by Tara Wyatt
“I do, actually. In my car. I just picked up my dry cleaning on my way over.”
“You have a tuxedo in your car.”
“Must be fate.” Taylor elbowed her.
“I don’t mean to put you on the spot, but if you—”
“Yes. I’m in.” He smiled, and when their eyes met, something passed between them, leaving Sierra feeling as though she were floating, just a little.
Sean left, and a knowing grin spread across Taylor’s face. “You’re welcome.”
Sierra pressed a hand to her cheek, trying to control the giddy grin pulling at her mouth. She checked her appearance one last time, slipped on her gold pumps, and gathered her essentials, dropping mints, lipstick, and her phone into her clutch.
Taylor scooted around Sierra’s bed and yanked open the nightstand drawer. She rummaged around, frowning.
“What are you looking for?”
“Condoms. You should put a couple in your bag.”
Sierra laughed as her stomach disappeared somewhere around her feet. “We’re going to a charity gala. It’s a public place. We’re not gonna need condoms.” While swimming this afternoon with Taylor, she’d told her about kissing Sean.
Taylor shot her a challenging look, one eyebrow arched, a mischievous smirk on her face. “Really? Huh. You must not see the way he looks at you if you think you won’t be needing any condoms tonight.”
“How does he look at me?”
Taylor leaned forward, her eyes gleaming. “He looks at you like he can’t wait to get inside you. Like he’s imagining all the different ways he’ll fuck you.” She pointed at the doorway where Sean had just stood. “That is a hungry man, and you’re his feast.”
Sierra’s brain disconnected from her tongue, and she pointed at the nightstand on the opposite side of the bed. Taylor opened the drawer and pulled out the box of Trojan Ultra Thins, dumping a couple into her hand. “I don’t know, Si, these are regular. Sean seems like he might be a Magnum kind of guy.”
Sierra laughed and snatched the foil packets from Taylor, dropping them into her clutch as heat flushed across her chest. Given what she’d felt last night, Taylor might be right. “You’re terrible.”
Taylor winked, and they made their way down the stairs just as Sean stepped into the entryway through the kitchen, wearing a tuxedo that fit him perfectly, emphasizing his broad chest and shoulders. He’d parted his hair on the side and styled it with a bit of gel, and he looked like a cross between James Bond and Superman.
She stared at him and melted. “Not bad for ten minutes,” she managed, her mouth dry.
“Do everything I would do,” Taylor whispered in her ear before turning to Sean. “Zack still coming with you guys?”
“No, he’s going to stay back and keep an eye on things here. Ian and I can handle the gala.”
“Perfect. Have fun, kids.” She waved over her shoulder as she disappeared into the house, probably seeking Zack out. Sierra was tempted to call out, “Don’t have sex in my house,” but decided that might embarrass them too much.
Sierra wasn’t exactly in a position to judge, in any case.
The limo was already waiting outside, and Ian led the way, Sean offering her his arm as he escorted her down the driveway. He dipped his head. “You look incredible.” His low voice rumbled over her skin, and she shivered.
She curled her fingers into his arm. “So do you.” She wanted to say more, but they’d reached the limo, and the tiny, elusive moment of privacy was over as Ian hopped into the back with them. She struggled to keep her hands folded in her lap, but she couldn’t give anything away in front of Ian.
“Don’t be nervous.” Sean laid a hand on her knee and sent her one of those lopsided smiles. “You’re gonna do great.”
She sent him a grateful smile in return, amazed at how a simple touch and two short sentences could make her feel so much better. “There are going to be so many influential people there. Politicians, journalists, people from other health-related organizations…it’s a little intimidating. I just…” She trailed off and tried not to roll her eyes at herself. “I want them to take me seriously.”
“They will. You’re smart, dedicated, and you care about helping Choices. Just relax, and that’ll all come through.”
“If you embarrass yourself, I can create a distraction,” said Ian, winking and easing a bit more of her tension. “Knock over a tray of drinks, step on some lady’s dress, whatever.”
She laughed, relaxing back into the seat. “I don’t think that’ll be necessary, but I appreciate the offer.”
