Your Irresistible Love

by Layla Hagen

  “Does it involve any clothes?” I mumble.

  “No, it doesn’t.”

  His gaze descends to my chest then lower on my disheveled body. Since he’s not bothering to be discreet, I allow myself to inspect every delicious detail about him. Sweat dots his upper lip, and I imagine what kissing him would taste like. A little like salt, a lot like a man. Oh, God. How am I supposed to resist him when he’s so irresistible?

  I let my elbows slide forward, flattening my back to the sand, and close my eyes.

  “Do you still want to run?”

  My only response is raising my eyebrows. After a few seconds, I add, “My legs hurt. Actually, my whole body hurts. My legs are downright killing me.”

  I feel his hands on my ankles, applying pressure on the points that hurt most.

  I let out a moan. “This is so good.”

  “Stop making those sounds, or I won’t be responsible for my actions.”

  I freeze, then attempt to retract my legs, but he doesn’t let go. “Let me do this for you.”

  “Why are you so amazing?” I ask.

  “Because you deserve it.”

  I melt on the spot, swallowing any words, and simply enjoy him.

  “What are you doing this afternoon?” he asks after a while.

  “I haven’t decided yet. What are you doing?”

  “My parents are celebrating their wedding anniversary.”

  “Oh, right,” I say, remembering what Pippa told him on my first day here. “Thirty-six years. Will it be a huge party?”

  “No.” He chuckles. “My parents don’t like that. It’ll be intimate, family only. Well, our family is huge, so I’m sure it won’t be intimate by most people’s standards, but it’ll be fun.”

  “When do you have to be there?”

  “In about two hours.”

  “Let’s get going, so you can shower and everything.”

  He gives me a long look. “You really hate jogging, don’t you?”

  “Yes, and I’m not even sorry.”

  The drive to my apartment is pure torture. Ignoring the sexual tension on the beach was hard. In the car, it’s downright impossible. We are too close, too sweaty, and too turned on. At least, I know I am. I cross my legs, hoping to squelch the ache in my groin. No such luck. To make matters worse, we remain stuck in traffic for half an hour because of an accident.

  “Shit! I’m running late,” Sebastian exclaims, punching the side of the steering wheel.

  “You can shower at my place, and then you can go directly to your parents’ house. Oh wait, you don’t have anything to change into, right? ”

  “Actually, I do. I have the suitcase for Washington with me. I’m flying tonight, after the anniversary.”

  Oh, yeah. He’s flying to Washington for a business trip. I almost forgot.

  “Why aren’t you flying tomorrow?”

  “I have meetings scheduled tomorrow too.”

  “It’s a Sunday, workaholic.”

  He shrugs, smiling. We arrive at my place a while later. Sebastian showers first, and then it’s my turn. I immediately spray myself with cold water, but it doesn’t relieve the pressure in my core at all. Only one thing will.

  After fixing the showerhead up, I close my eyes and take a deep breath. Parting my legs, I slide my hand down to my shaved pubis. I moan when my fingers reach the tender flesh. It’s been so long. I circle my clit, biting my lip to choke any noises. The thought that Sebastian is in the next room turns me on even more. I increase the speed of my strokes, imagining he’s the one touching me. I am sure he can do wonders with his hands. Without realizing, his name slips out. As pressure builds inside me, I can’t withhold my sounds of pleasure anymore.

  “Fuck, you’re sexy.”

  A shiver runs through me—hot and cold at the same time. I blink my eyes open, moving my hands behind my back. Sebastian stands in front of the bathtub, completely naked. My greedy eyes want to take in every inch of his sculpted body, but a particular spot requires my immediate attention. Sebastian Bennett has a hard-on, and he is stroking himself in my bathroom, less than a foot away from me.

  “Sebastian, what. . .?”

  “You left the door open.” His voice is low and raspy, and his eyelids hooded. “And you called my name. I took it as an invitation.”

