Possessed (14 page)

Keva
grabbed her arm. “Shh. I-it wasn’t like that,” she said fiercely, careful to
keep her tone low. “We’re not…it’s not…” She felt her face getting hot. “Please
don’t say anything.”

“What
are you two whispering about?” Lily dunked the colander into the soapy water.

“Nothing,”
Keva was quick to say. Silently, she pleaded with Lecretia to agree.

“Just…recipes
for homemade cornbread.”

Lily
shook her head. “Trust me. Keep it simple and use a premade mix.”

****

Keva
paused on her doorstep, keys to her town house in hand. She turned to face
Sebastian. He’d driven her home. She bit her lip, wondering when she would see
him again. Taking a deep breath, she asked, “So, where are you staying while
you’re in town?”

“Actually,
I was hoping to stay with you.”

“W-what?”
Good grief, the man was turning her into a stutterer.

“I
want to stay with you.”

“Why?”
She held her hand up before he could even answer. “It doesn’t matter. You can’t.
I only have the one bed. I turned the second bedroom into an office.”

He
smiled. “That’s fine.”

She
glared at him. A neighbor pulled up and she decided that taking this
conversation inside would be for the best. Unlocking her door, she gestured for
him to follow her inside. “I don’t know what you’re up to, but if you expect me
to believe—” She broke off with a gasp as he closed in on her space, backing
her into a wall. He bracketed her in, slowly flattening his hands onto the
plaster. Her gaze shot from his thick wrist to his deep blue eyes. “I don’t
understand. What are you doing? We did this earlier.”

A
smile curved his lips. “And you don’t think I could want you again?”

He
was so handsome and sexy. For a moment, she was mesmerized. She blinked to
dispel the sexual haze he so effortlessly caused. “No. You never have before.
Are you forgetting our history?”

Running
his fingers down her cheek, he shook his head. “No, but you need to. This time
is different.”

She
couldn’t hear this. He would only disappoint her. “That’s what you said last
time. And then you left me in the morning.” She shoved at his chest. “Let’s not
try to make this into more than what it was. Y-you needed…sex. I gave it to
you. You can leave.” She shrugged and tried to duck under his arm.

Sebastian
moved closer, pressing his lower body to hers so that she could feel his
erection. “I was wrong to make you think that this was only sex. Why do you
think I keep turning to you? Don’t you think I could have found another Channel
between here and Alaska?”

“You’ve
never displayed any interest in me when you weren’t about to go supernova.”

“I’ve
always wanted you. But I didn’t believe I deserved you. Hell, I still don’t.
But I’ve realized that I can’t let you go either. Right or wrong, I need to be
with you.”

She
covered her face with her hands. She wanted to believe him, but that would only
end in heartbreak. And the word
need
set her on edge. Did that mean he
thought it would be more convenient to stay with her rather than have to seek
her out every three months? Pushing him away was the hardest thing she’d ever
had to do, but she did it.

“You
expect me to believe that? As far as I can see, this is classic Bastian. You
call me up demanding pussy. I give in to you like a fool. The only difference
is that you want a free place to sleep until you’re ready to move on.” She
crossed her arms over her chest. “You can stay, but you’ve had all the pussy
you’re going to get.”

Sebastian
shifted positions and winced as pain shot through his neck. He punched his
pillow and moved so that his head was no longer on the armrest of Keva’s sofa.
That only caused his feet to dangle off the other end. “This is ridiculous.”
They’d slept together before. She had a perfectly good king-size bed with
plenty of room for him. Hell, she probably wouldn’t even know he was there.

Decision
made, he rolled to his feet. He was going to get a cramp in his neck if he
slept on the couch. Even the floor would have been more comfortable.

At
her bedroom, he paused. He could hear her even breathing. Moonlight brightened
the area by the windows. The bed was in shadow. He hesitated to wake her, but
he realized that he couldn’t simply barge in and possibly scare her. His track
record with her wasn’t the best.

