A Deal with Benefits (8 page)

Sebastian ruthlessly pushed aside any thought of Salazar. His blood roared in his ears and his hands shook with the need to land his fist into Salazar’s jaw. He had nothing to worry about. He didn’t trust the man, but he knew Ashley wouldn’t be interested in Salazar’s questionable charms.

Yet he kept an eye on Ashley during the cocktail party. Sebastian was always aware of where she stood. Even when he was in a deep conversation with his executive assistant, Sebastian heard Ashley’s earthy laugh from across the room.

He wasn’t sure what made him look up a few minutes later and actively seek her out in the party. His mother would have called it a premonition. Sebastian knew it had more to do with the fact that he was attuned to her.

He found her next to the door on the rooftop. The ocean breeze tugged at her white dress and her long brown hair. His voice trailed off as he noticed that Ashley stood ramrod straight. Her tension was palpable. Her polite smile was slipping and he saw the caution in her eyes.

It took him a moment to realize Oscar Salazar had his back to the party and was talking to her. A red haze filled Sebastian’s vision as the anger flared inside him. He strode through the crowd, determined to keep Salazar away. He didn’t notice the guests as he bumped shoulders and cut through small groups. A few guests saw the murderous rage in his expression and immediately got out of the line of fire.

He didn’t know what Salazar was saying to Ashley, but it didn’t matter. Ashley was
his
. Body and soul.

He saw Ashley’s face whiten. The color leached from her sun-kissed skin as if she was going to be sick. She turned her head and Sebastian knew she was searching for him. Their gazes clashed. Her brown eyes shimmered with hurt. Pain. Betrayal.

Ashley flinched and jerked her attention back at Salazar. Ashley’s mouth parted in shock a moment before she slung her champagne in Salazar’s face. She dropped the flute on the ground and marched away before Salazar could react.

Sebastian wanted to chase after his woman. Comfort and protect her. But first he had to take care of Salazar. He turned and glared at Salazar’s proud face. That man needed to learn that if he slighted Ashley, the wrath of hell was upon him.

* * *

Ashley brushed away the last tear as she gathered up her T-shirt and jeans and dumped them in the smallest suitcase she could find. Her hands shook as she zipped up the case. How could Sebastian do this to her?

Why was she so surprised? She meant nothing to him. She was just the mistress. A very temporary one. Hadn’t she seen enough on how men treated their mistresses? Why did she think Sebastian would have been any different?

Ashley jumped when she heard the door of their bedroom swing open and bang against the wall. She refused to look at Sebastian. She knew he filled the doorway with his hands clutching the frame. He was barring her exit and she felt his anger pouring through him.

“What happened between you and Salazar?” he asked with lethal softness.

“Bastard,” she muttered as she lifted the suitcase off the bed.

“He’s been called much worse, but what did he say to you?” Sebastian asked impatiently. “I couldn’t get a word out of him.”

“No, you are the bastard,” Ashley said as she thrust a finger at him. He looked like a dark angel. He had discarded his jacket and tie, but that didn’t diminish his raw masculinity. There was something angry and volatile about him. Dangerous and powerful. “I trusted you. I thought we had an agreement.”

“We do,” he said as he stepped into the room. “You are my mistress for a month.”

“Which you told Oscar Salazar.” Her voice shook as she remembered the way that man had looked at her. As if he wanted to sample the goods before he made a bid.

“I didn’t say you were my mistress.” Sebastian’s voice was as stinging as the flick of a whip. “I warned him off.”

Then how did Oscar know? She didn’t act like a mistress. She didn’t dress like one, either. The only way he would have known was if Sebastian said something. “You broke your promise and you broke our agreement. I’m leaving.”

“Like hell you are.” Sebastian rushed forward. He grabbed the case and tossed it on the floor. “You’re not going anywhere until I say so.”

