CHAPTER 18

Lexie worked so hard that for a few precious hours she actually stopped thinking about Seb. By 4:45 she was preparing to close up the restaurant. The place was nearly empty; only three tables were still occupied, and the folks who were sitting at them were having tea and coffee. She bused the tables herself and handed the dirty dishware off to Dennis.

She had her servers slip checks onto each table, a tacit invitation to pay up and leave. She’d never be so rude as to kick out a friendly customer, but there were subtle ways to get the message across. Too bad subtlety doesn’t work with Seb.

The bells on the door let out a little jingle. She turned, half-expecting to have to tell a customer the restaurant was closed. But it wasn’t a customer.

It was Sebastian.

Dressed in black from shirt to shoes, he looked like he always did: seductive and utterly smoldering. Only this time, there was a depth to his heavy-lidded gaze she hadn’t seen before. Lexie knew exactly what it meant. He’d seen her laid bare before him, every inch of her exposed to his scrutiny. And he’d liked it.

As if he could read her mind, his lips curled into a slight smile. “Expecting me?” he asked, his voice rumbling across the room.

You could hear a pin drop as every person in the place turned to stare at him. Despite the nervousness she was feeling, Lexie kept her cool. Rather than embarrass herself, she approached him so that he wouldn’t have to speak to her from across the room. She stopped a few feet in front of him and looked up. Then she stepped back half a foot. It gave her a bit more confidence.

“Actually, no. I wasn’t expecting you,” Lexie said in a low voice as she stared challengingly at him. “If you’re here because you’re hungry, I’m sorry but the kitchen is closed.”

His smile faded. “You know why I’m here, Lexie,” he said, his gaze boring into hers.

“Come back later.”

He shook his head. “No. I’ll wait right here.”

“You’ll be waiting a long time. I have a staff meeting after the restaurant closes.”

“I’m staying,” he said firmly. “How about some coffee and a piece of coconut cake while I wait?” He deftly stepped around her and slid onto a seat at the counter. “You know I love that cake.”

She wanted to scream. He knew exactly how to back her into a corner. This was the second time he’d ambushed her at her own restaurant, and she didn’t much like the sensation.

Lexie flung her shoulders back and set her jaw. Instead of jumping to do Sebastian’s bidding, she turned away from him. Then, as leisurely as possible, she made her rounds to the remaining tables, collecting the payments.

As Rachel walked by with a pot of coffee, Lexie snagged her. “Rachel, a slice of coconut cake and some joe for the guy at the counter, please.” She couldn’t have made him sound less intimidating if she’d tried. Unfortunately, it was far from the truth.

Rachel nodded, her eyes wide as she stared at Seb’s broad back. Then she blinked and went to do what Lexie had asked.

A few moments later, Lexie swung around the counter to ring up the customers’ bills at the cash register. Rachel was standing behind the counter, too, her head thrown back in laughter. No doubt Sebastian had said something funny. The sound of the waitress’s tinkly laughter grated on her, even though she knew it shouldn’t.

Thankfully, all the remaining customers were on their way in minutes. Sighing audibly, Lexie locked the front door behind them and gestured to her front room staff to start the evening’s cleanup. Then she headed into the kitchen to make sure everyone was on task there, too.

“Twenty minutes. Then a short staff meeting.”

Buster nodded, and everyone else gave a verbal assent.

Within that time, the restaurant would need to be readied for when they reopened on Tuesday. Her staff knew the drill. The dozen employees who were on shift at the LMK that evening met her in the kitchen after cleanup was finished, all of them standing around the big island counters in the center of the room.

Seb walked in and took a seat on the small bench by the back door. Many of her staff members stole furtive glances at him as he sat there, looking extremely interested in what she was about to say.

Instead of acknowledging his presence, she began to speak. “First, I want to thank everyone for such a good week. We capped it off last night with a fabulous event, from which I know we’re going to get a whole lot more business. In fact, I’ve already had two firm offers for upcoming events. This is good news, because more catering means more work for you, and in these tough economic times, I know several of you have been asking for extra hours. Well, you’ll have them and then some.”

There was happy rumbling from the assembled group. Lexie continued. “As our prices rise with the demand that I know we’ll have, I also intend to raise salaries, especially for those of you who are willing to assist with the catering aspect of the business. Does anyone have any questions for me?”

Isis raised her hand. “Will you be hiring extra staff?”

