A Win-Win Proposition (9 page)

Heat bloomed in her cheeks as she pushed back from the table. What had she gotten herself into? Did he really intend to work or was his mind occupied with the same carnal thoughts that had plagued her throughout dinner?

“What matter?” she muttered as they followed his parents out of the restaurant.

“The matter of your free time.”

Well, that didn't tell her a darned thing. Dazed by the knowing glint in his eye, she gnawed her lower lip and joined his parents in the elevator.

While Susan exclaimed over the show they were about to see, Missy cast surreptitious glances at Sebastian's profile. The third time she looked his way, his eyes snagged hers. One dark eyebrow twitched, telling her he knew his ambiguous response was driving her crazy.

Missy shifted her attention to the wall beside him until the elevator doors opened. The heat of his hand on the small of her back further knotted her emotions and her pulse skittered like a nervous mouse as they bid the group of executives and wives goodbye and settled into a taxi for the ride back to the hotel.

She stared out the window at the millions of lights that set the strip ablaze and wondered what was going through his mind.

As the cab drew up to the hotel, she summoned the nerve to find out. “Do you really intend to work?”

The shadows inside the cab masked his expression. “No.”

“Then what are we going to do?”

The taxi stopped beneath the hotel's canopy. Sebastian paid the driver and slid out. Missy took the hand he extended and let him pull her from the cab.

“I thought I'd leave that up to you.”

She trembled at the husky rumble of his voice. Putting the ball in her court gave her control over what happened in the next few hours. She knew what she wanted. Another night of heaven in Sebastian's arms. Isn't it what she'd been lobbying for? He probably expected her to suggest they run up to the suite and hop into bed.

Not a bad idea, really.

“Why let me decide?”

“You said I'm too hung up on being in control so I'm handing you the power.” He let go of her hand and slid his hands into his pockets. His watchful gaze sent shivers up her spine. “So, what's it going to be, Missy?”

 

Sebastian tensed as he awaited her answer. Around them, bellhops and hotel guests faded from his awareness. His entire being was focused on Missy and the parade of emotions across her beautiful face.

Eyelashes casting shadows on her cheeks, she nibbled on her lower lip while a smile played with the corners of her mouth. Thousands of lights blazed above them, highlighting the bright spots of color in her cheeks. Her body language spoke of indecision. Now that he'd taken a step down that path, she was hesitating?

“Feel like taking my new car for a spin?”

From her tiny clutch she'd produced a set of keys. Sebastian stared at them without comprehension. While he'd been
pondering the joys of taking her naked body for a spin, she'd had another sort of ride in mind.

“What new car?”

“The one I won earlier today.”

Humor dimmed the roar of his libido. “You won a car?” He shook his head. “Of course, you did. It seems you've come to Vegas to break the bank.”

“Where else can a girl get lucky?” she quizzed, peering at him from beneath her lashes.

Sebastian let the double entendre pass by without comment. “Lead the way.”

Half an hour later, they'd cleared the lights of Las Vegas and headed north and west into the mountains. Missy drove. She'd been surprised that he'd insisted she get behind the wheel and seeing his broad grin, she was pleased he had.

She'd hiked the hem of her snug dress to mid thigh. Given that she'd bared more at the pool yesterday, he shouldn't be enjoying the view as much as he was. A couple of hair clips, scrounged from her purse, kept her fiery locks from whipping in the wind, but a few tendrils had escaped her top knot and blew about her cheeks.

“You're looking pretty relaxed over there,” she remarked.

“Any reason why I shouldn't be?”

“I'm doing a hundred and ten miles an hour.”

He was unfazed by the dangerous speed. His only anxiety involved how much of the night this wild ride would eat up. He wanted to get her alone and naked as soon as possible to take advantage of the exhilaration that gripped her.

“Do you want me to slow down?”

“You're in charge tonight, remember? I'm at your mercy.”

The wind snatched away the disparaging sound she made, but he had little trouble reading her skepticism in the fading light.

The sky had lost any tinge of red as they'd reached the outskirts of Las Vegas. Stars appeared as cobalt then became
navy. Sebastian let his head fall backward and stared at the vast space that surrounded them. Leaving behind the frantic energy of Vegas was like stepping into a rain forest. Peace filled him.

A reduction in the car's vibration told him she'd eased off the accelerator. The world continued to streak by, but he could pick out a few more details in the shadowy landscape.

“Are you sure you don't want to drive?”

