Tears burnt the backs of her eyes. On the ride home she had gone over several scenarios for how Garth might react to Sebastian and herself as a couple. She had been prepared to fight him tooth and nail, because really she did want his approval. “Thank you, Garth.” She half whispered. “That means so much to me.”
--
Sebastian seemed to have disappeared.
She spent almost half an hour searching for him, but no one seemed to have seen him. He didn’t even have dinner with them. Eve picked at her meal, and instead of joining in the conversations going on around her she found herself constantly gazing at the empty chair that would have been Sebastian’s.
She went up to bed as soon as she could get away without appearing rude. Eve took a long shower and then climbed into bed. After sleeping most of the day she wasn’t very tired, so she cuddled under her covers flipping through the many channels on the flat screen. Finally she stopped on a travel guide show that was talking about Paris…
Someone was holding her. She jerked away from the warm body and nearly screamed. But Sebastian’s long fingers covered her mouth. “Sh. Sh. It’s me.” He pulled her back against him and kissed the side of her neck. “I couldn’t sleep without you.”
Eve relaxed back against him, her heart now returning to a somewhat normal rate. “Where did you go?” She demanded, turning to face him in the dark. “I looked everywhere for you.”
“I went back to the city for a few hours.” His hands traveled up and down her back, making her ache deliciously. “I needed to cool down and clear my head.” His lips grazed just below her ear. “Did you miss me?”
“Perhaps.” She arched her neck to give him better access. “Where you mad at me?”
“Of course not.” His kisses became little nibbles. “I just went a little insane when you said some other man was going to marry you…Which he isn’t.” The nibbles became full on bites, and she bit back a whimper. “But the thought alone made me want to punch things so I drove around New York. When I got home I went straight to bed…And missed you lying snuggled so warmly against me, with that sweet rear pressed in just the right place.”
“Bastian!” She moaned. “Please…”
“Do you want me, babe?” His lips traveled lower, his hot breath tormenting her nipples. “Do I make you wet?”
“Bastian…Oh…Ah!” He took her nipple into his scalding mouth and she lost all reasoning. She pulled away and pushed him onto his back. “I want you!” She captured his mouth and kissed him the way that she wanted to make him hers, hard and with desperation.
When she released his lips he seemed just as lost as she was. She straddled his waist where his long cock lay between them. She moved until her clit rubbed against the base, stroking him with her dripping pussy and throbbing clit. Her moans mingled with his groans as she rubbed against him until her thighs were trembling. She was hanging on the edge of a powerful organism…
Sebastian rolled her onto her back and spread her wide, the head of his dick already at her opening. But instead of thrusting deep and hard he took his time, conscious of how sore she had been just hours before. With each inch that slid inside she moaned. It wasn’t as uncomfortable as it was earlier in the day and the little bit of pain that she felt as he stretched her fully only lent to the pleasure that was burning through her.
Finally he was all the way inside. He thrust once twice then stopped, his breathing labored. Eve swallowed hard, trying to get her breathing under control to speak. “You okay?” She croaked out, sweat beading on her forehead.
He nodded. One large hand moved from her hip to lay flat on her lower stomach. He thrust again, seeming fascinated. “I can feel myself moving inside of you.” He seemed so enthralled. “I’m deeper than I have ever been…But still not all the way inside of you. Fuck that’s hot!”
Eve licked her lips. “Bastian, I need you.” Her hand covered his. “I swear you can play all you want later. But right now I think I might lose my mind if you don’t make me come.”
Those blue eyes of his turned cobalt with the force of his desire. His fingers gripped her hips and lifted them slightly off the bed. Her legs wrapped around his waist and she locked her ankles. His hips began to piston, moving him at just the right speed she needed him. She could fill her passage flooding with the juices of her own release as it climbed higher…
The fill of his semen jetting against the walls of her womb drove her over the edge. He collapsed on top of her as his body was racked with convulsions of pleasure. Eve’s arms held him to her; her fingers soothingly stroking down his sweat soaked back until he began to calm. She basked in the aftermath of their love making, enjoying having him inside and on top of her.
Minutes, hours, perhaps even days later Sebastian rolled off of her and onto his side. Still inside of her he took her with him so that they were facing each other. He pulled her close and tucked her head under his chin. “Can I stay here?”
Eve was already drifting off to sleep. “Stay forever.”
Chapter 11
New Year’s came and went.
Quinn returned home, but not before telling Eve about the man that she had been seeing back in London. It was still a new romance, which was why she hadn’t said something sooner; but from the look in her stepsister’s eyes Eve could tell that Quinn was really into the guy. The two had been texting quite a bit over the last week, and every time Quinn’s phone would chime she would get a sweet, goofy look on her face.
Ami had to return to France before the New Year, and Cameron went with her. He had passed on three big job offers from a few magazines to be with her. Eve had watched as Ami had gone into a fit of sobbing happy tears when he had turned the opportunities down without hesitation. It was then that he had really and truly realized that he had been putting his work first and he vowed to his bride-to-be that she would always come first with him from then on.
