“Not yet,” he replied, giving as curt of a response as possible.
“Soon then,” the old man answered with a nod. “I remember those days well. Enjoy the love while it lasts. Life goes by too quick. Before you know it, one of you is gone and all you have left are the memories of nights like this. It sure is beautiful out here this evening.”
Taylor winced. Her body tightened around him as she squirmed ever so slightly. Whether he meant to or not, their visitor was only prolonging her misery. Sebastian patted her thigh, trying to settle her back down.
“I don’t mean to be rude,” he stated softly, “but we were trying to have an important conversation. Do you think you could excuse us for a while? We won’t be long.”
The wizened old man’s mouth popped open into a silent ‘o’ of understanding. His head of wiry white hair bobbed in agreement. “Yes, yes of course. I’ll grab a glass of wine and come out later. I’m sorry to have intruded.”
Sebastian forced a smile and winked. “It’s no trouble, sir. Have a pleasant evening.”
“What an enjoyable young man you are. The same to you and your lovely Miss.”
Taylor sagged with relief as the door swung back shut. He couldn’t help but chuckle. Rocking beneath her, he slid his hand back up to the warm junction between her thighs.
“When are you going to learn to trust me, Taylor?” he murmured against her neck. “Did you really think I would let another man see your body or that I would put something that’s private between us on display? I told you, you are mine alone to enjoy. I also warned you would not like the consequences of avoiding my touch. The next time I try to express my affection, I don’t expect to be denied. Is that clear?”
“Yes, Sebastian.”
She whimpered as he ground up into her. Using his thumb, he strummed her body until it clamped in a savage grip. An agonized scream tore from her throat as she tightened and crashed around him in a series of devastating contractions. His own body responded in a primal surge. The pleasure was too much. Locking an arm around her waist, he heaved to his feet and shoved her face down over the bench. His head fell back with unparalleled bliss as he pounded into her with all he had. Relief found him in a quick, brutal release. His legs threatened to give out as he came, and a deafening roar drowned out her cries, echoing across the land.
He collapsed against Taylor’s back. He gasped for breath while his heart thundered in his chest and a series of aftershocks rocked him to his core. After a few seconds, he trembled and slid his over sensitized body from hers. She remained motionless; her hands still clenched around the middle railing with white-knuckled force as he adjusted himself and zipped his pants. Leaning over her again, he brushed the damp hair away from the side of her face.
“I c-can’t move,” she whimpered.
Sebastian studied her for a moment. It wasn’t a complaint, just the simple truth. He nodded in understanding. Running his fingers through her hair, he pulled her to him, kissing her deeply.
“It’s okay, sweetheart,” he whispered. Holding her up, he covered her mouth in passionate claim. Her lips were soft beneath his, her body pliant. She was exhausted and dazed. Scooping her up, he tucked her dress beneath her thighs and cradled her against his chest. “It’s alright, baby,” he soothed. “I got you.”
Sprawled on the couch behind her, Sebastian draped his leg over the top of Taylor’s in a search to get more comfortable. His eyes fluttered open and darted to the television before drooping back shut. It was the perfect afternoon. The kind where he felt lazy and content, too relaxed to move or give a damn about anything other than holding her. His arms tightened around Taylor in a brief hug, seeking to deepen the press of their bodies. Moaning, she leaned back, her ribs rising beneath his arm with a violent yawn. He smiled and buried his nose in the fragrant haven of her hair. It was hard to say how long they’d been sleeping, but the Brothers and Sisters marathon they’d been watching had played its self out and ended long ago. He tamped down a small pang of regret and shame. The show probably fell a bit too far under the girlie soap opera category, but Taylor had him hooked on it and damn if he didn’t find some of the story arcs interesting.
The stretch of her jaw was contagious. Groaning, he surrendered to a yawn of his own and arched against her back.
“Quit that,” he scolded.
Her body jerked with silent laughter.
“Sorry.”
