A Tempting Dare

by Cathryn Fox

  “It wasn’t a suggestion. Now roll over.”

  She shifted to her stomach, and Sebastian grabbed a pillow and stuffed it under her hips, lifting her ass to him. Good God, she never felt so exposed or vulnerable before. But this was Sebastian, and she trusted him with her body completely. He ran his palm over her ass, then drew back and gave her a smack.

  “Oh,” she cried out, arching her back.

  “Red light,” he whispered, his warm breath falling over her back. She stilled, and the tantalizing sweep of his fingers over her backside elevated her pulse. “No moving.”

  His hand went to her hair. She caught his scent and breathed it in as he pushed the strands away from her neck. He fell over her, his cock brushing her inner thighs. He ran his lips over her quivering flesh, and he kissed her ear, her neck, her shoulders, slowly reacquainting his mouth with her body. He shifted positions and began a slow path down, moving toward the hungry little spot between her legs. Impatience thrummed through her and she wanted to wiggle, to move against him, but didn’t dare for fear that he’d stop.

  “You are so beautiful, Kat.”

  Everything she felt for him rose to the surface at the tenderness in his voice. She swallowed her unease. Hard and fast, she could handle, but this gentle, almost loving, way he was touching her made it difficult to keep her emotions at bay.

  “Sebastian…” she whispered.

  “Shh. Let me just touch.”

  He stroked her body, running his hands over her curves as his mouth burned her skin. His intimate touch seeped under her skin, stealing every ounce of her strength. God, it felt so good to be touched by him. He brushed his lips over the small of her back, the swell of her cheeks. He nipped at her ass, and she yelped, but it wasn’t from pain. His soft chuckle fell over her, and her heart fluttered. She loved this playful side of Sebastian.

  The bed sheets rustled. He was changing positions, but from the way she was facing, she couldn’t tell what he was up to. She angled her head and glanced over her shoulder. She opened her mouth to ask what he was doing, but it turned into a moan as he flattened himself on his back, gripped her thighs, and pulled her downward—to his mouth.

  “Oh, God, yes,” she cried out as he took possession of her sex. She hugged the pillow to her breasts as his skilled tongue connected with her sex, and flames surged inside her. Her skin grew tight beneath his invading mouth, and her body quaked. His hands slipped around her body and kneaded her ass cheeks, pulling her down harder onto his mouth. His tongue swirled around her aching clit, and a sound of pure carnal delight escaped her throat. That hot tongue of his strayed for a moment, dipping inside her, then returned to her engorged nub. He greedily drew it into his mouth and sucked so hard the room went a little fuzzy.

  “Yes, please, just like that.”

  He made another slow, skilled pass with his tongue, and she grew slicker, a deeper, more intense tightness coiling inside her. She sucked in a breath and closed her eyes for a brief moment, wanting to hang on but not knowing how.

  He pushed her down, and delicious warmth spread over her skin as her clit rubbed against his face. Heat ripped through her, and she moaned, her orgasm so close. Strong hands gripped her hips, and he inched out from beneath her.

  “Not yet,” he murmured.

  She cried out in protest, but it was short-lived. Sebastian flattened himself on the bed and pulled her on top of him. She widened her legs, straddling him from above.

  Eyes that were dark and hungry locked onto hers. “I want to see you when you come for me.”

  As he guided her down, he powered his hips upward. Ecstasy flitted across his face as he buried himself deep. She loved that look, wanted to be the one—the only one—to put it on his face. His gaze grew intense as he filled her to the hilt, and she cupped her breasts. His eyes latched onto her fingers as they brushed her nipples, and his tortured growl filled her with prowess. She rocked against him and tossed her head back.

  “Eyes to me,” he said, a new urgency in his voice.

  Her gaze flashed to his and held. His fingers stroked her hips, caressing in soft circles as their bodies moved together in sync. His touches were so sweet and tender it made her love him that much more. Honestly, they fit together so well it was hard to believe they weren’t long-time lovers.

