Lethal Exposure (6 page)

“Hey,” he said, “you better back off that for now.”

Truth was, he had to concentrate on not coming. He tightened his stomach muscles and went back to kissing her, stroking her. His fingers strummed her soft skin.

He thought of all the romantic things he would normally say to a woman he was having sex with, but now everything he could think of sounded trite. Where had his glibness gone? Where were the sweet nothings that usually fell so easily from his tongue? He wished he knew what to say, but he just didn’t. All his usual lines and flattery failed him so he just said the truth. “I’m glad to be here with you.”

“Me, too.” Her smile warmed him like sunshine and melted the lump blocking his throat.

His cock throbbed, wanting to be inside her. But in that moment, Sebastian realized something. This was all about her. He was going to give her the pleasure she sought and he was taking himself out of the equation. He was going to meet her needs first and worry about his own second.

He unhooked her bra, dipped his head and took one perky pink nipple into his mouth and sucked lightly, while his hand strayed back to that heavenly triangle between her firm thighs. He slipped a finger inside her again and she was wetter than before.

“Sebastian.” She breathed his name on a sigh and ran her fingers through his hair, down his face.

Her touch was a feather, but he felt it all the way to the tip of his erect shaft. Blood drained from his head, ran down to satisfy his cock. It took every ounce of strength of will he possessed not to jam himself inside her.

He spent more time at her nipples, teasing and licking, sucking and nipping until she was moaning as softly as a humming top. Once her chest was heaving and her fingers were knotted in his hair, he slowly moved from her breasts to her sternum, planting hot kisses down, down, down to her navel.

The lower he went the faster and shallower her breathing grew. Muscles all along her body tightening in response.

“Wait,” she gasped, when his mouth was almost at the gateway at the most feminine part of her.

“What is it?” he whispered.

“No one’s ever…”

He raised his head. “Yes?”

“No one has ever loved me like that.”

“No one’s ever gone down on you?”

She shook her head. “I’ve never had much luck with oral sex.”

“Well, sweetheart,” he said, a flicker of his smooth-talking self showing up, “your luck has just changed.”

Okay, so he was bragging, but he wanted to heighten her anticipation.

But what if you can’t make good on your promise?

He would. Or die trying.

She made a happy noise and for a moment, he had to rock back on his heels and look at her naked body from the top of her blond head to the rosy pink folds of her womanhood.

The expression in her blue eyes was languid, sultry. She watched him watching her. She was ready.

The barn had gone completely silent. In the stables below the horses had stopped moving. It was as if no world existed between this circle of two.

Sebastian settled between her legs and lowered his head. Softly, he blew his warm breath against her tender membranes and gently edged her knees farther apart with his shoulders. He couldn’t wait to taste her.

He pressed his mouth to her sweet lips, heard her sharp intake of breath, felt her inner thigh muscles quiver.

She tasted even better than he’d imagined. Fresh and tangy and womanly. He loved the intimacy of exploring her most precious place with his lips. Her every thought was translated in her movements and he read her with his tongue. A slight shift in her hips and he corrected, moving right and left, up and down until he had her purring like an expensive engine.

He loved what his mouth was doing to her, whisking her away on a sea of sensation. She was so responsive to everything he did.

Reverently, he suckled her veiled hood. He ached to be inside her. To feel her pulse around him. He wanted to join her, to fly to the stars with her, but he would not. This was all about her. He hadn’t earned his reputation as a good lover by being selfish.

Sensing that she was edging toward ecstasy, Sebastian adroitly strummed his tongue against her straining clit.

The orgasm teased her, elusive but near. He could feel it inside her. Pressing…pressing…pressing. Closer and closer. Lifting, soaring, ready to converge.

“That’s it, sweetheart,” he cooed. “Let yourself go.”

She responded with a fervency that shook him. He’d never watched a woman react like this. She rode his attention. Rode it hard and fast and full as he made love to her with his mouth.

Then it happened. Julie let out a strangled cry, tensed in his arms. He felt her muscles contract against his tongue. Her body glistened with perspiration.

He moved up, wrapped his arms around her and they lay there in the hay sweating, shuddering, panting for breath.

He had an unexpected hankering to linger there. To cradle her in his arms, kiss her face, brush her hair from her eyes, tell her how absolutely wonderful she was. He didn’t get these kinds of urges, dammit, and he wasn’t sure he liked them, so it was something of a relief when she pulled back before he could act on the impulses.

She was up, moving away from him, bending down to retrieve her clothes. Giving him a spectacular view of her ass.

She was dressing, zipping up her pants, raking her fingers through her hair to dislodge bits of hay, buttoning up her shirt. She tossed his pants to him and he grabbed them with a one-handed catch.

“Hey,” he said, shimmying into his pants. “Why don’t we go get some brunch?”

“No, Sebastian—”

“What? You don’t eat brunch? Come on, you can’t tell me eggs Benedict wouldn’t be good right now.”

“Listen, I’ve got some ground rules for our affair.”

“Ground rules? Affair?”

“Yes, I want to have fun, but I don’t want either of us to get hurt.”

Damn if she didn’t sound exactly like him when approaching a woman about a new sexual relationship. It felt odd being on the receiving end of such a declaration. He cupped his hands around both ears. “I’m all ears.”

She wrapped a hand around her waist. “Please don’t make me laugh.”

“Why not? Sex isn’t serious business.”

“I know, but I want to make sure you hear me.”

He pulled her to him and kissed her on the forehead, then on her eyelids and the tip of her nose. “So about these ground rules. Whatcha got?”

She pushed away from him. “No dating. No going out to eat or to the movies or long walks in the moonlight. This is only about hot sex.”

