He shook his head with a chuckle. Grabbing his wallet, he fished out a crisp one hundred and dropped it on the table. It would be enough to cover the bill and leave an ample tip. Frowning, he decided to leave the kid a little something extra—something more valuable than money. After borrowing a pen from Taylor, he pulled out one of his bureau cards and jotted down a quick message on the back: Do yourself a favor. The next time you see her, look the other way. He smiled and tossed the card on the table with the money. Standing, he circled the table and pulled out Taylor’s chair. She glanced up at him as he helped her up and wound his arm around her waist, her gaze flickering to the table.
“What’s with the business card?”
A slow smirk edged across his face.
“That? It was nothing, darling. I was just leaving the kid some valuable pointers for his future.”
“With the FBI?”
Sebastian shrugged. “That’s the funny thing about life. You never know who is watching and where it might lead. Look at us. One minute I’m involved in a heavy operation. The next I’m staring into your eyes, wondering where this beautiful woman came from.”
She blushed, turning her head to bury her nose in his shoulder for a brief moment as he steered her outside. “You saved me that day,” she whispered. “I’ll never forget that.”
Humbled by the sincerity, he released her and gripped the railing of the observation deck. A blanket of stars stretched overhead, twinkling as far as the eye could see. It was one of the things he loved most about the desert. Out here, the world and everything in it seemed so wide open. Anything was possible. In the cities things felt too constricted, too crowded. It was hard to connect with anything, let alone yourself. Words like fate—kismet danced unbidden through his mind. He studied the shadowed outlines of the cacti before turning to Taylor. He drew her against him, tucking her between his body and the railing to share in the view. Bracing his arms on either side of her, he leaned forward and nuzzled her neck.
“Talk to me, darling. Tell me about your life before us—your family.”
Her shoulders lifted in a sorrowful shrug. “There isn’t much to tell. My dad bailed when I was six. I don’t remember much about him, other than the fact that he had the most beautiful blue eyes and he always smelled like licorice and Old Spice. My mom did her best to hold things together when he left, but eventually the stress became too much. She sent me to live with my Uncle Roy and Bryce when I was twelve. I’d get an occasional letter or phone call from her, usually around the holidays, but that was it.”
Sebastian frowned and planted a lingering kiss against her pulse. Closing his eyes, he savored the warm, steady beat of her flesh. “Was he good to you?”
“I think so. He tried. Things were hard for him, too. He never had much money to begin with, and here he was saddled with another kid and an extra mouth to feed. We made it work though, and Bryce and I always came up with fun stuff to do.”
“He never hit you or…”
“No! God, no. He was a gruff man, and he could have one nasty bark, but he never did anything to hurt me.”
“The point of punishment isn’t just to cause pain, Taylor. It’s meant to serve as a correction—a reminder,” he murmured, trailing a hand over the back of her thigh. “My intentions the other night were not to hurt you, but to better your actions and serve as a reminder that you are mine.”
She shivered against him and lowered her head. “I know.”
“Do you?” he asked quietly. “What is it that you know?”
“I know that I’m yours, Sebastian. Completely yours.”
“Good girl,” he whispered, kissing her ear. Winding a fist in her hair, he drew her head back and wrung a soft whimper from her lips. “You have no idea how much I love hearing you say those words.”
His other hand lifted the short hem of her white dress. He ran his palm over one globe of her ass, watching her tremble with a combination of anticipation and fear. Hooking one finger under the thin lace scrap of her panties, he rubbed it along her moistening slit. Her hips rocked instinctually against him and his cock swelled as he watched her battle the conflicting waves of desire and shame battering her body.
“Stop worrying about what other people might think and focus on pleasing me.”
“I—I can’t,” she whispered. “Please, Sebastian. Let’s just go back to our room.”
“Do I need to give you another reminder? Was I not clear enough the first time, Taylor?”
“No. I’m sorry. I’ll do what you want. I swear.”
He smiled against her ear. “I am going to hold you to that, darling.”
Her body shook with the onset of tears, but he didn’t want tears. He wanted compliance. A quick glance over his shoulder assured they were alone. He gave her underwear a sharp tug, yanking them halfway down her thighs. A gentle pat urged her to kick them off the rest of the way. It was a small step in the right direction. What wasn’t was her lingering reluctance. Tension hummed through her body signaling her heart wasn’t on the same par as her actions. Sighing, he released her long enough to retrieve the lacy garment from the ground and stuff it deep into his front pocket.
Letting his stare bore into her from behind, he undid his zipper and sprung his straining shaft free. Taylor stiffened as he slowly tugged her dress back up and prodded between her thighs. He felt the toned muscles there twitch as she fought the urge to press them together. Reaching around her, he clamped his hand over her throat in gentle warning. The other hand secured her hips as he drove into her tight heat and buried himself to the hilt. Her strangled cry echoed through the barren stretch of desert, wringing a smile from his lips.
“Come on,” he urged, dragging her backwards with him to a small bench.
Taylor whimpered, squirming as he pulled her onto his lap. Her feet scrabbled against the ground seeking purchase and a way to relieve the pressure. Sebastian shook his head. He had no intentions of making it that easy.
“This isn’t about you. Sit still and hook your feet
behind my calves.”
He groaned as she obeyed, and the position brought her down even harder. Rocking his hips, he ground up into her, drawing a muffled cry of pain. Her body shook with the strain. Snaring her chin, he turned her face enough that he could claim her lips. His hand slid under the hem of her dress between her parted thighs. Taylor moaned in understanding as his middle finger found the small nub above her slit. He pressed against it, rubbing her in hard fast strokes. Breaking their kiss, he let his head fall back to watch her face and keep a close eye on the door.
“Is it sinking in yet, Taylor? There’s more than one way for me to prove my point,” he growled, driving up inside her. She bit back a sob at the increase in pressure, her fingers sinking into his forearm in pleading. “I don’t care if it takes all night. You’re going to give me what I want. You’re the one who decided you would rather do that in pain.”
He rubbed her slit harder. A low rumble built inside his chest as he felt her body throb and contract. Slick moisture coated his finger and her breathing hitched, signaling she was getting close. The need for release was growing unbearable. He picked up his efforts until his moans joined her whimpering gasps. He snarled in frustration, straightening the front of her dress and pulling his hand away as the door to the observation deck cracked open. He pulled her back against his chest, so it would appear she only sat on his lap, cuddling.
An older gentleman wandered outside. His milky stare flickered over them briefly, and he regarded them as if startled. Smoothing a hand over the red and black checkers on his plaid shirt, he offered an amicable nod, his wrinkled lips pursing into a smile.
“Newlyweds?” he asked.
Sebastian ground his teeth, doing his best to keep his annoyance from showing. It wasn’t the geezer’s fault. He had no clue what he was interrupting. Still, he couldn’t help but wonder why people had to be so nosey. Or stupid. A simple glance at their ring fingers would have answered that question. Maybe the man did notice and was just desperate for small talk. Unfortunately, that wasn’t going to happen tonight.