Lockout Page 11

  I moaned and buried my face against his shoulder, content to let him take from me as much as he wanted. Every nerve in my body already felt like it was vibrating, but with each forceful stroke Sebastian strummed my arousal just a little more. My legs tightened around his hips like a vice, pushing him deeper still, spurring him on.

  "Harder." My voice sounded strained.

  "Ask properly," he purred, nibbling my earlobe.

  "Fuck me harder, Sebastian. Please."

  For a moment he slowed. Then, angling my legs slightly, he slammed back into me. I cried out, nearly biting down on his flesh in the process. His plunges became punishing, almost to the point of pain, but my body swallowed each one as hungrily as a breath of air. I loved that desire, that raw, unrestrained need. Every stroke was a reiteration of a promise. "You are mine, every inch of you."

  My back arched, my hips trying to add their own motion to the equation, but there was no space for me to move, nowhere for me to go. I was pinned helplessly against the wall, being fucked less than twenty feet from a cheering, surging crowd. And it felt amazing.

  I could still hear that trembling beat pumping in the next room. The bass of it echoed in my chest. It made our lovemaking feel like just an extension of the dance, our rhythm shifting and slowing in time with the music. It was beautiful; the perfect culmination of the perfect night.

  Nudging my head backwards, Sebastian engulfed my mouth with his, the softness of his tongue contrasting deliciously with the firmness of his cock. My hands ran wild across the hard expanse of his back, revelling in the vibration of his muscles as he drove himself into me.

  I felt a pressure building in my core, signalling that my body couldn't hold out much longer.

  "I'm close," I said breathlessly.

  "Then look at me." I brought my forehead up to meet his, placing our eyes just inches apart. "Don't close your eyes. Don't even blink. I want you to watch me as I make you come, Sophia, every moment of it."

  And with a powerful rocking motion, he pushed me over the edge. The rawness, the affection, the risk of getting caught, it was an intensely powerful combination. I clawed at his skin, my whole body quivering with the ecstasy of my release. I'm fairly sure I screamed, but with the noise in the next room, nobody seemed to notice.

  His turn came soon after. With several final bestial pumps his fingers dug deep into my legs, his body stiffening to iron as he burst inside me.

  As his pleasure faded, he shook his head slowly. "You know, one of these days you're going to get us into trouble, Sophia."

  "Me?" I asked, trying to look innocent. It was difficult. He still held me pinned in the air, his semi-erect penis still buried inside me. "I believe you were the one that dragged me in here and ravished me without so much as asking."

  He raised an eyebrow. "I do seem to remember warning you of the consequences of your actions. And if you're going to pretend you didn't enjoy yourself, I may be forced to prove you wrong." His mouth dipped down to my neck. "I bet I could make you come again right here against this wall. I bet I could make you scream so loud the entire room out there would hear."

  I closed my eyes for a moment, enjoying the soft teasing of his lips. "As wonderful as that sounds, I'm not sure I'm quite ready for a live audience."

  "That's okay, neither am I. Now that I've got you, all of this," he nodded towards my body, "is mine and mine alone. I don't want to share even the sight of you."

  "Well, if this evening is any indication of the way you take care of your possessions, then I believe that arrangement will work just fine."

  After cleaning up and doing our best to make ourselves presentable, we slipped back out into the crowd. Nobody paid us any mind. The room still bore a frenetic energy, and part of me wanted to rejoin the party, but coming that hard had left me feeling a little weak at the knees, so we headed for the door.

  I expected Joe to magically appear the way he always seemed to do, but the street outside was empty.

  "I think we've been abandoned," I said.

  He laughed. "I wouldn't put it past Joe, but that's not the case right now. I thought we could take a walk before leaving."

  My arm broke out in goosebumps as a gust of sea breeze swept through the alley. Despite the time of year, the night was unseasonably cold. "I don't know, I'm kind of chilly. Maybe another night?"

  "Come on, I want to show you something. It's not far." Removing his jacket, he slipped it over my shoulders. "Better?" he asked.

