“Oh, we’ll get to that,” he promised in that deep voice that was a caress all on its own.
I clung to him as I came back to reality. He shifted a few feet over and set me on a marble tabletop. I braced myself, hoping I hadn’t knocked the mirror off the wall behind me, then stopped giving a shit about the mirror when he slid my shoes and then my panties off.
Right there, only a few feet inside the door, Sebastian spread my legs, sank to his knees, and showed me what oral sex could be. There was no embarrassment, no awkwardness. He dove into my sex like a man who loved every part of a woman and, in loving those parts, had learned what to do with them. He spread my lips and tickled at my clit with his breath. He suckled, plundered, used the stubble on his chin to drive me even wilder.
And then, when I was certain I had died and moved on to a better place, his fingers returned—two this time. Oh God. So deep. So confident.
I was climbing that wonderful crest toward another orgasm, but I savored my trip back to it. Nothing that good should be rushed to. Especially if rushing meant he would stop doing what I’d waited my whole life for someone to.
Then . . . oh . . . I couldn’t hold back. I came again, and it was so fucking good I cried out triumphantly like someone making their first touchdown. He was smiling when he raised his face. “I hate to do this, baby, but we have to finish upstairs. I wasn’t thinking when I put the condoms in the master bedroom.”
“I have some,” I said in a breathless rush.
His eyes burned hotter. “Where?”
“My purse,” I said, not caring about anything past having him inside me, filling me, taking this where we both were dying for it to go.
My bag had opened during the drop, and the large box of condoms was prominently displayed through the top of it. “One hundred,” he murmured. “I like the way you think.”
“Shut up and fuck me,” I growled, then laughed at the surprised look on his face. “It’s been a long time.”
He gave me a deep, toe-curling kiss that brought a flush to my cheeks. Then he stepped back, ripped open the box, claimed what we needed, undid his belt, released his huge cock, sheathed it, and stepped back between my legs.
Fully clothed.
Porn-movie hot.
Dirty Dancing if it had been porn hot.
He hauled me up so my legs wrapped his waist again. Two orgasms in, I melted in his arms. I gave myself completely over to him. When he drove into me, it was with a force that made me gasp, then cry out for him to do it again, deeper.
It was wild. It was violent. I don’t know if he knocked the small table over or if I did, but the crash of it to the floor just made it more exciting. This was how I’d always dreamed of being taken. Back to the wall, I clung to him as he pounded into me. He turned so his back was to the wall, and I rose and lowered myself onto him with a force that took him so deeply into me it almost hurt.
We turned again, and he controlled the depth and the pace.
His mouth was rough on my breasts.
His grip fierce on my ass.
I dug my nails into his shoulders and begged him not to stop. God, don’t stop.
We rolled again and again until finally I wanted the release that was beginning to lick through me once more. “I’m going to come,” I exclaimed.
He increased the speed of his thrusts and came as damn near close to when I did as humanly possible. We swore in unison; then our ragged breathing was the only sound in the foyer of the mansion.
For a blissful few minutes, neither of us moved. Still connected, we simply held each other. Finally he gently pulled out, lowered me to my feet, and said, “So how do you like the foyer?”
Without looking around I answered, “Very nice. Impressive. Is the rest of the house like this?”
He laughed.
I laughed.
And suddenly I wasn’t embarrassed that I’d brought a hundred condoms to our second date.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
* * *
SEBASTIAN
Just when I thought I was too old to have my world rocked by a woman, Heather took sex to the next level. I realized as I stood there grinning that no matter where things went with this woman—I would never be the same.
I collected myself enough to clean off, put my junk away, and pick up the table one of us had thrown onto its side.
She picked her clothing off the floor and held it in front of her. My personal preference would have been that she never put her shirt on again; her tits were too damn perfect to cover up. A hint of shyness, however, after what we’d just done was endearing.
This wasn’t the last time we’d be together. With that certainty in mind, I helped her back into her bra and shirt. At twenty I didn’t understand that dressing a woman could be as intimate as undressing her. At thirty-eight, I found pleasure in so much more than just getting my rocks off.
I picked up her purse, tucking the open box of condoms back into it. “You’re a woman who believes in being prepared.”
She accepted her purse with a blush and a smile. “I am a closet prepper, but they were a gift from my friend. I don’t want you to think . . .”
I dug my hand into the back of her hair and pulled her to me for a deep kiss. “What I think is that we now have enough to stash some all over this house. I don’t usually have a problem making it to the bed, but I can see with you I’m going to have to step up my game.”
She smiled against my lips. “Yeah. I’m a wild one.”
The wry note in the way she said it made me wonder how she saw herself. Was it possible that she didn’t know how sexy she was? Did she believe sex was always like this for me?
No man would correct that assumption, but, honestly, it had been a long time since sex had shaken me. It could be good, even very good without being mind-blowing. My enjoyment of everything had waned after Therese, and somewhere along the way I guess I had begun to expect less.
Heather said she saw herself in me—her struggles reflected in my own. I didn’t know how to begin to explain to her how much her words had touched me. She was right; she didn’t need to be saved. She was a strong, independent woman with a loving heart.
