Читать книгу With Love From Las Vegas - Джанис Мейнард, Cat Schield - Страница 17

A good three feet separated Missy from the floor-to-ceiling windows in Sebastian’s suite and the fifteen-story drop to the bright lights of the Vegas strip. The view enthralled her, but the height made her head spin. Seemed like a lot of things made her head spin since she’d come to this glitzy city. The man sleeping in the bed behind her was the leading cause.

“What are you doing?” A large hand cupped her upper arm while his other one brushed aside her hair so he could place a warm, compelling kiss on the spot where her neck and shoulder came together.

She leaned back against his warm muscles and sighed. “Looking at the view. It’s beautiful.”

“Why so far from the windows?”

“It’s silly but I’m a little nervous about heights ever since my brother Matt scared me into thinking he was going to push me from the bell tower of our church.”

Those sexy, persuasive lips coasted along her bare shoulder. “Why would he do that?”

“Because he was twelve and thought it was funny.”

“How old were you?” His fingertips slipped along the edge of her bra and ghosted around her nipple. It peaked against the fabric as a bolt of sensation shot to her core.

“Six.”

“I remember being mischievous at that age, but I don’t recall tormenting little girls half my age.”

“You didn’t have sisters,” she reminded him, losing herself in the sensual fog that filled her mind whenever his hands were on her.

“Why are you wearing this?”

The straps of her bra slipped down her arms as he unhooked it. Missy pressed her hands to her chest, catching the flimsy material to preserve her wits.

“I was heading back to my room.”

“But the night is still young.”

He coaxed her to give up the bra and palmed her breasts, kneading the tender flesh and rolling her nipples between his fingers until she gasped and closed her eyes. The rest of her senses sprang to life.

Before she knew it, her underwear had pooled at her feet. He raised her arms above her head, arching her back against his torso. He stroked his hands over her breasts, across her stomach and down toward the triangle of hair at the apex of her thighs. She buried her fingers in his hair and parted for him, a moan escaping her lips as he pressed the heel of his hand against her mound.

He found her ultra-sensitive bud and circled it with his index finger. “That’s it, let it happen.”

Missy shuddered as he fondled her, breathing Sebastian’s name as she surrendered to his mastery. Her lips parted as meaningless words of encouragement poured out of her, and she felt herself start to unravel as he slid his finger up inside of her. He dragged kisses down the side of her neck, teeth nipping at the cord of her throat. Her body jerked in response, cueing the explosion that erupted like a series of deep shock waves through her.

Limp as a noodle in the aftermath, she appreciated the support of Sebastian, solid and steady against her back. In that second, she knew she could face her worst fears with his arms around her.

Spinning out of his arms, she caught him by the hand and backed toward the windows.

“What are you doing?” he asked, his free hand cupping her cheek.

“Facing my fear.” Her peripheral vision filled with bright lights and empty space. A familiar anxiety tightened like a band around her chest. She shoved the panic down and ran her hand along Sebastian’s bicep. The muscles in his chest flexed as her fingers traced his powerful contours. Appreciation purred through her. “Feel like helping me?”

“What did you have in mind?”

“I was hoping you could replace my negative memory of heights with a positive one.” She continued to move backward until there was nowhere to go. A gasp escaped her as she realized nothing stood between her and a fifteen-story drop but inch-thick glass.

The arms Sebastian slid around her tensed as if he was ready to pull her to safety at the first sign of trouble.

She concentrated on Sebastian’s strength and concern, refusing to be ruled by fear. The sensation of chilly glass against her back and hot male against her breasts and stomach was far more powerful than any phobia.

“Are you sure this is a good idea?”

“It will be if you make the memory sensational.”

The lips that grazed hers wore a smile. “I can do that.”

She felt the urgent bite of his hands on her hips and butt as he trailed his tongue across her lower lip. She grabbed fistfuls of his hair and pushed up on tiptoe as his mouth seized hers, stealing the air from her lungs before sharing his breath with her.

Urgent, wordless moans erupted from her throat as he lifted her off her feet. She clutched his shoulders, legs parting wide, and wrapped her thighs around his hips as he settled her onto his engorged shaft. They both growled in appreciation at the snug fit of their bodies.

