“I trust you.”
His eyes warm, and he places the sweetest of kisses on my lips. The fact that he patiently waited for me to trust him and didn’t confront me with his knowledge tugs at my heartstrings.
He flips me around again. I hear him unzip his pants, fiddling with his clothes, and then he poises himself at my entrance. I press my palms into the wall for support.
Sebastian tortures me, dragging the tip up and down my sensitive flesh. When I can’t stand the pressure anymore, I push my ass into him. He loses control, driving into me at once.
“Avaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa. Fuck.”
I swallow hard, blind from the impossibly intense sensation. Everything is magnified. His sharp exhalations against my nape burn me. My nipples pulse urgently. My palms aren’t enough, I rest my forearms on the wall, desperately trying to ground myself, fearing my legs will give in. Sebastian fists my hair as I push my hips against him, the pulsing between my legs begging for release.
“I won’t last long, babe. You feel so good.” His strokes get faster, harder. “You are mine,” he says, gripping my hair tighter, tipping my face to him. With a guttural groan, he empties himself inside me, driving me over the edge. My orgasm rips a loud cry from my mouth. “Mine.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Sebastian
“This was a brilliant idea,” Pippa says two weeks later, on the deck of Logan’s newest yacht. We’re inaugurating it Bennett style. That means most of my siblings are here, as well as a few close friends.
“I can’t believe Mom and Dad are sitting this one out,” Logan says. He, Pippa, and I are the only ones on the deck, lying in armchairs in the sun. The rest, including Ava, are swimming around the boat.
“Their way of telling you they don’t approve,” Pippa says.
“Way to rub it in, sister,” Logan says, annoyed. “After all these years, they’re still not used to it.”
I smile. My parents are simple people. Yachts, fast cars, and expensive outings are unnecessary luxuries for them. Vain. Even convincing them to accept that house was a lot of trouble. I admire the values they taught us, but find nothing wrong with indulging in the sweeter side of life. When one becomes more fortunate, it’s no sin to enjoy it. My personal mantra is to also help those less fortunate, which is why Bennett Enterprises donates a hefty percentage of our profits to various causes.
Rubbing more oil on her arms, my sister says, “This outing is just what the doctor ordered. Otherwise, I would’ve spent this weekend at the office too.”
“You should take it easier,” I tell her.
Logan perks up. “How come you never tell me that?”
“Because I’m his favorite sister, so I get special treatment.”
“What she said,” I reply. I don’t have a favorite sibling, but Pippa needs all the attention she can get right now. I know why she spends so much time at the office lately. It’s not only because the collection launch is approaching. She’s made a few trips to her lawyer in the past two weeks to settle the divorce. I offered to accompany her, but she refused, often returning to the office with red eyes and working until late at night. She does the same thing I do when she feels her personal life slipping through her fingers. She puts all her time and energy in the one thing that’s solid—Bennett Enterprises.
“Anyway,” Pippa comments, “you two are workaholics all the time. I’m like that only when a launch approaches. By the way, I can’t believe what a fabulous job Ava’s doing with the campaign.”
“Yeah, she’s very talented,” I agree, but don’t elaborate, a knot forming in my throat. Instinctively, I peer across the yacht railing and into the water to where I saw Ava last. She’s still swimming with Alice and Summer. The closer we get to the date of her departure, the harder talking about her becomes.
“You have it bad for her, brother,” Logan says.
“It’s that obvious, huh?”
“I work with you, remember? I see the way you look at her. It’s. . .”
“What?” I frown at him, shifting in the chair.
“Everyone’s happy about the two of you.”
“I’m not just happy,” Pippa interjects. “I’m thrilled. So are Mom and Dad.”
“Tell them to keep the thrill low. She’s only here for another three weeks.” The thought suffocates me. Where did the time go? I make a grab for my glass, only to find it dry.
“Have you thought about asking her to stay?” Logan asks. He and Pippa exchange a glance that tells me they’ve talked about this.
I clasp the glass tighter. “She has a job and a life, and I respect that. I can hardly tell her to leave everything behind for me.”