Chapter 12
“I thought Mia
would be coming over tonight?” Sandra said as soon as she came
into the dining room to take her place at the table.
Sebastian
didn't move from his place at the window. He was still in the clothes
he'd worn that morning and had only taken off the jacket and tie. His
shirt sleeves were rolled up on his forearms and there was a half
empty glass of bourbon in his hand.
“Sebastian?”
He turned to look at her and saw the maid hovering as she waited for the instruction to dish out the meal. He'd been so caught up in his thoughts that he hadn't noticed her there. He nodded to her and she began to do just that. He waited until the maid had left the room and he'd taken a seat before he responded. “I don’t think she'll be coming over again,” he said abruptly as he reached for the bowl with the beef. He wasn't really hungry but he needed to eat something.
“Sebastian, what did you do?” Sandra demanded.
He looked at her in amusement. “Why does it have to be me?”
“Because I know you. Does it have anything to do with that photo of Mia and Gabriel in the papers?” she asked him.
His mouth tightened at that and he didn't respond.
“She loves
you—”
“She doesn't act like it!’ he said
grimly. “Maybe you're mistaken.”
“I'm not mistaken. I take it that you saw the photo and overreacted in your usual ‘Sebastian’ way. Was that why you went to dinner with that shallow, insufferable actress?”
Sebastian smiled in spite of himself. “What do you think?”
“Oh,
Sebastian!” Sandra cried. “Did you tell her that it was
innocent?”
“Why the hell would I do that? She doesn't
own me!”
Sandra shook her head at him. “You spent years using and discarding those women and she had to watch you while being in love with you. She was the one who had to tell them it was over and she did it while being in love with you. Do you have an idea what that must have done to her? And now you finally have a physical relationship with her and you end up doing this! Did you ask her to make the dinner reservations as well?” The look on his face must have given her the answer because her expression turned furious.
“She had lunch with him!” he muttered.
“And for her it was just that: lunch!” Sandra said in exasperation.
Sebastian pushed away his meal moodily and reached for the bourbon he'd been drinking. “She's exasperating!”
Sandra smiled at
that. “She's strong and stubborn and reminds me of you.”
“I'm
nothing like her,” he said mildly as he stared at his sister.
“Fix it, Sebastian.”
*****
Mia slid down into the warm relaxing bath and allowed the scented bubbles to come to her chin before coming back up. She reached for the glass of fruit wine she'd poured herself before coming into the bathroom. She'd told herself that she wasn't going to cry but she'd stopped at the supermarket on her way home to pick some things up and then as soon as she put the bags on top of the counter she'd sat there and cried.
Great heaving sobs that had left her drained and her head aching. She'd finished and unpacked the groceries and then headed to her bedroom to strip down and then to the bathroom to fix herself a warm bath and a glass of nonalcoholic wine to settle her nerves and allow her to sleep. She had a doctor’s appointment next Monday, which was the beginning of May, and she knew he would want to be there. She wasn't going to allow Sebastian to get under her skin again. She drank half the glass of wine and put it back on the side of the porcelain surface and leaned her head back, closing her eyes in the process. How could he sleep with another woman after what they'd shared together? she wondered in despair. But he was Sebastian and that was what he did best! she thought bitterly. She blinked her eyes as she felt the tears coming again and deliberately stopped them from surfacing.
He'd never asked her to love him; she'd done that on her own. She'd loved him for so long that she'd become used to being in love with him. Maybe she needed to forget about him. But she'd tried doing so before and it had never worked. Now it was worse because she was carrying his child and she'd experienced what a fantastic lover he was. “Oh God!” she whispered as she closed her eyes tight. She could never be with anyone else after that. How was she going to move on from him?
She finished the wine and got out of the bath, sloshing water onto the floor as she reached for the towel to wrap around her slender frame. She'd started showing slightly but not enough for anyone to notice. She stood there in the bathroom and removed the towel as she stared at herself in the mirror, her eyes going to the slight swelling of her belly. She'd felt movements in there and had placed her hands on her belly in wonder. She'd started doing her research on the baby growing inside her and had started playing Beethoven for it, especially when she was in bed and getting ready to go to sleep. She noticed that the classical music calmed it down and she would smile as she felt the movements stop as if he or she was listening intently. “Oh, Sebastian,” she whispered. “I love you so much.”
She'd just walked into the bedroom when she heard pounding on her door. She frowned as she wondered who was at her door at nine at night. She reached for her robe and pulled it on over her nakedness and went to look through the peephole. Her heart lurched inside her chest as she saw him standing out there. He lifted his hand to pound again and she opened the door. “What do you want?”
“Hello to you
too,” he said grimly as he moved past her. She closed the doors
behind them and stood there drinking in the way he looked in faded
jeans and a simple but expensive grey t-shirt. He turned to look at
her, his grey eyes taking in the robe clinging to her damp skin. “Did
I interrupt your bath?”
“You interrupted my going to
bed,” she corrected. “What do you want, Sebastian?”
