Sebastian: A Clean Billionaire Romance Page 3

  Down, girl! I mentally hiss before my body starts moving on its own.

  Ugh. This is what happens when you work too hard to date.

  His arm grazes mine and suddenly I realize this is the closest I’ve been to a man in a long time.

  Bash begins to fill the cupcakes with batter under my direction, swiping his hair out of his face with the back of his hand. It only adds more batter to his gorgeous face.

  “Here, Bash, you’ve got some . . .” I lean up, flicking a few clumps of batter from his black hair.

  He grins at me, a grin that makes my veins simmer. Bubbles of heat burst in my stomach and I clear my throat. “It’s nice of you to do this, you know. For your sister. It’ll mean a lot to her when you tell her you helped make these. It’s the perfect wedding gift,” I babble, straining to focus my thoughts anywhere but his handsome face.

  “I could just buy her something,” he answers blankly, mouth pinching slightly to the side. “That would be more memorable, I think, because it would give her something to hang on to forever. These cupcakes will be gone in just a few hours.”

  I feel a reflection of his uncertain frown forming on my own face. “When you give a gift, it’s not about how long it lasts, it’s about how much the person will treasure it. Something that you made by hand will surely be something she treasures, even after it’s gone.”

  He gives a shrug, dismissing my words as he steps back and shoves his hands in his pockets.

  “I don’t agree,” he says definitively, giving me no more room to argue. “Cupcakes are cute, sure. She’ll think it’s nice that I helped bake them if I choose to tell her, though I probably won’t because then I'll have to explain that I forgot to order them ahead of time. But possessions, accomplishments, things that you can actually look at months or years after . . . that’s what I treasure.”

  Spoken like a man who has deep pockets and the ability to buy anything he wants.

  Naturally, to him, something with a price tag would equal happiness. I decline to press my point further, knowing there’s no point to it.

  “I couldn’t imagine doing this,” Bash suddenly says, glancing toward the now dwindling line of people at the front of the shop as my staff preps for closing. “It’s so hot in here with the ovens going and there’s so much noise and constant mess. What about this appeals to you?”

  He appraises me as one might appraise an unusual animal at the zoo. I can tell he’s not quite sure what to make of me. Funny, seeing as that’s how I'm probably looking right back at him.

  In my line of work, I meet a lot of people with differing values than myself. Somehow Sebastian takes the cake entirely. Speaking with him is like speaking with someone who grew up on a totally different planet.

  “Well, I get that this might not be for everyone, but I believe this is what I was put on this earth to do,” I answer with a shrug.

  It might not be the most concise or eloquent of responses, but I mean every word. To my surprise, he gives a slow nod of understanding.

  “Do you have a bathroom where I can clean up while the cupcakes are baking?” he asks. “I have to head straight to the dinner after this and I've got flour everywhere.”

  “It’s because you insisted on taking off the apron,” I tease. “I actually live right above the bakery. You can use my shower if you want.”

  “I wasn’t planning on showering.”

  “You might want to reconsider, you’ve got flour all over your face.”

  He frowns but gives a simple nod, though he doesn’t offer any notion of gratitude.

  I pop the cupcakes into the oven, set the timer, and head toward a back door that I keep locked while the shop is open. Bash stands by while I unlock it. I usher him inside, then follow him up the small set of stairs to my equally small apartment.

  Though recently I'd been making more money and I suppose I could upsize, I love living above the bakery. The scent of sugar and sweetness lingers in the air even after all the ovens are closed and cleaned for the night, and there’s nothing better than only having to take a set of stairs to your job.

  “I'm sure this is way smaller than what you’re used to,” I murmur shyly as I show him to the bathroom and turn on my finicky shower faucet.

  I'm well aware of how small my home is, and though I've never felt embarrassed of it, it suddenly feels so crowded with the two of us inside. He stands in front of the bathtub and I stand near the door. Faint light trickles in through the bathroom window, illuminating the shine of his hair. It glistened like raven’s wings. My heart picks up pace again, steadily thumping against my ribs. I wonder if he can hear it.

