angst in the spring air. Wyatt had made no bones about his intentions. He wanted her and he hadn’t danced around the subject. He was direct, far more forthcoming than any other man she’d known in the past.
She thought about those men for a minute. It didn’t take long to count them. Jason had dominated her time since she’d been barely legal. He’d demanded her attention. As an ounce of regret weighted down her shoulders, she defied the little voice inside her head. She wouldn’t take another step forward until she was certain she could leave the past behind.
Stalling at the sidewalk, she looked up at Wyatt. “I may need a minute.”
As if he understood, Wyatt said, “Don’t live your life with regrets, Kimberly. The past educates us. History teaches us even without our awareness. Enter this experience with an open mind. You’ll leave with a new realm of understanding.”
* * * *
The darkness provided Sebastian the opportunity to watch without their knowledge. Kimberly was as beautiful as he remembered, and she’d matured. He could tell by the way she carried herself.
Good for her, he mused, wondering if her confidence was a front. Jason Neely was known for taking women under his wing at a young age and destroying them, teaching them his version of Domination and submission and leaving them forever ruined for any other Dom.
Sebastian’s heart skipped an extra beat when she continued toward the house. He’d installed additional spotlights for this very reason. He wanted a chance to stare at the woman who would soon become the last submissive he’d ever take to his bed.
Crossing one arm over his chest, he placed his fist under his chin and used his arm to support his elbow. Good God, she was remarkable. Her hair was piled on top of her head with loose curls framing her face and gently bouncing at her neck.
Her full, rosy cheeks, shapely painted lips, and small chin were perfect for her oval face, but that figure, oh God, that lace bodice she wore promised a flawless form existed underneath. He watched them until they walked under the overhang and disappeared out of sight.
Sebastian then glanced down at his tuxedo, cursing the visible stretch of his erection. He’d known her presence in his home would affect him in this manner. He and Wyatt had talked about it. They’d known he would be the weaker link of the two because he had kept his distance. Wyatt had not.
For years, Sebastian had waited. He’d wanted. He’d yearned. God, he’d needed. Now, there she was, downstairs in his home.
Strolling to the bedside table, he picked up the receiver and dialed a number he’d known from memory since the first threat had been made years earlier. Neely’s group of friends had taunted him with Kimberly. One minute, they wanted him to believe he could have her—for a price—and the next minute, they threatened his life if he so much as attended the same function she was scheduled to attend.
Listening to the annoying ring, he tapped his fingers against the smooth wood. Eyeing the four-post bed, he couldn’t help but hope. He wanted to see Kimberly sprawled across his mattress by the end of the night.
“Yeah? Who is this?” A dreadfully troubled voice filled the line.
“Is this Jason Neely?” Sebastian asked.
“Yeah. Who is this? What do you want?”
“Who I am isn’t important. You can assume I have your number because some of your people call when they are interested in selling photographs, pictures of a young woman in her mid-to-late twenties.”
“Go on.”
“Mr. Neely, I want you to pay attention.”
“Is this some kind of prank?”
A soft buzz hummed in Sebastian’s jacket pocket and he retrieved his cell. He smiled as soon as he confirmed the picture received, but he felt that smile widen after he keyed in a number and hit send .
“This is no prank,” he assured him, watching the blue bar zip across the facing of his phone before the word “sent” verified Neely had
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