Man in Charge

Chapter 30

CHAPTER

THIRTY

SCOTT

“ W e have a problem,” Brett said when I answered my phone.

It was the last thing I wanted to hear as I was getting ready to whisk Tessa off for a long weekend, but I knew Brett wouldn’t have called if it wasn’t urgent. It was the only reason I’d accepted the call in the first place.

“Hold on a sec,” I said, then placed my cell against my shoulder. “Sit anywhere you like. Tell the crew if you need anything. I’m going to step away to take this call.”

Tess’s eyes were still wide as she took in the luxury of the Sebastian private jet. I adored that about her, adored that about being with her. Adored the way she got giddy about the printer in the limo and the heated seats in the Maybach. She looked at things I took for granted and made me realize how lucky I was to live the way I did.

I loved spoiling her too. Loved giving her a piece of the easy life. I planned to spoil her a lot over the next few days. Because she was worth it, but also because it eased my guilt for letting her think my arrangement with my parents was worked out.

It would be. Soon enough.

In the meantime, I intended to treat her like a queen.

“There’s a TV!” she exclaimed. “And a fireplace!”

Her enthusiasm temporarily lightened my concern about whatever Brett was about to tell me. “We won’t need it. If you’re cold, there are other ways to warm up. Like in the bedroom in the back.”

“There’s a bedroom? On a plane?” God, she was enchanting.

“Get settled in. I shouldn’t be long.” I brought my cell up to my ear as I made my way to the bedroom. “Better be important,” I snapped because I was an ass.

And because Brett was a good guy, he overlooked my tone. “Your father got wind about the documentary. He’s a little irate.”

Fuck.

“That’s probably putting it nicely,” I said, tension stringing through my muscles.

“There were a lot more curse words when he said it, yes.”

I had a litany of my own curse words I was going through silently, many of which I’d learned from the old man. “How the fuck did he even find out?”

“A camera crew in a medical office creates buzz, Scott. And you know how people like to tell things to your father, thinking it will get them in his good graces.”

I hoped Brett wasn’t one of those people.

Immediately I felt bad for even considering it. My cousin and I weren’t all that close, but I trusted him. If for no other reason than the fact that I knew he cared about Tess.

He was also right about people always sharing gossip with my dad, and the only reason I’d been able to get Teyana in with that specialist was because he belonged to the family country club. I should have expected word to get out. I just hadn’t expected it to move so quickly.

I took a deep breath. “Tell him there must have been a breakdown in communication with the crew, and you’ll look into it immediately. Then assure him that we have put everything on hold and that there will be no more progress made until he says so.”

“Got it. Am I lying?”

“Isn’t it best if you don’t know?”

It was Brett’s turn to take a deep breath. “I hope you know what you’re doing.”

“Yeah, Cuz. I hope so too.”

I didn’t go immediately back to Tess after I hung up. Instead, I stood in the plane’s bedroom and quickly thought through all my options for the hundredth time, hoping I’d see something I’d missed before.

Thank God I’d taken Cole’s advice and told my parents I’d needed time to decide after Dad issued his ultimatum. Dad had been none too happy about it, but since I wouldn’t budge, he had no other choice but to agree. Then first thing the next morning, he’d informed everyone in the company to put a cease on all negotiations with the DRF until further notice. It was exactly what I would have done in his position. He had to keep his leverage after all.

Of course, there was nothing for me to decide. No way was I marrying Kendra. But I also was hell-bent on not killing the DRF sponsorship. It would break Tessa’s heart. Would she even want me if I made her give that up just to be with me?

Hopefully, I wouldn’t have to find out. I just needed some time to figure out a way around Dad’s condition. The documentary was the one lead I had so far. It had been in the works already, and when the details fell into place Tuesday morning, it felt like fate. If I started sewing up things with the DRF now on the sly, maybe SIC would be in too deep for us to pull out. At least not without creating a PR nightmare, and heaven knew how much my father wanted to avoid that.

If I played it right, I could use that to my advantage.

It was a long shot, though, and I knew it. No one ever pulled one over on Henry Sebastian. Chances were that the DRF would be screwed in the end, and Tessa would hate me for it, and she’d never speak to me again.

