Yet none of those reasons could stop him from kicking off his shoes and socks and tugging off his jacket. Buttons popped, skittered across the deck, and fell through the slats as he tossed his shirt. His pants came next and he kicked them aside before walking down into the water to join her, still wearing his boxers.
"Now who's the cheat?" she murmured softly above the churning water.
"Two can play that game." His hand reached out to her as if something else controlled him.
She floated to him. Then she was straddling him. The water was hot, steam rising, the stars overhead bright and shining down on her, turning her eyes a deep glittering green.
"Sebastian," she whispered, all the teasing suddenly gone.
She framed his face in her hands and lowered her mouth to his. His fingers flexed on the smooth skin of her hips, pulling her tightly against him. She rocked as she kissed him, sent him out of his mind with her lips, her tongue, the core of her body. Then he roamed, the pads of his fingers all over her pliable flesh. He caressed from her hips, down her thighs, and back up, close to her center, then traced her belly, her breasts, her shoulders, and back to her nipples. She moaned into his mouth as he played with the tips, teasing, flicking, pinching lightly.
She was hotter than the water, burning him straight through his boxers, her arms tight as she devoured his very essence. He took her hot nipple between his lips and she threw her head back, breathing out his name again. Hands molded to her torso, he sucked the sweet fruit as she quivered and quaked over him. He bit her gently, and she cried out, her fingernails deliciously scoring his shoulders. He wanted to make her come just like this, to bring her over with only his mouth and hands on her breasts.
"Sebastian, please."
He knew she was close, almost there, her breath puffing from her lips, then a gasp. In one swift move, he trailed a finger between her legs. Her eyes fluttered open as she looked at him in luscious surprise at the exact moment that the tremors began to roll through her, her eyes closing as her hips rolled in a perfect rhythm of pleasure over his hand again and again.
God, she was beautiful.
Finally, she opened her eyes. He was so mesmerized by her sexy smile and the hot light in her eyes that when she slid her hand inside his boxers and engulfed him with her palm, he nearly came undone.
"Let me taste you," she whispered. "I can't wait any longer to taste you."
He wanted her hands and mouth on him so badly that he surged out of the water and sat on the side of the tub before he could get his brain to start working again. Right then he didn't care whether the time was right, whether the sale of the rams had anything to do with it, or whether the two of them might emotionally destroy each other down the road. All he cared about was having her mouth on him before he went mad with desire for her and took her right here, right now, in the hot tub, with her naked creamy skin against his and no protection anywhere in sight.
* * *
Sebastian's torso was pure rippling muscle, so beautiful that Charlie's chest tightened simply looking at him. Proud, hard, magnificent. And begging for her.
Or maybe she was the one begging for him?
Of course, when pleasure came this sweet, it didn't matter who was begging, did it? She was smiling at the thought as she lowered her lips to him. His groan echoed into the night air as she tested, tasted, savored with her tongue.
His thigh muscles grew taut and his breath came out harshly, as if he'd been sprinting to get to her. She looked up into his beautiful tight features and reveled in the way she could make him feel, make him forget, make him want. And he wasn't the only one panting-she was too, as she gave him what they both needed, taking him deep. Then deeper still.
She had done this before, but it had never been so right. Because the truth was that being with Sebastian was unlike any other relationship she'd ever had. So good that she wanted to drink in every ripple of power coursing through his body, every harsh intake of breath, every rumble and groan. She loved tasting him on her tongue, loved grasping his hard flesh in her palm, loved knowing that she was giving him so much pleasure with her intimate kisses-just as much as he'd given her. She was utterly lost to the joy of loving Sebastian when his body arched and his hips moved in rhythm with her as he shouted out her name to the night sky above him.
Moments later, he was sliding back into the water and reeling her in with his arm around her shoulders, pulling her face into his deliciously salty skin. She licked him, adding the new taste to the heady ambrosia.
"You're incredible."
She smiled at him from within the circle of his arms, her body sated from his touch, the hot water turning her languid, his arm around her both comforting and sensual. "So are you."
Tonight had been perfect. Yes, she'd had a gut-twisting moment when she'd read through the contract, and another even bigger one when she'd signed it. And perhaps she was still more than a little worried about having to transform herself for the party at the hotel where they'd unveil her rams. But she wouldn't think about any of that now, would just keep telling herself it was completely natural to feel twinges of terror here and there as her art began to find its home outside of her yard.
Right now, all she wanted was to focus on the incredible pleasure that she and Sebastian had just found in each other's arms. Pleasure so sweet that her insides were still spinning from it. And there was so much more waiting for them the moment they were both ready to take the next step. They wanted the same thing-that when they finally made love, it would be exactly that.
Love.
She was so close to that already. Almost to the point of fully trusting Sebastian with her entire heart...just as she hoped he'd trust her with his.
When he tightened his arms around her in the hot tub and they said the word at the same time-"Soon"-she knew it wouldn't be long before she trusted Sebastian with so much more than just her art and her career.
With absolutely everything.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
The following morning, Charlie bypassed her workshop and headed straight for Sebastian's waiting car. Though they were going to Shady Lane to see her mom, she couldn't help the delighted, slightly wicked smile at the memory of last night-his touch, his taste, his splendor, and everything that was growing between them moment by moment.
"I'm happy to see you too, Charlie." He followed up his sweet words with a kiss that left her as breathless as if she'd just gone for a morning run.
A large box sat on the seat beside him. "Another gift for my mother?"
He grinned. "I enjoy giving her gifts. I hope she likes it."
"I can't imagine you doing or giving her anything she wouldn't love." Like mother, like daughter. It was enough that he gave her mother his time, but of course Sebastian always wanted to do more. "You're going to spoil her at this rate."
"Good. She deserves it."
She tried not to take his words as a condemnation of the little she'd been able to do for her mother, especially when he tucked her hand into his in the front seat of the car. Guilt, however, immediately reared its ugly little head, adding to her tension over today's meeting with the doctor Sebastian had brought in. She didn't want to make the mistake of getting her hopes up, but it was hard not to. Especially when she knew just how badly Sebastian wanted to make a difference in her mother's life. She hoped he would soon realize he already had, simply by offering his time so willingly.
She was actually quite nervous by the time they entered the nursing home. A tall, white-haired gentleman she knew didn't belong at Shady Lane strode toward them with a confident gait.
"Dr. Hillman." Sebastian shook the other man's hand. "I'm Sebastian Montgomery, and this is Charlie Ballard, Francine's daughter."
The doctor turned, then held her hand in both of his. "It's so good to meet you. I've just left your mother in the lounge. She's an absolute delight."
"She certainly is," Charlie agreed.
The white hair made the doctor appear older, though his features were unlined and his strong hands lacked even a hint of age spots. Rather than speaking to Sebastian, who'd called him, Dr. Hillman focused on Charlie. He cleared his throat, as though switching to professional mode. "I arrived early, so we've been getting acquainted. I did a cursory examination and I'm pleased to be able to tell you that her original surgeon was quite competent."
"I'm glad to hear that." More than glad, actually, both for her mother's sake...and because it was one less thing Charlie had to feel guilty about.
"Her pinkies are very elastic, but I wouldn't recommend putting in a new joint. She wouldn't see a quantifiable increase in usage. I'm afraid there's not much to be done with her other fingers, either. Even with another operation, she wouldn't gain any strength in her hands. I'm sorry, Ms. Ballard, but everything's been done for your mother that can be done."