  He touched her clit, and desire bombarded her. “Sebastian,” she whispered, her skin flushing hotly. “That is so good.” Eager for more, she rolled her hips, and he burrowed deeper. Blistering heat exploded inside her.

  “Jesus,” he moaned, the muscles on his stomach rigid.

  Soft quakes began at her core, and she ran her thumbs over her nipples. The way he watched her—made love to her—took her to a place where emotions ruled. She worked to block the things she was feeling from her mind, concentrating only on the points of pleasure. His hips powered upward, and his thumb applied more pressure to her clit. Her breath caught as pleasure deepened.

  “Sebastian,” she cried out, her body letting go. She clenched around him, and the desire and need in his eyes as he watched her deepened the pleasure between her legs—made this feel so much more personal.

  “Yeah, baby, just like that,” he said.

  Her cream dripped down his cock, and his body tightened. His breath came in a ragged burst. The second she stopped clenching around him, he said, “Red light.”

  She stilled as his fingers bit into her hips as he spilled his seed inside her. She kept her eyes on his, watched the twisting of his lips as his cock pulsed deep. When he stopped pumping, she collapsed on top of him, her ear pressed against his pounding heart. With his cock still inside her, they held on to each other, their serrated breaths cutting the quiet. He brushed her hair from her shoulder and stroked her back. They remained that way for a long time, each lost in their own thoughts.

  When his heart rate returned to normal, he gently tapped her leg. “Green light.”

  Kat laughed and slid off him, loving the games they played. Sebastian grabbed a tissue from her nightstand and wiped them both down. Once clean, he settled in next to her. He packaged her in his strong arms, crushing his chest to hers, and as he held her, she felt a connection with him unlike anything she’d ever felt before. They remained locked together for a long time, and when she heard soft sleeping noises, she lifted slightly to check the clock. They were both supposed to work tomorrow and from what she knew about Sebastian, he didn’t do sleepovers.

  “I’m staying the night,” he said, dragging her back to him and to an emotional place that could only end in heartache.

  Chapter Six

  “Good morning,” Sebastian said when Kat came around the corner and stepped into the kitchen. Want and possession raced through him the second he saw her, and he rooted his feet before he discarded breakfast and took her again.

  “I thought you’d left.” Her eyes widened when she found him at the stove flipping eggs. His gaze moved over her, taking in her mussed hair and crumpled nightshirt. His heart missed a beat, never having seen her look so sweet and adorable.

  “Sorry to disappoint you.”

  She gave a quick shake of her head. “I never said I was disappointed.”

  “I wanted to bring you breakfast in bed, but I guess it’s too late.”

  “Really?” She zeroed in on the bowl of strawberries he’d found in her fridge. She picked one up.

  “Yeah, really.”

  “I’ve never had breakfast in bed before.”

  “Get used to it. For the next two weeks, I plan to spoil you.”

  She frowned and dropped the strawberry back into the bowl. “Sebastian, I—”

  He cupped the back of her head and drew her mouth to his, swallowing her words. Her lips were soft, tender as they connected, and his heart squeezed. Jesus, he wanted so much more from her. The toast popped, and he inched back and slapped her ass.

  “Sorry, I couldn’t help myself,” he said. “What was it you wanted to say?”

  She put on a smile, but he knew he
r well enough to know she had something on her mind. “Nothing.”

  “Is everything okay?”

  She nodded. “Work stuff.”

  “Okay, good. Grab the butter.”

  She reached into the fridge, pulled out the butter, and set it beside the plates.

  “Knife,” he said, enjoying the warm familiarity between them.

  She opened the drawer, grabbed the knife, and buttered the toast while he flipped the eggs.

  “Plate,” he called out.

  She lifted the plates and held them out. He slid the eggs onto them.

  He winked at her. “What a team.”

  She grinned. “Its just breakfast.”

  He nodded. “You’re right.” He gestured toward the table. “Let’s eat.”

  He followed her to her small dinette table and set his plate down. “Coffee?” She nodded, and he hurried back to the kitchen to pour them each a mug. He sat across from her and dug into his eggs, starved from all the physical activity last night.