Craning his head, he peered through the massive glass doors leading out onto the balcony. His gaze scanned the sky, searching for the high arc of the sun. It sat lower than he expected. Pegging the time around five, he sighed. No wonder his stomach was cramping. They’d slept through lunch and it was already pushing close to dinner. Still, he was reluctant to move. Rather than letting him rest, all the past two days had done was allow the previous weeks to catch up to him. He wanted to freeze time somehow and stay like this forever.
Taylor startled at the shrill ring of the phone. He winced. It was highly unlikely it was the front desk checking in with a courtesy call. He should have known better. It wasn’t safe to let go, to get too comfortable and relaxed. That’s when things always reared up to bite him in the ass. Slamming his eyes shut, he gave a pleading shake of his head, momentarily willing the sound to go away. For two whole days, there had been nothing but blessed silence. Radio silence, as he liked to call it. Sebastian’s heart sank knowing a break in that reprieve could only mean one thing. He offered an apologetic frown as Taylor rolled over to face him. Her grey eyes were wounded and beseeching.
“Don’t answer it. Please. For all they know, we aren’t in our room.”
Brushing the hair from her face, he kissed her forehead. “I’m sorry, baby. I have to.”
“But you need this. We head back tomorrow morning. Can’t it wait just a few more hours? What can you do now? We’re almost four hours away.”
“Taylor,” he warned softly. Patting her thigh, he edged her out of the way and crossed the room. He picked up the phone, not bothering to mask his disappointed sigh. “Yeah?”
“Baas?” Josh’s voice asked.
“No. It’s the Pope. What do you want, Reevers?”
“I’m sorry. I know you’re on vacation, but we got problems, Sebastian. You need to head home. They want you here first thing in the morning.”
He reached up and pinched his sinuses. “What sort of problems?”
“The kind that involve disgruntled employees.”
Sebastian lowered himself onto the edge of the bed. His gaze darted to the other room to settle on Taylor. “I thought the team was putting that issue to bed.”
“We thought so, too. Some problems are like cockroaches. No matter what you do, they won’t die. The little bastards just keep resurfacing.”
“Jesus Christ, Josh,” he growled, plowing an agitated hand through his hair.
“I guess Marx was right. The guy isn’t as stupid as he seemed. We need you here, Baas. It’s better, safer, this way.”
Blowing out a deep breath, he clenched his free hand into a fist, slowly opening and closing it as he fought to get his rising temper under control. “I’ll be there.”
He hung up without waiting for a response. His stare bore into Taylor, his mind whirling. A sick feeling churned in the pit of his stomach, making it contract. Bile rose, burning the back of his throat, and he lowered his head with a sad shake. They had no problem killing off his family and taking out his innocent nephew in the process, but a threat like Todd still roamed free? Flopping back on the bed, he sighed and raked his hands through his hair with a sharp tug. He didn’t know what upset him more: the fact that the asshole was still out there somewhere waiting to make a play, or the fact that this was the first he had heard about it. Both burned his butt and made his blood boil.
Sebastian glanced up as a slender shadow fell across the doorway. Uncertainty and hesitation darkened Taylor’s face as she leaned against the wooden frame. Forcing a smile, he patted the bed beside him.
&n
bsp; “Come here, sweetheart.”
He reached for her, drawing her down to straddle him. Sorrow played on her features. His chest ached as he ran his thumb across the pouty swell of her lower lip.
“We’re leaving, aren’t we?”
“Yeah, baby. We are. I have no choice,” he said, spearing his fingers through her hair.
Disappointment dimmed the hopeful light in her eyes. The sight of it killed him. Forcing his attention elsewhere, he ran his hands over her breasts and kneaded the full mounds before he snared the slender cradle of her hips. His body responded with an instinctual throb. Sebastian bit back a chuckle upon realizing the games he’d been playing worked both ways. His body was as every bit as primed and conditioned as hers. Even the slightest contact between them was enough to spur his desire. Tamping it down, he forced himself to meet her gaze.