Читать книгу Brides & Bargains - Maureen Child - Страница 12

Five

Before Nasira could prepare, Sebastian opened her blouse completely, unfastened her bra and lowered it enough to pay attention to her breasts. He knew precisely how to use his tongue to bring her to the point of no return. He used the pull of his mouth to great effect, causing her to tremble slightly. She clasped his head to follow his movements as he shifted from one breast to the other and closed her eyes to immerse herself in the feelings. In spite of the voice telling her to resist, she felt needy and powerless and completely under his control as he worked the clasp on her jeans, slid the zipper down and slipped his hand into her panties. And suddenly her no-sex vow went the way of the prairie wind.

Somewhere in the recesses of her mind, she knew she should tell him to stop and regain control. “Sebastian,” was all she could manage in a winded voice that she barely recognized.

He raised his head and whispered in her ear, “Remember Tahiti.”

She could barely remember her name in light of Sebastian’s intemperate strokes between her thighs. Yet Sebastian seemed bent on teasing her into oblivion, slowing his sensual caressing as if he wanted to prolong the process. She wanted to hold off the release, and oh how she tried, but her body would no longer allow it.

In a matter of moments, she feared her legs would no longer support her as she bordered on a climax. As if her husband could sense her predicament, he tightened his grasp on her, yet he did not let up until the orgasm began to build and build. He simply told her in a low, sensual tone how she felt, what he wished to do to her. What he would do to her when the time was right.

Nasira stopped thinking, practically stopped breathing as she let the heady sensations take over. She rode the release wave after wave until it had subsided. And then came the regret and remorse.

“You promised me,” she said as soon as she recovered her voice.

He redid her jeans and bra then buttoned her blouse. “I apologize but I could not help myself. You’re very alluring when you’re wet. In every sense of the word. And you have to take into account that I presently require nothing in return, therefore it’s not exactly sex.”

“Good grief, Sebastian, that is semantics. We were not playing tiddlywinks.”

“Definitely not. No squidgers were involved.”

A litany of choice words ran through her brain, yet she could only think of one ridiculous provincial phrase. “Bite me, Buck.”

He had the gall to grin. “We will explore that after dinner, Beauty.”

“You are...you are...such a—”

“Skilled lover?”

“Plank,” she said, repeating the slang she had learned in London.

“I’ve been called worse than a jackass,” he said as he took her by the shoulders, turned her around and patted her bottom. “Let’s go, old girl, before Cappy labels us horse thieves and sends out the guard.”

She trudged out of the creek, squeezed the water from the bottom of her blouse and twisted her hair into a braid. After they had donned their boots and Sebastian had put on his shirt, they mounted the horses and started back to the stable in silence.

“Are you angry with me, Sira?”

Was she? “I am not happy that I’ve been so weak.”

“You’re not weak, sweetheart. You’re a woman and you have needs.”

She thought back to Fiona’s declaration earlier. “You are correct. I do have needs. I simply do not care for you using that as a distraction from our real problems.”

“First, you’re miffed because I haven’t paid enough attention to you, as you pointed out so succinctly before you left London. Now that I am attempting to make up for lost time, you no longer want my consideration. Which is it, Sira? Hands on or hands off?”

She wanted to scream from frustration. “Ignoring me isn’t only about withholding lovemaking, Sebastian.”

“Forgive me for facilitating your orgasm. All three of them, if my memory serves me correctly. Should you require another, you’ll have to ask.”

Nasira glanced at Sebastian to see if he appeared as angry as he sounded. “I will not be asking until I am assured we are on the right path to mending our marriage.”

“That is your call.”

Without warning, Sebastian took off again and this time, she immediately followed. Yet the gelding was not as fast as the stallion and her husband arrived a few paces ahead of her. After Sebastian dismounted and headed into the barn, she soon followed suit and led the Gus inside.

When Sebastian did not afford her a glance, Nasira tied the gelding to the stall’s railing and faced him. “I know you are upset with me, but—”

“Upset?” He loosened the girth strap, pulled the saddled off and turned toward her. “Why would I be upset when my wife seems bent on rejecting my attempts to recapture some intimacy?”

She bristled at his hypocrisy. “Now you understand how I have felt the past six months.”

He set the saddle on the nearby stand a bit harder than necessary. “I see. Your actions and words are based on retribution.”

Something about his observation rang true. “As I have said several times, I refuse to have my libido cloud my judgment.”

He released a cynical laugh. “I do not recall any refusal when I had my hand down your pants earlier.”

The comment brought about a searing heat between her thighs, causing her to shift from one leg to the other. Before she could retort, Cappy came down the stairs and when he reached the aisle, gave them both a long once-over. “Did you two not understand the nekkid swimming part?”

The heat shifted to Nasira’s face. “Actually, we were wading in the water and I slipped.”

“I had to rescue her from the creek’s clutches,” Sebastian added. “My wife can be quite clumsy at times.”

Cappy sported a skeptical look as he loosened the girth strap on Gus’s saddle. “In case you’re hungry, the missus put a roast in the oven for the two of you. She said it should be ready in about an hour and she’ll be back later to clean up.”