  Holding my breath, I nod, consequences be damned. Sebastian climbs in with me. When his mouth covers mine, the same avalanche of feelings that gripped me during our first kiss storms through me again. I can’t make out one sensation from the other, but what I do know is that he’s filling up a void inside me that I wasn’t aware of until now.

  Need and desperation lace our kiss as he cups my head with both hands, pushing me against the wall. The cold tiles shock me, prompting my hips to buck forward, pressing my lower body against his erection. A new wave of sensation hits me at the same time he groans into my mouth. He unhitches his lips from mine, trailing kisses down my chest, nuzzling one of my nipples and pinching the other one. I fist his hair with one hand, grazing the skin on his shoulder with the other one. The tension inside me grows and grows as Sebastian slowly makes his way down. Very slowly. He stops at my navel, placing his hands on my hips.

  When he lowers his mouth further, I brace myself to feel his lips on my folds, but he places them on my inner thigh instead. The soft touch of his kisses spurs a million sensations. I can’t take it anymore.

  “Stop teasing me,” I whisper, kneading his hair between my fingers.

  “Greedy girl.”

  “Yes, very. I need you. Now.”

  “Demanding. I’ve wanted this moment for too long not to enjoy you.”

  He continues with his ministrations, turning me crazy, until my body seems to be made of fire, sensation, and need. When he finally kisses my clit, suckling at it expertly, I turn to mush, barely standing. I grip the rail of the shower with one hand, the other one still buried in his hair. His lips feel amazing on my slick flesh, his tongue pressing on the bundle of nerves in the center, setting fire to each and every one of them. The warmth carries through my extremities, infusing my entire body with wanton need. Suddenly, I can’t get enough. As if sensing this, the lash of his tongue becomes faster, harder. My breath comes in pants, and my legs are trembling so badly that I’m certain they will fail me. A bolt of heat knocks through me, and I see stars. Sebastian slicks one finger inside, stroking my inner flesh in a come-here motion that splinters me. I come hard, buckling forward from the shock and the million sensations exploding inside me, euphoria and satisfaction filling me. Only when I hear him groan a few seconds later do I realize he was pleasuring himself at the same time he was pleasuring me.

  ***

  Back inside the room, we dress, and Sebastian wraps his arms around me from behind, planting small kisses on my earlobe.

  “I’m sorry I can’t stay longer.”

  “Mmm, you have remarkable self-restraint.”

  Flipping me around, he tilts my chin up. “I have about ten minutes left before I have to leave. When I make love to you, Ava, I will take my time with you.” Leaning in to me, he adds, “I will make you scream beneath me.”

  I shudder in his arms, heat pooling between my legs again. He leans back, scrutinizing me with an unreadable expression.

  “Do you want to come with me to my parents’?”

  “We only got to third base and you already want to introduce me to your parents? You’re a keeper.” I elbow him in the ribs playfully, even as a fuzzy feeling takes hold of my insides. “I’d love to, but I don’t want to intrude on family time.”

  “Nonsense. They’ll be happy to meet you. You’ll like them.”

  “If they’re anything like you and Logan, I’m sure I will.”

  “Come with me.” When I don’t answer, he cups my cheeks with his hands, tilting my head up. “I want to spend the day with you, but I can’t miss their anniversary. I’ll be gone for a week; I want to get my fill of you.”

  Now that he reminded me,
the desire to spend the day with him hits me hard and unapologetically.

  “Won’t they think it’s weird if I come? I’m practically a stranger.”

  “They’re very nosy, so they’ll probably realize we’re up to something. Especially since I haven’t taken a woman to meet them in years.”

  “You haven’t?”

  Shaking his head, he caresses my lips with his thumb.

  “Will you miss me?” he asks. “This week?”

  “Yes,” I say truthfully. God, this man hasn’t even made love to me, but I already feel like I won’t stand his absence. “Can’t you send Logan in your place?”

  “No. But you could join me.”

  “You know I can’t.”

  “Maybe that’s better, so I’ll actually concentrate.”

  “You can’t concentrate with me around?” I tease, rejoicing in the knowledge that I’m not the only one with that problem.

