“I… uh…” Words seemed impossible.
“Because that wasn’t really what I had in mind.” He was standing right in front of me now. I was trapped, backed up against a bookcase.
“No?” My voice was squeaky and unnatural.
The close proximity to him was doing strange things to me. Warmth pooled in my panties again. I was suddenly aware I hadn’t even showered since our encounter in the elevator. Oh god. That needed to be fixed right away.
“No.” He put his hands on my shoulders and leaned right into my face. I froze. “I don’t intend to be your one night stand, Finola Malley. I’ve had plenty of those and I don’t have a vacancy for another.”
I stared at him, barely understanding his words. His sheer beauty struck me like a thunderbolt. Cheekbones, glittering blue jewel eyes and a body that could make a grown woman weep with longing. I could look at this man all day.
“Do you have a shower?”
I snapped back to reality.
“A shower?”
“Don’t tell me. You and your roommate take turns huddling round a candle with a pitcher of water and sponge yourselves down.”
“We’re poor, not time-traveling Victorians. Yes, of course we have a shower.”
I guided him out of the room towards the bathroom and opened the door. There were clean towels in there. Phew. I looked back to see him smiling at me and it made my stomach flip over.
I refused to let myself contemplate exactly why he’d want to use the shower in my home instead of one his own, probably multiple, probably incredible, showers. But if that’s what he wanted, he was welcome to it.
“Wait, where are you going?” He stopped me with a firm hand on my arm.
“I, uh… I’ll just…”
“You’re the host. It’d be rude to neglect your duties to your guest,” he rumbled in his deep voice. With a sharp grab of my wrist, he pulled me into the bathroom with him and shut and bolted the door behind us.
I gasped. “But we can’t…”
Sebastian grasped both my wrists in just one of his powerful hands and slammed them up above my head, right against the locked door. He kissed me full on the mouth, his tongue aggressive and searching. His free hand glided all over me, caressing and squeezing wherever he felt the urge.
He had me cornered. I submitted to the sheer force of his will, crackles of desire pulsating through every cell of my body.
Sebastian broke away to look me up and down, eyes hungry and fierce. I shivered.
“But what if -”
“Stop talking,” he ordered.
I did as I was told.
With a single swipe of his hand, he ripped my dress and tore it aside, exposing my one good lacy bra. He couldn’t even slow down enough to take it off properly, tearing it down with one hand and easing out my breast with the other.
As he set to work sucking and licking at my firm nipple, a moan escaped me. He put his hand over my mouth and straightened up. Deft fingers squeezed and tweaked my nipple as he spoke.
“No noise. No talking. No screaming, no matter how exquisite the sensation or how much you want to shout about it. We’re going to get in the shower right now and crank it up to whatever the highest setting is on this thing. Then I’m going to fuck you, Finola Malley. I’m going to fuck you hard and you’re going to come hard with my cock deep inside you. And you’re going to do it without making a single sound. Do you understand?”
I was so wet now, I could hardly hold it together long enough for him to get me in the shower. I simply nodded, my eyes wide and my pussy throbbing.
He undressed me swiftly, paying no attention to buttons or fastenings. My dress was a shred of scrap fabric by the time he’d finished with it.
Once I was naked, he stepped back a few inches and held my shoulders, looking me up and down. I cowered beneath his scrutiny, wishing he’d switch the light off or let me drape a robe over myself, like I had every other time a man was anywhere near me.
He refused all my attempts to move away from his gaze.
“Jesus,” he breathed, holding me at arm’s length and taking in every inch of me. “You’re even sexier than I thought you’d be. I can’t wait another second. Get in the shower now.”
I stumbled in and Sebastian steadied me, ensuring I didn’t fall. He found shower gel on the chrome wire shelf and squirted jets of it across my breasts and stomach. With sweeping strokes, he massaged it in, feeling his way round my body and caressing every inch. His hands slid over my thighs and then my pussy, slipping the lemony gel everywhere until my skin was vibrating with desire.