“I can do the dishes,” Nasira began, “although I would like to meet her and tell her thank you.”

“Annie’s a stickler for giving people their privacy, and I’m thinkin’ that’s exactly what you two need, so I’ll tell her you’ll handle the cleanup.”

Nasira didn’t want the man getting the wrong idea. “We truly do not require privacy, Cappy. She is welcome anytime.”

“If you say so.” He pulled the saddle off Gus’s back and grinned. “By the way, ma’am, you missed a couple of buttons.”

Too mortified to offer an explanation, Nasira turned to retreat to the house without looking back, the sound of the men’s laughter following her for the next few meters.

She was so angry, she practically stomped up the path. If her husband thought he would escape her ire, he was sorely mistaken. As soon as she took a shower, she planned to confront Sebastian over his amusement at her expense. Until that point, she would simply avoid him.

“Sira, wait up.”

Nasira quickened her gait in response to the directive. “I am not speaking to you.”

“Actually, darling, you just did.”

Infuriating man. “Go away, Sebastian.”

“Not until you give me the opportunity to apologize.”

“I am not in a benevolent mood.”

The comment seemed to encourage Sebastian’s silence, or that was what she thought until she heard, “Damn my leg.”

Only then did she turn around to discover her husband bent at the waist, both palms resting on his thighs. She could leave him standing on the path in pain, or she could see about his injury.

Nasira turned around, strode to him and hovered above him. “Did you suffer a wound?”

“Only to my pride.”

Then he raised his gaze to her, grinned, grabbed her around the waist and tossed her over his shoulder caveman-style. “Let me down, you brute!” she said, to no avail.

“Not until we arrive at our destination.”

“I cannot believe you lied to me about your leg.”

“Actually, I did have a slight twitch of momentary pain.”

“I have trouble believing that. Granted, you will have several pains if you continue to carry me like a bag of grain.”

“Sira, you are many things. Weighty is not one of them.”

She supposed she should consider that a compliment.

Once they reached the deck, Sebastian climbed the stairs and put Nasira down, yet kept her hand clasped in his. “I beg your forgiveness for my inconsiderate laughter in the stable. However, I did defend your honor after your departure.”

She folded her arms around her middle. “Was that before or after you morphed into a Neanderthal?”

“I believe that was after I beat my chest and declared you my woman.”

“You are such a comedian, Sebastian.”

“I am a man quite enamored of his gorgeous wife, and I do hope she will forgive me.”

She wanted so badly to remain angry at him, but he possessed the power of persuasion usually reserved for practiced barristers. “You are forgiven. Can I please bathe now?”

He winked. “Do you require assistance?”

“No, I do not.”

Without awaiting a reply, Nasira turned and entered the house to wash away the remnants of murky river water—and the mistake she had made by believing she could distance herself from her husband, physically and emotionally. The more she was with him, the more she realized how good the majority of their marriage had been. Worse still, she recognized how much she truly loved him.

And as she walked into the bedroom and spotted the bracelet on the bureau, the reminder of their loss, she questioned whether he would be willing to give her the one thing she wanted most from him.

Only time would tell.

* * *

Sebastian sat alone at the dining room table, staring at the familiar number splashed across his cell phone screen. He needed to answer the call but dreaded it all the same.

After one more ring, Sebastian swiped the screen and said, “Hello, Stella.”

“For pity’s sake, Sebastian, where are you?”

His stepmother was nothing if not direct. “Texas.”

“You went after her even after I advised against it.”

“Yes, but before you go off on the virtue of patience, she is my wife and I have every right to seek her out.”

“Yes, you do, yet it could make matters much worse.”

“We’re getting along famously.”

“I hope that is the case,” she said skeptically.

“It is. How is Father?”

The slight hesitation had him bracing for bad news. “Actually, he’s had a cheery day. He played chess with the butler this morning.”

Odd that his patriarch could remember how to play a board game yet at times forgot his own son’s name. “That’s good. He’s a tough old guy.”

“Yes, but might I remind you, the last time you spoke to the physician, he told you he’s going to continue to fade away, little by little, until we won’t recognize the man he used to be, and he quite possibly will not recognize us.”

Sebastian didn’t need to be reminded of that. “I know, Stella. That’s why it’s imperative I work out my problems with Nasira and return to London as soon as feasible.”

“And that is why you must consider having a child as soon as possible. I would like your father to go to the hereafter knowing he has an heir.”

As if Sebastian needed more pressure in the procreation department. After all, his father had been partially responsible for his reluctance to try again with Nasira and wholly responsible for Sebastian’s mother’s death. “There is no guarantee that will happen before his demise.”

“The doctor believes he still has a few years left in him.”

But would they be good years?

Sebastian looked up to see Nasira standing in the open doorway, giving him a good excuse to cut the conversation short. “I will take your request under advisement. In the meantime, I’m going to have dinner with my wife. Tell Father hello from both of us.”

Stella barely had time to say goodbye before Sebastian ended the call. He pushed the phone aside and studied Nasira. Her long, silky black hair cascaded over her shoulders. She wore a pink sleeveless blouse that complemented her golden skin and white loose-fitting slacks that hid her best attributes. Not an issue. He knew exactly what the cotton fabric concealed.

