“Well?” Sebastian asked impatiently.
Ashley bit her lip. She wasn’t sure whether he was suggesting this because he thought she was pregnant. He had asked her every morning and it didn’t help that her period was late. Was he making a strategic move or was this invitation from the heart?
She stretched slowly against the mattress and watched Sebastian’s features tighten with lust. “No incentives this time, Sebastian?” she teased.
“I don’t have anything you need,” he said as he hooked his large fingers underneath the trim of her panties and slowly dragged the scrap of silk down her trembling legs.
She swiped her tongue along her bottom lip. “Don’t be too sure about that.”
“Tell me what you want,” he encouraged softly. “Ask for anything and I will give it to you.”
She wanted his love. Ashley knew she should look away before her eyes revealed the truth, but she was ensnared by his hot gaze. She wanted more than his attention or his heart. She wanted everything Sebastian Cruz had to offer. She wished to be part of his life, his future and his very soul.
“You.” Her voice croaked as the emotions gripped her chest. “I want you and don’t hold anything back.”
“And you shall have it,” Sebastian said as he crawled onto the bed and hovered above her. His strong arms on either side of her head as his hands pinned her wavy hair. She couldn’t move if she’d wanted to.
Sebastian crushed her lips with his mouth before he licked and kissed his way down her chest. He captured her tight nipple with his teeth and teased her with his tongue until the sensations rippled under her skin.
Ashley twisted underneath him as he caressed and laved his tongue against her flat stomach. She bunched the bedsheets in her fists. Her legs shook with anticipation when he cupped her sex with a possessive hand.
Sebastian held her gaze as he stroked the folds of her sex. Her skin grew flush and her breathing deserted her as he rocked her hips. He placed his mouth against the heart of her. Ashley moaned as her core clenched. She went wild under his tongue as he savored the taste of her.
Her climax was swift and brutal. Ashley went limp as her heart raced. She heard Sebastian remove his clothes and she slowly opened her eyes. Sebastian stood at the side of the bed, gloriously naked as he rolled on a condom.
He didn’t say anything as he parted her legs with forceful hands before he settled between her thighs. She watched the primitive emotions flickering across his harsh face as he surged into her.
Ashley’s gasp mingled with Sebastian’s low groan. She rolled her hips as he began to thrust. It was a slow and steady rhythm that was designed to make her lose her mind.
Her flesh gripped him tightly as he surged in deeper. Ashley wanted more. Wanted this to last forever. She wanted Sebastian forever.
“I love you.” The words tumbled out of her mouth in an agonized whisper.
Sebastian went still. Ashley closed her eyes and turned her head away. She hadn’t planned to reveal her final secret to him.
Sebastian drove into her. His rhythm grew faster. Harder. She didn’t dare look at him. Did he feel triumphant or annoyed? Was he amused or irritated by her spontaneous words?
The bed shook with each demanding thrust. It was as if he was branding her with his touch and making the most intimate claim. Another climax—harder and hotter—took her by surprise. She cried out just as Sebastian found his release.
He collapsed on top of her and she welcomed the weight of his sweat-slick body. There was no doubt anymore, she decided as she gulped in air. She belonged to Sebastian Cruz forever.
CHAPTER TEN
THE NEXT MORNING Ashley stood by the double doors that led to the balcony. It was a perfect day at Inez Key; hot with very little humidity. The ocean was calm and a vivid blue. The tropical flowers were opening under the brilliant sun.
But her troubled thoughts didn’t allow her to enjoy the view. Ashley glanced at the bed behind her. The sheets were rumpled and the pillows had been thrown on the floor at some time during the night. Yet this morning she had woken up alone.
Sebastian was avoiding her because she had told him she was in love with him. Ashley bit her lip as she recalled that moment. What had gotten into her? She was good at hiding her feelings, but she’d lowered her guard last night. She had been compelled to share how she felt.