded, trying my best to keep up in five-inch heels.
“This isn’t the place for this. We’re going somewhere else where we can sort it out in private.”
“But the meeting—”
“Isn’t for hours. We’ve got time.” He nodded to Jim, who gave us a quizzical look as we passed. “Back in a couple of hours.”
“Whatever you say, boss man,” Jim said, grinning.
I could only imagine what this must look like to Seb’s employees. If they hadn’t known him better, they probably would have thought he was dragging me out against my will. As we passed through the reception area so I could grab my purse from behind the desk, Amanda shot me a sympathetic look.
It wasn’t her fault. This was all on me. I had no idea where Seb was taking me or what he intended to say or do when he got me to our destination. I wasn’t afraid of him, but I was nervous. I didn’t want to lose him. Not when I felt as though we had the potential for something really good if we could just learn to trust each other and put the past behind us.
He opened the door to his pristine ‘67 Toyota 2000GT, which one of the guys in the shop told me had appeared in a James Bond movie and had been appraised at a million and a half dollars. I’d never even set foot in a home worth that much—until I met Seb—let alone a car.
“Thanks,” I muttered when he closed the passenger’s door behind me. When he claimed the seat beside me and fired up the powerful engine, I asked, “Are you going to tell me where we’re going?”
“My place.” The way he white-knuckled the leather steering wheel as he pulled out of the parking lot told me he was still furious.
“We can’t just take off like this in the middle of a work day.”
“I’m the boss. I can do whatever the hell I want.”
The ride to his place was deadly silent and felt excruciatingly long, though it couldn’t have been more than twenty miles.
In spite of his foul mood, he was still a gentleman, opening the car door for me before leading me inside. I stood in the foyer, unsure of what to do or say. Before I could collect my thoughts, his hard body pressed mine against the solid wood door. He claimed my mouth in a ravenous kiss as he pushed off my blazer and tugged my green silk blouse out of the waistband of my black skirt.
“You think I’ve been holding back ‘cause I’m scared?” he asked, undoing my buttons while his lips alternated between kissing and speaking. “I’ve been holding back ‘cause I know you’re not like all the rest. You’re special, and I want to treat you that way. I’ve been dying to get you into bed since the day I met you.”
His erection wedged between my legs punctuated his point, driving me crazy. I was tempted to tear at his buttons to get him naked, but I forced myself to take it as slowly as he was.
“Every goddamn night I’ve been falling asleep with you on my mind,” he whispered in my ear as I spread his shirt wide, trying to push it off his broad shoulders. “The sound of your sexy, husky voice, this sweet little body that I’ve been dying to get my hands on…” His calloused palms traveled over my ribs, drawing thrill bumps to my flesh. “Imagining what it would be like to finally get you in my bed, what you’d taste like, feel like, smell like…”
I shuddered at his erotic words, feeling moisture pool between my legs as his deft hands moved to the button and zipper running up the back of my skirt.
“I’ve been imagining it too,” I said softly, gliding my hands over his defined abs. “Fantasizing about it. About you.”
He rumbled deep in his throat as he pushed the skirt over my hips to reveal flesh-pink panties that matched my lace bra. “You are so damn sexy.”
Seb made me feel that way, as though he’d never been with anyone who turned him on more. I knew that was just wishful thinking on my part, but getting swept away in that fantasy made me feel sexy and powerful, and in that moment, that was all I wanted.
“Bedroom,” I said, looping my arms around his neck and guiding him backward down the hall. His home was a sprawling single-story, and since he’d given me the grand tour during one of my visits, I knew exactly where to find the master suite.
His hands gripped my hips, his eyes never leaving mine as he elbowed the door closed. I barely had time to admire the huge windows, dark mahogany furniture, or the luxe fabrics adorning the bed before I was falling back into a cushy mattress that made me wish I could stay forever.
