The Man Without Rules (22 page)

"Aye, aye captain," Eloisa called from her corner of the room.

"Afraid to be alone with me?" he asked, his voice low as he leaned his arm on the desk.

"No, but I know what will happen when we're alone and I'm trying as hard as you are.
You're not fair when you bite your damn lip." She pulled her lip between her own teeth and gave him the best set of bedroom eyes he'd ever seen.

Sebastian let a lazy grin grace his face as his dick hardened. "That's not fair."

"Now you know how it feels."

"Oh yes," he purred. "I most certainly do."

Mother

Sebastian checked his watch.
Again.
He knew Mariss couldn't help when her flight came in, yet he sat impatiently, watching the time creep by. He hadn't seen her in a month. Duty and obligation kept him away. He was now to the point that he could sleep on his own again, but it wasn't fitful sleep. And he'd only spent one night with her.

"She'll be here soon, Mr. Boa," Juliet's bored voice droned next to him for the millionth time. She hadn't looked up from her magazine in some time. As a matter of fact, he wasn't sure she was even reading it.

"It helps if you turn a page every now and then." Juliet turned the page and glared at him. "What have I done? Why are you angry with me?"

She didn't answer, just turned another page while she stared at him. He grunted indignantly and checked his watch. She should have landed by now.

"Who is that?"

Sebastian turned quickly and pulled back. Mariss' head was propped on her fist on the back of the seat between him and Juliet. When she saw his startled face, she gave him a wide grin.

"Hi."

"What the fuck?"

Mariss pursed her lips together. "Did I scare you?" She blinked innocent eyes at him.

"Of course not," he insisted while his heart thumped hard in his chest, though it wasn't from fear.

"She's been back there for the last five minutes," Juliet said into her magazine. She laid it flat on her lap to reveal her cell phone.
"Gotcha."

"You both deserve a beating."

"Yes, please!" Mariss said enthusiastically,
then
had the decency to look ashamed. "Oops. Forget I said that."

"I forget nothing, Red. Let's go, shall we? Mother is waiting dinner on us."

"Mother?" she giggled. "Not mum?"

"No.
Just mother."

"Don't you love her?"

Sebastian turned to Mariss and gave her a look like she'd lost her mind.
"Of course!
Why would you ask something like that?"

"You call her 'mother' like she wrote your name in your underpants all your life or something."

Dead serious, Sebastian said, "Didn't yours?"

Mariss eyes widened. "I never took mine off where they would get lost." She snorted, trying to hold back her laughter.

"You're in rare form today, Red. Keep it up and see what happens."

"Alright."
She took the challenge with ease, even reached out to shake his hand.

Sebastian shook.

"Oh, you're in trouble now," Juliet said. "Though, I have to say that she is on a roll today."

"That will soon end."

It was a twenty minute drive outside the city to his mother's estate. She lived alone in a Tudor style home Sebastian had helped her pay off a few years ago.

"Oh, this is gorgeous."

"Yes, mother can be a little over the top."

Mariss looked at him. "I guess we know where you get it from."

Sebastian gave her a look and grunted. The car pulled into the drive and they got out. He carried her suitcase to the door.

"Don't you have a flat in London?" Mariss asked softly.

"Yes. Why?"

"Why are we staying with your mother, then?"

Sebastian took a breath and pushed through the front door. "I thought you would be more comfortable here. Besides, there's not enough room at my flat for all three of us if we aren't sharing a bed." He winked at her. He really did love it when her cheeks flushed that light shade of pink.

"Bassy, your snake keeps making that hissing face at me!" His mother, a short, plump woman in her early sixties, came around the corner in her jogging suit with curlers in her hair. "Oh, is this her?" She wrapped her arms around Mariss' neck. Mariss hugged her back with a smile. "I've heard so much about you."

"Oh, god," Mariss groaned.

"You're so much prettier than he described you!"

"Well, thank you," Mariss chuckled. "It's nice to finally meet you, Mrs. Boa."

"It's Fenwick," she corrected, "but you can call me Martha. Bassy, take her bags to your room. Go ahead."

"Yes, mum." Sebastian kissed his dear mother on the cheek.

"Oh, we don't have to stay in the same room."

Sebastian could see Mariss was flustered. He grinned behind his mother's back, ready for an argument.

"Nonsense!"
Martha shouted. "I know what happens between men and women! Especially, the women my son spends his time with. I'm not a prude!" He imagined her winking when she thumped Mariss on the arm. "Though, I have to admit, he's never brought one home to me willingly before."

Sebastian shook his head at Mariss, warning her not to argue. She sighed, resigned, and smiled at the woman in front of her. "Thank you, Martha, for allowing me to stay here."

Martha waved her off. "No need. Any excuse
to see
my son. Go get settled. I'll have dinner ready in a bit."

Mariss followed him down the hall to his bedroom. She walked in carefully, but was soon enthralled by the décor.

The wall above the double bed boasted a full set of 88 piano keys that wound their way across in a waving pattern. The strings tapered down to the floor behind the bed, creating a type of jailed look for the composition he'd drawn on the wall. Across from the bed was the mahogany upright piano he'd gutted for the keys and strings and turned into a dresser. The top opened to reveal trousers, the sliding doors on the front held his shirts and tank tops. The lid over what used to be keys was where he hid his socks and underpants.

"Go ahead and have a look," Sebastian told her. He watched her fingers twitch with the need to touch things. "I made it myself for an end of the year project my last year at university." The need for her approval was overwhelming. It rose up inside his chest, blocking his air. He straightened his spine, hoping for some relief from the discomfort.