Sebastian rocked against her powerfully, driving her pleasure higher. Missy held on to him for dear life and wondered at the strength of the passion between them. How could he make her so wild with so little effort?

Astonished to feel another surging orgasm ripping through her, Missy called his name and heard Sebastian groan in masculine appreciation. He drove deep into her, his hips pulsing frantically as he neared his own completion. While wave after wave of sensation rolled through her, Sebastian’s fingers bit down hard on her hips as he came.

He sagged against her, pinning her to the window. The drop that had terrified her moments before now filled her with delight. She might not be ready to go bungee jumping or skydiving, but she’d make love with Sebastian in a skyscraper anytime.

He stroked the hair from her face and bussed her cheek. “How was that?”

“Fabulous,” she retorted weakly, leaning her head back against the glass. “Thanks to you, I’m now a fan of heights.”

“Glad I could help.” His voice soft with amusement, he kissed her temple. “Give me a second and I’ll put you down.”

“Don’t hurry on my account. I’m quite comfortable.” She tightened her inner muscles around him and he shuddered. If she’d been able to see his expression, Missy knew for certain it would make her grin.

Her heartbeat had almost returned to normal by the time he eased free of her body and set her back on her feet.

“Come back to bed.” He towered over her.

“I really have to go,” she began. Her proclamation ended in a sharp cry as he hoisted her off her feet and carried her back to bed fireman style.

“Stay a while longer. I’ll make it worth your while.”

“Worth my while?” Missy rolled onto her stomach, a mild but satisfying ache in every muscle, and buried her face in the mattress. “I don’t think I can take much more.”

“Oh, you might be surprised,” he said, joining her on the bed. “We’ll rest a while and then see how you’re feeling.”

He sounded so pleased with himself she picked up her head to scold. “You are completely insatiable.”

“I’m insatiable?” He settled on his back beside her, hands behind his head, and smirked. “Who’s been having orgasms at the drop of a hat?”

Kicking her feet in the air, she threaded the sheets between her fingers. “So you’re a great lover. Quit bragging.”

“I don’t think it has anything to do with my skills.” He leaned over for a quick kiss. “I think we have great chemistry.”

“For another four days,” she reminded him. “Then, it’s back to Houston and what happened in Vegas …”

“Stays in Vegas.” Suddenly serious, he took her hand and kissed her palm. “What if I don’t want it to end?”

She froze. Her entire body flushed hot, then cold. Goose bumps broke out on her skin. “It has to.”

“Does it? Until two days ago, you’ve had a knack of keeping me on track and calm.”

“And now?”

“You drive me crazy. And I don’t care.” One side of Sebastian’s mouth kicked up. “I’m not ready to lose you.”

The predatory glint in his gray eyes warned her some shift in their dynamic had happened.

“I’m not sure I understand what you mean.”

“Then let me be clear.” A soft light entered his eyes. “One night was not enough. A week is not enough. I want more.”

Her heart stopped beating. She’d had no expectations when she’d wagered one night with Sebastian. But a connection had been made. Hearing him reveal that he, too, felt it made her heart sing.

“More?” A second week? A month? “How much more?”

“Do we have to define it?”

Anxious buzzing began in the back of her mind. “I’d like some idea what you have in mind.”

“Let’s start slow and see where it goes.”

Start slow and soon she’d be making plans. She wouldn’t mean to. It was just something that happened in her psyche. She’d been saving for two years to buy a wedding dress. She wanted to get married. And deep down, where she knew better than to look, she suspected she wanted to marry Sebastian.

Missy shook her head. This thing between them was about passion. Like her high school boyfriend, Sebastian had just seen something he wanted and taken it when the opportunity arose. And as with her high school boyfriend, eventually their differences would drive them apart.

“Where do you want it to go?” Despite every sensible thought in her head, hope made her heart dance. She squashed the emotion. Sebastian didn’t want to date her. This went against everything she’d been telling herself to expect from him.

“I have no expectations,” he said. “No need to control the outcome. Let’s see where it takes us.”

“And my job as your assistant?”

“Can I convince you to stay on?”

“No.”