She’d never seen Sebastian like this. His movements were rough and clumsy. His sophisticated veneer was slipping. It was as if he was upset that she was leaving. But that was ridiculous. Sebastian Cruz didn’t care enough to panic.

Ashley thrust out her chin and met his gaze. “You can’t tell me what to do. I’m not your mistress anymore.”

A muscle bunched in his jaw. “Then you will never see Inez Key again.”

“Fine,” she retorted. She pressed her lips together as the horror snaked through her. She wanted to take those words back.

His eyes widened with surprise. He was silent for a moment, his breathing hard, as a strange urgency pulsed around them. “Fine? You are ready to walk away from the home you fought to hold on to?” he asked as he stepped closer. “The home you took care of and made sacrifices for? The one where you lowered yourself and slept with me so you could stay on the island?”

“This isn’t about Inez Key. It’s about you,” she replied. “You don’t care about what is important to me and you certainly don’t care about my feelings.”

He rocked back on his feet as he looked at her with such intensity that she felt she was going to burst. “How are you going to get back?” he asked. “You have no money.”

Ashley closed her eyes as the pain ricocheted inside her. He didn’t deny her accusation. He didn’t care about her feelings. “I don’t know,” she whispered. “I’ll hock this dress. I’ll swim all the way home. Maybe I’ll trade my body for favors. That’s what everyone thinks I do anyway.”

He snatched her wrist. She felt the tremor in his hand. “Don’t even joke about it.”

“Why not, Sebastian?” She tried to yank her arm away from him but he tightened his hold. “You made me a joke. You made me a mistress.”

“And you accepted,” he said. “You had other choices. You could have walked away but you didn’t.”

“You dangled my home as bait,” she cried out.

“Like you said, Inez Key had nothing to do with it,” he reminded her coldly. “You wanted to be with me but you were afraid to go after it. And now you’re upset because you like being a mistress.”

Her gasp echoed in the room as she went still. “No, I don’t,” she said in a scandalized whisper. “Take that back.”

“I stand corrected.” Sebastian let go of her wrist. “You like being
my
mistress.”

She wanted to slap him. Push him away. But it was true. She liked sharing his bed and enjoyed seeing the desire in his eyes when she walked into the room. She treasured their private moments and was proud to be at his side in public. She ached for his touch and she was greedy for his undivided attention. She would accept whatever role he chose for her if it meant she could share a part of his life.

And he knew it. He knew that she would take the measly crumbs that he offered. He knew he had that much power over her. “Get out of my way.”

He crossed his arms and braced his feet. Any concern he felt a moment ago had disappeared. Sebastian was calm and in charge again. “Make me.”

And now he was going to prove how she had no power over him. Ashley curled her hands into fists and dug her nails into her palms as she tried to hold back the rioting emotions. “I’m warning you, Sebastian. I’m about to lose control.”

Sebastian wasn’t worried. “I can handle it. Give me your best shot.”

“Oh, my God.” She thrust her hands in her wavy hair. “You
want
me out of control? Are you insane?”

“I want you to stop hiding. Stop running away.”

That was all she wanted to do. Run. Hide. Regain control of her temper before she broke into a million pieces. “You have no say in what I do.”

“I’m sorry about Salazar,” he said grimly. “I warned him off but I revealed more than I should.”

“Did you tell him I had a price?” she asked wildly. “That he could talk me down from my asking price because I was damaged goods? That I should accept his offer because you would kick me out of your bed soon?”

“I’m going to kill him,” Sebastian said through clenched teeth.

“You’ll have to get in line,” she declared as she strode to the door. “I knew I shouldn’t have trusted you, Sebastian. I respected your wishes but you didn’t respect mine.”

Sebastian was at the threshold before she could get there and slammed the door shut. “You are not leaving.”

She reached for the doorknob. “I see no reason to stay.”

“What about this?” he asked as his hands covered her shoulders.

