“And he what?”
“He broke up with me,” she said, her voice cracking.
“I’m sorry,” he said, and he was. He hated hurting her.
Her fingers tightened in his shirt, pulling on it. “He was nice about it, and said I needed to have a relationship in real life. Is there something wrong with me, Sebastian? Am I so horrible that I can’t even keep a virtual boyfriend?”
With his free hand, he smoothed her hair as best he could. It was pulled on top of her head, in a rubber band instead of her usual chopsticks. “No. He’s the asshole. Not you. You were honest with him, and he took the easy way out. Maybe it’s for the best.”
Guilt scraped over his body, leaving him raw.
You did this, a voice in his mind whispered. You made her cry.
And I can make her feel better, he swore. I’ll make her forget all about Jules, if it’s the last damn thing I do.
“Bella would agree with you,” she sniffed.
“Why don’t you come have dinner with me, at Christian’s house? The entire family will be there and we can announce the engagement.” Forward. Always moving toward his goal.
She shrugged. “I guess that would get my mind off of Jules.”
At least she hadn’t said no. Still … He let go of her wrist and stroked her cheek. “Would you wear my ring?” She didn’t flinch. She didn’t lean in. In fact, she did nothing at all. Her hazel eyes were dull.
“Sure.”
Feeling lower than anything that had every stuck to the bottom of a rubbish pile, he murmured, “I’ll wait outside by the car while you change.”
* * *
Daisy watched as Sebastian strode around his car, his body tall and lean. His strides were purposeful and sexy. He was powerful and compelling.
While she was helpless and weepy, eyes all puffy and rimmed in red. Makeup had helped a little. The shiny ring on her hand had helped her a little, too. She wouldn’t apologize about that either; it was pretty and sparkly. Two things that always made her feel better. He opened her door and smiled, “Shall we, darling?”
Darling. Jules called her darling all of the time. “Don’t call me—”
“Sorry, force of habit,” Sebastian said with a smile and gently pushed the hair out of her eyes. “That’s better. I can see your pretty face now.”
“You think I’m pretty?”
He gave her a look, but she didn’t care. She needed compliments from a man. She needed to be assured that she was pretty, smart, and fun to be around. That she didn’t drive men away, especially the ones she loved.
“Isn’t it obvious what I think about you?” he answered as they walked up the steps of the front porch.
“Not really,” she answered.
He stopped at the door and looked at her. The lights by the door highlighted his handsome face. “Ask me.”
She let out a shaky breath. “What do you think about me?”
Sebastian cupped her face, tipping it up. “I think you’re sexy, beautiful, kind, and smart. Any man, including Jules Westmoreland, who’s not willing to do anything short of murder to be with you, doesn’t deserve you.”
“Oh.” That hadn’t been the compliment she’d craved. Oh no. It was much, much better and really, really unexpected. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
Rising on her toes, she licked her lips and waited for him to kiss her. She wanted him to kiss her. He was close enough for her to kiss. All she had to do was lean forward and—
The door opened right as his hands fell away.
Zoe stood there, her gaze going from Daisy to Sebastian and then back to Daisy. “Hope you like pasta.”
“I love pasta,” Daisy said, as she stepped inside, keeping her stride all casual. Dear God, she hoped her cousin hadn’t seen anything. Or worse, Aunt Leah was here and thought she saw something.
Sebastian followed, not saying a word.
Her cousin stopped in the dining room. The table was set for four, and Daisy breathed out a silent sigh of relief. All she really could handle tonight was Zoe and Christian, not the entire Ambrose clan.
“Y’all got here at just the right time,” Zoe said as Christian brought in glasses and a bottle of wine.
“This ought to be great fun,” he said with a wink at her and his wife.
She felt nothing, absolutely nothing, while looking at him. Sneaking a glance over her shoulder, she smiled up at Sebastian. He didn’t smile back, but her heart went into overdrive.
“Shall I pour?” Sebastian held out his hand to take the bottle of wine from his brother.
