by JM Stewart
Sebastian had a plan. One that would, with any luck, sweep one Christina McKenzie clean off her heels—literally. He hoped that, once alone, where she couldn’t run from him or put him off again, she’d agree to spend the weekend with him.
Cade had helped by offering to switch cars and the use of his family’s cabin on Lake Washington. He’d also promised not to spill the beans to Christina. With any luck, by the time the weekend ended, she’d forgive him and she’d finally see him. He didn’t know what would happen after that. Only that he had to try.
“Here’s hoping it won’t take that long.” Sebastian glanced over at Cade. “Thank you. It means a lot that you helped me with this.”
Cade smiled in return, a gleam in his eye that said he understood, in a way only best friends could. “I wouldn’t trust her with anybody but you. You’re one of the few, save myself and Father, who I know would take a bullet for her.”
Sebastian took a pull off his beer. He didn’t have to think about his response. Cade was right. “In a heartbeat.”
“Exactly why I trust you.” Cade hitched a shoulder.
Sebastian gave a slow shake of his head. Doubt rose over him, settling hard and cold in his stomach. “I don’t know what the hell I’m doing, man. This might not even work.”
“Neither did I, which is why you should trust it.” Cade bumped his shoulder, then straightened off the bar and grinned. “Good luck. I’m taking Hannah and getting the hell out of Dodge. If Chris finds out I had a hand in this, she’ll have my balls.”
Cade strode off, finding Hannah chatting with Christina and Maddie. Sebastian spent the next ten minutes nursing his beer, waiting for the right time. When the last of the guests finally left, he downed the contents of his glass and set it on the countertop along with a tip for the bartender. He pushed away from the bar and headed for Christina. Talking now with another of the directors from the fund-raiser, she darted a glance in his direction; her back stiffened but otherwise she didn’t so much as acknowledge him.
The woman she spoke with, mid-fifties with unnaturally blond hair and seeming to wear every piece of jewelry she had, offered him a warm smile. “You provided another showstopper tonight, Sebastian.”
He smiled politely in return. “Just doing my part, Grace. Hope it increases profits this year. I hope you’ll forgive the intrusion, but I’d like to steal your cohort.”
Grace nodded and waved a hand at him. “Oh, we’re finished for the night. Steal away. Take her somewhere nice. It’s her turn to relax now.”
He stifled a laugh. If only she knew.
“You have my solemn promise.” He made a crisscross motion over his heart and turned to Christina. “Forgive me.”
“Please, Baz, not here.” Stubborn woman that she was, Christina hiked her chin a notch and shook her head, refusing even to look at him, then pivoted and walked off.
He caught her wrist before she got more than a few steps away and moved around in front of her. “I’m not asking forgiveness for earlier. I’m not sorry for what I said or who I said it in front of. I’m asking forgiveness for what I’m about to do, because it might get me hit later.”
Her gaze jerked to his. Her brow furrowed and her mouth opened, but Sebastian didn’t give her a chance to utter the denial in her eyes. Instead, he used his purchase on her wrist to pull her toward him, scooped her up, and hauled her over his shoulder.
Christina shrieked in surprise, the sound echoing around the now quiet ballroom. “What on earth are you doing? Sebastian, you put me down this instant!”
“I will. Once we get outside.” Ignoring the stares of the few people still left, he strode for the exit. “I told you we were going to talk. I just didn’t tell you where.”
She pounded his back with a fist. “You put me down right now or so help me.”
He chuckled as he turned the corner and strode for the elevators at the other end of the long hallway. They passed several couples lingering, who all smiled and snickered. “Or so help you what? I’ve got you on your head. What, exactly, do you plan to do about it, Tina?”
True to her stubborn nature, she growled low in her throat. “Ohhhh, when I get my hands on you.”
He stopped in front of the elevators and pushed the button. As he waited, the reflection in the mirrored doors caught his attention. Christina McKenzie’s fine, sweet ass was front and center and wiggling in his face. Somehow, he’d have to resist that this weekend. If he wanted to truly earn her trust, he had to learn to control his desire. Prove to her she meant more to him than just a good lay.