  “How does your day look?” he asked.

  She lifted her head, a surprised look on her face. “What?”

  “What? Has no one ever asked you how your day looked before?”

  She wiped the comer of her mouth with a napkin. “Actually, no.”

  “Assholes. Every last one of them.”

  She chuckled. “Yeah, I know. I’m like a regular old asshole magnet.”

  “Hey, I take offense to that.” He took a sip of coffee and she shrugged.

  “You shouldn’t. You’re not my boyfriend.”

  “No, I’m not. I’m just some random guy you’re sleeping with.”

  She sipped her coffee and glanced at him over the rim. “I’d hardly call you random, Sebastian. We’ve been friends forever.”

  She was right, he wasn’t some random guy, but dammit if he didn’t want to be more than her friend, her two-week lover. “So, are you going to answer the question?”

  “Day is busy. I have to go in early, actually. I didn’t get any work done this weekend.”

  He grinned. “My fault?”

  “It takes two.”

  “Dinner tonight?”

  “After work I have to pick up my dry cleaning and a few groceries, and I won’t be home until late.”

  He stabbed his egg. “I can do all that for you.”

  Emotions played on her face, everything from confusion to appreciation. “Why would you do that?”

  “To help you out. Just leave me your dry cleaning slip and text me what you need at the store. I don’t mind.”

  “Oh, okay. If its not out of your way.” She looked at her eggs, moved them around on her plate a bit, then said, “Sebastian…”

  “Yeah?”

  “How does your day look?”

  The normalcy in this twisted his head. He’d never woken up with a girl and stayed for breakfast before, but Christ, now that he had, he wasn’t sure how he could go back to his empty condo. Some might think his need for her was quick—his desire to make her his and only his lightning fast—but it wasn’t. What he felt for her was ten long years in the building. But how did she feel? She’d come to him for sex and agreed to a two-week fling. If she actually wanted more from him, that changed everything, right? Then again, going for what he wanted with her could mean losing everything else close to his heart.

  How could he have it all?

  “If you’re running late, I can cook dinner,” he said.

  “Since when did you start cooking?” she shot back, the smirk on her face touching him in deep places.

  “I can cook.”

  “Are you forgetting the time you nearly burned down our kitchen making mac and cheese?”

  He laughed. “I was fourteen. I’m not a kid anymore.”

  “No, you’re not. And neither am I.”

  “Yeah,” he said, his cock thickening. “You haven’t been a kid in a very long time, Kat.”

  Warmth moved into her cheeks. She had to be thinking about last night. He hoped she was. Hoped she realized how good they were together.

  “What, ah…what are you going to make?” she asked.

  “Scallop linguine.”

  She stared at him for a long moment, unblinking. “That’s my favorite.”

  “I know.”

  She took another sip of coffee and glanced at her watch, turning from him. “I need to get going.”

  “Me, too.”

  They both pushed from the table, and she darted to the bathroom. Sebastian tidied up the dishes while he waited his turn. She came back, dressed in a tight pencil skirt and a white blouse. She was the most gorgeous woman he’d ever set eyes on.

  “I guess I’ll see you tonight,” she said, grabbing her dry cleaning slip from her briefcase. She handed it to him and reached for her keys. “You’ll need a spare key.”

  “I already have one.” When she’d moved here years ago, Danny had insisted she give Sebastian a key for emergencies. Christ, how many times had he wanted to use it to slip inside and crawl into her bed with her?

  She nodded. “Right, I forgot.” She turned to go.

  “Aren’t you forgetting something?”

  She frowned. “I don’t think so.”

  He crooked his finger. She hesitated a moment, then stepped up to him. “Jesus, you smell good,” he murmured as possessiveness spiked. He cupped the back of her neck and dropped a soft, good-morning kiss onto her mouth. Only problem was she tasted too good to let go. The kiss deepened, and she moaned. Her hands went to his body, and he slid his all over her, unable to stop touching. Tightness lodged in his throat, and he knew if he didn’t let her go now, he never would. He took a painful breath and inched back.

