CHAPTER EIGHT
THE GROWING ACHE in his arms couldn’t be ignored much longer, but he truly hated to disturb her. Brandi slept soundly, sprawled out over his bare chest, one leg over his hips, her breath fanning his right nipple.
It was a wonder he’d survived.
He grinned, thinking of how enthusiastically she’d participated once she’d had him secured to the bed. All inhibitions had left her and she’d gone about torturing him thoroughly with her curiosity of his body and how it worked.
She now knew firsthand what made him tick, because she’d had him ticking for hours. He had no secrets from her, and that suited him just fine. Even the touchy subject of the condom—and how to put it on him—hadn’t slowed her for long. He’d given instructions, and she’d followed them.
She’d made love to him with the most novel approach, unlike anything he’d ever experienced. Because not only did she discover his body, but her own, as well. And he’d been able to watch every small nuance cross her beautiful features. Wonder and excitement had been there as often as shyness and reserve.
But as much as he’d enjoyed himself, he really wished she’d remembered to untie him before falling asleep. Once again, she’d merely passed out, and this time her sleep was undisturbed by bad dreams. Sebastian had even managed to doze for a few minutes here and there. But now he was beyond stiff, starving for food, and getting a little cold since the fire had died down and the rain had stopped, leaving an ominous chill in the air.
He lifted his head to look down at Brandi’s body. In the late-afternoon light coming through the window, she looked gorgeous. She still wore her shirt, but the skirt and panties were gone. She had a beautiful backside, perfect in shape and texture. The sight of that cute bottom had come close to sending him over the edge several times. He’d wanted to touch her, to squeeze that soft resilient flesh, but by his own suggestion, he’d been helpless to move. It wasn’t an experience he wanted to repeat with any other woman. But for Brandi, he’d do it again in a heartbeat. After he’d eaten and gotten the circulation back in his arms.
He was just about to say her name, hoping to wake her gently, to soothe her through her unavoidable embarrassment, when a loud knock sounded on the front door. Alarm raced through him. “Brandi? Come on, babe, wake up.”
She stirred sleepily. “Hmm?”
Sebastian nudged her with his hips, trying to rouse her. “Damn it, Brandi! Wake up. Someone’s at the door.”
She lifted her head. “Someone’s here?”
She looked totally befuddled and still half-asleep. “Untie me, Brandi.”
Rather than doing as he suggested, she sat up, then slipped her slim legs over the side of the bed. She looked around, located her skirt, and started to pull it on.
“Brandi?” His heart thudded heavily as she fastened her skirt. “Untie me.”
“Just a minute. Let me see who’s at the door first.”
“No!” But even as he said it, she started out of the bedroom. “Brandi!”
She stuck her head back in long enough to say, “Shh,” then was gone again.
Sebastian heard the door open, could hear soft voices, but he couldn’t make out what they said. After what felt like an eternity, Brandi returned. She carried a small slip of paper in her hand and she deliberately avoided his eyes.
“It was the front desk. Shay’s been trying to get in touch with me. I gather from what the clerk said, she’s driving them nuts and she’s not happy that we don’t have a phone.”
He tugged at his bonds. “I don’t want a damn phone.”
“Me, either. But I suppose I should call her back. Otherwise she’s liable to land on our doorstep, just to make certain everything’s okay. You know how Shay is.”
He lifted his head as far as he could to glare at her. “Don’t even think about going to the office without untying me first.”
“Oh.” She blushed, just as he knew she would. “I wouldn’t have done that.” Then her gaze made note of his exposed body, and she didn’t say anything else, didn’t make a move to untie him.
“Brandi?”
“Hmm?”
“I loved every second we spent in this bed, but my arms are starting to get a little stiff now.”
“Oh!” She rushed up to the headboard and sat next to his chest. The mattress dipped and he rolled slightly toward her, his body bumping her hip. He inhaled her clean, womanly scent—now mixed with his scent and the scent of sex. The ways this woman affected him! He liked it, but it also scared him half to death.
She’d opened to him more today than any woman he’d ever known. At the same time, she’d needed his inability to move, to react to her, in order for her to feel so free. Protective instincts mixed with raw lust could do any man in, but Sebastian was sensitive to women’s issues—and to this one small woman in particular.
