Page 20 of Sebastian's Secret

“Thanks again for the Ritz-Carlton.” His purr drew her concentration back to his face. “I haven’t had so much fun for a long time.”

“Me, either.” Crossing her legs beneath the table, she yearned to have a place they could go and scratch the itch that was building there.

“I hope I wasn’t too rough with you?” His voice softened, his fingertips skimming along her wrist as his question floated between them.

“Too rough?” Was he kidding? “No, of course not.”

“Good.” Sebastian’s relief was palpable, dangling the enthralling prospect that he, too, would prefer more physicality. “It’s impossible to know what a lady likes without asking and the club and cab didn’t exactly seem the place.”

“No,” she agreed, her pulse quickening as his blue stare bored into her. “They definitely weren’t.” But the quiet table they shared now could be… “Maybe we could talk about that more?”

She loathed how difficult it was to broach the subject. A woman as sexually assertive as she was should be able to talk about her pleasure, but a lifetime of Monroe suppression had made it awkward and shameful. Naturally, her father was all in favor of sex when it came to his or Oliver’s depravity. Both were well-known for their endless affairs and the disrespectful way they treated the opposite sex, but when it came to her or her mother the narrative was like something from the 1950s. Women, in Jonas Monroe’s opinion, should save themselves for marriage and thereafter remain loyal to their husband. Needless to say, Jonas didn’t know about and wouldn’t have approved of his daughter’s sexual escapades. The less he knew, the better.

“Sure.” Sebastian beamed. “I’d love to.”

“Great.” She winked at him, her heart hammering wildly at his enthusiasm, but in her peripheral vision, she noticed the waiter headed for their table. “Dessert could be spicier than you expect.”

It certainly promised to be, if only Rebecca could drum up the confidence to tell him exactly what she longed for.

Chapter Nine

Sebastian

Darkness had fallen by the time they stepped out of the restaurant, Sebastian’s hand clutching hers as they walked along the streets. Crossing the main road, he steered her toward the river, wanting to maximize the romance of the evening while they walked.

Sebastian had insisted on paying for the meal. It had, he reminded her, been his idea, and his chance to remedy his error, but still, she’d countered, as if Rebecca was more interested in the friction of the fight than the outcome.

“I can’t believe how empty it is along here this evening.” Glancing his way, she offered him a smile.

“I agree,” he replied. There wasn’t another soul to be found on the paved stretch along the riverside. It was so quiet, it was almost suspicious, but Sebastian wasn’t worried. The solitude was ideal for what he had in mind.

“Thank you again for the meal, Sebastian, and for hauling me up from the ground earlier.” She blew out a breath. “It wasn’t my finest hour, but I’m glad we bumped into each other.”

“You’re welcome.”

Sebastian was glad as well. It had enraged him to see her treated that way and he still didn’t understand what kind of brother would behave so cruelly. He’d often wished that along with the many brothers his parents had produced, he might have had a sister, and had imagined looking after her. He’d love to delve deeper into the stunted relationship Rebecca shared with her brother, but that exchange was for another time. This walk was about the thrum of desire sparking between them.

He wanted to devour her, the way he’d demolished the panna cotta. Rebecca was every inch as tempting as she’d been at the club—more even—because his interest was so piqued after their conversation. She’d wanted to talk more about the carnality they’d enjoyed, the idea swelling his already attentive cock, but her plea had been lost in the frenzy of dessert. Treading the surprisingly tranquil riverside, Sebastian decided this was the time to resurrect the chat.

“Is this a good time to talk more about the other night?” Squeezing her hand gently, he met her eyes.

“About sex, you mean.” The edges of her mouth curled, as if there was something inherently wicked about the objective. He liked that idea.

“Yes.”

“Sure.” Shrugging, she appeared to be trying to play nonchalant, but even in the dim streetlamp lighting the river and walkway, he could see her flaming blush. Her involuntary response was as sexy as hell, and he wondered whether her ass would shade the same way under the tutelage of his palm. Sebastian had always adored spanking willing women, but finding ones who understood his need wasn’t always easy.

“Was there something you wanted to tell me?” It had sure seemed that way to him at the Italian restaurant.

“I just…” She wriggled her cute little nose, her feet slowing as she considered. “I suppose I wanted to say it’s okay to be more physical.”

“Physical?” Heart pounding, he pinned her with the weight of his gaze. What was she trying to tell him? “Rougher, you mean?”

“Yeah, that’s what I mean.” Her seductive drawl was far more reminiscent of the woman who’d spun him into a knot at the Ritz-Carlton.

“Anything specific you like?”

They’d stopped in the middle of the path, every fiber of their attention focused on the other. Sebastian could hardly take another breath—was it possible that Rebecca’s tastes aligned with his? Did she secretly yearn to be thrown over his lap and spanked?

---