by Teri Fowler
She stayed up, aware it was much too early to try to sleep anyway. Friday nights weren't meant to be so boring. The start of the weekend usually brought with it the promise of excitement, not the sure and certain knowledge that nothing memorable was likely to happen before she went back to work on Monday.
Kerri grabbed a bottle of white wine from the fridge and shuffled to the sofa. The TV offered none of the distractions she'd been hoping for. Reruns of shows she'd seen a million times before did little to lift her mood, and the half glass of wine she drank while channel surfing made her a little lightheaded again. She hadn't sobered up as much as she thought.
Call him.
The thought came to her unbidden, and she began to reject it as she had countless times before … but then she got angry. How dare he turn her world upside down and then leave her to make sense of it alone? Didn't he know enough about her to understand why she would never be able to initiate contact with him? Was this some kind of weird power play, or part of the control he claimed she wanted him to have over her?
She was dialing his number before she realized she hadn't consciously made the decision to do it. Kerri pulled the phone from her ear after letting it ring a couple of times and fumbled for the button to end the call, but then she heard his greeting.
"Hello?"
Kerri closed her eyes as panic set in. Maybe she should just hang up. What had possessed her? Wine. That's what.
"Hello? Who's there?"
"Me."
She heard him suck in a harsh breath. "Is that you, Kerri?"
"Uh-huh."
"Is everything okay? You sound different."
"That's because I am different. Thanks to you." She took another sip of wine to stop herself telling him exactly what she'd been going through the last few weeks. "And I don't mean that in a good way."
"I don't understand. Has something happened?"
"No, Sebastian, nothing has happened … except that I humiliated a good man tonight because I was trying to get you out of my head."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean I accepted a date with a guy who's been asking me out for the longest time, but I shouldn't have gone. Needless to say it didn't go well."
"I'm not asking about him. I meant, why were you trying to get me out of your head?"
"Because you scare me."
A Christian upbringing in the bosom of an Evangelical church made her naturally wary of anything otherworldly or supernatural, and the way Sebastian seemed to have read her mind that day in his office still freaked her out.
"There's no reason to be scared. I don't want to hurt you, Kerri."
"Yeah, but you might."
"And you might hurt me." Seb's laugh didn't sound like it held much humor. "For all you know, you're hurting me already."
Kerri almost choked on her wine. "How is that even possible?"
"Being forced to stay away from you and give you the space to decide whether you want to explore this thing between us hasn't exactly been a pleasant experience."
"I didn't force you to stay away. You chose to."
"I asked you to call me. When you didn't, I figured you weren't interested."
"Right." Kerri couldn't think of anything else she could say that wouldn't be too revealing. Then again, she might have already revealed too much. "Hey. You can't do that Jedi mind trick stuff over the telephone, can you?"
Sebastian's rich laughter slid along the phone line and curled through her ear drum. "Jedi mind trick? I've never heard it described like that before. But in answer to your question, no I can't."
"Good."
"Why is that a good thing? Is there something you don't want me to know?" Seb's voice softened a little, and Kerri imagined him staring right at her, the phone pressed close to his lips. "Are you afraid I'll discover something you don't want to admit?"
"Like what?" Kerri struggled to get the words out as the breath stilled in her lungs and a pulse started to throb between her thighs.
"I might discover I was right and that you want me to push you to your limit and possibly beyond."
The words hung between them as Kerri smothered a moan at the spike of hot lust that trembled along the walls of her pussy when her imagination went into overdrive, leaving her almost breathless. "N…no. That's not true."
"Really? Then why not meet me for dinner tomorrow night and prove me wrong?"
"You can't prove a negative."
Seb laughed again. "Nice try, Miss Robertson."
"Thanks."
"It's probably just as well to warn you that I'm impervious to sarcasm. It doesn't work on a Jedi."
Kerri couldn't help but laugh. "Damn. I'll have to try something else."