More likely, she’d be more mad that I kept everything from her than that my father was an asshole. I wasn’t an idiot. I knew honesty was the foundation of a good relationship.

I needed to tell her the truth, and I would.

But I needed time for that too. Needed time to figure out how to show her the ugly side of Sebastian life; how the price for everything was steep, how my father managed to taint every single bit of goodness any of us encountered. It was one of the reasons I’d stayed away from being intimate with anyone all my life. It was too hard of a reality to share, and I was struggling with how to expose it.

My grandfather would know how. He’d help me. Grandpa taught me everything I knew about love. It sure hadn’t come from my parents.

Feeling slightly more optimistic than when I’d taken the call from Brett, I headed back to Tess. I found her on the sofa drinking a mimosa.

“Everything okay?” she asked.

We had a three-hour flight ahead of us. It was the perfect opportunity to lay out the truth. But did I really want to crush her at the beginning of our vacation?

“Just a work snafu. Brett’s got it handled.” I sat down next to her just as the plane began to taxi, and a too-thin, blonde flight attendant immediately appeared with a mimosa in hand for me.

“Is there anything else I can get you at the moment, Mr. Sebastian?” she asked.

I looked to Tess, who shook her head. “No, we’re good. Thank you.”

“Fine. If you need anything, I’ll be behind the curtain. You’ll want to flick the light because I’ll have my headphones on.”

In other words, she was giving us privacy.

“Oh, and I wanted to say congratulations on your engagement. I was sure you were going to be a bachelor forever.”

My stomach dropped. Seriously? How the fuck had word gotten out?

I supposed it was possible that someone from the Montgomerys’ party might have mentioned it in front of the flight attendant. There were limited companies that hired out for private flights, and so the elite shared a lot of the same crews.

Or it could be my father spreading the word, hoping to pressure me that way. If he were willing to take the PR risk with that, no way was my attempt to get in too deep with the DRF going to phase him.

“Say thank you, Scott,” Tess said, her teeth gritted.

“That’s not really common knowledge,” I said instead. Silently, I willed Tess to remember that what mattered was what was between me and her. Screw what anyone else thought.

“Ah...um…” The flight attendant stammered.

“Ignore him,” Tess said. “He means thank you.”

The blonde grinned at my girlfriend. “Are you the lucky lady?”

Tess’s smile was tight. “I’m not,” she said. Then she placed her hand possessively on my thigh and squeezed.

The attendant went red. “I’ll just go take my seat for takeoff.”

She hurried off, and I placed my hand on top of Tess’s, the one still resting on my leg. “You are very naughty.”

“Well, that’s what you’re going to get if you’re going to date me while engaged because I am not going to tolerate being anyone’s secret.”

“Fair enough.” And it was fair. I didn’t want her to be my secret either. She definitely didn’t deserve that.

Which was why I was getting out of the arrangement with Kendra as soon as we got back to town, whatever the cost.

The plane started picking up speed on the runway, and I threaded my fingers through Tess’s. “It won’t be much longer. I promise.”

“Those are the words every adulterer tells his mistress.”

“They aren’t just words, and you aren’t my mistress.”

“I know. I know.” She unhooked her fingers from mine to smooth her dress, as if it needed smoothing, and I wondered if she was trying to convince me or herself. I hated that she had to convince anyone at all.

I was still trying to think of what to say to make her believe me when she changed gears. “You know what really feels naughty?”

There were too many ways to answer that question.

She answered before I could share any of my better quips. “Taking off without wearing a seatbelt.”

“That started off so promising. Now I think I have blue balls.”

She giggled, then abruptly she climbed onto my lap and straddled me. “I guess I better get more creative then.”

“This is sounding better already.” I brought my arms around her so I could press her more snugly against my growing erection.

Just then, the plane lifted for takeoff. Her fingers dug into my shoulders, bracing herself so she wouldn’t slip off my lap. “I guess that’s why planes have seatbelts.”

“I’ll be your seatbelt.” I tightened my hold and shifted her hips so that she rubbed against my now-thick cock.