She finally freed his right hand and he lowered his arm to let it rest lightly over her thigh and around her waist. She leaned over him, her small, perfect breasts only inches from his nose while she tackled the other knot. He’d pulled fiercely against those bindings earlier, needing the pain to counteract his need to hold her. Brandi had been over him, on him, her face taut with pleasure as she worked awkwardly toward her release, and he hadn’t been able to help her, to touch her. Watching her helplessly had been its own form of devilish foreplay. He’d shouted with his own pleasure, but Brandi had been too wrapped up in reaching her peak to do more than gasp.
Thinking about it was getting him aroused again. Luckily she hadn’t noticed, because that might have ruined all the headway he’d made. How he could get aroused again was beyond him. He’d always been a very sexual man with strong appetites, but he’d never been insatiable. Of course, he’d never known anyone like Brandi.
The knots were probably much tighter now than they’d been when Brandi had tied them, thanks to his struggles.
“I’ve almost got it.”
Sebastian smiled. He could hear the concern in her tone, concern for him. He liked that, too. When the knot was undone, Brandi sat back to smile at him. Sebastian stared at her, not moving one iota, then whispered, “Come here.”
Without even thinking about it, she leaned down and kissed him. Sebastian knew she didn’t note the significance of the kiss, but he did. They were in a bed, he was free to move, and still she’d come to him.
He’d never played sex games before, but damned if he didn’t like it with Brandi.
Still not moving his arms, he opened his mouth, inviting her inside, but she leaned back with a grin. “Oh, no you don’t. I didn’t untie you only to tie you up again. I have to go the registration desk and see what Shay wants.” She smoothed her hand over his chest, her expression soft and warm. “Do you want to come with me?”
He slowly flexed his arms, then bit back a groan. “Yeah, I want to go. Can you wait for me to take a shower?”
“Sure. I have to tidy myself up anyway.”
He’d hoped she would offer to shower with him, but she was back to looking shy again. Sitting up beside her, he shifted his shoulders, deliberately crowding against her, seeing how much leeway she’d give him now that they were lovers.
Evidently not much. Brandi shot to her feet, her hands twisting in her skirt. She started moving toward the door, her grin slipping just a bit. Sebastian caught her hand. “Why don’t you change, and we’ll try to find someplace nice for dinner. Maybe even a little dancing.”
Brandi blinked at him, her nervousness forgotten, just as he’d wanted. “Dinner and dancing? Are you offering to take me to a nightclub?”
“Sure, why not?” He felt a little ill saying it, the thought of the expense and the waste and the time with strangers not really to his liking. But he wanted Brandi happy, and he didn’t want her dwelling on what they’d done all day. Not until bedtime rolled around again—when he hoped very much to sleep with her. Not just to have sex, but to sleep, holding her in his arms all night in a comfortable bed, waking with her snuggled close beside him.
Earlier, he’d told her she was his now. She hadn’t acknowledged those words, either to deny or accept them. It had been a tactical error on his part, pushing her too fast toward an emotional intimacy she didn’t yet feel. But luckily, she hadn’t seemed to hear his declaration, which had bordered on possessive.
She looked confused now. “Do you like to dance?”
He shrugged. “I think I’d like dancing with you.”
Of her own volition, she stepped up close to him and hugged his naked body tight. Startled, it took Sebastian a moment to carefully return her embrace. With his mouth touching the top of her head, he asked, “Is that a yes or a no?”
“I don’t know how to dance.”
That damn tenderness hit him again, almost suffocating, and he closed his eyes. Of course she hadn’t done much dancing. She’d been a wallflower, overshadowed by Shay as a teen, then withdrawn from men completely since the rape. There were likely many things she’d never done, and suddenly, he wanted to do them all with her. The cost be damned, because the waste of the money didn’t seem like a waste if it made her happy.
“Then we’ll definitely go. Trust me, you’ll be a natural.” He kissed her crown, inhaling her scent and feeling her hair tickle his nose. He loved her hair—the soft, wild curls, the rich dark color. He framed her face with his hands, letting his fingers tangle in those curls, then turned her face up to his. He kissed her gently, trying to ignore the lingering wariness in her eyes.
“We’ll do up the town tonight, so wear something sexy.”
Laughter replaced the wariness in her beautiful blue eyes. “I don’t own anything sexy and you know it.”
“Then we’ll have to buy you something.” Of all the gifts she’d bought, she hadn’t purchased anything for herself. She’d only been thinking of the children at the shelter, and he liked that awareness in her. With all she’d been through in her life, she still had room to feel concern for others. She was such a giving, caring woman, it would be all too easy to fall in love with her.
