Chapter Twenty-Seven
Ava
“You have cream on the tip of your nose,” Sebastian says with a smile. I wipe myself clean, a little embarrassed. He covers my mouth in an unexpected kiss. Our tongues meet in a clash, and everything blurs for me except him. Everything about him comes into focus. His taste, for one. Cinnamon mingled with the flavor of him. His scent excites me: mint shower gel and the underlying smell of him—oh, I know that one so well. In a haze, I feel him pulling me into his lap, careful not to touch my knees. Our lips don’t part at all, as I fist his hair with both hands. He rests his fingers on my waist. Remembering what Mrs. Bennett said about his feelings for me, I shudder. I feel the same way about him, and it’s damn frightening.
As if sensing my predicament, he pulls back, resting his forehead against mine. “Is everything okay?”
I cannot withhold the truth from Sebastian. Also, the darkness around us gives me courage.
“I’m scared,” I confess.
His fingers tighten on my waist, but his voice remains gentle. “Of what?”
“My feelings for you. I’ve. . . It’s the first time I. . .” My voice fades as I search for the right words. “I’ve never had feelings this strong for anyone else.”
“This makes two of us.” Sebastian raises one hand to cup my cheek, and I liquefy at his touch, my heart growing twice in size.
“I’m scared,” I repeat.
After a beat, he says, “So am I.”
“No, you’re not.” Chuckling, I pinch one of his nipples. “Nothing scares you.”
“This does. You complete me, Ava, and I don’t know how I’ll carry on without you.”
Wham. The force of his words knocks the wind out of me, as if I’ve been hit with that damn soccer ball squarely in the chest again. The best thing that’s ever happened to me is temporary and it’s killing me. By the look of him, it’s killing both of us. My heart shrinks until it feels the size of a small diamond, yet it’s heavy. It carries the weight of all the lonely days and sleepless nights awaiting us.
“So what do we do?” I whisper.
“Run with it and enjoy it while it lasts. Or—” I put a finger on his lips to silence him.
His gaze ripples through me. I lower my eyes to his chin, heat creeping into my cheeks. He demands I give up my inhibitions and he tears down the walls I carefully built. Sebastian makes baring my soul remarkably easy by revealing himself in front of me. This man knows not only to demand but also to give.
He kisses me again, this time like a man possessed. His mouth demands everything of me, and I savor him right back. Desperation tinges our passion, pushing us further and further on the spiral of need. Sebastian Bennett is not a man who gives himself easily, but when he does, he’s all in. So am I. Lowering my hand between us, I moan into his mouth. He’s hard for me already. The recognition sends arrows of heat between my thighs.
“Fuck. How can you turn me on like this, Ava?”
Sebastian buries his head in my neck, his lips nibbling at my sensitive skin. I sling my hand behind my back between us, caressing the rows of hard muscles.
“Get up. I want to take you from behind,” he unexpectedly says into my ear. My knees weaken at his strong, no-excuses-allowed tone.
“Yes,” I say in a small voice, too aroused to bring up any objections. We both rise from the bench, Sebastian guiding me away from it.
“Lean forward and put your hands on the wall.”
“Okay.” I do as he says, equal parts curious and nervous.
“Spread your legs.” He pushes my dress up around my waist.
As soon as I do what he instructs, I peek over my shoulder and see him kneel. He moves aside my thong and dips his tongue between my folds. My knees buckle as he licks me on the inside, desire ensnaring me. I need something to hold onto. The wall doesn’t provide much support, and I dearly need it. I wish we’d stayed closer to the bench. My thighs are quivering already. Sebastian drags his tongue from my clit all the way back, tipping my ass out, cupping my cheeks with his hands. When he slides two fingers inside, he rouses all of my nerve endings, sexual need overpowering me. It’s raw, primal, and delicious. He removes his fingers from inside me, but keeps his hand at the apex of my thighs, spreading me wider.
He swears loudly, and I whirl around in alarm.
“What’s wrong?” I ask.
“I don’t have a condom with me.”
I lick my lips, my heart thudding in my chest. “We can do it without one. I’m on birth control pills.” I avert my gaze, cringing at the last words. I didn’t keep this from him on purpose, but the topic never came up. Sebastian tips my head up so I have no choice but to look at him.
“I know you are. I saw you take them.” There is no accusation in his voice.
“Are you mad at me?”
“Of course not. I don’t want you to feel pressured into saying yes right now. If you’re not sure, we can wait until we get home.” A smile plays on his lips, but his eyes remain serious. “I might also die of sexual frustration; but I’m a grown man, I can handle it. Or we can do. . . other things.”
My only answer is, “I want you inside me. Now.”
“It goes without saying that I’m clean. But do you trust me?”
“Yes.”
“I want you to say it, Ava.”
“I trust you.”
His eyes warm, and he places the sweetest of kisses on my lips. The fact that he patiently waited for me to trust him and didn’t confront me with his knowledge tugs at my heartstrings.
He flips me around again. I hear him unzip his pants, fiddling with his clothes, and then he poises himself at my entrance. I press my palms into the wall for support.
Sebastian tortures me, dragging the tip up and down my sensitive flesh. When I can’t stand the pressure anymore, I push my ass into him. He loses control, driving into me at once.
“Avaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa. Fuck.”
I swallow hard, blind from the impossibly intense sensation. Everything is magnified. His sharp exhalations against my nape burn me. My nipples pulse urgently. My palms aren’t enough, I rest my forearms on the wall, desperately trying to ground myself, fearing my legs will give in. Sebastian fists my hair as I push my hips against him, the pulsing between my legs begging for release.
“I won’t last long, babe. You feel so good.” His strokes get faster, harder. “You are mine,” he says, gripping my hair tighter, tipping my face to him. With a guttural groan, he empties himself inside me, driving me over the edge. My orgasm rips a loud cry from my mouth. “Mine.”