Walking
forward slowly, he felt his way around the bed. He turned on the bedside lamp
and dropped to his knees. Keva was curled into a ball on her side with one hand
resting under her chin. She’d pulled her hair back into a ponytail. Giving her
a gentle shake, he whispered her name. Her eyes fluttered open and then closed.
“Keva, wake up.”

A
frown marred her smooth brow. Mumbling, she rolled over.

“Keva,
I can’t sleep on your couch. It’s folding me in half like a tortilla.”

With
a moan, she flopped onto her back. She winced at the light and flung an arm
across her eyes. “Sebastian?”

“Yes.”
He cleared his throat. The sheet had slipped to below her breasts. She wore a
black cotton camisole that clung to her chest, outlining her stiff nipples.

“What
time is it? What are you doing in here?”

“It’s
a little after midnight. I can’t sleep.”

Keva
removed her arm to glare at him. “Count sheep. Leave me alone. I have work in
the morning.”

“Your
couch is too small.”

She
frowned, her eyes traveling over him. “I suppose you are. What do want me to
do? I’ve only got the…” Her eyes widened. “Oh, no! Don’t even think it.”

“Why
not? We’ve shared a bed before. I promise to behave. You have plenty of room in
here for me.”

She
made a strangling sound. “Fine, but this is my side.” She curled back up into a
ball.

He
grinned and hurried around the bed before she could change her mind. She turned
out the light. He sighed as he sank into the mattress. Closing his eyes, he
thought he would drift off to sleep right away. It had been a long day.

Keva’s
scent surrounded him. She wasn’t touching him. It must have been the sheets. He
felt like he was cocooned in her fragrance. As usual, it made him as hard as a
steel rod. To distract himself, he tried doing math in his head. And not simple
addition or multiplication. He needed algebra. Hell, perhaps calculus.

Keva
turned the light on with a heavy sigh. “I can’t sleep. Get out.”

“What?
I’m not doing anything.”

“I
only agreed to let you stay so that you would shut up. If I don’t go back to
sleep right away, then I can’t get back to sleep. I didn’t want to waste time
arguing. But it didn’t work. It’s going to be an hour before I fall asleep. So
you can leave.”

He
rolled onto his side to face her. “Shit, way to renege.”

“Sleep
on the floor. I’ve got extra blankets.”

He
arched his brows. She still thought he was leaving. “And how long do you expect
me to sleep on the floor? It’s a temporary solution. It won’t work over the
long haul.”

She
rolled her eyes. “Don’t start.”

“Keva,
if I were going to leave, I’d be gone already. Why can’t you accept that I’m
sticking around?”

“You’re
the one who told me not to become attached. And as if that we’re enough, you
showed me through your actions.”

He
nodded. She wasn’t going to believe anything he told her. He would have to
prove to her that he was serious through his actions again. It would take time,
but he would convince her. “Okay, well, I was an ass when I said that to you.”

“I’m
not understanding this sudden change of heart.”

“It
may seem sudden, but it’s not. I’ve wanted you before I met you. I just felt
like I was using you.”

“And
now you’re okay with using me?”

“No.”
He flopped onto his back and ran a hand through his hair. “How do I explain
this?”

She
yawned. “When you figure it out, let me know. In the meanwhile, you can find
extra blankets in the hall closet.”

“Keva,
come on. The bed is big enough for the two of us.”

Grumbling,
she turned the light out, and the bed bounced a bit as she made herself
comfortable. She didn’t say more and soon he heard her even breathing. For a
long while, he lay there thinking of how to convince her that he was here to
stay. Almost before he landed in Alaska, he’d known that he’d made a huge
mistake. Mike was right. The only one who was putting limitations on his
happiness was himself. He wanted Keva and she wanted him. There was no reason
why they couldn’t be together.
He couldn’t lose her. He
just couldn’t.