  I smiled. "Ever the gentleman." It certainly was warmer, although I didn't know how he wasn't freezing now. On the plus side, that left him in just a shirt, which showed off the hard curves of his chest considerably better. "Fine, let's go." He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and began to lead me towards the main street. "But I have to say," I continued, "I'm a little uncomfortable with all this romance. Late night walks along the water might send the wrong message. We have boundaries, remember?"

  He laughed loudly. "After seeing you shake it like that in there, there's no more boundaries, Sophia. You've officially ruined me for anyone else." He gave my ass a playful slap to illustrate the point.

  "Oh, so that's what I have to do to earn a spanking is it?" I asked, shaking my hips a little.

  "Aww, feeling neglected are you?"

  I grinned. "Just curious, really. It's been a while since you brought out the heavy artillery in the bedroom. It's enough to make a girl think you've gone soft."

  He returned my smile. "I believe I showed you exactly how hard I can be just a few minutes ago."

  That made me laugh. "That you did."

  "But seriously," he continued, "not every dominant is the same. I have to be in control in the bedroom, that will never change, but we're not all leather wearing, paddle wielding machines. Don't get me wrong, I love a little kink when the mood is right, but truth be told, I think I often used that really hardcore persona as a kind of shield. It was always much easier to keep distance between my partners and I when I was playing a role. But with you, I just want to get as close as possible."

  It was still novel hearing him express his feelings for me so openly. It made me tingle all the way down to my toes. "So no more tie up then?" I asked cheekily.

  He slipped in behind me and pinned my arms to my side, stopping me in my tracks. "Oh I wouldn't say that." I closed my eyes as I felt him brush his lips gently against my ear before nipping softly at my neck. "There are still plenty of things I want to do to that body of yours. I'm just waiting for the right moment."

  "Then I guess I'll just have to be patient," I replied, my voice suddenly breathy.

  "Exactly."

  We walked in silence for a while. I'd been expecting him to lead me to the beach, but instead he veered off down another side street. My confusion mounted when he turned again, this time off the road all together, onto a narrow dirt path that wove between two houses. Canopied and devoid of street lights, I could barely see more than three feet ahead.

  I paused at the opening. "You said you liked horror movies, well this is exactly how most of them start."

  He smiled. "Trust me."

  We walked for about a hundred feet, the incline growing steeper with every step, until eventually we broke through the other side.

  "Wow," I said for the second time that night. The view in front of me was nothing short of spectacular. The hidden track had opened out onto a wide expanse of headland that looked out over Manly Cove. We could see everything; the moonlit shoreline, the forest of yacht masts in the bay, even the electric outline of the city in the distance.

  "How did you even find this place?" I asked.

  "Luck." He looked sheepish. "Or perhaps stupidity. I'd spent a night at Mi Casa with some friends and we indulged a little too much. I went for a walk, got turned around finding my way back, and somehow wound up here." He gazed out over the churning waves. "I'm kind of glad I did though. I love this view."

  "It's beautiful," I agreed.

  He led me over to an open space
a few feet from the lip of the cliff and we sat down. Leaning in, I laid my head on his shoulder and snuggled close. Although the breeze was even more intense up here, with my body pressed against his, I no longer felt cold.

  He nodded towards the docks where several sleek white boats were slowly swallowing and disgorging passengers. "The thing I like most is the ferries. I've always loved ships, even since I was a kid. There's something about the beginning of a journey that fills me with hope."

  I couldn't help myself. "You know they're just going to the city, right? Half of them are probably going to wind up throwing up in a gutter in a few hours."

  He laughed. "Come on, where's your sense of wonder?" His expression shifted from amusement to something more reflective. "The truth is, I actually got away on a ship."

  I hesitated. I could tell straight away that we were venturing into darker territory. It had been such an amazing night, and part of me didn't want to do anything to ruin that perfect vibe, but he'd brought me up here for a reason. I'd said I wanted more openness. I couldn't deny him now. "Got away?"

