But he knew now that he and his siblings would get beyond the past, he promised himself. Because he was more self-aware now. And he’d make a concerted effort to be a more present part of his brothers’ and sister’s lives.
“You see the good in me?” he asked, because they really did have their history, and now? They had great sex but he felt so much more.
“I do.” She crawled onto his lap, hiking her dress up on either side of her thighs and taking her place on top of him. “The more I’ve gotten to know you, the more I do see the good in you, Sebastian Knight.” Bracing her hands on either side of his face, she leaned in and pressed her lips against his.
He groaned and slid his tongue into her mouth, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, holding on tight as he kissed her back.
This was everything he desired in life, everything he needed. And as she shimmied out of her underwear and helped him undress, all he could think about was getting inside her, where he belonged.
She threaded her fingers into his and rose above him. “Condom,” she said, pausing and torturing them both.
“Pants pocket,” he said through clenched teeth.
A few seconds later, he was good to go.
Her hands on his shoulders, she slid down onto his shaft. He felt every inch of his cock enclosed in her wet heat. She clenched tight around him, and he let out a rumbling groan of pleasure.
Her soft moan followed as she began to rock her hips, pivoting back and forth with her pelvis, her pubic bone and clit rubbing against him over and over again.
In all his years of cynicism when it came to women, he’d never have imagined he’d have found the answer to life deep inside one he’d known all along.
Because he loved her. A bone-deep, all-consuming love, he realized, as she came apart above him, taking him along for the ride. And as he came back to himself, her body still tight around his, he wondered how the hell he could manage to keep her.
Chapter Ten
Early the next morning, Sebastian met with Greg Munson, who had spent the night with his team, and they all agreed, it was a Sparrow Electronics purchase of a small component that had thrown off the locks and caused the problem. They hadn’t caught it themselves because the prototypes had worked fine and the problem at Keystone had been intermittent.
The replacement and new install would cost a small fortune, but it was their only option. Sebastian called Parker, they pulled Ethan into a conference call, and without getting into the hows and whys, explained what the issue was and what they needed to fix it. Ethan agreed they had no choice but to fund a new purchase of the components from a reputable company and get a team in to reinstall at Keystone. They also agreed to hire someone to oversee the San Francisco office full time instead of sending someone out, as they’d done with Mandy.
Putting off Ethan’s questions hadn’t been easy, but Parker had agreed the conversation about Mandy had to happen in person. They were first and foremost a family, and this would be handled in an intimate manner, not over the phone like it was just another business mishap.
Sebastian’s next call was to Stephan Romano, who, after reassurance that they’d discovered the problem and a promise to have the locks up and working in a reasonable amount of time, agreed to keep the contract in place.
Sebastian could finally breathe easy, knowing he’d accomplished his primary goal on this trip. He’d kept the Keystone contract secure. Later that morning, he called a meeting of the heads of all departments together and admitted that although things at Knight Time Technology had gotten off track, the days of lack of oversight were over. Or rather, Mandy’s oversight, but nobody said as much out loud.
He knew he was leaving their San Francisco office in better shape than he’d found it, and he was pleased with that.
They took a late flight back to New York. Sebastian was preoccupied with what they would be facing when they returned.
Ethan’s pain.
Ashley’s eventual leaving.
And he wasn’t sure how to handle either.
* * *
Ashley was relieved they arrived back in New York too late for her to talk to Ethan. She didn’t want to be the one to break news to him that was best coming from family. No matter how close they were, he needed to hear about Mandy from his brothers.
She’d spent the quietness of the flight thinking about her relationship with Sebastian, wondering how she’d let herself get into a situation where she was going to be hurt when she left him behind. What in the world had she been thinking?