by Cathryn Fox
He pitched his voice low for her ears only. “I just…last night. That can’t happen again.”
There was a long pause and then, “I know.” She gave a small wave of her hand like she was completely unaffected by last night when it had totally rocked his world. “It was a one-time thing.”
What the fuck? He should be happy, right? She just agreed with him. Agreed that it couldn’t happen again. Why then, did he feel like someone had just sucker-punched him? Did he want her to protest? To declare her undying love and tell him she wanted him again and again?
Yeah, I fucking do.
Kat walked away, and his gaze latched onto her ass until she took a seat next to her aunt Judy. Sebastian fisted his hands at his sides, summoning every ounce of strength he had not to go after her—to tell her how he really felt about her.
Walk away, Sebastian. Walk. The. Fuck. Away.
Sebastian filled his plate, even though he only had an appetite for one thing, and plopped down into a chair at one of the shaded tables, as far away from Kat as possible. Kids ran around, laughing and playing, their parents already filling their glasses with Mimosa. Loneliness nipped at him as he took it all in. It was always hard going back to his empty condo, void of personal touches, after a weekend at the happy Quinn estate. Okay, so he’d be lying if he said he hated this. Hell, he looked forward to these damn reunions. These people were his family, his friends, and if he lost this… Well, it would damn well kill him.
He forced himself to finish his food then went back in the house to grab his swim shorts. He didn’t care if the pool was filled with screaming kids all dunking each other, he needed a good hard swim. He changed, jumped into the pool, and did a few laps. Afterward, the young cousins wanted him to play water volleyball, and he joined them. Laughing and playing with the kids took his mind of Kat, and he found himself enjoying the morning as it slipped away.
His stomach grumbled. “I need food,” he said to young cousin Kasey when he swam up to him, grabbing his arm in an effort to drag him back to the deep end.
“Not yet,” Kasey said. “One more game.”
“Nope.” Sebastian picked Kasey up and tossed him. The kid shrieked as he dipped below the surface. When he came back up again, he was laughing and looking for more.
“Do it again, Sebastian.”
“My turn,” one of the other kids yelled.
“Maybe after I eat.” He hoisted himself from the pool and grabbed a towel. He wiped his face, and as he knotted it around his waist, he caught Kat staring at him. A wave of lust he had no business feeling ripped through him as he focused on the hunger in her gaze. He was grateful for the towel covering his thickening cock.
Christ, if she didn’t want any more to do with him, then why the hell was she looking at him like that? He watched her glance move over his body, and when her eyes lifted and connected with him, they went wide. Busted.
She turned, her long hair flaring over silky white shoulders, and Sebastian ran inside to change his clothes. Once dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, he made his way to the lunchtime buffet table set up in the gardens. He barely had time to stuff a sandwich into his face when Danny stood over him.
“Come on, Sebastian. Time for the balloon toss.”
“Not the balloon toss,” he said, feigning misery. “You know I suck at that.”
Danny laughed. “You don’t suck at anything you do.”
As a matter of fact, he did. He sucked, nibbled, and bit. His cock twitched. Shit. Now was certainly not the time to be thinking about that.
“You have to give me a chance to win the trophy back.”
“Fine.” Sebastian stood and followed Danny to the back gardens. Everyone was already paired up, a bucket of water balloons at their feet.
“Looks like I’m not needed.”
“Like hell. I want that trophy.” Danny twisted, and Sebastian followed his gaze to find Kat bent over, her lush ass aimed his way as she filled balloons with water. Sweet mother of God and all that was holy. “Hey Kat. Sebastian needs a partner, get over here.”
She tuned the hose off, and he nearly bit off his tongue as she sauntered over. She frowned as she looked at Sebastian and said, “I’m not sure—”
Danny cut her off. “Tough.” He pointed. “Get over there.”
Sebastian supposed he shouldn’t cause a scene or draw unwanted attention, so he pointed to the unclaimed buckets of balloons and said, “You heard the man. Get over there.”
As Danny paired up with one of the cousins, she put her hands on her hips. “You really want to do this?”
