She Who Dares (17 page)

And there was. Sebastian turned on his heel, started walking back towards the stage, gave up and broke into a run. The crowd was thinning, people ambling towards him, but he kept going, dodging past them when he could, ploughing through them when he couldn’t, his focus total. Only one thing mattered now.

She sat on the edge of the stage, hands holding the edge in a death grip, head bowed. Ella stood nearby with Adam, who had a protective arm slung around her shoulders. The two of them fixed him with a dark, cold look as he approached. Ella opened her mouth to speak but Sebastian held up a hand, cut her off. ‘Not now,’ he ground out. He moved in front of Nic, dropped to his knees on the grass and looked up at her.

‘Come with me,’ he said hoarsely, the twist of her mouth and pinch of her cheeks like a kick to the gut. He’d made her look that way. He’d put that pain there.

She folded her arms, a gesture of pure defiance, of self-protection. Shutting him out.

‘I don’t want to go without you,’ he said. ‘Please.’

‘But you’re leaving regardless,’ she said, and her voice was low and tight. It made his throat sting.

‘I have to.’ Sebastian put his hands on her knees, took in some of her warmth, her softness. ‘Come on, Nic. You’ve got to give me something. All I’m asking for is a little compromise.’

‘I can’t,’ she said. ‘I’ve got a garage to run. I can’t just drop everything.’

‘You can close the place for a few days,’ Sebastian persisted. ‘Come on, Nic. You’re killing me here. I’m getting grass stains on my jeans and everything.’

One hand came up, pushed the hair back from his face. ‘I like you on your knees,’ she said. She gave him a smile, but it was brittle and he could see how hurt she was.

‘Come with me,’ Sebastian told her, ‘and you can have me on my knees whenever you want.’ He held his breath as he waited for her to respond.

‘I can’t be away for more than a couple of days. And I’ll expect you to work overtime to help me catch up when we get back.

‘Consider it done.’

‘I’ll hold you to that.’

‘I’m counting on it.’ He got to his feet, slid his hands around her waist and lifted her up and against him.

They wasted no time after that, saying quick goodbyes to Adam and Ella who promised to keep the garage ticking over until Nic got back, then speeding their way back to Lostwithiel in the Ferrari. Their first stop was Nic’s flat where she packed up a few days worth of clothes and her passport as Sebastian phoned ahead, informing his boss and the pilot that he was bringing a guest.

He went into the bedroom to see Nic tossing some deeply unattractive underwear into an overnight bag. ‘Leave it,’ he said, as she turned to gather more from a drawer. He tried his best to ignore the bed. Focussing on the curve of her bottom in those microscopic shorts as she bent over didn’t help.

‘Are you telling me to go commando?’

‘No, I’m telling you that a rear as delicious as yours deserves to be more appropriately dressed.’

She straightened up, blushing. ‘This is all I’ve got.’

‘I’ll buy you whatever you need.’

For a moment he thought she was going to argue. He folded his arms and sent her a warning look.

She shrugged, then removed a tangle of grey cotton from her bag and tossed it back in the drawer. ‘Have it your way.’ And with that, she zipped up the bag and slung it over her shoulder. ‘Let’s go.’

From there they went straight back to his house. Sebastian gathered up the papers he needed, tossed a change of clothes into his own overnight bag, rang the agency, locked the Ferrari into the garage and set the security system.

Then they made their way to the front of the house, where a chauffeur-driven Bentley splattered with sponsorship logos was waiting to take them to Heathrow. Sebastian settled himself in the back as the driver stowed their luggage in the boot. Nic settled herself in next to him. It didn’t escape his notice that she’d ditched the sequinned hot pants but kept on the kinky red boots. He switched on his iPad as the driver took them smoothly out of the gates and on to the road, and after a minute Nic unlaced the boots, kicked them off and shuffled closer, watching as he worked through his race prep, reminding himself of the course layout, watching clips of other races on You Tube.

She asked the odd question but mostly she just let him work. The car ate up the miles to the airport and as they boarded the private plane that would take them to Spain, Sebastian felt something he’d not felt in a very, very long time.

Happy.

‘This is amazing.’ Nic flopped down on the gigantic bed as Sebastian opened the sliding doors that led out on to the balcony overlooking the hills that he would be driving round. ‘Do you always get to stay in places like this?’