“Oh.” Her breath was fast. “How long is our flight?”

“Are you trying to get a hint about where we’re going again? I told you it’s a surprise.”

“Actually, I was trying to figure out how much time we had to do naughty things.”

“We have time for all the naughty things.” I bent my face to suck on her neck, soft and teasing, nothing that would leave too obvious a mark. I didn’t want her to feel awkward later when I introduced her at our destination.

“Hmm. Where to start, where to start?” This time, she tilted her hips up all on her own. I hissed as her pussy rubbed against the straining bulge in my pants. “Have you fucked in a plane before?”

“What do you think the answer to that is?”

“Didn’t want to make any assumptions.” Another delicious rock of her hips. “I suppose you’ve been blown before too.”

“I feel like answering might incriminate myself.” I’d been a whore before her. I’d made no secret about that. There was very little that I hadn’t done at least once.

But I hadn’t done nearly enough with Tessa. And I wanted to do it all over and over and over. I’d known her so briefly, and yet I knew in my gut that I’d never be tired of her.

Was that too much to admit? So soon?

I kissed a trail down her skin, pausing when I realized I had the perfect view down her dress. Her tits were incredible, plump and firm. I could get off just from looking at them.

“You know what I haven’t done?” I unbuttoned the top button of her sundress. Then the next button. Then the next until I could unhook the front clasp of her bra and let out her gorgeous tits. “I’ve never made you scream in an airplane.”

She leaned away, a taunting grin on her face, though I barely paid her expression any notice because now my eyes were pinned to her breasts. I wanted to cup them in my hands, play with her nipples, make them stand up sharp and proud. It had been more than three days since I’d touched her bare skin, and I was physically aching from withdrawal.

But I didn’t want to be too eager. Didn’t want to go too fast. And I was so close to relief that the anticipation was almost as good as the actual touching.

“You know what I’ve never done on a plane?” she asked, and now it seemed like she was trying to wriggle out of my hold.

I loosened my grip, curious where this was going.

She slipped off my lap to kneel on the floor. “I’ve never sucked a guy off.”

My dick was stone, but somehow it got harder. The suggestion that she would soon have her mouth on me was definitely arousing, but even more so was the knowledge that I would be some sort of a first. I’d never been the hypocritical type who expected or wanted my women to be innocent. Still, something primitive unleashed in me. Some base need to own as many of her firsts as possible.

“Have you fucked in a plane before, Tessa?” The lab had told us we wouldn’t get our results until Friday, so that meant another couple of days of sheathing up, but I wanted in her so badly, I didn’t even care.

She shook her head, that teasing smirk on her lips. “Good thing our flight’s long enough for all the naughty things because my mouth wants to join the mile-high club first.”

I needed my cock out, and I needed it out now.

I forced myself not to open my pants up at record speed, not to stuff my cock into her waiting lips and frantically fuck her mouth to release. I didn’t want to just take from her. I wanted to take what she wanted to give.

Okay, maybe I wanted to prompt her a little bit too.

I reached out and twirled a lock of her hair around my finger. “Take my cock out, baby. I want to see how pretty you look putting it down your throat.”

She either sensed my urgency or she was feeling it as acutely as I was because her fingers were nimble and quick as she undid my chinos and worked my dick out from my boxer briefs.

Her hand was cool as she wrapped it around my solid heat. I watched as she brought her palm up to wipe the bead of precum off my crown and bring the moisture down to slicken her grip on my shaft. I watched her eyes, big and brown and dilated with excitement.

Her intent desire made my cock throb against her palm.

The plane leveled off, our cruising altitude reached, and movement behind the curtain reminded us that we technically weren’t alone. I knew from experience that our attendant wouldn’t dare to come out without being summoned, but Tessa’s gaze flew toward the sound.

“Don’t worry about anyone but me,” I ordered. Then I remembered who was kneeling before me. Realized her expression hadn’t grown cautious but more heated. “She might even be listening. She said she wouldn’t, but she could be. She might even want to take a peek. You better give her a decent show, let her see how well you treat my cock.”

