Take Me Down (Suits in Pursuit) (31 page)

Emotion burned Sebastian’s chest. A salty tear slid from the corner of his eye. And then another. “He’s the one in the photos?” Red eyes stared at her, awaiting an answer.

She nodded. “Yes.”

His heart turned liquid, his erection remained strong. “If you love him, why are you here with me?” Sebastian impaled her hard. “You love me. Tell me you don’t.”

He gathered her hands, pinned her wrists to the bed. His eyes pleaded for an answer. His heart pleaded for rescue. “Tell me you don’t love me,” he repeated, his agony compounded by her silence.

Ashley shrunk into the pillow. She struggled free of his hold. “We were engaged.” She pushed against his chest. “I don’t want to talk about Chris.”

Familiar sadness in her eyes caught his attention, resounded in his heart. Sebastian eased out of her, and sat upright. “You have to open up to me. Let me inside. Let me know you.”

“I… I… I can’t.”

“For so long, I felt empty, lost. You’ve freed me. Freed me to love you. Let me free you.”

Ashley gathered the sheet in her hands and covered her naked bosoms. “Take my body and do what you want. I… I can’t give you anything more.”

Moonlight shimmered off her mocha flesh.
She’s so beautiful.

He turned away from her. “I want everything, and instead you’ll giving me nothing.”

“Sebastian, I’m sorry,” she sobbed. “You made the rules. I’ve played by them. Now you’re changing the game.” Her eyelids fluttered, tears swelling. “I’m sorry. I don’t know how… I can’t…” She sobbed harder.

Sebastian never tasted pain so bitter. “All right. I’m done.” He tossed his hand into the air, defeated. “The apartment is my gift to you for all you’ve done. Take it or not,” he said as he scrambled out of bed.

“Sebastian…” Ashley shot up. “I’m sorry. I can’t love you the way you want me to.” She shook her head and buried her face in her hands. “I’m so sorry,” she muttered in deep sobs.

“Me too.” Her bare hands reached into his chest and squeezed the life out of his heart. As he approached the doorway, “I expect you to continue working with me. Get dressed,” he called back, refusing to look at her.

On the other side of the door, Sebastian fastened himself to the wall. His eyes closed. Soft mutterings from the room where Ashley was held up garnered his attention. His ear pressed against the door. He heard the truth roll off her tongue.

“Oh, I do love you, Sebastian,” she sobbed. “I do, but I can’t.”

If Ashley refused to give in to their love, he would force her heart. He would take control.

Sebastian burst through the door. Ashley curled into a ball, her knees folded into her chest, and she rested against the headboard. He sat down beside her and held out a hand. “Hi. My name is Sebastian Stone. You are the most intriguing woman I’ve ever met. You’re stunning. You’re smart. I’d like to get to know you better.”

Ashley jerked back. He could see the light flicker on behind those bold brown eyes. She met his handshake. “Hi, I’m Ashley Turner.” Her smile stole away his angst.

“Hi, Ashley. What sorts of things do you enjoy doing?”

“Well,” she paused, appearing to fight against the tug of her lips. “I’m very athletic. I like jogging. I play racquetball. I hike. And my absolute favorite sport to play is basketball. What about you?”

“Hmm. Interesting,” he said, giving her hand a squeeze. “I jog every morning. I play basketball on the weekends. I don’t hike or play racquetball, though.”

“We all have our flaws,” she teased.

“Some more than others.” Sebastian scooted closer. “Have you dated a white man before?”

Laughter broke through the anxiety. “I don’t discriminate. Something tells me that you’re not like any man I’ve met before, white, black or other.”

“I’ve never dated a black woman. Black women have always intimidated me. Beautiful, strong, intelligent. You’re all those things. How’s a guy supposed to react to all that?”

“Just like he would react to any other woman.”

“So, did you always want to go into marketing?”

A pained expression replaced her joy. She sucked in a breath. “No! I wanted to be an engineer.”

“An engineer? Why didn’t you chase your dream?”

Exhaling, “I was strongly encouraged to find a more realistic career by my demanding mother,” she said. “She also told me that I needed to give her little brown babies while she was young enough to enjoy them and that no man wanted a woman whose job was more demanding or paid better than his.”

“Little brown babies, huh?”

“That’s what you react to?” She shook her head. “Well, would you date a woman whose job paid better than your own?”

He stroked his chin. “Let’s see. Technically, I’m unemployed. I won’t draw a salary until my construction project is done. So, yeah. I’d date a woman whose job paid better than mine. That is if she’d be interested. Now, about those brown babies…”

She shook her head again, and rolled her eyes. “Do you want kids?”