“I can do that.”

“And don’t tell me anything personal about your life and I won’t tell you anything personal about mine.”

“Fair enough.”

“And this is not romance. When it’s over, when you go back to your life in California, it’s over. Got it?”

“Are you really sure this is what you want?”

“Yes,” she said, slipping into her riding boots. “And don’t look so crestfallen. I’m sure you’re accustomed to brief, satisfying sexual encounters.”

He was, but not today. Not now and certainly not with her. The realization that he wanted to spend the rest of the day with her was disturbing. Especially when it seemed that the last thing she wanted was to spend any more time with him.

“See ya.” She wriggled her fingers at him and disappeared down the steps.

“Hey,” he called, “wait for me.”

She didn’t wait and by the time he’d found his boots and made it down the steps and out of the stables, Julie was already getting into her car.

Leaving Sebastian feeling lonelier than he’d ever felt in his life.

HIDDEN IN THE COPSE of trees on the property separating Confidential Rejuvenations from the Lone Star riding stables, unseen by either Sebastian or Julie, a shadowy figure lurked.

So Julie DeMarco and Sebastian Black had brought their little game of slap and tickle closer to home. Just who in the hell did they think they were? Flaunting their affair like a couple of horny teenagers.

Disgusting.

Well, a kink was about to be thrown into their cute sex party.

They had to be punished. Made to pay for their sins.

And a great big sex scandal starring the spin doctor and the slutty home-wrecking nurse should do the trick quite nicely.

JAZZED UP, Julie went to Confidential Rejuvenations the following Monday morning humming under her breath and smiling at everyone she met. She’d come in two hours early to take a prep test before trying again for her certifying exam to become a sex counselor.

Devi Parker, a certified sex therapist and Julie’s mentor, proctored the test in her office. Devi was an attractive, dark-haired forty-year-old woman who’d been married ten years to an Austin cop, and had two great kids. She successfully juggled her career and family and made it look easy. Julie aspired to be like her someday.

“You’re chipper this morning,” Devi said, slipping the test booklet on the desk in front of Julie. “Did you have a nice weekend?”

“I did,” she answered.

“Good for you. It’s great to see you looking so happy.” Devi set the egg timer on her desk. “You have forty-five minutes to complete part one, then you can take a break and come back to tackle part two.”

Julie dove right into the task, her mind supercharged. She didn’t hesitate or stumble over the questions like she had when she’d taken the qualifying exam last month. She breezed through the first section in thirty minutes.

“You have time. You can go back and double-check your work,” Devi told her.

“It’s okay. I’m ready to go on to the next half. I don’t need a break.”

Devi tilted her head and gave Julie a curious look. “That must have been some weekend.”

“It was.” She grinned.

“I have a feeling a guy was involved.”

Julie smiled wider.

“That explains it.” Devi smiled back. “Are you sure you don’t need a break?”

“I’m good to go, bring on the test.”

Somehow, even though she couldn’t explain it, what had happened in that hayloft inspired her. It was as if the universe had aligned and everything was going her way. Why in the heck had she waited so long to have playful, no-strings-attached sex? She felt giddy and free and so alive. More alive than she’d ever felt in her life. Neither Roger nor Phillip had ever made her feel like this.

And she couldn’t get enough of it. The sensation was seriously addicting. She wanted more casual sex and lots of it.

She finished her test and handed it to Devi.

“Go get a cup of coffee and when you come back I’ll have it graded for you,” her mentor said.

“Thanks.” Julie picked up her purse and wandered down to the coffee kiosk on the first floor. After grabbing a light mocha latte, she turned to head back upstairs, but caught sight of Sebastian standing in the corridor with a group of people. It looked as if they were waiting for someone to come unlock the door to a meeting room. He was busy chatting and he hadn’t seen her.

Pulse racing, Julie dodged behind a large potted ficus so that she could watch him unobserved.

He migrated from person to person, shaking hands, clasping shoulders, charming the congregation with his winning smile. Today, he wore a black turtleneck, formfitting black trousers that showed off his breathtaking physique and a houndstooth sports jacket. Because of the turtleneck, he wasn’t wearing one of his colorful power ties and she found she missed his personality-defining accessory. His jet-black hair was, as always, neatly combed.

Julie’s attraction to him zoomed beyond her control. He was the most incredible man in the hospital and she was sleeping with him.

His profile was dazzling. Regal nose, strong chin, chiseled cheekbones. He was witty and charming and gracious and irresistible. Several women in his group were openly staring at him.

Wistfulness swept through Julie and she found herself wishing there could be more between them besides sex.

Don’t be stupid. He’d just break your heart. You’re in this for a good time and nothing more. So have a good time and let that be enough.

Her cell phone vibrated. She switched the latte to her left hand, fished the phone from the pocket of her scrub jacket with her right and flipped it open.

“You made a ninety-six!” Devi’s excited voice greeted her.

“Really?”

“Whatever you did this weekend, keep doing it. Obviously it’s working. I’m so excited for you. You’re going to ace that exam this time, Julie. I’ll sign you up to retest in November.”

“Thanks,” she said, as a warm glow stole over her. She shivered with happiness. She was so close to achieving her goal and she had Sebastian to thank for it.

“See you in group,” Devi said. “Congrats again.”

“’Bye.” Julie hung up, slipped the cell phone back into her pocket. Her gaze shot back to Sebastian and she had the strongest urge to tell him about acing her prep test.

But she didn’t want the whole hospital to know they were seeing each other. Still, it was tempting and she almost started down the corridor toward him when the side exit door opened and her ex-lover, Roger Marshall, stepped into the building and made a beeline for Sebastian.