Take Me Again

by Carly Phillips

  His legs shook and stars spun behind his eyes as she brought him to the brink of climax. He grasped harder on her hair, holding on as he suddenly came, his entire body consumed by the friction of her mouth, the intense pleasure overwhelming him.

  It took a lot for him to get himself together. He pulled her to her feet, pushed her onto the bed, came down over her, and kissed her hard. He thrust his tongue into her eager mouth, tasting himself on her as he devoured her in the only way he could at the moment. Because she’d milked him dry, though he couldn’t deny his cock was already getting hard at the thought of being buried deep inside her.

  Her hands came up to cup his face, and her kiss softened, so his did as well, until they’d broken apart, breathing heavily. He looked into those desire-filled eyes and knew he was ready to go again. He’d thrown condoms in the nightstand drawer in the hopes they’d end up here.

  “Show me,” she whispered.

  “What?” he asked.

  “Why sex is better than chocolate.”

  Before she could say another word, he crashed his mouth against hers.

  * * *

  Ashley’s body was burning with desire. Sebastian lit a flame inside her no man ever had before. Somehow an act that she’d merely tolerated before had become one she’d needed to do for him. She’d had to taste him, to bring him pleasure when she’d only done the obligatory blow job before. She knew she wasn’t particularly good at it, but it hadn’t seemed to matter. He’d come fast and hard, and his big body had shaken and trembled. Thanks to her.

  Now he kissed her hard, his mouth bruising her with the intensity of his lips on hers. But the kiss didn’t last long. He lifted his head and trailed his mouth over her throat, down her collarbone, and over her breast, pausing at her nipple. He tugged one into his mouth, sucking on her until she felt the pull straight down to her clit. He nipped and laved and bit again until she moaned out loud, which had him switching breasts just in time because she was so damned sensitive there, she didn’t think she could handle any more.

  His big hands trailed over her belly, sliding down to her sex. He slid his fingers through her slick folds, his touch an electric wire through her body, arousal cascading through her. So this was what good sex was like. And he hadn’t even been inside her yet.

  She was used to men who performed fast and got out quickly. Sometimes she wasn’t even aroused enough. To her, sex was part of a relationship but no big deal. But this was what she remembered from when she’d kissed Sebastian as a teen. The overwhelming desire. Her pulse pounding hard, her rapid heartbeat.

  The need for this one man.

  And then his fingers were gliding over her clit. Sliding into her, finding a spot inside her that had her soaring. She came fast and hard, her body suspended with pleasure, as he touched her and played her until the waves subsided.

  Then he reached for the nightstand, tore open a condom, covering himself before coming back over her. He looked into her eyes and her heart twisted inside her chest. She ignored it, choosing to focus instead on the pleasure that awaited her, although she couldn’t imagine how she could feel anything better than what he’d done so far.

  Until he slid into her, his thick arousal parting her and filling her up completely. His eyes had locked on hers, and he didn’t break contact, the connection between them a tangible thing.

  “Sebastian.” She curled her hands around his shoulders, digging her nails into his skin. “You feel so good.”

  “So do you. And I’m going to make you feel even better.” He pulled out and thrust back into her.

  She was overwhelmed by the sensations he created in her body, the feelings he evoked inside her. Bracing his arms on either side of her head, he raised his body and began to glide into her, over and over.

  She gasped at the delicious invasion, every thick inch of him bringing her higher and higher, closer to climax. He raised himself off her and slid his hand between them, gliding his fingers over her sex, spreading her juices as he began to rub circles over her clit.

  Her hips bucked at the sensual assault on her senses, everything inside her attuned to his touch, and with one more swipe, she shattered, waves of pleasure suffusing her body.

  She moaned and shook through her release, and as she came, he let go of his restraint, taking her hard, his body pounding into hers. It didn’t take long for him to climax, too, his release triggering another wave inside her that had her coming along with him.

  He collapsed on top of her, his breath warm against her neck, his body heavy on hers. She was awed and overwhelmed, completely taken off guard by the intimacy of the act between them.

  She’d asked him to show her great sex. Instead he’d shaken her up inside, too. She’d felt things she wasn’t used to feeling, and it frightened her.

  He rolled off her, rose to a sitting position, and walked to the bathroom. She used the time to pull herself up in bed and gather the covers around her, just as he strode out of the bathroom, totally confident in his nakedness.

  “You gonna let me in?” he asked, pulling at the covers and sliding in beside her. “Are you okay?” He sounded concerned as he gathered her close.

  “A little thrown off, to be honest.”

  “Was it that good?” he asked, in an obvious attempt to lighten her mood.

  She nudged him with her elbow. “Yes. It was that good.” She settled into him, telling herself there was no reason to panic.

  She’d had great sex with a man who had already told her he didn’t do relationships. She wasn’t ready for one, anyway, and the end of her time here meant she’d be going back to London. It was all fine.

  She exhaled a long breath and eased down on the pillow.

  Sebastian pulled her into him and wrapped his large body around hers. “Relax,” he said, brushing her hair and putting his head into the crook of her neck. “And go to sleep.”

  She decided there was nothing to be gained by worrying and listened to him, drifting off with surprising ease.

