by Avery Aster
Then someone grabbed her hand, pulling her toward the sky.
“Leila…wake up.”
Sebastian. She looked up into his face, into those green eyes.
“It’s okay, baby. I’m here, Leila.”
They were sitting on the bench in the garden, Sebastian cradling her in his arms.
“You were having a nightmare. That’s all. Are you okay?” He stroked the hair away from her forehead and she closed her eyes, her body relaxing.
“Yes. I was in the cove again, but you weren’t there.”
“I’m here now, Leila.” He smiled down at her. An unruly section of hair fell across his forehead.
Even in the soft shade of the rose arbor, Sebastian’s eyes were startling, the green clear and vibrant, the blue around the iris dark. Leila lost herself in those depths and the panic of the dream faded away. She was safe, Sebastian was here, and everything was all right.
“I’m glad you are, Sebastian.”
A warm breeze blew through the arbor, and Leila realized with a twinge of embarrassment that her dress had ridden high on her legs, exposing most of her thighs. As if reading her mind, Sebastian’s eyes moved away from her face, traveling over her as she lay against him.
Under his gaze, her embarrassment began to fade. Everything in his eyes told her he was thoroughly enjoying what he was seeing.
“You’re a beautiful woman, Leila. Very beautiful.”
He shifted her easily until she was sitting on his lap. Pulling her close, he kissed her, his lips firm against hers. One hand moved slowly up her back, tangling in her hair. His other hand rested on her knee, his fingers warm on her bare skin.
After a moment, he pulled away.
“And very sexy. Hasn’t any man told you that before?” His voice was seductive, his gaze mesmerizing. Leila’s face grew warm, her embarrassment returning, and she dropped her eyes.
Sebastian set his finger beneath her chin, tiling her face up to his. “Don’t ever be embarrassed by your beauty. Or when a man tells you you’re sexy. It’s who you are.”
His mouth was back on hers, his lips forceful, leaving no room for doubt in her mind he was claiming her as his. She leaned into the kiss, hands resting lightly on his chest. Beneath her fingertips, she could feel his heart beating, the rise and fall of his chest.
As his tongue slipped between her lips, she spread her fingers, palms pressing against his chest. He teased her for a moment, his tongue flicking lightly against hers, before he deepened their kiss.
Leila moaned softly as he forced her lips apart, his tongue lashing against hers. He pulled her hard against his body, the hand on her thigh sliding higher, moving beneath the hem of her dress. The first touch of his hand on the skin of her inner thigh was a soft caress that grew firmer, his fingers pressing against her.
For an instant she pressed her legs tight together, but an overwhelming wave of heat rushed through her body and she relaxed, her legs parting slightly.
In response to her movements, Sebastian’s mouth formed a smile against her lips and his fingers moved slowly higher, his fingers reaching the edge of her panties. One finger slipped beneath the elastic, sliding slowly over her moist heat.
Leila gasped as his finger worked deeper, moving into her hot center, eliciting another deep moan. Her head fell back, lips parted as Sebastian began stroking her tender clit with his thumb, his warm palm resting against her.
Leila reacted to his touch, a tremor coursing through her body, her back arching as Sebastian continued stroking her. As the speed and pressure of his touch increased, her hips moved forward, her body moving in time with Sebastian’s movements.
Slowly she became aware of Sebastian’s body moving in time with hers, hips flexing, his erection growing as he pressed himself against her. She stole one hand down to his lap, caressing him over his jeans. Her touch was greeted by a deep groan, the pleasure obvious in his voice.
He began nuzzling her neck, his lips playing along her hairline, his tongue tracing fire along her skin. She turned her face toward him and her seeking lips found his, tongues meeting, thrusting between each other, her body trembling in his arms.
“Sebastian…” She broke away, looking up at him. “Make love to me now. Please.”
“There’s nothing I want more, Leila.” His eyes were dark, his voice rough with passion.
“Come here.”
Sebastian lifted her from his lap, setting her on her feet, then rose from the bench. He led her a few steps to the lush grass in front of the arbor, his eyes never leaving hers.