Christian offered the bottle, only to take it back at the last minute. “Before I do, I want to know what we’re celebrating.”
“Well, I’m sure the two of you will understand, more than anyone,” Daisy began.
Zoe shook her head, giving Daisy a sympathetic smile. “We already know. Everything.”
“Oh.” Daisy waved a hand in the air, making sure her ring caught the light. Zoe’s eyes grew wide. “Yay for fake engagements.”
“Very nice ring,” Christian said with a glance at his wife. Zoe gave him a secret smile that made Daisy jealous. Why couldn’t she have that? Oh wait, she had had that, and the guy broke up with her. Over the Internet.
Christian cleared his throat when no one said anything else. “Shall we sit?”
Sebastian pulled out her chair, and she sat down. He sat beside her and, after blessing the food, he began to eat. His table manners were beautiful, like him. Everything he did was gorgeous, from the way he ate to the way he drank from his wineglass.
Only he was so silent, so serious.
She wanted to muss his hair and make him laugh. Make him unserious. And, oh dear God, was she turning into one of those women? Broody equals sexy challenge?
Sebastian glanced her way, sexy blue eyes slowly raking over her. No, he wasn’t a challenge. She knew he was attracted to her. Hadn’t he kissed her often enough in the past few days to prove it?
“Did you know I brought Sebastian to the dark side, without cookies,” she said, and the table went silent. “He, um, bought The Dukes of Hazzard County and watched it.”
Christian nodded, and then raised his glass of wine. “Bastian’s always been a pop culture buff. Star Trek’s his weakness. Regularly quotes Picard like a good Trekkie.”
Like Jules. Ugh. She had to stop thinking of Jules, but she couldn’t. She couldn’t stop thinking of Sebastian either. So, she focused on the man who was real, and in the seat beside her. “You are? It is? You do?”
He chewed and chewed, until there couldn’t possibly be any more food in his mouth, before answering. “Yes.” Then he twirled another forkful of pasta in a spoon and resumed eating.
“Oh.”
“Loads. Of. Fun.” Christian finished the rest of the bottle, and Zoe shot Daisy an apologetic smile.
“Would you like some dessert?”
Just as Daisy was about to answer, she happened to glance down at Sebastian’s free hand. It was practically balled into a fist. He was uncomfortable, but she wasn’t sure why. Maybe he and Christian were still on the outs.
“No, I’m a little tired. Today was one of those days, you know?” Not a lie. She’d spent all night tossing and turning, trying to figure out where she’d gone wrong with Jules.
Zoe’s smile turned sympathetic, and then she turned to Sebastian. “Why don’t you go ahead and take Daisy home?”
Daisy scraped back her chair. “At least let me help with the dishes first.”
“I got them,” Zoe said with a wave of her hand and began to rise. “You two go on.”
Christian shot to his feet. “Sit, love. I’ll take care of this.”
“But you cooked,” she protested, her eyes on her husband’s face.
He leaned down and kissed her. “And you’re sleepy.” His gazed dipped to Zoe’s stomach, and Daisy barely suppressed a gasp. Her cousin hadn’t had anything to drink, other than water. Instead she grinned, happy
as anything for them.
“I was up late last night writing,” Zoe said, sitting back down again. The unmistakable glow of a pregnant woman shone on her face.
“A baby,” she whispered to herself. Daisy had always wanted one or two of her own. Growing up as an only child had only reinforced her someday fantasy of a husband and kids. Being alone all the time was overrated in her opinion.
“What?” Sebastian asked.
Not wanting to give Zoe and Christian’s secret away before they were ready, she shook her head. “Cupcakes. I baked some today. You can have them for dessert.”
“Let’s go,” he said, and after saying good night to Zoe and Christian, they headed back to her apartment.
Driving around her building to the parking lot in the back, Sebastian parked his car and said, “Hang on a minute and I’ll walk you inside.”
He opened his door and then opened hers, helping her out.
“You didn’t seem to have fun tonight,” she said as they walked across the parking lot.