“You can hit me later. I’ll even hold still, but you’ve been putting me off for the last month, and I’m not taking no for an answer this time. We need to talk.”
This time, she let out a helpless sigh. “Sebastian, please, I’m in a dress, and I’m not wearing panties. People behind us can probably see all my parts.”
Sebastian froze. For a moment, desire overrode everything else, and his pulse thundered in his ears. He stifled a groan. Of all the things for her to tell him, it had to be that.
The elevator dinged open, and he took a moment to get on and pushed the button for the ground floor. Some part of him insisted he was pushing boundaries, but neither could he resist sliding his palm over the curve of her delicious backside. “Feel that, sweetheart? That’s your ass.”
He followed her skirt to where the hem stopped, then dipped beneath it and slid his fingers along the seam. God. Her sleek, bare thighs were smooth as butter.
His resolve slipped another notch. Damned if he could stop himself from allowing his fingers to slip between her thighs, simply for the desperate need to feel her response. “This is the end of your skirt.”
“Baz, please.” She went limp on his shoulder, her voice a whisper in the quiet whir of the elevator motor.
This time, she got him. Her plea caressed over him. His cock thickened behind his fly. He gritted his teeth. Shit. Don’t do it. Whatever you do, don’t do it. You’re here to talk, not play.
The need to discover the truth—whether or not she really was going commando—overwhelmed his brain. He slid his hand beneath her skirt, following the curve of her tight ass. He expected panties, and that she’d only been taunting him with that little tidbit. An attempt to get him to put her down maybe. His palm smoothed over warm, supple skin, though, and the knowledge settled over him. She really wasn’t wearing any panties.
Christ.
“This is your ass.” He followed the edge of one firm, supple cheek, dipping in between her thighs, allowing his fingers to graze her heat. The shiver that ran through her made his cock throb. He damn near dropped her for the desperate need to sink into her warmth. If he moved fast enough, could he make her come before they reached the ground floor? God how he ached to find out, just to hear the maddening little moan she made right before she tipped over the edge. “Nobody can see you, I promise.”
He swallowed a curse, forced himself to pull his hand back, and reached down to adjust his erection. Thank God for long jackets. He had to have a freakin’ tent by now.
He smacked her ass for good measure. “I’ll put you down when we get to the car, so I know you won’t run from me. If you wouldn’t be so damn stubborn, I wouldn’t need to do this.”
She squirmed on his shoulder, twisting as if trying to look at him. “Me? How is this my fault?”
He blew out an exasperated breath. They weren’t supposed to have this conversation until later. “A month, Tina. You’ve barely spoken to me for the last month. I get it. I really do. We crossed a line we can’t go back from, but I hate that you don’t trust me. So, I’m going to fix it.”
Christina stilled on his shoulder again and went silent, but he could hear the wheels of her mind turning. Finally, her voice came as a quiet, almost reluctant murmur. “How?”
“You’ll see.”
The elevator ground to a halt and the doors dinged open. Sebastian ignored the overwhelming need to unload the emotion stuck in his chest
and stepped out. That was a conversation they would eventually have, but right now, he needed to get her in the car. He wanted her alone when he said what he needed to say, and he wanted to be able to look her in the eyes when he said it. So she could see his and know he told her nothing but the truth.
As he moved down the quiet corridor to the lobby, people turned and gawked, but he set his sights on the black limo waiting at the curb. What mattered was the end destination. As he approached, Cade’s driver, dressed in a formal black uniform, his white hair hidden beneath a black-rimmed cap, nodded in greeting and opened the back door. “Evening, sir.”
Sebastian came to a stop at the edge of the sidewalk and nodded in return. “Evening, Daniel. Did he give you the address?”
“He did, sir.” The driver winked, amusement sparking in the elderly man’s eyes. “It’s a lovely evening for a drive.”
Clearly Cade had filled him in on the details. Sebastian could only shake his head.