  He licked his lips. "Like I said earlier, I didn't have the easiest time growing up. The place I lived... well, it wasn't exactly fit for kids. Or anyone, for that matter. There were no trains, no buses, not even any real roads. But there was the sea. I used to sit on a point a lot like this and stare at the boats that pulled in and out of the docks on the other side of the bay. I always loved the thought that they were going away. I didn't even care where. Just, away. Eventually, when I was old enough and strong enough, I swam out and stowed away on one and never looked back."

  I spent a few seconds processing this. It was a lot to take in. "I thought you said you were from Spain."

  He gave a sad little smile. "A lot of people don't realise how much poverty there is in big European countries. My parents and I lived in a little shanty town about an hour outside Barcelona. There's more of them than you'd think. France has hundreds. Portugal too. Entire groups of people who have just slipped through every support network available, until they land in the only place that will take them."

  "A shanty-town?" I asked uncertainly.

  He nodded, then grimaced. "Our house was made mostly from old plywood doors held together by nails. The roof was a single sheet of corrugated iron. I remember that whenever it rained, it used to make the most awful noise, like a clap of thunder that lasted the entire night."

  "Fuck," I said, shaking my head in disbelief. "I can't even imagine living like that. Why didn't your parents do anything? I know if I had a child, I'd do everything in my power to get them away from a place like that."

  He nodded. "I used to hate them for that, but I don't anymore. They were good people, I know that now. That sort of life just has a way of sapping your willpower. Everyone there had been defeated so many times they'd almost given up. Besides, when you fall in with those sort of people, even if you do want to leave, it's not as easy as just packing up and hitting the road."

  I understood the implication, but the strain in his voice told me not to delve any further. Whatever his parents had or hadn't done, it didn't change the sort of man Sebastian was.

  "Well, you got out," I said, smiling and squeezing his hand. It awed me knowing that he'd been through so much and still managed to turn into the magnificent, confident man sitting next to me.

  "That I did."

  "And you've done rather well for yourself since then. How does one go from shanty town urchin to professional jet-setting millionaire anyway?"

  He smiled. "That's a story for another time, I think. Can we just enjoy the view for a while?"

  "Okay, sure." A few moments passed. "And Sebastian. Thanks."

  He answered by pulling me closer and kissing my hair softly.

  I'm not sure how long we sat there. We stayed until long after the last ferry had pulled away from the dock. To tell you the truth, I would have been perfectly content to spend the whole night there, cradled in his arms, his fingers gently stroking my cheek. I'd never felt happier in my entire life.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Sebastian stayed the night at my place, and the next morning we went out for breakfast. It was a little unprofessional to be late to the office again, especially after ducking out early yesterday, but the truth was that I didn't care. Last night had shown me how perfect our relationship could be, and all I wanted to do was keep feeling that same euphoria for as long as possible.

  "What's your schedule like for the next few days?" I asked him, as we were finishing up our coffees.

  He grimaced. "Busy, unfortunately. I suspect I'll be eating all my meals at my desk for the foreseeable future. You may have to entertain yourself for a few days."

  I felt a pang of disappointment, but I brushed it aside. "Fair enough. We're getting pretty stuck into the Wrights case now anyway, so I won't exactly be bored." I picked up my coffee spoon and drew it in and out of my mouth slowly, dragging my tongue along the underside. "Of course, I may require entertaining once more before you disappear."

  He grinned. "You know, it just so happens that I have a block of free time that has just opened up right... now."

  Suffice it to say that I was even later to work than I initially planned.

  In truth, I wasn't as upset about Sebastian's busyness as I should have been, because he'd given me an idea. His surprises were becoming a regular fixture in our relationship, and I wanted to even the score a little. So I decided that if he was too busy to go out, I'd bring myself to him.