"There's only one way to defeat a Jedi Master, and that's by finding his weakness."
"You have a weakness?" Kerri couldn't imagine anything or anyone getting the better of Sebastian. The man oozed confidence.
"Only one."
"What is it?"
"You."
"Me?" Kerri wondered if Sebastian might actually be drunker than she was. "That's funny."
"I don't see what's so funny. You have no idea how incredibly sexy you are, Kerri."
"You think I'm sexy?"
"I thought I'd made that obvious when I told you why I couldn't treat you anymore."
"But what about my problems?" Revealing the reason why she'd been scared to call him terrified Kerri, but another sip of wine stemmed the threat of tears. She pushed the glass away, out of easy reach, aware that she'd already had too much to drink and she needed to keep her wits about her when dealing with Sebastian.
"The only problem you have right now is me. I'm not going to make it easy for you to push me away this time. Since the day you walked in to my office, I've done nothing but fantasize about ways to get you in my bed. Staying away from you has driven me half crazy, and I'm finding it hard to concentrate on work. My receptionist Isabel even threatened to quit if I didn't stop being such a grouch."
He'd spoken the words in a heated rush, as if trying to get them out before changing his mind. It made Kerri feel a little better to know how much this mattered to him, and she didn't want to carry on pretending that it didn't matter to her. "Then why didn't you call me? You must have known how hard it would be for me to make the first move."
"I didn't want to pressure you. For all I knew, hearing about my psychic abilities might have put you off. There's not many who can handle the idea."
Kerri had thought she was one of them, at least at first. But hours of research on the internet in the weeks since had calmed her nerves a little. Many people claimed to have the same kinds of abilities as he did, and most of them did good work, using their gifts to find lost children, convict serial murders, and help people suffering in anguish. There were probably a few who took advantage of others, Kerri had no doubt, but that was no different in any walk of life. Sebastian had been a practicing therapist in the same location for the last fifteen years, so if he was some kind of perverted freak, he would have been exposed by now.
"I guess that makes sense."
"I want you to come to me willingly. I need to know you want me as much as I want you."
Kerri searched for the courage to utter the words Sebastian needed to hear, but they just didn't come. "Some of us find it hard to talk about our feelings."
"Then stop trying. I'm going to book a table at my favorite restaurant for tomorrow night. If you turn up, that will tell me all I need to know." He gave her the details and checked if she knew where it was. Of course she knew. Kerri had dreamed about dining there, but the prices, and the snooty looking clientele, had put her off.
"I'm not sure I have anything to wear."
"Don't worry. You'll be the most beautiful woman in the room. Wear what you want, as long as it doesn't include underwear."
The sultry timbre of his voice made Kerri so hot, she thought her nightgown was gonna burst into flames. Just talking to him on the phone did dangerous things to her l
ibido. God only knew how she'd handle him in the flesh.
"Sebastian!"
"See you tomorrow. Eight o'clock."
The call ended with an abrupt click. Kerri pulled the phone from her ear and stared at it as if it might explain how she'd gone from facing a weekend of boring nothingness to one filled with promise of a wild sexual adventure in the space of five minutes. Her stomach clenched in nervousness at the thought of what might be about to happen, but she wasn't going to let herself wimp out, not this time.
She went back to bed, sure she wouldn't get even a wink of sleep. But the combination of copious amounts of wine, a long week at work, and the mental exhaustion brought on my trying to spar with Sebastian when she was ill equipped for the task, even when sober, had her sound asleep only moments after her head hit the pillow.
Less than twenty-four hours later, Kerri was sitting opposite Sebastian at the best table in the house, too aware of his eyes crawling over her exposed collarbones. He complimented her again on her choice of gown, a knee length, off the shoulder dress in taupe satin with a boned corset that pushed her ample breasts upwards and outwards far more than she realized it would when she sat down. To his credit, he didn't ogle her, nor did he ask the question Kerri could see in the depths of his eyes. Sebastian was no doubt wondering if she'd followed his instructions regarding her underwear. The greedy way his gaze had raced over body her when she got out of the taxi made her glad she had.
