"I haven't intruded on your time with them, have I?"
"No, you missed them by a week." He smoothed her hair back from her face. "Now, are you going to let Dr. Armitage check you out for damage?"
She nodded, her hands flattening against the bed, a sparkle of anticipation in her eyes. He reached for the waistband of those naughty tight little trousers she had on. They hung so low on her waist he could touch the top of her panties when he slid his fingers beneath the waistband. He swiped his finger from side to side.
"Hey, no tickling."
He undid the slim zipper and peeled the trousers down, sighing when she lifted her hips to assist. Beneath the trousers she wore a scrap of vivid pink thong, matching the vivid pink top stretched across her beautiful breasts.
"How was I supposed to concentrate, with you dressed like this," he murmured, half to himself.
"It was my intention…to capture your attention," she confessed, seductively.
"It was?"
She nodded.
He slipped one finger down the side of her panties and over her pussy, possessively. She took a deep intake of breath, her arms still outstretched on the bed. Her nipples were taut under the tight enclosing fabric of the top.
"Well that's very naughty of you, Ms. Norton, but should I take this as an indication that you have forgiven me for any wrongdoing on my behalf?"
"Oh, yes." She was breathing heavily. "I soon realized I can't be angry with you for long. Do you forgive me for being upset about it?"
"There is nothing to forgive. You were justified, and I should have come clean much earlier."
She looked deep into his eyes, her expression thoughtful. "Promise me there won't be any more secrets from now on, and if you want to chip in, you will. I think we'd make a good team, don't you?"
She gave a tentative smile and he could see what it had meant for her to be brave and put her feelings on the line, and he felt humbled.
"We'd make an excellent team, oh yes." In so many ways. They would make the best team in the world. "I'm sorry you found out the way you did."
"It doesn't matter now. I just want us to enjoy every moment we have together."
He smiled at her remark and touched her hair with his free hand, running his fingers down its shimmering length, the simple gesture felt somehow incredibly intimate. "I want that too. Christ, I missed you so much last night…" He swallowed the unbidden, rash words. "I wanted you. I can't go long without thinking about you, is it a crime?" He lifted her chin as he spoke and looked deep into her eyes.
She shook her head.
"Good, now roll over so I can check you out for damage."
"Oh, Dr. Armitage, you do take your work seriously." She poked her tongue at him as she rolled over against the surface of the bed.
Sebastian's breath caught in his lungs, when he saw the beautiful curvaceous outline of her body against the deep burgundy bed cover. Her skin was pale and the flash of pink material emphasized it all the more. He'd never, ever tire of looking at her. The curves of her body made him hard with longing. With one hand, he traced the camber of her back, where it dipped and flared at her hips. Her bottom was perfect, soft and firm, molding to his hand. He forced himself on. Stroking down to her injured side, he met the site of the knock she'd sustained in reception.
"That's one fine bruise you're going to have there tomorrow." He bent to kiss the spot. She squirmed against the bed when she felt his mouth on her body. He blew across the surface of her skin. She moaned into the pillows. His blood was roaring. "The doctor thinks you're going to be just fine, but he prescribes that you should be handled with extreme care."
She glanced back at him, through a heavy wave of hair.
"Handled?" she asked, quizzically. She looked like she'd escaped from a harem, all voluptuous and sanguine, her mouth open, her eyes filled with desire.
He wanted her badly—wanted them joined together again. He put his hand on her hip and rolled her onto her back again.
"Handled," he repeated, then he knelt up on the bed, ripping his t-shirt off and chucking it onto the floor. "I'm prescribing some personal hands on treatment," he whispered, as his mouth descended to hers.
Her lips were eager and moist, parting readily to take his tongue. She caressed his neck then slid one hand down over the hard defined muscles on his chest. She tilted her head back, her eyes heavy with desire, fingers entwined in his hair. She was all woman and he wanted to be inside her and soon. He was rock hard and ready.