  When lunch time rolled around the next day, I picked up a couple of sandwiches from a nearby deli and headed for his building. A little subtle questioning over breakfast had told me that while he did have that office stashed behind the bar, that was only used during functions. He actually spent most of his time at the main Fraiser Capital building, which turned out to be only a ten minute walk from mine.

  The building was as impressive as I'd been expecting. A sparkling cylinder of dark glass that shot up into the sky like a raised fist. It was somewhat intimidating being at Sebastian's office. There was nothing overtly strange about it, but the secrecy with which his company approached their work made me feel a little like a soldier venturing behind enemy lines.

  I marched up to the front desk, trying my best to look like I belonged.

  "Can I help you?" asked the receptionist, smiling a little too widely. She was a pretty young girl, albeit in an overly made up, magazine cover sort of way.

  "Yes, I'm here to see Sebastian Lock."

  She glanced at the screen in front of her. "Do you have an appointment?"

  "Not really. I was hoping to surprise him." I held up the paper bag containing our lunch.

  "Oh, I'm sorry, but nobody goes upstairs without an appointment. Company policy."

  "I appreciate that, but it's not like I'm a stranger. I'm his girlfriend." It felt a little funny to say that out loud. We'd never used terms like that before. But still, it was true, wasn't it?

  The woman behind the counter smiled in that slightly patronising way that people usually reserve for small children. "I'm sorry, but I can't make exceptions. I can call him if you like, maybe get him to come down?"

  I exhaled sharply. I had hoped to surprise him in his actual office, but if this was my only option I guess I had no choice. "Okay sure. Thanks."

  She tapped a few buttons on the phone and sat patiently, but nothing happened.

  "I'm sorry, but he doesn't seem to be in. I could take a message for you if you like."

  I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Perhaps it was a stupid plan. He was a busy man. I should have just organised to see him over the phone like a normal person.

  "Sophia?" said a voice behind me.

  I turned and came face to face with Sebastian's friend Thomas.

  "It is you. I thought so," he said. He managed a small smile, although he didn't look quite as pleased to see me as he had the other night. Apparently Sebastian wasn't the only one under a lot of stress.

&nbs
p; I nodded. "Hi, Thomas."

  "You here to see Sebastian?"

  I felt a glimmer of hope. "Well I was hoping to, but they won't let me up."

  He winced. "Yeah, we're not really meant to have guests upstairs. It's a bit draconian I know, but it's the rules."

  "But if I went up with you, it'd be okay, right?" I said, flashing him a smile.

  He chewed on his lip. "Technically you have to be a client..."

  "Please! I was really hoping to surprise him. I only need a few minutes."

  I thought my feminine charms had done the trick, but eventually he shook his head "Sorry. If anyone found out I'd be in a crazy amount of trouble. Hell, Sebastian himself would chew me out. But since you came all the way here, I can go and find him for you if you like. He's in a meeting, but shouldn't be much longer."

  I deflated a little, although I don't know why I was surprised. Sebastian had described Thomas as "a company man through and through." Expecting him to break the rules was probably unrealistic.

  Still, his offer was better than nothing. "Okay, sure, that'd be great."

  He gestured for me to follow. As we walked towards the lift, he glanced down at the bag I held. "A hand delivered lunch? Sebastian's a lucky man."

  "It's more out of necessity than romance I fear. We're both so busy we barely get to see one another. I figured fifteen minutes over a sandwich is better than nothing."

  "For sure." He was silent for a few seconds. "So things must be going pretty well between you two then."

  My strong, independent side hated the goofy smile that bloomed on my face. Fuck, Sophia, you're practically swooning. But try as I might, I couldn't get rid of it. "Yeah, I think so."

  "That's good. That's good." But something in his tone said he didn't necessarily believe that. I didn't know what to make of it. Did he still worry about Sebastian's ability to commit? I had to admit, I still had the occasional doubts, but our night at Mi Casa had gone a long way to settling those.

  After a few more seconds, the lift arrived. "We'll probably be a few minutes," he said, stepping inside. "Feel free to make yourself comfortable." He pointed to a long sofa that rested against the far wall.