But that thought didn’t distress him. He felt good, very good. He’d pick her out a dress more beautiful than anything she’d ever had.
“Sebastian, I don’t think…”
He interrupted her, unwilling to listen to arguments. He hadn’t felt this enthusiastic about spending money since… Never.
“We’ve got a lot to do, once you’ve called Shay. Shopping first, then food, then dancing.” He turned her before she could offer more protests, then gave her a light swat on the bottom. “Get going, woman. I’m starved.”
SEBASTIAN STOOD BY impatiently while Brandi went through another round of assurances with Shay. She’d been on the phone five minutes now, and from what he could tell from her side of the conversation, Shay wanted a blow-by-blow report of what had gone on, needing to know if she’d made a mistake by rushing Brandi off with a man.
That nettled him. Damn it, he wasn’t just any man. Shay knew he had a special sensitivity for women, and she trusted him with many of the situations at the safe houses. So why was she putting Brandi through the fifth degree?
“I promise, Shay, I’m having fun. Honest.” Brandi’s eyes slanted toward Sebastian, filled with apology and a tinge of embarrassment. “No, it’s…it’s not like that. He’s been…well…”
Sebastian couldn’t stop himself. He reached out and plucked the phone from Brandi’s hand. She tried to snatch it back, but he held it out of her reach—an easy thing to do given her small stature.
As he put the phone to his ear, drowning out Brandi’s muttered complaints, he heard Shay say, “Just remember that he is a man, honey, more man than most. And whether you know it or not, you’re a very pretty woman. Don’t expect him to keep his distance for the whole trip.”
Sebastian rolled his eyes, feeling both annoyance and chagrin. “I’d say she was beautiful, not just pretty, and damn sexy, as well. She can handle any man on her own—even me.”
A moment of silence, then: “Sebastian.”
“Shay,” he replied sweetly.
“I, uh…”
“Warning your sister away from me? And after you donated me to her so nicely. A birthday present, wasn’t it?”
“Yes. You were…for her birthday.” Then she said in a rush, “I just wanted to make sure I hadn’t made a mistake.”
He softened, hearing the fretful tone of Shay’s voice. He knew she meant well, despite her meddling. Taking charge and running things was simply a part of her. She wouldn’t know how to be any other way. “There’s no mistake. You trust me, remember.”
“Yeah, I trust you. It’s just…”
“We’ve covered it, Shay. Things are fine, and we’re having a good time. Both of us.” He looked at Brandi and saw her face had gone red. She looked ready to kill him.
He grinned. “I gotta go, Shay. Brandi is anxious to get on with our date.” She swung at him, but he ducked and she missed. Chuckling, he said, “If Brandi needs anything, she’ll call you. Bye.”
“Don’t hang—” the receiver hit the cradle and Brandi frowned “—up.”
“You don’t need her filling you with nonsense.” Or warning you away from me. “And you don’t need her advice. I think we’re doing just fine on our own.”
She glared at him, but after a moment of him grinning back, her frown smoothed out and she threw her hands up in the air. “All right, I give up. I can’t really stay mad anyway, not when I’m secretly glad to be off the phone. But don’t ever do that again.”
Her frown was back to being fierce, so he quickly apologized. “I was an arrogant jerk. It won’t happen again.”
She shook her head, then smiled. “I wouldn’t go quite that far. Arrogant, but not a jerk. But you were too high-handed.”
“You looked embarrassed.”
“Um, Shay being insistent is sometimes hard to talk around.”
“Next time, just tell her to butt out.” He touched her cheek. “Especially when she’s questioning your love life.”
Brandi laughed. “Are you kidding? With Shay, that would be as good as admitting there was something going on, and she’d have kept me on the phone forever prying for details. Mostly because I’ve never had a love life.”
Sebastian took her arm and steered her toward the exit. Very quietly, he asked, “Is there something going on?”
“You know what I mean.”
Of course he did, but he needed to know her thoughts. It had occurred to him that while he grew more and more emotionally involved with Brandi she might very well only be using a prime situation to experiment with her sexuality. He’d invited her to do so. And at the time, it had seemed to be enough.
Now he wanted more.
He’d offered her the use of his body, but he didn’t want to be used. Not anymore. He wanted to share. He wanted her trust. Maybe he wanted forever.
