Seducing Zeb (Tarnished Saints Series) (10 page)

“What?” Her heart dropped when she heard him say that, as she was starting to think he was accepting the fact they were married and she had actually been enjoying sitting here talking with him and sipping champagne. She had honestly thought that maybe they could work things out and stay married, but she could see now that the thought had never crossed his mind.

“So, tell me about your past, Cat. Or should I say . . . Ebony?”

Zeb could tell he’d upset Cat with his comment of possibly marrying his brother, but he had to do something because things were going too well. She was looking more and more alluring to him and he’d actually liked the feeling of being married to her as they celebrated with the bottle of champagne.

That scared him.
More than anything in his life. He didn’t want to be married and tied down to one woman for the rest of his life. He liked being a bachelor and buzzing from flower to flower sampling the many different nectars. He wasn’t going to give that up, because it was a big part of who he was.

“
I grew up in Chicago,” she told him. “My father left my mother, taking my younger brother with him when I was only twelve. I miss my brother, Lorenzo very much.”

“Well, why don’t you two get together again?”

“Because Lorenzo died not long after they’d moved out.”

“
I’m sorry. How did it happen?” His words as well as his expression were sincere.

“I’m not sure. My father was very vague and never really told us the details.”

“Did your father have full custody of him?” Zeb asked.

“My father never married my mother. So he basically stole my brother.”

“Well, maybe you should have gotten a good lawyer to help you out.”

“My father was a lawyer. That should tell you tons.”

He didn’t respond to that. But now he knew why she seemed to hate lawyers. And probably why she hated him so much as well.

“My mother
ended up losing her job and we had no money.” She looked down to her glass as she spoke, slowly running the tip of her finger around the rim. “And after what my father did to us, we had to do whatever we could to survive.”

“
Like what?” Her sad story was gaining Zeb’s interest.

She finished off her champagne and seemed like she wasn’t going to talk. So Zeb handed her his glass and she took a sip and then, thankfully continued.

“My mother put me into beauty contests, pageants and anything that had to do with my looks. She always told me how beautiful I was and that she wanted me to be rich some day because of it. But the contests were expensive, and she had to get rich men to sponsor me. So she . . . made the biggest sacrifice any mother could make because she loved her child.” She looked downward and a slight tremble pulled at the corner of her mouth. Zeb also thought he saw a tear in her eye.

“Are you saying she had to . . .
”

“Yes.” She let out a deep breath and looked out at the lake. “She
basically gave herself to those men to get the money she needed for us to survive. And it cost her her life in the end when she ended up dying from a sexual disease.”

“Cat, I had no idea. I’m so sorry.
” Her story sounded like a soap opera and down deep Zeb couldn’t help wondering if it was true. No one had a life as hard as that? Did they?

“Don’t be
sorry. That’s what happens when you live that kind of life.”

“
So where is your father?”

Her eyes shot upward and the look of sorrow on her face turned to one of disdain.
“Six feet under the ground and where he belongs. The day I saw the newspaper article saying Chicago’s most infamous lawyer, George Rudawski was killed in a car crash right after a trial, I was happy. Very happy.”

“Rudawski? Your father was Polish? I thought you were Spanish.”

“My mother was from Spain. And that’s why I don’t know any relatives from her side of the family, because they’re all overseas. My father’s family all disowned him, or so I’ve been told. But it doesn’t surprise me. He was – not a nice man and I don’t think anyone would want to own-up being related to him.”

“So you took your mother’s surname?”

“I did,” she said. “And I blame my father for my brother’s death, no matter what happened. It is all his fault that my brother is dead!”

“
Sweetheart, I think you’ve had enough champagne,” he said, taking the glass from her hand and chugging down the contents. This whole story was almost too much to believe. “Why don’t we get in the hot tub and just relax? I’ll go put these glasses in the sink and then we’ll look through your luggage and see if you have a bathing suit anywhere.”

He
collected everything onto the tray and made his way to the kitchen. He put the things into the sink and turned around, almost falling over when he saw her stripping out of her dress right there on the balcony. Thank goodness it was almost dark out, or she’d be giving half of Michigan an eyeful.

“Jeeva, l
ights out,” he gave the command, shutting off the lights inside the condo in order to give her some privacy.

“Lights are out, Master . . . ”

“Balcony light
s on,” he interrupted, and the little white party lights that lined the balcony railing turned on, giving a soft glow over her smooth skin.

“Balcon
y lights are activated, Master Zeb.”

“Don’t you ever get tired of hearing her vo
ice?” asked Cat from the balcony. “I do.”

“Honey, do you have a bathing suit in one of these suitcases?” he
asked, reaching down to rummage through her luggage.

“What for?” she asked. “It’s a hot tub. Do you usually wear a suit in a bathtub?”

“Well I just thought . . .” He swallowed hard when he looked up and saw her flicking off her bra and tossing it onto a chair. Then there was the sound of the water being parted as she stepped into the hot tub, followed by one of her seductive moans that sounded to him like an orgasm again.

“Mmmmmm, this is nice. Come join me.”

“Cat, I don’t know about this,” he said, kicking off his shoes and pulling off his socks. He put his Rolex on the kitchen counter, followed by his neck chain. He tried to pull off his wedding band, but it was still too tight and wouldn’t budge.

He walked toward the balcony, unbuttoning his shirt and pulling it off along the way, dropping it on
to the floor next to the hot tub.

“What’s this button
for?” she asked, and then he heard her laughing as the jets went on and the water pulsed.