“Take off your dress, Leila. I want to see you in the daylight. I want to see you while I make love to you.”
Her heart was already beating fast, but his words sent it hammering against her chest and her breath caught in her throat. No man had ever been so assertive, challenging her, and for a moment she stood, unable to move, almost unable to believe what this man standing before her was asking.
But the fire Sebastian had started in her, the heat blooming in her body took over and she raised her hands, fingers undoing the buttons that ran down the front of her dress. Slowly she let it fall from her shoulders, stepping out of the puddle of blue linen.
She lifted her head, meeting Sebastian’s eyes, momentarily startled by the intensity she saw there. Her lips parted, her breath coming faster as she stood under his fiery gaze. She was aware of her breasts, the creamy tops rising, almost spilling from her bra.
Sebastian took a step forward, eyes dropping to her breasts. “God, you’re stunning.”
His hands rose, cupping her satin-covered breasts, kneading them slowly with strong fingers. Leila closed her eyes, breathing in the heady rose-scented tropical air as his caresses grew stronger, his strong thumbs sliding across her satin-covered nipples, bringing them to hard points.
Sebastian’s breath was warm against her neck as his hands slid behind her, smoothly unclasping the bra. It fell forward and then his hands were back on her breasts, her skin coming alive beneath his touch.
Her hands rose, finding the buttons on Sebastian’s shirt, swiftly undoing them, pulling back the fabric, exhaling a sound somewhere between a sigh and a moan as she ran her hands over the taut skin of his muscular chest. She rested her head on his shoulder, her lips against his neck, tasting him, inhaling his scent, rich and spicy, so masculine it made her weak in the knees.
Sebastian’s hands left her breasts, sliding down her back, cupping her ass. He pulled her hard against him, pushing his hips forward against her stomach. The pressure of his erection against her sent the heat in her body spiraling almost out of control.
Impatience mixed with desire and Leila grabbed the front of Sebastian’s jeans, wrenching open the button, tugging down the zipper. Sebastian lifted his head, his eyes dark with passion. She met his gaze but hesitated, hands trembling, suddenly shy, unsure of her feelings. Sebastian took her hands in his as she began to pull them away.
“Don’t be afraid, Leila. And don’t stop now.” He held her gaze for a moment longer and her confidence returned.
She nodded as he guided her hands back to his body, as he watched her. Emboldened by his words, she dropped her gaze to her hands, which still trembled, but now from excitement, not fear.
In her pages for Cheryl, Leila had described Sebastian, given him life and given him form. She’d been frustrated when he’d blown out the candle in her room on their first night, and the desire to see him now was almost overwhelming.
One final tug on the zipper was all that was needed. Leila slid one hand along the flat plane of Sebastian’s stomach, lower, freeing him from the confines of his jeans. As she wrapped her hand around his erection, Sebastian moaned, pressing forward against her hand.
Sebastian pulled her into an embrace, his mouth on hers. His kiss was powerful and passionate, and this time Leila returned that passion, meeting Sebastian’s fire with her own.
It was clear to her that Sebastian felt the difference in her kiss, the firm way she
stroked him. His hands went down her back, sliding beneath the satin panties, fingers digging into her, pulling her hard against his body.
They stood in the warm sun for a moment until the heat between them grew too intense. Sebastian stepped away from Leila, his fingers catching in the elastic of her panties. He tugged them roughly down, letting them fall to the ground, and Leila stepped out of them.
Sebastian quickly shrugged out of his shirt, then pushed his jeans down his hips. Stepping away from them, he stood in front of Leila.
She let her eyes travel over his body, taking in everything from his raven-colored hair, the broad chest. And finally lower. As Cheryl had said earlier, Leila was able to see what he had to offer his heroine, what he had to offer her.
Suddenly everything Leila had ever written in her romances became clear. She’d written words, created characters and given them relationships, but the emotions that Cheryl had said were missing welled up inside of Leila. Passion and lust, the desire to give as well as receive pleasure—intense pleasure—caught her off guard. She had something to give Sebastian and for the first time, she was ready to explore just what that was.