It was the only warning she had before Sebastian turned her around and covered his mouth with hers. His kiss crushed her lips. Ashley pressed her hands against his chest, determined to push him away. He ignored her attempts as he settled her against the door.

Excitement burned through her. She shouldn’t want this. Shouldn’t encourage it. Yet she did want it, had waited for this moment. Ashley wanted to feel his hands shake with barely restrained emotion. She wanted the last of his control to snap and show exactly what was going through his mind.

Sebastian shoved her lace panties down her hips before he lifted her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist when he yanked her dress up her thighs. As he deepened the kiss, Ashley tore at his shirt, wanting to strip it from his body.

Sebastian groaned against her swollen lips. “Tell me you don’t want this.”

She wished she could. She wished she didn’t come alive under his touch or that she was always waiting, yearning, for his kiss. Ashley bucked her hips, silently demanding more.

Sebastian whispered something in Spanish as he shucked his trousers off. She couldn’t tell if it was a prayer or a curse. She clung to his shoulders, yielding to his fierce kisses, unable to deny him anything. Desire and anger coiled deep in her belly, hot and tight. It was a potent combination. A dangerous mix.

Ashley tensed when she felt the crown of his penis pressing against her. She hated herself for wanting this. Hated that she made it so easy for him. She tilted her hips as he drove into her welcoming heat.

She turned her head and moaned as he filled her. Ashley held on to Sebastian tightly as he thrust deep. His rhythm was ferocious and wild. She couldn’t get enough. The sounds of their uneven breaths and the creaking door were harsh to her ears. The scent of hot, aroused male electrified the air. She clutched to his fine cotton shirt as she rocked her hips against him.

“Walk away and you’ll never feel like this again,” he declared gruffly as he burrowed his head against the base of her throat. His teeth nipped her skin as if he was leaving his brand.

Ashley knew he was right. Only Sebastian had this power over her. The sexual hunger clawed inside her. It was unbearable, pressing against her, demanding to break free.

“You will always be mine.”

Ashley’s sobs caught in her throat as the violent climax ripped through her. She sagged against him as he continued to thrust. She couldn’t fight the truth anymore. When he discarded her and moved on to another woman, she would still long for his touch.

She surrendered to the knowledge that she would always be his.

* * *

Sebastian woke up to the sound of his cell phone. He reached for the bedside table, his hands fumbling, but he couldn’t find it. Blinking his eyes open, he immediately noticed two things: it was daylight and Ashley wasn’t curled against him.

The silence in the hotel suite indicated that he was alone. Ashley was probably sulking. Angry that he’d proved his claim on her once and for all. He rolled out of bed and stalked naked to where he had shed his clothes the night before. He grabbed his cell phone from the pile of clothes and saw that his assistant was calling him.

“What is it?” he asked abruptly.

“I just found out that Ashley left Jamaica.”

He hunched his shoulders as the news slammed against him. He’d made his claim and it had scared her off. She’d waited until he’d fallen asleep before she’d sneaked out of his bed. “How?” His voice was raspy and low.

“I heard a rumor,” his assistant said nervously. “I don’t have verification at the moment.”

Sebastian closed his eyes as he got a bad feeling. He knew Ashley was angry with him, but she wouldn’t betray him. Not like this. “Where is she?”

“With Oscar Salazar,” his assistant whispered. “She’s on his private plane back to Miami.”

CHAPTER SEVEN

T
HE
SUN
STREAKED
across the morning sky as Ashley saw a glimpse of Inez Key. The wind was cold and all she wore was a T-shirt, jeans and boat shoes. She didn’t care. Her bottom lip quivered and the emotions crashed through her. She was home.

Home. She studied the antebellum mansion as she considered the word. It didn’t feel like home anymore. Was it because it was time for her to move on or because she knew Sebastian owned it?

She knew she didn’t belong here. Not because she was trespassing, and not because she’d ruined any chance of staying on as caretaker. There was no way Sebastian would allow her back now that she’d broken her promise.