Brandi had never experienced lust before, so she had no way of knowing how unique the chemistry was between them. Lust existed, more powerful than anything he’d ever imagined, but it was tempered by so many other, more tender emotions. He wanted to teach her to enjoy her body, to enjoy his body, but he didn’t want her to take that knowledge and apply it with another man. The mere thought made him furious.
“Sebastian? Is something wrong?”
“No.” He shook his head. “Nothing’s wrong.”
“You look upset.”
He glanced down at her as they walked through the doorway and into the dim, damp outdoors. Sebastian breathed deep, filling his lungs with the rain-scented air, bracing himself. “I’d like for you to sleep with me tonight. The whole night.”
Brandi faltered. “I don’t know…”
He turned to her, catching both her hands, looking down into her wide blue eyes. “Just sleep, baby. I want to hold you all night, and wake up with you beside me in the morning. Trust me.”
The look she gave him now was timid, skittering away before he could figure out what it meant. “I want to trust you, but it’s not easy. I really don’t think I’d be able to sleep.”
“Can we at least try?”
“Why?”
She seemed frustrated, and maybe he was pushing her. But he only had a few days left, including the day they’d have to pack and fly home. Once they returned to the real world, with all the outside commitments of family and jobs and life in general, would she give him a chance? Or would she chalk up her experiences here and try to get on with her life? Was it even fair of him to want or expect more? She’d had so little fun and missed out on so much sensual growth, without a single male-female relationship. But he wanted to be the man to give her those things she’d missed; all the flirting and small gifts and new touches.
He could do it. His lifestyle wasn’t so inhibited that he couldn’t bend a little and buy her flowers and chocolates on occasion. The thought of squandering the money in such a frivolous way had always seemed repugnant, but to make her happy, he’d do it. He would enjoy doing it.
And his house, though set out in the country away from the congestion of rushing people, was adequate in size, even without all the renovations finished. It wasn’t fancy, but it was solid and secure. A good investment.
He shied away from that thought, that logical reasoning, because it made him feel like an ass. Brandi needed and wanted fun and laughter, not sensibility. And he’d find a way to give it to her.
The sun peeked out, reflecting on all the wet surfaces, chasing away the last of the clouds. Sebastian leaned down and pressed a quick hard kiss to Brandi’s mouth, determined despite her resistance.
“I want to sleep with you because you’re warm and soft and smell sweet.” Her face flamed and she looked away. Sebastian chuckled. “Besides, I think you’ll like it. I know I will. It’s a nice feeling to be cuddled close all night with someone you care about.”
She didn’t deny that she cared, though she did chew on her bottom lip in a fretful way. He counted that as a step forward; what the hell? He was an optimist, and if he chose to count almost everything as progress, it was nobody’s business but his own.
“If you don’t like it, if it bothers you, we’ll deal with it, okay? You liked sleeping with me on the couch.”
She stopped, looking down at her feet. “The couch is not a bed, and you were sitting. I know it’s silly, but it makes a difference.”
“Look at it this way. Last week, did you think you’d find yourself sleeping with a man on a couch, regardless of what position he was in?”
“Last week I couldn’t have imagined doing any of the things we’ve done.”
“But you don’t regret them?”
She shook her head, and her small smile showed her new confidence. Even more than the belated sunshine, it warmed him. He slipped his arm around her and held her close to his side. “We’ll just see how it goes. You can even sleep in that long granny gown if it’ll make you feel better.”
She blinked at him. “Well, of course I’ll wear my nightgown!”
Sebastian laughed at her vehemence. She probably didn’t realize how damn sexy the gown looked on her slight frame. Sexy and feminine. It draped her body, hinting at curves, and her rosy nipples showed through the material. Just thinking of it made him semierect once again. He had the hair-trigger reaction of a teenager around her.
And unlike Brandi, he slept in the nude.
He looked at the bright sun. There were way too many hours between now and bedtime. And at the moment, he wasn’t at all sure he’d last that long.
THE DRESS HAD COST a small fortune, and Brandi had been very resistant to his buying it. But Sebastian had been insistent and he’d made it a birthday present, so she couldn’t really refuse. Now, as he moved her around the dance floor, she knew it was the perfect dress for her. When Sebastian had first seen her in it, he’d given his approval with a low whistle and a heated look that spoke volumes.
