In Pursuit of His Wife

by Kristi Gold

“All right,” she said, and then continued toward the monstrosity.

  Once there, Sebastian opened the passenger door and held out his hand. “Your cowboy chariot, madam. Let me assist you.”

  “I am almost six feet tall, Sebastian. I can manage climbing into a truck by myself.”

  “Only trying to be a gentleman, Sira.”

  The sound of his pet name for her stopped Nasira in her tracks. “Do you know how long it has been since you called me that?”

  He winked. “Perhaps too long.”

  She had no clue where all the charm and machismo had been hiding. Following the miscarriage, he had spent long hours at work and little time with her. Perhaps he had turned a corner that would lead to change. Only time would tell. In the interim, Nasira would remain cautiously optimistic.

  * * *

  As they sat in the red booth in the Royal Diner, Sebastian found his wife to be predictably cool. And as always, very beautiful. The white cotton dress fit her to perfection, contrasting with her long, dark hair draped over her slender shoulders. Since her departure, he’d spent many a night in their bed, longing for her company. Since the loss of their child, he’d spent most of his time avoiding her out of fear. Not fear of her. Fear of losing her. Yet that was exactly what he had done by pushing her away. A bloody self-fulfilling prophecy that he couldn’t explain without baring raw emotions.

  Pushing the thoughts away, he turned his attention to the plastic-covered menu and scanned the unpalatable selections. “What do you recommend, Sira? The double cheeseburger or the fried catfish plate?”

  That earned him her smile. “I realize this place isn’t exactly your cup of tea, but I find it charming.”

  “I find it overly quaint and a heart attack waiting to happen.”

  “They do have salads and I hear the grilled chicken is very good.”

  He closed the menu and set it aside. “I will make do with the limited choices.”

  “What are you having?”

  A tremendous urge to kiss her. “I’m going to sample the steak. And you?”

  She laid the red-checkered napkin in her lap. “Definitely a salad.”

  “You should eat something a bit heartier. You’re too thin.”

  “I am the same weight as I was before I left London.”

  “I’m only concerned about you, Sira.”

  She sent him a skeptical look. “Oh really? Where was all this concern over the past six months?”

  He didn’t feel this was the time or the place to get into such a serious subject, and thankfully a waitress arrived to interrupt their conversation.

  She patted her rather large blond hair, pulled a pencil from behind her ear and a notepad from the pocket of the red apron. “Howdy. I’m Darla. What can I get the two of you darlin’s to drink? Maybe some sweet tea?”

  He couldn’t quite fathom these strange Texas customs. “I prefer to sweeten my tea myself. With sugar and milk.”

  “She means cold tea,” Nasira said. “I will take a glass with lemon.”

  He needed something much stronger to make it through this evening. “Bring me ale.”

  The woman raised a painted eyebrow. “Ginger ale?”

  Bloody hell. “Beer.”

  “Sebastian, I cannot drive that truck,” Nasira said. “For that reason, I suggest you forego the ale.”

  She did have a point and in accordance with his plan, he needed to prove himself worthy of her company. “Water will be fine.”

  “With lemon?” Darla asked.

  “Why not? If that is fine with my wife.”

  Nasira frowned. “Of course it is. And I would like a salad with the dressing on the side.”

  “She would also like the grilled chicken,” Sebastian added despite Nasira’s disapproving look. “I’ll have the rib eye. Make certain it’s cooked through.”

  Darla looked somewhat appalled. “You mean well done?”

  “Precisely.”

  The waitress jotted down the order then gathered the menus. “You two aren’t from around here, are you?”

  Sebastian sent her a mock grin. “What gave us away?”

  “The men around here order their meat rare.” With that, Darla waddled away, muttering under her breath.

  Nasira immediately turned a sharp gaze on him. “Why do you insist on doing that?”

  He opted to play ignorant. “Doing what?”

  “Ordering my meals for me. I am quite capable of deciding what and how much I eat.”

  “I’ve always ordered for you, Sira.”

  “I know and I do not care for it.”

  “And you waited ten years to tell me?”

  “It seemed simpler not to make waves and avoid conflict.”

  Did she think so little of him? “I’m not your father, Nasira. If you want something from me, you need only ask.”

  She stared at him a few moments. “I want another baby.”

  The one thing he felt he could not give her. “Impossible.”

  “Why, Sebastian?”

  He could only offer her a partial truth. “You had a devil of a time when you miscarried. The doctor said—”

  “That I am quite capable of conceiving again and carrying to full term. The risk is not any greater than any woman who has lost a child in the first trimester.”

  He imagined his own mother had believed that very thing. “Look, this is not the time or the place to discuss this.”

  She lifted her chin and leveled a determined glare on him. “Unless we discuss it, I will not be returning to London with you in the foreseeable future.”

  Sebastian swallowed around his shock. Not once during their time together had she issued threats. “We will talk about this some other time.”

  The waitress returned with their drinks, and they waited in silence for their order to arrive. All conversation ceased as they ate food that was surprisingly palatable. He spent a good deal of time watching the patrons, when he wasn’t watching his wife pick at her meal.

