I call him immediately.
“Sebastian.”
“Aha, I know that accusing tone. It means you got home and saw your present.”
“What did I tell you about expensive gifts?”
“You told me not to buy you rubies,” he says coolly.
“No, I’m pretty sure I told you expensive gifts.”
“Don’t you like it?”
“Of course I do. It’s perfect, but that’s not the point.”
“Consider it a gift for me.”
“What?”
“I want to imagine you wearing it.” A pause follows, then a whisper. “Touching yourself.”
I dissolve in a puddle of need, and almost do as he says. I get a grip on myself. “Sebastian Bennett, I won’t have phone sex with you. I want our first time to be the real deal.”
He laughs softly, but when he speaks, his voice is husky. “Oh, Ava, it’ll be so real you’ll ache for days.”
Chapter Eighteen
Ava
Sexual frustration threatens to suffocate me the next morning, but I don’t give in to it. Also, I suspect that masturbation, far from satisfying me, would only increase my hunger for him. I contemplate trying out the age-old cure for horniness: a cold shower. Said and done.
I get in the bathroom, turn on the shower to its coldest, and step right under it.
SuchabadideaOMG.
I jump out so fast I lose my balance and fall flat on my ass. Groaning, I get up, massaging the base of my spine. Well, that’s a way to start one’s Saturday. Dressing up is quite literally a pain the ass. On the bright side, the pain replaced the horniness, so it wasn’t all for nothing, though I’m not likely to repeat the experience.
I sling on a fluffy dress. There won’t be anyone at the office today except the security guard, so I might as well take advantage. On the way to work, I pick up a bagel and a coffee, my mood lightening up.
When I arrive at the office, I check if there is anyone else on my floor. Nope. I’m all alone. Great.
I turn on the music on my computer. I work best listening to music, but I always use earplugs. Since I’m alone today, I forego them. I set the alarm on my smartphone for seven o’clock. I know I’ll lose track of time otherwise. If I leave here shortly after seven, I’ll have plenty of time to shower and beautify myself before Sebastian arrives. He said he’d pick me up from home at ten.
With the music resounding in the room, I slump in my chair and start typing away. Bring on the Saturday work mood.
I eat take-away pasta for lunch, an unhealthy portion of carbs being exactly the fuel I need to keep going for another few hours. And coffee, of course.
To my astonishment, I finish two hours before my alarm goes off. I jump to my feet, in dire need of stretching my muscles. I could go for a run; but since I went running with Sebastian, I found that doing it alone is no fun. Truth be told, I hate running with a passion. Or, well, any kind of sport. Why do I have to love food and hate sport? It’d be easier if I hated or loved both.
So instead of running, I dance.
I turn the music louder and start moving to the rhythm, closing my eyes and pretending I’m in a club. I’m actually glad I’m not in one. My dance moves royally suck, but there is no one here, so who cares?
At some point, I find myself singing too, giggling in between lyrics. If there’s something more atrocious tha
n my dancing, it’s my singing. This is so much fun.
“Now,
this
I could come home to every night.”
I yelp. “Jesus Christ.”
“No, it’s me.”
Sebastian’s standing in the doorway, holding a bottle of wine. I lose my balance for the second time today. My instincts kick into overdrive, and I grab my desk for support, stopping short of a second encounter with the floor.
I turn down the music.
“What are you doing here?” we ask at the same time.
“I came to do some work,” I say at the same time he says, “I came back early.”
We both smile.
“I bought a bottle of wine and decided to stop by the office to drop off some papers so I’m not tempted to work from home. I want a clear schedule for the rest of the weekend.”
“Really?” I put on my most flirty voice and even bat my eyelashes. Not sure it’ll help much. I mean, the man did just see my ridiculous dance moves in all their glory. “What for?”
“You.”
I swallow hard as he strides inside my office. He puts the bottle on my desk with such precision that one might think his life depended on it. He pins me against the wall, his lips crashing on mine, his arms slinging around my waist. I let him ravage my mouth, enjoying the loaded heat, the barely restrained passion. Then it’s not restrained at all anymore, because Sebastian’s hands find their way under my dress, grazing my inner thighs, and I begin to unbutton his shirt.
With great effort, I break off the kiss, pushing him a bit away. “Sebastian, stop. We can’t do this here. It would be very inappropriate.”
“I found you dancing that beautiful ass of yours to deafening music. That was appropriate?”
I giggle, hiding my face in the crook of his neck. He smells so impossibly good. “No, but sex and dancing aren’t in the same league.”
“I’m the CEO. I make the rules in my own company.”
“Sebastian.”
“Okay, let’s pause.”
We’re both panting and quivering—about five seconds away from damning the pause, the rules, and everything else.
“If I have you here on your desk, I’ll never be able to concentrate on work again knowing we did this. Let’s take the party to my apartment. We can keep it as highly inappropriate as we want.”
“I finally figured out who you are.” I look up at him. “The inappropriate brother.”
“Only with you.” He tilts my chin up with his fingers. “I had a great plan to take you to dinner and do things the proper way.”
“What happened to that plan?”
“I discarded it when I got hard from seeing you dancing.”
“That can’t possibly be true.”
“Why don’t you see for yourself?”
Without waiting for my answer, he puts my hand right on his erection.
Fuck me
. How can this man be so hard for me?
“Let’s go,” I say in a throaty voice.
***
Sebastian lives in a quiet and luxurious neighborhood on the other side of the city. The five-story building in front of which he parks looks expensive, but tasteful. The apartment itself is enormous on the ground level, and it has a beautiful garden in the back, complete with a swimming pool.