"I want you, Sebastian, and I…" Her voice faltered. "I don't want to waste a moment."
"Neither do I." His voice was hoarse.
Her hips moved against him. He groaned. She reached her hand down to stroke his erection inside his jeans. "Is this part of the treatment you're prescribing?"
"Yes," he whispered. He ran his hands over the surface of her breasts. "But I'm hoping for a holistic cure."
He kissed her neck. With her hand on his cock the need to be inside her was growing ever more urgent. He sat up and quickly pulled her top over her head. She pulled his belt from its place and threw it across the room, then tugged on his buttons until she freed his cock from his jeans. Her fingers encircled his erection and slid down its length to the taut mobility of his balls.
"Wait." He captured her chin with his hand, fixing her gaze with his. "Who's prescribing here, huh?"
"Oh," she replied. "If I can bear it. I will try." She pouted, dropped her hand and leaned back on the bed.
He smiled at her teasing words then stood up and dropped his jeans and jockey shorts. "Good girl. Now, let's begin to administer this special holistic medicine."
Reaching into the pocket of the jeans as he cast them aside, he dropped a half dozen condoms on the bedside table.
"Oh, is there lots of medicine that goes with this treatment?"
He nodded and finished his undressing of her, peeling off the sexy pink thong, watching her body as she moved to give him access. His need was urging him on. When she saw his cock twitch with eagerness she whispered his name, and it held a note of desperation.
He nibbled at the base of her neck. He wanted to kiss her from top to toe. She gasped as he rolled her breasts in his hand as he sucked deeply at her taut nipples. He kissed the length of her body, each curve and indentation. Her hipbone was kissed and licked until she whimpered. The arch of her foot got a special rub, and each little toe had its own moment of adoration. She writhed on the bed and when his hand finally closed over her pussy she trembled with anticipation.
"Feeling any better yet?"
She nodded, her hair tumbling against the pillow.
When he ducked down and slid his tongue into her slit, he heard her breath catch. Exploring her succulent pussy, he reveled in the taste of her. It made his balls ache and a low thudding sensation had begun at the base of his spine. Her clit was swollen and when he tongued it back and forth, she undulated against the bed.
"Oh yes," she uttered. "Feeling much better now, you're a very good Doctor." Her tone became more anxious when he reached further into the intimate places he was exploring with his mouth.
"You taste as sweet as nectar."
She groaned and sat up, snatching at him. Her hands latched on his shoulders, her nails drawing across him as he darted his tongue inside her again. The sharp, demanding touch inflamed him beyond redemption. He pulled back, grabbing for a condom. Once it was on he climbed between her opening thighs, his cock seeking her opening. Her eyes were bright and feverish and her thighs drew up around his flanks.
"Sebastian," she moaned, a plea in her voice, hands clutching at him.
With one strong thrust his cock was buried to the hilt inside her and her body closed around it. He groaned aloud, thrusting deep against her, reaching for each exquisite embrace she gave his shaft. Her hands reached for his buttocks, pushing him harder against her, a gasp escaping from her throat each time their movements met.
"Bend your knees higher at my sides," he whispered, bet
ween thrusts, his hand lifting her bottom from the bed to protect her bruised hip. She did as he said, and he felt how her body molded inside, how it reacted to him.
Their strides began to become fevered and he ground his hips into her. He could feel every ounce of her most intimate places with each thrust of his body, and he felt his orgasm marching on, threatening to overcome him. His thighs trembled with effort.
"Amy," he whispered, slowing his movements inside her, his head hanging down. "I'm coming."
He paused mid-sentence to pull out and thrust deeper. He groaned.
She looked up into his eyes.
"Now." The heady rush of release made him lose contact with the surroundings, his vision going blank. But when he felt her jolt and quiver deep inside, he was harnessed back to her and her moment.
She ran eager hands over his back and hips and around his hard tight buttocks, pulling against his body. She cried out, clutching onto his body with claw-like hands, her pussy drenched.