  Unfortunately, she only afforded him a glance when he asked, “How do you find the fare?”

  “Adequate,” she said and then took another bite.

  He wondered if he would spend the next few days dealing with one-word answers while attempting to convince her to come home. Would she rebuff his advances, or eventually return to what they once had? He longed for the latter. He longed for her. All of her. First, he had to regain her trust and respect, if at this juncture, and in light of his mistakes, that were even possible.

  By the time he had paid the bill, Sebastian worried he had ruined his chances at reconciliation.

  Not yet. Not until he convinced her they belonged together, with or without children. How exactly he would achieve that goal remained to be seen. He knew only one way to do this—by using a tried and true technique that had never failed to turn her into clay in his hands.

  * * *

  “Sebastian, what are you doing?”

  “Finding a private place to talk.”

  He had definitely found it, Nasira realized when he continued past the Wild Aces and took a dirt road that forked to the right. Once he reached the fence line, he backed the truck up beneath some low-hanging tree branches.

  Before Nasira could voice a protest, Sebastian slid out of the seat, rounded the hood and opened her door. “Now if you will come with me please.”

  Clearly he had taken leave of his senses. “I refuse to traipse around in the dark, Sebastian.”

  “We’re not going to traipse. We’re going to sit in the back of this truck.”

  She felt certain that might not be in her best interests. “Why can we not remain in the front seat?”

  “Because it’s a beautiful night that should be spent beneath the stars and the
moon.”

  She started to say they could barely see the stars but the opportunity to respond was lost when he reached in, took her by the waist, and lifted her out and onto her feet. “First that dreadful fight with Mac, and now you are manhandling me like some Neanderthal. What has come over you?”

  “My behavior isn’t necessarily so out-of-character for me, though it’s been quite a few years since I’ve engaged in it.”

  Nasira released a cynical laugh. “You will have a difficult time convincing me that you ever behaved in that manner. In all the years I’ve known you, I have never seen you raise your voice, much less your hand.”

  He smiled. “Oh, you would be surprised what a scrapper I was in my formative years. I managed to get tossed out of three boarding schools before I finally settled down in my final year before university.”

  She could barely make out his smile, but she could hear the pride in his voice. “That is definitely news to me and frankly somewhat appalling.”

  He leaned over and brushed a kiss across her cheek. “Are you certain you’re appalled, or did it perhaps impress you?”

  It had both surprised and in some ways set her senses on fire, not that she would dare make that admission. “It served to remind me what ridiculously volatile creatures men can be.”

  “Let’s find a place to sit before we continue this conversation.”

  As long as they remained upright, she should be safe from giving in to his sensual charms. Then again, he had not attempted to touch her in so long, she could not even imagine that would be his goal. “Fine. But I only wish to stay for a while. I am fatigued from all the drama tonight.”

  “No more drama,” he said as he took her by the hand and led her to the rear of the vehicle. “Now to ascertain how this bloody thing opens.”

  Before Sebastian could make a move to investigate, Nasira pulled the latch and lowered the tailgate. “It is really quite simple.”

  “How did you learn to do that?” he asked, sheer awe in his tone.

  She shrugged. “I’ve seen Rafiq open one.”

  Sebastian reached out and brushed her hair away from her shoulder. “You are truly an amazing woman.”

  “Why? Because I can trip a release on a truck?”

  “Because you are so observant and incredibly beautiful.”

  As much as she appreciated the compliment, she also recognized he had never paid her many, except about her physical attributes. “Thank you. I suppose we should get this over with so I can get a good night’s sleep.”

  Without warning, he hoisted her up on the edge of the gate, causing her dress’s hem to ride up her thighs. And while she made the appropriate adjustments, he climbed into the truck bed and had the nerve to position himself behind her, his long legs dangling on either side of hers. “Are you comfortable?” he asked as he circled his arms around her middle.

  Uncomfortable would be more accurate; she didn’t—or shouldn’t—welcome the close contact. “No, I am not. I cannot have a decent conversation when I cannot see your face.”

  “You only have to listen to my voice.”

  Oh, that voice. That low, grainy bedroom voice that had enticed her on so many nights. And days. No matter how deep their conflicts had run, he had always been able to seduce her into submission. Granted, she had done her share of seducing as well, including the night she had conceived their child—without telling him she had stopped taking her birth control pills, which was information she had concealed until she had confirmed the pregnancy. Somehow he had forgiven the deception, or so he had said, yet she believed he had never forgotten it.

  Nasira found herself leaning back against him, and turning her thoughts to the danger of succumbing to his power when he moved her hair aside and feathered kisses on her neck. “This is wrong, Sebastian,” she said with little conviction.

  “Remember that night in the carriage?” he said, proving he was bent on ignoring her concerns.

  “Yes, I remember.” How could she forget? On their honeymoon, he had arranged for a horse-drawn tour of Bath, which had led to taboo touching beneath the blanket, all leading up to a night she would never forget. The night she had lost her virginity and in some ways, her heart.