But she didn’t use Inez Key as just a home. It had been her hideaway. She had stayed here after her parents’ murder-suicide because it was a safe place. She could evade prying eyes and evade living life.

Ashley knew she had been a lot like her mother and that scared her. She had an all-or-nothing attitude like Linda Valdez. Passionate about her causes, extremely loyal to her friends, and a hot temper that took years for her to control. Ashley knew how to hold on to a grudge and her friend’s enemies were her enemies. It was only a matter of time before she followed in her mother’s footsteps. To love completely and unwisely. To destroy and self-destruct.

Ashley thought she had escaped from that future when she hid away on Inez Key. It was paradise and yet solitary confinement. Her wild temper disappeared and her passions quieted. She was still fiercely loyal, but she wasn’t consumed by love. She thought she’d broken the cycle and become the woman she wanted to be. But one night with Sebastian and Ashley realized she had only been fooling herself.

Ashley closed her eyes as the bleakness swirled inside her. She didn’t want to think about that. Not now. First, she needed to step onto the beach and let the sand trickle between her toes. Then she needed to lie down and let the quiet wash over her. She would watch the view of the Atlantic Ocean and find the familiar landmarks. It could take hours before she felt whole and strong again. Days. But it would happen and then she would figure out what to do next.

Ashley struggled with exhaustion as she stepped out of the water taxi and paid the captain. It took effort to smile and give her thanks. She walked along the wooden dock, but she didn’t feel like her old self. Everything felt new and different. She was different and she would never recapture the old Ashley Jones again.

She heard the boat speed away, but she didn’t look back. The changes on the island had her attention. She noticed the repairs on the house and the fresh coat of paint. The wild vegetation was tamed. Inez Key was slowly returning to its former glory.

Unlike her. She was breaking down. Breaking apart. Even though she was finally back on Inez Key, she had to keep it together. She sensed that this island could no longer contain her.

Ashley walked to the front door of the main house and tried to open it. To her surprise, it was locked. She frowned and jiggled the doorknob. That was odd. Inez Key was a quiet and safe place with just a few homes and buildings. No one locked their doors. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d used the key or where she had left it.

“Ashley, is that you?” Clea asked as she walked from around the house. She gave a squeal and ran to Ashley, welcoming her with a big hug. “What are you doing back?”

“I was going to get my things and leave,” Ashley said as she gestured to the door. “But the main house is locked.”

“I know, isn’t that strange? Who locks their doors?” Clea asked. She planted her fists on her hips and shook her head. “I haven’t been in there since they started renovating.”

“A lot has changed.” She gave a nod at the tropical flowers and plants near the white columns. At first glance the landscaping looked natural, but she knew it had been meticulously planned. How did Sebastian manage all of the changes when the island had only recently been in possession? “I wasn’t gone that long.”

“The new owners have been busy,” Clea said as she guided Ashley away from the front door. “And there are a lot of new security features. It won’t be long before the guards find you.”

“They haven’t torn anything down,” Ashley murmured as she gave the main house one last look.

“It’s more like adding and updating,” Clea said. “I’m glad to see they have respect for the history of the island, but I think the way of life on Inez Key won’t be the same.”

The gentle rhythm of the island life would change if there were bodyguards and security features. “Have you heard from the new owners?”

“We received letters from Cruz Conglomerate,” the housekeeper said as they walked along a dusty path. “I thought it was going to be an eviction letter like yours, but they promised nothing has changed for us.”

At least Sebastian didn’t break that promise. She had suspected it was a threat to keep her in line, but she couldn’t be sure. “What else did the letter say? Anything about turning the island into a resort or a hotel?” Or worse, razing it and destroying it inch by inch. Ashley shuddered at the thought.

She didn’t think Sebastian would do that, but she obviously couldn’t predict his every move. She suspected he wanted Inez Key for an exclusive getaway. He had undoubtedly posed as a paying guest to see if buying the island was worth his time.