Things only seemed to get hotter for Eve and Sebastian. He slept beside of her every night, making love to her into the early hours of the morning. He taught her some of the naughtiest things, encouraged her to take advantage of him at every opportunity, which she did.
Weeks passed. Eve spent most of her days as she normally did. Volunteering at Winthrop Charities, helping out as much as possible now that her friend Kari Brandon Winthrop was so close to her due date. She helped to oversee some of the charities that were close to her heart, taking some of the burden off of her very pregnant friend.
One of the charities was to help get scholarships for inner city girls. Most of them came from broken homes, or—unfortunately—where living on the streets. The scholarships helped them get onto the right path, gave them an education, a warm safe place to live, and food in their stomachs. There was also a half-way-house for teen girls who needed to get away from whatever life was throwing at them.
Not only did Eve involve herself in raising money to keep the house and scholarships going, but she also spent several days a week helping out. Sometimes all a girl really needed was for someone to listen to them so she would be that someone. Even though there were counselors on staff not everyone felt they could confide in them. Eve felt more like a friend to the girls that visited—and some who even lived there.
When she wasn’t volunteering she was with Sebastian as much as possible. A few times he had left the country on business and taken her with him. They hadn’t spent even one night apart. But with all the time they were spending together, both in and out of bed, Eve felt that she might be smothering Sebastian. So when he said that he had to go to California on business she told him she couldn’t go.
“Why?” He demanded sitting up in bed to frown down at her.
“I have a few things going on at Girl Haven.” She told him, propping herself up against the pillows and pulling the sheet up over her naked breasts. “But mostly because I don’t want to push you or scare you away.”
“What are you talking about?” His brow furrowed.
She sighed, pushing her long,
tangled hair away from her face. “We spend all of our free time together. I’m scared that you are going to be stifled. I do not want to be the kind of girlfriend who is her boyfriend’s shadow. Can you honestly tell me that you want me there every time you turn around?”
“Yes.” He pulled her onto his lap, her thighs straddling his waist so that she was facing him. “I want you with me every minute of every day. Sometimes I dread going to work—which has never happened before—simply because I want to spend the entire day with you…And not just here in bed.” He dropped a caressing kiss on her mouth. “I enjoy just being with you. I don’t feel smothered, or stifled. What I feel is this emptiness in my gut when I am not with you.”
Her breath caught. “Bastian.” She hugged him to her chest, kissing his recently cut hair. “I feel the same way, my love.”
“Then why are you pulling away? Am I smothering you?” His blue eyes looked troubled.
“No! I’m not pulling away. I love you, Sebastian. It was you that I was worried about.” She kissed his cheek, his chin, his lips.
“There is nothing to be worried about, babe.” He pulled her closer, letting her breasts rub against his bare chest. “So you will come with me to California?”
“I can’t this time.” She rested her head on his shoulder. “I really am busy with Girl Haven.”
He blew out a frustrated sigh. “I’m only going to be gone two days. Isn’t there someone else? I want you with me, Eve.”
“The girls need me here.” She told him, raising her head. “If it were next week I could go, but not now.”
“I need you.” He muttered, sounding like a petulant child.
Grinning she kissed him. “You have me. Now stop sulking.” Her tongue licked across his bottom lip. “You have me naked on your lap. How about taking advantage of it and stop worrying about tomorrow?”
“Maybe I’m going on a strike. Maybe you won’t get any more of my special love making until I get what I want.” A small smile teased at the corners of his lips. “Unless you can convince me otherwise.”
Eve grinned. “Maybe I will accept your challenge.” She kissed his lips then nibbled a trail along his jaw and down his stubble roughened throat. Between her legs she felt his erection thickening and her core grew moist for what felt like the hundredth time that night. She let her clit slid against his erection. “Maybe I already miss you and want to make sure that you remember why you need to finish your business as quickly as possible and get back here to me.” She whispered at his ear and felt him shudder with pleasure.
Her nails raked down his broad chest, making his muscles ripple with scorching need. Her lips followed their path, kissing every inch of skin exposed to her. She passed his naval and licked a damp trail around his pulsing, heavy erection. Her hand cradled his sac, tugging gently. “Still on strike?”
“So far.” But she could see that he was having trouble fighting his need to touch her.
She grinned wickedly. “Good. I always did enjoy a difficult challenge.” She turned, so that her back was to him. Her fingers grasped his thick erection and stroked once, twice until pre-cum glistened on the broad head of his cock. Her mouth watered, wanting to taste him.
Instead she lifted onto her knees and guided him. She teased herself with the head, rubbing it up and down her clit, making herself pant. But after only a few moments she traveled lower, taking him inside of her. He groaned, and she turned her head. “How’s the strike coming?”
“I…” He cleared his throat. “I am in discussion with myself on that.”
“Maybe I can help with that.” She purred and pulled him out of her soaked heat.
“No…” He moaned as she pulled away.
“I’m not done trying to convince you, Bastian.” She assured him. She gripped his long, hard cock firmly. Anticipation over what she was about to do making her ache with need. They had only experimented with this a few times, but she had enjoyed every moment of it.