  “No.” He drags his fingers down my cheeks and over my lips. “As of late, I spend my days imagining I’m taking you on my desk, or on yours. I don’t have a preference, really.”

  “Sebastian.” I lick my lower lip, my mind joining his fantasy. “I’ll go with you today, but I need at least half an hour to prepare.”

  “You look great like this.”

  “I’m wearing shorts. There’s no way your parents can see me like this.”

  “Fine, I’ll wait for you in the car. I have some calls to make.”

  After Sebastian leaves, I stare at my closet for a good few minutes. I need an outfit that says I’m happy to be here, and no, I haven’t slept with your son.

  Yet.

  In the end, I go for a light yellow chiffon dress and flats. There, let them figure out what it means. I still have ten minutes left. Perfect. That gives me enough time for a trip to the shop on the ground floor of the building. I eyed a beautiful vase there a few days ago. Since I have no need for it, I didn’t buy it. I don’t know the Bennett house, but I have a feeling it’ll fit there perfectly.

  Ten minutes later, I walk out of the building clutching the huge box containing the present against my chest, a stupid grin on my face.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Ava

  “What’s this?” He holds open the door of the car for me, and I fidget into the seat, careful not to drop the box.

  “Your parents’ present.”

  He jerks his head back. “I gave you twenty minutes notice. When did you have time to find a present?”

  “I have my tricks. I’m awesome like that.”

  “Yes, you are.” He nods as he closes the door then gets inside the car. “You didn’t have to buy them anything.”

  “Of course, I did. Thirty-six years. They deserve national recognition at the very least.”

  “I completely agree with that.”

  “I don’t know any couple who’s been together this long. Did they ever. . . you know. . . take breaks?”

  “They had ups and downs along the years, like every couple I suppose. But I always remember them being loving and supportive to each other, and to us kids.”

  The moment he revs the engine to life, something stirs inside me. This feels so much like we’re a couple.

  “Are we all right, Ava?”

  I swallow. How can he read me this well? “Yeah.”

  “What about your contract?”

  “We’ll have to be careful so Dirk doesn’t find out.” My insides clench at the thought of everything I’m risking. If I lose my job, I won’t be able to afford saving for a deposit for my own apartment. I don’t even want to think about the damage it would do to my career.

  “So if this was an option, why did we wait until now?”

  “Because you’re so easy to fall in love with, Sebastian. I can’t lose my head and throw all my hard work down the drain.”

  “I’m not asking you to give up anything for me, and I know you don’t want a long-distance relationship. I’m not a big fan of them myself. Let me make these four months the best of your life.”

  “You’re sweet,” I say.

  “If anything happens, I’ll move damn mountains for you if it’s necessary.”

  “I can take care of myself, Sebastian. Always have.” I slide lower in my seat, watching him. He’s not just sweet, but also perfect. Utterly perfect. I don’t say that out loud though. Instead, I bombard him with questions.

  “Tell me about your family. Who’s going to be there? Is there anything I should be careful with?”

  “I could write an entire book about this.”

  “Give me the CliffsNotes version.”

  He furrows his brow, as if this requires his utmost concentration. “Mom’s very nosy. My entire family is, but Mom is very smart about it. She can get the deepest secrets out of you and you won’t even know it.”

  “Sebastian Bennett, are you afraid of your own mother?”

  Sebastian laughs softly, and there is a glow to him that makes me happy. He loves talking about his family.

  “Of course not,” he says seriously. “But I have a lot of experience. I’ve learned what to say or not to say around her. You, on the other hand, are easy prey.”

  “Pffft, I can handle her.”

  “You’ve been warned.”

  “Who else?”

  “Well, my sisters take after my mother. You’ve met Pippa and Alice. I’m surprised Pippa hasn’t cornered you at the office already. Summer is the eternal romantic.” His smile broadens at the mention of his baby sister.

  “Tell me about your brothers. They can’t possibly be as good-looking as they are in photos, right? Though, you and Logan are. And Blake and Daniel too, I saw them at the party,” I finish. Sebastian glares at me. I grin. “Are you jealous?”