  “I think your home is lovely,” he answers softly, his fingers already carefully plucking at his buttons.

  His muscled chest is exposed inch by inch, my suddenly greedy eyes drinking up the sight. I try to avert my gaze, looking anywhere but at the handsome man before me, but my eyes are continually drawn back.

  Bash, knowing exactly how gorgeous he is, only continues to taunt me. He pulls his shirt off, folding it and setting it aside. When his fingers move toward his belt I quickly stumble back from the small bathroom.

  “Holly!” he calls after me, “I would very much appreciate a towel!”

  Hastily, I search through my linen closet for a towel that isn’t threadbare or wrinkled, returning a few moments later to shove it in through the unlocked door.

  Bash hums from in the shower, deep reverberations of his voice echoing as steam slowly rolls across the tiled floor. I can see his silhouette through the film of the pale shower liner, his shoulders broad and muscled as his hands move through his hair.

  “Dammit, Holly, keep it in your pants,” I mumble to myself, closing the door and stepping away.

  It wasn’t like a billionaire would ever be interested in me, even in a purely physical way. He was way too good looking and successful. He probably had gorgeous ladies falling at his feet everywhere he went. At least I could take solace in the fact that I would never be one of those girls.

  “Holly?” he calls again, interrupting my thoughts.

  The way my name sounds on his lips makes a shudder roll up the length of my spine. When I peer back into the steam filled room, my body feels cold despite the heat of the shower.

  “Yes?” I croak.

  When he talks, he lifts his voice to speak above the sound of rushing water. “I can’t seem to figure out how to turn down your water temperature. It’s scalding.”

  “Oh! You just . . .” I hastily rush forward, thrusting a single hand through the still closed shower curtain to grasp the shower handle. “You have to give it a good wiggle before it turns. It takes a bit of force.”

  With a grunt I shove the handle hard to the side to cool down the water, however the force of it topples me over the rim of the bathtub where Bash stands.

  Before I know it, I collapse in a heap at his feet. I’m literally falling for him, just as I promised I wouldn’t be a few moments ago.

  Bash stares down at me, eyebrows lifting in surprise as streams of water glide down his muscles. My mouth opens and closes, my blouse soaked through in seconds by now frigid water that does little to cool the flaming warmth of my cheeks.

  I stammer. “I didn’t . . . I . . . oh my God!”

  He reaches down quickly, scooping me into his arms. Carefully, he drags me to my feet. I'm grateful he’s holding me up because my knees are shaking now, his body firm and hot against mine. Every inch of me that’s pressed to his feels as though it’s on fire.

  “Are you all right?” He asks, turning off the water before we both start shivering.

  I gape at him, trying to speak, but I am consumed by the depths of his dark gray eyes, the fullness of his lips, the nakedness of his flawless body. I try to pull away to escape him but his fingers capture my wrist, pulling me back.

  We stare at each other, my chest rising and falling in shallow pants, his eyes narrowing on mine, until I can no longer resist.

  I don’t know who moves first, but both of us spring back together at once, our lips desperate for one another’s.

  Chapter 5

  Sebastian

  My feet slide dangerously across the damp bathroom floor, Holly’s body hot in my arms as I carry her toward the safety of carpet just across the threshold.

  Her lips are soft as rose petals under mine, the tip of her hungry tongue brushing along the curve of my lower lip. Every now and then, she gives a faint gasp that makes the blood surging through my veins light on fire.

  My fingers cup her curves, hoisting her against me, legs wrapping around my hips. Though I'm completely nude, she’s still dressed in her drenched blouse and jean shorts.

  We’ll just have to change that, won’t we?

  I peel her shirt away, still moving through the cramped apartment. I have no idea where her bedroom is, and neither one of us is interested in breaking the kiss to speak. As luck would have it, the first door we crash through has a bed inside. I toss Holly onto it and kick the door closed behind me.

