Take Me Down (Suits in Pursuit) (15 page)

“Sebastian?” she asked. Her heart hammered through her chest wall.

“Yes, baby. You will get what you need Friday night,” he choked out through his laughter.

Ashley let out a loud sigh and hit the end button, disconnecting the call. She tossed the phone back into her handbag.

“Give me that,” she said, snatching another bottle of lubricant from the grocery store clerk.
Fuck it!
“Where are your handcuffs, whips and chains?” She asked, without cracking a smile. The young man turned a shade of red that she had never seen on a human being. Crayola could call the color nuclear red.

Sebastian Stone had better be worth her embarrassment.

A beach towel tumbled aimlessly like a weed. He watched the rag float down the shoreline until it vanished from his sight. The cool early morning breeze invigorated him after his jog. Sebastian shuffled sand under his feet and stared out at the open sea. His thoughts wafted from the Monday morning board meeting to his date planned with Ashley. For the first time in years, he looked forward to something and life seemed less mundane. Maybe Daniel had been right. Seeing Ashley in Atlanta might be good for him.

Sebastian whipped out his phone and sent a text message.

Today is the big date. I plan to ask her to continue seeing me back in Atlanta.

He sent the message. Waited. Paced. Without fail, his friend replied.

Good move. Finally using those huge balls of yours? Seriously, have fun.

Sebastian respected his friend’s advice and opinion. Daniel had been married and divorced twice and recently started dating again. Sebastian, on the other hand, had dated Ellie since high school. He thought they would grow old together. Finding himself again, without her, had been the most difficult period in his thirty-five years.

Another text from Daniel came in.

I know you. Stop feeling guilty. Do what you must. Be happy. Live.

Sebastian smiled and then rolled his eyes. He fired back a response.

Don’t know if you’re the devil or an angel on my shoulder. In either case, get the fuck off.

A reply from Daniel took seconds.

I’m both, fucker. Leave me alone and go get laid.

He smiled and headed back to his room, excitement and energy flowed through him.

Sebastian prepared everything for their date. The special gift he ordered would arrive for Ashley this morning. Tonight no one would interrupt them. He wouldn’t let her make excuses. He wouldn’t make any excuses himself. She would be all his.

He sat at a desk in his room. The presentation that he spent hours to create and practiced at least one hundred times stared back at him on the laptop. He had crafted a winning proposal, and the Board would be crazy if they didn’t approve his plan. An opportunity to buy six foreclosed properties and turned them into revenue engines would get their attention and secure his future. He leaned back, rested his hands behind his head. Fire that flowed through his veins hadn’t been there in five years. He smiled, exhaled a breath. Sebastian found his way back, on all fronts.

Chapter Ten

The doorbell rang, the chime echoing throughout the house. Kerrigan hurried to the foyer. She peeled back a sheer curtain, peeking through the narrow sidelight window. A refugee from an eighties punk-rock band sporting a spiky Mohawk held a large white box in his arms.

“I have a package for Ashley Turner,” the delivery man droned, his voice barely penetrating the wooden door.

Kerrigan turned and smiled at Ashley. “Ash, I bet that’s a gift from Sebastian.” The giddiness in her voice made Ashley’s eyes roll like marbles.

Ashley opened the door and pried the box from the man’s tattooed arms. “Here you are,” she said, handing him a ten-dollar tip. “Thank you.”

Ashley scuffled with the box, setting the large square object on the breakfast table in the kitchen.

“Use this.” Kerrigan held out a box cutter to slice through the meticulously sealed package.

Ashley eased into a chair. She took the blade and set it aside. With bare hands, she ripped off the tape.

“Or, maybe not.” Kerrigan laughed. “Should I worry about Sebastian tonight?” she teased.

“Definitely,” Ashley quipped back, lips twisted into a sly grin.

Impatient hands peeled away the last remnants of the stubborn tape. Ashley lifted the lid slowly. Carefully. She folded back layers of tissue paper to reveal the treasure.

Her mouth dropped open. “Oh, wow!” She lifted the dress from the box, held the garment up high. “This is gorgeous. Sebastian must have spent a small fortune.”

Kerrigan’s eyes caressed the sleek, backless gown. “That satin will hug your curves like a glove. Sebastian has good taste.”

Ashley’s heart leaped into her throat. Kerrigan’s eager hands riffled through the box while Ashley’s nerves paralyzed her motionless and speechless.

Pinched fingers held up what appeared to be a torture device used for asphyxiation. “I need to wash my hands,” Kerrigan joked, her eyes stretching wide. “With bleach,” she added, tossing the scanty lingerie made more of string than fabric, and crotchless thongs, onto the table.

Ashley swallowed hard. “Damn,” she blurted out. “I think we might kill each other tonight.” She leaned over and raised the straps of a small overnight bag. Handing the bag to Kerrigan, “Take a look,” Ashley said, her sultry expression marked by a wink.

Kerrigan unzipped the bag and stuck her hand inside. “What in the hell?” Metal handcuffs dangled from her fingertips before she placed them on the table next to the fetish threads. “What else is in that bag, or dare I ask?”

“A few toys, condoms, lube.” She laughed, remembering the incident at the grocery store and the nuclear-red store clerk. “The usual stuff.”

Kerrigan blushed. “The usual stuff for you, not for me.”

Ashley stood, wagged her index finger at Kerrigan. “Your husband needs to be kept satisfied. I could teach you a thing or two.”