He was dripping with her juices. Using it as lubricant she sat down on his cock, taking his wide berth deep into her most forbidden of places. It took her a moment to catch her breath once she was seated to the hilt on him. His fingers bit into her waist, holding her down on him. “Strikes over.” He bit out.
She grinned. “I thought I might be able to convince you.” She wiggled her hips, need raging through her. Eve pressed her back against his chest. “Play with me.” She commanded.
“I love being in your ass, babe.” He breathed at her ear. “God, don’t move too much or I will come.” He bit into her neck just below her ear, making her cry out. The fingers of his left hand tugged at her nipples. His right hand drifted lower until they scraped across her distended clit.
His fingers were talented. They played her like a fine strung instrument, making her cries higher and higher with each tug, each pinch, each flick. Her hips shifted, loving the way he filled her so completely. Sebastian’s fingers grew more insistent, and her hips moved more and more. She felt him growing even harder deep inside of her. Her passage flooding with her growing release.
Eve’s arms lifted to wrap around his neck, pulling his head down to hers for a kiss. “I love you.” She whispered.
Three fingers thrust into her. She was filled from both sides now, while his thumb continued to flick across the distended ball of nerves that was her clit. His left arm anchored her to him and he began to thrust up into her from behind. “Say it again.” He commanded.
“I love you!” She cried as she fell over the edge and deep into her orgasm.
Seconds later he joined her. He lifted her from him just as he erupted. She whimpered at the loss of him filling her, and turned in his arms to hold on tight. Tears rolled from her eyes. “I love you.” She whispered again.
Chapter 12
It was still dark outside her window when she felt Sebastian pulling away from her. She moaned in protested and held on tighter. His tender kiss to her ear and promises of seeing her on Sunday soon had her releasing him, albeit reluctantly. “Go back to sleep, babe.” He murmured.
“Have a safe flight.” She mumbled and rolled over, cuddling his pillow close to her bare chest.
“I will call you later.” One last kiss to her lips and then he was gone…
Hours later her alarm startled her awake. She hadn’t set it, so Sebastian must have done it for her before leaving. Groaning she smacked the top of it to shut it up and rolled off the bed. Blurry eyed she made her way to the shower. She could smell Sebastian all over her, and was almost reluctant to wash any sign of him away.
More than an hour later Benoit pulled the town car up in front of Girl Haven. She gave him a smile as he opened her door and assisted her out. “Thanks Ben.” She pulled her bag up her shoulder. “I’m going to be here all day. But you are more than welcome to come in.”
He inclined his head. “Thank you, Mlle. Patel. But I fear that my presence will not go over well with all of the young ladies.” She had to grin at his understatement. The last time he had chosen to go inside of Girl Haven with her, several of the older girls had nearly come to blows regarding him. Eve couldn’t say that she blamed them, because Dear Lord, the man was just yummy to look at.
“Then I will see you later.” She waved over her shoulder as she entered the four story old brownstone that her mother had bought years ago when she had first started up Girl Haven with Mindy Winthrop.
For a moment as she entered the building she was overcome with a sense of sadness. Both women were gone now. Mindy, having lost her life in a tragic plane accident with her husband Charles; and shortly afterwards Eve’s own mother to a drunken driver. Now Eve spent as much time as she could here, carrying on in her mother’s footsteps.
As soon as she stepped through the doors her sadness was pushed away when she was greeted by two of the girls sitting on a sofa in the waiting room. “Hey Eve!”
“Lindsey. Rachel.” She stopped to chat with them. “How are things at home?” Both had parents that had to wor
k two or three jobs each to provide for their families. Either one of them could have ended up in a gang or much worse, but Girl Haven had provided a place in which their parents didn’t have to constantly worry about their well-being.
“My brother is graduating in the spring.” Lindsey informed her. “And my father has arranged for him to work at the packing plant with him until he goes to college in the fall. He got a full ride thanks to his grades.”
“Congratulations to your brother!” She gave the girl a tight hug. “If you two need anything, let me know. I’m going to be here all day.”
They waved as she continued on her way. Eve was stopped a half dozen more times before she even made it to the office on the third floor. She greeted Mary, the office manager and head counselor for Girl Haven. “How are things looking for today?” She asked as she leaned against the other woman’s desk.
Mary sighed tiredly. “We have a few new girls that came in last night. Run-aways, from Ohio. One has bruises all over her, and the other doesn’t speak much. I called Kari and asked her to send us over a doctor.”
“Good. Are they upstairs?” The top floor was for the girls that needed medical attention. Mary nodded. “I’ll go see if I can talk to them. Anything else that needs my attention right now?”
“No.” Mary’s smile, though tired, was full of strength. A person had to be as strong as Mary to do the work she did. Eve was glad to have the woman on her team, and never had to worry if the girls were being taken care of. “I will show the doctor up when he gets here.”
Eve spent most of the morning coaxing the girls to talk to her. The older of the two girls, Missy, was fifteen. Her mother had spent the last week beating her for reasons that Missy wasn’t ready to go into yet. The younger of the two, who had to be Missy’s sister, was Cindy. Cindy was eleven and the look in her eyes was that of a person far beyond her years. Eve couldn’t help wondering at the things the little girl had to have seen in her short life to put such a look in her eyes.