Black Platinum (In the Shadows Book 6)
Page 18
I open the locket and smile at the picture of Josi and me and then the Two Lias drawing. Closing the locket, I run my finger over the red diamond heart and then the black one. I pull it closer when I realize one heart slightly overlaps the other and where they overlap…the stones are a mixture of red and black. God, this man just melts my heart. “Aww, the blending of the two hearts is just perfect! This is truly gorgeous and so incredibly thoughtful, Sebastian. Thank you.”
He rests his chin on my shoulder, his arms encircling my waist. “There’s one more change I made to the original necklace. Do you see it?”
I flip the locket over and don’t see anything on the back, but when I start to turn it back, I see another lip on the edge of the locket and press my fingernail inside it.
When the back pops open to reveal two empty picture slots, I whisper, “Did you know?” and blink to keep from tearing up. These pregnancy hormones are really kicking my emotions into high gear.
Sebastian kisses my neck, his hands sliding along my waist. “No. I had the back panel added in the hopes that one day we would fill it with our own children’s pictures too.”
Taking it from my shaking hands, he hooks the necklace around my neck once more, then slides his hands slowly along my shoulders and down across my breasts. Moving one hand below my breast, he flattens the other on my belly. “I love you, Talia. Thank you for sharing your life with me and trusting me with your heart. I promise to always protect it.”
I squeeze my eyes shut and take a deep breath. I know part of my extreme emotions are hormonal, but I love this man so much. That will never change. Lifting my arms over my head, I drape them around his neck and pull him even closer. “Right now my heart doesn’t need protecting…it needs revving. Do you know anyone who can help me with that?”
With a low rumble, he slides a warm hand along my thigh until he reaches my ass and gives it a firm slap. “How hot do you want it, Little Red?”
As he rubs my ass cheek, then grips it with a possessive hold, my sex tightens and throbs, soaking through my G-string. I spear my fingers in his hair and grab on tight, pulling to get his full attention. “I’d like fire engine red, please.”
I gasp when he dips his fingers into my body, sliding them along and around the G-string. “You’re sopping and so fucking warm,” he growls, pressing his erection against me as he delivers an even harder smack.
I don’t miss that each time he lights my body on fire with the sensual sting of his palm, his other hand flattens protectively on my belly. I’m both touched and aroused by the realization, but I also want him to let go, so I put one hand on the dresser for support and arch my back, wantonly pressing my ass against him. “Then do something about it. This fire isn’t going out without your help.”
Sebastian hooks his thumb on my G-string and shreds the flimsy lace with a flick of his wrist. His breathing ramps and just when I think he’s going to slide inside me from behind, he quickly turns me around and lifts me up. The moment the tip of his cock touches my pussy, he shakes his head and his is voice a desperate rasp, “Can’t wait, Talia.”
The moment my back hits the dresser, I hook my legs around his body and yank him close.
“Is a raw, rough fuck what you want, Little Red?” he says, his warm breath bathing my shoulder while he stays just outside of my body, teasing me.
Panting, I claw at his muscular shoulders to let him know what I want.
He dips just inside me and exhales a harsh groan. “I want to hear the words.”
“Raw, Rough. Hard. Soft. Just fuck me, Sebastian!”
A primal grunt of male satisfaction rumbles from his chest as he slams into me. I gasp my pleasure and clasp him close, rolling my hips and seeking release from the pent-up arousal building between us.
Pulling back, he jerks his hips forward and stays buried deep, applying pressure against my clit. My heart stutters as an orgasm spirals through my body in bone-melting pulses of erotic pleasure.
I clench against him and whisper in his ear, “This is just round one,” right before I bite down on his shoulder.
Sebastian lets out a feral groan and captures my lips in a dominant kiss as he thrusts once more, pulsing deep inside me.
Clasping my ass in a firm hold, he carries us to the bed and chuckles when I lay my head on his shoulder and murmur, “Did I mention the rounds would be between naps?”
“That’s a promise I’m holding you to, Little Red.”
Chapter 21
Sebastian
“I’m here,” Den says quietly as he steps off the penthouse elevator and moves to stand beside me by the window.
We wait in silence for the sunrise. As the soft rays begin to peak over the horizon, I fold my arms at my back. “You know, I honestly don’t believe there’s such a thing as coincidence…” I cut my gaze his way. “Like your MI6 buddy suddenly coming to Manhattan looking for work right when it became apparent Talia needed her own bodyguard.”
Den turns to face me, eyebrow hiked. “Since when has Talia not needed a full time guard?”
“I’ll give you the touché but not the pass.” When he doesn’t say anything, I continue, my tone drilling, “I’m also fucking excellent with timelines…”
Den turns toward the glass once more. Inhaling deeply, he closes his eyes against the morning sun. “I called Alexander and asked him to come interview with Adam the day after the bomb went off.”
“We didn’t know the bomb was meant for Talia at that point,” I say, my tension growing. “Did you know about her pregnancy?”