He spun his car keys around his pointer finger. “I’m not known for my hilarity.”
“And things are still tense with Christian.”
“They are.”
“I thought you were trying to change that.”
“I am.”
“You’re one heck of a poker player, aren’t you?” she asked with a teasing smile.
He rubbed the back of his neck, and then opened the door that led to the stairs to her apartment. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be. I don’t expect you to all chatty with me. Er, the American version, that is,” she said, heated blush rising.
“What do you know of any other version?”
“Plenty.”
“Give me an example, then.”
At the top of the landing, after unlocking the door, she turned to face him and rose on the tips of her toes, wrapping her arms around his neck. “Sure you don’t want to come inside?”
A war played out on his face, and she hoped to God that she’d be the winner. “Is this what you thinking chatting is?”
“To an Englishman it is.”
“And what do you know of Englishmen?”
“Enough to know I’d like this particular Englishman to spend the night.” She pulled on the back of his neck, but he wouldn’t budge.
“I think it’s best if I went back to Christian’s.” His hand came up, stroking the side of her face, and she leaned into his touch.
“Stay with me,” she whispered, pressing a kiss to his throat. She felt him tremble. Peering up at him, his face was a mixture of panic and desire.
“I know what you think you need, Daisy, but you’d regret it in the morning, and the last thing I ever want to see in your eyes is regret.”
Kissing his chin, she said, “Let me be the one to decide.”
“I—”
Nipping his bottom lip, she pulled it into her mouth and sucked. He groaned, his hands coming up to cup the back of her head. “This is wrong,” he said, but he opened the door to her apartment anyway and pulled her though with him.
The light on the foyer table gave off just the right amount of light for her to see him. She kicked the door closed.
“I’m going to kiss you.”
“Only a kiss,” he murmured, dipping his head. “Nothing more.”
Their lips met, a slow pass of soft, warm flesh against one another. Her heart sped up, fast as hummingbird wings. Her hand slid down to press against his chest and she smiled. His heart beat faster than hers.
She teased the seam of his lips open, sliding her tongue inside to touch his. To taste him, like he had done to her so long ago. Slow, wet glides and soft nips of lips and teeth. Her body responded of its own accord, arching against him.
His fingers tightened in her hair, his free hand gliding down her back to cup her bottom. “That’s enough,” he said, his voice hoarse. Shaky.
“Just a little bit longer,” she coaxed, and he slanted his mouth over hers, searching and wanting, and making her feel exactly how she wanted: desired, beautiful, and sexy.
Then his kisses turned light, concentrating on the corners of her mouth and the sides of her neck, causing shivers to race up and down her spine. Sebastian would stop soon, she knew this. She also knew she didn’t want him to stop.
Fumbling with the belt of her wrap dress, she undid the knot and shrugged out of the material, until she stood in nothing but heels and lacy panties. Normally she wore a bra, but tonight she hadn’t and for that she was grateful.
“Stay.”
* * *
Sebastian pulled away as soon as her dress pooled around the hand that still cupped her bum. He refused to look any lower than her gorgeous face.
“Stay,” she said again.
Hating and cursing himself, he replied, “I can’t.”
Her face paled a little. “Are you worried about the contract we have, because this has nothing to do with it.”
He rubbed the back of his neck. “No.”
Glancing away from him, her cheeks heated. “At the risk of sounding desperate, I want you to stay with me tonight.” Then she looked at him, eyes all dark and vulnerable, mouth trembling. “I need you.”
Jules! I need you! God, he wanted to help her, because she needed him as Sebastian. He wanted to stay, but the deception remained.
“My heart’s broken, Bastian,” she said, stepping closer to him. “Make me feel better.”
Still he didn’t look down. “You want to use me for sex?”
A bittersweet smile curved her lips. “Isn’t that every man’s fantasy?”
He shook his head. “I don’t want you to use me just for sex. I want you to—” He wanted her to love him, like he did her. This was killing him. He wanted her in the worst way possible, because she made him feel something and forget who he was all at once.
