He held his hands up in surrender and watched as she disappeared into the ladies changing room. Her absence gave him time to mull over his concerns. It was his job to protect her, he reassured himself, when he found himself questioning his motives. But this wasn't about work, was it? This was about everyday life, the things that everybody had to face. He didn't blame her father for being concerned. She was a treasure and Sebastian was fast becoming preoccupied with her general well being and happiness. It was an odd thing, he mused to himself. It had to be because the lines between their work and personal life had blurred, because of their add-on no-strings relationship.
He shrugged the thoughts off, unwilling to consider it any further. Even so, he kept glancing toward the doorway of the women's changing room. When he heard the distant sound of her singing in the shower and pictured her in there, naked, he strolled in that direction. There was no one else around, and he couldn't stop himself following her.
* * * *
Amy grabbed her towel, hurried past the lockers and into the changing area, moving as quickly as possible in order to be on her way out with Sebastian. As she rounded the corner into the changing area she ground to a halt and clutched the towel against the chest. "Sebastian."
He was sitting on one of the wooden benches that lined the room, close to where she'd left her sports bag. Her dress was hanging on one of the nearby hooks, ready to pull on. For a moment she stood there, contemplating him. He made a rather incongruous sight sitting in the basic surroundings of the municipal changing room, suavely dressed as he was in a fitted black leather jacket over a classic white shirt and smart jeans.
He stared over at her with a hungry gaze.
That made her legs go weak under her and she had to put one hand on the tiled wall. She shivered slightly, more because of the way he was looking at her than the temperature difference between the shower rooms and this area. The evening was warm—it was the affect he had on her. "Don't you think you're taking this minder role a bit too far," she teased, "following me in here?"
He shrugged. "I got restless."
"Restless? So you countered that by hanging out in the women's changing rooms?" He had something on his mind, she could tell, and it was something sexy.
"Okay," he added, "I missed you. There, I said it."
She tried not to react, even though her nipples had peaked and the surface of the towel made her increasingly aware of her nakedness. Dense heat gathered between her thighs and she felt strangely unsteady on her feet. The look in his eyes was blatantly suggestive, and she closed the gap knowing what this would lead to—knowing he was going to tease and torture her somehow. It was a public space. Her class had gone, but someone else could come in, the caretaker or anybody. "You shouldn't be in here. What if someone else comes in?"
That didn’t faze him. He nodded at the towel she had held up against her chest. "In that case let me help, we can be on our way soon."
"I have the feeling your "help" might slow me down."
His mouth lifted at one corner. "You could be right."
When she drew to a halt in front of him, he pulled the towel from her hand, and set it down beside him on the bench. His gaze roved everywhere, making her crave physical contact. With one hand on her hip holding her steady he ran his other hand around the curve of her bottom, down her thigh to her calf. Then he slid his hand under her knee and lifted it, putting her foot on the bench by his hip.
Amy gasped and reached for the hook on the wall above his head, steadying herself with her hand wrapped around it.
He nodded. "That’s good. Hold that position while I admire the view."
With a gentle nudge of her knee, he opened her up.
Her skin prickled under his scrutiny and she wanted to squirm because of it. "You're a bad influence."
He looked up, locking eyes with her as her stroked his finger back and forth over the swollen bump of her clit. "I am?"
He shifted his finger, easing it inside her.
The hard intrusion was so welcome. Her hips bucked eagerly against it. She was fast losing control and she shook her head at him. "Yes, you do this to me, you make me crazy."
"Good."
He stroked the slippery walls of her sex until she had to toss her head back and gasp for breath. With his free hand he cupped her bottom, encouraging her to get closer still and show him more. She grasped the hook above his head with both hands, pivoting from it.
"Perfect," he murmured, then shifted his position—easing down so he was level with her pussy—and latched his mouth over her damp folds.
Amy squeezed her eyes shut.
He ran his tongue back and forth over her clit, making her moan each time. All the while he worked his finger in and out of her. She clenched on it, desperate for relief.
When he used the hand he had placed on her bottom to push her closer still, tonguing her pussy up and down voraciously, her eyes flashed open and she cried out for mercy. "Oh, Sebastian, please stop."
He lifted his head enough to answer her. "You don’t really want me to stop, you're almost there."
His hot breath on her tender, aroused folds made her whimper.
"I want you to make you come," he added, "and we're not leaving here until I do."
"Sebastian!"
"Come on, show me how much you like this." Then he was back on her, his mouth engulfing her clit, his tongue lapping at it from beneath.
Cursing beneath her breath Amy rocked her hips, pleasure soaring through her. A few feet away from them was a door that could be opened at any moment. The thought made her edgy and hot. She glanced away, looking over her shoulder, but when she did it was worse still, because she saw them reflected in the mirror on the wall at her right hand side.
Mesmerized, she couldn't look away. Sebastian had his hand on her bottom, holding her in place against his mouth. Her body was so lewdly presented to the clothed man beneath her—the man who was hungrily eating her, with a bulging erection beneath his zipper. The image flicked some switch inside her, and her orgasm rolled in. She came in a dazzling rush, panting loudly and begging him to stop. But he didn't stop. Sebastian kept working her until the last shudder of release had coursed through her.