****

Sebastian
was very warm. And hard. Harder than he’d been last night before he finally
drifted off to a fitful sleep. Opening his eyes, he soon discovered the source
of his discomfort. Keva had draped herself over him, her face buried in his
neck. Her soft curves were molded to his. Their shirts had ridden up and the
skin of her belly was hot against his. Her taut nipples poked at his chest.

He
wondered how long they’d been positioned like this. Keva shifted her hips in a
circle over his pulsing erection and his eyes almost crossed. She moaned in her
sleep and did it again. “Shit,” he muttered and grabbed her ass to stop her. He
struggled to remain still beneath her. Much more of that and he’d mess his
briefs. Another roll of her hips had him groaning. “Keva, God, please, you’re
gonna make me come.”

“Sebastian?”
She said his name as though she were surprised to find him there. Pulling back,
she stared down into his face with dazed eyes. “What…?” Awareness lit her
features. She gasped and scrambled to get off him, kneeing him in the belly in
her haste. “I-I’m going to take a shower. I have to get ready for work.”

Sebastian
gripped his throbbing cock. It took all his self-restraint to not follow her
into the shower. He would back her into the tiles, touch her and taste every
inch of her, concentrating on her sweet nipples. He’d slide his tongue into her
slick pussy. Groaning, he rolled out of bed. He was torturing himself.

Taking
deep breaths, he willed himself to relax. When he gained control of his
hormones, he fixed the bed. Keva exited the bathroom in only a towel. He went
hard again in an instant. His gaze flew over her glistening caramel skin. “Is
this revenge?”

“What?”
She clutched the towel to her chest.

“You
tell me that sex isn’t on the table. How do you expect me to keep my hands to
myself with you looking like a wet dream?”

Her
eyes widened. “Oh.” She bit her lip. “Sorry. I…” She blinked. “I wasn’t
expecting you to be here this morning. My clothes are in the closet. Would you
mind excusing me while I get dressed?”

“Of
course. Would you like me to fix you breakfast?”

She
glanced at the clock. “No, thank you. I’ll grab something on the way.”

Sebastian
went downstairs to the kitchen. He ate a bowl of cereal. He had no trouble
locating her dishes. His ability to find objects was perhaps the off trait his
parents had noticed about him. He never lost anything. Other children misplaced
their toys and couldn’t find them. Never Sebastian. It wasn’t that he was neat
or organized. No, he’d been as messy as any other five-year-old. But he could
always find anything he wanted. It was as though the object called out its
location to him.

Glancing
around Keva’s kitchen, he washed his bowl and dried it. Keva had a few boxes in
the corner that were taped and labeled kitchen. The click of her heels sounded
on the stairs. She wore a deep brown blouse and a beige skirt.

“When
you leave, will you please lock up?”

He
crossed to her and tilted her head back. Her lips were glossy so he kissed her
forehead. “I’ll see you when you get home. Have a good day.”

Frowning
slightly, she whispered, “Thank you.”

****

Keva
parked her car beside Sebastian’s truck. She’d fully expected him to be gone
when she got home from work. Throughout the day, she’d been tempted to call to
check on him. Grabbing her purse, she got out of the car. She locked her doors
behind her.

As
though he’d been waiting for her, Sebastian greeted her at the door with a huge
grin. Her heart did a funny little flip. He was incredibly handsome. His hair
was loose about his shoulders and for a moment she puzzled over why that
bothered her. “I fixed dinner,” he said, distracting her. “Hope you’re in the
mood for steak.”

Dropping
her purse onto the couch, she followed him into the kitchen. It smelled
wonderful. If she was hungry before, she was starving now. “Let me go freshen
up and I’ll be right back.” She kicked off her shoes at the base of the stairs
and ran up. She stripped out of the uncomfortable skirt and blouse. Ordinarily,
she would have tossed them onto the edge of her bed and hung them later, but
she knew Sebastian would insist on sharing the bed with her.