How could she not see how sexy that was?
Just then, it struck me that we were still standing in the entrance of the home. “Before we go, there’s something I need to tell you.”
Her mouth rounded. “Oh?”
“This isn’t my house.”
Her eyes widened. “Whose house is this? Tell me no one else is here.”
I chuckled. “We’re alone. And technically, I guess, the house belongs to me. Romano Superstores acquired it as part of a buyout. The family needed cash, and it’s a twenty-million-dollar home, so we gave them half of that and took it. What we didn’t know at the time was how much money the family had poured into personalizing the home. Once you see the inside, you’ll understand how they lost their business. Not only did they waste a fortune renovating this home, but they did it in an unmarketable fashion.”
Interest sparked in Heather’s eyes. “You’ve piqued my curiosity.”
My heart thudded heavily in my chest. She’d piqued more than that in me. “Up for a tour, then?” I offered her my arm.
She looped her arm through it. “Absolutely.”
I wiggled an eyebrow at her. “Bring your purse.”
She rolled her eyes, but her blush was telltale.
Just inside the second door, the house opened up to a large white marble two-story room that was dominated by a spiral staircase that wrapped around a glass elevator.
“An elevator,” she exclaimed. “I’ve always wanted to have sex in one of those. I mean, the books make it sound incredible.”
My cock was back at full mast, and we’d hardly made it into the house. “I’ll have to remember that.” Then a thought came to me, a fun, lighthearted one that I shared. “Hey, we should stash a condom in there. For future use.”
“Like hiding Easter eggs but more fun.”
Laughing, we stepped into the elevator and checked it for the perfect hiding spot. There was a slot on the side of the control panel. She edged one in, met my gaze, then tucked in a second one.
Lord, was it possible to fall for a woman after just one fuck?
We took the elevator to the second floor, where the bedrooms were. “I could describe the first room, but it’s better if you experience it for yourself.”
Her eyebrows met, forming the cutest line between them. “Is it . . . like a red room?”
“You could say that.”
I threw open a set of white double doors. The room was indeed red, but only because it was Mickey and Minnie Mouse–themed from top to bottom. A big red polka-dotted slide swirled down from a loft to a huge red tufted pillow. Icons of the famous couple filled every corner of the room in one way or another, from ceiling to floor to the twin-bed comforters. “I have no desire to have sex in this room,” she said.
I hugged her to my side. “If you don’t make it as a tax accountant, you should do a show on home decoration. Stylish? Who cares. Could you fuck in it? Now that’s the question every homeowner should ask themselves.”
“That show would get great ratings.”
I kissed her cheek. “I bet it would. Ready to see more?”
“Lead away.”
The next room was twice the size. The carpet and walls were varying shades of green. A queen-size bed was built into the trunk of a large tree. Thick branches sprawled out from the trunk. “It even has a wooden swing.” A second later she was on it, testing if it could take her weight. “This is so cool.”
Knowing that the house was equipped with the latest voice-activated everything, I gave the wake word and said, “Night light.” The room instantly darkened except for lights that came on in the ceiling and in strings that decorated areas of the room. Crickets chirped from the corners. “Okay, this room is amazing. Now that everyone has a cell phone, I would be too paranoid to have sex outside, but this . . . this would be just like that.”
I held out my hand. “Condoms, please.”
She tossed me two.
I quickly assessed the room and decided the stash had to be somewhere near the swing. One cluster of leaves made the perfect spot.
She watched me, and her expression turned serious. “Are we just having fun, or are we really saying today isn’t a onetime thing?”
I crossed to where she was standing and pulled her to me. “This house is halfway between where you live and where I do. It’s vacant. No one else comes here. We could use it whenever we want to.”
“That’s not what I’m asking.”
Another man might have rushed to assure her of more than he was certain of. I wanted whatever we had to be based on honesty. If I could give her nothing else, I could give her that. “I want to see you again. Here. In Durham. I don’t care. I like you, and I like who I am when I’m with you. If you need more than that—”
“I don’t. I like who I am with you too.” She went up onto her tiptoes and kissed my lips.
I made love to her in that room, under the flickering stars. It was slow; it was sweet and ended with us naked and entangled on the bed. We didn’t use the swing, but we could the next time we went there—and that was a tantalizing, but also unsettling, realization.
I wanted there to be a next time.
And a time after that.
We napped briefly. When I woke and checked the time, I knew the rest of the tour would have to wait as well. “Heather, it’s time to go home.”
She snuggled tighter to my side.
If it weren’t for Ava, I would have let her sleep. I wanted to wake with her beside me, but part of what I loved about her was her devotion to her daughter.
I selfishly gave myself a few extra minutes of her in my arms, then woke her. “It’s four o’clock. When do you pick Ava up from preschool?”
She blinked a few times quickly. “She’s with Erica, but I did say I’d meet them for dinner.”
“Do you want me or Rob to take you back?”
“Rob can do it. I’ll probably head straight to Erica’s, and with Ava there . . .”