  He slid one palm down her throat and traveled beneath the bodice where he cupped her breast through the lace bra. “I recall you were trembling, as you are now.”

  She hadn’t noticed that at all. Her attention remained drawn to his fingertip circling her nipple now bound in a tight knot. “I was somewhat nervous.”

  “You were hot,” he whispered. “I imagine you’re hot now.”

  Before Nasira could prepare, Sebastian parted her legs with his free hand while sliding his other underneath the bra. “Pull your dress up to your waist.”

  The request was both startling and highly erotic. “Why?”

  “So you might see what I’m doing to you.”

  As badly as she wanted his attention, she did not wish to make another grave mistake by giving in too soon. “This behavior will solve nothing, Sebastian.”

  He continued to fondle her breast without missing a beat. “I disagree. It will solve our need for each other. It will serve to remind us how we’ve always needed each other.”

  So caught up in his seduction, she clung to the last thread of sanity, relying on bitter memories to maintain her composure. “You haven’t been concerned about my needs for months.”

  He kissed her cheek. “I know, and I’m bent on making up for my neglect. Can we for once stop thinking and allow ourselves only pleasure for a while?”

  “But—”

  He brought her head around and kissed her soundly. “Let me make love to you, Sira. Please.”

  She should issue a protest, she should be more resistant, yet she had become too caught up in the anticipation of how she knew he could—and would—make her feel. Too sexually charged over witnessing a side of him she had never seen before this evening—the jealous side, willing to defend her honor.

  After she complied, he whispered, “Take off your panties.”

  This time she didn’t hesitate to follow his directive, and after she lifted her hips and slid the lace down to her thighs, she no longer questioned the wisdom in allowing this to happen. After all, he was not a stranger. He was her husband, and she had been without intimacy for much too long.

  While Nasira watched, Sebastian moved to the apex of her thighs and began to stroke her. A flood of heat and dampness caused her breath to catch in her chest. He knew how much pressure to apply. How to tease her into oblivion. The moments seemed so surreal—both of them in the back of a truck out in the wide open spaces of Texas, a warm breeze blowing across her face, her husband’s hand between her legs bringing her closer and closer to the threshold of orgasm. She wanted badly to keep it at bay, to keep her eyes open, but all to no avail. When Sebastian slid a finger inside her, whispered a few words some might find crude, the climax crashed into her, bringing with it a series of strong spasms.

  Nasira was barely aware that Sebastian had taken his hand away, but very aware when he moved beside her. When she heard the rasp of a zipper, she opened her eyes to see that he had shoved his slacks down his hips, revealing what the spontaneous foreplay had physically done to him.

  “I need you, sweetheart,” he whispered. “Come here.”

  She needed him as well. Much more than she should. “You want us to lie down in the back of this truck? I question the comfort in that.” She also questioned her own sanity.

  He grinned. “Who said anything about lying down? I am relinquishing control to you and hoping for a memorable ride.”

  Awareness over what he had intimated sent Nasira’s pulse on a sprint. Every word he uttered seemed to be a jolt to her libido. Every suggestion added fuel to the building fire. Realizing the fit of the dress might not allow fo
r enough room, she hopped to her feet to face her husband. She boldly unzipped the dress, pulled it over her head, tossed it and the bra into the bed of the truck and then pushed the panties down where they fell to the ground. She was totally, unabashedly naked and remarkably ready to finish this interlude immediately.

  With that in mind, she climbed back into the truck on her knees to straddle Sebastian’s thighs. Yet he thwarted that immediate plan when he said, “Wait.”

  She didn’t want to delay another moment. “Why?”

  “Birth control,” he grated out.

  Of course that would be his primary focus, and it should be hers as well. She lowered from her knees and sat on the gate, hugging her arms to her breasts. “I have not resumed taking the pills. I had no reason to do that.”

  She saw dismay in his expression before he stood and pulled up his slacks. “And you should have informed me immediately.”

  She suddenly felt very exposed, both physically and emotionally. She also sensed a hint of accusation in his tone. “If you are intimating I planned this so you could impregnate me, I was not the one who drove here for the purposes of seduction.”

  He released a rough sigh. “You’re right, and my apologies for doubting your motives. However, if you consider our past, you certainly shouldn’t blame me for my concerns.”

  Furious, Nasira came to her feet and grabbed her discarded clothing. “Obviously allowing this interlude under the circumstances has been a colossal mistake.”

  She glimpsed anger in his expression before she pulled the dress over her head, heard it in his voice when he said, “The sounds you made alone indicated you certainly enjoyed it.”

  “Evidently I am not immune to your charms,” she said. “But mark my words, this will not happen again until we come to terms with our issues. And we have several, including your lack of trust in me and your resistance to having another child.”

  He slid out of the truck to tuck in his shirt. “We have a month to work out our differences and reach a compromise.”

  If they could work anything out. Nasira was not certain they could. “Presently I need to return to the house and you need to return to wherever you are staying for the duration.”