I glided back across the floor, dancing and undulating my hips like a burlesque star. I had no idea where this was coming from. But somehow I was possessed with supreme self-confidence, if only for tonight.
My hands leapt to my breasts and I caressed them. I pinched my rigid nipples and licked my lips lasciviously.
Sebastian was captivated. He stroked his cock slowly, mouth slightly open in amazement.
I shimmied and gyrated, hands on hips. I stood tall and proud before him, this sex god I barely knew.
“Do you like what you see?” I purred.
“Fuck, yes,” he snarled. “Open your legs. Touch yourself.”
I bit my lip. This was way outside my frame of experience.
But still, I did it.
My fingers crept between my legs and I slid them across my hot wetness. Sebastian’s face reddened and he stopped moving. He just gripped his cock firmly as he observed me. It bulged angrily in his hand.
Being watched was suddenly the hottest thing in the world. I rubbed my clit, moaning at the rush of pleasure. Sebastian couldn’t take his eyes off me. With my other hand, I grabbed my breast again.
That was the last straw. With a deep growl, he lunged at me and pulled me on top of him, back on the bed. He threw me forward until I came to rest right over his face.
I cried out as he pulled me down onto his mouth, licking and sucking for all he was worth. My hips rocked back and forth almost without my conscious involvement.
It was just seconds until I was moaning loudly, unable to keep quiet.
Pressure built up so fast, I found myself coming almost immediately, with his tongue buried deep inside me.
I must have screamed loud enough to wake every employee on the estate, and I didn’t care one bit.
When the tremors had subsided, I slumped forward, onto the pillows. I was spent. There wasn’t a single scrap of strength left in my muscles.
Sebastian didn’t ask for any acrobatics from me. He positioned himself behind me and I felt his hands push my knees up, so my thighs were wide apart with my ass and pussy fully on show.
This new vulnerable position sent a new pulse of arousal through me. I turned to look at him.
He knelt behind me and pulled me astride his lap, with knees still bent and splayed. My pelvis was higher than my head. My pussy was so close to his cock, it was intolerable. I tried to push back onto it.
“You’re so wet,” he muttered, his voice thick with lust. “So beautiful.” He still wore my juices on his face and chin.
With a guttural grunt, he plunged deep inside me and I cried out loudly. The sensation of fullness was so wonderful. I needed it. I craved it. If he could just stay inside me for ever, everything would be okay. I was sure of it.
His strokes speeded up, harder and harder. He rammed into me over and over again, his face red and his teeth clenched.
I hadn’t even thought of condoms. Oh god. Not again.
This time I was conscious of at least one risk in advance.
“You need to pull out,” I said, panting.
He didn’t answer. His jaw clenched as he shoved himself balls deep inside me. Then his fingers pressed on the opening of my ass. I yelped again.
He took this as an invitation. Gently at first, then harder, he pushed a finger inside. Then two. Then possibly three. I wasn’t sure by that point, because I’d just about lost my mind with the incredible feeling of fullness.
As his breath got faster and faster, I knew he was about to let go. I felt him shake behind me.
“You need to…” I wailed, unable to finish my sentence. Another orgasm ripped through me like a tidal wave. I howled, my whole body exploding into spasms of light.
With a deafening roar, Sebastian pulled out of me and flung me onto my back. He just made it on top of me in time to shoot powerful jets all over my stomach and breasts, cock in his clenched fist. Glossy white ribbons coated me, from bellybutton to throat.
Then he had finally finished. He collapsed on top of me. It was hard to breathe with his weight on me, but I didn’t mind. His body felt so good on me, pressing me into the bed.
“Thank you,” I whispered.
“For what?” His eyes were closed. He was almost asleep.
I edged him to the side so he was only half on me. That was better. I could breathe now.
“Thank you for pulling out, like I asked,” I said. But it was too late. He was asleep.
I snuggled in his arms, happy and warm and safe. Everything was good. It felt so right.
We dozed comfortably together, drifting into a deep, affectionate slumber.