She felt sexy, but the sexiness came from the simplicity of the dress—and Sebastian’s attentiveness. He hadn’t tried to coerce her into anything low cut or ultra short. He’d bypassed all the dresses that might have made her uncomfortable and she appreciated his sensitivity.
The dress landed just above her knees and had a two-inch slit up one leg. It hugged what it covered, not tightly, just doing a lot to emphasize her slight figure. The front of the dress rose to her neck, but in the back, it dipped to her shoulder blades. Right now, Brandi could feel the warmth of Sebastian’s fingers as they coasted over her skin. The man couldn’t stop touching her, and she loved it.
She tried not to think about the coming night, because thinking of it made her queasy. She didn’t want to mess things up by behaving like a ninny, or showing her cowardice. And she trusted him now, completely. But that didn’t mean she’d be able to rest easy in his arms all night. If she had the nightmare, if she froze up and kept him awake, it would put a damper on their time together, and they only had a few days left.
The music ended and Sebastian smiled down at her. “What are you thinking about?”
He seemed in no hurry to leave the dance floor. That suited Brandi. Now that she felt comfortable dancing, she’d gladly do so all night—with Sebastian. “I was wondering about you. Where you live, if your work takes you away from home very often.”
A guarded expression came over his face and he took her hand, leading her back to their table. After seating her, he asked, “Why so curious all of a sudden?”
Brandi didn’t know where the questions had come from, or why. It was probably because she wanted to see more of him, in more normal circumstances, even though she knew that was impossible. Their time together seemed magical and unreal. In a way it was unreal because they were simply too different to form any lasting relationship. Sebastian was the most vital, energetic, appealing man she’d ever met.
And she was still a timid shadow of a woman. That wouldn’t change, no matter how she wished it could.
“Brandi?”
He took her hand across the table—touching her again. She smiled to herself, loving the constant contact with him, and knowing she’d miss it once they returned home. But Sebastian deserved a whole woman, not one bogged down with emotional difficulties from her past.
“You know so much about me, but I don’t even know where you live.”
He seemed to consider that for a long moment before he answered. Brandi wondered if he thought she was prying, or if perhaps he wanted to keep his life separate so their parting at the end of the trip wouldn’t be too complicated.
“I have an old farmhouse I’ve been renovating. To me, it’s beautiful, filled with all natural woodwork and hardwood floors. It’s how I spend much of my free time, working on the place. I had to replace a lot of the plumbing and the wiring. The roof was in horrible shape. But it has charm, and it’s isolated, away from the congested suburbs and the busy city.”
“Does it take you long to get to work each day?”
He shrugged. “That depends. My work differs from job to job, so I never know in which direction I’ll be going, anyway. But it’s about a forty-minute drive to downtown, where I have my offices. There aren’t any other houses around, and I own several acres, so my privacy will always be protected.”
“That’s important to you?”
He made a rough sound, not quite a laugh. “After growing up in tenement buildings where the hallways were always filled with loiterers, vagrants and drunks, and the front steps couldn’t be walked on for the bodies resting there, yes, my privacy is damn important.” His eyes narrowed on her, bright green and intense. “It’s not something I’d ever be able to give up.”
There was a warning there, or a message, but Brandi already knew their time was limited. She didn’t need him to spell it out. “Do you spend a lot of time away from your home?”
“Occasionally. It’s not uncommon for me to be gone for days at a time, but most of my jobs now are contained within the city.” He tilted his head at her, as if trying to see into her thoughts. “I could limit my work out of town, if it ever became a problem.”
Feeling uncomfortable now, because it was as if he knew she was asking for personal reasons, Brandi added, “I suppose for a single man, it isn’t an issue.”
“No. I’ve been expanding my offices, hiring on additional men for surveillance work. But it’s a catch-22. Expansion will free up more of my time, but doing the expanding itself requires additional time and commitment.”
Brandi couldn’t imagine living in isolation, away from neighbors or friends and family. But she could tell by looking at Sebastian that it suited him. “So, you’re happy there.”
It wasn’t a question, but a statement, and one more obstacle to prove their time at the cabin was a fluke, not something that could be extended once the prize package had been used up.