He lay across her, breathing hard and murmuring her name against her ear.
"You made me rush," he whispered, when she lay back on the bed, panting. "But the Doctor hasn't finished treating you yet." He rolled to one side and his hands slipped across the damp skin of her body. "You are so sexy," he whispered, almost as if to himself. He stroked his thumb lightly across her clit, drawing a moan from her. "You like to be touched here, yes?"
She nodded. "It's so intense, after…"
"After you've already climaxed." He watched her with appreciative eyes, and she gasped and whimpered under the lightest of touches. The sense of pleasure it gave him roared over him, and that's when it dawned on him. Sebastian knew then without any shadow of a doubt that he was in love with her.
He gently sped the motion of his fingers and her hands grasped without strength at his body. Quiet sobbing gasps began to come from somewhere inside her and he felt her clench, and release.
He held her against his body and they continued to explore each other with gentle, inquisitive fingers. He kissed her until her lips were tender and still he hungered for more. He was smitten, love struck, addicted and one hundred percent hooked on Amy Norton. But the looming deadline on their time together was ever present and it weaved a cold passage through his heart.
"What are you doing?" she asked, when he eased away and got up from the bed a few minutes later.
He smiled down at her as he dressed. She looked just as he had imagined her the moment he'd walked into the room, sated and bed tousled amongst the burgundy and white bed covers.
"I have to go get our bags." He'd realized while he lay there holding her in his arms that he would have to get up and focus on something tangible, something mundane, or he would be likely to say the wrong thing.
"What are we going to do about dinner? I'm starving."
"Why don't you choose something from the room service menu and I'll have it delivered to us here," he whispered, leaning down to take another kiss. He picked up the menu from the dresser and passed it to her. "I want you to save your strength, because you're going to have to endure a lot more of the Doctor's special treatment."
"Mm, hurry back," she replied, taking the menu from his hand.
"Oh, I will."
He would be back soon, very soon. But at that moment Sebastian Armitage felt like the harsh, intrusive presence of the outside world would probably do him a whole heap of good.
Chapter Fifteen
Amy stretched and wriggled her toes, sighing. She was in that blissful state of not being quite awake, cocooned in comfort, yet so aware of the strong male presence beside her in the bed. One of Sebastian's muscular arms kept her loosely locked in position against him, the fingertips of his other hand gently stroking the surface of her right breast, as if subtly urging her to wake up and enjoy his presence some more. She was in heaven, total heaven. She smiled into the pillow and opened her eyes, squinting into the sunlight that beamed into the room between the heavy curtains.
"Hello, sleepyhead." Sebastian rose up onto one elbow to look down at her. "Oh, yes, you look much better now."
"Why thank you, Dr Armitage, for your kind attentions last night, and for ensuring my swift recovery. Your hands-on treatment really did the trick."
"I'm glad you approved. There's much more special treatment where that came from, although I'm not sure how long I can keep prescribing to someone who looks so healthy."
She noticed how bright and green his eyes were in the sunlight from the window. In dimmer lights, they looked gray-green, but full sunlight brought out their brilliance. Amy reached for him and pulled him down for a long kiss, her body turning toward his.
"Amy," he interrupted. His hair was ruffled and she reached up to play with it. "You know that I don't give a hoot about the housekeeping staff, but I've already had to turn them away twice. Perhaps we should think about getting up, then we could continue with your treatment later on?"
She sighed and pushed her head back into the pillow, pouting. A morning romp was appealing, but she supposed he was right. It must be late if the housekeeping staff had already been up twice.
"What time is it?" she enquired, glancing around for a clock. His words had begun to sink in.
Sebastian reached past her head and lifted his watch from the nightstand.
"I make it twenty five minutes to ten."
Oh no. No, no, no. Reality was fast getting a grip on her.
"You've slept round the clock," he added, smiling benevolently.
"Oh my God." She sat upright, knocking him back onto his pillow in the process. "It's Thursday." She turned to look at him, aghast. "My deadline is at ten." A vision of Fiona's face flew into her mind, and in it she wore an expression of contempt. "That's in twenty five minutes. Shit!"