He smoothed the gel over my buttocks next and grunted his approval when his hands met the soft flesh. I took some of the gel and directed it to his six-pack abs and the hard dips next to his hips.
As I swept my hands across him, the muscles beneath my hands rippled and flexed. His cock danced upwards until it batted his belly, red and furious-looking.
He pulled me closer to him, pressing his pelvis against me and guiding one of my legs round his. I fought the urge to moan when his hands dipped back between my legs, gliding back and forth across my pussy lips with the slippery shower gel. I knew I wasn’t supposed to make a sound. But it was such hard work not to yell out.
He slipped one finger inside me, then two, rubbing my clit all the while with his thumb. My hips bucked and I rode his hands in ecstasy, loving the feeling of his strong fingers inside me. I let my head fall back and closed my eyes, lost in the feeling.
Then he whipped his hands away. I wanted to shout out, to protest, but I didn’t dare make a noise. I was right on the edge of orgasm and he had denied me. I was his to do with as he wanted and he made that very clear.
Giving up control made me all the more turned on. The feelings inside me were like a forest fire. I squirmed with the need for release.
As he reached down to kiss me again, our bodies pressed close together. His cock sought me out, urgent and frantic. I reached down to stroke its hard length and pumped it slowly, feeling it rear and twitch in my grasp. My fingertips gently traced its outline, smearing its glossy juice all over.
Sebastian’s face was intense as he looked deep into my eyes.
“Turn around,” he growled. “I want to see how that beautiful ass shakes while I fuck you for the very first time.”
I did as he asked. I probably would have done anything at that point. My core radiated heat, desperate to feel him inside me.
His hands grabbed mine and slapped them against the tiled wall. Then I heard a crackle of cellophane.
He must have brought condoms with him from the office. That means he knew he’d get lucky. The arrogant…
“Oh!”
I gasped as he pushed into me from behind, gently at first. He was so much bigger than I had ever experienced before. But I knew I must be turned on enough to take him. I was so wet, he was able to ease himself in with a few strokes. It was a stretch, but as he buffed my clit with his hand, the immediate burning, stretching sensation vanished.
After a few minutes, it was replaced with the ripples of my approaching climax.
He slammed himself into me harder and harder, until I had to push back on the tiles with my arms or risk banging my head on the wall. His free hand grabbed my breasts and he buried his face in my neck.
“God yes, Finola,” he snarled. “Oh yes. I’m going to… I’m…”
That was all I needed. With a forbidden shout, my orgasm exploded across my whole body like a meteor storm. Sebastian clamped his hand across my mouth and I yelled my howls of pleasure into his palm.
My pussy clenched around his hard cock again and again, until at last he shoved himself so deep inside me I wondered if he might burst out the other side. He gripped my hips tightly and came inside me, muttering filthy words into my ear as his cock emptied inside me.
At last, we slumped panting against the wall, still locked together. I felt somehow lighter and happier, as though some universal wrong had been corrected.
>
Because our mutual passion was so violent and intense, Sebastian kissing my neck and collarbone tenderly while still inside me made me gasp.
He withdrew at last, holding onto the base of the condom, which he carefully knotted and tossed onto his pile of clothes. Then he turned me round to face him.
“Kiss me, Finola Malley.”
I was happy to obey this command, like all the others.
His lips met mine and he pulled me towards him, one hand entwined in my hair and the other on my ass. We kissed slowly, sensually, in no hurry at all this time. I clasped the back of his neck, tracing his hairline. His jaw was slightly scratchy against my face. It was beautiful.
When we pulled apart, I looked for the wound on his neck which I’d seen after the tiger attack. It was almost gone already. This guy had some serious healing skills.
“I’m staying with you tonight,” he said, stroking strands of hair off my face. “You have a double bed, right?”
“Yeah,” I whispered. “I do.”
