“Yes, he was madly in love with her,” Sebastian replied, touching the tip of his nose to hers. “Just like I’m madly in love with you.”
“I love you, too,” Mattie replied with a giggle.
He gently set her back down on her feet and looked at his Rolex. “It’s almost noon. We should get going if we’re going to meet your mum for lunch.”
“We can come back here later?”
“Absolutely,” her father agreed.
They made their way down the marble staircase and toward the main entrance door. “Daddy, my shoe is untied,” Mattie said, looking down at her long shoelace that was resting on the floor.
“Do you want me to tie it for you?” Sebastian offered to help.
“No, I can do it.” She bent over and meticulously made two loops with the shoe strings and tied them. Sebastian watched intently until she finished the task. She stood up and took her father’s hand and almost bumped into an older woman as she took a step forward.
Sebastian stopped in his tracks. The woman standing in front of him was his mother. She hadn’t changed at all. She still wore a tailored designer suit, sensible pumps, and her hair was pulled back in the usual updo. His mouth went dry. It had been seven years since their disastrous encounter—the encounter that changed his life for the better.
“Sebastian?” She said his name in the form of a question, obviously taken aback to find him standing in front of her after all these years. She turned to observe the small, adorable child standing next to him, who had Sebastian’s brown hair and blue eyes.
Sebastian said nothing. Mattie finally broke the silence. “Hello,” she cheerfully greeted.
“Hello, I’m Lady Lily Irons,” Lily responded. “And who might you be?”
“I’m Mattie Irons. We have the same last name!” Mattie extended her small hand to shake her grandmother’s.
Sebastian instinctively stood in front of Mattie to act as a buffer between his mother and his daughter. Mattie peered around his thigh.
“This is your child?” Lily asked in amazement.
Sebastian turned and protectively picked Mattie up in his arms. “Come on, Mattie. We’ll be late for lunch with your mum.”
“Do we get to take the Tube?” Mattie asked with enthusiasm.
“Yes, we’ll go on a little adventure,” Sebastian smiled.
Mattie turned back to face Lily. “It was nice to meet you,” she said as Sebastian quickly brushed past his mother and eagerly exited the museum.
Once outside, the cool air hit Sebastian in the face and snapped him out of his shock. He continued to hold Mattie in his arms, and with a quick pace walked down the road toward Pimlico Station. A heavy sigh escaped his lips.
“Daddy, was that lady our family?” she asked, looking back over her father’s shoulder.
“No, Mattie,” he curtly replied.
“But she has the same last name as we do,” she protested.
“Yes. But you’ll find that just because someone shares your last name, that does not make them family.”
“Aunt Sigourney is family.”
“And so is Aunt Alice, Uncle Henry, and Aunt Penny, but they don’t have our last name,” Sebastian politely reminded her. What was he doing trying to reason with a four year old? He decided to change the subject. “How about we pick up some flowers for mummy in the train station? What should we buy her?”
Thankfully, Mattie was easily distracted. “A big bouquet! We should get Gerbera daisies and roses and tiger lilies.”
“Tiger lilies? I don’t think they’re in season right now.”
“I don’t care, Daddy. I like the name. Grrrr!” She scrunched her nose, bared her teeth, and clawed her hands up in his face to mimic a tiger cub.
“Oh, you’re a very scary tiger, indeed.”
Sebastian and Mattie entered the Associated Press building and rode the elevator to the twenty-fifth floor. They walked over to the front desk and Sebastian introduced himself. “Hello, we’re here to see Tess Irons. Can you please let her know her husband and daughter are here to take her to lunch?”
The receptionist smiled down at Mattie and then picked up the receiver to make the call. A few minutes later, Tess was walking toward them.
“We bought you flowers for your first day of work,” a beaming Mattie announced.
Tess looked at the large bouquet of daisies and roses. “I love them, thank you. Let’s go put them on my desk and I’ll grab my purse and we can be on our way.”