"There now," he said, "I don't know about you but I feel much better."
He stood up, and took her into his arms, where she wilted against him. He kissed her long and hard and she tasted herself in his mouth. It made her want more. When they drew apart she thought she might fall if he weren't holding her upright.
He grinned and slapped her on the bottom. "Aren't you dressed yet?"
She huffed a laugh, disbelieving.
"You do know anyone could walk in here and see you," he added.
"Sebastian!" She reached for the dress she'd left on the hook.
"Hey, I did what I could to help." His grin was wicked. Mercifully he stepped away, but he had his hands on his hips and was clearly intending to stand there and watch.
"I'll be a whole lot quicker if you wait outside."
He gave her a sad face.
"Please!"
With a salute he stepped away and returned to the gym to wait.
"Thankfully," she murmured beneath her breath. How was it he could make her act that way? She was simply unable to deny him because their connection was so erotically charged. I want him too much.
Her hands were still shaking, her senses racing, high on adrenaline and the rush of release. And yet she was primed for more. She wanted to look into his eyes while he was inside her, make love fast and dirty, then slow and gentle. She wanted to be held in his arms all night long. Conflicting emotions surged up in response to her meandering thoughts. Could she be in danger of falling for him, of wanting a heavier involvement?
It hadn't occurred to her something like that might happen when they'd first got involved. She'd wanted to keep it light. She wasn't sure what she wanted now. She felt possessive about him all of a sudden, but she tried to push the feeling away. An affair, that was w
hat they were having. Nothing more. He was a fabulous lover and he really knew how to turn her on and keep her satisfied. She just had to be cautious with her feelings about him.
Once she was dressed and had her heels on, she stuffed her gear in her locker and put on some lipstick. Her hair was still damp, but she was good to go. When she entered the gym he was reading a poster on the far wall. She took a moment to admire him. He was all hard, lean masculinity, the open collar of his white linen shirt emphasizing his rugged strength. He'd taken off his jacket and it was casually thrown over his shoulder. His sleeves were rolled up exposing his muscular forearms.
As if he'd felt her watching, he turned to her. When she joined him, he placed a small kiss on her forehead.
"Ready to go eat?" He slid one hand around her hips and his fingers idly moved the material of her dress in small circles. It sent darts of sensation shooting out from the point of contact. Her body was wired to his touch.
"Oh yes." She was ready to eat all right, she was ready to eat and then have him inside her. Desire soared in her blood—desire to have as much of Sebastian Armitage as she could while he was still around.
Chapter Ten
Amy leaned across the restaurant table to whisper conspiratorially. "I meant to tell you, you don't have to feel bad about Roger any more."
Sebastian stared across at her, curious about her remark. "I don’t?"
They were enjoying a coffee after their meal. He'd taken her to an exclusive West End place with an art deco theme. Whilst their conversation had been intriguing and had gone from memorable childhood experiences to the type of investigations that made the news, Sebastian hadn't been able to keep his mind off sex all evening. She looked so good, and he kept thinking about the way she'd looked in the changing room, undulating like a sex goddess. Not to mention the fact that every time a table came between them he had the urge to arrange her over it, with her skirt up and her knickers down.
She shook her head. "Janine, who I work with at the Women's Page, she went out on a date with him."
"Seriously?" That was a relief. "My conscience is salved." With one thing and another Sebastian had actually forgotten all about Roger Green, but it was good to know the guy had moved on. Fate had not been on Roger's side, which was lucky for Sebastian.
He gazed across at Amy, counting his lucky stars. Waking up with her that morning had been idyllic. He'd pulled her into his arms and toyed with her while he tempted her to breakfast suggestions from his kitchen. It had been a perfect day, he'd started it with Amy and he would end it with her. That was good. In between, he'd seen to his other duties and he'd gleaned some information about Quentin that might be of assistance. He was a content man. Almost. There were those niggling doubts about her case and his interaction with it.
"Are we all set for our journey north?" He attempted to focus on their business attachment for a moment.
"Yes, the room is booked and I'm pleased to say the budget stretched to two nights in a superior room." She gave a naughty smile." That means it's a king size bed."
"Excellent, I can hardly wait."
"We can head off on Wednesday morning. I have to pull together some copy for my usual column tomorrow, but after I've seen to that, I'm all done. I've cleared my diary until Monday, which gives me plenty of time to work on the Quentin Edward's feature….and enjoy you some more."
Sebastian tried to concentrate on what he was going to ask her, but she was being purposefully provocative and it was making it hard to think of anything but her.
"What was that guy at the studio like? Jake, wasn't it?" He tried to ask the question as casually as possible.
"He looks like a weasel." She pouted and squinted at him in an attempt at an impersonation.
He chuckled at her efforts. "But you didn't hold that against him?"
"No, actually he was really chatty and helpful. He insists Quentin got into the occult stuff after Hammer House. It got him worried that the fans would go off Quentin and the show if they knew the sort of weird stuff he was into now." She shrugged. "This place in Yorkshire, Tall Gables, he reckons Quentin told the crew he'd go back there one day."