“Kat, look. I don’t want what happened last night to come between us.”
A look he couldn’t identify came over her face, and she gave a slow nod. “You’re right.” Her hands fell from her hips and she stepped up to a bucket. “Ready?”
He stood opposite her and grabbed a balloon. Apparently, the object of the game was to toss a balloon back and forth, and after each successful catch, the competitors took one step back. The last one holding a full balloon wins.
The whistle sounded and he tossed the balloon. She caught it and wiggled her hips in victory. Jesus. He wished she wouldn’t move like that. Wished he wasn’t so aware of her. Laughter and shrieks sounded around him as balloons burst, soaking the players. He caught Danny’s grin from the other end of the line.
“Still in the game, bro,” Danny called out.
“Not for long,” he shot back.
Everyone took a step away from their partners, and Kat leaned forward, her beautiful breasts hijacking his attention and nudging what little control he had. “Ready?” she asked.
Oh, he was ready all right.
She tossed the balloon and he caught it. Kat put her arms in the air and danced. Awareness hit him right between the legs as her breasts bounced, and her body moved in ways that had his mind careening back to last night. As his eyes devoured her, registering every delicious detail, he clenched down on his jaw, striving to keep his shit together. Her T-shirt lifted, exposing a strip of silky white skin on her stomach, and hunger clawed at his insides. His gaze moved back to her face, tripping on her beautiful breasts during the journey upward. When he caught the glint in her eyes, his pulse leapt. Jesus. H. Christ. She was fucking with him—on purpose. He was sure of it. If she’d agreed they couldn’t have sex again, why the hell was she fucking with him?
“Everyone take a step back,” someone shouted.
Mind barely registering anything but Kat and the sweet curves of her body, he widened the distance between them, but when it was time to toss the balloon, he threw it harder than intended. It broke against Kat’s chest and she gasped, her eyes going wide as water crashed into her. She sputtered and wiped her hair from her face. She tossed the wet strands over her shoulders, exposing a wet T-shirt, hard nipples pressing against the lace beneath.
“You lost,” someone called out.
No, I’m pretty sure I won.
Sebastian gulped as he took in her voluptuous curves and oh-so-hard nipples poking from the slip of material. Wait! Shit. If he could see them, everyone else could, too. Kat wasn’t related to everyone here. Many of her cousins were here with their significant others—male significant others who were all gawking at Kat. Fuck that. Sebastian tore off his T-shirt, took three big steps to close the distance between them, and slipped it over her head. The surprise in her eyes, the warm way she looked at him, caught him off guard.
He put his arm around her to guide her inside, away from prying eyes. He’d practically grown up with this family, and the majority would think it was mere brotherly concern. But there was nothing brotherly in the possessive way he felt about her. He caught Danny’s glace as he made his way inside, caught the strange look his friend was giving him. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
He ushered her into the house and pointed to the stairs. “You’d better get changed.”
Water dripped from her lashes, making her look so sexy as she blinked up at him. “What about your shirt?”
>
He glanced over his shoulder and saw Danny moving across the lawn, coming his way. “I’ll get it later.”
She nodded. “Okay, then.”
He adjusted his shorts and hurried outside, hoping to placate Danny, but Zoe came out of nowhere and stepped up to him.
“There you are,” she said. Her eyes moved over his bare chest, and she drew her bottom lip between her teeth. “Where is your shirt? Not that I’m complaining.”
“Hey,” he said, closing his hand over the one she just placed on his body. He didn’t want to flirt with Zoe, not after finding out she had a fiancé, but this was the perfect opportunity to avert a crisis. He looked over her shoulder, and Danny stopped dead in his tracks, his gaze jumping from Sebastian to Zoe. Sebastian winked at his friend, and—smile restored—Danny shook his head and turned around.
Sebastian exhaled a relieved breath, even though every part of his body was tense. How the fuck was he going to make it through this weekend with Kat being so close, so goddamn sexy? And what was with all the fucking teasing?
Alcohol.
Ah, yes, that was the answer. He’d start with a beer, then move on to the hard stuff. The hard stuff would definitely help get his mind off Kat.