“The honest answer is that I don’t yet know. I’ll have to see how much work there is and whether or not the existing staff wants to pick it up. Rest assured that I’ll give first dibs to current staff members before hiring from the outside.” Isis nodded. Lexie turned back to the group.

“Other questions?”

“Will you be paying us overtime for the catering work?” Scott Watkins asked.

“At first, yes. As demand increases, we’ll negotiate an increase in base pay if you take on the catering work. But I’ll need you to commit to several extra hours per week to warrant the salary bump. Does that answer your question?”

“Yes, thanks.”

“Anyone else?”

Dennis spoke up. “Can part-time employees volunteer for the catering business?”

“You’re a special case, Dennis. I know the extra money would be nice for you to have, but we’ll have to talk it through with your folks to make sure that it won’t interfere with school or swimming. All right?”

Dennis nodded.

“Other questions?” Lexie asked. No one spoke up.

“Okay, I know this is a lot of food for thought. Keep in mind that I’m still working out all of the details. Nothing is set in stone yet, but I wanted to keep you all in the loop.” Lexie looked around at the gathered group and smiled at their trusting faces. “I’m very proud of the work that you’ve been doing. I know that the same high standards you bring to your work at the LMK will transfer to your work with LMK Catering. Our launch is going to be a great one, and I can’t wait to work with all of you as we enter this new chapter together. All right, everyone. See you Tuesday morning.”

There was some chatter and noise as everyone gathered up their belongings, many of them staring openly at Sebastian, who was still sitting by the door. The meeting had gone well, and she hoped she’d given her staff members the information they needed to make good decisions about whether they wanted to take on more responsibilities at the LMK. She suspected that many would, and she was pleased.

As people slowly trickled out the door, Lexie realized that she’d soon be alone with Sebastian. She mentally prepared herself for the volley of wits that would inevitably ensue. And now the fact that they’d spent a wild night of passionate lovemaking would be thrown into the mix. Just great. Lexie girded herself for the battle that was about to begin.

* * *

Seb got up from the bench and stretched, waiting for the rest of the LMK staff to trickle out the back door. He could sense that a few of the line cooks wanted to stay to talk to him about his work, but he set his mouth in a grim line that made it clear that he didn’t want to be approached. They’d just have to talk to him another time. He was here for one reason and one reason only: to talk to Lexie. He’d been less than subtle about his intentions and he was glad that people got the picture.

Wryly, Seb noted that even Buster had made himself scarce. Good. Something about the man gave him pause, which was saying something. Seb was rarely intimidated by anyone.

As soon as the last person had left, Lexie turned to him, crossed her arms under her breasts, and tapped her foot on the floor in an impatient gesture. Her small shoe made a light clacking sound on the floor. “Well?” she demanded.

Seb laughed, long and low. “Lexie, come on. You can’t seriously be wondering why I’m here.”

“Actually, I am wondering.” She cocked her head challengingly, daring him to call her out.

Sebastian moved toward her slowly, almost as if approaching a skittish horse. Come to think of it, that’s exactly what she was like—a high-strung filly he’d have to soothe and coax to surrender. Except that Lexie would never give in to him. At least, not fully. She’d always hold a part of herself back, and that, to Sebastian, was the ultimate aphrodisiac. A woman he couldn’t control.

“I’m just here to talk,” he said.

“About what?” She was still tapping her damned foot and staring daggers at his head.

Seb took a breath, striving for calm. This was a first for him. Trying to convince a woman to start a relationship with him. If Val could see him now, he’d either laugh his ass off or pat him on the back. He wasn’t quite sure which. “I want to talk about last night.”

“What about it?”

“Lexie—” His voice inched into warning territory at her deliberate stubbornness.

“So we had sex. So what? You, of all people, should know that it’s not a big deal.”

“It was a big deal, and you know it.”

“Uh-huh.” She didn’t look convinced.

“I felt it. You felt it. We have a connection. A connection I’d like to strengthen.”

Lexie snorted. “Why? So you can watch me? Learn from me?” She parroted his words from weeks ago back at him, obviously trying to get him to rise to the bait.

It took all of Seb’s inner strength to keep his composure. Only the fact that he knew Lexie had been hurt badly in the past made him stand his ground without blinking. “No business. Only pleasure.”