“You look very pretty tonight.”

She pulled back the chair across from him and sat. “Thank you. I see you’ve gone from cowboy to corporate billionaire. If I had known you were going to wear a suit and tie I would have donned an evening gown.”

“Force of habit,” he said as he shrugged out of his jacket and laid it on the seat next to him. “Better?”

“A bit more casual.” She bent her elbow on the table and supported her cheek with her palm. “Did you do all this?”

“Will I score a few points if I said yes?”

“You will score points if you tell me the truth.”

“Actually, the table was already set. I did remove the food from the oven.”

“It smells wonderful,” she said as she unfolded the white napkin and laid it in her lap, prompting Sebastian to follow suit.

“That it does.”

When he reached for her plate, she waved him away. “I am quite capable of helping myself.”

“Far be it for me to tread on your independence.”

She took a less-than-generous helping of the roast beef and vegetables. “You have a habit of doing that.”

“I do?”

“Yes, you do. I suppose I cannot fault you considering I was rather helpless when we married.”

She had been the picture of innocence. “You’ve grown quite a bit, Sira.”

“I would hope so after ten years.” She took a bite then a drink of water from the cut-crystal glass. “Evidently Annie is fond of salt.”

Sebastian took a much bigger bite of the fare and found it to his liking. But he thought it best to be as agreeable as possible. “Perhaps a bit. I just spoke with Stella. She told me to give you her regards.”

“How is James?”

“She said he had a good day, right after she lectured me on leaving without giving her notice.”

Nasira’s brown eyes widened. “You didn’t tell her you were coming here?”

“I left word through the servants. It was very much a spontaneous decision.”

“I am certain she was worried.”

“Possibly, but she was more concerned about other issues.”

“What issues?”

He was hoping she wouldn’t ask. “You know Stella. She is a broken record when it comes to producing an heir.”

“That is understandable, Sebastian. She knows how badly your father would like to see that happen.”

He had suddenly lost his appetite. “My father has no right to dictate my future after what he did...” He refused to go there for if he did, he would have to offer an explanation.

“What did he do, Sebastian?”

He took another bite that now tasted bitter as brine. “I’d prefer not to discuss it.”

Nasira wadded the napkin and tossed it on the table. “This is exactly the reason we are having problems. Your inability to communicate drives me batty.”

“It’s complicated, Sira. I see no point in dredging up the past.”

“Perhaps you should since it’s apparently affecting our future.”

He shoved back from the table and began to pace. “You are asking too much of me.”

“I am only asking for honesty, Sebastian. My intent is not to cause you pain. Does this have something to do with your mother?”

He turned midstride and faced her. “It has everything do with her.”

“Please, come sit and tell me about her. Surely you have good memories.”

More than she would ever know, unless he finally told her. Then he could gradually move into the bad, if he dared.

He reclaimed his seat and stared at the food now growing cold on his plate. “I have no idea how to begin to tell you about Martha Ella Edwards.”

Nasira set her plate aside and folded her arms atop the table. “I know you were ten when she passed, so I suppose you can begin by telling me what you do remember.”

He smiled at the recollections, the special moments that he had never shared. The painful times he couldn’t share, at least not now. “She was extremely devoted to my father and to me. She used to call me her little drummer boy because I had a penchant for stealing wooden spoons from the kitchen and banging them on anything stationary.”

“Clearly you were destined to be in a rock band.”

“I thought that too after Mother bought me a real set of drums on my eighth birthday. But of course James could not endure the noise and had the servants toss them two days later.”

Nasira laid her palm on his hand, which was now resting on the tabletop. “I am so sorry, Sebastian. I know you and your father have always seemed to be at odds, but I assumed that had to do with the two of you butting horns over business like two battering rams.”

If she only knew the reason behind Sebastian’s well-hidden resentment. If he let down his guard, she would. “I never approved of the way he treated my mother, as if she were no more than a concubine put on this earth for his pleasure.”

“How could you believe that at such a young age? Was he inappropriate in your presence?”

“No. I only learned some facts later and drew my own conclusions.”

“You are going to have to be less vague in order for me to help you move past this.”

“I don’t need your help, Sira, or your pity.”

“I would never pity you, Sebastian, but I do believe you need to have someone as a sounding board. And I would hope after ten years together you could trust me enough to fill that role.”

He pondered her words a moment and realized she was probably right. He also knew that by being totally transparent, he would be inviting a measure of pain. Yet he couldn’t think of one soul he trusted more than his wife, and he had done her a disservice by not revealing his secrets. Only after doing so would she understand why he could not in good conscience go forward with their plans to have a child.

“I will tell you what you believe you want to know, but I assure you it’s not pretty.”

“I am stronger than you think, Sebastian.”

He would not debate that. At times he wondered if she possessed more strength than him. “This secret, the one no one speaks of, has to do with my mother’s demise.”

Nasira leaned forward and sent him a concerned look. “Please tell me and end this suspense.”

He drew in a deep breath and prepared to lower the boom. “My father killed her.”