“To what?” She took his hand and placed it in the middle of her chest, just where her breasts curved. If he moved even the smallest of distances to the right or left, he would touch her bare skin there, feel her bare nipple as it hardened against his palm.
He swallowed, desire rushing through him and knocking down every good intention of leaving her the hell alone tonight. “I want to make love to you, like you deserve.” He’d had fantasies about seducing her, with wine and candlelight. With charming conversations and witty sparring.
But that wasn’t him. He was blunt and no-nonsense. The worst kind of lover in his opinion.
Her mouth formed a little O. “Make love?” She made the words sound foreign. Maybe her relationship with Glen had been worse than he’d thought.
Running his knuckles across her cheek, he said, “Haven’t you ever been made love to? Did Glen ever touch you, kiss you, and hold you like you were the most precious, sexiest creature ever made? That every part of him was meant to pleasure you, to make you forget everything, but the two of you together … joined in the most intimate of ways.”
A pink tongue darted out, licking her lip. “No,” she whispered.
“Ask me to do all of that, and I’ll stay the night.”
A heartbeat of hesitation and—“Make love to me, Bastian.”
He crushed her to him, lifting her up by her thighs as she wrapped her arms around him. He navigated his way to her bed and placed in her in the middle of it, settling his body on top of hers. He braced his elbows on either side of her as he simply gazed at the woman he loved and took in every little detail. The way her hair curled at the ends, the way her eyes were green and brown with tiny flecks of gold, the way her lips parted … the tiny freckle on her cheek. Her perfect for him breasts with pink nipples, the hourglass curve of her waist, and the plump thighs that gave way to shapely legs.
His fantasy brought to life by a deception he’d perpetrated, but…
“Why are you looking me like that?” she asked, starting up at him.
Because he would never get this moment back—the first time they made love. Maybe the only time. “Because yo
u’re beautiful.”
Smiling, she ran her fingers down the side of his face. “So are you.”
He couldn’t help but smile back. He couldn’t help but kiss her, soft and sweet at first, then fastening his mouth to hers, he became hungry, greedy. He tasted, took, and gave. He felt her hands on his shirt, her fingers undoing the buttons and a gasp of surprise.
“Tattoos?”
“Yes.”
“More in other places?” she asked between kisses.
He bit the soft flesh of her ear lobe. “Yes.”
“Show me later?”
“Of course.”
She pushed his shirt off his shoulders, and he undid his cuff-links one awkward hand at a time. His trousers were next to go, then his boxers, socks, and shoes. She wiggled out of her panties.
“Keep the shoes on,” he ordered gently, and she blinked at him.
“Okay.”
Not until they were touching, hip to hip, chest to chest, legs entwined with one another, did either of them speak.
“I have a confession,” she said, not meeting his eyes.
“And that is?”
She began chewing on the inside of her cheek. “I suck in bed.”
He nodded, nibbling on her bottom lip. “Men like that, I hear. As for me, I’m an enormous fan of sucking.”
Laughing, she lightly punched him in the shoulder. “That’s not what I meant.” Her laughter faded. “Glen said I sucked, and he had another woman to compare me to.”
“Did he suck in bed?” Sebastian asked lightly, though inside he wished he had cut off Glen’s testicles and fed them to him.
“I don’t know. He’s the only guy I’ve ever been with,” she said softly. “He didn’t like to go places, so I thought that sucked.”
He furrowed his brow. “Go what places?” God, this was hard, hearing about how much of an arse her ex-boyfriend had been. Hell, he was hard and trying to have a conversation was incredibly difficult. He wasn’t a slave to lust, but his erection kept brushing at her dark curls. Her nipples scraped at his chest, and her hips cradled him perfectly. A dainty foot brushed at his ankle, and he took a sustaining breath.
Her lashes flicked. “Down.”
Though he caught her meaning, he played dumb and kissed her breasts. “Here?” He teased the tip of one nipple. “Why would any man not want to suck and nibble on these very perfect pair of breasts?”
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