Right. “Rob it is.”
I rolled so I was above her. “So when do you want to come back and see the rest of the house?”
She chewed her bottom lip. “The next couple of days are tough. I could probably get Teri to watch her for a few hours on Saturday morning.”
A few hours would have to do. “Lunch tomorrow?”
She wiggled beneath me. “Lunch lunch . . . or lunch?”
“Wait, is the second one on the menu before Saturday?”
“If we choose somewhere close to my office, I can still have a sandwich.”
She caught my smile. “Hey, I get hungry.”
A rumble of laughter rolled out of me.
Sex and a sandwich, now that was worth driving an hour for. “I’m technically on vacation, so I’ll hunt around for the perfect place.”
Her eyebrows furrowed again. “Vacation?”
It wasn’t something I was ready to discuss with her yet. “I hadn’t taken one in years. Sometimes you have to step away to regain perspective.”
She looked like she wanted to say something, but whatever it was, she changed her mind. “I really do have to get going. Could you text Rob?”
I rolled off her, hunted for my phone, and did as she’d asked. She gave me a half smile that instantly had my radar tuning in to the change of mood.
Things had just been warm and sexy. Suddenly there was a tension between us, but I didn’t know what was causing it. While we dressed, I kept looking over to her. There was definitely something on her mind.
“Are you okay, Heather?”
The smile she gave me looked forced. “Of course I am.”
I pulled her back into my arms and tipped her face up so our eyes met. “If you want to take it slower, just tell me.”
“It’s not that.”
“Then what is it?”
She studied my face for a moment. “If I had an opinion about something, would you want to hear it?”
“Yes.”
“Even if it was about your business?”
“Just say it, Heather.”
She took a deep breath and said, “Rakesh Bhatt came to see me. He told me about his father and how he’d gone to you, but you hadn’t even considered his request to postpone the start of your construction.”
“Wait, Bhatt came to you?”
“Yes. He heard I knew you. I promised I’d say something to you if I saw you again. I know, it’s not my place to ask this, but maybe if you met with him one more time?”
If there was one thing I hated, it was anyone who tried to use my personal life to affect my business dealings. “Is that why you slept with me? To plead his case?”
I regretted saying it as soon as the words left my mouth. I’d gone to Italy to clear my head about what my role in the company should be, and I hated that I was no longer sure. I couldn’t lead if I couldn’t be decisive. As much as I felt for Bhatt, my duty was to provide for my family.
So, yeah, the takeover was a sore spot for me, but I couldn’t explain why my response had been with something as unlikely as what I’d thrown at her.
She pushed out of my arms. “Yes. That’s exactly what this was. So tell me, did it work?”
I deserved that jab. “Heather—”
“Don’t.” She grabbed her purse off the floor. With that she stormed out of the bedroom.
I was hot on her heels. “It was a stupid thing to say.”
“Yes, it was,” she said between gritted teeth.
She strode to the front door and stepped into her shoes. I followed her, hating that I’d taken something as good as what we’d shared and fucked it up.
“Heather—”
She spun, wagging a finger at me. “I feel for you, I do, but I am not going to be your emotional punching bag while you try to decide what kind o
f person you are. If you want to be in my life, and I still can’t figure out if you do, I have to know I can trust you to be kind all the time. Not just when things are going your way. Not just when you want something. Ava depends on me. Right now my first priority is her. I don’t know what your priorities are.”
I would have answered her, but that was exactly what I was still figuring out.
She opened the door and walked to where Rob was standing beside my car. Head high, she slid in without looking back.
I wanted to rush down to the car and apologize.
I wanted her to drive off and for this to be over.
Only after the car had disappeared around the corner of the driveway did I turn and slam my fist against the wooden door. Time away from work hadn’t given me the answers I sought.
Time with Heather hadn’t made me a better person.
She was right to keep me out of her life.
I jumped into my own car and drove off, not caring where I was headed, half hoping it led to somewhere I couldn’t come back from—because in some ways that was where I already felt I was.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
* * *
HEATHER
Walking into Erica’s house to see Ava and Charlotte laughing while Kevin and Tyler crashed cars on a racetrack that was sprawled across the living room floor made me feel a little better. As soon as Ava spotted me, she yelled, “Mom!” and bolted over to hug me.
Life was good.
Confusing and frustrating, but good.
“Having fun?” I asked as I ran my hand over the top of her head and hugged her back.
“You have to see the crashes, Mom. Big crashes. They don’t even care about their toys. It’s awesome,” Ava said.
“Those kinds of cars were made to crash,” I assured her. “They care about their toys as much as you do.”
One car sailed across the room and hit the wall. Well, maybe they cared a little less. “Tyler, be careful, or you’ll break it.”
He frowned. “It’s already broken. I’m trying to fix it.”
Ava left my side to march over and inspect the car. “The wheel is coming off.” She fiddled with it, pushed the bent wheel against a corner of a table, and held the repair up with a grin. “All better. When I grow up I’m going to be a veterinarian of cars.”
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