“Positive.” He turned his head in her direction. “Being your passenger lets me enjoy the view.”

Her gaze left the road and darted his direction. “Except you're not looking at the scenery. You're staring at me.”

“Exactly.”

She returned her attention to the empty two-lane road. “I don't get it.” Her lopsided smile told a different story. She liked his attention.

“Don't get what?”

“Why'd you leave your dad in charge of entertaining the executives tonight?”

“Rather odd for a control freak like me, isn't it?”

“Are you planning on throwing that in my face all night?”

“I don't know. Are we going to spend the night together?”

“I hadn't given it much thought.” Missy's breathless tone gave her away.

Sebastian grinned. “I have no plans in case you're wondering.” He noted the time on the dashboard clock. Nine-thirty. They'd been driving an hour. “We can drive all night if that's what you want.”

“But what do you want to do?”

“I'm not the one in charge of tonight's entertainment. You are.”

The car slowed still more. “I don't like being in charge.”

“Really? I'm enjoying it immensely.”

The car stopped. Missy made a U-turn and began to head back to town. Sebastian hid his relief.

“Why?”

“Because role reversal is a good way to broaden your understanding of someone else.”

“And that's what we're doing?” she prompted, her tone wry. “Broadening our understanding of each other?”

“You tell me. How does it feel to be in charge of all the decisions?”

“Exhausting. How do you do it all the time?”

He laughed. “It's not so bad once you get used to it. And I don't make all the decisions all the time. Why do you think I gave you my house to decorate?”

“When did you become so enlightened?”

“Around the time you called me a tyrant, I think.”

She shook her head. “I never called you a tyrant.”

“You told me my demanding ways were responsible for the company's employee turnover. If that's true, I'm not acting like a good leader, am I? And that's what this week is all about—improving leadership skills.”

“I forgot to ask you how it went today. Is your father behaving himself?”

Sebastian entertained Missy with stories of his father's preoccupation with his cell phone as they drove back to the hotel.

“I'm surprised,” she said as the lights of Las Vegas drew closer. “He seemed very interested in your speech.”

“When did you talk to him about that?”

“This morning as I was checking to make sure everything was ready to go.”

Sebastian drummed his fingers on the car door. “What else did you talk about?”

She must have heard the tension in his voice because she grimaced. “Nothing about what he saw in your suite yesterday morning, if that's what you're worried about.”

“I wasn't,” he lied.

Conversation drifted into less complicated topics as she
negotiated the strip and parked the car back at the hotel. He set his hand on the small of her back as he guided her across the concrete to the elevator that would return them to the hotel's lobby. From there they could head into the casino or back to his suite. He wondered which she'd choose.

“Winning the car was fun,” Missy said as they stepped off the elevator and were met by the activity of a casino in full swing. “Problem is, I don't know how to get it home.”

Sebastian followed her as they headed toward the elevators that serviced the hotel's rooms. Tension leaked out of his body with each step. She was obviously not interested in gambling away the night. But was she up for anything else?

“Max ships cars all the time,” he said. “I'll give him a call in the morning and see if he has a carrier he can recommend.”

“I never thought about shipping it home. I figured I'd either have to drive it back to Texas or sell it before I left.”

The elevator deposited them on their floor. Sebastian kept his hands to himself as they walked down the hall. He didn't trust himself to touch her. Plus, he'd put her in charge of tonight's entertainment. She was in control.

“Why would you sell it?”

“I've never owned anything so impractical before.”

“Maybe it's time that changed.”

They stopped beside the door to her hotel room. Missy regarded him with open curiosity, waiting to see what he'd do. Sebastian surveyed the pliant curves of her mouth.

“Good night, Missy,” he said, squashing his satisfaction at her disappointed expression. Whether they spent the night together was her decision to make. He bent down and brushed his lips across her cheek, lingering to enjoy her tantalizing fragrance. “Sweet dreams.”

 

With her disappointment in Sebastian's chaste kiss thundering through her body, Missy watched him disappear into his hotel suite, leaving her abandoned in the empty hall. Heat
blasted her cheeks. Her hands trembled so badly she had trouble fitting the keycard into the slot. She stumbled through the door when it opened, scarcely supported by knees turned to warm jelly. The bed looked like a safe place to rest until the whirling in her head slowed. Instead, she walked to the door that connected her room to Sebastian's.

When she pulled it open, she found him waiting for her. Before she completed her sigh of relief, he'd caught her up in his arms and strode toward the bedroom.