So the feeling of foreboding that nibbled round the edges of my sleep? The dream of losing him that woke me in the darkest hours, trembling and terrified? That, I couldn’t explain.
17
We woke together, for the first time. Sebastian lay on his front, sprawled in a star shape across the four-poster bed. My leg draped over his.
After another earth-shattering encounter, Sebastian went back to the master bedroom to shower and dress.
I took a long hot shower in my bathroom. As I washed my hair, I hummed joyfully. This was going to be a good day.
Today I would wear the raspberry pink Fifties-style blouse and capri pants, coupled with the calfskin ballet flats. All new clothes, from my dressing room full of gifts. It was kind of weird, getting all that stuff for free, just like that. But also kind of fantastic.
The mirror was either really flattering, or I actually liked the way I looked that day. Maybe all the hot sex was improving my looks. I marveled at the way my skin glowed. My hair even behaved itself, for once.
There was a knock at the door.
It was the same staff member from lunch yesterday.
“Mr Chase requests your company in the library, madam.”
“Thank you,” I smiled. “Before you go… May I just ask your name?”
The man looked startled, but composed himself swiftly. “It’s Dennis, ma’am.”
“Well then, Dennis. Thank you for bringing me this message. I do appreciate it. And please thank the kitchen staff for organizing such a wonderful lunch yesterday.”
His eyes widened. “You’re welcome, madam.”
He looked stunned. Poor guy. Did nobody ever thank Sebastian’s employees properly or something? Everybody deserved to receive praise for a job well done.
My stomach rumbled audibly as I skipped down the stairs. I hoped Sebastian intended to move us straight to the breakfast table after the library.
The door to the library was closed, so I knocked.
“Come in, Finola,” called Sebastian’s voice.
I went inside. There he was, holding two coffee cups. Naked.
“You’re naked again,” I said. “This is getting to be a habit.”
“There’s a reason,” he said, handing me a cup. I inhaled the wonderful aroma. Freshly ground and intoxicatingly strong.
“There’s always a reason,” I said, perching primly on the edge of an armchair. “Let me guess. You’re just too hot for clothes. Am I right?”
“If you like,” he grinned. “No, it’s not really that. I thought it was time you met my animal side.”
“Your…?” I sipped the coffee, openly ogling him. Damn, the man was good-looking.
“I’m going to shift in front of you, so you can see me that way too. No mysteries. No secrets.”
I stood up hurriedly, only just avoiding spilling the coffee on the Persian rug.
“Whoa there,” I said, holding up my empty hand. “You don’t need to do that. I don’t need to meet your tiger side.”
“Yes, you do. It’s part of me. It is me.”
“But I…” I couldn’t explain how unsettled I felt. In anguish, I cried out “Tigers are scary.”
“All the more reason why I need to shift for you. Let’s put that to rest once and for all. I’m never going to scare you, Finola. I couldn’t.”
I sat down again, my empty stomach all jitte
ry.
“I don’t have to do anything?”
“No. You can just sit and look. You can touch my fur or hug me if you want, but you don’t have to.”
I absolutely did not want to touch a real live tiger. Even when I knew it was my sexy lover’s alter ego.
“Can I turn away from the shift itself? I don’t want that in my memory bank. I’ll keep visualizing you doing it when we’re chatting, or… or sleeping.”
“Of course. Look away now.”
I hid my eyes with my hands.
Nothing happened for a moment. Then I heard a deep bass rumble, like a power drill or a lawnmower a few yards away. I took my hands off my eyes.
Right in front of me, close enough to touch, was a white tiger.
Sebastian. The white tiger version.
“Shit. Oh my god.” I took a deep breath, trying to focus. “Okay. I can do this. Okay. Staying calm. Keeping very still.”
I didn’t need to keep very still, because it was only Sebastian, but I did anyway. Instinct - so ingrained, I couldn’t override it - made me hyper-aware of my every movement.
The tiger lifted its great face and stared deeply into my eyes. The strangest sensation gripped me. It was like being reminded of knowledge I had long forgotten.