I was mesmerized watching Seb undress, and I knew it wouldn’t have mattered where this was happening: on the hard ground or the hood of his car or here in his bedroom. Nothing could have made the show he was putting on for me any less spectacular.
His body was a work of art with chiseled muscles and defined abs that proved his home gym wasn’t just for show. Since I’d never seen him without a shirt, I didn’t realize he had a back piece until he shifted to reach for a condom from the nightstand. It was a beautiful black-and-gray portrait of his mother with her name, the year she was born, and the year she died.
It was obvious when this man loved, he loved deeply, and I suddenly wanted to be a part of that select group of people he would do anything for. I’d never expected to fall this hard or fast, but now that it had happened, I wouldn’t have changed it for anything.
“Last chance to back out,” he whispered, lying down beside me. He’d already put on the condom, and I was touched that he was still giving me a choice.
“Backing out is the last thing on my mind,” I said, turning into him. “In fact, I was thinking more about letting you in.” My hands cradled his face, and I looked into his eyes before kissing him so he would know that I was talking about forging more than a physical connection with him. I wanted to build on our emotional connection too.
His kisses were almost as hypnotic as his hands. His mouth and fingers worked in unison as I gasped in sweet agony, trying to remember the last time a man had made me feel like this. I couldn’t. His mouth moved over my breasts, his tongue drawing delicious circles on my heated skin as I gripped his hair, silently praying I would never have to let go of him.
He took his time to explore and arouse before giving me the ultimate pleasure, and my body responded to every subtle shift as he learned what turned me on, what made me crazy. The explosion he finally drew from me was fast and intense, as though I’d been denying my body this indulgence for far too long.
My heart was still hammering when his body covered mine. He plunged inside me as though his life depended on it, and I was stunned by the words that fell from his lips.
“I’m not scared of what I feel for you, Skylar.”
It was then I remembered the accusation I’d made in his office.
“I want you in my life,” he whispered, thrusting slowly, as though he had countless hours to pleasure me.
“I want that too.” I couldn’t remember the last time I’d ever wanted anything more.
Passion pounded the blood through my chest, head, and heart as he picked up the pace. His eyes drew from mine all the things that were on the tip of my tongue. I’m falling in love with
you. You’re everything I’ve ever wanted. You make me happy. You make me feel alive, Seb.
Those realizations, coupled with his expertise, made me feel as though I was soaring as ecstasy pulsed through me. Just when I thought it couldn’t get any better, I got to witness one of the sexiest things I had ever seen: Seb Steele losing control. His biceps were bulging with restraint, the muscles in his neck corded, and his face red from exertion when he finally threw his head back and groaned, spilling inside me.
When he would have rolled over to spare me his bulk, I pulled him close, relishing the feel of his heart branding mine. He tipped his head back to look at me as he brushed damp hair off my face. My heart clenched when I saw the look in his eyes mirrored everything I was thinking and feeling. He was all in, just as I was.
“No more doubts?” he asked, his voice raspy, as though he was as overwhelmed by this experience as I was.
“No more doubts.”
Chapter Eleven
Seb
I couldn’t remember the last time I’d been more proud of anyone. Skylar handled the network executives like a pro, charming them, asking all the right questions, and ensuring the deal worked to the benefit of everyone involved. When the four men left the room, they all shook my hand, telling me what a lucky man I was. As if I didn’t know that already.
They’d told us to take our time packing up since they didn’t have another meeting scheduled. I intended to make the most of my last few minutes with Skylar since we’d brought separate cars. She had to take her uncle to a doctor’s appointment after our meeting.
“You were amazing,” I said, scooping her up as she giggled.
“You couldn’t tell I was nervous?” She tilted her head back for a kiss when I finally set her down.
“No way, you acted like you’d been negotiating deals like this all your life,” I said, grinning at her. It may have seemed crazy, but I couldn’t have been happier that a legal contract would soon bind us together. “But you should still get a lawyer to look at the contract before you sign it.”
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