The twilit streets of Los Angeles slid by outside the window, the tall palms almost black against the lavender sky as the limo navigated its way downtown. The bright lights of the towering hotels and office buildings fought against the softer dusk, rising up into the falling darkness. As they crawled toward the Ritz-Carlton, the three of them slipped into easy conversation, Sean telling Ian about his meetings, Sierra asking them if they had any funny client stories they could share—with names changed to protect the innocent, of course.
By the time the limo rolled to a stop, she’d forgotten entirely about her nerves. Until the limo door opened, Ian and Sean stepped out, and she was faced with a blue carpet the same shade as the Choices logo.
“Ready or not,” she muttered to herself, taking Sean’s hand as he helped her out of the limo and into the cool night air.
Chapter 17
From a few feet away, Sean adjusted his earpiece and watched Sierra as she charmed the mayor, a few city councillors, a couple of journalists, and a handful of Choices board members. He couldn’t hear what she was saying over the old-school R&B filling the Ritz-Carlton’s massive ballroom, but it didn’t matter. He was good at reading people, and he could tell the group was both interested in and impressed by what she had to say. Pride filled him, and he took a sip of his scotch, unable to tear his eyes away from her. She smiled and waved him over.
“This is Sean Owens. He’s the director of operations and strategic planning at Virtus Security.” She smiled up at him, her nose scrunching. “And my date this evening.” Sean shook hands with everyone as Sierra continued. “He’s the one responsible for getting me here in one piece tonight. I’m very lucky to have him.”
He was pretty sure he was the lucky one to have found her. Lucky that she’d come to him for protection so that he could keep her safe.
One of the board members, a middle-aged Latino man, clasped his hand. “On behalf of Choices, we’d like to thank you. Someone from my office was supposed to reach out to you, but I don’t think that’s happened yet.” He turned to Sierra. “Sierra, we’ve been discussing it, and we’d like to cover the bill for your security. You wouldn’t be in this situation if it weren’t for your position with us. The work you do for us is invaluable, and we’d like to do this for you.”
“Oh, wow. Thank you so much. That would help a lot.”
Sean smiled wryly. “I’ll start charging overtime.” The group laughed, and Sierra took a sip of her wine, laughing softly.
“So you think the harassment is coming from Sacrosanct?” asked one of the journalists.
Sean tipped his head, considering. “Most likely, yes. I know the LAPD are following up on several leads, and we have our own private investigator looking into any leads as well.”
“You must be so scared.” An elderly city councillor laid a hand on Sierra’s shoulder, smiling with kindly concern.
“To tell you the truth, I am. But I also know that I’m in good hands. The best hands, actually.” She smiled up at Sean again, heat flaring in her eyes this time.
“And you couldn’t be handling this better,” he said, letting his free hand come to rest on the small of her back. He felt her relax into him, and a possessive satisfaction shot through him, heating his blood and sending it all to his dick. One touch, one look, and he was ready to drag her away like a caveman.
He’d been on edge since he’d had to leave her last night, and h
e was counting down the seconds until he could get her alone and in his bed. He wanted her, and tonight he was going to take what he wanted.
“How do you feel about her continued involvement with Choices, given the situation?” asked the councillor. “I only ask because, if you were my daughter, or heck, granddaughter, I don’t know that I’d want you to continue.”
Sierra answered first. “I think that the work Choices does—promoting access to birth control, sexual education, and women’s health—is not only important but critical, given the number of uninsured women in our country. In California alone, one in five women doesn’t have health care, employer-sponsored or otherwise. So yes, the attention from Sacrosanct is awful, but it’s worth it. And if I give in, we’ve let the bullies win, and what kind of message does that send?”
Sean tipped his head at Sierra. “What she said.” The group laughed, and he waited for the laughter to die down before continuing. “I fully support Sierra’s desire to stay involved. I agree that the work Choices does is important, and she’s right about not letting the bullies win. I’m confident that Sacrosanct will be caught, and probably soon. They’ve already had branches shut down in San Francisco, New York, and Atlanta. It’s only a matter of time, and until then, I’ll make sure Sierra stays safe.”