Lexie had held his gaze the entire time they’d been arguing. Now she dropped it to the floor. “And when the pleasure is gone? What’s left? Pain?” Her voice came out in a whisper.

Seb did what he’d been dying to do since he’d shown up at the restaurant. He closed the distance between them. With one hand, he clasped her by the shoulder. With the other hand, he tipped her chin up to look at him. Her eyes were moist and he could see that she was close to tears. “I’d never cause you pain, Lexie.”

“Not deliberately.”

“No. Not deliberately. That’s the only promise I can make. But sometimes the pleasure is so great that it’s worth the pain it might cause later. Let’s see where this leads.”

She blinked, and gave the slightest of nods. If he hadn’t been watching her so intently, he might have missed it. But that nod was all the invitation he needed to bend his head to hers and claim her lips with his own. Immediately, he felt a hot rush of pleasure.

God, she tasted good. Unconsciously, the hand slid to the back of her head as he deepened their kiss.

Despite her earlier misgivings, she responded to him ardently. She wrapped her arms around him and tipped her head back, fully offering her mouth to his, giving him what he so violently craved. This woman drove him so crazy with want that it seemed as though he could never get enough.

He backed her up until he felt her bump against the island counter in the center of the kitchen. In one smooth move, he lifted her by the waist so that she was sitting at the edge of the counter, glancing up quickly to make sure her head was clear of any of the pots that were hanging above. Stepping between her thighs, he kissed her again.

Her hips were now at the same height as his, and he used one of his large hands to guide her legs around his waist. She wrapped them around him, pulling him closer.

Sebastian felt a throbbing between his legs and he dimly wondered if Lexie felt the same heat. She made him so hot, so fast, it was amazing that he could think clearly at all. He pushed her skirt up and slid his hand across the top of her leg, cupping her warm mound. He was rewarded twofold when he felt her warm dampness against his palm and heard her soft gasp of excitement. He slipped a finger under the band of her panties, sweeping it up toward the center of her pleasure. She was wet and ready for him.

No matter how hard she fought to keep him at a distance, she couldn’t deny this. She wanted him as much as he wanted her and they both knew it.

He unbuttoned his dark jeans. Quickly shrugging them down, along with his boxers, he unwrapped the small package he’d pulled out of his pocket and slipped on a condom. Lexie hadn’t stopped kissing him. She was licking his neck, then biting it softly, sending sparks of excitement down his spine. He could barely think straight.

He shoved her skirt all the way up, and experimentally, he tugged at her panties. They were delicate, frilly things. Before she could protest, he grasped them in a strong fist and pulled hard, tearing them from her body. He caught her surprised cry in his mouth.

With practiced hands, he positioned her exactly where he wanted her at the edge of the counter. Without any other preliminaries, he thrust into her welcoming warmth.

Their coupling was fast, hard, and rough. Lexie kept up with him stroke by stroke, clinging to him as he took them both higher and higher. Within minutes, he heard her gasp, and her sex spasmed around his shaft. A second later he came, pumping into her one last time as he shuddered with his own release.

For a long time, the only sounds in the room were their intermingled breathing and the hollow sound of a dripping faucet in the grill room, echoing off the hard kitchen floor.

Seb recovered more quickly than Lexie. As the room came back into focus, he realized that once again, he’d gotten off target. He was less surprised than he should have been. This had been happening a lot where Lexie was concerned. He had wanted to actually speak to her, but he couldn’t seem to keep his hands off her long enough to have an intelligent conversation, let alone an intelligent thought.

What he wanted was to tell her that he was truly serious about starting a relationship with her, and that despite her suspicions, he had no ulterior motives. He knew all too well what his reputation was like. She probably thought him incapable of monogamy. Hell, he used to think that, too. But he hadn’t so much as thought of another woman since meeting Lexie. He’d never felt like this before. Unfortunately, he didn’t know how to explain that to her.

He smoothed down Lexie’s hair and gently stroked her back. Then, cognizant of the fact that they were both still in various states of undress, he pulled her skirt down to cover her legs. After she was decent, he tugged up his pants. Then he clasped her face in his hands and kissed her.

Unlike the ravenous way they’d devoured each other only moments before, this kiss was gentle. He took his time, smoothing his lips over her swollen ones.

“Sometime soon,” he said, looking pointedly at Lexie, “we’re going to talk. Really talk. But for now, I think we’ve had enough. Let me take you home.”

Lexie swallowed and nodded.