He shoved his fingers through is hair. “I lied to you,” he muttered.
“About what?”
“I didn't sleep
with her.” His eyes met hers and held. “I wanted to hurt
you.”
“And you presume that you have the power to do
so?” she asked him coolly.
“Cut it out, Mia,” he warned her. He advanced and she stepped back, stopping as the door came up behind her. His hands reached for the tie at her waist and she clamped her hands on his wrists but didn't stop him from untying the sash. The robe came open, revealing her naked flesh in the light from the hallway. “I missed you,” he said huskily. “So much.” Mia went stiff when he cupped her breasts in his hands, his thumbs moving over the bud and watched in fascination as it tightened right before his eyes.
She breathed raggedly as he kneaded her breasts.
“No,” she said when He bent his head and took a nipple inside his mouth, his tongue passing over it lightly, but she'd clasped her hand in his hair and was holding his moth against her. Mia felt her knees buckling and her body giving way. She didn't say anything nor do anything to stop him when he lifted her into his arms, releasing her nipple to look down at her. “Show me the bedroom,” he whispered.
She pointed it out to
him and his long legs ate up the distance in a matter of seconds as
he went towards the bed and put her down on top of it. He pulled the
shirt over his head and rapidly unbuckled the belt and took off his
pants. He climbed in next to her and eased the robe off her slowly,
his eyes moving over her body.
“So beautiful,” he
whispered as if to himself as his hands wandered down her body,
lingering at her belly. His eyes flew to hers as he felt the movement
there. “He seems to know you,” she whispered with a
smile.
“He?” Sebastian asked huskily.
“I'd like to think so.” She stared at him. “What do you want it to be?”
“It doesn't matter,” he said huskily.
He felt the movement again and the emotion that passed over his face couldn't be explained. He bent his head and kissed the bump there, his movements tender. Mia felt her breath catch in her throat. He didn't stop kissing her. His lips wandered over the part where it was apparent that she was carrying his child.
He paused again when the baby moved and waited for the movement to abate before he nibbled at her skin, causing the fire to spread all through her unsuspecting body.
“Please!” she gasped, as she went rigid! But he ignored her and she stiffened further as his lips drifted further down. He hesitated at the top of her sex and lifting his head he looked up at her, his grey eyes darkened to almost black as his eyes met hers. She couldn't look away, not even if her life depended on it. He tore his gaze away and bending his head he nibbled at the flesh there.
She'd shaved recently and all he encountered was the bare skin. He sniffed and touched his tongue to the protruding flesh. She reared up and cried out, her fingers balling into tight fists, the short nails digging into the soft flesh of her palms as he pulled the bud between his teeth and sucked it into his mouth. Mia couldn't stay still. Not with what she was feeling!
She wasn't going to last! she thought dazedly as her heart hammered inside her chest. She was going to die right here with his mouth on her most intimate area. She was unaware of the stifled sob that escaped her as his tongue dipped into her. He took his time, his hands guiding her to his mouth as he used his tongue to swirl into her, the tip of it darting up into her and sending her into a spasm of such unbelievable pleasure that she couldn't stand it!
“I can’t!”
she gasped as she clawed at the sheets. “Please, Sebastian.
Please!”
He didn't stop and after a few minutes she came
against his mouth, her body feeling as if every bone had been
replaced by something flexible. He finally lifted his head and came
over her trembling body, hovering over her for a moment before
lowering himself and guiding his throbbing penis inside her. She put
her hands on his chest and curled her fingers into the suppleness of
his skin, her dark brown eyes wide with passion. He pushed into her
before he bent his head towards her. “Tell me how you feel,”
he whispered. “Tell me how I make you feel.”
“Why?” she asked him achingly.
“I want to know. I want you to belong to me.” He bent and nibbled at her bottom lip, sending shards of electricity deep inside her. “I need you to be mine.”
“Stop!” she said raggedly as she dug her fingers into his flesh.
“Please tell
me,” he pleaded, his breath stirring her face. He lifted his
head and looked at her, his eyes stormy. “Tell me, Mia. I want
to know.”
“Like nothing I've ever felt before.”
Her hands crept up and framed his face. “You have the power
to—” She broke off.
“Say it,” he whispered. “Just say it. I need to hear.”
“I'm in love with you.” The words were delivered quietly but had such a conviction to them that he was left in no doubt that she meant every word. “I've been in love with you for years.” She closed her eyes briefly. “So you have the power to destroy me.”
He shuddered on top of her. “I would never do that,” he whispered achingly. “I have never felt this way about another woman in my life. You have so much power over me Mia. I can't control myself around you; I can't function when you're mad at me.” He put his head on her forehead and breathed in deeply before looking at her. “I've never been in love before—” he pushed into her and she gasped “—but I think this is it.”
Her hands went up to
dig themselves into his thick dark hair. “Sebastian please be
sure about this. I know your reputation and your penchant for
skipping from one woman to another. Please be sure about this.”