  She woke up to the most delicious sensations sparking between her thighs. Sebastian was licking her sex, waking her up in the most arousing, delightful way.

  She moaned, rolling over and spreading her legs so he could settle himself more comfortably. She glanced down, his dark head in stark contrast to her fairer skin, as his head bobbed in time to the motions of his tongue. He licked and tortured her with long laps and quick darts against her clit, finally pushing up inside her.

  She gasped at the sweet invasion, twisting and rolling her hips as he ate at her, waves of pleasure building inside her. Her hands came down to grasp at his hair, pulling at the silken strands as he devoured her.

  Her orgasm built fast and furiously inside her, and when he slid his tongue over her clit and pulled, she came apart, shaking and trembling for a long while after the tremors subsided.

  He wiped his lips on her thighs, then climbed up and over her. “Good morning,” he said in a gruff voice.

  “It is now. Hell of a way to start the day.”

  “I agree. Especially because we have a long drive back to look forward to.”

  She reached for him but he shook his head. “We need to get going. I just figured that was a better wakeup than an alarm clock.” He pulled off the covers, baring her naked body. “Come on. Let’s shower.” His eyes darkened as his gaze slid over hers. “Fuck the time. Shower sex sounds like a better idea,” he muttered, picking her up and carrying her into the bathroom.

  * * *

  Sebastian had felt the tension in Ashley’s body after they’d made love last night, and he saw it in her eyes any time she let herself think too much. He had chosen those words going through his mind deliberately. Making love. Because if there was one thing Sebastian knew, it was what they’d experienced last night went way beyond sex.

  He sure as hell had plenty of experience with the latter, and what they’d shared? That had been something special. And though to his surprise, he was ready for more, with Ashley, she was not. He’
d have to lead her there slowly. Become part of her life and engage her emotions so by the time she was supposed to be ready to leave for London, she wouldn’t want to go.

  Wouldn’t want to leave him.

  But he left her to her thoughts on the trip back to San Francisco, understanding he shouldn’t push too hard. For now, he’d focus on the situation with the business. It would keep her by his side.

  And that’s exactly where she belonged.

  * * *

  The following morning, over coffee, Sebastian dove into the papers Katherine Downing had given them the other day. In his mind, he had a dual purpose to his investigation of what was going wrong with the Keystone contract and the locks they’d supplied. One, of course, was to fix the problem and keep the contract alive. The other was to find out what, if anything, Mandy had done wrong during her time in charge of this project.

  Ethan kept his problems very much to himself, and if his marriage had been in trouble, Sebastian hadn’t known.

  He’d already received a text from Ethan, informing him that the developers didn’t believe the software was the issue with the locks. That left the hardware.

  He studied the purchasing paperwork, noticing one company coming up over and over again. It wasn’t a familiar name.

  “Good morning.” Ashley smiled, joining him on the terrace.

  She wore a yellow sleeveless dress and bone heels, looking sexy and put together and ready for a day at the office. A far cry from the woman he’d had screaming his name last night.

  He hadn’t had to cajole her to stay in his bed, either. For all that she might be emotionally skittish, she must have come to some deal with herself that let her join him in his bedroom.

  He could live with that. For now.

  “Morning.” He gestured for her to take the seat next to him. “Coffee?” he asked and she nodded.

  He poured her a cup and she added her cream and sweetener. She took a sip, closing her eyes and sighing as the caffeine hit her system. The sound went straight to his cock.

  But this morning he was focused on business.

  “Find anything interesting in the paperwork?” she asked, taking another long sip before reaching for a yogurt that had been served along with muffins by room service this morning.

  “Yes. This company is mentioned a lot. Plenty of purchases from Sparrow Electronics.”

  “Is that odd? To buy a lot from one company?” she asked, peeling off the top of the yogurt and dipping her spoon inside.

  He shook his head. “No, but I’ve never heard of them, which doesn’t mean anything. Still…” He picked up his phone off the table and dialed his brother. “Parker,” he said when his sibling picked up the phone.

  “How’s it going?” his brother asked.

  “No results yet. But I have a company I need you to look into. Sparrow Electronics. I need the name of the guy Mandy dealt with there. And I need to know their products are top-notch.”

  “Sure thing. Are you onto something with a defective part?”

  Sebastian ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t know anything yet, but when I do, you’ll be the first to hear.” Because together they’d figure out what to say to Ethan if there was an issue with anything his deceased wife had done.

  “I’ll look into it and get back to you with a name and information.”

  “I’m going to talk to the head of Purchasing again today, so I might have the name soon, too.” He was beginning to think Katherine had wanted him to find the answers on his own without her having to snitch to him with information. She’d handed over the papers too eagerly.

  “What aren’t you telling me?” Parker asked.

  He wasn’t willing to share the burden until he knew something for certain. “Gotta go, Parker. Talk to you soon,” he said, disconnecting the call.

  He glanced at Ashley and she treated him to a reassuring smile. “Thank you,” he said, surprised when the words left his mouth.

  “For what?”

  “For being my rock.”

  She glanced up at him in surprise, her eyes softening as she met his gaze. “If I can give you that, I’m glad.”