"Thank you. You look nice, too." Sebastian's grey suit looked to be silk, handmade and wildly expensive. There was no other explanation for the way it fit him so beautifully.
"Relax, Kerri." He took the bottle of wine from the sommelier and poured her a glass.
"I'm fine. I love this place. Have you dined here before?"
"A few times, but never with such lovely company."
She glowed with pleasure before a twinge of warning in the pit of her stomach made her remember she shouldn't lose her head or let down her guard.
The meal was everything she thought it would be. The conversation flowed easily at first as one course followed another, all of it beautifully presented but totally wasted on her. Kerri tried to experience all of the flavors and textures of the exquisite food place before her, but as the end of the meal drew nearer, she found it hard to concentrate on anything but the knot of fear in the pit of her stomach.
"Would you like dessert?"
Kerri tore her gaze away from the starched white tablecloth she'd been staring at for at least five minutes and shook her head. Sebastian suddenly looked almost as tense as she felt, and, if so, he had her sympathy.
He gestured for the waiter, placing his credit card on the table. "What would you like to do now?"
"I don't know. It's a lovely night. Would you like to take a walk?"
His grin told Kerri he knew she was playing for time, but he didn't let her get away with it. "My apartment is only a couple of streets away. Would you like to come home with me?”
Sebastian's typical bluntness put the ball firmly back in her court. This is it. Decision time.
"Yes, thank you. That would be nice." She grinned as Sebastian laughed at her answer, aware that she sounded more like a Sunday School teacher who'd been asked to join a knitting circle than she did a woman who'd just been invited to what was probably going to be the night of her life.
He kissed her for the first time after they stepped out of the restaurant. The moment her lips met his, Kerri knew she'd made the right decision. She opened her mouth, deepening the kiss, wanting to taste more of him than just the tongue he slipped between her lips. Whatever the consequences, she was going to have sex with him. Once she'd made up her mind, the short walk from the restaurant to Sebastian's apartment wasn't anywhere near short enough.
Sebastian led Kerri up to his apartment on the top floor of the building that housed his office and followed her in through the open door. She heard a click as he switched on a series of discreetly placed lights, casting a warm glow across the walls and ceiling. The place was vast, with floor to ceiling windows, exposed brick walls, and plush leather couches that were much more modern than the ones in his office. Kerri's nerves were forgotten as she gazed around the vast loft, stunned he could afford to rent so much space in New York.
When she finished her inspection, she looked around for Sebastian, finding him reclining on one of the sofas. He'd removed his jacket and loosened his tie as if trying to make himself comfortable, but Kerri could see the tense set of his shoulders as he watched her with a stillness that was almost unsettling. Indecision kept her rooted to the spot. Should she cross the room on shaky legs to sit beside him, or stay where she was and let him come to her? Sebastian made her mind up for her.
He got to his feet but didn't come any closer, and tugged at the knot of his tie. It slipped through the collar of his shirt as he yanked it from his neck and threw it on the sofa behind him. Next, he flipped open the buttons of his shirt with dexterous fingers made expert by the fact he no doubt done it a thousand times before. Sebastian tugged the tails out of his pants and slid the shirt off the ends of his arms, bunching it in his hands before throwing it over to where his tie had landed.
Kerri's mouth went dry as she stared in awe at an expanse of broad chest dusted with fine dark hair, and she realized that she suddenly wasn't nervous anymore. She watched him kick off his shoes and tug his socks off his feet, then held her breath when his hand went to the belt at his waist. Sebastian undid his suit pants without ceremony or hesitation and thrust them down his legs, along with his underwear. He stepped clear of them, leaving the clothing in a bundle on the floor. He dropped his hands to his sides, as if allowing her to inspect his body.