His deep voice made my pulse quicken again and I stared at him for a moment.
I had no idea how to handle a guy who was genuinely interested in me. Surely I was bound to fuck it up? And the thought terrified me.
“What’s up?”
“Nothing,” I lied. “Let’s go to my room.”
7
Sunlight streamed in through a crack in the curtains. I yawned and stretched out a leg, pushing my tangled hair out of my face. My stomach growled. I had no idea what time it was, or how long I’d slept.
My legs ached as I shifted them around in the bed. Then the memory of last night hit me.
I sat up and looked around. The bed was a crumpled heap of sheets, with pillows strewn randomly all over. And only I was in it.
My phone was on the nightstand, miraculously. I had no memory of leaving it there, but thanked fate for keeping it within reach.
Okay, he’s gone. He had to go. I remembered he needed to be in Cornwall today. But he’d have texted, right? Right?
Wrong. No text. No note. No nothing.
I slumped back to the pillow, rubbing my eyes with my fists. How could I have been so stupid? I’d been played by a bored rich guy who felt like slumming it. And now I had been cast aside, like the used toy I evidently was.
My legs felt heavy and stiff as I swung them to the floor. My cheeks flushed as I remembered the various positions they’d been twisted and thrown into last night.
God, that man’s appetite was something else. Four sessions in one evening: once in the elevator, once in the shower and twice in the bed. I wondered how long it’d take me to stop aching.
I hoped it took a long time. When the discomfort was gone, I’d start to forget what was truly the most incredible night of my life. The fun had to end, and reality had to bite eventually. But I wanted to hold on to the feeling of our time together as long as possible.
As I creaked across the floor to the door, I peered out to see if Dahlia was around. Not a sound. I dashed into the bathroom and ran the shower, blushing again at the memory of our carnal delights.
Once my hair was shampooed and conditioned and I’d scrubbed myself to a state of near-awakeness, I felt a little sad. It was stupid of me to think maybe Sebastian was interested in more than just a quick lay. Why would a billionaire want me? I was hardly supermodel material and a rich guy can have pretty much anyone they want. A hot rich guy can have his pick of the whole world, I was sure.
I towel-dried my hair, slipped on underwear, jeans and a shirt and went back to my bedroom. As I blow-dried my long waves, I remembered with a jolt the other events of last night.
Three people had attacked me and stolen my car. And the tiger!
Oh my god, I had almost blanked all that out.
Had Sebastian called the police? Had he called the, I don’t know, zoo? Animal welfare people? Anyone?
I wanted to call the office to find out but knew he wouldn’t be there. There was no way his personal assistant would give me his cellphone number. I was just going to have to hope he was true to his word. Or should I maybe call the police myself?
As I debated this with myself, the door to my room flew open. To my astonishment, in walked Sebastian, with a tray.
I immediately had a coughing fit, in shock. Smooth. Nice job, Finola.
He patted me on the back. “Steady on. It’s only croissants and coffee.”
Once I’d recovered, I laughed. I was delighted and amazed and almost a little emotional. He came back. He never really left.
“Croissants are my favorite.”
“I know. I asked your absurd roommate. She was so talkative, I ordered her a stack of waffles just to give her jaw something else to do. She’s still at the café now.”
“Ah, Dahlia’s great. She’s a really good friend.”
He grinned, a wicked twinkle in his eye. “I gathered that much. She couldn’t stop telling me how wonderful you are. I pointed out I’d already noticed, or else I probably wouldn’t be here.”
He handed me a plate loaded with croissants and butter, setting a tall mug of steaming coffee down on the dressing table beside me.
“Why are you here?” I dared to ask, before taking a big bite.
“Why? Why do you think?” He sipped his coffee, looking up at me from beneath his thick lashes. “Fate gave me a good kick in the shins, and here we are.”
“Fate?” I laughed, tearing off another piece of croissant. “You believe in fate, huh?”