Tiger Sebastian emitted a whirring noise that was a lot like a domestic cat purring. Only much, much louder. I felt the deepest notes vibrate all through my bones.
“You really are a beauty,” I found myself saying.
The tiger’s eyes were a glassy sea-blue, like Sebastian’s human eyes. But the color was even more striking against the black and white stripes of its fur.
Its white whiskers twitched as it leaned in to sniff me. I leaned back, pinning myself to the chair.
It took tiny steps towards me, then sat down, like any kitty in the street might.
My nerves felt less frayed every second that passed. I wondered if I might actually stroke its soft fur after all.
Before I could protest, the tiger dipped its great head and rested it in my lap.
It closed its eyes and waited to be stroked. Its head was so heavy on my legs.
I took a few breaths, calming down. Then courage took over.
Very slowly and delicately, I let one hand flutter onto the tiger’s head. It flicked its ear, but otherwise remained still.
Its fur was as soft as its human side’s cashmere sweaters.
I caressed its velvety forehead, striped with jagged black chevrons. Its wide nose was a sort of creamy gray color up close, with a pink tip. It kept quite still while I stroked the length of its nose downwards. Then I stroked the top of its big head. It was warm and soft and comforting. It was the craziest thing ever.
After a few moments, the tiger lifted its head up. Our eyes met again.
Without a word, I slipped off the chair and knelt in front of it. Then I threw my arms right around the great creature. Its muscles rippled under my embrace.
“I’m trusting you not to eat me,” I whispered into its fur.
The tiger’s jaws were clamped firmly closed, but it seemed to nod.
* * *
Human Sebastian lounged across the powder blue sofa. He cradled his phone between shoulder and ear, writing something down.
“Of course,” he was saying. “Jean-Pierre, I’m so glad you can come. Both of you. That’s perfect.”
He paused, listening to the other person. Then he guffawed loudly.
“Mais oui,” he said. “François can eat whatever he likes. It’ll just be tremendous to see you both. I dread to think how many years it’s been. Yes, okay. All right. Bye now. See you tomorrow.”
He turned to me, eyes gleaming happily.
“See? It’s as good as fixed. Two of my cousins are coming from France tomorrow. They can help me fix that Lavery wretch once and for all. We’ll have a great supper here, set up the Grand Trine after that, and then crack open the champagne. Job done.“
I frowned a little. “Can it really be that easy?”
“Of course. This silly little man has just overstepped his boundaries. Somebody needs to teach him a lesson.”
“Will it…”. I cleared my throat, dreading the answer. “Will the Grand Trine kill this Lavery guy?”
Sebastian’s face was suddenly rough-hewn stone, stern and unyielding. “Yes. Seems fair, considering he murdered my car park attendant and tried to murder several members of my family. To say nothing of his attempt to kidnap you.”
When he put it like that, it was hard to argue with him. I had to admit Lavery was guilty of heinous crimes.
Still, I felt squeamish about the idea of Sebastian and his cousins killing anybody.
My face must have betrayed my feelings. Sebastian leaped off his sofa and knelt at my feet, holding my hands.
“It’s difficult to absorb, I bet. You didn’t even know about shifters until a few days ago. Now you’re caught up in a terribly upsetting situation. I’m sorry you had to be involved in any of this.”
I shook my head. “Not your fault. It was probably that rascal Fate, right?”
Sebastian laughed. “Yeah. Cheeky old Fate has a lot to answer for.” He hugged me close.
Since our hot session at the beach, he had acted like we were a couple. But he’d never taken back the things he said about not being able to be together.
I was mightily confused, but until now, I’d just been enjoying the feeling of togetherness. My natural pessimism was on a break, for once.
It was obvious he was going to leave me at some point. I knew that, deep down. He said he couldn’t be mine, over and over again. But until it all fell apart, I was going to throw caution to the wind. I would take every chance I had to be with him.
“You know what else we need to do?” He held the phone out to me.
“What?”