And after spending a few weeks with the man, she noticed his interests focused on travel and leisure. She had stayed at some extraordinary hotels and exclusive resorts. All of them were part of his global business. Her home was definitely going to be part of that. The crowning jewel of his empire.

“No, I haven’t heard what they plan to do with Inez Key,” Clea said without a hint of concern. “We’re expecting to see the new owner next month after the renovations are complete.”

“You’ve already met the new owner,” Ashley said bitterly. She hated how her voice caught in her throat. “You know him as Sebastian Esteban.”

Clea halted and stared at Ashley. “That man took your island from you? The man you fell in love with?”

She shifted her lower jaw as she fought back the spurt of anger. “I did not fall in love with Sebastian Cruz.”

“Honey, I saw how you were with him,” Clea argued with a knowing smile. “You were in full bloom every time he looked at you.”

Ashley closed her eyes as her skin heated. She couldn’t be in love with Sebastian. She had more pride than that! The man had kicked her out of her home, made her his mistress and ruined her life.

But she couldn’t hide from the truth anymore. She had been enthralled by Sebastian Cruz. It was more than the sizzling sexual hunger. Ashley didn’t want to admire his hard-earned accomplishments or value his opinions. She tried not to help him or smile at his humor. She hid the longing for Sebastian’s company and the way her heart leaped every time he entered the room.

None of it worked. No matter how hard she had tried, she had fallen for a man who had no respect for her. He only wanted her for sex.

It was official. She had inherited the same self-destructive tendencies as her mother.

“I’ll get over it,” Ashley muttered.

Clea patted Ashley’s arm. “What are you going to do to get the island back?”

The question caught her by surprise. She had given up that plan weeks ago. “Nothing. I’ve done everything in my power.” And discovered she was no match for Sebastian. “The most I could get out of Sebastian was the caretaker position, but I managed to mess that up.”

“Caretaker? The owner of the island becoming a hired hand? I don’t think so! Just as well you didn’t get that job,” Clea said with the cluck of her tongue. “You’ll think of something. In the meantime, stay with Louis and me. Just for a couple of days.”

The offer was tempting but Ashley hesitated. “I don’t want to get you in trouble. He made it very clear I had to have his permission to stay on Inez Key. If he knew I was staying with you...”

Clea curled her arm around Ashley’s. “Don’t worry about him,” she said in a conspiring tone. “He’ll never know you were here.”

* * *

Where was she? Icy anger swirled inside Sebastian as he strode across the beach on Inez Key the next evening. He curled his shoulders as the cold ocean breeze pulled at his jeans and hoodie. He didn’t notice the colorful birds flitting from one flower to the next. The sound of rolling waves faded in the background. There was only one thing on his mind: finding Ashley.

He couldn’t believe she would have pulled a stunt like that. It was bad enough she had left his bed in the middle of the night, but to escape with Salazar? His anger flared white-hot. She was going to pay for that.

Didn’t she know that he would follow her? Or was that the plan all along? Was Ashley determined to prove her sexual power? Her hold on him had been obvious on their last night in Jamaica.

He had chased her back to Miami and invaded Salazar’s kingdom only to discover she wasn’t there. Salazar had had great fun at his expense. Sebastian’s anger had been a slow burn until the other man made one too many innuendos. The guy was no longer laughing and Sebastian hoped he’d left a scar. It would be a daily reminder to Salazar not to come near his woman.

Sebastian hated the fact that he had been compelled to chase Ashley. She made this decision. She chose to give up her last chance to stay on this island.

But he couldn’t turn back now. When he first heard she’d left, he had been numb. It took a split second for the fury to crack through his frozen shell and drive him into action. The need to follow had been instinctive and strong. He seized upon it, not caring what his colleagues thought.

