Champagne and Bullets: Book 1 (Military Moguls) (4 page)

Emotion had burst wide open inside of him, and he’d been powerless to stop himself from walking across the room. She hadn’t been able to hide her trepidation at his arrival but he couldn’t be sorry he was here. Every cell of his body wanted to be close to her. Talk to her. Touch her.

She seemed to melt into his arms as the music played. Their bodies brushed with each step and his cock began to ache as it pressed against his zipper. Images flashed before his eyes of the two of them, naked and sweaty. Amanda bound to the bed or bent over for his pleasure. Her pussy hot and tight around his cock. Her lips and tongue teasing his dick and balls. No one had turned him on the way her innocent seduction had.

They danced silently, Seb unwilling to disturb the peace between them at this moment. The tension had dissipated only to be replaced with an awareness he couldn’t shake. His senses were taking in every detail – her sensual scent, the satin of her skin that seemed to glow under the lights. He could hear and feel each of her breaths, and watch the pulse that beat frantically at the base of her throat. She was just as affected by their nearness as he was. It was more than he’d ever expected and more than he deserved.

The song ended and Amanda backed away, almost knocking over a waitress with a tray of drinks. She apologized to the young woman before nervously looking around the room. Hoping for Darby to come to her rescue? Wasn’t going to happen. Taller than Amanda by nearly a foot, Seb had seen Darby chatting up a pretty young thing near the buffet table.

“I think I need some air,” she pronounced. “It was good to see you, Seb.”

“I’ll join you.” He slid his hand under her elbow and directed her toward the open balcony. She tried to tug her arm away but he simply wrapped his hand more firmly around the warm flesh and used his other arm to keep her from being jostled in the crowd.

“There’s no need,” she protested, her eyes wide with alarm. He could feel her body trembling under his fingers and he had to suppress the urge to place her own hand on his heart so she could feel it galloping in his chest.

“It’s no bother,” he said, deliberately misunderstanding. Being this close to her was complete and utter madness, but he couldn’t drag himself away. Like a moth drawn to the flame, he knew he would be burnt. “I could use some fresh air myself.”

Leading her to a secluded area behind several plants with oversized leaves, they leaned against the railing. The sound of the water lapping at the shore calmed his overheated senses.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”

Amanda had never been good with long empty spaces without speaking. Her voice was soft but still clearly audible as she gazed out toward the water. A full moon hung over the Gulf, illuminating the beach and painting the waves silver while shadows danced and skipped over the water.

He straightened and drew her toward the stairs to the beach below. At first she hesitated, but then capitulated. The warm night must have been calling to her as much as it was to him.

They kicked off their shoes and left them at the bottom of the stairs. He slipped his hand into hers while his feet sunk into the sand. Her giggle made his heart ache as the cool water tickled her toes and then retreated, only to come back and make her giggle again.

“I don’t remember the last time I walked on the beach.”

The wind had loosened her hair from its confining style and tendrils were clinging to her cheeks. He reached out before she could protest or argue, tucking one of them behind her ear.

“We used to come here as often as we could. Remember the time the waves were breaking right before that storm came through?”

“I remember that we got run off by some cops that day,” she laughed. “We weren’t supposed to be out in that stuff. We must have been crazy.”

“I wanted to surf. We don’t get many waves on this side of the state, you know.”

“It wasn’t the smartest thing we’ve ever done. Do you still surf?”

“Actually, I do. Dane, Christian, and I went to Hawaii last year and surfed the North Shore. It was the trip of a lifetime.”

He didn’t mention it was the first trip he’d taken after leaving the Army.

“I’ve never been there. Not yet, anyway.”

Amanda studiously avoided looking at him, instead staring up at the sky. The past was a dangerous thing to talk about. Better to keep things to now.

“Has that Poplin guy been bothering you lately?”

“Not at all. Thank you for talking to him for me. Our regular law firm would have charged me four hundred dollars an hour to do that.”

No wonder his mother had pressed him into service. A charitable organization shouldn’t be paying crazy fees like that.

“I was happy to help, Mandy. Let me know if I can do anything else.”

There was a long silence and finally she turned to look at him, her expression conflicted. The playful, happy moment they’d shared had quickly disappeared. “Please don’t.”

There was a plea in her voice that pulled at his gut. He’d never been able to turn her down when she sounded that way.

“Don’t what? Don’t help?”

“Don’t call me Mandy.” She shook her head and took a few steps back. “I’m not Mandy anymore.”

“Funny, you look like Mandy and you sound like her too.” He tilted his head and gave her a smile, trying to get back those few seconds of easiness between them. “I don’t think you’ve left her as far behind as you think. You came out here to play on the beach with me, didn’t you?”

She turned her back to him, her shoulders rigid. “Just don’t call me that. Mandy was a child and I’m a woman.”

A beautiful and desirable one. His fingers itched to pull the pins from her hair and then run his hands over her soft curves before pressing her to her knees in the soft sand.

“I don’t want to upset you.”

Whirling around, she lifted her chin in defiance. “I’m not upset. What I am is leaving. There’s no point to any of this. Good night, Seb. It was nice to see you again.”

She marched through the sand and up to the house, not sparing him even a glance over her shoulder. He’d fucked everything up again. He should have known better than to dance and then spirit her away without clearing the air first.

But one thing was clear to Seb now. He still loved Amanda, and she still had some feelings left for him. Yes, there was anger and hurt there as well. He would have to deal with those but perhaps they could move past all that had happened and build something new.

After seeing her again, he simply could not imagine his life without her in it. He’d been only half-living since he’d left. First the first time in a long while he felt awake. Something inside of him had shifted and he couldn’t go back to the way things had been.