Kneeling on the grass in front of Sebastian, she rested her hands on his thighs. She looked up to find his eyes locked with hers. There was no hesitation in her actions as she reached for his erection, stroking him slowly for a moment.
As she pulled him into her mouth, Sebastian gasped, one hand moving to cradle the back of her head, fingers winding into her hair.
Sebastian’s sounds changed from gasps to low moans as Leila used her tongue and hands to give him pleasure. It wasn’t long before he was thrusting slowly into her mouth, his eyes watching every move she made.
Leila’s body reacted to every sound Sebastian made, the feel of him, the taste. A sense of feminine power rose up in her as she realized how much pleasure she could give Sebastian, how much she wanted to be here with him. All that was now mixed with the throbbing deep in her body, the ache for Sebastian, to have him hold her, make love to her.
As if sensing her feelings, Sebastian tugged on Leila’s hair, halting her movements. She pulled away and he knelt beside her.
“Leila…” He breathed her name as he lowered her to the grass, stretching out next to her.
She pulled him to her, arms around his neck, eagerly wanting his kiss, seeking his lips with hers. Sebastian was there instantly, and she claimed his mouth with passion.
Leila’s body ached for his touch, ached to feel him inside her again. Wordlessly, she shifted next to him, pushing him until he was on his back. She sat up, straddling his hips.
He was beneath her, his erection pressing against her inner thigh, his hips rocking slowly. But he held himself in check, hands on her hips, teasing her with his movements. She tried to lower herself, but he gripped her with strong fingers, keeping her from settling down on him.
The excitement built in her body, threatening to consume her. She wanted Sebastian, and she wanted him now.
“I can see what you want, Leila. It’s written all over your face. Take it.”
Leila held Sebastian’s eyes, a smile pulling at her lips. For the first time, she wanted control and she was ready to take it.
“I am. And there’s nothing you can do to stop me.”
The corner of Sebastian’s mouth turned up and he let go of her, holding his hands up in surrender.
“I’m at your mercy, Leila. Take whatever you want of me.” His wolfish grin told her that he knew damn well that she was the one at his mercy. If she hadn’t already been thoroughly seduced by the man, that smile would have done it.
Leila held his gaze for a moment, arousal swelling in her body. She reached down, taking him in her hand. She held him a moment before she lowered her body, guiding him into her.
She was ready for him. She was always ready for him.
As she lowered herself onto him, he closed his eyes, exhaling a low moan. He moved beneath her, his hips rising up slowly. Leila shifted her weight, rocking her body, hips rolling forward.
They started the dance together, Leila leading, setting the pace. Sebastian followed her every move, shifting beneath her, letting her ride him as she pleased.
Sebastian rested his hands on Leila’s legs, sliding up the soft skin of her inner thighs, thumbs running along the crease of her leg. Slowly, he moved one hand between her legs, slipping it against her slick wetness, caressing her gently
Leila gasped as his fingers brushed quickly across her clit, her hips jerking as he slowly circled the sensitive nub with his thumb once, then twice. She faltered in her rhythm and Sebastian pulled his hand away.
She caught Sebastian’s smile, the knowing look that told her he’d decided he was taking control. As she began moving, raising her body, sliding him in and out of her, he rubbed harder against her and she cried out, hips jerking again.
This time Sebastian laughed, a low seductive sound. But he didn’t take his hand away again, instead sliding his thumb over her again and again. Leila tried to keep moving, to continue her dance with Sebastian, but her body had other ideas. Her hips jerked with each pass of his thumb, her thigh muscles tensing against his hips. Almost without conscious thought, her hands rose to her breasts, clutching and squeezing them, pinching the hard nipples between her fingers.
Every nerve in her body was alive, humming with arousal, the sensations Sebastian was creating with his fingers while he inside of her more intense than anything she’d ever experienced.
And then everything exploded. She rose on her knees above Sebastian, hips pressed forward as her orgasm ripped through her. Throwing her head back, arms flung wide, she screamed, her voice echoing across the lush tropical foliage.