  “This is just physical,” Holly gasps against my lips as I recapture them. “This means nothing. Just once, that’s all.”

  I don’t bother answering. I’m completely aware of the nature of this hookup. Instead I lightly suck her lower lip between my teeth, focusing solely on the earth-shattering bliss about to unfold between us.

  Her eyes darken, narrowing on mine. Her face and chest are flushed with the rosy red of lust. When she senses I'm going to take my time with her she tries to pull me closer.

  I can tell that Holly is a woman used to being in charge, but I have no intention of allowing her that position today. I take my time kissing the sides of her throat, leaving small love bites in the wake of my lips. It’s only when she pants my name, chest he
aving, and body trembling that I know it’s time.

  * * *

  When we’ve wrung immeasurable pleasure from each other, we collapse against the wall. My head finds her neck, face burrowing into her now damp flesh as the aftershocks of intense gratification ripple through our bodies. Dizzy with raw ecstasy, I embrace her against me.

  Though we don’t speak, the silence between us is consumed by the sound of our ragged, satisfied breathing.

  Slowly I lift my head kissing her one more time before gently putting her back on the ground. She stumbles slightly to the side, giving me a weary smile when I straighten her back up.

  We dress lazily after she grabs a dry outfit from her room and then we head back down to the bakery without a word of what happened.

  One of the staff members had already iced the cupcakes and left them in boxes for me to take.

  “I guess you’re ready to roll,” Holly murmurs softly.

  Her voice carries the husk of sex in it. Just the sound makes me want to drag her back up to her little apartment and take her again, though instead of doing that I simply take the boxes.

  “Thanks again for helping me out. If I know anyone else who’s looking for some dessert, I'll certainly point them this way.”

  She nods silently, sweeping mussed hair from her eyes. A few of the workers give us the side eye, what happened between us apparent by the lust still on my face and the subtle redness of her skin. She gives another dazed smile, still basking in the glow of bliss. She follows me toward the door the same way someone would walk a date out after their night together.

  We stand there for a long moment.

  “That was . . . nice,” I offer uncertainly, not knowing how to talk to her now.

  During my other one-night stands, I typically leave while my partner is sleeping. Now, I actually have to say a decent goodbye.

  “It was, for a one-time thing,” Holly answers, as though she could read the hesitation in my mind. “Wish your sister the best for me.”

  “I will. She’s having her dinner at The Plaza so these will fit right in.”

  The conversation lulls, leaving us simply standing in silence and looking at each other. It occurs to me that I should walk away, but the finality of it keeps me rooted in one spot. If I turn around and head down the sidewalk, I will never see this woman again.

  Isn’t that what I want?

  “Goodbye, Bash” she says quietly, slowly reaching over and opening the door for me.

  A cheery bell jingles overhead, the chatter of passersby greeting us in the warm breeze.

  “Goodbye,” I echo, taking one step out.

  I stare ahead, listening as the lock turns behind me. Though I want to turn around again, I head toward my waiting limo instead, determined to forget the beautiful baker and her perfect kiss and fierce eyes.

  Chapter 6

  Holly

  I don’t know exactly what came over me with Bash. I'm not typically the type of girl who leaps into a naked man’s arms—or shower, rather.

  I can’t believe I did that!

  But the sight of him glistening in the water was too much to resist. Not to mention him taking me in his big, strong arms and lifting me out of the shower. It made me melt into a puddle of pure desire.

  My eyes drift shut, remembering the feel of his fingertips gliding along my spine and the way my lips are swollen and bruised from his kiss. I can still taste him on my tongue, I can still feel his arms around me. I shiver, trying to push the tantalizing memories away.

  I tell myself it’s not a big deal.

  I mean, what could it hurt?

  It’s not like we’re going to see one another again. Plus, it’s been so long since I let myself feel that good, a type of good that warms my bones and energizes my body.

  Don’t I deserve that every once in a while?