“My home isn’t fancy, but it’s sturdy, and it’s all mine. I enjoy being there, making the repairs myself, watching the house change. It’s one of the few concessions with money that I made, buying my home. Buying the land. It’s not easy for me to admit, but in a way the house is personal insurance on my security. I know I won’t ever be broke and homeless, because I own it outright. And there’s enough land to make a profit off any number of ventures if the need ever arose. Having money in the bank adds to security, but not like having a place that’s free and clear to call your own. I know I won’t ever end up like one of those vagrants sleeping on the front steps.”
Brandi knew it was important to him for her to understand his financial independence. And in truth, she was amazed at how well he’d succeeded given his poor start in life. He didn’t dress miserly, but neither did he wear exclusive brands or styles. His hair was kept neat—she loved his hair, so dark and straight and fine—but it wasn’t salon styled. Brandi pictured him going to a local barber, and she smiled. “It’s hard to imagine you worrying about money. You’re successful and it shows. And you’ve been so generous with me.”
He shrugged. “The dress wasn’t all that expensive, though I admit I have no idea what women’s clothes normally cost. Besides, I like seeing you in it. You look sexy as hell.”
The thudding of her heart proved how his words affected her. But it wasn’t just the compliment. It was that, in some small way, she’d succeeded in helping him overcome his reservations at needless spending. She wanted him to know he couldn’t save the world, and there was certainly no crime indulging in a few luxuries for himself. “The dress is beautiful. Probably the nicest thing I’ve ever owned.”
“If you like it, then it was worth every penny.”
She wished he could enjoy buying himself things as easily. “It’s an extravagant gift.” Then she grinned. “Especially since you were a gift, which I figured was plenty for one birthday.”
His fingers tightened on hers. “I’m glad Shay chose me as the gift, not some other man.”
“I’d have refused any other man.” It was true. She’d taken one look at Sebastian and found his charm and strength and his smile irresistible. In her heart, she’d already chosen him, and Shay was astute enough to see it. “Besides, Shay had seen my interest in you—a unique thing for me—and I’d stupidly mentioned my new plans to her.”
“Ah. I’d forgotten about that. What are these infamous plans of yours?”
Shrugging, Brandi said, “They’re not really all that complex. I just want to get on with my life. I’ve hidden away long enough, and let the past mean more than it should. It just seemed easier to go it alone than to try to get beyond the problems. Especially when the men weren’t exactly beating a path to my door. Not that I minded, since no man appealed to me anyway.”
He gave her a crooked grin. “Until you saw me.”
“Yes.”
Leaning forward slightly, his expression now serious, he said, “I’d like to help with your plans if you’ll let me.”
“Oh, Sebastian.” Impulsively, she lifted his hand to her mouth and kissed his knuckles. The action surprised him, but quickly the surprise changed to an emotion much hotter. His eyes blazed and his features tightened.
Brandi’s voice trembled in reaction to that look. “When I said you were generous, I wasn’t only talking about the dress. The dress is beautiful, and it was a wonderful gift, but you’ve given me yourself, too. You made it safe for me to find out things about myself and about lovemaking that I never would have known otherwise.”
She no sooner said the words than she felt her face heat. “What we did wasn’t exactly lovemaking, though, was it? It wasn’t a shared thing, not with you doing all the giving and me doing all the taking.”
He shook his head and his gaze held hers, not letting her look away. “Don’t think of it like that. What happened today was incredible. You were incredible. So, it’s not about me helping you. It’s about me as a man wanting you as a woman. And finding a comfortable way for us to come together.”
She wanted to believe him. But in her heart she knew a man like Sebastian would never have been here with her in the first place if the circumstances hadn’t dictated it. And once the vacation was over, she didn’t know what would happen. She felt almost desperate at the thought of never seeing him again.
“I wish…I wish things could be normal between us. I wish I could give you as much as you’ve given me.”
In one abrupt motion, Sebastian stood and pulled her to her feet. Startled, Brandi asked, “What are you doing?”
“I think it’s time for us to go. I have some explaining to do, and a crowded restaurant isn’t the place.”
She went willingly as he pulled her out into the night air. It hadn’t rained any more, but the air was still thick with moisture, oppressive and heavy with the threat of another storm. Once inside the rental car, he turned to her and hauled her up against his chest.
Only vague moonlight spilled through the windows, leaving the interior of the car very dim. Brandi felt his hands tangling in her hair, pulling her even closer, and then his wonderful mouth covered hers and kissed her for long minutes.