“I sure hope so, Daniel. I sure hope so.” As he set Christina to her feet, her body slid along his in the most delicious way. His cock twitched, pushing awkwardly and painfully against his zipper. Damn it. He couldn’t even reach down and adjust the damn thing or the whole freakin’ world would know. Never mind me while I adjust the hard-on of the century. His balls were probably blue by now.
He nodded at the open door behind her. “Please. Get in.”
Christina huffed indignantly but didn’t budge. Instead, she took her sweet time straightening and smoothing her skirt. “Sebastian, really. We’re adults. There’s no reason—”
Then and there, his last shred of patience snapped. He gripped her face in his hands and fused his lips to hers, effectively silencing her tirade. He shouldn’t have done it, but her mouth was warm, and her body softened, leaning into him. Despite her anger, her lips opened beneath his assault, and her tongue flicked out to caress his. He was lost before he could blink.
Somehow managing to pull his wits about him, Sebastian forced himself to release her and jabbed a finger in the direction of the car interior. “Now get in the damn car before I pick you up and toss you in there.”
She stuck her tongue out at him, an unladylike and childish gesture that made him smile in spite of himself, but finally climbed into the car.
He shoved a hand through his hair. “If I survive this weekend with my sanity intact, Daniel, it’ll be a miracle.”
Daniel smiled, amusement twinkling in his eyes. “Perhaps it’ll be worth it in the end, sir.”
Sebastian let out a quiet laugh. “From your mouth to God’s ears.”
Chapter Six
When Sebastian climbed into the car and settled into the seat beside her, Christina immediately stiffened. “Where are we going?”
She didn’t bother to grace him with a glance in his direction, though. Rather, she turned to stare out the opposite window.
Sebastian sighed. He’d spent far too many years building walls between them. Breaking them down wouldn’t be easy. “You’ll see. I’d like it to be a surprise.”
“If you’re planning on seducing me, you might as well give up now, because I won’t cave this time.” Despite the boldness of her statement, she folded her arms over her stomach, her voice quiet in the space between them. “I think it’s best if you leave this where it is.”
He didn’t know whether to laugh or scream. Given how he’d kissed her, he wasn’t surprised to hear her say that, but he’d hoped somewhere inside she really did trust him. He released a heavy breath. He’d created this mess, and he had to get himself out of it. From now on, he had to be honest with her. No more holding back.
He scooted closer, until his hip bumped hers; then he scooped her up and deposited her onto his lap. She chirped in surprise, but he wrapped his arms around her, holding her firm. Not that she protested. He wanted to laugh. She put up a good fight, but when push came to shove, she always caved. That she did gave him hope.
He stroked her back, hoping touch would somehow ease the tension between them. “I’m not seducing you, though I’d be lying if I said I haven’t thought about you naked beneath me all damn night. Never mind that I have memories of exactly that. Your soft body. The way you tremble when I touch you. God, you don’t know what that does to me, and I’m not even sure I have the right words. But for the time being, I need you to believe that you could and will never be another notch on my bedpost. I said it earlier, and I’ll keep saying it until you believe me.”
She turned to stare out the window again. “Right. I’m special. Like I haven’t heard that before.”
He studied her profile with a heavy heart. It had always been fireworks between them, but her walls were higher than he’d anticipated. Who’d hurt her so much she put up such high walls to keep people out? Had he done this to her? Was this the result of pushing too hard to keep her at a safe distance? Whatever the reason, knowing someone had hurt her to that degree made his heart ache.
He stroked the backs of his fingers down her cheek. He couldn’t help touching her and his hands seemed to have a will of their own. “Yeah, actually, Tina, you are, which is why I’ve always kept my distance from you. There are two people in my life who mean the world to me, and I almost lost one of them recently because of my own stupid pride. You and Cade are family, about the only family I have left. So make no mistake about it. There’s nothing casual about making love to you for me.”