“Call your family.” He thrust the phone into my hand. “No excuses. Don’t give me any more whiny woe-is-me bullshit, Finola Malley. You’ve got this.”
Protests and excuses formed on my tongue, but I squashed them down again.
“You’re really not going to let me get away with refusing?”
Sebastian smiled broadly. “Not on your life.”
I took a deep breath. “Wait. I don’t have a number.”
Sebastian reached into his back pocket and pulled out a folded square of paper. “Here.”
It said “Mr and Mrs Malley” and then a phone number.
“That’s an Irish landline number. They’re back in Ireland?” I stared at the names and the number. “They’ve gone home.”
Sebastian watched me for a while. I was frozen, just gawping at the words and numbers on the paper.
Then I looked up. “Wait a second. Where did you get this? How?”
“Rufus,” said Sebastian. “He’s very good at this sort of thing. Ex-Special Branch, you see. They have ways.”
I blinked. “Rufus the driver? The guy who brought me here?”
I remembered his fast, defensive driving when we were being chased. Maybe it wasn’t that surprising he was an intelligence cop in a former life.
“He’s a very highly-trained individual. Why he’s slumming it working as my bodyguard, I’ll never know.”
“Your bodyguard?”
Sebastian smiled, with amused eyes. “Hell, yes. I’m a high net worth individual. I need protection even when I’m not being hunted for my heart.”
“Yeah. I guess so.”
He tapped the paper in my hand.
“Enough messing around. Get to it. Make the call.”
Nerves pingballed round my system. What if they told me to leave them alone? What if they told me to stop bothering them, like my birth mother had done?
“I’m… I’m not sure I can.”
“You can.” His voice was as strong and definite as an iron bar. I couldn’t argue.
With shaking fingers, I punched in the number. It connected and started ringing. I gasped.
Sebastian nodded encouragingly.
>
An old man’s voice suddenly filled my ear.
“Hello?”
That was my dad. My dad.
He sounded old. I knew seven years had passed, but it still took me by surprise how wispy and meek his voice had become.
“D..dad? It’s me. It’s Finola.”
There was a sharp intake of breath.
Then my dad’s voice, cracked and raw. “Finola? Oh, love. Oh, it’s so good to hear your voice, love. Oh my goodness. How are you? How are you doing, my sweetheart? Where are you now?”
His words tripped over each other, he was talking so fast. He was clearly thrilled to hear from me.
Big fat tears welled in my eyes. The room went blurry. I tried to rein in my emotion.
“Dad? I’m okay. I’m living in London. I’m in Cornwall at the moment though. For a… a vacation. How are you and Mum?”
“Oh, did you not hear about your Mum?”
The floor seemed to tip. I felt gravity pulling me backwards.
“Is Mum okay? Mum’s okay, isn’t she?”
He was going to tell me she was dead. I couldn’t bear it.
“Well, she’s not too bad now, but the stroke left her very weak. She’ll be better for hearing you’re all right, my love.”
I cried then, awash with guilt and relief.
“Tell her I love her,”I sobbed. “I love you too, Dad. I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry for everything.”
My dad was crying now too, it sounded like.
“Oh, my darling, you don’t have to say anything else. You’re family, my angel. We’re always here for you. You know we never gave up. We always hoped you’d come back to us. You’re always our little girl, my love. Always.”
I had to hold the phone away then, because I was sobbing too loudly. Sebastian took my hand and squeezed it.
When I’d recovered a little, I put it back to my ear. “Dad, where are you both now? I’d love to visit you sometime soon.”
“Oh, that’d be grand, sweetheart. We’d love it. Come soon. We love you so much, angel.”
He told me their address and I wrote it down on the back of the paper.
By the time the call ended, I was in a daze. I sat, staring into the distance, still and quiet.
Sebastian didn’t let go of my hand for a second. When I’d had a few moments to process what just happened, he leaned in and pulled me against him in an enormous bear hug.
Tiger Billionaire: The Whole Story (BBW Paranormal Tiger Shifter Romance Box Set) Page 11