“Hey,” she protested. “I thought I was in charge of tonight's activities.”

“As soon as I get you naked I'm at your command.”

Sebastian dispatched her dress with more urgency than finesse. She wasn't wearing stockings, but he made quick work of her bra and panties.

“Beautiful,” he murmured, his lips drifting down her neck. He lowered her to the bed, ignoring his earlier promise to let her be in charge.

Missy didn't care. She tugged his coat off his broad shoulders and somehow worked all his shirt buttons free.

“Help me,” she demanded as her fingers fumbled with his belt.

Brushing her hands aside, he rolled off the bed and shed the rest of his clothes. Gloriously naked and aroused, he returned to her.

“Fast or slow?” he queried, his tongue dipping into her navel.

Missy's hips bucked off the mattress as his fingers glided up her thigh. “Yes.”

He chuckled. “It can't be both. That was an either-or question.”

“Shut up and kiss me.”

“That I can do.”

And to her delight he did.

Long, slow and deep. Tender and adoring. By the time
Sebastian settled between her thighs, his kisses and caresses had touched every inch of her skin.

“I could get used to this,” she sighed as his erection nudged her entrance. She clutched his shoulders as he flexed his hips and drove home.

He framed her face with his hands and smiled. “Get used to what?”

As he began to move, Missy arched her back to take him deeper, the sense of fulfillment touching every cell in her body. She belonged to him. And he to her. They were a match. No wonder she'd lasted longer than any other assistant he'd had. She understood him like no one ever had before.

She could get used to having his arms around her every day. Get used to arguing with him as often as they made love. Get used to being the woman he came home to every day.

“I could get used to telling you what to do.”

A
good three feet separated Missy from the floor-to-ceiling windows in Sebastian's suite and the fifteen-story drop to the bright lights of the Vegas strip. The view enthralled her, but the height made her head spin. Seemed like a lot of things made her head spin since she'd come to this glitzy city. The man sleeping in the bed behind her was the leading cause.

“What are you doing?” A large hand cupped her upper arm while his other one brushed aside her hair so he could place a warm, compelling kiss on the spot where her neck and shoulder came together.

She leaned back against his warm muscles and sighed. “Looking at the view. It's beautiful.”

“Why so far from the windows?”

“It's silly but I'm a little nervous about heights ever since my brother Matt scared me into thinking he was going to push me from the bell tower of our church.”

Those sexy, persuasive lips coasted along her bare shoulder. “Why would he do that?”

“Because he was twelve and thought it was funny.”

“How old were you?” His fingertips slipped along the edge
of her bra and ghosted around her nipple. It peaked against the fabric as a bolt of sensation shot to her core.

“Six.”

“I remember being mischievous at that age, but I don't recall tormenting little girls half my age.”

“You didn't have sisters,” she reminded him, losing herself in the sensual fog that filled her mind whenever his hands were on her.

“Why are you wearing this?”

The straps of her bra slipped down her arms as he un-hooked it. Missy pressed her hands to her chest, catching the flimsy material to preserve her wits.

“I was heading back to my room.”

“But the night is still young.”

He coaxed her to give up the bra and palmed her breasts, kneading the tender flesh and rolling her nipples between his fingers until she gasped and closed her eyes. The rest of her senses sprang to life.

Before she knew it, her underwear had pooled at her feet. He raised her arms above her head, arching her back against his torso. He stroked his hands over her breasts, across her stomach and down toward the triangle of hair at the apex of her thighs. She buried her fingers in his hair and parted for him, a moan escaping her lips as he pressed the heel of his hand against her mound.

He found her ultra-sensitive bud and circled it with his index finger. “That's it, let it happen.”

Missy shuddered as he fondled her, breathing Sebastian's name as she surrendered to his mastery. Her lips parted as meaningless words of encouragement poured out of her, and she felt herself start to unravel as he slid his finger up inside of her. He dragged kisses down the side of her neck, teeth nipping at the cord of her throat. Her body jerked in response, cueing the explosion that erupted like a series of deep shock waves through her.

Limp as a noodle in the aftermath, she appreciated the support of Sebastian, solid and steady against her back. In that second, she knew she could face her worst fears with his arms around her.

Spinning out of his arms, she caught him by the hand and backed toward the windows.

“What are you doing?” he asked, his free hand cupping her cheek.