He had no strategy. He wasn’t looking ahead. That wasn’t how he operated, but Sebastian was working on pure rage. His anger had festered as he spent hours searching for her in Miami.

Sebastian let the anger swell inside him, ready to burst through his skin. Ashley Jones was a spoiled princess and he was going to teach her a lesson.

But where was she?

She had to be here. Sebastian ignored the panic squeezing his chest. If she wasn’t in Inez Key, he had no idea where she would be.

Sebastian stopped and looked around. The island was quiet and sleepy, but it did nothing to cool his temper. He heard the rustle of palm trees and the incessant chirping of birds. Inez Key looked idyllic, but that was an illusion. Who knew such a small piece of land would cause him so much grief?

He looked over his shoulder and glared at the black roof of the main house. It may have been a dream home for some, but an image of the antebellum mansion had been in his nightmares since his childhood. He didn’t see the gracious beauty but instead the cold emptiness. It was better suited as a museum than a family home. If he could, he would burn it down.

He would destroy the whole island if he had the chance, Sebastian thought grimly. He wanted to erase this particular ocean view. Get rid of the briny scent that still triggered bad memories. Wipe away the sunset that had been the backdrop of the night he had lost his innocent childhood.

No, he would keep the sunsets, Sebastian decided as he glanced at the cloudless sky. For the past month he had associated Ashley with sunsets. The orange-and-pink streaks were no longer ominous but instead held promise. He remembered every detail of the night Ashley had sat next to him on the veranda as they had watched the sun set.

Her warmth and soft femininity had cast a spell on him. He’d had trouble following their desultory conversation; Sebastian knew Ashley had been nervous that evening. It was as if she had known they would wind up in bed together. He had felt as if he could hear her heart pound against her ribs as a flush had crept into her cheeks.

Excitement had coiled around his chest when the stars blanketed the night sky. The thick and heavy air between them had crackled. She had teased his senses and a dangerous thrill had zipped through his veins.

Wild sensations had sparked inside him, pressing just under his skin when he had kissed her. That moment had been magical. Sebastian had meant to gently explore her lips, but the passion between them had exploded into something hot and urgent.

He’d keep the sunset, Sebastian decided. And the island, too. It was, after all, where he had first met Ashley. He didn’t want to erase those moments he had shared with her, so the house must stay as well. It wouldn’t be that great a hardship. Since he had stayed in the mansion with Ashley, Inez Key no longer had power over him.

He walked swiftly along the beach, following a bend that led to a cove. Sebastian paused and looked around, wondering where Ashley would hide. It would be somewhere that made her feel safe and protected. That could be anywhere on this small island. He had heard so many stories about Inez Key. As a kid who was raised on the dangerous streets, he had thought they were fairy tales.

His heart clenched when he saw Ashley curled in a tight ball next to a large piece of driftwood. Her damp jeans were caked with sand and she was almost dwarfed in her sweatshirt. Her hair was pulled up into a messy ponytail, but what he noticed the most was her tear-streaked face.

The anger slowly weakened as he stared at her. Ashley was suffering and he was to blame. When he first started this journey, he wanted to take away her safe little world. He got what he wanted and now he felt like a monster.

Sebastian had to fix this and get Ashley back. He needed her. Somehow he had been aware of it from the moment they met. He always knew this woman would be his redemption and his downfall. She would tame him and at the same time drive him wild.

He knew the moment Ashley saw him. Her body went rigid and she jumped up. Even from a distance, he could see Ashley was considering her options to pounce or make a run for it.

She wouldn’t get far, he decided. He was ready to chase her, the thrill of the hunt in his blood. Ashley must have known that hiding was futile. Her shoulders sagged in defeat but she held her ground.

“What are you doing here?” she asked as she looked around the cove. “I didn’t hear your speedboat.”

“Which is why I took a different boat,” he said as he walked toward her. He had known the only way he would find her was using the element of surprise. “Don’t worry. I dismissed the security, so you don’t have to hide.”