Scarlett Red: A Billionaire SEAL Story, Part 2 (In the Shadows) (17 page)

He looks at me, the tension in his body less pronounced but still there. “My tenacity goes hand-in-hand with my instincts. The two have never steered me wrong. When I go after something I want, I don’t give up until I succeed.”

I’m almost afraid to ask, but I need to know. “And what do you do with acquisitions that turn out not to be as big a prize as you first thought?”

His lips curl upward in a predatory smile. “If I take the time, it was worth the effort in the first place.”

I glance away.
You would look at me differently if you knew everything I’ve done.

Hooking his finger on my chin, he turns my face back to his. “I’m the one who showed up at the coffee shop. I won’t let you chicken out this time.” Glancing around the steamy room, he continues, “The last place I want to have sex with you is on this wooden bench. I want you in my own space with lots of time to indulge, but I have morning flight runs to make, starting in less than an hour.” He runs his fingers through my hair, pulling the strands forward and over my breasts. “So beautiful,” he murmurs before his eyes snap to mine, full of renewed intensity. “Have dinner with me later.”

When I nod, he sets his forehead against mine, exhaling deeply. “Be ready at four. Wear something casual. I’ll come by your room to get you.”

“Four’s kind of early for dinner, isn’t it?”

He presses a kiss to my forehead. “Not for the plans I have.”

Intrigued, I smile and start to kiss him, but he shakes his head. Jaw tensing, he traces his thumb across my bottom lip. “When I kiss this sassy mouth of yours, I’m not going to stop until I’m balls deep and you’re coming all over me. Got it?”

Breathless, I hold his gaze and kiss his thumb. When his bright blue eyes shift to turquoise, I slide my lips down his thumb all the way to the base, humming my understanding.

His eyes turn stormy as he folds his other fingers around my jaw. Sliding his thumb under my tongue, he cups my face in a possessive hold and rasps against my ear, “You’re going to find out later what happens when you push my buttons.”

The primal rawness in his voice sends a shiver racing through me. I release his thumb with a wet smack, then kiss the tip. “So glad to know I have something to look forward to.”

He lets out a low chuckle and nips at my ear, just hard enough to make me clench in anticipation. “When you’re writhing and begging me to let you come,” he says in a sinful tone, “Just remember, you asked for it.”

“D
inner was superb, and then Dan took me to this dance club over in Chappaquiddick.” Cynthia takes the last bite of her lunch croissant, her long eyelashes fluttering in excitement.

“It sounds like you had a great evening,” I say, taking a sip of my peach tea.

Her blonde curls bob. “It was a fantastic night. I can’t wait to see him later today. What about you? Did you find your perfect match at the ball last night?” Snickering, she waggles her eyebrows. “Do tell. I’m sure those leg cramps didn’t come from nothing…”

Just when I start to speak, my phone rings.

Glancing up as I pull my phone out of my purse, I see Nathan across the room waving and pointing to his phone.

“Excuse me for a second, Cynthia. It’s business.” I quickly put my phone to my ear. “Did you talk to Stan?”

“He’s calling me back in ten minutes. Can you end your lunch early and come over here? It looks like the lunch crowd is clearing and we’ll have the room to ourselves in time for a conference call with Stan.”

“I can talk to him on my own, Nathan.”

“Yeah, but I’ve worked with him longer than you have. I can help. Just let me, okay?”

“All right,” I say on a sigh. “Just give me a few minutes.”

Nodding, he hangs up.

I smile at Cynthia. “I’m sorry, Cynthia, but I have a meeting I need to attend.”

Her mouth purses in a slight pout. “But I thought you were on vacation. You’re not supposed to be working.”

Her comment makes me smile. “Well, technically this is in relation to another job I’m considering.”

Blonde eyebrows shoot up. “Oh, what do you do?”

“I solve mysteries with words.”

She laughs. “Ooh, so cryptic.”

I snicker. “I’m an author, but this job will be in addition to that. I really need to go to a meeting with an old work colleague who happens to be here this weekend.”

“I understand.” Sighing, she puts some cash down for her bill, then stands. “At some point I hope you and I can have some fun girl time together like we did when you first got here.”

I stand as well and smile. “Definitely.”

Nodding, she slides her purse on her shoulder. “Dan and I have plans the rest of the day. Ooh, I know, how about you and I go walking on the beach tomorrow? Maybe watch the sunrise or, depending on how well my evening with Dan goes, the sunset?” she finishes as she backs away, a wide grin on her face.

Laughing at her cheeky smile, I wave her on. “Sounds like a plan.”

On my way over to Nathan’s table, I overhear three ladies chatting excitedly. My steps falter as a familiar name bleeds through.