She might tell him to go to hell, but honestly that’s where he’d been already. He had to take this chance and try to reach out to her again. He had to try and win her love.

With more stalwart determination, he marched through the cool sand, retrieving his shoes at the bottom of the stairs. He’d made an important decision tonight and there would be no going back.

‡

S
taring into the
mirror in one of the upstairs bathrooms, Amanda tried to repair her hair and makeup. The wind had teased her carefully pinned chignon apart and the brief spate of tears had smeared her mascara. She dabbed at her eyes with a tissue, her hands still trembling from her conversation with Seb. It wasn’t fair how he kept bringing up the past and using it as a club to batter her heart.

She needed to get the hell out of here.

Stuffing the tissue back into her small purse, she gave her appearance one last perusal. Thankfully she looked almost normal. Only the most eagle-eyed observer would be able to see the traces of tears she’d artfully concealed.

She slid the chain strap of her purse onto her shoulder and twisted the doorknob, determined to find Darby so they could leave. Only when she was home and away from everyone would she feel safe again.

She jumped back when a large figure stood on the other side of the door. “Excuse me. I’m sorry.”

Two masculine hands gripped her shoulders to steady her on the four inch heels she wore.

“Easy there. Are you okay?”

Dear God, she couldn’t catch a break. Seb was standing right in front of her with a concerned expression, his fingers sending heat to every part of her body.

“I’m fine. I just didn’t realize anyone was on the other side of the door, that’s all.” She took another step back to dislodge his hands but it only made things worse. One hand slid down her back while the other traveled up to her jaw, tracing it with his rough fingers.

“I came to talk to you.”

The overwhelming pleasure of his touch was almost more than she could bear. She knew he could see the heightened color in her cheeks but could he hear the galloping of her heart? It sounded like a timpani in her ears, drowning out any of the noise from the party below.

“I’m okay.” His massive frame was blocking her path. “If you will excuse me, Seb?”

Instead of moving he stepped forward, forcing her back into the bathroom. Swinging the door shut, he reached back and clicked the lock. She was now trapped in a small room with the man who had hurt her more than anyone. Even Emmett. If it weren’t so tragic, she might well be laughing.

Except that it was happening to her.

“We need to talk, Amanda. Honestly. The tension is so thick between us we could cut it with a knife. We’re going to see each other from time to time. We have to be able to deal with it.”

His declaration only served to turn her anguish to anger. Always the alpha male, he decided something so everyone had to fucking fall in line. She wasn’t that naive little girl anymore who worshipped the ground he walked on. As a woman she could see his flaws along with all the wonderful qualities she’d fallen in love with.

“Did you follow me up here? I won’t be stalked, Seb.” Her fingers tightened on her purse to keep from smacking his too handsome face. He thought he had all the answers. “Now let me out.”

“No.” His expression was implacable and he was rooted to the spot in front of the door. “Stop being so stubborn. We need to talk about us.”

“There is no us,” she hissed. “There hasn’t been an
us
for many years. Did you get a head injury in Afghanistan and forget that you canceled the wedding and left?”

Shit, now he’d done it. He had her babbling about things she’d never wanted to talk about again.

“It was my leg that was injured. My head is fine. My heart, on the other hand, isn’t. There’s still something between us, Mandy. I feel it and I know you do too. We can’t ignore this.”

Red hot anger rose up inside of her. Who in the fuck did he think he was? She wouldn’t allow him to rock her carefully arranged world. She’d worked too hard to get to this place in her life.

“Really? I can. Watch me.” She pushed at his body but wasn’t able to budge him an inch. “Get the hell out of my way, Seb. I don’t give a shit what you think is still between us. I’m done.”

“I’m not moving, Mandy. I know you’re mad at me. I know I hurt you but I want to make up for that.”

“Fuck you.”

Amanda tried to squeeze past him but he simply lifted her up in his arms and deposited her on the vanity. She pummeled him with her fists and cracked his shin a few times with her high heel but he easily overcame her struggles, his strength far superior to her own.

“Calm down, Mandy.” His cool voice only pissed her off even more. Gently he captured her wrists in one hand while his legs trapped her own against the cabinet. Reaching down, he slid her shoes from her feet. They fell to the floor with a thud that matched the pounding of her heart. Her breath was coming in shallow gasps and a flame was beginning to lick along her veins.

Seb fucking knew what being helpless did to her. In their youth they’d experimented with sex and they’d found she had a predilection to be submissive. It was as if giving up control to him gave her permission to enjoy making love. A therapist she’d been seeing after her divorce had helped her make sense of it, but dammit—he was using it against her.

“Leave me the hell alone.” She tried to wriggle free but he held her effortlessly. A smile was spreading across his face and she knew with certainty he was aware of her own arousal.

“I don’t think that’s what you want. I think you want something else.”

Just because her body was begging for his didn’t mean she had to listen. She’d pushed away her own physical needs for the better part of a decade before he’d waltzed back into her life. But he didn’t give her a chance to protest, his lips crashing down on hers.

Claiming, dominating, his mouth gentled when she stopped struggling. His tongue rubbed and explored even as he held her immobile. Fire swept through her as honey drenched her panties. She didn’t remember the last time she’d been this aroused, this needy. Her pussy ached to have him inside and she sighed under his lips when his fingers glided up her thigh, enabled by the slit in her dress.

“That’s my good girl,” he crooned, lifting his mouth slightly before trailing kisses across her jaw to nibble on her ear. His questing fingers slid between her legs and under the elastic of her panties. “So wet for me, just the way you should be.”