“What you teach me might land me in prison or worse.”

“But you’d thank me,” Ashley warbled, the cadence of her words rising in sing-song fashion.

A wedge of paper caught Ashley’s eye. She pulled a note from the box. “What’s this?” She unfolded the small piece of paper. Her eyes scanned the letter word for word, line by line.

Ashley,

I’ve never felt physical desire like I have for you. I want you to enjoy the special evening I have planned for us. This gift is one that I hope will always remind you of our special night and the memories we created. I can’t wait to see you. I can’t wait to touch you. Years from now, no matter where you are and no matter where I am, we’ll always have Key West. Two strangers, two lovers for just one night.

Sebastian

Silenced again, Ashley blinked several times and then dashed down the hallway.

The note floated to the floor, and Kerrigan trailed Ashley’s sprint. Ashley slammed the guest bedroom door and twisted the lock behind her. Shriveling to the floor she heaved hard and heavy, her chest swelling as though her sternum would burst. She couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t think. She couldn’t feel.

“Ash, open the door,” Kerrigan’s words fell on numb brain cells, not comprehending her words.

“What?” Ashley bawled. “I need a minute.”

Kerrigan’s voice shrank. “Ash, why are you upset? What’s wrong?”

“He’s messing with my head!” she yelled at the top of her lungs. Ashley bellowed from the pit of her belly, festering rage fueled her release. How dare he write her such an eloquent note! Clearly, Sebastian didn’t understand the concept of the one-night stand.

Kerrigan’s words pierced the lower half of the door. Tap. Tap. Tap. She rapped lightly on the wooden barrier. “Ash, you don’t have to go out with him.” Ashley knew her friend would camp in the hall until she came out of the room.

Five minutes later, the door cracked open. Ashley planted her toes in the lush carpet lining the hall. She huddled next to Kerrigan. The mark of pinned-up emotions marred her stone face. “I’m going out with him,” she said, slouched over, her posture matching her disposition. Kerrigan would never approve of her plan. Rolling her eyes, “Can you help me get ready?” Ashley asked, her lifeless glare hiding the secret behind swollen eyes.

Kerrigan lifted her gaze, eyebrows scrunched together. “Are you okay? You’re not about to do something crazy, are you?”

Her head tilted to the left. She shrugged. “I’m going to give Sebastian what he’s been asking for.” Wilted of interest in a debate, Ashley told a partial truth. “Come on. Help me squeeze into that ‘fuck me’ dress.”

Like cogs turning with precision to display the exact hour, the doorbell rang the moment Ashley waltzed into the living room. Sebastian’s burly silhouette was visible through the sidelight. Prickly stings traveled her spine. Her feet welded to the floor. She froze. Kerrigan rounded the corner. One look at Ashley, and she came to a halt.

A soft hand reached for Ashley’s. “Ash, Sebastian’s here. Are you sure you want to do this? I can tell him to go away.”

Fists balled at her sides. Her knuckles grazed the hem of the taut, black dress that fit more like a second skin than evening attire. Anger ironed her lips flat. Ashley had never been more certain of a thing. “I’m ready.” She glanced down at her smooth, glistening legs. Her knees unlocked and she moved toward the door. She reached for the knob, twisted her hand. The door opened and there stood Sebastian.

The hazy moonlight bounced off the contours of his arms, rippling of sinew and muscle. His musky aroma tantalized her nostrils, made her dizzy. Her eyes scaled his form, taking measure of thick, sturdy thighs wrapped in black dress slacks. A neatly pressed shirt conformed to his hulking chest. His square jaw set tight. Those smoky gray eyes devoured her. Exchanged desire traded in twilight. She wanted him bad.

“Wow!” Sebastian spoke first. “You’re gorgeous.” His sweeping gaze settled on her, locked her eyes to his.

Ashley flexed her foot, twisted her ankle. The heel of her platform stiletto pivoted. “Thank you.” Her insides rolled.

His freshly cut hair gave him a youthful glow accentuated by a wide, boyish grin. “Nice shoes,” he said, his thick mane tousled by anxious hands. Damn, he looked good.

“They’re borrowed,” she replied, glancing down at Kerrigan’s four-inch black stilts.

Sebastian stepped forward. Close. “Umm,” he groaned, tilting his head down. His breath warmed her cheek. “You smell great. Jasmine?”

She twirled a stray hair around her manicured finger. “No. Laundry.”

Behind him, a palm frond floated to the step on the porch.

His arm curled around her waist, pulled her to him. “What?” Sebastian whispered, his hand guided her chin, brought her avoiding stare center.

Her eyelids fluttered at the speed of light. A small hand flattened against his chest. “Laundry. The fragrance I’m wearing is called Laundry.” Ashley’s pulse raced, in sync with his.

The corner of Sebastian’s mouth twitched. “Ironic.” A full grin spread across his lips thin and met her puzzled expression. “Because tonight, you and I are going to soil my bed sheets.”

Candle flames danced, flickered amber and gold light, casting distorted shadows across a stark-white dinner plate. Ashley’s hands twisted. Her eyes darted from one end of the outdoor patio to the other side. She had never seen such beauty. The tropical sanctuary of orchids, bleeding hearts, and a variety of other exotic flowers surrounded them. The pungent aroma of ginger blossoms drifted on the cool breeze. Lights strung overhead added elegant charm to the ocean view just beyond the patio.