The talk turned to the upcoming mayoral election, and Ian’s voice buzzed in Sean’s ear. “Don’t know if you saw him, but Jack Nikolaidis is here, and he’s making a beeline for you.”
Shit.
“Would you excuse me?” He smiled at the group, mouthing, “Be right back” to Sierra. As he walked away from the group, he locked eyes with Ian and tipped his head toward Sierra, indicating that Ian needed to keep an eye on her while Sean dealt with Jack.
He intercepted Jack about thirty feet later, feeling a swell of pride at the purplish-yellow bruise marring Jack’s jaw, just below the corner of his mouth. “Do we need to go talk outside, Jack? Because I refuse to make a scene in here. I won’t do that to her.”
Jack shook his head, his hands raised in front of him in a placating gesture. “I didn’t come looking for you to make a scene. I came to apologize.”
Sean took a step back, rocked by surprise. “Apologize?”
Jack smiled ruefully and scrubbed a hand over his face. “I’d had a little too much to drink, and I…I shouldn’t have shown up at Sierra’s like that. And I shouldn’t have taken out my anger on you. I’m still pissed that you had me investigated, but I get it. You want to keep her safe, and you can’t leave any stone unturned. You care about her. I can see it.”
“Of course I care about her. I care about the safety of all my clients.”
“I’m not talking about safety.”
Sean didn’t respond, and instead drained the rest of his scotch and set the empty tumbler down on a passing waiter’s tray. “Apology accepted. Sorry about the, uh…” Sean mimed a punch, and Jack snorted out a laugh.
“Believe me, I deserved it. I was being an asshole.”
Sean pressed his lips together, wondering if agreeing would be a trap of some kind.
Jack rubbed a hand over the back of his neck, at least having the grace to look embarrassed. It seemed genuine, and if it wasn’t, Jack could have a viable backup career as an actor if his political career didn’t pan out. “It’s OK. I was. I’m sure Sierra filled you in on the details of our breakup.”
“I got the basic picture, yeah.”
Jack sighed and glanced over in Sierra’s direction. “I didn’t realize how much I missed her until I saw her the other day.”
Again Sean had no idea what to say. So he just nodded and shoved his hands in his pockets. “Let’s just call it water under the bridge and move on.”
“You know, I don’t want to, but I like you, Owens.” Jack wagged a finger at him. “I promise I’ll stay out of your hair tonight, and…” He sighed again, once again glancing in Sierra’s direction. “I know I blew it. I had something great, and I fucked it up.”
“Sean?” Sierra’s voice came from behind him, and he turned. Without hesitation she slipped her hand into the crook of his arm.
“What are you doing here?” Sierra frowned at Jack, one delicate eyebrow arching up.
“I’m here supporting a worthy cause.”
Sierra stared at him, her mouth open. “I…I’m surprised.”
“It wasn’t that I didn’t support Choices, Sierra. I think what they do is good. Important. Valid. I was just concerned about your involvement with them, and apparently rightfully so.”
Sierra opened her mouth and then paused. She smiled and shook her head slowly. “Good-bye, Jack.” She turned to Sean. “I love this song. Come dance with me.” And without waiting for his response, she slipped her hand into his and led him onto the dance floor at the far end of the ballroom.
As “Midnight Train to Georgia” floated through the room, he slipped one arm around her waist, clasping her hand in his. She slid her other hand under his tuxedo jacket, stroking circles over the small of his back, electricity snapping up his spine at her touch. Even with heels on, she didn’t quite reach his shoulder.
“You love this song?” he asked.
She laughed softly. “I wasn’t even paying attention to what was playing. I just didn’t want to talk to Jack anymore.”
“And here I thought it might’ve been an excuse to get closer to me.”
She laughed again, louder this time. “Oh, it was that too.” She looked up at him and slid her hand from around his waist and up his chest. “I can’t stop thinking about that kiss, and, well, everything that followed it.”
“Good.”
