Page 4 of Heart of a Devil

The evening is winding down, and Sam has disappeared to settle Max for the night. I feel the usual rush of happiness when I watch her carry my grandson up the stairs, so proud of who she is and what she’s overcome in life. Having me as a dad probably wasn’t the best of starts, but she doesn’t seem to hold it against me.

It’s good seeing her like this. Seeing her settled and happy and loved up. I wouldn’t have predicted she’d marry my best mate and business partner, but life would be boring if we knew everything in advance, and I don’t do well with boring. I prefer a few surprises along the way, a bit of spice to keep my interest levels up.

And right now, I can’t stop thinking about the spiciest woman I’ve met for years—Samantha’s new colleague, Lauren Hayes. The minute I laid eyes on her, I wanted her. And the minute she spoke, I wanted her even more. She blew me away with her confidence, her humor, the way she flirted with me without any shame whatsoever. Being a leggy brunette with killer curves and soulful brown eyes didn’t hurt either.

She’s a lot younger than me. Only a year older than Sam, in fact, which makes her fifteen years my junior. The age gap andthe fact that she works with my daughter should put me off—I’m way too old and ugly for this level of trouble, and I have absolutely no doubt that Lauren Hayes is trouble with a capital T.

I have a funny relationship with trouble, though. I seem unable to stay away from it.

I look on as the law firm crowd say their goodbyes. Nick, along with the girls who work in the office, are sharing an Uber back to the city. I half expect Lauren to jump in too, to join in with their plans to go clubbing, but she stays behind. I notice because I can’t keep my fucking eyes off her in that barely there dress she’s almost wearing. Jesus. She should come with a government health warning.

She looks up from saying her goodbyes and catches me staring from the other side of the room. She tilts her head to one side so her dark curls cascade over her bare shoulder and pops an eyebrow in my direction.

That one little look is enough to make my cock twitch inside my jeans. Fucking hell. She really is trouble. I’ve always liked women a bit too much, but it’s been a long time since I met one I responded to like this. I thought I might be slowing down now that I’m a granddad, but it seems like nobody bothered telling my dick that.

I walk toward her, calling at the huge drinks fridge on the way. I grab a bottle of Bud, although I have no plans to drink it, and raise it up, asking if she wants one. She shakes her head, shimmying those amazing curls, then walks through the open patio doors and out into the dark garden. She glances back at me as she goes, and the look on her face is pure provocation. Complete catch-me-if-you-can, which is guaranteed to make my cock react. Sometimes I love the chase more than I love the capture, and the wilder and rougher, the better.

Don’t do it, Seb. Don’t follow that goddess outside.Don’t trail after that stick of dynamite in human form and not expect something to blow up in your face.

I grip my beer and follow her.

She’s leaning on the wall at the back of the house, her face and stunning figure lit up by the golden light spilling from the kitchen. Her legs go on forever, ending in red high-heeled shoes that scream “Fuck me!” Then again, I suspect this woman could wear a pair of neon-green Crocs and they’d still scream “Fuck me!” She’s one hundred percent siren, and I don’t seem able to resist.

I walk toward her and only stop when our bodies are an inch apart. She does that head-tilt thing again, and her mouth lifts at one corner as she smiles at me. “You took your time. Are you staying here tonight, Sebastian?”

“I wasn’t planning on it, no. I’ve only had one beer, so I can drive home soon.”

“Time for bed?”

“Maybe. Doesn’t mean it’s time for sleep though, does it? And what are your plans for this glorious evening?”

“Nothing. At least not yet anyway. I drove here too. It’s nice out here in the countryside. Fresh air. Stars. Lots of quiet places where two people could get to know each other better.”

She isn’t touching me, but I feel like she is. Every word from her kissable mouth is like a caress, and her gaze is crawling all over me. I don’t think I’ve ever been so thoroughly eye-fucked in my entire life. That twitch in my cock is now a full-blown hard-on, and I can tell the second she spots it. She licks her lips, and her pupils dilate as she looks back up at me.

“Is that what gets you going, Lauren? Fucking strangers in a field?” It’s crude and not the way I’d normally talk to a lady—but something about this woman brings out the animal in me. She might be the same age as my daughter, but the way I feel abouther is a million miles from paternal, and there’s no doubt she feels the same. The air is practically crackling with the electricity that sparks between us. If this was a back alley in the city, I’d have her bare-assed, her face against the wall, with my cock inside her by now. But while I might be an animal, I do have some standards, and screwing a woman against the exterior wall of my daughter’s new house is out.

“That all depends on the fuck, Seb, as well as the stranger, don’t you think?” she says, amusement in her voice.

If I thought I’d shock her, I was wrong. I rub my hand down my beard and pretend to think about it. “You make a fair point, Lauren. Are you always this direct?”

“I try to be. I don’t see the point in playing games, and if I see something I want, I go for it.”

“Is that an American thing or a you thing?”

“Can’t it be both?” She puts a hand on the swooping curve of her hip and juts her magnificent ass to the side.

Fuck’s sake. All I can think about is bending her over, dragging that tiny skirt up to her waist, and seeing how wet she is.

“I know that look. You want me too, so why be coy? Surely you’re too old for games as well.”

“I’m old enough to know better, sweetheart. Old enough to know that this is a mistake.”

A brief flicker of disappointment crosses her face, and I enjoy seeing a little of her certainty slide away. I like a confident woman who knows what she wants, but I also like to be in charge—in every way possible. She might be making the first move, but it will be me who makes the rest of them.

“I’m also old enough to know that there’s not a chance in hell I’m letting you go home unfucked tonight.” I gesture to the door. “Shall we?”

Chapter

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