‘Pretty much. I’ve got good sponsorship. Not all the drivers are so lucky.’

‘Wow.’ She stroked her hands over the sheets. ‘I have to say, I think the black sheets are a little kinky.’

‘Says the woman in the red lace up boots.’

Nic stretched out her legs and admired her footwear. They were too hot for the Spanish climate but she hadn’t brought anything more suitable with her, plus she loved them. The leather was butter soft, fitting to her calves so perfectly, and the mid height wedge put a strut in her stride. She used that strut now, wiggling her way out on to the balcony. Sebastian stood with his forearms resting on the railing, staring out at the view.

‘Penny for them,’ Nic said, slipping in alongside and nudging him with her hip.

He turned his head and his gaze met hers, and his eyes were filled with so much dark pain that she forgot all thoughts of play. ‘The last time I raced I spun out. I rolled the car down an embankment. Bloody thing was a write off. I’ve crashed before, but this was different. It was my fault. I braked too late.’

‘Sebastian,’ Nic said softly, and before she knew it she was winding her arms around his neck and pulling him close.

‘This is my job,’ he whispered against her neck as he pulled her t-shirt aside and pressed a hot, open mouthed kiss against her shoulder. ‘It’s all I ever wanted. All I was ever any good at. And I’m not sure I can do it anymore.’

She wanted to tell him that it didn’t matter, but she knew it would be a lie. ‘You’ll do what needs to be done, Sebastian. It’s who you are. It’s what you do.’

He lifted his head. ‘The only thing I need to do right now is get inside you,’ he said, eyes burning dark, the irises thinned to nothing more than a circle of emerald. Large hands met her waist and pulled her in, then slid round to her back and lifted her against him. ‘I don’t give a damn about the rest of it.’

His mouth lingered a breath away from hers, the heat from his body scorching hers and Nic knew that there was no turning back. If she did this, all her secrets would be out. There would be no place left to hide. She was so, so tired of hiding. Nic placed her hands on his muscular chest, feeling the strong, slow beat of his heart. She journeyed along the nape of his neck and up into that thick, dark hair and she knew this was right. ‘Then what are you waiting for?’

‘Nothing,’ he said, and his mouth crashed down on hers and it was sweet and fierce. She gave as good as she got as he held her against him and walked the two of them back into the bedroom. The backs of her knees met the edge of the bed and he tipped her back. The bed was firm underneath her, but not as firm as the grip of his hands on her thighs.

Then he stopped. He moved around the bed, over to the wall of glass that led out on to the balcony and pulled the curtains closed, layering the room in soft darkness. Nic knew he’d done it for her. And just like that she felt herself fall. It was easy. She closed her eyes and thought about trying to stop.

But it didn’t seem like that choice was hers to make.

Her shorts were gone before she had a chance to blink, and he pulled her up so he could pull her t-shirt off over her head. Fingers fumbled with the lace on her right boot, but not for long.

‘Sod it,’ he said roughly. ‘The boots stay.’

He stood between her open thighs as he pulled off his t-shirt then unfastened his jeans, and Nic thought she might die from the thrill of it. The narrow column of light that snuck in through the gap in the curtains fell across his body. His chest was powerfully muscled, his shoulders wide with strength. Not much hair, until he tucked his thumbs into the waistband of his jeans and shoved them down, taking his boxers with them and there it was. Dark fur ran from his belly button to his groin, his thighs dusted with more of the same, a sharp V of muscle running from his hips and in.

He was so perfect. And she wasn’t. And she was laid bare in front of him, wearing nothing but shadow and red leather boots. ‘Touch me,’ she whispered. ‘Please,’ she said, desperate to have his hands on her before panic took over. ‘Just…please.’

He lowered his head, his mouth finding her jaw, her cheek and finally her lips and he kissed her slow and deep and hot. Strong fingers caressed her waist, her hips, trailing fire across her skin, before he lifted one knee back and set his hand between her legs. ‘You’re so wet,’ he said. ‘Fuck.’

