The blonde pursed her lips and tapped them with her forefinger. “Hmm…I don’t know. I suppose so.”
“Thank you, Ma’am,” Rupert said, his tone much more subdued. “I appreciate your kindness.”
“You’re welcome. I do aim to please, but you better do it without complaint or all bets are off and I will tell my brother how mouthy his staff likes to get in his absence.”
Sensing the teasing in her tone, Taylor tried her best not to ruin Monique’s charade. Instead, she plied her future sister-in-law with a questioning look.
“Hey, my brother isn’t the only smart one in our family,” she said, settling back in her seat with a triumphant smile. “I might not be intimidating, but I’ve definitely learned to work with what I’ve got.”
Taylor watched the statuesque beauty blow the imaginary dust off her ‘claws’ and offered a conspiring wink. “Well played, wicked one. Well played.”
Tension rolled off Sebastian as he shrugged out of his overcoat and draped it over the hook in the laundry room. The alluring smell of roast beef and mushrooms wafted through the house, along with the fresh scent of lemon floor cleaner. Drawing in a deep breath, he closed his eyes, trying to latch on to some semblance of calm. He’d almost found it when the sound of approaching footsteps made him tense up again. Whirling, he regarded Taylor as she opened the door and graced him with a welcoming smile.
Dropping onto the bench, he tugged his laces free and pulled off his boots while she lingered uncertainly above him, her delicate features already starting to pinch with worry.
“I didn’t mean to interrupt anything today.”
“It’s fine. It was just bad timing. If you need to call me, call. End of story.”
“I will. I just don’t want to cause you any problems at work, Seb.”
After the day he’d just had, the thought was almost laughable. A poorly timed phone call was the least of his concerns. His stomach twisted as he replayed the conversation with Marx in his head. Blowing out a deep breath, he scrubbed a hand across his nape. The last thing he needed was to keep clinging to the rage and pressure the past nine hours had inspired.
“Don’t worry about my job,” he said. “Whatever happens there is my problem, not yours. Let me handle it, Taylor.”
“Okay.”
“Where did you go today?”
“Just to the grocery store and we made a quick stop at the mall. I think you might like one of the things I bought, though. I tried to put at least some of that hard-earned money of yours to good use.”
He fought the knowing smile that threatened. This was a much safer topic. For both of them. “Is that so?”
“Mmm hmm.”
Springing to his feet, he backed her across the room, pinning her against the front of the washer. Her back bowed with the force. Bracing her hands against the lid behind her, Taylor searched his eyes for understanding. Seizing her chin, Sebastian slanted his mouth across hers in hard, brutal claim. Her fingers sought purchase in his hair, but he grabbed her wrists and trapped them against the washer. Surging the hard lines of his body against hers in a seductive grind, he captured her earlobe between his teeth.
“If it’s anything that is going to cover that hot little body of yours, I wouldn’t count on it making me happy,” he warned in a throaty growl.
Taylor shifted beneath him, the gooseflesh covering her arms growing denser. “You’re thinking about it all wrong,” she said, attempting to squirm away from the rough scrape of stubble against her skin.
“Am I now?” he asked, raising a brow.
“Mmm hmm. You’re supposed to look at it as a bow. Something pretty to make the package a little more decorative.”
He traced the swell of her breast, his touch pensive. “I am not a patient man, Taylor. Pretty wrapping only tends to get torn. That said, I’m sure I will take great pleasure in seeing what tonight holds.”
She shivered and splayed her hands against his chest. If the gesture was meant to ward him off, it failed. Her pout sent a rush of blood straight to his groin, and he battled with the urge to tear her clothes right then and there to prove his point. Nothing would ever compare to the exquisite grip of her body or her husky cries when he drove himself home. Nothing. Nothing measured up to her smile or the unconditional love she gave. He wanted it all, and he wanted it in spades.
“What if you don’t like it?” she whispered, toying with one of the buttons on his shirt.
The action drew him back to the task on hand. A slow smile curved his lips as he hooked a finger under her jaw and tipped her face to his. “Then you are going to spend a very long night making things up to me.”
Taylor lowered her eyes beneath his smoldering stare. “That sounds like a threat, Agent Baas.”
“I don’t make threats, darling. That was a promise. One I am very much looking forward to carrying out.”
“You’re setting me up to fail, and you haven’t even seen it yet!” she accused, batting his arm. “That’s not fair!”
“Life isn’t fair, sweetheart,” he said, capturing her hands. “How long before dinner?”
“It’s just about done. I’m starving,” Taylor admitted. “I should be good for a month after the huge lunch I had, but my tummy is already growling.”
He rubbed her abdomen, the remnants of his smile fading beneath a frown. “You’re not coming down with something again, are you?”
“No, Sebs. I’m fine. Just hungry is all.”
He nodded. “Go change. I’m going to take a quick shower. When I come down, I want to see you in this surprise you mentioned.”
Her cheeks burned a bright crimson. “It’s not exactly proper dinner attire, Sebastian.”
“I don’t care what is proper or what isn’t. My house, my rules, Taylor. Do you need me to remind you of that?”
“No, Sebby.”
“Good girl,” he murmured, brushing his thumb over her cheek. “Get yourself ready. I will see you in a few.?
??
A short while later, Taylor startled at the sound of a low, tortured groan erupting behind her. Sebastian stood frozen in the archway, his eyes glued to the skimpy black lace spanning her curves. Instant hunger and a predatory gleam ignited their pale shamrock depths. She bit her lip, her cheeks growing hotter, as he directed her to turn with a twist of his finger. Smoothing her hands over the narrow strip stretched over her abdomen, she did as directed. A deep rumble rose from his chest as she leaned over the end of the dining room table and brazenly arched her back, affording him a glimpse of the thin satin ribbons that crisscrossed her skin. They ended in a pert bow above the low riding lace hugging her hips.
“Dear God,” he murmured. “Are you trying to kill me, Taylor?”
She stifled a laugh. “No, Sebby. Far from.”
He trailed his fingers across the silky strips spanning her back. “I don’t believe you,” he whispered. “You have no idea the things I am going to do to you later.”
The throb building between her legs became unbearable. She wriggled in place, trying to alleviate some of her discomfort. Sebastian straightened, pulling away from her with a hard look. His eyes locked with hers as he rounded the table.
“Sit,” he ordered.
“Am I in trouble?” she asked, taking her seat.
One corner of his mouth twitched. “I would say so, darling.”
“Does that mean you don’t like it?” She relaxed upon hearing his quiet laugh.
“Quite the opposite, Taylor. If you weren’t so hungry, I would show you just how much the sight of you appeals to me.”
“I wouldn’t complain,” she teased.
“Mmm. No you wouldn’t, darling. But you would be eating your dinner quite sore and naked. Is that what you would prefer?”
She tried to hide her smile and shook her head. “No, sir.”
He nodded with a knowing wink. “Eat.”
Sebastian didn’t bother waiting until she’d cleared the table. He’d eaten a light dinner, much more content to sip his wine and watch her than anything else. The moment her fork hit her plate, he was out of his chair. She marveled at his lightning quick reflexes as he hauled her out of her seat and spun her around. Her chest and cheek collided with the wall in a forceful press. Pinning her with his weight, he grabbed one of her arms and pulled it behind her back. A slight tremble of apprehension raced down her spine as his breath fell against her skin. The heat served as a subtle reminder of what could happen when someone played with fire.