“Of course, but I can’t give you little brown babies.”

“I don’t want to talk about kids. I’m not ready for them.”

Breaking script, he whispered, “You do realize we haven’t used a condom the last few times.” He swallowed hard. “You could be pregnant.”

She shook her head. “I’ve got us covered. I get birth control shots.”

“Oh, thank goodness.” Sebastian wiped his brow. “I want kids someday, but I’m not ready for them now. Besides, I need time to convince your mother that little tan babies are every bit as lovable as the brown ones.”

She laughed again. “You’d be willing to meet my mother?”

“Yes. I love all of you, including your overbearing mother. Don’t worry. I have a way with mothers.”

“You’ve never met Ericka Turner.”

Puffing out his chest, “Ericka Turner’s never met me,” he said.

They continued talking, watched television, and enjoyed each other. Sebastian hadn’t seen Ashley as unguarded as that night.

“Can I ask you a question?”

“Yes. Of course,” she said back.

“Did Chris hit you? Did he hurt you?” He thought back to their encounter in the elevator. He thought back to times when he had been sure he had seen fear in her eyes.

He watched her shrink and then turn away. “Sebastian, you wouldn’t understand.”

Fever ran in his veins. His blood passed the point of boiling. “Where is he now?” Tempering his rage, he closed his eyes and opened them slowly.

“I don’t want to talk about him. He’ll never be able to hurt me again.” Ashley winced as the admission slipped out.

Sebastian inhaled a breath, struggling to control his anger. “If he ever comes near you or tries to hurt you again, I don’t know what I’ll do.”

She touched his chest, calming the beast within him with her gentle caress. “He can’t hurt me anymore.” She nestled against him. “Can we please stop talking about him?” Ashley didn’t say anything else.

They made love into the early morning hours. She gave herself completely as he gave himself in return.

“I love you, baby,” he said breathlessly, after their last round.

Silence met his tender gaze. Sebastian knew the road ahead wouldn’t be smooth or easy. Rough and hard would be the road they traveled. His determination was strong enough to carry them along the journey.

Sun peeked through the windows the next morning. Ashley rose first, tip-toeing from the bedroom into the living room. Only when his stomach growled did Sebastian remember that they hadn’t eaten the night before. He watched as Ashley headed to the kitchen.

A sound that he recognized stopped her where she stood. Giving a sidelong glance, she spotted the red-feathered friend fluttering and pecking at the sliding glass door. Ashley strolled gingerly toward the door and placed an open palm on the glass. The little bird didn’t frighten.

Sebastian leaned against the doorframe, stroking his chin as he silently watched her. He enjoyed the way her dark hair cascaded over the curve of her shoulder. The outline of her shapely frame shone through the thin sheet wrapped around her.

And then, as if slashing his heart the night before hadn’t been enough to ensure his death, she minced it with her next words.

“Little red robin, I can’t love Sebastian. Chris still holds my heart.”

Hurt swelled inside him, forcing his retreat and he ducked into the bedroom. He had confessed his love, and Ashley rejected him. Pain unlike any feeling he had experienced struck his chest. His heart exploded. A flood of emotion brought the giant to his lowest point and he wilted to the bed.

Wiping away the evidence of his brokenness, a new man emerged. Sebastian wouldn’t be yo-yoed. Wouldn’t suffer at her whimsy. Wouldn’t be wound up to be let go. She chained him and then unshackled the desire within him. An idea began to form in the darkest part of him. As wrong as Ashley pegged him, she had been right about one thing. He would take her down.

Coming Soon

The story of Ashley and Sebastian

continues in Down With You,

the fourth book in the Suits in Pursuit series.

About Lauren H. Kelley

Lauren H. Kelley is the bestselling author of sizzling hot contemporary romance across the color lines. She aspires to bridge the racial divide with provocative storylines that arouse the senses and transcend race, focusing on issues that unite us all through our shared experiences in love.

Lauren began writing short stories in high school, but abandoned her first love to pursue a business degree and career in corporate America. A late bloomer to her true calling and craft, she finally figured out what she wanted to do with her life—write! Growing up in a multicultural family, she was exposed to diversity from an early age. She has always had an appreciation and respect for multicultural romance.

She currently resides in the Southeast where she is an active member of Romance Writers of America.

Visit
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for other titles in the
Suits in Pursuit
series.

Pull Me Closer

Closer To You

Take Me Down

Down With You (coming soon)

Find Lauren H. Kelley:

laurenhkelley.com

Facebook.com/authorlaurenhkelley

Twitter:
@laurenhkelley

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