His eyes open and he unbuttons his jacket to slip his hands into his pockets. “Her pregnancy solidified my decision, yes.” He dips his head. “Congratulations, by the way.”
The question festers in my mind. I start to speak, but Den cuts me off.
“And before you ask if she told me, she didn’t. The moment the bomb went off, her hand went straight to her stomach. It’s a reflexive thing, a mother’s instinct. She didn’t even know she did it.”
Hearing the truth eases the tightness in my chest; I’m more than thankful he stepped up. I clear my throat and nod. “Thank you for watching over her. She’s—”
“An inherently good person. There aren’t enough of them in the world.” He glances my way. “That’s why they need people like us.”
An unspoken agreement passes between us before he looks down at his watch. “You have to be at the airport in two hours.”
“Thanks for coming. I know you were supposed to have today off.”
“I wasn’t going to let your driver take you to the airport anyway.”
“Our driver is highly trained, Den.”
“Not like me, he’s not,” he counters.
He’s got me there. I rub my chin, eyeing him. “In a battle of the best overall, I wonder who would win, a SEAL or an MI6 agent?”
He cracks a confident smile, then shrugs. “Your honeymoon should start the moment you leave this building, Sebastian.”
“Point taken. I shouldn’t be more than an hour.” With a curt nod, I pick up the folder from the table and head for the elevator.
My phone rings as I exit the elevator on the top floor of Blake Towers. “Blake.”
“I’m in house cleaning mode and I need some info,” Banks’s deep voice rumbles in my ear.
“Why haven’t you lost my number already?” I snap, tucking the folder under my arm.
“Blackie, Blackie. I’m a bit hurt. I thought we’d bonded through our ordeal.”
“What do you want, Banks?”
“Just following up now that you’ve tied the knot. Talia mentioned that she tried to give me a heads up, so that means someone else at the Tribune ratted me out to the police. You don’t happen to know who that was, do you?”
I promised Talia I’d let her handle her affairs at the Tribune, because I didn’t want to put her job at risk, but now that she’s no longer there, this scenario works for me.
“You’re far smarter than you look, Ba
nks. Do the math. It wasn’t my wife, nor was it her guard.”
“You mean it was that annoying, curly haired guy?”
Though Nathan deserves a good pounding for putting my wife and child at risk the way he did, I know firsthand just how hard Banks can hit. “You did have a stolen painting on your wall, Banks. Make sure any punishment you dole out takes that into account.”
“You going soft, Blackie?”
“You tell me? How’s your nose?”
“Fucked up. You still owe me a check.”
“I just paid it, with information.” Hanging up, I pull the door open to the executive suite and walk through the empty admin’s area to my father’s office.
“As promised, my BLACK Security contract,” I say, handing my father the folder.
“You’re an early bird this morning.” Standing, he walks around his desk and sits in the matching leather seat opposite me. “You didn’t have to bring it personally. You could’ve emailed it.”
I gesture to the folder. “You should read over it.”
“Right now?”
When I nod, he starts to open the folder, then pauses, his blue eyes full of excitement. “Congratulations on an amazing wedding and baby announcement. I’m beyond thrilled, Sebastian. Being a grandparent…is wonderful.”
“As opposed to being a parent?” I smirk that he’s talking as if I’d spent my early years with him.
“No, no…grandparents get all the fun and none of the responsibility” He shakes his head, then sighs. “I know I missed your childhood, but I hope it’s okay to talk to you about being a parent. I do know a thing or two about being one.”
Shaking my head, I smile, strangely not angry like I usually am when the subject of my past comes up. “It’s fine. Have a look at the agreement and see if it’ll work for you.”
Adam opens the folder and skims through it. “Seems fairly straight forward,” he says as he turns the last page. Moving the papers, he lifts another set, his brow furrowed. “This is an investment contract.”
“It is.”
His blue eyes lift to mine. “But you said you didn’t want me to be involved.”
“No, I said I didn’t want you to buy me out. I want to expand my business to the corporate sector and for that I’ll need an investor.”
He flips through the pages once more. “This is impressive, Sebastian. I can see so much potential in the corporate world. The need for security on every level is growing by leaps and bounds. Even the international markets could be an option.”
I chuckle that he’s already thinking ahead. “Talia said the same thing. This expansion is her idea.”
“I’m not surprised at all. I’m all for this. How soon would you start taking on corporate clients?”
“Whoa.” I hold my hands up. “We’re not expanding yet. I want to use Blake Industries as a training ground for my employees. We’ll get all the kinks out and start the expansion after that, but first we need to learn what value we can bring and where.”
My father snaps the folder shut, his eye shining. “Not that I wish your honeymoon time away, but I can’t wait to get started on this.”
I stand and button my suit jacket, holding out my hand to him. As my father clasps my hand, I say, “Read over the fine print and send over any changes. We’ll hammer out any negotiable sticking points once I get back.”
“Will do. Have a wonderful time with Talia, son. You both deserve it.”