He excused himself from Zoe, who seemed to be doing everything in her power to keep her hands on him, and made his way to the outdoor bar. He popped the cap on a cold brew and planted himself in the shade. Looks like Danny would be winning the trophy back after all. But he didn’t care. He had more important things to concern himself with. The rest of the day flew by in a blur of activity, Kat always coming into his view, and after the nightly bonfire started, he sat with the families for a while, then made his way to his room.
The instant his head hit his pillow, sleep overtook him, but the alcohol he’d drank interrupted his rest and he found himself laying there staring at the damn ceiling at three in the morning. He scoffed. What a coincidence. Three a.m. happened to be the exact same time Kat had snuck into his room the previous night.
He inched up and stared at his door, needing it to open as much as he needed it to stay closed. A yawn pulled at him, and he ran his tongue around his dry mouth. Needing a drink of juice, he kicked his blankets off and tugged on his jeans. Walking quietly, he inched his door open and met with darkness. Following along from memory, he made a quick trip to the bathroom to splash a bit of water on his face, rinse his mouth, then quietly made his way downstairs. Still groggy, he rounded the corner, but the vision before him awakened all his senses and had one body part jumping to attention.
He swallowed. So much for alcohol helping him forget about Kat. And as far as the hard stuff went…well, yeah, he had the hard stuff all right—right between his fucking legs.
Back arched, she leaned over the counter, wearing nothing but the T-shirt he’d given her earlier. Fuck me. What was it about a woman in his shirt that was so sexy? Correction, what is it about Kat in his shirt that is so sexy?
The sweet curve of her ass drew his attention as she twisted an ice cube tray and plopped a few cubes into her glass. Torn between guilt and pleasure, Sebastian stood there, stunned by her beauty and the depth of his desire for her. His hands itched and his cock responded. He didn’t just want to touch her. No. He needed to touch her. Needed to feel her bare flesh beneath him, to cup her perfect breasts in his hands, take them into his mouth one more time…or a million.
For a moment he couldn’t think, then one part of him told him to walk away. The other part answered with, fuck that. Christ, she was the one girl he’d always wanted, the only girl he’d ever needed, and right now, he couldn’t have stopped himself if his life depended on it.
Ignoring the warning bells clanging in his head, he said, “You’re wearing my T-shirt.”
“What?” she spun around, her hand going to her chest. When she saw it was him, her eyes went wide and did a slow sweep of his half-naked body. The heat in her gaze as it roamed over him fired his arousal and told him she wasn’t as unaffected by last night as she let on.
“You’re wearing my T-shirt,” he said again.
She toyed with the hem and rubbed one bare foot over the other. Jesus she was sexy, her every movement sensual, and if he had a foot fetish, he’d be fucking done for.
“I forgot to pack a nighty.” She blinked up at him, and her lashes fluttered. How could she make an innocent gesture so erotic? Then again, maybe it wasn’t so innocent after all. “You can have it back if you want it.”
Dark eyes latched onto his, waiting for an answer, and she made a move to take it off. Was she challenging him? Testing? After the way she’d shaken her ass and teased him at the water balloon toss, she should be a little more careful. He was two seconds away from bending her over the counter and taking her. Hard. Then again, maybe deep down, despite what she’d told him, she wanted him to do just that. Well then…
Instead of answering, he stepped closer and looked over her shoulder, his gaze moving to the ice cube tray. “Does it still hurt?” She looked confused for a moment, and he clarified by saying, “Last night. The wet heat.” He arched a brow. “It didn’t do the job?”
“Oh,” she said, that one throaty word resonating through him as her warm breath spilled over his face. As their gazes locked, he could feel her desire mounting, knew it matched his own.
He nodded. “Yeah, I thought it might have only been a temporary fix.” As lust settled deep in his groin, he grabbed an ice cube from the tray and ran it between his thumb and index finger. She gasped as he slipped a hand between her legs. Mindless to everyone asleep in the house, he kicked her feet open, pinned her with his body, and ran the cube over her inner thighs.
“Sebastian,” she whispered, her hands gripping the counter behind her.
