“I imagine they do.”
“But you are different are you not, Kleftisa? There is nothing about you that is normal.”
“I could say the same about you, Sebastian.”
“Now I can ask you my question, can I not?” She nodded against his shoulder. “Why thieving? Why not a proper job? You are beautiful enough to do many things, and smart. You got past my security system so you must be very clever. Why not use that for something else?”
“Because.”
“Because what?”
She looked up and their eyes met. Sebastian cursed inwardly when his cock started to stir. He was lightheaded from hunger, tired, and drained. Yet he still wanted more. Madness.
“Because this is what I do, or rather it is what I have to do.”
He opened his mouth to say more, what the hell sort of answer was that, but a knock sounded on the door and Mia, his housekeeper peeked in. “Dinner will be served in a moment. The starters are all ready for you to begin with.”
He simply sighed, stood and took her hand. “Come. Let’s eat.”
Sebastian was hungry enough that he ignored the looks of surprise from Mia and two of the other staff as they ushered him and Penny into the dining room and piled the plates high with a number of starters. Humus, tarasamalata, bread dipped in olive oil, olives too…the list was endless.
He knew they’d have questions for him soon enough, because it was so rare he brought a woman home for so long. And his staff—though they weren’t around very much—were good people, so he would answer them as honestly as he could. She’s a thief and I’ve paid two hundred grand to keep her here and fuck for as long as I want. Why? Oh well that would be because I’ve gone ever so slightly mad. Lost my mind in between her legs somewhere. Well, no, maybe not honestly.
He wolfed down a significant portion of the starters before they brought in the main and was pleased to see Penny match him course for course. Her eyes widened with each new treat and she scooped up forkful after forkful.
He found himself wondering if she was so trim because of lack of money. Did she have enough food to eat? Where did she live? Who did she live with? The questions piled up as he made his way through the grilled chicken. By the time dessert was finished, Penny eating all of hers and looking longingly at his, the questions would no longer be ignored. He was simply not the sort of man who could ignore them.
“What will it take to get you to be honest with me?” he asked, taking a long swig of water and passing his chocolate cake her way.
Penny licked her lip as she scooped a thumb full of icing into her mouth, causing his cock to bounce to attention. “About?”
He imagined licking that chocolate off her belly and thighs and had to grip the table to control himself from doing just that right now. Good God how much more did he need? He’d come three times, was practically drained. “Everything.”
“And you want me to do this because?”
He loosened his grip on the table and drank some more water. “Because I just do.”
“Right….”
“So what will it take?”
“More than you’re likely to give.”
He considered that, wondering what she might ask for and decided to throw caution to the wind. “Ask and we’ll see.”
Chapter Fifteen
The man was practically handing her a way to get to the auction. Handing it to her! So why the hell did she feel so guilty? Penny toyed with her spoon, moving the lumps of chocolately goodness back and forth, trying to understand the feelings running through her, but she was honestly at a loss.
Sebastian was nothing like she had expected. Nothing. She’d imagined what? A cold hearted billionaire. Ruthless. Hard. Implacable. And though she had seen that side of him when he’d subdued her, she saw something else too. He was sexy, funny, flirty, and God damn dynamite in the sack. None of it made any sense. Probably because she was exhausted, she conceded, and not just a work-an-eighteen-hour-day exhaustion. A bone deep, sated, weak-kneeded tiredness. She needed to sleep.
Lyra. Rachel. Lyra. Rachel. She said the names over in her head, trying to get her focus. This was too good an opportunity to pass by. It was now or never. Hadn’t she wondered all afternoon how she was going to get to the auction, to secure The Point—in between being fucked senseless of course?
“I’ll tell you whatever you want to know if you agree to do one thing for me.”
Sebastian nodded slowly, a hand on his chin. Penny was struck anew by the immense attractiveness of him. “Tell me.”
“I need you to drive me somewhere.”
“Where?”
“It’s just across London.”