She swiped her tongue along her bottom lip. “What would I be known as instead?” she whispered.
“Mine.”
He saw the flare of heat in her dark eyes. She dipped her head and looked away. “I’m serious.”
“As Ashley.” My Ashley. My woman. Mi vida. Mine. And the next man who tried to take her away from him would deeply regret it.
Ashley frowned and lifted her head to meet his gaze. “Do you still expect total obedience?”
“If it hasn’t happened yet, it’s not going to,” he said as he pressed his mouth against the fluttering pulse point at the base of her throat. He liked how trusting and wild she was in his arms. That was all he needed.
“I can make my own decisions on which events to attend with you?” Ashley asked, her breath hitching as he shoved the delicate strap down her shoulder. “And what I’m going to wear?”
Sebastian cupped her breast with his large hand. He felt her tight nipple against his palm. “Yes,” he said almost in a daze.
“And tonight I could get my own bedroom?”
He stilled as something close to fear forked through him. “No,” he said with a growl. He should have known that if he gave her an inch, she’d take a mile. The only hold he had left on Ashley was the sexual chemistry they shared. She couldn’t hide her emotions, her needs, when they were in bed. He wasn’t going to allow any distance between them.
“Why not?” she teased. “Is it really that important to you? I—”
“You are not kicking me out of your bed again. You don’t want sex tonight? Fine,” he snapped. “But we’re sharing the same bed. Always.”
“It’s a deal,” she said with a seductive smile. “And Sebastian?”
“What?” His tone was harsh as the relief poured through him.
“I want you tonight,” she said as she reached for the towel wrapped around his waist. “All night and every night.”
“I’ve noticed,” he drawled as his heart pounded in his ears. Sebastian lifted Ashley and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He had wondered when she was going to admit that she couldn’t keep her hands off him. He knew she wouldn’t have made the confession as a mistress.
This impetuous renegotiation was going to give him everything he wanted.
CHAPTER NINE
THE ELEGANT SOUTH BEACH restaurant offered a spectacular view and an award-winning menu, but Sebastian barely noticed. He didn’t care that he had a mountain of work waiting for him at the office or that some of the most powerful people in Miami were sitting nearby, hoping to catch his eye. Nothing mattered except the exquisite brunette at his side.
Sebastian leaned back in his chair and smiled as he heard Ashley’s earthy laugh. It made him tingle as if a spray of fireworks lit under his skin. Ashley’s laugh was one of his most favorite sounds. It was right up there with her moan of pleasure and the way her breath hitched in her throat when he knew just how to touch her.
He watched Ashley as his friend Omar told her about one of their ill-conceived childhood antics. Omar embellished the story, making it sound as if he’d saved Sebastian from a gruesome death instead of the daily violence they had faced. His friend’s wife shook her head as she listened to the story with a mix of horror and amusement.
Sebastian wished he could freeze this moment. It was rare for him to feel content. Satisfied. Hopeful. He didn’t allow himself a lot of downtime. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d spent the evening with his friends. Sebastian didn’t feel the need to relax and have a drink. He was always pursuing the next challenge, creating the next strategy.
All that changed once he had Ashley at his side. His body tightened with lust as he studied her. She wore her hair piled high on her head. He was tempted to reach over, pull the pins and watch the heavy waves fall past her bare shoulders. He suspected she chose the style to tease him all evening.
Her dress was another matter. Short, strapless and scarlet, Ashley had worn it to please him. She knew how to showcase her curves and she was aware that his favorite color was red. The bold cleavage made him grit his teeth, but he was secretly touched that she dressed with him in mind.