Episode 78
EPISODE 78
STRAWBERRIES AND CREAM
Ariel
I pace across the living area of my suite, sure I’m going to wear out the lush carpet. I can’t believe I let Emily kick me out of River’s room—as if I’m the little sister who got sent away so the adults could talk.
Plus...River fucked Emily last night? And she had her pussy in Brett’s face this morning?
Talk about surprises.
I thought I knew Emily, or that we were at least friends.
I huff. Clearly I don’t know anything at all.
Nearly an hour has passed since I left Emily and River. They’re probably having more hot monkey sex while I wait here like a little dingbat. Not that River has shown a bit of interest in me, but Brett and Alex have.
But now between Emily spreading her legs for Brett and June making out with Alex after I left them...
I sigh.
There doesn’t seem to be a lot of room for me here.
Screw it. I’m done waiting. I tear my door open?—
“Hey,” Sebastian says, walking toward me in the hallway. “You look mad as a rabid dog.”
I draw in a breath. “Have you seen Emily?”
“Yeah, I have. Saw her leaving River’s room a little while ago.”
“And she didn’t come back to get me?” I shake my head, my anger turning to...
No, I’m not going to cry.
Still, I sniffle a bit.
“Everything okay, Ariel?” he asks, his tone caring.
I shake my head. “I’m not okay, I mean... Maybe I am. I just... I think maybe it’s time for me to leave. I don’t think things are going to work out here.”
“Hey.” He reaches toward me, and for a moment, I’m sure he’s going to touch my cheek, but he doesn’t. “You want to talk? What happened?”
Sebastian and I are supposed to have lunch sometime as a result of me winning the Blind Man’s Bluff game. But who knows when that will happen? Still, with Emily taking Brett and June taking Alex, I think I’d like to talk to Sebastian.
“Sure. Let’s talk.”
“Your room? Mine? The kitchen?” He gives me a warm smile. “I’m starving, so wherever we go, we’re ordering breakfast.”
Wow. This guy oozes charm and charisma. And man, he’s easy on the eyes too, with that long hair and those gorgeous eyes the light brown of sweet tea on a hot summer day.
I grin. “I don’t care...” Except if we go back to my room, Emily may eventually remember she was supposed to get back to me, and then she’ll interrupt us. Uh...no thanks. “Your room, maybe?”
Sebastian smiles—I nearly melt—and he takes my hand. We head down the stairwell to the second floor where he leads me to his suite. Once inside, I gasp. His suite is twice the size of mine. My gaze is drawn to the emerald-green leather couch flanked by two matching recliners—the kind that can swallow you up and lull you to perfect relaxation.
I can’t even begin to imagine what the bedroom might look like...
“What’s your pleasure, my southern belle?” He walks to the intercom.
“Yes, Mr. Tate?” someone says into the intercom.
“Hi. Could you send up some Belgian waffles with strawberries and cream, some crisp bacon, and hot coffee?” He motions to me. “What’s your favorite breakfast food?”
I don’t even have to think. “Scrambled eggs and biscuits with sausage gravy.”
“Did you hear that?” he says into the intercom.
“Yes, sir. That will be up in a few minutes, Mr. Tate.”
“Thank you.” He flips off the intercom and turns back to me. “All right. Tell me everything. By the end of this conversation, I’m going to convince you that you should stay, so I need to know all the reasons you think you should go.”
I’m not sure where to begin, so I just start blathering. “I’ve had a good time for sure, but I’m so young compared to the other women, and I’m nothing like them. Emily is so beautiful and worldly. Sienna is gorgeous and smart as a whip. June is just plain perfect, and Heather has so much personality. I don’t know Misty that well, but?—”
He puts up a hand to stop me. “Misty is nothing compared to you, beautiful, and while the others are amazing—gorgeous, sweet, sexy—you are no less so.”
I breathe in, wrinkle my nose. “I think I may have screwed everything up. Alex and I connected on our date, but then...”
“You don’t have to try to find the words. Alex is a great guy.” Sebastian shrugs. “But he plays by his own rules.”
Before I have a chance to ponder what in Sam Hill he means by that, someone knocks on his door.
“Come on in,” Sebastian calls.
Two staff members enter and wheel in a trolley containing several domed plates and a large pot of coffee.
“Thank you,” Sebastian says.
“We’ll set it all out for you,” one of the staff says.
“Not necessary.” He hands them each a fifty.
“Thank you, sir,” the other says, and they leave quickly.
I keep my jaw from dropping. We were told this was all-inclusive and we didn’t need to tip the staff. Of course Sebastian can hand out fifties like they’re nickels. He’s a damned billionaire.
Sebastian uncovers the plates and dishes up a heaping plate of eggs and biscuits covered in gravy. He adds a few strawberries and hands it to me.
“I won’t be able to eat all of this,” I say.
“Then eat what you want.” He piles a Belgian waffle on his own plate and adds strawberries and whipped cream. “Coffee?” he asks.
I nod. “Sure. A little cream, please.”
He pours my cup and sets it on the small table next to me.
He brings his plate and sits down next to me. “You and I haven’t had a chance to connect.”
I don’t reply right away. Instead, Emily’s gorgeous face pops into my mind. I felt bad about choosing Sebastian after I won the touching game. I still care for Emily, but now I’m seeing that it’s every woman for herself here.
“I’d like to connect,” I say. “How was your date with Heather, though?”
He lifts my chin. “It was wonderful,” he says. “But it was one date. I hope to have many more while we’re all still here.” He takes a strawberry from on top of his waffle and licks it clean of whipped cream. “But I can’t do that if we’re not all still here.”
My cheeks warm.
God, Sebastian Tate is flirting with me! Or is he? Maybe he’s just turning on the charm to get me to stay. But why would he care one way or the other?
A river of boldness flows through me, and I catch a raft. “Do you care if I stay?”
“I do.” He takes another strawberry and holds it between my lips.
I lick the peak of whipped cream off of it. He slides the tip of the strawberry over my lips, tracing them. “Are you as sweet as this strawberry, Ariel?”
I swallow as a bolt of lightning strikes me between my thighs.
These men...
They’re all so good at seduction.
Or maybe I’m just so na?ve that I fall for all of it. I fell for Brett. I fell for Alex.
And now...Sebastian.
“I do care if you leave,” he continues as he takes another strawberry from his plate. “I care very much.”
This time I lick the cream and then take a bold bite from the succulent berry.
Sebastian’s eyes smolder. “Fuck, that’s hot.”
“A bite from a strawberry?”
“Hell, yeah. I’d like to bite your nipples like that, Ariel. And I bet they’re sweeter than strawberries. And as for your pussy...”
I squeeze my thighs together to ease the ache between them.
He takes one more strawberry, but this time he licks the cream himself, swirling his tongue over the fruit and then biting down as I did.
Oh. My. God.
I draw in a breath, catch another wave of boldness, and then stand. My hard nipples are poking through my tiny workout tank. I lean toward Sebastian, and then I climb onto his lap, straddling him.
He takes a fistful of my hair and pulls me down so our lips meet in a long, slow kiss. It’s not frantic or raw. Yet it’s not gentle, either. The intensity grows like a deep, smoldering need that has been simmering just beneath the surface.
He swirls his tongue with mine, and our lips slide together. When he groans, I feel more than hear it, and I answer with a moan of my own into his mouth. My nipples push into his chest, and I desperately want that bite he promised me.
A moment later, I pull back and break the kiss.
He licks his lips. “You’re delicious. Strawberries, cream, and Ariel.”
I smile into his amber eyes. “I haven’t totally made my mind up whether to go,” I say. “Do you...want to help me decide?”