He arched over her, pinning her to the bed with his mouth and his hand, and her surrender was willing and total. As the heavy length of his erection touched gently against her belly, Nic slid her hands over the warm, smooth skin of his upper arms. The scent of his body surrounded her, and with each breath she took she felt cleaner. She remembered how he had felt under her hand and she wanted the thick, hard thrust of him inside her so bad she thought she might die from wanting it. ‘Get in me,’ she said. She lifted her feet on to the bed, set her hands to her knees and pulled them back. She felt no shame, no fear, only complete and utter certainty.

One hand reached to the back of his jeans. He didn’t take his gaze off her for a second as he unwrapped the condom and stroked it on with easy efficiency. He let his hand
rest at the base of his erection for a moment. His grip tightened, and she could almost see him thicken as his chest heaved with the effort of pulling in air. He watched her through the curtain of dark hair that had fallen over those smoky green eyes.

Nic suddenly understood why lust was a sin. It consumed her, sending all rational thought scattering as the ache inside her grew fiercer. Sebastian angled his hips forwards, pressing his hard length against her, the pressure sending a wave of pleasure scorching through her body. But it wasn’t enough. She wanted all of him, and she wanted it now.

Arching her back, she set her hands against his buttocks and pulled him closer, her palms fitting perfectly into the muscled indents at either side. Large hands met the mattress by her head and those bright green eyes locked on to hers with an intensity that was almost terrifying as he slid himself inside her, inch by slow, delicious inch.

As turned on as she was, the size of him was still a shock. Nic snatched at air.

‘Hey,’ he said. ‘Relax. I am not going to hurt you.’ Then he started to move. Slow and deep, he watched her with an overwhelming intensity, pushing her deeper into the mattress with each powerful stroke of his body into hers. Nic couldn’t think, could only surrender to the desperate rush of emotion that threatened to break her apart. He pleasured her with his hands on her breasts, with his mouth on her mouth, with the glorious push and pull of his thick erection inside her.

The bed creaked as she hooked her legs around his back, angling her hips to take more of him, needing whatever he could give. A brief pause and she moaned in dismay, but then he slipped a hand between them and started his rhythm again and it was even better than before.

And for the first time in her entire life, Nic forgot to feel uncomfortable in her own skin. He tumbled against her, his mouth finding hers, fingers linking, holding, and then there was nothing in the whole world but the two of them and the pleasure they were creating and the noise of the bed.

He held her so tight, so close as he pounded his body into hers. She hadn’t expected such desperation, such incredible, undeniable need that burned like a hunger in her gut and in his eyes, and she lost herself in them, drowned in the bottomless green. Her heart raced, her breath too fast, not fast enough, and it was all she could do to hold on as she fell so far in love with him that there would never, could never be any way out.

And then he made her come.

With his clever hands and powerful body and wicked mouth, he pushed her somewhere she’d always been too afraid to go and he made it seem easy. There was no shame, no fear, only hot, tight, exquisite pleasure that had her arching her back and crying out.

Then he pushed himself up, wrapped strong hands around her shaking thighs and hauled her closer. She held her breath as he grew bigger, hotter, harder inside her. She whispered words of encouragement, sweet little words that she didn’t even know if he could hear as he took from her everything she was able to give.

And then he gave it all back and more when he pushed her down into the mattress with one final surging thrust, holding himself deep as he rode out his climax.

They lay there like that, his weight pinning her down, his breathing hard and fast, his forehead resting on the mattress. She nuzzled into the side of his neck, slipped her hands down his back and up again, the sheen of sweat that covered his skin easing her path. She felt like she could stay here forever, here in the protective wrap of his arms, covered by his strength and power. Nothing could hurt her here. She was safe.

But she didn’t get forever. Instead, Sebastian levered himself up and those bright green eyes searched her face. ‘Are you okay?’

‘Yes,’ Nic whispered. ‘Yes. Very okay. The most okay I’ve ever been.’

‘Good.’ He kissed her gently on the tip of her nose. His thighs nudged against hers, and there was no holding in the whimper that escaped when he withdrew. ‘Sorry, princess,’ he said, gesturing to his crotch. ‘I’ve got to deal with this.’

Cold air hit her as he disappeared into the bathroom, snapping her brain back into life. She’d just had fantastic, amazing, beautiful sex with Sebastian Prince. It felt like she’d waited her whole life to get to this point, as if everything that went before had simply been treading water.