“Facing my fear.” Her peripheral vision filled with bright lights and empty space. A familiar anxiety tightened like a band around her chest. She shoved the panic down and ran her hand along Sebastian's bicep. The muscles in his chest flexed as her fingers traced his powerful contours. Appreciation purred through her. “Feel like helping me?”

“What did you have in mind?”

“I was hoping you could replace my negative memory of heights with a positive one.” She continued to move backward until there was nowhere to go. A gasp escaped her as she realized nothing stood between her and a fifteen-story drop but inch-thick glass.

The arms Sebastian slid around her tensed as if he was ready to pull her to safety at the first sign of trouble.

She concentrated on Sebastian's strength and concern, refusing to be ruled by fear. The sensation of chilly glass against her back and hot male against her breasts and stomach was far more powerful than any phobia.

“Are you sure this is a good idea?”

“It will be if you make the memory sensational.”

The lips that grazed hers wore a smile. “I can do that.”

She felt the urgent bite of his hands on her hips and butt as he trailed his tongue across her lower lip. She grabbed fistfuls of his hair and pushed up on tiptoe as his mouth seized hers, stealing the air from her lungs before sharing his breath with her.

Urgent, wordless moans erupted from her throat as he
lifted her off her feet. She clutched his shoulders, legs parting wide, and wrapped her thighs around his hips as he settled her onto his engorged shaft. They both growled in appreciation at the snug fit of their bodies.

Sebastian rocked against her powerfully, driving her pleasure higher. Missy held on to him for dear life and wondered at the strength of the passion between them. How could he make her so wild with so little effort?

Astonished to feel another surging orgasm ripping through her, Missy called his name and heard Sebastian groan in masculine appreciation. He drove deep into her, his hips pulsing frantically as he neared his own completion. While wave after wave of sensation rolled through her, Sebastian's fingers bit down hard on her hips as he came.

He sagged against her, pinning her to the window. The drop that had terrified her moments before now filled her with delight. She might not be ready to go bungee jumping or skydiving, but she'd make love with Sebastian in a skyscraper anytime.

He stroked the hair from her face and bussed her cheek. “How was that?”

“Fabulous,” she retorted weakly, leaning her head back against the glass. “Thanks to you, I'm now a fan of heights.”

“Glad I could help.” His voice soft with amusement, he kissed her temple. “Give me a second and I'll put you down.”

“Don't hurry on my account. I'm quite comfortable.” She tightened her inner muscles around him and he shuddered. If she'd been able to see his expression, Missy knew for certain it would make her grin.

Her heartbeat had almost returned to normal by the time he eased free of her body and set her back on her feet.

“Come back to bed.” He towered over her.

“I really have to go,” she began. Her proclamation ended in a sharp cry as he hoisted her off her feet and carried her back to bed fireman style.

“Stay a while longer. I'll make it worth your while.”

“Worth my while?” Missy rolled onto her stomach, a mild but satisfying ache in every muscle, and buried her face in the mattress. “I don't think I can take much more.”

“Oh, you might be surprised,” he said, joining her on the bed. “We'll rest a while and then see how you're feeling.”

He sounded so pleased with himself she picked up her head to scold. “You are completely insatiable.”

“I'm insatiable?” He settled on his back beside her, hands behind his head, and smirked. “Who's been having orgasms at the drop of a hat?”

Kicking her feet in the air, she threaded the sheets between her fingers. “So you're a great lover. Quit bragging.”

“I don't think it has anything to do with my skills.” He leaned over for a quick kiss. “I think we have great chemistry.”

“For another four days,” she reminded him. “Then, it's back to Houston and what happened in Vegas…”

“Stays in Vegas.” Suddenly serious, he took her hand and kissed her palm. “What if I don't want it to end?”

She froze. Her entire body flushed hot, then cold. Goose bumps broke out on her skin. “It has to.”

“Does it? Until two days ago, you've had a knack of keeping me on track and calm.”

“And now?”

“You drive me crazy. And I don't care.” One side of Sebastian's mouth kicked up. “I'm not ready to lose you.”

The predatory glint in his gray eyes warned her some shift in their dynamic had happened.

“I'm not sure I understand what you mean.”

“Then let me be clear.” A soft light entered his eyes. “One night was not enough. A week is not enough. I want more.”

Her heart stopped beating. She'd had no expectations when she'd wagered one night with Sebastian. But a connection had
been made. Hearing him reveal that he, too, felt it made her heart sing.

“More?” A second week? A month? “How much more?”

“Do we have to define it?”

