Chapter Twenty-Four
EMERY
“This is beautiful,” I say, staring out at the waters from the rooftop deck. An empty bottle of wine sits between us and our mostly cleared plates.
The sun sits low on the horizon, lighting the sky with pink and orange hues. Another island sits in the distance, not too far away. Turning to Sebastian, I find him already looking at me.
I love seeing him relaxed, not stressing about work. We’re only here for two days, but it’s like I’m getting to see another part of him. One that doesn’t exist back in the reality where everything revolves around his company or finding the man responsible for organising his parents’ murder.The same man who tortured me for seven years.
I push the thoughts away before they can grab hold—I don’t want to think ofhim.Not here.
“It is,” Sebastian says.
“Huh?” I ask, distracted from my thoughts.
“Beautiful.” I would think he’s talking about the sunset or the amazing views, except he hasn’t taken his eyes offme.
I tuck a strand of hair behind my ear, feeling heat climb my cheeks. “I have something for you.” I find myself saying.Crap, can I actually do it?
“What is it?” he questions, his eyes narrowing slightly at me.
“You’ll have to wait and see,” I say with a shy smile while his brows crease as he tries to figure out what it could be.
Once the sun sets, we gather our dishes before bringing them inside.
“Why don’t you pour us another glass of wine? I’m going to go clean up,” I say, brushing my hand against Sebastian’s. The longer I wait, the more my nerves grow. If I don’t do this now, I’m not sure I will.
Once I’m in the bedroom, I go straight for my suitcase. I don’t bother turning on the lights—with the large window looking out onto the water, there is enough light from the moon that I don’t need it. After grabbing what I need, I lock myself in the bathroom.
Removing my dress, I change into what I grabbed from my suitcase—not looking in the mirror until I’m done.
Come on, you can do it.
With a deep exhale, I lift my eyes to my reflection. The deep berry of the lingerie stands out against my skin, that even after one day in the sun has a little more colour to it. My breasts spill from the triangle bralette as part of my nipples show through the tulle. The flowing material that falls from under my breasts moves with each breath, showing hints of my bare stomach.
“Beautiful.”Sebastian’s words repeat in my head as I fight the urge to cover myself. The material might only show hints of skin while I’m standing still, but I know everything will be on display as soon as I move.
“Grace, are you okay?” I jump at the sound of Sebastian’s voice outside the bathroom door.How long have I been in here?
I clear my throat. “I’m okay. I’ll be out in a second.” After another deep breath, I take one more glance in the mirror.You can do this.Smoothing a hand over my long wavy hair, I take one more breath before leaving the bathroom.
Sebastian looks up from where he’s sitting on the bed, two glasses of wine beside him on the bedside table as I open the bathroom door. “Fuck, Grace,” he says, but the heat of his stare has my hand creeping across my stomach. “Don’t.” I didn’t know one word could be so commanding yet empowering at the same time.
Letting my arm fall away, I take slow steps towards him. He doesn’t stand—just watches me as I move closer to him, his eyes roaming all over my body until they settle on the skin that’s being exposed with each step. I’m almost glad he’s silent as I draw nearer to him. As much as I love the way he sees me, I can feel the confidence within myself growing with each step. Hear the words inmyvoice.
Beautiful.
Desirable.
Strong.
I don’t stop until I’m right in front of him. He brings his gaze slowly up my body until it clashes with mine. His pupils are blown, his eyes more black than blue. Then, drawing from my newfound confidence, I straddle Sebastian’s hips. His hands immediately find my ass and squeeze the flesh before he glides them up my back underneath the material.
“This is certainly a surprise,” he says, nuzzling his face into my neck.
I rock lightly, feeling his growing length beneath me. Sebastian’s tongue burns my skin as he starts trailing open-mouthed kisses towards my breasts.
“How long have you been hiding this from me,” he says, his dark tone suggesting I might be in a little bit of trouble.