garlic, and sweet dates and almonds drizzled with honey, and they drank rare wine.
At night she explored every manner of sensual pleasure with Sebastian whenever he was free. He did not sleep alone. Either he took his turn at keeping watch, or he stayed with her. He drove her to exhaustion, and when she couldn’t take any more, they piled blankets on the floor in front of the fire and he would painstakingly massage her sore, tired body with the essential oils that he had found in one of the rooms.
In the mornings they would talk drowsily, nesting in the warm bed until it was time to get up for the day.
He told her of his life in Jamaica, and as he talked, he never stopped touching her. Stroking her thigh. Running his fingers through her short hair. Following the curve of her breast with a finger. The constant contact drenched her in pleasure.
She lay draped across him bonelessly as she listened, and it didn’t matter what he told her. He could have been talking about accounting or mathematic algorithms, and she would have loved it. The fact that he actually opened up to her made it even more special.
“How did you and Bailey meet?” she asked.
“We grew up together in New Orleans.” She could hear the smile in his voice. “She’s more than a friend. She’s like my little sister.”
“I think you guys have a wonderful relationship.” Olivia smiled too. She loved to watch them bicker.
“Looking back,” he said, “I can’t believe we made a go of the company. We did almost everything wrong. At least we learned from our mistakes.”
She walked her fingers up his chest as she said, “And you had to have done more things right than not, because you did make a go of it.”
“Eventually.” He captured her hand and lifted it to kiss her fingers.
Her mind flashed, without her consent, back to Steve’s negative gossip. “Why Jamaica?” she asked. “Why not the Wyr demesne in New York?”
“I respect what Dragos has done for the Wyr,” he said. “I can even see that there is a necessary place for it in the world, but his brand of nationalism bothers me. I prefer a more inclusive approach to life. We hire anybody based on their talents and resources as an individual, regardless of whether or not they are Wyr or some other Elder Race, or if they are human.”
“Like Tony?”
“Yes, exactly. Tony’s human, but he’s a great fighter, he has a little bit of magic, and while he might not be a doctor, he is a damn fine field medic. All of that makes him a strong, versatile member of any crew.” He shrugged, his shoulders shifting fluidly underneath her stroking fingers. “And of course we could have done all of that in New York too. But that’s where the answer to your other question comes in. Sun, warmth, sandy beaches, endless beautiful water. Hell, we based the company in Jamaica just because we could.”
She grinned. “You must get a lot of applicants for job openings.”
“Quite a few,” he said dryly.
“How many people do you employ?”
“Almost a hundred. We’re still technically a small company.”
She blew out a soundless whistle. “It sounds like a big company to me. I had no idea.”
He chuckled. “Sometimes having so many employees is almost like having that many children.” Then he paused. “Don’t tell any of them that I said that.”
“I won’t,” she told him. “Probably.” He bit her forefinger in retaliation, and she laughed. “And anyway, employees and children are nothing alike.”
He sighed. “I’m sure you’re right. At least none of my employees need to be diapered.”
She chuckled, and he rolled her over, reversing their positions, so that she lay on her back and his head rested on her shoulder. Then, lazily, he played with her nipple, and even though they had made love through the night until she had fallen asleep out of sheer exhaustion, she felt arousal stir at his touch.
“How about you?” he asked. His voice had turned very quiet so that
At night she explored every manner of sensual pleasure with Sebastian whenever he was free. He did not sleep alone. Either he took his turn at keeping watch, or he stayed with her. He drove her to exhaustion, and when she couldn’t take any more, they piled blankets on the floor in front of the fire and he would painstakingly massage her sore, tired body with the essential oils that he had found in one of the rooms.
In the mornings they would talk drowsily, nesting in the warm bed until it was time to get up for the day.
He told her of his life in Jamaica, and as he talked, he never stopped touching her. Stroking her thigh. Running his fingers through her short hair. Following the curve of her breast with a finger. The constant contact drenched her in pleasure.
She lay draped across him bonelessly as she listened, and it didn’t matter what he told her. He could have been talking about accounting or mathematic algorithms, and she would have loved it. The fact that he actually opened up to her made it even more special.
“How did you and Bailey meet?” she asked.
“We grew up together in New Orleans.” She could hear the smile in his voice. “She’s more than a friend. She’s like my little sister.”
“I think you guys have a wonderful relationship.” Olivia smiled too. She loved to watch them bicker.
“Looking back,” he said, “I can’t believe we made a go of the company. We did almost everything wrong. At least we learned from our mistakes.”
She walked her fingers up his chest as she said, “And you had to have done more things right than not, because you did make a go of it.”
“Eventually.” He captured her hand and lifted it to kiss her fingers.
Her mind flashed, without her consent, back to Steve’s negative gossip. “Why Jamaica?” she asked. “Why not the Wyr demesne in New York?”
“I respect what Dragos has done for the Wyr,” he said. “I can even see that there is a necessary place for it in the world, but his brand of nationalism bothers me. I prefer a more inclusive approach to life. We hire anybody based on their talents and resources as an individual, regardless of whether or not they are Wyr or some other Elder Race, or if they are human.”
“Like Tony?”
“Yes, exactly. Tony’s human, but he’s a great fighter, he has a little bit of magic, and while he might not be a doctor, he is a damn fine field medic. All of that makes him a strong, versatile member of any crew.” He shrugged, his shoulders shifting fluidly underneath her stroking fingers. “And of course we could have done all of that in New York too. But that’s where the answer to your other question comes in. Sun, warmth, sandy beaches, endless beautiful water. Hell, we based the company in Jamaica just because we could.”
She grinned. “You must get a lot of applicants for job openings.”
“Quite a few,” he said dryly.
“How many people do you employ?”
“Almost a hundred. We’re still technically a small company.”
She blew out a soundless whistle. “It sounds like a big company to me. I had no idea.”
He chuckled. “Sometimes having so many employees is almost like having that many children.” Then he paused. “Don’t tell any of them that I said that.”
“I won’t,” she told him. “Probably.” He bit her forefinger in retaliation, and she laughed. “And anyway, employees and children are nothing alike.”
He sighed. “I’m sure you’re right. At least none of my employees need to be diapered.”
She chuckled, and he rolled her over, reversing their positions, so that she lay on her back and his head rested on her shoulder. Then, lazily, he played with her nipple, and even though they had made love through the night until she had fallen asleep out of sheer exhaustion, she felt arousal stir at his touch.
“How about you?” he asked. His voice had turned very quiet so that
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