She shivered. Almost violently, and when he inched his hand higher to discover she was bare naked under his shirt, he nearly dropped to his knees. Was she trying to fucking kill him? With no panties to hinder his exploration, he ran the cold ice over her sex. She was so fucking hot the cube melted in record time.
A deep, needy sound escaped her lips as her hips rocked into his. He drew his hand back and she whimpered. Sebastian made a tsk sound. “Poor Kat. Hurting so badly.”
“Sebastian, please.”
He grabbed another ice cube and swiped it over her mouth. She licked her lips, and he dipped his head, dying to kiss her once and for all. Before he could, she pressed her sweet lips to his chest. He grabbed her hips and lifted her onto the counter. Her mouth moved to his neck, and as her hot lips burned his flesh, he widened her legs even more and slipped a hand between them. He slowly dragged the cube over her sex, and her moans grew louder. He stilled for a second and listened for movement in the house. Christ, what he was doing wasn’t smart. Hell, it wasn’t even rational. Anyone could walk in on them, but it would take a team of Miami Tacklers linebackers to pull him off her now.
“How’s that? Is this helping with the swelling?”
“Yes,” she murmured against his throat. Sebastian dipped a finger into her hot core, and her muscles clenched around him. Jesus, she was so close. His cock throbbed in his jeans, and he sucked in a sharp breath as he absorbed her warmth.
“That feel good, baby?” He slowly withdrew his finger, then slid it all the way inside again. She was so wet and tight his throat dried, and everything around him faded to black. Nothing existed but this moment, and this woman.
She rocked against him, her body moving with an urgency that stole his next breath. “Yes, just like that.” He pushed another finger in and her head fell back. “Oh yes.” Sebastian teased the bundle of nerves inside her, and her breath came a little quicker. He pumped, his thumb brushing her clit, and her body grew so tight he knew she was hovering on the precipice.
Her sex fluttered, and he dipped his head. She lifted her hips from the counter, and he slid his tongue over her clit. She whimpered and her hands went to his head to hold him there. Damn, that was sexy.
With the need to taste her de
eper urging him on, he pressed hungrily against her sex, the sweet taste of her stoking the fire inside him. As his hunger reached a new high, he sucked her clit, and she cried out, her body responding with a hot flow of release. He groaned low in his throat and stayed between her legs, rehydrating himself with her cream.
She moved and writhed as he lapped, and when her body stopped trembling, he stood. Eyes still full of lust, she looked at him, and his heart crashed with the need to have her. She reached between them and rubbed his cock through his jeans. Her touch derailed his ability to think with any sort of clarity. Her questing hands shredded the last of his constraint.
“I need to fuck you.”
“Yes,” she whispered.
Feeling crazed with the need to take her, he pulled her from the counter and spun her around.
“Oh, my,” she said.
He splayed one hand between her shoulder blades and pressed her against the counter. The little whimper that rushed from her throat caressed his cock and urged him on. He grabbed her hips and pulled her against him, and she nestled her ass against his groin so nicely every nerve in his body flared hot.
Needing to answer the pull between his legs, he ripped open his jeans. His hand went to his throbbing dick, and he rubbed it along the length of her crevice as he pumped it in his palm. He was two seconds from driving home when he remembered protection.
“Fuck, I need to get a condom.”
“Don’t need one,” she said, her voice a strangled whisper.
“Kat, I don’t—”
“I’m on the pill, and you’re a doctor so I’m pretty sure you’re clean.”
His brain stalled. Yeah, he was clean and he knew she was, too, but taking her without a barrier might be more than he could handle. “Kat—”
“Sebastian,” she cried out, and his body pulsed at the way his name rolled off her tongue. “Fuck me.”
He pressed his crown to her opening, and in one quick thrust, drove into her, burying himself so deep he was sure he’d found heaven. She gasped, and he stilled, waiting for her to catch up. She began moving, rearing back, and he gripped her hips for leverage and slammed back into her. She scratched at the counter, her fingers curling. Pleasure deepened and expanded quickly when she whimpered in bliss.