Tess walked them through a maze of cubicles. There was a busy excitement in the newsroom: people on the phone, some typing away on computers, others rushing about the floor. It was controlled chaos and Sebastian understood immediately why Tess loved her job. They entered the three-walled cubicle and Mattie took a seat in her mother’s swivel chair. Tess placed the vase of flowers next to the photo of the three of them in Central Park.
“Come, Mattie. Mummy only has an hour for lunch,” Sebastian reminded his daughter.
They sat in a nearby park, eating take-away sandwiches while Mattie ran around the lush green grass, burning off energy. “How is your first day going?” Sebastian asked, after swallowing a bite of his prawn sandwich.
“Good, I thought it might be hard, but the procedures are the same, it’s just getting to know everyone on the team. I’m happy.” Tess sat back and gave Sebastian a long, hard look. “How is your day? You seem a little off. Is Mattie driving you crazy?”
“I took Mattie to the Tate Gallery this morning and had the misfortune to run into Lily.”
“Oh my God, what happened?”
“We bumped into her as we were leaving. Mattie was all talk and smiles. I was in shock—all I could think about was getting Mattie out of there and protecting her.”
“You did, Bas. You’re an amazing father,” Tess said to comfort him.
“Lily was gobsmacked to see me with a child in tow.”
“Yes, I would imagine so.” Tess reached over and took his hand. “She doesn’t know where we live. She cut you out of the family. Please don’t let this rattle you.”
“I suppose you’re right. It wouldn’t be realistic to think I could live in London and not run into her eventually.” Sebastian let out a weary sigh. “I guess it is better that it happened sooner than later.”
“Sebastian, you take care of us, you protect us. There is no one else I’d ever want to have my back. I love you.”
He pulled Tess into his arms and hugged her tight. “Thank you, darling,” he whispered in her ear. “You’re right. She can’t hurt us. I won’t let her.”
Tess looked at her wrist watch. “I’ve got to be getting back. We can talk more tonight, I promise.”
Sebastian picked up the rubbish and placed it in the brown paper bag. “Mattie, come on. It’s time to go,” he called out to this daughter.
Chapter 5 - Into My Life
Sebastian and Mattie walked Tess back to work, giving her hugs and kisses before they headed for the Tube. “Daddy, can we stop in and see Aunt Penny?”
“Mattie, you saw her a few days ago,” Sebastian reasoned.
“But I want to hear about the ball!” she protested.
Sebastian checked the time. “Well, I reckon we can pop in and see if she’s home.”
“Yay!” Mattie exclaimed, jumping up and down.
They rode to Kensington High Street Station and walked to Penny’s townhouse. Mattie rushed up the front steps and was knocking on the red door before Sebastian had a chance to ring the doorbell.
Penny opened the door, wearing a navy dress and heels, her long blonde hair gently falling over her shoulders. She looked as if she were ready to go on a date. “Well, hello. This is an unexpected visit,” Penny greeted.
Sebastian leaned in and kissed her cheek. “Sorry to pop in unannounced, but someone was eager to hear about the ball.”
Penny crouched down to Mattie’s level and gave her a hug. “Come in—I was just about to have tea.”
The
trio walked into the parlor. A tall man in a bespoke gray suit stood by the window, his attention focused on something outside. Sebastian recognized him immediately. The man turned to face them with a smile.
“Maxwell,” Sebastian said, shocked to see his brother standing in front of him.
“Sebastian, it’s been too long. It is good to see you again,” Max said, extending his hand.
They shook hands and Sebastian looked at Penny, hoping to get a glimpse of what was going on, but he couldn’t read her expression.
“And who do we have here?” Max inquired, looking down at Mattie.
“I’m Mattie Irons,” she announced, holding out her small hand to Max.
“Hello, Mattie. I’m your Uncle Max.”
“Are you Aunt Penny’s boyfriend?” the brazen four-year-old asked without shame.
“Martha, that’s not a polite question to ask someone you’ve just met,” Sebastian chided.
Thankfully, Penny jumped into the conversation. “Mattie, will you help me get the tea from the kitchen and bring it in here so we can enjoy some refreshments?”