  “My brothers know better than to flirt with you.”

  “Why? What did you tell them?”

  “Nothing, but in my family, it’s often not necessary to say something out loud. They catch the drift quickly. The other twin set will also be there. They flew in yesterday.”

  We arrive at our destination half an hour later. I’m mesmerized, hardly believing that we’re only seventy miles away from San Francisco. There is a thick forest beyond the double gates in front of us, an oasis of green tinted with brown.

  “This place is huge, isn’t it?”

  “It is.” He grins proudly.

  The double gates open as soon as we approach, and we enter the woods. We drive on the paved road for a few minutes before the trees thin out and the edges of a clearing come into view.

  In the distance, I spot a three-story house with a cream-colored facade and red tile roof. The sheer number of people milling in the garden in front of the house shocks me.

  “How big is your family?”

  “Dad has five brothers, Mom four. Everyone was busy making kids. We’re a big and crazy clan. You have been warned,” he says, before sliding out of the car. I follow suit, too excited to wait for him to open the door.

  “Let’s go say hi to my parents first.”

  I feel a tad ridiculous carrying the huge box in my hands, and I attract curious stares.

  “Mom, Dad,” Sebastian says when we arrive in front of an older couple. He has his mother’s eyes, but his father’s strong bone structure. “This is Ava. She’s from New York and is working with us for a few months. She doesn’t know anyone around here, so I thought I’d introduce her to our crazy family.”

  “Congratulations on your anniversary.” I blush at Sebastian’s introduction. “I bought you something.” I put the present on a nearby table, with a pile of other presents.

  “You shouldn’t have bothered,” Mrs. Bennett says warmly.

  “It’s my pleasure. I hope I won’t intrude too much today.”

  “We’re happy to meet you, dear.” His mom pulls me into a hug. I’m surprised, but I welcome it, and hug her back as tightly. She smells so. . . motherly. Not just feminine, but motherly, as if the act of spreading love is deeply ingrained in her nature.
I absorb all of that. I received a lot of hugs from my mom, and I’ve missed the warmth of a mother figure so much since her death.

  We chitchat for a while, and then his parents excuse themselves to mingle with other guests.

  “Are you going to introduce me to everyone?” I ask.

  “That’ll take the entire day. I’ll introduce you to my siblings.”

  “It’s wonderful that you’re all here.”

  “Yes. Speak of the devil. . .” He points to two men in front us, each holding a glass of whiskey.

  “Ava, these are Daniel and Blake.”

  “Fancy seeing you here,” Blake says, as if we’ve known each other forever.

  “We’ve heard about you from Logan,” Daniel adds.

  “The party brothers,” I say. “I saw you two at the launch party.”

  “Oh, why didn’t you come talk to us?”

  “You were busy talking to the press.”

  “Someone has to,” Daniel says, unaffected. Blake raises his glass, as if drinking to Daniel’s words.

  “Then you disappeared,” Pippa says, appearing next to us. “I saw you in the beginning, and at the end. Where were you during the show?”

  I try to keep a straight face as she looks from Sebastian to me. The art of wordless communication was perfected in this family.

  “I was around,” I say vaguely.

  “Ah, here is the other set of twins,” Blake says, gesturing behind me. I whirl on my heels. Where Blake and Daniel look completely different, Christopher and Max are identical twins. It was obvious in the photos I saw, but I thought I’d be able to tell them apart if I faced them. As they come to a halt in front of me, I give up trying to spot differences. There aren’t any. They both have jet-black hair, dark eyes, and well-built physiques.

  Sebastian introduces me, and Blake says, “Ava, you’ve met the party brothers,” he gestures at Daniel and himself, “now meet the serious brothers.”

  Christopher and Max crack identical grins at their nickname.

  “God, I missed being home,” Max says, while Christopher nods.

  “We weren’t always so serious,” Christopher explains.

  “That’s true, you pranked everyone.” Pippa wiggles between Christopher and Max and elbows them both in the ribs.