Tessa’s eyes grew even darker. Her tongue came out to wet her lips, and then she ran it along the length of me, from my head to my base, like she was following a drip from a melting ice cream cone.

I groaned when she traced the thick vein back to my crown with her tongue. When she swirled it around my tip, it was too much.

“Stop being a tease,” I said, my voice rasping. “Put it in your mouth, Tess, or I’ll put it in for you.” So much for taking what she gave. Lust had changed my agenda.

“Always have to be the man in charge, don’t you?”

I wanted to be the man in charge. I rarely felt that I was, though, especially with her. With her, I felt like the man my father treated me like I was—wild and out of control and desperate. So, so desperate.

That desperation made me want to grip onto power that I didn’t have.

Abruptly, I leaned forward. With one hand wrapped in her hair, I pulled her mouth down to the head of my cock. “Too much stalling. Time to suck.”

She opened her mouth to say something, but I didn’t give her a chance to form any words, thrusting my cock inside with a tilt of my hips.

God. Damn. Goddamn perfection. Heaven. A hot, wet paradise wrapped around my dick.

That’s what it felt like being inside her mouth, her tongue pressed up along the underside of my cock, her cheeks sucked in to make a tight channel as I pushed all the way in.

All the way in. Until my crown was tickling the back of her throat, and my balls were tightening, and I had to fight not to come.

I closed my eyes against the intense pleasure. Slid myself out and pushed back in then opened my eyes again, wanting to watch her take me, wanting to watch her struggle with my length and size.

Tears leaked down her cheeks, which probably should have made me back off, but it somehow turned me on even more. She was the picture of a wicked fantasy come true, with her mascara running and her lashes blinking away the moisture and her lips stretched around my width. I was seconds away from letting go and fucking her with abandon, using her mouth for my needs only.

But as wild as she made me feel, I was aware of an undercurrent. It wasn’t calm exactly, but it was sure. It was steady. A river of profound emotion that flowed deeper than the primal waters of lust, reminding me that Tessa Turani was not a woman I just wanted to use. She was a woman I wanted to love.

Could I love her?

Did I?

It wasn’t something I could accurately assess when my cock was pushing at the back of her throat. I could, though, get myself together enough to treat her with respect.

If that was what she wanted.

With every last bit of effort I had, I steadied myself, rocking in and out with shallow thrusts. “You’ve got to give me a sign to let me know this is okay.” But I was too greedy to pull out all the way so she could say the words. “If it’s not okay, put your hands on my knees, and I’ll stop immediately. Okay?”

Her hands flew up and behind her back, the opposite direction of my knees, and in case I didn’t get the message, she let out a deep moan that reverberated along my cock, making the spot at the base of my spine pulse.

“You like this?” I asked as I shoved all the way in, needing to be sure. “You like choking on my cock?”

She nodded, the movement causing her to gag.

I was fifteen solid seconds of pounding away from one of the most intense orgasms of my life. Once I really let go, I wouldn’t be able to stop, so I prepared her now. “Here’s what’s going to happen, Tess. I’m going to fuck your mouth now, hard, and I’m not going to stop until I come, and when I do, I can put it down your throat, or I can put it on your tits. Keep your hands where they are if you’re going to swallow it all.”

Her hands stayed firmly behind her back. Honestly, I would have been just as happy decorating her chest, but fuck. If she wanted to take my cum down her throat, I was damn well going to give it to her.

With her clear consent, I held her head between my hands and unleashed, pumping into her at rapid speed. She was breathtaking with her eyes watering and her tits bouncing, but the thing that really got me was her deep-throated moan, a sound that said she wanted more of me. Wanted the best and the worst of me. Wanted it all.

At least, I wanted to believe that’s what it meant. I let myself pretend she couldn’t mean anything else as I stuttered against her lips and groaned as my release ripped through me. I emptied myself inside her, leaving my cock firmly lodged to the hilt until I was fully unloaded.

I was still shaking when I loosened my grip on her head and slowly withdrew. She didn’t swallow until I was all the way out, her throat bobbing when she did, and I was halfway back to being hard again.

But first, her…

“That was the best head I’ve ever had.” I wiped the smeared mascara from her cheek. “Was that okay?”