Then he waited. Being that honest with her had him shaking. His heart hammered an unsteady beat. He’d never done the bare the soul thing with anybody else. Sadly, not even with Jean. He liked his relationships light and playful. The less he became attached, the less people could leave him. It was a terrible way to live. Doing so left a lonely ache in the pit of his stomach that got to him in the dead of night.
Christina brought out the need in him, which was why he was always so irritable around her. He wanted her too damn much. Oh, being that way was childish for sure, of the grade school variety. Tease the girl you secretly have a crush on because it was easier than saying, “Hey, I like you.” Putting up walls accomplished what he needed them to. If she was so pissed at him she couldn’t think straight, she’d stop being everything he needed. If they never crossed that line, then he could keep her forever.
Except they had crossed that line, and he had two choices now. He could turn around and leave their relationship where it was…or try to fix the way she saw him. Losing his father had changed his view of his world. He’d meant so little to the old man his father had literally left him nothing but more “you’ll never be good enough” demands. He needed to fix his relationship with Christina.
She didn’t say anything for so long that knots began to form on the knots already tangled in his stomach. Tension mounted in the interior of the limo like a living, breathing entity. Finally, the stiff set of her shoulders softened, and she turned her head, meeting his gaze. “Then why are we here?”
He set his hand in her lap, palm up. “Because I hate when you’re angry with me. You have all these wrong ideas about me and it bugs the shit out of me. I told you that morning. Letting you believe what you wanted about me created distance.”
She looked down at his hand but kept hers in her lap. “Why now?”
He sighed and pulled his hand back. “Because I hate that you think I could ever use you that way. I hate you think I’m even capable of using any woman like they’re little more than a warm body. I don’t treat women like that. I never have. I may not like commitment, but I don’t believe in treating people the way my father treated me. I’ve let you believe what you wanted, because it was safer. I hate it when you mother me for the same reason. Because a really big part of me needs it.”
She darted a glance at him and rolled her eyes. “You and Caden. I swear. I do not mother you. I care for you. There’s a difference. I happen to enjoy taking care of the people I hold dear to me.”
Her choice of words lodged themselves in his heart. At the very least, she cared ab
out him. That had to be a good sign. “Exactly. Nobody but the damn servants has ever shown me that kind of caring.”
The last edge of stiffness left her shoulders, but the wary edge remained in her eyes.
He trailed his fingertips up the side of her arm, enjoying the suppleness of her skin. Sitting in his lap like this, she was damn distracting. With the partition up between them and the driver, they were relatively alone back here, and God how he wanted her. That she wasn’t wearing panties taunted him. A little shift of their clothing and they could be shuddering in bliss before they reached the lake.
It was the feel of her there that got to him, though, and the truth bubbled out before he could stop the words from leaving his tongue.
“I was raised by a man who went through five wives and the only care he ever showed for me was whether or not I lived up to his lousy ideal. Despite everything I’ve accomplished, I was still a disappointment to him when he died. So, I don’t know if I can be what you need, if I’m built for committing myself to one woman or even if I believe it’s possible. I tried once and all I did was end up hurting her.”
Christina nodded and turned her gaze out her window. “Jean was good for you. You never called her your girlfriend, though. You never brought her over for Christmas or Thanksgiving. You never talked much about her at all.”
Memories rose in his mind, leaving the bitter taste of regret in his mouth. His chest filled with the all too familiar aching emptiness. He’d hurt Jean. He hadn’t meant to, but he had. He still hadn’t forgiven himself, either. She was a good woman, and she’d deserved better. “Mmm. I tried with her, I honestly did, but I couldn’t be what she needed, no matter how much I wanted to.”
He hooked two fingers beneath her chin, turned her head, and pressed a soft kiss to her lips, then set her back on the seat beside him. If he didn’t, he was going to seduce her out of that silky dress right there in the limo. Which would get him all of nowhere. This weekend wasn’t about sex. “And to answer your question, we’re here because I’d like you to spend the weekend with me. I want you to see me, not what you think you see. Though whether you stay with me this weekend is entirely up to you.”