The girls left the room, leaving Sebastian and Maxwell alone. Sebastian hadn’t seen Max in six or seven years. He couldn’t actually recall how long it had been. “I’m sorry, I’m surprised to see you here.” Sebastian walked over the sideboard and poured himself a finger of scotch. He motioned to Max, who declined the drink.
“I ran into Penny at the ball the other evening. She invited me to stop by for tea,” Max explained. “I’m sorry about everything that transpired between you and mother. I just wanted you to know that it doesn’t matter to me. I’m still your brother.”
Sebastian let out the breath he’d been holding in. “Thank you, Max. That means a lot to me.”
“Sigourney kept me abreast of what’s been happening in your life. A wife and a child—who would have thunk?”
Sebastian chuckled. “Life can be unexpected at times.”
“You look very happy. I’m glad things worked out for you.”
Penny and Mattie walked back into the room pushing a tea trolley. “Okay, you two sit down. Tea is served,” Penny said.
The four of them sat around the coffee table, sipping tea and eating finger sandwiches. Life could certainly be unexpected, Sebastian thought to himself as Penny and Max regaled Mattie with stories from the charity ball they had attended.
“So I’m standing at the podium ready to make my speech, when I reach into my suit pocket to realize I’ve forgotten my papers I had the speech written on!” Max exclaimed.
“He had this look of sheer panic on his face,” Penny added.
“I was in a panic. I’ve been juggling so many charities, I couldn’t remember the name of those I was supposed to thank.”
“Luckily, I noticed the speech lying on the floor under his chair.”
“It must have fallen out of my pocket.”
“So I decide to walk up to the podium and hand it to him. Just as I hit the top stair, my heel got caught in the hem of my dress and…”
“Penny starts to fall, face first and…”
“Maxwell rushes over and catches me before I hit the ground. Utterly embarrassing!”
Mattie sat wide-eyed witnessing the verbal banter. There was definitely more going on than met the eye, and Sebastian couldn’t wait to get Penny alone to find out what that might be.
An hour later, the clock on the mantle chimed. “Mattie, we should be going. I’m sure Aunt Penny and Uncle Max have things to discuss.”
Max stood. “Sebastian, here’s my card. Ring me. I’d like to have lunch with you soon,” he said, pulling it from the inside pocket of his suit.
Sebastian accepted the card. “I’d like that, Maxwell. It was good to see you again.” Next he kissed Penny on the cheek and whispered in her ear, “We’ll talk about this later.”
Penny merely grinned as she walked Sebastian and Mattie to the front door.
Tess made it home around six o’clock. They sat at the dinner table and Mattie proceeded to tell Tess about her meeting with Uncle Max. Tess listened with great interest while she stole glances at Sebastian to gauge his reaction.
They put Mattie to bed at eight o’clock and finally they were alone. “Lily and your brother on the same day, the first week we move to London. Are you okay?” Tess asked with concern.
“Max was nice. He invited me to lunch so we can talk. He seemed genuinely happy for us.”
“That would be the perfect opportunity to ask him about your father.”
“Exactly. Only now that I have the chance to get some answers, I’m nervous,” he admitted.
“It’s only natural,” Tess reasoned. “You’re going to try to find a man that doesn’t even know you exist.”
“The first step is to assemble information. There’s no saying I have to meet him if he’s found.”
“That’s true, but isn’t the whole point of the exercise to find him, meet him, see if you can have a relationship?” Tess asked.
Sebastian held up his hand as if to stop her. “One step at a time, please.” He leaned his head back on the couch and looked up at the ceiling. “I’m more curious to know what Max was doing in Penny’s home. I know you joked about them dating, but I can’t help but feel there was some sexual tension there.”
“I know—you can ask Max and I’ll corner Penny. Maybe we can play matchmaker after all,” Tess said, excited by the prospect.
“Brilliant, now you and Mattie are ganging up on me,” he smirked.
“Countess Penelope has a nice ring to it.”
“Technically, you would address her as Lady Penelope, the Countess of Sutton.”