He nodded as if he’d expected that answer. “You’ve been a part of my life for years. I’m not ready to let you go quite yet.”

Sebastian’s desire for her might be real, but she knew it wasn’t something that would last once they returned home. Unfortunately, she was already half in love with him. Any more time in his arms was going to make it impossible to walk away.

“And when you’re done with me? What then?”

“Aren’t you being a bit dramatic?” His lips tightened. “I should probably warn you that Chandra overplayed her hand all too often. I don’t like it.”

He rarely talked about his ex-wife, but from his mother, Missy knew Chandra had been a handful. “I’m not being dramatic—just trying to figure out what’s in it for me.”

“After tonight, I would think that would be obvious.”

If he’d offered her something besides fabulous sex, she’d have melted like butter on a hot skillet. Annoyed by his un-romantic pitch, she scowled. “I suppose you think that’s the sort of offer I’d jump at.”

“What do you want?”

His question startled her. Sebastian had fulfilled all her fantasies and introduced a few new ones.

“I don’t want anything.”

“That’s not true. Everyone wants something.”

“Not me.” Nothing she was willing to admit to him, anyway.

“You have me in the palm of your hand.” Turning her hand palm up, he rubbed his thumb along her lifeline until her entire body began to tingle. “This would be a great time to tell me what would make you happy.”

She shook her head, her heart in her throat. “You really do suck at negotiating.”

“I like to think of myself as direct.”

“I don’t want anything more than what I have right here and now.” To expect anything more would only lead to heartbreak. “The rest of the week together and then we go our separate ways.”

“Unacceptable.”

Before she could protest, her purse began to ring. Like Pavlov’s dog, she was conditioned to react to a familiar sound, only instead of drooling, she sat up.

“Leave it,” Sebastian commanded, tugging her back down.

She squirmed out of his grasp. “It’s not you calling so it must be important.”

“Very funny.” He rolled onto his side and watched her cross the room to the dresser.

The phone had stopped ringing by the time she fished it out of her purse. “Whoever it was, I missed the call.”

“Come back to bed.”

“Just a second, let me check my messages.” Something about the late-night call gnawed at her nerves. No one except Sebastian would call her at such an hour. That meant something was wrong. When her brother’s voice sounded in her ear, she knew she was right.

“Missy, when you get this, call me. Dad’s been hurt. We’re heading to the hospital now.” Heart twisting in fear, she ended the message and turned to face Sebastian.

He came off the bed in time to catch her as she swayed. “What’s wrong?”

“Sam left me a message. He said my dad’s been hurt. They’re heading to the hospital.”

“Call him back and see what happened.”

Her hands shook so badly, it took her three tries before she keyed up her address book and found her brother’s cell phone number. Not until the phone started ringing did it occur to her that she could have just found his missed call and hit send. Sebastian wrapped her in a robe and rubbed her arms while she waited for her brother to pick up.

“Missy, it’s bad,” Sam said.

“What happened?”

“He was stabbed.”

“Stabbed?” Her gaze found Sebastian’s. She caught concern reflected there. His fingers tightened. “How did that happen?”

“I don’t have a lot of details. There’ll probably be more once we get to the hospital and talk to the cops.”

“Is he going to be okay?”

“He’s a tough old bird.”

She squeezed her eyes shut and counted to five. “I’m going to catch the first plane out of here.”

“Aren’t you in Vegas at that thing for your company?”

“Yes, but Sebastian will understand that I have to leave.”

He leaned forward and kissed her on the temple. The tender caress brought a lump to her throat. She sank into his strength, letting him absorb some of her trembling.

“I’ll keep you informed as we get news.”

The hand holding the phone dropped to her side. “My dad’s been hurt. I have to go home.”

“Let me take care of everything. You go pack.”

Numb, she got to her feet and stumbled out of the bedroom. She tossed clothes and toiletries into her suitcase and dressed in jeans and a T-shirt. Zipping her bag, she slid her feet into sandals.

Sebastian entered her room. He wore slacks and a dress shirt. “I have a plane waiting to take us back to Texas.”

“Us?” She couldn’t be processing his words properly.

“You don’t seriously think I’m going to let you go by yourself, do you?” He took charge of her suitcase and wrapped strong fingers around her elbow to escort her into the hall.