He looked suddenly serious. “Don’t you?”
“Well, I don’t know… I guess if fate exists, I’d want to know why my birth mother was fated to give me up and why I was fated to end up in London instead of Ireland, and… I don’t know. A whole bunch of other stuff.”
“Well, if there are answers to all those questions, they probably amount to the same thing. You had to go through all that because you had to end up here. Right now.”
We looked into each others’ eyes for what seemed like whole minutes. It can’t have been that long, but it felt like it.
I remembered the overtime I’d been asked to do at the bank, which is why I had been there to meet Sebastian in the first place. It seemed like a lifetime ago. Of course, I hadn’t done a single minute of work for Sebastian last night, so I hoped Lucy at the agency wouldn’t ask too many questions when my extra shift timesheet never appeared.
“So what was it you wanted me to do last night at the office?” I sipped the hot coffee. Ouch. It needed a little longer to cool.
“Hmm?” Sebastian took a piece of raisin toast and put it in his mouth.
“You know, the work you needed to finish late last night. What did you need me for?”
He chewed the toast thoughtfully, staring at me. Then he swallowed.
“Sorry, you’ve lost me. What work? What are we talking about?”
“The overtime. You called me in for some extra work last night. That’s the only reason I was there. The agency called me to say you wanted an assistant for overtime while yours was sick. What did you need me to do? Do you want me to get anything started on Monday?”
Sebastian stared intently at me. He gripped my face in both hands.
“What did you say?”
I flinched. What was his problem?
“What do you-”
“What did you say?”
He was starting to unsettle me now.
“You requested a temp for some overtime. The agency called me and said you needed me. Your assistant is pregnant and wasn’t feeling well enough. I was meant to help you.”
He stood up wildly, almost knocking over the tray. Then he stomped to the window, agitated.
“You were called to the office? Someone claiming to be me called you in late at night?”
The blood drained from my face.
“Sebastian, what do you mean? Are you saying you didn’t call me?”
“No, I didn’t. I didn’t call you, Finola. I had no idea you even worked in the bank. Fat
e put you there, no doubt. But dear God, if anything had happened to you because of that bastard…”
He was pacing now, his fists clenched.
“Sebastian,” I pleaded. “Tell me what’s going on. Somebody else called me in? Someone pretended to be you and they called my agency… and… and it was a trick? Oh my god… Was it the men who attacked me in the parking garage?”
Sebastian shot me a dark look that terrified me.
“I believe so.”
My mind was whirling. I struggled to comprehend.
“Why would someone target me though? Why would someone want to ambush me specifically?”
Sebastian looked livid. Something had gone very wrong.
“Because of me,” he whispered. Then he shouted it. “BECAUSE OF ME.”
“Sebastian, how can-”
He towered over me, all six feet four of him. I stared up at him from the sofa, shocked.
“I should have known not to do this,” he shouted. “I should have known I couldn’t get involved with anyone, not even my destined mate. I’ve just fucked up your life and I don’t deserve you. You don’t deserve this.”
“Your what? I don’t understand what the-”
“I’m going to walk away from you, Finola. I’m going to make it easy for you now. Going to do what I should have done in the first place. Only I couldn’t ignore my instincts, like the fucking animal I am. But now I’ll make it right.”
He flung the door open and stormed through it. I ran after him.
“Sebastian, what the hell? What is going on?”
He was halfway out of my front door and down the corridor towards the stairs. I ran after him and tried to block his path. He slid me aside as easily as if I was made of cotton candy.
“What are you doing? Please! Where are you going?”
He didn’t answer. He jumped down the stairs three at a time. I scampered after him like a puppy, refusing to let go until the last possible moment.
I didn’t even know him twenty-four hours ago. And suddenly, losing him felt like the most momentous thing in the world to me.
Tiger Billionaire: The Whole Story (BBW Paranormal Tiger Shifter Romance Box Set) Page 4
