An Innocent, a Seduction, a Secret

She wasn’t sure what he meant until he put his mouth on hers again and coaxed her to open up, let him in. Sebastio Rivas was an expert. He tipped up her jaw and there was no place she could hide. He explored her with a finesse and a thoroughness that made her dizzy.

Nothing she’d ever experienced could have prepared her for this sensual onslaught. Her legs were weak and she realised she was clutching at his shirt, as if that could stop her from sliding to his feet in a heap. Tentatively she explored him, nipping at his full lower lip, revelling in its fleshy firmness.

He tasted as good as he looked and she wanted more. A lot more. The sensations coursing through her body were overwhelming. She didn’t know how to handle it.

And that was when a sliver of cold reality returned to her brain. Reminding her of who she was. Who he was.

She spread her hands on his chest and used all her self-control to push. His mouth lifted from hers and Edie sucked in a shaky breath. She stepped back, out of his embrace, and immediately felt bereft and cold.

‘What are we doing?’ she asked, her tongue feeling too big for her mouth.

‘Proving that you want me.’

Something went cold inside Edie. He hadn’t actually said he wanted her. His eyes glittered and his cheeks were flushed, but that was no comfort. It was triumph. Not desire. She was horrified by how close he’d come to discovering all her deepest secrets and vulnerabilities. Her humiliating inexperience.

Striving to sound as cool and collected as she could, she said, ‘This is highly inappropriate. You’re my boss.’

He sounded totally nonchalant—as if he hadn’t just been setting her on fire and watching her burn. ‘Actually, technically, I’m not. You’re employed by a subsidiary company of Rivas Bank which has been set up to hire employees in England.’

‘I signed a contract to work for you.’

He inclined his head. ‘Not directly, no. You’re actually employed by Azul Incorporated—it’s named after an island I own off the coast of Argentina: Santa Azul.’

He owned an island. Of course he did.

The gulf between her and this man was laughable. Epic.

‘It’s still inappropriate,’ she said stiffly.

‘And you’ve never done anything inappropriate before?’

Edie’s chest tightened. No, she hadn’t—because she’d become ill just around the time that all her peers had been testing the boundaries between themselves and their parents. And, in any case, she knew she would never have been the rebellious type.

Her body felt over-sensitised and jittery. Unfulfilled.

And then she saw something alter in Sebastio’s demeanour, his expression closing off.

He said coolly, ‘Actually you’re right. You should go back to bed, Edie.’

Run along.

He might not have said those words, but that was what he meant. Edie couldn’t believe she’d subjected herself to this again. The arousal in her blood humiliated her. But she rejected the humiliation. Not again.

‘What is it? Do you get off on proving that women want you as a punishment for their transgressions?’

He frowned. ‘What are you talking about?’

Edie wished she’d just left the room when she had the chance. ‘You kissed me because you were angry... You wanted to humiliate me.’

Now his eyes glittered with something far more dangerous. ‘You think I kiss women I feel attracted to just to prove a point?’

Edie’s heart thudded against her breastbone. ‘You mean...?’ She couldn’t say it.

Sebastio’s face was stark. ‘That I want you? I thought that was patently obvious.’

Edie felt light-headed. ‘I thought you were angry with me.’

‘I was...but I still want you. I stopped because if I hadn’t we’d be making love on the desk right now, and I don’t know if you’re ready for that.’