“But what about the summit? And your meeting with Smythe tomorrow? You can’t disappear at such a crucial time.”

“I guess it’s good that my dad showed up, isn’t it?”

They stepped onto the elevator and Sebastian pushed the button for the lobby. Missy shivered as reaction settled in. Sebastian pulled her into his arms and shared his heat with her.

“You’re chilled. Do you have a coat?”

She shook her head. “I tossed everything out. Remember?”

He bought her a sweatshirt at the hotel gift shop and dressed her in it as if she were a small child. Caught in a dark place, Missy let him lead her across the lobby and get them into a cab. Tucked into the crook of his arm, she huddled against his side as she watched the Las Vegas strip slide by the car window.

They boarded a private plane and were taxiing down the runway as the sky began to lighten over Las Vegas. As the city lights fell behind them, Missy began to disengage from the fantasy of the last few days.

Sleeping with Sebastian a couple times might not be a mistake, but letting herself fall for a man who never intended to marry her went against her solemn vow to never again let herself reach too high. If she hadn’t let her heart lead, she never would have begun a game she could never hope to survive, much less win.

Missy put her hands between her thighs, all too conscious of Sebastian’s shoulder a few tempting inches away. It was more than wonderful of him to worry about her comfort. To arrange for a plane to take her to Crusade. To sit beside her the whole way there. This sort of behavior made a girl want to rely on him. To lose herself in his strong arms and let him soothe her fears.

And then what?

When they returned to Houston, she wouldn’t be his employee or his lover. She wouldn’t be anything.

It was better to disengage now. Before she became too dependent on a dream.

His hand covered her forearm, the firm pressure bringing a lump to her throat. She told herself the sympathetic gesture was one anyone would make. She’d seen her mother offer support in a similar manner.

Her heart squeezed. What did she expect? That he’d fall madly in love with her in the space of a few days? She pressed her lips together and shot a tight smile his way.

“Your father’s going to be fine.”

“I hope so.” Worrying about her love life while her father’s life hung in the balance demonstrated what a selfish idiot she was. “Thank you for everything.”

“You don’t need to thank me.”

But she did. He’d left Las Vegas in the middle of his leadership summit to be there for her. He’d gone above and beyond the call of duty. And she wanted to make more of his motives than was wise.

“Sebastian.” She struggled with how best to frame what she needed to say next. “I’d prefer it if my family didn’t know anything about what happened between us in Las Vegas. I haven’t told them that I broke up with Tim yet and …”

“You’d rather not further complicate an already complicated day.”

“Yes.” Although she was glad he understood, she couldn’t help but wonder if he was relieved she wouldn’t expect anything more from him.

An hour later, the plane landed at a small airstrip outside her hometown. She’d called Sam from the air and let him know what time they’d be landing. David was waiting as the sky began to lighten in the east. She hugged the youngest of her big brothers, clinging to him without asking how their father was doing, afraid the news had changed for the worse in the past two hours.

“Sebastian, this is my brother David.”

The two men shook hands. David assessed Sebastian through narrowed eyes. Missy had spoken of her boss often, some of it not particularly flattering. She’d never expected him to meet anyone in her family.

“Thanks for bringing my sister. Dad’s out of surgery, but he’s still listed as critical.”

They followed David to his truck. He tossed Missy’s suitcase in the back. She sat between the men, staring out the windshield.

“What happened?” she demanded.

“We’re not exactly sure. We think he got a call from Angela Ramirez’s son. Her ex-boyfriend showed up drunk and half out of his mind. Dad went over there and tried to calm the guy down. He got stabbed.”

“Why didn’t he call the police?” she asked, ticking off familiar landmarks as they slid by in pre-dawn light.

“I think Angela Ramirez is here illegally.”

“And Dad thought nothing of his own safety,” Missy grumbled. “He was only worried that a member of his congregation was in trouble.”

Beside her, Sebastian tensed. “Congregation?”

She’d never told her boss about her family or her upbringing and he’d never inquired about her past. Hopefully that wasn’t about to blow up in her face.

“Didn’t Missy tell you?” David piped up. “Our dad’s a pastor.”