“—pilot, Bash?” the thin, mousy-faced woman addresses a blonde and a brunette. I slow my quick pace as she continues talking. “I passed him in the hall on his way out to the helipad. That man was all kinds of sexy before, but have you seen him since he cut his hair and shaved his beard?”

“Bash shaved his beard?” the woman with long black hair asks, then snickers. “I liked him a bit scruffy. That tells me a man doesn’t mind getting dirty.”

“And he cut his hair?” the other woman chimes in. “This I have to see for myself. Maybe I’ll book a flight lesson just so he’ll have to strap me in all nice and tight,” she says with a high-pitched titter.

“All I know is that man is fine,” the first woman says. “And I don’t know why, but now his gorgeous eyes appear even bluer.”

Setting my jaw, I resume my normal pace and make my way over to Nathan.

After an hour of back and forth with Stan, Human Resources, and other upper-level management, I finally agree to return to the Tribune, but only after my book is turned in. While they wait for me to return full-time, Stan asks me to do some preliminary background research for a few projects he has in mind. I agree to handle the research while working on my book.

And because the position needs to be filled now—or it’ll be axed with the next quarterly budget review—the Tribune is putting me on salary starting next week. For once, bureaucratic red tape works in my favor.

While I finish up the details with Stan, Nathan waits patiently.

As soon as I hang up, Nathan sets a glass of white wine in front of me. Holding his own glass up, he says, “Congratulations and welcome back, Talia.”

When I raise my eyebrow, he says, “Come on. This is worth celebrating.”

He did just help make it happen. Having a glass of wine with him only seems fair. I pick up my glass and tilt it toward him. “Thank you for talking to Stan for me.”

“I’m just happy to have you back,” he says, tapping his glass to mine.

It’s on the tip of my tongue to remind him that
he
doesn’t have me back, but saying anything at this point would be petty, so I let his comment slide and take a sip of my wine.

Twenty minutes later, I enter my room and start to head for the closet to pick out something nice for my dinner with Sebastian, when I notice my bed is in a weird state of being stripped, with the comforter and top sheet pulled off and at the end of the bed. Shaking my head at my partially made bed, I walk into the bathroom to double check before I dial the front desk.

“How may I help you, Miss Lone?”

“Hi, I can tell that I’ve had room service, because I have fresh towels, but for some reason the maid started to change the sheets on my bed, yet didn’t finish. Would it be possible for her to do it while I’m gone? I’ll be out of the room in an hour.”

“My apologies, Miss Lone. Yes, we’ll be sure to take care of that for you. If you need anything else, don’t hesitate to ask.”

With that out of the way, I turn to the closet and expel a nervous breath as I slide each piece of clothes across the bar with a critical eye.
I wish Sebastian would’ve told me where we’re going.

As soon as Sebastian knocks, I quickly slip out of my room and close the door behind me.

He peruses me with a wicked smile, then puts his hand on the door above my head and steps close. “Are you in a hurry, Miss Lone?”

Thankful I’d worn heels so he wouldn’t completely tower over me, I take in the open collar of his crisp medium blue dress shirt and slate gray suit, loving that he’d gone without a tie. Even though he’s adopted a more casual look, Sebastian’s very presence—from his arousing masculine scent, to the charisma he exudes, to his striking blue eyes assessing every inch of me—screams dominance. He’s very much the predator measuring his prey’s worth before staking his claim.

And I want to be staked so bad I can’t stand it.

“My room isn’t clean right now,” I breathe out. “The maid left my bed in a bigger mess than it was when I got up.”

Lifting a curled end to my hair to his nose, he inhales, his eyes turning darker. “Messy can be fun.”

I swallow and force myself not to imagine Sebastian’s idea of “messy fun.” Otherwise I’m sure my face will turn bright red. “I thought you had a timeframe you wanted to keep.”

He releases my hair and slides a finger down my throat to the V the emerald green wraparound dress creates between my breasts. “Sexy casual suits you.”

I feel my face start to warm and let out a nervous laugh, tapping his unbuttoned collar. “Back at you, but why do I have a feeling yours is just for show?”

Sliding his hand down my body, he slips his fingers behind the matching silk wraparound belt at my waist and yanks me close to whisper in my ear. “Clothes are only trappings that when stripped away reveal the true beast in us all.”

As my breathing ramps, he runs his lips along my cheek until his mouth hovers over mine. “And because nothing about us has
ever
been casual.”

His mesmerizing eyes hold me in place, and my stomach clenches as I wait for him to press his mouth to mine and end the torture. Instead, he releases my belt and brushes his knuckles along my cheek, murmuring with a dark chuckle, “And
this
suits you even more.”