“Those are the jets. It feels great on your back.” He walked out onto the balcony and saw her turn around to face him,
then make a surprised but sensual face that told him she was being pleasured.

“Ohhhhh, these jets are nice other places as well as on the back. Are you coming or not?”

His hand was actually shaking as he reached for his zipper on his pants, and he had trouble getting it down because he was growing quickly. Yes, he’d be coming all right, probably sooner than he’d intended. “I’m . . . having trouble with my zipper,” he said, realizing it was stuck on his briefs underneath.

“Here, let me help,”
she said, rising up in the hot tub and reaching over, exposing two beautiful rounded breasts with cute little rosy nipples. He realized her nipples were taut and knew she was feeling as horny as him right now.

“Hold still,” she said, reaching for his zipper, using her other hand to press against his hardness to hel
p the zipper down. It released with a sudden jerk, and he kicked his pants to the floor and stepped out, then grabbed the waistband of his briefs and stopped.

“Cat, since we’r
e not staying married, I’m not sure it’s a good idea for us to be naked in the hot tub together.”

“Oh, don’t be silly,” she laughed. “I’m not naked! I’m wearing my thong.” She stood up to show him and slipped and fell back in the water.

“Are you alright?” He quickly stripped off his briefs and settled into the water across from her.

She was laughing, and that excited him for some reason.
Her smile lit up not only the room, but a loneliness in his soul for a real relationship that was a place he didn’t think anyone could ever reach. She tried to move back to her side of the hot tub, and slipped again and ended up in his arms.

“Oops,” she said, her hands on his c
hest now, and her legs straddling his lap. “Well, what are we going to do about this?” she asked, bringing her mouth closer to his. Zeb wanted to protest, knowing she was just using her body to get what she wanted. She probably thought if they consummated the marriage then they’d have to stay married or something.

“Cat, you need to move off of me. You’ve had too much to drink and don’t realize what you’re doing.”

“Is that what you think?” Her mocha eyes drank him in, and the little party lights from the patio reflected in her twinkling orbs. He could smell the exotic sweetness of her perfume, and he wanted her right now more than he’d ever wanted any woman in his life.

“I know what you’re trying to do,” he said in a low voice.

Her lips were now so close to his that they were almost touching. “All I’m trying to do is make love to my husband. What’s wrong with that?” She had that little pout on her face again. The one she used to control men.

“Is that really what you want?” he asked.

“Isn’t it what you want too?”

“If you mean, do I want to have sex with you – I think the answer to that is obvious.”

“Is it?” She reached down and fondled his length beneath the water and he almost came in her hand. Then her lips were kissing him and his resolve gave way. The kisses between them were hot and hungry and he could see she wanted this as much as him.

“Just relax,” she whispered into his ear, letting her tongue flick out across his lobe. “This is what a husband and wife are supposed to do. We’re not doing anything wrong.”

“Oh, Cat, I’ve wanted to make love with you since the day I woke up and found you in my bed.”

They kissed passionately and he reached out and fondled her breasts. She gripped him tightly under the water and arched her back, throwing back her head and closing her eyes.

“Taste me,” she said, and like a siren calling to him, he couldn’t stop himself. He leaned forward and ran his tongue over her chest and suckled her nipples.

Cat cried out in delight as Zeb suckled her breasts like a babe trying to get milk from its mother. It felt so good - so right - and she took his head and pushed herself further into his mouth. She’d only meant to tease him, making him want her as his wife and making him say he wouldn’t go through with the annulment before she actually gave herself to him.

But once her body started reacting to her little game, she knew she was going to have a har
d time stopping. His hand snaked up between her legs and fondled her as they kissed. She wanted him. She wanted this more than anything right now, and couldn’t even wait for him to agree to stop the annulment. She pulled him toward her and spread her legs over his form and slowly slid downward.

The excitement in her belly grew and she could no longer ignore her anticipation to make love to her new husband.

“Take me,” she cried out, her head dizzying either from the champagne or his advances, or maybe both. Their mouths met each other hungrily and forcefully and her heart beat wildly within her chest. She could feel the tip of his manly strength knocking at her door and she was more than willing to answer it, welcoming him in.

His hands slid around her waist and grabbed her, and just when
she thought he was going to plummet her downward onto him and plunge his hardened form into her for both of them to find release, he lifted her off of him and plopped her down in the water next to him.

“What are you doing?” she asked, confused and also frantic, knowing she needed to feel him inside her right now.

“I’m stopping us from making a huge mistake.” He stood up in the hot tub and his erection was displayed gloriously in front of her face, begging her to come to him and finish what they’d started.

“The only thing huge I see is far from a mistake.” She quickly reached out for him and opened her mouth and took him inside.

Zeb groaned aloud, feeling the warmth of Cat’s mouth encompassing him. She looked up to
him with those seductress eyes. Her lush lips were wrapped around his manhood making him want to explode. Then she moaned and slid her mouth forward, her tongue making magic circles against his skin. He wanted to reach out and push himself into her further. He wanted to let loose and spill his seed and throw back his head and scream out her name.

But he wouldn’t. That’s exactly what the little feline wanted. She probably tho
ught she could lure him into bed and change his mind about ending this farce of a marriage.

Well, she had a lot to learn.
Because while Zeb had had his share of alluring women in his life, he’d always been the one doing the seducing. He didn’t like the fact she was playing her little controlling games with him, using her looks and her actions to get what she wanted. He wasn’t anyone’s puppet. And the sooner she learned that, the better.