As I pull my car out onto the road, I smile thinking about Talia. And our baby. I can’t believe I’m going to be a father. I feel like opening the top of my sports car and shouting the news to the whole world. Knowing how she felt and why she didn’t tell me about her job, I think it was for the best that I didn’t know about her job situation before I asked her to come work with me at BLACK Security. But, holy shit, am I’m glad that I didn’t know about the baby beforehand, or she’d never believe that my offer for her to work at BLACK Security wasn’t just some machination on my part to get her out of a dangerous job and under my protective wing.
Would I have done just that? Hell yes, truth be told. I would have done whatever it took to get her out of that job, but at least this way…we won’t have that as an issue between us. I want my family surrounded by people who only care about their well-being and that’s exactly what Talia and our child will get.
And I think she knows she’s truly an asset at BLACK Security. With a mind like hers and mine working together…the sky’s the limit.
My phone buzzes and when I press the speaker, Talia’s out-of-breath voice pops through. “Where are you?”
“I’m on my way back,” I say, my whole body tensing. “Is everything okay?”
“We’re leaving in twenty minutes and I just realized I don’t have any sunscreen. A redhead in the Mediterranean without sunscreen? I might spontaneously combust the moment I get off the plane. Argh, what was I thinking?”
Here’s a woman who outsmarted and trapped a mastermind homicidal cop, and who took down a backstabbing kidnapper, but she’s freaking out over a bottle of sunscreen?
“What are you laughing at? Is the idea of me going poof that amusing?”
I didn’t even realize I was laughing. “I’m sorry,” I say, sobering. “I’ll grab some sunscreen on my way back.”
“Whew, okay, crisis averted. Now where are my sunglasses? My bathing suit is already packed, and I’ve got three notebooks and plenty of pens—”
“Talia?”
“Yes?”
“We’re going to have a great time.”
“I know we will.”
“You know why?”
“Because you’re picking up my sunscreen?”
“Because we’ll be together, Little Red…and that’s all that matters. Just you and me…”
She takes a deep breath and sings-songs, “And little noodle too.”
I bark out a laugh. “And little noodle too.”
Hanging up, I punch on the gas, a wide smile on my face.
God, I really do fucking love that woman.
Stay tuned for REDDEST BLACK, Book 7!
If you found BLACK PLATINUM an entertaining and enjoyable read, I hope you’ll consider posting a review in the online bookstore where you purchased it. Your review could help other readers decide to read BLACK PLATINUM and the IN THE SHADOWS series!
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Turn the page for the cover of REDDEST BLACK!
Reddest Black
October 2017
Sebastian and Talia must face down their past in order to protect to their future…
Other Books by P.T. Michelle
In the Shadows
(Contemporary Romance, 18+)
Mister Black (Book 1 - Talia & Sebastian)
Scarlett Red (Book 2 - Talia & Sebastian)
Blackest Red (Book 3 - Talia & Sebastian)
Gold Shimmer (Book 4 - Cass & Calder)
Steel Rush (Book 5 - Cass & Calder)
Black Platinum (Book 6 - Talia & Sebastian)
Reddest Black (Book 7 - Talia & Sebastian) - October 2017
Brightest Kind of Darkness Series
(YA/New Adult Paranormal Romance, 16+)
Ethan (Prequel)
Brightest Kind of Darkness (Book 1)
Lucid (Book 2)
Destiny (Book 3)
Desire (Book 4)
Awaken (Book 5)
Other works by P.T. Michelle writing as Patrice Michelle
Bad in Boots series
(Contemporary Romance, 18+)
Harm’s Hunger
Ty’s Temptation
Colt’s Choice
Josh’s Justice
Kendrian Vampires series
(Paranormal Romance, 18+)
A Taste for Passion
A Taste for Revenge
A Taste for Control
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Acknowledgments
To my amazing beta readers: Joey Berube and Amy Bensette, thank you for your ability to not only read quickly, but to also provide invaluable feedback, not just as fans of my books, but also with the desire to make the book the best it can be. I appreciate your thoughtful inputs that helped make BLACK PLATINUM a truly fantastic read.
To my wonderful critique partner, Trisha Wolfe, thank you for reading Black Platinum so quickly, for your insights and for the brainstorming sessions! Our Google searches…haha! Big hugs!
To my family, thank you for understanding the time and effort each book takes. I love you all and truly appreciate your unending support.
To my fabulous fans, I can’t thank you enough for your love of my IN THE SHADOWS series and characters! Thank you so much for spreading the word by posting reviews and telling all your reader friends about the series whenever you get a chance. Thank you for all the fantastic support! It means the world to me!
About the Author
P.T. Michelle is the NEW YORK TIMES, USA TODAY, and International bestselling author of the contemporary romance series IN THE SHADOWS, the YA/New Adult crossover series BRIGHTEST KIND OF DARKNESS, and the romance series: BAD IN BOOTS, KENDRIAN VAMPIRES and SCIONS (listed under Patrice Michelle). She keeps a spiral notepad with her at all times, even on her nightstand. When P.T. isn’t writing, she can usually be found reading or taking pictures of landscapes, sunsets and anything beautiful or odd in nature.