“This is a huge place to live all by yourself.” I look around as Sebastian pours us wine in the kitchen. For some reason, I was expecting to find minimalist furniture in tones of black and gray. On the rare occasions I’ve visited the homes of the CEOs I worked for,
they very much resembled hotel rooms. Cold and lacking in personality. Sebastian’s apartment brims with life.
“I like my space. Make yourself comfortable.”
I sit on the couch. The smooth leather molds to my skin, and I enjoy the cool feeling. I close my eyes, stretching my neck. Warm hands touch
the back of my neck. I open my eyes, peering sideways. Sebastian stands behind the couch.
“You’re tense,” he whispers.
“I need a massage again.”
“I know what you need.” He presses his fingers into my skin and I let out a moan. “Don’t do that, or I’ll lose what little self-control I have.”
“Then don’t touch me like this.”
He drops his hands, leaving me with a sense of loss. I shift on the sofa, following him with my gaze as he fetches the glasses of wine, glancing at me with heavy-lidded eyes. Handing me a glass, he sits next to me.
What am I doing? This man will make me fall completely and lose myself. I can’t afford that; but sweet heavens, I need it badly. I yearn to know what it feels like to have a man rock my world so devastatingly he’ll become the center of my universe. If there’s a man I’d allow to take over so completely, it’s him.
“You’re quiet,” he says.
“Enjoying the wine.”
He slides closer to me on the couch. “I missed you.”
“I missed you too.” He can’t possibly know how much.
“I can’t stay away from you, and I won’t.”
“I don’t want you to stay away,” I whisper. “My contract—”
“Fuck the contract.”
“I was about to say the same thing.”
He sets his glass on the coffee table, and I do the same with mine. He covers my mouth with his, but his kiss isn’t as urgent as the one in the office. He takes his time, exploring my mouth, tasting my lips as if they’re the most exquisite things in this world. He pulls me closer to him, and I climb into his lap. Sebastian drags his lips from my mouth down to my neck. I lean back, giving him better access, and my arm touches something behind me. A noise follows, a thump. Belatedly, I realize the sound was our wine glasses crashing to the floor.
“The wine—your carpet.”
“Fuck the carpet,” he says, and goes back to kissing my neck. “I’ll buy a new one.”
“Good plan.”
I undo the buttons of his shirt hurriedly, enjoying the feel of his granite muscles beneath my fingers. He discards my dress, pulling my bottom lip between his teeth while busying his fingers with my bra. He unclasps it, freeing my breasts, as I get rid of his shirt altogether. We pause a few moments, drinking each other’s bodies in.
“You are so beautiful, Ava.”
He drags his thumbs across my nipples, flicking them tenderly, until they turn to hard nubs. He takes one in his mouth, and then the other.
“Sebastian. This feels so good.”
“I’m far from done,” he whispers against my skin. When he hoists me up, I hitch my legs around his waist, kissing him hungrily. I am wearing nothing but a thong, while he’s still in his jeans. My throbbing core pushes against his waistband as he crosses the apartment. The friction deepens my need for him. He comes to a halt, shouldering open a door, switching the light on with his elbow. I barely have time to take in my surroundings before he lays me on the bed, and then there is nothing but him for me. We could be in the most luxurious bedroom or in a tent for all I care.
“I like that look in your eyes.” He smiles, peering at me.
“What look?”
“The one that says I’m your whole world right now.”
A wave of cold shoots through me, and I have to steel myself not to wince. How can he read me this well? His watchful gaze melts my fears. His eyes are hooded with desire, yes, but also so much more. I trust him.
“It’s true,” I admit. “Now, it’s high time you lost your jeans.”
In the blink of an eye, he’s naked and proceeds to remove my last item of clothing. He positions his hands at my hips, tugging my thong down my legs. Finally, he tosses it somewhere in the room. I push myself up on my elbows, watching him watch me. His gaze travels along my bare skin. This man worships my body—every single part of it. After caressing me with his gaze, he proceeds to torment me with his lips. They leave a trail of fire on every spot he kisses on my body.
“I love your skin.” He makes his way up my neck, pulling with his teeth at my earlobe. His large hands roam over my hips, one of them settling between my legs. He pushes his fingers against each of my folds, igniting my pulsing core.
“Sebastian.”
“So wet already,” he murmurs.
“I want you.”
“Be patient. It’s all in the foreplay.” His voice is too calm, too composed. I must change this. Narrowing my eyes, I wrap my palm around his hard shaft, pumping up and down, relishing the sight of him losing control. A deep groan reverberates from his chest, and he tosses his head back. I drag my lip across his exposed neck.
“Patience doesn’t sound so appealing, now, does it?” I tease.
The next second, Sebastian grabs both my hands, pinning them against the bed above my head. Breath whooshes out of me as he brings his face so close that there are only a few inches between us. The air crackles with tension.
Gulping, I lick my lips at the delicious promise in his voice. He keeps my hands together, his free hand roaming over my breasts. My puckered nipples almost hurt from being so turned on. He circles them with his thumb, avoiding my nubs. Fuck, he knows how to drive a woman crazy. He drops his hand between my legs, dipping a finger right into my core. I gasp, arching my back, pushing myself into his finger. He retreats quickly.
“Don’t.”
“Don’t what?” I feel his smile against my ear. The bastard.
“Don’t take your finger away.”
He touches me again, this time caressing my clit. His fingers circle it until I pant underneath him. This man will turn me
craaaaazy
.