“I don’t know, but I suspect we’re going to find out at some point.”
“Maybe.” He lifted their joined hands to his lips and kissed her knuckles, before sweeping his lips over them. He didn’t take his eyes off her.
She sucked in a sharp intake of air, trying to counter the effect of his kiss on her senses. She couldn’t have looked away from him if she’d wanted to. “You haven’t taken your hand from mine all afternoon.”
“A show of togetherness which I felt was required.”
“I think the show worked.”
“Hm,” he said sexily. “Do you want me to release you now?”
She should, but she didn’t. She shook her head quickly before rational thought could take over. And instead of releasing her hand, he pulled her to him. Only then did he release her hand, but instead of stepping away, he raised both hands to her cheeks and cupped her face, his thumbs brushing against her soft skin. She closed her eyes as she tried to control the sensations which skittered across her skin and traveled deep inside of her body, sending signals to every part of her, melting and igniting her at the same time.
“Indra, you are so beautiful,” he said, his voice low and sexy.
She opened her eyes, and he was close, so close now. She swallowed, desperately trying to grab at the last vestige of control. “There isn’t anyone watching now, so you don’t have to do this.”
“Which is precisely why I want to.”
He pressed his lips to hers before she could respond. Not that she would have run, because her mind was suspended and her body wanted all that he could give. His lips moved over hers, persuading her mouth to open. She gasped as his tongue slid against hers. Her heart hammered and she slipped her hands around his neck, not wanting him to move away or stop filling her with such pleasure.
She shifted her body closer until her hips were tilted and pressed against his. She was running purely on instinct now and when she felt him harden, she was ready for it this time and didn’t move away. She’d spent too many times since the last time imagining what he could do to her with that hard erection. She didn’t know what the future might bring. She didn’t know if he even had a heart, but all she knew was that she felt an awakening in herself, which she couldn’t deny any more than she could decide to stop breathing.
Finally, he pulled away, pressing his head against her forehead. He muttered an expletive under his breath. “Indra, what are you doing to me?”
She rocked her forehead against his. “Nothing.”
“Then keep doing nothing,” he said, as he pressed his lips against hers once more.
“Hey!” A sudden shout made her spring away, as a guest walked unsteadily towards them. The man stopped beside them, looked her up and down, and then grinned at Sebastian. “Got any more like this one?”
Indra gasped as reality hit her. She hadn’t done anything like this before—not in private and certainly not in public. She felt cheap and shamed. She pulled her hands away from Sebastian and turned, pushing her now tousled hair from her face, and walked quickly toward the house. Someone shouted behind her and she began to run. She had to get away. Away from all these strangers and, more especially, away from Sebastian, who challenged her at every turn and changed her into a woman she didn’t recognize.
Only when she’d reached the nursery on the top floor did she feel safe. She looked out the window to see Sebastian going around the groups, obviously trying to encourage them to leave. Taxis lined the drive, ready to take them home, but the last ones needed more encouragement. She knew it would be some time before he could get away, which would give her time to think.
She slipped off her shoes and rubbed her toes where her sandals had pinched her hot feet as she’d walked around the estate. She suddenly felt exhausted after everything that had happened. Not least because of Sebastian’s kiss. She sighed. What a kiss. She curled up on the couch and closed her eyes.
She couldn’t have been asleep long before something other than Sebastian’s touch was entering her dreams. To begin with, she incorporated it into her sexy dreams, the banging of the headboard as Sebastian rose and fell on top of her, rhythmically, taking her to places where she’d only taken herself previously. But then it became louder, and she blinked and awoke suddenly. Someone was hammering on the door.
Half-stumbling, barely awake, she went to the door, wondering what was so urgent as to make Sebastian return so quickly.
“What’s the matter—”
Someone rushed towards her, cutting her words short as he grabbed her. It took her a few moments to awaken properly to realize that itwasn’tSebastian.
“Get off me!” she said, half-falling backwards as she tried to prize his fingers from her shoulders. The man who’d embarrassed her earlier responded by grabbing her breast painfully. She shrieked in pain.
His lips were upon hers, his breath sour from champagne. She gagged as he forced his tongue into her mouth. She fell over backwards onto the daybed, and he fell on top of her. His large body knocked the breath out of her and she gasped for air as he floundered on top of her.
Suddenly the weight was lifted with an unearthly roar and there was the sound of glass and ornaments shattering as the man was slammed onto a table. As she struggled to get up, still winded after being thrown onto the couch, she heard a fist hitting a body, followed by further crashing. She looked up and saw Sebastian, fist drawn again, ready to slam it into the man.
“Get out!”
The man struggled to get to his feet, went on all fours and pushed himself up before turning to Sebastian, rubbing his cheek. “I’m leaving, but don’t expect any business from me!”
“We don’twantyour business.”
“Could have fooled me,” spat out the man again. “That little party didn’t come cheap. You want the business, that much is obvious.”