She smiled coyly, glancing toward the curtains that hid the main cabin from the flight attendant. “Would have been better if we knew for sure she knew what we were doing.”

Damn, she was one dirty girl. My dirty girl.

I planned to claim her in every way she’d let me.

“Well, then,” I said, tugging her back to my lap. “This round we better make sure we make you scream.”

“This place is a palace,” Tessa said three and a half hours later when we walked in the front doors of my grandpa Irving’s house in Key Biscayne.

An almost ten-thousand-square-foot Mediterranean-style home on ocean waterfront with stunning views—yeah, it was pretty spectacular.

Though it was on the conservative side compared to most of the other houses Grandpa had around the world. This was the residence he always referred to as his “shack.”

I decided there was no need to mention that to Tess. I didn’t want to patronize her starry-eyed enthusiasm. Hopefully, I’d get to show her all the other houses in the future. I smiled, imagining seeing her reaction to the estate in Paris or the Hamptons’ mansion or the beach house in the Maldives.

Hell, it would be fun just showing her the rest of this place.

Later. After all the activity on the plane ride, I was making an executive decision. “I’ll give you the full tour before dinner. Right now, we both need a nap.”

“Did I say this was a palace? I think I meant heaven. A nap sounds—” Her words broke away with a yawn. “Heavenly.”

“Let’s get you to the bedroom, sleepyhead.” I took her hand, planning to tow her along with me to the guest quarters. Our luggage had already been taken up, and while maybe it was rude to not look around for my grandfather first, I hoped he’d understand us wanting to freshen up before we made an appearance.

And frankly, I needed a little bit of time to wrap my head around what I was doing. What we were doing here together. I’d chosen to bring her to the Keys because I’d wanted to be alone with her someplace warm and safe and comfortable, but there were a hundred places that would have met that description. I’d chosen to bring her to the Keys specifically because I’d wanted her to meet Grandpa. I’d never wanted that before.

And now I did. What did that mean about me? What did it mean about me and Tess?

I’d been so preoccupied with running away from the relationship my parents planned for me, I hadn’t had much time to examine what I was running to. This weekend would give me time to explore that. And maybe Grandpa would have some insight that I could glean.

Now that we were here, though, with the introduction looming, the significance of my decision to bring her here made my chest pinch with something that felt a lot like anxiety but warmer. Something that felt like being hugged and squeezed and released and smoothed out all at once.

I wasn’t ready to put a name to that emotion, but I was smart enough to know it would be a scary name when I did.

I was also experienced enough to know my grandfather would try to name it for me. Which was why a little break before we saw him sounded like a great idea.

Except best laid plans and all that…

We were halfway down the hall going toward the back stairs when Grandpa came in off the terrace and cornered us. “Trying to sneak in, are you? What kind of manners are those? Don’t even have time to say hello to your host? Has that good-for-nothing son of mine taught you nothing?”

I tensed, wondering if Tessa could tell that his gruff exterior was all a facade. Unlike my father, who was as much bite as he was bark, my grandfather was a big old softie.

“Didn’t want to disturb you, Grandpa,” I said, letting him embrace me. It always felt odd when he did since neither of my parents were huggers, but the strangeness always melted away as soon as his arms folded around me. “And I thought it would be more polite to not greet you looking so travel-worn.” A.k.a. sexed-up.

“Nonsense. I’m ninety-five years old, Scottie. That means I don’t have time to care about appearances. Though it also means I understand the lure of an afternoon nap, so I’ll make this quick.” His eyes glanced over at Tess. “Is this her?”

“She can hear you, you know. She’s not deaf like you are.”

“I’m perfectly aware she can hear me.” His eyes twinkled as he turned to my girlfriend. “Tess Turani, is it? Scott has told me all about you.”

“He has?” Her brows rose in surprise, her face radiant as she let Grandpa take her hands in his.

I worried suddenly that she’d be upset that I hadn’t told her much about him, besides the brief rundown I’d given her when we’d landed. It wasn’t that I was trying to hide him. Or maybe I was. In some ways, it was even harder to share the warmth and goodness of my grandfather with Tess than it was to share the ugliness of my father. The elder Sebastian might have been the man to build SIC, but he wasn’t anything like the current face of the empire, and letting people see that felt like admitting some sort of personal failure, even though I had no control over either of them.