  “You do.” He left it at that. “I’m going to have to meet with Katherine Downing again. I think she’s holding out on me.” He placed a hand on the file of bills.

  “She has children. She needs the job.”

  He nodded, having already thought about that. “I’m going to have to push her.”

  “Do what you have to do,” Ashley said. “You have no choice.”

  He treated her to a grim smile. He took in her empty yogurt cup and finished coffee. “Ready to go to the office?”

  She nodded. “Let me grab my purse.”

  Time to find out what the hell was really going on at Knight Time Technology in California.

  * * *

  On their way to the office, Parker called back. Ashley couldn’t help but hear and realized it hadn’t taken him long to find out that Sparrow was a new company that had opened up seemingly overnight. They didn’t have a track record with big companies buying from them, and Sebastian told her that made him nervous.

  Once at the office, Ashley followed Sebastian into the conference room where Katherine Downing waited for them. Ashley had asked him if he wanted to deal with the woman one on one, but he’d insisted she join him.

  His rock.

  She didn’t know what to make of that statement, but she was glad she could be here for him when he needed her.

  Katherine had chosen a seat on the longer end of the conference table, leaving the head for Sebastian. He took it, settling in.

  “Katherine, how are you?” he asked, clasping his hands on the table.

  “Good. Good.” But her forehead beaded with perspiration, her nerves at meeting the boss again, this time in a private conference room, showing.

  “I’m going to be honest with you,” Sebastian said. “Your job is on the line. Anyone having anything to do with this project isn’t safe if Knight Time loses this Keystone contract, so I need honest answers. Do we understand each other?”

  She nodded solemnly, bobbing her head quickly.

  Ashley knew this hard line wasn’t easy for him, but she also understood what was at stake. She was proud of him and how he was handling things. From Ethan, she knew Sebastian hadn’t taken his personal life seriously, though he’d tried to stand up for the business in the past. But she could see the changes in him now, as he found his footing and worked to save the company. He was a man she was coming to admire, something she never would have thought possible upon her return to New York.

  “Good. Now, you gave me the purchase orders for the project and I went through them,” Sebastian said. “Let’s start with Sparrow Electronics. I noticed we bought most of our components for the locks from them. In fact, we purchased the main component from them. As the head of purchasing, you signed off.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “I need to see all the bids.”

  She flushed red. “I–”

  He pinned her with a harsh glare.

  “They aren’t the lowest bidder,” she said, the words tumbling out as she twisted her hands together on the table.

  Ashley glanced at Sebastian, whose gaze had narrowed. “Why the hell not?” he asked.

  She wondered that as well.

  “Umm–” Katherine clearly didn’t want to answer.

  “You picked a high bid from a new, untried company, and I want to know why,” Sebastian pushed.

  “It wasn’t me,” she said. “I mean, it wasn’t my choice.” Tears formed in her eyes. “Please, Mr. Knight. I have kids. I’m a single mom and I need this job.”

  “Just explain it to me,” Sebastian said, his voice gentling. “I’m not here to be the bad guy. I just need to get to the bottom of things.”

  The other woman swallowed hard. “Okay. It was Mrs. Knight who made the final decisions on which bids to take.”

  “Mrs. Knight?” Ashley asked. “Amanda Knight?”
Her stomach churned at the direction this conversation was taking, and though it wasn’t her place to jump in, she couldn’t help but ask.

  “Yes,” Katherine said. “She told me what to order and from which company. I questioned her. It didn’t make sense to me why we were paying so much more for components than we had in the past, but she said it wasn’t my place to question things.” Katherine glanced down. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want to say anything about the boss’s wife. Like I said, I really need my job–”

  “It’s okay,” Sebastian said, his voice gruff. “I asked you for the truth and you’re giving it to me.”

  Ashley knew this news wasn’t any easier on him.

  “Do you have the name of the person Mrs. Knight dealt with at Sparrow?” Sebastian asked.

  Katherine nodded. “Jasper Nichols.”

  Sebastian blew out a long breath. “Thank you, Katherine. You can go back to work now.”

  She stood up, obviously shaken.

  Sebastian rose, too. “Your job is safe, Katherine. You did as you were told. It’s fine.”

  Her eyes lit up in relief. “Thank you, Mr. Knight. Thank you.” The other woman rushed out of the room, leaving Ashley and Sebastian alone.

  He glanced at her, concern in his eyes.

  “What are you thinking?” she asked him.

  “That we need to find out more.”

  She nodded in agreement. She glanced down at her hands, realized she was twisting them together just as Katherine had been. “Right. Just because Mandy paid more for components than the company had in the past doesn’t mean the parts are bad, right?” she asked, holding on to hope.

  “Right. But–” Sebastian frowned, causing her stomach to flip in renewed concern. “The fact that this Sparrow Electronics doesn’t have a legitimate business record isn’t a good sign.”

  She swallowed hard. “Then we keep digging.”

  He nodded. “I need to talk to Greg Munson, our head engineer. Find out if any of the Sparrow components could be causing an issue. The damn problem is so intermittent, it’s been hard to narrow down. And we need to track down this Jasper Nichols and find out what his business relationship was with Mandy.”