He lifted her off the counter, and a look of consternation flicked across her face as she began to blush. “My panties—”

Seb looked down. Scraps of black lace and satin curled on the floor next to her feet. He swept them up in his hand. “I’ll buy you another pair, Spice. I just couldn’t wait.” He kissed her soundly. “And neither could you.” Lexie’s blush grew deeper. “Come on. I’ll drive you home. Where are your keys?” He wrapped an arm around her and began to walk, steering her toward the door.

Lexie stopped in her tracks and looked at him suspiciously. “Wait. If you drive me home, how are you going to get back here?”

Seb kissed her again and laughed. “Who says I’m coming back?”

* * *

Lexie woke the next morning feeling warm, well rested, and pleasantly achy. She stretched gently, trying not to wake the man who was lying next to her—a certain well-known chef with bedroom eyes and magic hands.

Last night had been unbelievable. After their interlude in the kitchen—she made a mental note to disinfect the countertop on Tuesday morning—they’d returned to Lexie’s house and made love well into the night. They hadn’t spoken further about their relationship. Lexie was still feeling too raw to handle that, and Seb clearly understood. She appreciated that he hadn’t pushed her.

Still, the promise he’d made—that they would eventually talk—resonated in her brain.

She glanced over at Sebastian’s slumbering form. For once, she wasn’t in a hurry to get anywhere. Or to get away from him. She took the opportunity to fully study him.

He was stretched out on his stomach, head resting atop two pillows, his face turned toward her. His jet-black hair was tousled and it provided a sharp, pleasing contrast to the white of the linens. Long black eyelashes lay on his pronounced cheekbones, and his nose, prominent without being overly large, was half buried in the pillow, as were his lush, full lips.

Her gaze moved down his broad, bare shoulder, following his arm—with its bulging bicep—to where it disappeared under the pillow. Then she slid her gaze across his back, half-covered by the sheet, over his well-formed buttocks and down his long, long legs.

He was beautiful, if you could call a man beautiful. Seb was exactly that, which is probably how he’d gotten so far in life. Start with a heap of talent. Add a cup of good looks, a pinch of good timing, and a handful of hubris. Mix and voilà! Instant celebrity.

Yet he didn’t act like that around her. Well, the cocky part, yes, but the celebrity part, no. Once he’d figured out that she didn’t care about his fame in the slightest, he’d stopped playing that part. But he still swaggered around her restaurant as if he owned the place, and had claimed her with the ferocity of a man who knew he was on top.

Lexie sighed softly. It was official. She was hooked on Sebastian. Had it been this fast with Frank? No, it hadn’t. It had taken a few months before Frank had gotten under her skin. They’d been housemates, then friends, then lovers. He’d manipulated her from day one, and she hadn’t even realized it. Once they’d had sex, it had clouded things even more.

With Seb, it had taken what, a day, max, before he’d kissed her outside the LMK? That kiss. That devastating kiss. The one that still made her toes curl in memory. With only his body he’d outright declared—no, demanded—that she yield to him.

And she had, eventually. Oh, boy, had she ever!

She shook her head. Was this all it took for her now? Hot sex with an even hotter man to make her forget what had happened to her before? She didn’t want to forget the lessons she’d learned from Frank. She didn’t want to trust a man just because he made her body sing. It took time—more than a week or a month—to establish a firm relationship. She didn’t intend to make the same mistake twice. Especially not with a heartbreaker like Sebastian Grayson.

But when he completely enveloped her body in his, when he took her to heights she’d never imagined, not even in her dreams? The feel of his hard body pressed up against hers made her want to forget about everything but him.

God, she was weak.

But Seb was different. He hadn’t pushed her to open up to him emotionally, while Frank had demanded it. Demanded she tell him her every move, her every secret, her every need. And then he’d used them against her.

Seb was content to let things progress naturally. At first, she’d suspected it was because he himself didn’t want to be tied down, but she was beginning to realize that he was doing it out of respect and understanding. He knew she was still hurting, and he wanted her to feel comfortable with him.

And that meant he liked her. Enough to keep her safe, even from himself.

And then another realization hit her. One that rocked her to the core.

With that one kind gesture, she’d fallen for a womanizing bad boy with too much talent and too little humility.

Just then, Lexie felt another sensation. As if she were being watched. With mounting awareness, she turned back to Seb.

Who was fully awake and watching her.