If male perfection had a name, it would be Sebastian March. The thought flashed through Kerri's mind as she let her gaze crawl over him. Broad shoulders gave way to a wide chest, slim hips, and strongly muscled thighs. His penis was long and thick, but not too wide, and Kerri got a little wetter as she imagined how it would feel inside her. Sebastian's cock twitched as she stared at it, and she watched it grow longer and harder under her gaze.
Sebastian's voice cut through the electrically charged air separating them. "Kerri, take off your dress."
Chapter Four
His tone brooked no argument, not that she wanted to argue. She threw her bag on the sofa opposite his along with her wrap, and reached back for the zipper on her dress. The cool night air kissed her skin as the zipper gave way, and she hesitated for a moment, remembering too late that she didn't have any underwear on.
"Either you take it off, or I rip it off your body. It's up to you."
The urge go tell him to go ahead and tear it off her was very tempting, but the look in his eyes told her he'd do it in a heartbeat, and the dress was much too pretty for that. Kerri peeled the satin over her breasts, her gaze fixed on his face, watching him as he watched her. His lips parted a little, and the thought that he wanted to suck her nipples leapt into her mind.
The gown resisted when she tried to roll it down past her hips, but a slight wiggle got it moving again. Sebastian groaned and ran a hand through his hair, frustration, impatience, or maybe both, getting the better of him. Kerri slid the dress off her legs, surprised that she didn't feel more self conscious. The desire in his eyes left her in no doubt how much he enjoyed looking at her, and she couldn't resist the opportunity to tempt him a little more by bending down to pick up her dress and showing him her ass as she walked away from him in her heels and dropped the gown on the sofa.
She turned around to find him approaching, his steps slow and measured, as if stalking her. His large frame dwarfed hers as he drew level, even though she was still wearing heels. Sebastian reached around her to tug at the clip holding her hair and dragged his fingers through the tresses as he released them to tumble around her shoulders.
He closed the distance between them, and Kerri was acutely aware of the tips of her nipples brushing against the hair on his chest as he pressed his bo
dy into hers. The warmth of his skin seeped into her as his arm locked around her waist, and he tilted her face so he could kiss her.
His hot tongue surged into her mouth again, claiming her, and she tugged on his hair to pull him closer. Sebastian did likewise, bunching her curls in his hand as he angled her head this way and that, sealing their lips together so tightly that she wouldn't be able to suck in a breath unless he wanted her to. He released her mouth and grazed his teeth down the column of her neck as he filled his hands with her breasts, lifting their weight as he rubbed the pads of his thumbs across her sensitive nipples.
Kerri ran her palms over his torso, tracing the shape of the muscles in his abdomen as she made her way down to his penis. Sebastian grunted against her neck when she wrapped her hand around his cock.
She opened her mouth to tell him how good his weight felt in her hand, but she never got a chance to utter the words. Sebastian picked her up and set her down on the back of the sofa, using his shoulder to force her to lean against the bricks. His torso forced her thighs apart as he slid down into the space between her legs, and he splayed his hands against her skin, spreading her wide.
He lowered his head to her groin, staring at her pussy with an intensity that would have made her blush if she wasn't so turned on. "My God, Kerri. Do you have any idea how much I love looking at you?"
When he grabbed her hand and dragged it down to rest against her clit, Kerri knew what he wanted her to do, but she'd rather he did it for her. Please touch me, she thought, praying he wouldn't make her beg.
"I don't need to be asked twice." Sebastian grinned up at her and thrust one of his fingers deep inside her pussy, plunging it in and out a few times before leaning in and sucking her clit into his mouth.
Kerri jerked as a hard pulse of pleasure drew her insides tight, pulling his finger deeper inside her. His tongue swirled over her bud, making her quiver each time it passed over her most sensitive parts. When he pulled away, she dug her fingers into the sofa to stop herself from tugging on his hair and dragging him back.