But I needn’t have worried because Grandpa didn’t let her have a single second to be upset. “Of course, he has. And I can see he didn’t overdo his description of you in the least. You’re absolutely breathtaking. Must have a heart of gold too to put up with a loser like this one.”

He winked at me, and I gave him a begrudged smile. He was good at laying on the charm. I’d probably learned a thing or two from him about it over the years.

“Eh, not so much a loser,” Tess said, and I could tell she was already smitten with the old man. “He’s got a few things going for him.”

“I don’t need to hear about the size of his cock, please and thank you. I’ve read all about it in those trashy magazines the housekeeper picks up from the supermarket. I’m hoping you’ve found he has some qualities that extend beyond the bedroom and the bank account.”

“Grandpa, please.” Why hadn’t I counted on him embarrassing me? Major fail on my part.

“Shush, boy. I’m a modern man. I know how these things work. It’s why you’re staying in the guest quarters. You can be as loud as you?—”

“Grandpa!”

He dropped Tessa’s hand so he could swat me away. “I’ll let you get to your love nest soon enough. Just wanted to meet the girl and let you know I’ve arranged for dinner on the terrace around seven. Pulled out all the stops too. She’ll be impressed, kid.”

“No need to try,” Tessa said. “I’m already impressed. With both of you.”

He leaned in, curious. “But are you impressed enough? I could tell you all the best stories about him.”

“I assure you I’m impressed enough. But you can still tell me all the best stories about him.” It was her turn to wink.

“I know exactly which one I’ll start with.”

“Grandpa, please. Stop being weird.” I wasn’t ready to admit how enamored I was watching them engage. Admitting that was too close to naming that strange emotion in my chest, that emotion that burned and broadened with every breath in her presence.

“Am I being weird? I thought I was being a gracious host.” He turned back to Tess, angling in as though he wanted to bring her into his confidence. “I’m trying to be on my best behavior. He’s never brought a woman to meet me before.”

Oh, God. “She doesn’t need to know that, Grandpa.”

He whipped around to glare at me. “Of course, she does. If a woman doesn’t know she’s special, she’s less likely to stick around.”

“You’re being a very gracious host,” Tess said. “I feel very welcome.”

“Good. You’re always welcome here. Now I’ll let you two get to whatever it is you need to get to, and I’ll see you at dinner.”

“Napping,” I called after him as he walked away. “We’re literally taking a nap.” When I turned back to Tess, she looked like she was trying to fight back a laugh. “Don’t,” I said. “He’s not as cute as he thinks he is, so don’t say that he is.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” Her smile lingered as I led her to the staircase.

My smile, on the other hand, did not. Something was bothering me, an urgency clawing at my insides, and I couldn’t pinpoint the source. The meeting had gone well enough. Grandpa had been embarrassing, but he’d seemed to like her, and she’d seemed to like him. The anxiety weighing down on me with my parents was still there, but nothing had changed to bring it front and center.

So what was it?

We were halfway up the stairs when it hit me, the fear that my grandfather had subtly planted, and as soon as I realized it, I couldn’t not deal with it right away. Couldn’t not share the emotion that was unraveling into words inside of me. Couldn’t not do everything in my power to make sure she stuck around.

“Tessa,” I said, pulling her to a stop beside me. It was on the tip of my tongue. A single exhale would push it out. I want you. I need you. I love...

At the last minute, the words became something else. Something easier to say, though not by much. “You’re special. You know that. Right?”

I could barely breathe as she studied me with serious eyes, taking me in. I wondered what she saw, what my face told her. I prayed she saw the truth in my words because the thought of her not sticking around was devastating.

After what felt like forever, she put her hand up to my cheek, rubbing it along my beard. “Yeah. I think I’m starting to know.”

It wasn’t as good as if she knew without a doubt, but it was enough to allow my breathing to resume.

And now I knew what I had to work on: proving it until she knew for real.