Anxious buzzing began in the back of her mind. “I'd like some idea what you have in mind.”

“Let's start slow and see where it goes.”

Start slow and soon she'd be making plans. She wouldn't mean to. It was just something that happened in her psyche. She'd been saving for two years to buy a wedding dress. She wanted to get married. And deep down, where she knew better than to look, she suspected she wanted to marry Sebastian.

Missy shook her head. This thing between them was about passion. Like her high school boyfriend, Sebastian had just seen something he wanted and taken it when the opportunity arose. And as with her high school boyfriend, eventually their differences would drive them apart.

“Where do you want it to go?” Despite every sensible thought in her head, hope made her heart dance. She squashed the emotion. Sebastian didn't want to date her. This went against everything she'd been telling herself to expect from him.

“I have no expectations,” he said. “No need to control the outcome. Let's see where it takes us.”

“And my job as your assistant?”

“Can I convince you to stay on?”

“No.”

He nodded as if he'd expected that answer. “You've been a part of my life for years. I'm not ready to let you go quite yet.”

Sebastian's desire for her might be real, but she knew it wasn't something that would last once they returned home. Unfortunately, she was already half in love with him. Any
more time in his arms was going to make it impossible to walk away.

“And when you're done with me? What then?”

“Aren't you being a bit dramatic?” His lips tightened. “I should probably warn you that Chandra overplayed her hand all too often. I don't like it.”

He rarely talked about his ex-wife, but from his mother, Missy knew Chandra had been a handful. “I'm not being dramatic—just trying to figure out what's in it for me.”

“After tonight, I would think that would be obvious.”

If he'd offered her something besides fabulous sex, she'd have melted like butter on a hot skillet. Annoyed by his unromantic pitch, she scowled. “I suppose you think that's the sort of offer I'd jump at.”

“What do you want?”

His question startled her. Sebastian had fulfilled all her fantasies and introduced a few new ones.

“I don't want anything.”

“That's not true. Everyone wants something.”

“Not me.” Nothing she was willing to admit to him, anyway.

“You have me in the palm of your hand.” Turning her hand palm up, he rubbed his thumb along her lifeline until her entire body began to tingle. “This would be a great time to tell me what would make you happy.”

She shook her head, her heart in her throat. “You really do suck at negotiating.”

“I like to think of myself as direct.”

“I don't want anything more than what I have right here and now.” To expect anything more would only lead to heartbreak. “The rest of the week together and then we go our separate ways.”

“Unacceptable.”

Before she could protest, her purse began to ring. Like
Pavlov's dog, she was conditioned to react to a familiar sound, only instead of drooling, she sat up.

“Leave it,” Sebastian commanded, tugging her back down.

She squirmed out of his grasp. “It's not you calling so it must be important.”

“Very funny.” He rolled onto his side and watched her cross the room to the dresser.

The phone had stopped ringing by the time she fished it out of her purse. “Whoever it was, I missed the call.”

“Come back to bed.”

“Just a second, let me check my messages.” Something about the late-night call gnawed at her nerves. No one except Sebastian would call her at such an hour. That meant something was wrong. When her brother's voice sounded in her ear, she knew she was right.

“Missy, when you get this, call me. Dad's been hurt. We're heading to the hospital now.” Heart twisting in fear, she ended the message and turned to face Sebastian.

He came off the bed in time to catch her as she swayed. “What's wrong?”

“Sam left me a message. He said my dad's been hurt. They're heading to the hospital.”

“Call him back and see what happened.”

Her hands shook so badly, it took her three tries before she keyed up her address book and found her brother's cell phone number. Not until the phone started ringing did it occur to her that she could have just found his missed call and hit send. Sebastian wrapped her in a robe and rubbed her arms while she waited for her brother to pick up.

“Missy, it's bad,” Sam said.

“What happened?”

“He was stabbed.”

“Stabbed?” Her gaze found Sebastian's. She caught concern reflected there. His fingers tightened. “How did that happen?”

“I don't have a lot of details. There'll probably be more once we get to the hospital and talk to the cops.”

“Is he going to be okay?”

“He's a tough old bird.”

She squeezed her eyes shut and counted to five. “I'm going to catch the first plane out of here.”

“Aren't you in Vegas at that thing for your company?”

“Yes, but Sebastian will understand that I have to leave.”

He leaned forward and kissed her on the temple. The tender caress brought a lump to her throat. She sank into his strength, letting him absorb some of her trembling.