  He had to let her go, right?

  Or did he?

  Chapter Seven

  Their secret affair had been going on for over a week and a half, and Kat was getting in deeper and deeper. They never went out in public, and she supposed that was a good thing. She didn’t want her face splashed all over the papers. Imagine the scandal. Imagine Danny. But there was some small, stupid part of her that wanted to be seen on his arm, wanted to be worthy enough to be showcased in public. God, she was acting like a love-struck teenager. But how could she not fall for a guy who was so sweet, kind, and thoughtful? A guy who spent every moment spoiling her? He made love to her every night, cooked for her every morning, and the evenings she worked late, he sent food to her office. No man had ever been so thoughtful. She scoffed. No, they were out screwing someone else when she was stuck at the office. Damned if Sebastian didn’t tick all the boxes: loyal, supportive and loving. Not to mention they worked so well as a team.

  Did he treat all his women like that, or just her? If it was just her, then they needed to have a conversation to find out if they had a chance at growing something amazing. But what about Danny, her family? Dammit, she couldn’t let him risk it all. He meant too much to her.

  She glanced at the meal on her desk and the text from Sebastian. I need to work late, too. I won’t be home to make dinner and wanted to make sure you had something to eat.

  Her heart squeezed so tight it was hard to breathe. She loved him. She loved him so much it hurt. She had no idea what the future held for them, but right now she needed to see him, to have him hold her, feel his hands on her body. Maybe she’d skip out early and surprise him at the stadium.

  She left work and grabbed a cab. Thirty minutes later, she entered the stadium and headed for his office. Excitement bubbled up inside her as her shoes echoed on the floor. She rounded the corner and saw that his door was open. Darn, she hadn’t stopped to consider that he’d be treating one of the players.

  His voice drifted into the hall, and she grabbed the compact mirror from her purse to check her lipstick. But when she heard a female voice—a very familiar female voice—her compact slipped from her hand and bounced on the floor. Shoot. She dropped to her knees to retrieve it, but when she stood, and came face-to-face with Zoe, she faltered backward.
/>   “I…uh…”

  “Kat,” Sebastian said, stepping up to her. “It’s not what you think.”

  Ah, the words of the guilty. Kat shook her head, every old insecurity she had rushing back to the surface. How could he do this? She thought he was different. Thought there was more to him. Cripes, he couldn’t even do a two-week exclusive like he asked her for.

  I am such an idiot.

  She squared her shoulders and tried not to let him see how affected she was. “Looks like I caught you at a bad time.”

  “She broke up with Peter,” Sebastian blurted out. “Wait. Shit.” He fisted his hair. “That’s not what I’m trying to say.”

  She worked to stay calm, she really did, but tears pooled in her eyes, her heart so shattered she was sure she could never put it back together again. “Well, at least you’re not a total asshole sleeping with another man’s fiancé. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have things I need to do.” Like grabbing a bottle of wine, calling Emery, and crying her heart out as she drank the entire contents in one sitting.

  “I’m not…we’re not.” He stepped toward her and she stepped back, out of his reach.

  His hands fell to his sides. “Kat, please.”

  “Sebastian,” Zoe said. “She wants to leave, let her go. We were in the middle of something.”

  “Zoe, stay out of this,” he said, the warning in his voice putting a pout on Zoe’s face. “Kat, we need to talk.”

  “Nothing to talk about,” she said, hiking her purse high on her shoulder and turning on her heel. Not wanting him to see just how hurt she was, she kept her head high and forced her legs to work. She just prayed he didn’t see the way her hands were shaking.

  A week had passed since she found Sebastian and Zoe in his office, doing God knows what. Some small part of her wished he’d come after her, to tell her it was all a mistake and confess his undying love. But he didn’t, and that only hurt more. How could she ever have thought he was her Prince Charming, or that Prince Charming actually existed? In the end, she was glad she found out what kind of a man he really was before she spilled her heart out to him. Here she’d thought he checked all the boxes. She was wrong. Loyal, he was not. He couldn’t even last two weeks.