  I can’t even feel the floor under me while I move about in the bakery, humming some bubbly song that I heard on the radio yesterday.

  “Um. . . Holly . . .” my assistant says slowly, edging up behind where I'm giddily marking items off our inventory sheets.

  “Oh, hey. Why are you still here?” I ask, glancing over my shoulder at the young woman. “Weren’t you supposed to get off at closing time?”

  The girl is holding a pink and cream colored box, the same box that I package up our goodies in before they’re handed off to the customer.

  She nods, biting her lip. “I was but I wanted to make sure that all the deliveries were in order for tomorrow morning.”

  “That’s so sweet of you, thank you. I'll make sure the extra time is on your paycheck this week.”

  “Okay, thanks. It’s just . . . while I was finishing up, I remembered something,” she squeaks, biting her lip so hard that I'm worried she’s going to tear right through it.

  “Well, what is it?” I ask, unable to keep one brow from lifting toward my crimson hairline. “Is everything okay?”

  If she knocked over the wedding cake I'd spent four hours decorating this morning, I think I might puke.

  “Um, that man who was here earlier. Mr. Titus?”

  I nod, bracing myself to hear that he’d called again to demand something else, probably a wedding cake for tomorrow that I would never be able to finish.

  “Well, while you two were . . .” she trails off and clears her throat. “Um, up in your apartment, I put the cupcakes in the fridge to cool so I could ice them.”

  I glance down at the box in her hand, then back up into her worried eyes. “Okay?”

  “And while I was just in there organizing your deliveries, I kind of found a box that I forgot to give back to him before he left.”

  She holds out the box to me, eyes big and fearful.

  In the past two years of having Holly Cakes open, I have never once been late on a delivery or messed up an order. She knows good and well what my record is and how important it is to me.

  “Oh no,” I whisper. My mind races, already plotting the quickest course to The Plaza where Bash mentioned the rehearsal dinner would be. “We’ve got to get these to him. He made it clear how important it was for him to get these cupcakes to his sister.”

  My assistant nods glumly, her chin hanging toward her chest. Pausing just long enough to put a hand on her shoulder, I give her an encouraging squeeze. “As much as we want to be perfect, sometimes we just fall short. Next time double check the orders you give out, okay?”

  She nods eagerly, assuring me that she’ll be more careful in the future. I can see how upset she is at herself for failing both me and Bash, and I know I don’t have to harp on it any longer.

  “I'm going to The Plaza to deliver these myself, can you lock up here for me and head on home?”

  “Yes, Holly!”

  I wink at her, scooping up the box and glancing inside to make sure that it was indeed the cupcakes before rushing out back to my delivery van. The van, recently repainted to match the trademark colors of the bakery’s interior, is freshly filled with gas and ready to hit the road. I leap in, slap on my seatbelt, and careen down the street. I might’ve blown a red light or two, but this was a bakery emergency.

  Fortunately for me, The Plaza is only a few blocks away and, thanks to the numerous weddings held there and the cakes I deliver for them, I knew the best route to take.

  I make it to the venue in record time and thankfully, the cupcakes hadn’t been handed out to the guests yet. Stealthily creeping along the back of the dining hall, I manage to sneak the last dozen in with the rest. When I try to creep back toward the door, however, I bump headlong into a waiter carrying a huge tray of wine glasses. The glasses clink and clatter together as both the waiter and I try to save them from crashing to the ground.

  The noise interrupts the best man as he’s giving his speech, a best man who just so happens to be Sebastian himself.

  “Holly,” Bash says in surprise, speaking into the microphone. “You’re here.”

  Every single one of the people seated around the tables slowly swivel toward me, taking in the sight of the stranger breeching their event.

  “Oh my God, Bash!” gasps a young woman in a floaty white sundress. I recognize her from Bash’s phone, but even if I didn’t it’s easy to tell she’s the bride. She looks from me to Bash. “Is this her? Is this the girl you were telling me about?”