“If you’re going to look at me like that, Grace,” he says, grasping my chin and tilting it up towards him. “You need to be prepared for what it’s going to make me do.”
My breath stutters. He smells like sweat and something I can only describe as uniquely Sebastian.
Intoxicating.
“What would it make you do?” I ask, my voice barely above a whisper.
He leans down, his lips brushing mine so lightly I can’t be sure they actually made contact before he brings them to my ear.
“Something I shouldn’t want to do, but it’s getting really fucking hard to stop myself. Especially when you stand there, caressing my body with your eyes to the point I can practically feel your touch on me,your mouth,tracing every part of me,” he says, each word sending shivers through my body as his lips move against my ear in a gentle torture.
Our chests move together with each breath, the friction of the lace continuing to make my nipples tingle. Then he grabs my hip with his free hand, his fingers flexing. “Is this what you want?” he asks, using my hip to pull me closer so our bodies are completely flush with each other.
I gasp as his hard length presses into my stomach.
“Because if it’s not, then you need to stop.” He nips at my earlobe, and I shudder.
I wasn’t aware I wasdoinganything. I had no idea I was affecting him like this, but if this is his reaction, I’m not sure I want to stop.
Sebastian drags his mouth back to mine, his lips hovering just out of reach.
“Be ready in ten,” he says, letting go of my chin and releasing my hip before stepping past me and heading for the hallway.
Before I can even gather my thoughts or ask what we’re doing, he’s disappeared from sight.
Ten minutes later, I sit on the arm of the couch, waiting—my windbreaker draped over my knees just in case.
Shadow lounges at my feet, his ears perking up when he hears Sebastian’s footsteps down the hall. He jumps up and runs over, his tail swishing excitedly when Sebastian comes into view,
“Let’s go,” Sebastian says, glancing at me as he walks past, Shadow trailing after him. His hair is still wet from a shower, and he’s dressed back in a pair of slacks and a shirt which he’s rolled up at the sleeves, a coat hanging from one arm.
“Where are we going?” I ask, hurrying to catch up.
“Out,” he says as we enter the lift, giving me a quick look before facing straight ahead. Shadow stands between us, and as soon as the doors open, he trots ahead of us, going straight for a sleek, black BMW.
Sebastian opens the back door, and Shadow wastes no time jumping in. He then opens the passenger door, waiting for me. I study his face, looking for any clues about what’s going on, but he merely raises a brow at me, giving nothing away.
I slip into the passenger seat, and he shuts the door behind me. The car’s interior is full of sleek black features, and the cool leather of the seat beneath me seeps through my jeans as Sebastian rounds the car and slides into the driver’s seat. It still has that new car smell with the slightest hint of leather underlying it.
We drive in silence, my gaze straying to Shadow every so often as we head further from the city.
Half an hour later, Sebastian turns into a small parking lot. The clouds are still heavy and dark, and there are only a couple of other cars parked. The clock reads eight fifteen as he pulls into a spot, away from the other cars, facing the water.
“The beach?” I ask, already shivering internally. Although, I don’t know whether it’s from the prospective cold or excitement.
“Is there a problem?” he asks, shifting to face me.
I study his face—from his strong, stubbled jaw to his eyes that don’t seem quite as icy as they usually are. “No problem,” I say softly. It feels like forever since I’ve been to the beach, and I have the sudden craving to sink my feet into the sand, regardless of how cold it may be.
After a moment, he gets out of the car. Shadow is already out and running ahead of us by the time I join him, but a loud whistle from Sebastian has him stopping in his tracks.
A gust of wind hits me front on, and the cool morning air made almost arctic from the nearby ocean seeps through my thick knit. Putting on my jacket, I zip it up and join Sebastian, and we make our way down the path I assume leads to the beach.
As soon as we’re close enough, Shadow starts off again, this time staying at a reasonable distance and stopping every so often to make sure we’re still behind him.
The path leads us through small dunes and onto the beach. My shoes kick up sand as waves crash into the shore not too far away, and I take a moment to absorb the view, inhaling the fresh sea breeze even while it chills my lungs.
“Here,” Sebastian says, and I turn to see him holding out the coat he’s yet to put on.