She sighed, a soft little vibration, and laid her head on his chest. He dipped his head, inhaling her scent as they moved among the couples on the dance floor.
“You smell so damn good,” he said, tightening his grip on her.
She made a soft sound, almost like a purr, and somehow managed to pull herself even closer. “So do you.”
She skated her hands up and down his back, her body tight against his, and he knew he wasn’t going to be able to wait until later tonight.
“Do you want to know what I’d planned for later tonight?”
She looked up at him, her eyes bright. “God, yes. Tell me.”
He stroked a hand up and down her back, letting his hand dip a bit lower on each trip down. As his fingers grazed the top of her ass, her eyes fluttered closed for a second, her fingers digging into him.
He lowered his head, his lips brushing the shell of her ear. “I’d planned on giving Ian the rest of the night off so we could have the house to ourselves. So many possibilities with an empty house,” he said, trailing his fingers over her exposed nape.
“Mmm,” she sighed. “And then what?”
“I’d pull this zipper down,” he said, tracing his fingers over the zipper along the back of her dress, “and watch your dress fall to the floor. And then I would spend the next several hours exploring your beautiful body. I wonder how many times I could make you come? Three? Four?”
She trembled in his arms, and he smiled.
“I’d planned on making you mine tonight. On burying myself inside you as many times as you’ll let me.”
“Oh, sweet hell,” she half whispered, half gasped. “But you’re not still planning all of that? You keep saying had, as though it’s not going to happen.”
“Oh, it’s going to happen. But I don’t think I can wait until after the gala. Do you have any idea what you do to me?” He pressed his hips against her, his cock rubbing against her hip. “I am fucking desperate to get inside you, sweetheart.”
She let out a soft moan. “Then let’s go find somewhere to get desperate together. Please.”
He smiled and stroked her back again. “That’s my girl. I like the way you say please.” He tipped her chin up to him. “Tell me what you want.”
She licked her lips as her eyes met his. “You. Now. Please.”
Chapter 18
With her
hand nestled in his and heat pulsing wildly between her thighs, Sierra let Sean lead her through the dance floor, weaving her between dancing couples and finally out into the main hallway. Without pausing, he strode confidently down a smaller, narrower corridor.
She tried to speak, but her breath hitched as he stopped and pulled her into his arms. He caught her lips, his tongue caressing hers in a way that had her arching into him.
He kissed her with the hunger of a starving man, his mouth hot and urgent against hers. “God, Sierra. I’m losing my mind.” He spoke the words against her mouth in a deep growl, his eyes dark pools, lust and need shining in their chestnut depths. He pressed his hips into her, the friction of his rock-hard erection dragging a moan from both of them.
“I know the feeling.” An involuntary tremor vibrated down her arms, across her chest, and over her thighs, and he exhaled a shaky breath. Their eyes met, and it was as though someone had lit a fuse, the air between them hot and shimmering. Without a word he grabbed her hand, leading her farther down the hallway, around a corner, and into a service corridor. He tried several doors, and pulled her inside when he discovered an unlocked one.
They’d stumbled into a small, dark conference room. A mahogany table gleamed in the dim light filtering through the door’s frosted window, and was surrounded by leather chairs. They stared at each other for one long, taut moment, and then he backed her against the wall and crushed his mouth to hers. Heat flooded her, her pulse thrumming at an insane tempo between her legs. His tongue slid hungrily against hers, and she whimpered, rolling her hips against him and sliding her arms around his deliciously hard torso, earning a low, gruff moan from deep in his chest. His mouth melded with hers and he kissed her until everything around her dissolved, and all she cared about was his lips, his tongue, his body pinning her to the wall. Hot, demanding lust thrummed through her veins as she moaned into his mouth, wanting the kiss and needing so much more from him.
He tore his lips from hers and nipped at her earlobe, sending shivers of pleasure over her skin. “I want you so much.” Her stomach dropped as if she were on a roller coaster, excitement and desire spiraling through her. He trailed rough, urgent kisses over her neck, his beard prickling her skin as his fingers pinched her already tight nipple through the fabric of her dress. She arched into his hand, biting back a moan.