“I
am, baby.” He bent his head and took her lips with his in a
kiss that had her curling her fingers into his hair and holding his
head still as he devoured her mouth! He moved inside her and she
moved with him, her body lifting to his as she copied his movements.
Mad passion took control, almost immediately and both of them felt
the desire creeping through them and increasing in strength.
Sebastian changed the position, bringing her on top of him without even releasing her mouth. Mia dug her fingers into his chest as she rode him, feeling him deep inside her and touching the core of her. His fingers were tight on her hips as she lifted her knees and braced them against the bed so that it could bring her closer to him. He lifted her bottom up so that he could push deeper inside her. Mia tore her lips from his and arching her back she rode him relentlessly, her body trembling. His eyes narrowed as he brought her knees up and eased his body up onto the pillows. His testicles tightened and he knew he was at the peak of pouring his life inside her. She moved forward as if she knew what was happening and he closed his hands around her body bringing her against him as the orgasm tore through them at an alarming rate; wringing them dry and leaving them clinging to each other as the waves washed over their bodies.
*****
She curled into his arms, exhausted, as his fingers made their way slowly down her back. She had her head on his shoulder and from her breathing he knew she wasn't sleeping. “I want us to get married,” he murmured. He felt her stiffen slightly and his eyes met hers as she lifted her head to look at him.
“No.”
“Mia—” he began impatiently but she put a finger to his lips.
“It’s happening too fast. I want that too, one day, but I want you to be sure about this, Sebastian. I've been waiting for almost five years so I can afford to wait a little longer.”
His grey eyes bore into hers and she stared back at him. “I want my child to be born in wedlock.”
“Is that your only reason?” she asked him with raised brows.
“You know better than that,” he said impatiently.
“You're a very
smart business man but you're lousy when it comes to relationships.
Give us a couple of months.”
“To find out if I'm still
into you?” he asked her wryly.
“Yes,”
she told him bluntly. “I know you better than anyone else. You
always like to be in control and I don’t allow anyone to
control me. We're going to have lots of arguments because we're both
stubborn. You've been with lots of women because they throw
themselves at you. I had to endure that through the years—”
“It
won’t happen again,” he interrupted her hastily.
“Maybe it
won’t.” She allowed her fingers to wander over the strong
planes of his face. “I'm hoping desperately that it won’t
because I wouldn't be able to take it. I want you to take the time
and figure out why you want to spend the rest of your life with
me.”
He stared at her for a moment. “I'm not going to
change my mind,” he told her quietly. “But if you think I
need time then so be it.”
She nodded and put her head back onto his chest. “I love you,” she whispered as she drifted off to sleep.
He heard it and felt the spike in his heart rate and with a smile on his lips he went to sleep as well.
*****
She had a hard time convincing him not to let anyone at the company knew about them.
“Why the hell not?” he asked her the very next morning when they were going through some details in his office. He'd left her place early that morning to go home and change and had walked in to see her arranging things in his office as usual. He'd stood just inside the doorway admiring her butt as she bent over his desk and remembering what he'd done to her that morning.
But as usual she'd been all business. He'd found it hard to believe that this was the same passionate woman who'd pledged her love for him and who'd been so eager and volatile in his arms.
“Because I don’t want people to look at me differently, Sebastian,” she explained to him patiently as she pushed him away from her. “I'm a very private person and I hold a certain amount of authority here as well. They're not going to think anything differently of you but to them I'm going to be the woman who's screwing her boss. I can't tolerate the speculations.”
“You're going to start showing soon, so what then?” he asked her as he stepped behind his desk.
“When that time comes I'll deal with it, but not before then.” She smiled at the frustrated look on his face and to his surprise she walked over and into his arms. He closed his arms around her and bent his head to hers. “Please be patient,” she whispered.
He inhaled her exotic perfume and realized that he'd always associated the scent with her. “You're sleeping in my bed tonight though,” he told her huskily.
“You have the Governor’s ball to attend and they sent you a specific invitation.”
“Dammit!”
he muttered. “Come with me,” he urged.
“No,”
she leaned into him. “Today's Thursday so I'll come home with
you tomorrow night and leave from there to go to the hairdresser’s.”
“Stay the entire weekend,” he said persuasively. “You can go home and grab some clothes and come back to the manor.”
“You're going to the club,” she reminded him.
*****
“I can blow that off.” His breath stirring her face was wreaking havoc on her insides.
“I'll come back
on Saturday night. I have to go and see my dad.” She moaned as
his lips wandered down her neck. She had her hair up today so he had
free reign.
“Not good enough,” he murmured as he took
little bites out of her skin and soothed it with his tongue. “I
need you in my bed. We could spend the entire night and day in my
bedroom while I make love to you. Say yes.”
With a supreme effort she pushed against him and stepped back, her knees trembling as she stared at him. “I have to be able to do my work. I'm a professional, Sebastian, and you're making it hard for me.” She took a deep breath. “When I'm here I have to behave a certain way. Please respect that.” She didn't wait for him to respond but turned and left him standing there.