“Why do you English have to make things so complicated?”
“Would you prefer we say ‘hey you’ in a New York accent?”
Tess laughed. “Could you imagine Lily’s expression if you did that?”
Sebastian had to laugh, too. “Let’s not put the cart before the horse. Penny’s on several charity boards, and I imagine Max is too, now that he’s retired from Irons Electronic to become the Earl of Sutton.”
“Do you think he’s living in the castle?”
“I would think so—most likely in the fall and winter. He’s probably spending the spring and summer in London due to all the events he needs to attend during the social season.”
“You’ve sort of lost me,” Tess admitted.
“You should have watched more Masterpiece Theatre,” Sebastian joked.
“Why should I watch TV to learn about the English upper crust when I have you to explain it to me?”
Sebastian pulled her into his arms. “Enough talk of titles, balls, and betrothals. I just want to enjoy some quiet time with my wife. What do you say we turn in early?”
“I can’t sleep thinking about all these possibilities. Who knew moving here would be so exciting? Sometimes I wonder if I shouldn’t be writing for the social pages instead of world news.”
Sebastian stood from the couch. “I didn’t say anything about sleeping,” he said in a deep, sexy voice.
“In that case, let’s go,” Tess agreed, pulling him by the hand toward their bedroom.
Once they were inside their bedroom, Sebastian locked the door and then leaned against it, watching his wife as she slowly undressed, making a show of it for him. Although she was no-nonsense Hamilton at work, she’d definitely learned to let loose in the bedroom.
Tess sauntered toward her husband and pinned him up against the door, leaning in and covering his mouth with hers. He swore he would never tire of her passionate kisses as long as he lived. He slipped off his navy suit coat as Tess untied his silk striped tie. Next she began to unbutton his shirt while he removed his belt and unzipped his trousers.
Tess began to kiss the hard plane of his chest and then licked her way down to his erect cock. Taking it in her hand, she stroked up and down, flicking her tongue over the shiny head. Sebastian leaned against the door and splayed his hands along the wall. “Jus
t like that, darling,” he hissed out between shallow breaths. After a few more strokes, she stood up and kissed him again.
Sebastian let his hands roam down the soft smooth skin of her back and then he cupped her buttocks. Turning her around, he pushed her against the door and lifted her off the ground. Tess' legs instinctively wrapped around his waist as he slipped inside her. Careful not to hit her head against the door, he thrust in and out at a languid pace.
“Do you want to finish this here or on the bed?” Tess asked in between kisses. Sebastian backed away from the door and carried Tess to their bed. He lay back, leaving her on top of him. She smiled as her hand ran over his shoulders and down his biceps. “I’ll never get tired of making love with you,” Tess whispered as she rocked back and forth astride his body.
“Good, because you’re mine—forever,” he said, taking hold of her hips and pushing deeper inside her. The quick movement made Tess climax and she collapsed onto Sebastian’s chest, her long brown hair tickling his neck. He smoothed her hair over with his right hand while his left hand traced the curve of her spine.
Tess lifted her head and looked at her husband. “I’m yours, but we’re not finished yet,” she purred as she rolled off his chest and took his erection in her hand.
Sebastian closed his eyes and concentrated on his wife’s touch. Her hands were soft and warm, her mouth was heaven. He took his hand and guided her head closer to his body—needing to feel her mouth surrounding every inch of him. Sebastian was so close to the edge, one more stroke and he came undone. “Fuck,” he moaned as he tangled his fingers in Tess' hair. She crept up his body, giving him a sweet kiss on the neck before laying her head on his shoulder.
Chapter 6 - It’s Only Natural
The events of the past week had finally tired Mattie out, and Sebastian was given a few blessed hours of silence while she napped. He couldn’t stop thinking about his impromptu meeting with Maxwell the day before. It could have been completely harmless, a situation of circumstance, but something nagged at Sebastian’s consciousness, telling him there was more than met the eye.
London Loves - Book 3 - Love's Great Adventure Series Page 3