Pushing back the covers she leapt out of the bed and darted across the room to where their bags were thrown haphazardly on a velvet-covered Ottoman. She pulled out the bag containing her laptop and swung round, her gaze darting across the room looking for the wifi spot. Sebastian sat up in the bed, resting on his hands while he watched her with a small frown and a half smile.
"Can I help at all?" He eyed her up and down with a lazy smile.
"Oh yes, please. I need to get my laptop hooked up to the wifi." She set the laptop bag on the dresser then turned back to her overnight bag. Naked wasn't good, not when she was trying to be professional. Rummaging in the bag she found a T-shirt and jeans and grabbed them. She hurriedly pulled the clothes on, hopping back toward the bed as she climbed into the jeans. She pushed her hair back, taking a deep breath.
Sebastian was moving. She tried to ignore the casual stretch of his strong, attractive body as he reached over to unzip her laptop bag. He was so nonchalant about it. It was almost as if he wasn't aware that he was drop-dead gorgeous.
"You could put some clothes on, you are such a distraction."
He grinned at her then sidled past her to the bags, glancing at her and winking. He was such a tease. How could she not smile? Amy shook her head and took another deep breath. She instructed herself to concentrate on the job at hand. She had her laptop, she had wifi. She'd be fine. Reporters often got their copy in at the eleventh hour, that wasn't a problem. She'd just mail them what she'd written up yesterday. She'd been hoping to spend the previous evening speaking to the duty staff at Tall Gables to give the article even more substance, but she had forgotten all about, lying in Sebastian's arms. It would have to do as it was. What she'd prepared had a solid hook, baiting the readers' curiosity for the second part of the story, that's what counted. She turned back to the bag and began to hunt for the power cable.
"You are one sexy woman when you're being all professional like this," he whispered from behind her as she plugged her cable in, arresting her hips with his hands. He pulled her back against him and kissed her cheek. Glancing back, she saw that he was dressed. That was a small mercy.
When she switched the power on, her laptop didn't respond. "Perhaps you are confusing profe
ssionalism with the onset of hysteria," she murmured, her concern levels rising rapidly.
"Is there a problem?"
She flicked the switch on and off, then reached for the light switch for the dresser. The light didn't come on either. "No power, big problem."
Sebastian checked the other lights. None of them responded.
"Let me check with the housekeeping staff." He strode to the door and into the corridor.
The rising tide of panic inside her was just about being held in check. She picked up the bag and turned it around, opening up a document pocket at the front. Reaching inside, she pulled out a stack of papers. To her great relief she found the last printout of the draft she'd done at the office the day before. Although marked up for minor changes it was there in its entirety.
Sebastian reappeared. "It's been out for an hour. No idea when it will be back up. Apparently it was out yesterday morning…for three hours."
"Damn it. I'm going to have to try to fax this copy, which means I'll have to phone and tell her it's coming via that route instead." It was a good thing she hadn't eaten, because her stomach was beginning to churn.
"The expression on your face tells me that telling "her" is not a good thing."
Amy shook her head. It was too true. "My senior on this feature is expecting me to mess up and every little error is like a bad mark against my name."
"Give her a call. We'll find out where we can send it from at reception." He gave her an encouraging squeeze and a kiss on the forehead.
"Thanks, Sebastian. I really appreciate your help."
He saluted as he walked away. He looked pleased with her remark. Well, she'd given him nothing but hassle about his role in her work and in fact he had been a total star, supportive and reliable. Not to mention the added extras. They were highly appreciated too.
He was hunting under the bed, a single shoe in one hand. She remembered him taking them off when he'd carried her to the bed. Last night. She sighed, then reminded herself she had to stay focused. She grabbed her mobile phone and scrolled to Fiona's number. It was dangerously low on power, but there was enough for the one call.
Minding Amy Page 16