She fell forward against Sebastian’s chest, breathing hard, her body thrumming with pleasure. Sebastian’s arms went around her shoulders, holding her gently as the ebb and flow in her body gradually subsided.
But his body was anything but still beneath her. She could feel the tension in his limbs, inside her, and his hands slid down her back. As he cupped her ass, fingers digging into her sensitive skin, his hips flexed upward, thrusting himself deeply into her. He started a slow but barely restrained rhythm.
His movements brought her right back to the edge and she ground herself down on him, following his lead as his hands pushed her against his body, meeting his thrusts over and over.
When he came, it was as sudden as a summer thunderstorm and just as intense, and it took her breath away. Leila could feel his heart beating against her breasts, his breath rasping against her neck as he thrust up, hard and sharp. His heat filled her, his passion overwhelmed her, and the emotions that flooded her body threatened to consume her. She buried her head against him, inhaling the scent of him, of them, her eyes closed.
“Leila…”
Sebastian breathed her name against her neck. She lifted her head, meeting his gaze. The brilliant green eyes were soft, and she brushed a lock of black hair away from his forehead.
“God, woman. When you take control, you take no prisoners.”
She smiled. “I guess you bring out the animal in me.”
Sebastian shifted her, nestling her alongside him on the grass. Curled into the crook of his arm, she rested her head on his shoulder. Beneath her cheek, she felt more than heard his laugh.
Chapter Seven
Leila stirred restlessly. The sun had probably slipped behind the trees and the air was cooler, a flush of goose bumps peppering her arms. It had grown late and she must have fallen asleep, naked, on the bench. Of course she’d be cold. She reached for Sebastian, hand clasping empty air.
Opening her eyes, she blinked up at patches of deep blue sky visible through the roof of the arbor.
She sat up on the bench, wrapping her arms around herself. Startled, she looked down as her fingers touched the linen of her dress. She was fully clothed, down to the satin lingerie.
“Sebastian?”
Her voice echoed in the silence. She rose an
d walked from beneath the arbor. The garden surrounded her, but everything was still. The butterflies were gone, the birds silent.
And Sebastian was gone as well.
Sinking back onto the bench, she frowned. He’d been there with her, and again he’d made love to her. She knew that—she was sure of it—emotionally, and certainly her body knew what it had experienced.
She pulled her writer’s box toward her, opened it, and took out the pages she’d written earlier in the day. Her hero and heroine were torn apart now, divided by circumstances beyond their control, misunderstandings, missed connections. Sitting in the gathering twilight, she felt her heroine’s loss as keenly as if it were her own. And maybe it was. She felt like she’d lost Sebastian again.
Who was Sebastian? Was he an actor? She clung to that tiny shred of hope. If he was hired to play a part, could she get Cheryl to admit the charade, to tell Leila his name? She’d be able to contact him, maybe meet him somewhere other than this damned island.
But the thought kept intruding that something else had happened, that maybe he wasn’t real. Something strange had happened to her at the cove. Had she suffered some kind of injury, hit her head, maybe laid on the sand and suffered heatstroke? Was this all just a dream?
Leila shivered, a sudden chill running down her spine. She’d forgotten her watch and wondered if she’d missed dinner completely. But it didn’t matter; food was the last thing on her mind.
Sighing, she picked up her writer’s box and made her way back up to the path to the castle. Soft lights lit the stairs and she climbed them slowly, her feet leaden.
The castle door opened on well-oiled hinges and she stepped inside the cool, dim interior. There didn’t seem to be anyone downstairs. The dining room was dark, the hall beyond deep in shadows. She started to call for Dominick or Cheryl, but then decided she really didn’t want to talk to anyone.
Leila climbed the stairs to her room. Dominick had left a tray with a cold supper, but she pushed it aside. She set the writer’s box on her desk, lit a candle, and opened the box. She glanced at the pages that lay inside, but the joy she’d felt as she’d written the words was gone. Sighing, she folded them in half, stepped into the hall, and laid them on the silver tray.