Sebastian nodded. He'd really have to go and meet this person Jake for himself. "Not afraid of the Tall Gables ghost? This one is supposed to be real."
"Not with you around." She chuckled.
The sound of it made him unaccountably content. Her eyes were dark with humor and passion and secret thoughts, and he wanted to know what those secrets were. "What are you thinking?"
"I was thinking you should escort me home, soon...because I want you."
The way she stated it so matter-of-factly stunned him. He swore under his breath and cleared his throat. "Escorting you home sounds good to me."
He drained his coffee cup and called for the bill.
Moments later they were on their way out of the restaurant, headed for a taxi. He'd been ready to take her home, but the mischief in her mood stimulated something else, something urgent. Sebastian was focused entirely on this crazy, beautiful woman. He wrapped his arm around her waist and drew her close against him as they walked along the pavement and he hailed a taxi.
The ride to her place couldn't go fast enough for him. The fact she wanted it as much as he did rang joy bells through him. During the journey he held her tight against him, feeling increasingly enamored with this woman who had stepped into his life unexpectedly and vibrantly. They scarcely knew each other, but he didn't want to let go of her.
She looked like a dream date in a gauzy purple dress that floated down into filmy layers around her shins. The straps of her sandals criss-crossed over her elegant little feet and wound themselves around her ankles. The fabric of her dress pooled enticingly in her cleavage and shimmied over her body in all the right places when she moved. Yes, his attention was all hers.
The taxi pulled up outside a converted townhouse. She was already opening up the front door to the building by the time he'd paid the driver. The hallway was taken up on one wall with mailboxes and the other gave the illusion of space with a large mirror that ran the length of the space. He caught sight of their reflection as they walked past it. He grabbed her into his arms, then turned her to face the mirror, nestling behind her, forcing her to look. He wanted a picture of them together to hold in his memory. Silently she met his eyes in the mirror, her body still swaying in his arms. She put one hand up and stroked his head where it was pressed against hers.
"My flat is up the stairs," she whispered, pulling away.
"How many stairs?" He darted after her, his interest honed again as he watched her sashay up the stairs in front of him. His hand quickly went to her hip, and he drew her closer as she walked.
"I've never counted them."
He counted the steps out as they went and when they reached the second landing Amy was laughing as he pulled her back into his arms again. There was a need so deep inside him that for a moment he wanted to have her right there on the staircase. He took a deep breath. Just looking at her, touching her skin with one fingertip, and he was lost to the world around him.
"This is our floor." She nodded her head back and to the right, where a doorway was marked with the number ten.
He liked the way she said "our floor" because right now he was glued to her side. He nodded, trailing his fingers along her jaw before allowing her to escape his grasp to unlock the door.
As she went in she switched on an uplighter and two lamps.
Sebastian followed and scanned her studio flat, taking in the details of bookshelves and framed prints and the quirky keepsakes that expressed her personality. His attention was soon back on her.
"Take a seat." She indicated a large armchair.
Sebastian undid his jacket and removed it before taking the seat she'd offered. She was in an adjoining kitchen area, pouring drinks by the sounds of it. A moment later she returned with two tumblers. "I hope brandy is good for you."
"If it comes with a side of Amy Norton, it's good for
me." He took a mouthful of the brandy, savoring it, before he put the glass down on a nearby table.
She stayed in front of him, one hand on her hip, the other toying with her glass. He noticed there was an expectant, almost challenging look in her eyes.
That was like a red flag to a bull.
He lifted his foot from the floor and teased it under the hem of her skirt then gestured at her hips. "Lift your skirt."
She stared at him for a long moment then put her glass aside and shook back her hair, before she clutched her skirt and eased it up as far as her hips.
The sweet curve of her hips and thighs captured his gaze. He nodded approvingly. "Better."
He wanted to look at her but he wanted to be inside her too. His hands itched to wrap around those gorgeous hips and hold them tight while he penetrated her. "Take them off," he added, gesturing at her undies.
Hurriedly, she pushed the scrap of fabric down her legs so the flimsy knickers fell around her ankles. With surprising grace, she stepped out of them.
He ducked down and lifted them up, examining them. "Damp."
She nodded.
"You want me inside you?"
She flashed her eyes. "You know I do."
Sebastian gestured at her again, beckoning her closer. He pulled a condom packet from his pocket and offered it to her. "Show me how much you want it."
Her eyes widened. "You're so demanding," she whispered, but he could tell she liked the idea because her lips quirked as she responded.
With her hands on his shoulders, she leaned in to kiss him, her mouth opening and her tongue teasing against his. It was a lingering kiss, but when he went to touch her, cradling her breasts from below, she pulled away. With a provocative glance she took the condom packet from him then opened his fly. As she unzipped him, his cock poked free of his jockey shorts, eager for her.
Dropping to her knees, she stroked it.
"Careful," he warned. Her hands on his hot skin felt too good.
"No way," she responded, shaking her head. "You said to show you how much I want it. You'll have to grin and bear it."
Minding Amy Page 11