Mariss gingerly inspected the piano dresser.
"And the music on the wall?"

"Another project."

"You composed it?" She turned surprised eyes to him. He nodded and she gave a shy smile. "I don't guess you'd play it for me."

"It's not for the piano." Sebastian pointed to the trumpet mounted on the wall above the closet. "I don't play that anymore."

"Oh."

"I could transpose it I guess. I'll work on that for you."

"For me?"

He nodded and let out a heavy breath as her eyes filled with wonder. "Before you ask, it was mother's idea to put us in the same room. I did not protest." He knew he was asking for trouble having her in his bed again, but the closer it came to having her here, the harder it was to sleep knowing he'd have her to himself if only for a few hours while she slept.

"This music here," she inspected some framed pieces on the wall above the piano dresser. "Did you compose these?"

"I did."

"A music major, huh?"

"Music and art."

"I honestly never would have guessed. Do you dance too?"

Sebastian chuckled. "Shall I tell you yes, or would you like me to show you?"

"Show me?"

Sebastian took her in his arms and led her across the small room in a tight little waltz. Her feminine body molded to his.

"I am impressed," Mariss smiled at him.

"You should be. Not even Hellena knows I can dance."

"Does Juliet?"

"I do now," Juliet's voice rang from the doorway.

Sebastian let go of Mariss quickly and stepped away, shooting Juliet an annoyed glance. "You could knock."

Juliet shrugged. "I could. No worries. I won't tell. Your mom says dinner is ready. Wash up and let's eat."

Sebastian let Mariss lead the way out of the room. He followed her closely down the hall and to the kitchen where his mother had the island table set with four places.

"She likes to eat in the kitchen," Sebastian whispered to Mariss. "I honestly don't know why."

"You do the same thing," she whispered back.

He chuckled. "You're right."

They sat around the island as Martha took a roast out of the oven. "I hope you're all hungry."

"Starved," Mariss said. "I haven't eaten yet."

"Why didn't you say something?" Sebastian asked.

"I was waiting for your mother's home cooking."

Martha laughed. "She is charming, isn't she?"

"Quite," he agreed, with a glance in Mariss' direction.

Martha set the roast on the table,
then
speared Mariss with a look that Sebastian knew too well.

"Mother, please."

"I want to know what a beautiful, wealthy,
married
woman
is doing with the likes of my son."

Sebastian sighed and stared at his mother, though she would look at no one but Mariss.

"Sebastian and I work together. That's all. We're working on a project for my company."

"Have you slept with him?"

"No ma'am."

Martha snorted.

"It's true, mother."

His mother eyed him with suspicion. "No?"

"No."

"I have trouble believing that. Don't get me wrong, Mrs. Red. I love my son and I will support him whether he decides his life's goal is to turn into a penguin or stay a man whore."

Mariss choked. So did Juliet.

"But women like you - charming, smart,
self
-sufficient - have no business with my son."

Mariss pressed her lips together like she was trying not to laugh. She turned to look at him and said, "You're just like your mother."

Sebastian raised an eyebrow. "Oh?
How's that?"

"You say what you want no matter
who's
listening and you can't leave well enough alone."

He laughed. "So, then you see how much I hold the old woman in regard."

"Old?" Martha exclaimed. "I'll show you old, Sebastian Fenwick. Just you wait."

"This roast looks amazing, Mrs. Fenwick." Juliet helped her plate, even though she didn't eat red meat.

"Martha," his mother corrected. "I loved my husband, but good gracious, am I happy on my own."

"So, Mr. Fenwick wasn't Sebastian's father?"

"Oh, heavens, no!"

Sebastian felt Mariss' humor as she fought not to burst into laughter. That was how the rest of the meal progressed. Juliet and Mariss asked his mother questions they had no business and she gave them all of the answers. By the time dinner was over, Mariss knew peaches gave him a rash on his arse, mushrooms made him sick, his favorite movie was The Little Mermaid, and when he was a child he wanted to marry Xena.

"I still do," he said in reply to that bit of information.

"If I ever run into her I'll give her your number," Juliet teased.

"Please do."

"Can I get a shower?" Mariss asked as the three of them helped clean the kitchen, though his mother protested.

"Of course.
It's down the hall at the end."

"Towels are under the sink, dear," Martha added.

Mariss hurried off.

"That woman is in love with you."

"Mother, don't be ridiculous." Sebastian cleared away what was left of the utensils and dropped them in the sink.

"Sebastian, don't make me swear. That woman loves you and I'm not too senile to see that it's your fault."

Sebastian grunted and turned on the faucet. He put his hand under it and waited for it to get hot. "Why can't it just be that she couldn't help herself?" He hated how his mother could make him feel like a reprimanded teenager.

"Uh, because it's your fault," came a voice from beside him.

"Juliet, your assistance is not needed." Sebastian scowled at her as he scrubbed the silverware and she dried the dishes in the sink. "She can handle this just fine on her own."

"He pursued her," Juliet continued.

"That's your bonus gone." She only grinned.

"Sebastian, don't you ruin that girl's marriage." Martha came around to his other side and took his face between her hands. "Don't do it. Don't you remember?"

His heart ached at the pain in his mother's eyes. "Of course, mum."

"Don't you dare do that to her. Do you hear me?"

"Yes, mum."

"Good boy." She patted his cheek a little harder than was necessary and it stung. "And you will give Juliet a bonus."

"Yes. Between you and Mariss I would be hard pressed to try to keep it from her."

"Damn straight. Martha, didn't you say something about the piano?"