He tasted hot and urgent. When she opened her mouth, his tongue pushed in, stroking and mating with her own. It was a familiar caress now. Many times while they’d been joined on the bed, Sebastian had demanded a kiss or a touch. She’d leaned over him, willing to obey him even though he’d been restrained. She’d let him excite her with his mouth, and kissing him now excited her again.
His lips moved over her cheek, her temple, then her ear. “You’re making me crazy, honey.”
She thrilled at the feel of his warm breath in her ear, the roughness of his shadowed jaw and his use of endearments. They were a first for her, and she felt special each time he referred to her in such a way. “I’m sorry.”
He groaned. “No, don’t be. I like your unique brand of torment.” He leaned back and gazed at her, his eyes hot in the dim light, his breathing audible. “I also like being tied down and tormented by you.”
Brandi found it difficult to breathe with him looking at her so intently. “I didn’t mean to torment you.”
“God help me if you ever do mean it.”
She saw the flash of his white grin, then he kissed her again, hard and hungry. His kisses, no matter how voracious, no longer frightened her.
“Men have fantasies just as women do,” he whispered against her lips. “And I can safely say just about every male alive has fantasized being tied and helpless at the hands of a beautiful woman bent on sexual exploration. You didn’t hurt me, you pleasured me, almost more than I could bear. Just thinking about it now is making me hard as granite.”
Fascinated, Brandi remained stock-still while he kissed her once more. Her brain worked and when he lifted his mouth away, she asked, “What are your other fantasies?”
“Ah, curious, are we?”
“Yes.” She felt no embarrassment, not when he discussed things so openly and without shame. The heat of their bodies had caused the windows to steam up, and even if someone happened by, they were well hidden.
In a low gravelly tone, Sebastian said, “Some fantasies are purely sexual and damn basic.” He named a few, and she knew her eyes were round with disbelief. She just hadn’t ever imagined such things. Sebastian stroked her while he spoke, occasionally licking the sensitive spot beneath her ear, nipping her throat. His voice was deep and husky and aroused.
“Others are based more on emotion. Like being the protector of a woman, having her depend entirely on me for everything, including her pleasure.”
“You’d like that?”
“Damn right.”
“I thought men these days wanted independent women.”
Sebastian chuckled. He kept kissing her, as if he couldn’t help himself. They were quick, light kisses over her face, her hair, her throat and ears that teased and distracted.
“We’re talking fantasies, Brandi, not real life. To the outside world, I wouldn’t settle for anything less than an intelligent woman with a mind of her own. But in the bedroom, it’s different. For both men and women. There, everyone has to find their own limits and explore different depths. There’s no right or wrong. Only the truth of what turns them on. They have to be open and share their secrets to know what those truths are. We’ve done that, you know. And it was damn good.”
“What other fantasies do you have?”
His big hand cupped her cheek and his thumb smoothed over her temple. “As much as I enjoyed being tied up, the thought of having a woman tied to my bed appeals a hell of a lot, too.”
“I could never do that.”
“And I’d never ask it of you. Fantasies are something given, not taken. If you didn’t enjoy it, I wouldn’t, either.”
Despite his reassurance, the panic was still there. She started to speak, but no words would come to her.
“Shhh. It’s all right, babe. I wasn’t suggesting it as an alternative. You asked and I answered. That’s the thing about fantasies. They vary from person to person. So they don’t always get met. But there are no bad fantasies, not between two consenting adults. Not between us.”
She buried her face against his throat, feeling the heat in her cheeks—and in her body. Somehow, in some distant part of herself, the thought of being at this man’s mercy had given her a tiny, forbidden thrill. She still wouldn’t do it, because along with the thrill was the fear of being used and hurt. But she acknowledged the idea just the same.
“What about you, Brandi? Do you have any fantasies?”
She shook her head. She’d never given sex much thought one way or the other—except to know she wanted to avoid it. “I don’t think so.”
“We’ll find some fantasies for you. We still have three days left to work on it,” he promised in a husky voice, and excitement filled her. Sebastian kissed her again, then turned and started the car. “We better get moving if I’m going to find a pharmacy that’s open.”
“Why are we going to a pharmacy?”
“I need to buy more condoms.”
“Oh.” That stifled her, but only for a moment. “I thought you said you just wanted to sleep with me tonight.”
As he pulled the car away from the curb, he flashed her a boyish grin. “I do. Afterward.”
Brandi kept silent, but on the inside, she was grinning, too.