Page 16 of Spare Heir

‘Oh, I see. Well, yes, there were some first-rate arseholes, but fortunately, my brother Damian was there to keep an eye on me for much of it. No one likes getting on his wrong side.’

I can’t bear the thought of little Sebastian being bullied, so I release a jagged breath when he assures me he didn’t have to go through that.

‘I did cry myself to sleep every night, though,’ he says. His tone is heavy and serious, as if he’s reliving the childhood trauma.

My eyes grow moist, and I feel the emotion building. If there’s one thing that really gets to me, it’s the thought of traumatised kids.

And the vision of a miserable, lonely Sebastian who I have no doubt was an adorable kid, tugs at my heart and I choke back the tears.

I look the other way and busy myself adding some stuff to Daisy’s lunchbox in the fridge. The chilled air hits my hot skin and I breathe it in to calm myself. I don’t want him to see his childhood memory upset me. He’ll think I’m pathetic.

‘Hey,’ he says. ‘Look at me.’

I blink away the tears and raise my head and look at him.

‘What’s the matter?’

‘Nothing,’ I say, trying to smile, but failing horribly.

‘I wasjoking,’ he says. A wicked grin lights up his handsome face, and my heart flip-flops as I search his eyes.

‘Oh, you were teasing me,’ I say, shaking my head. If he wasn’t my boss, I would call him a rude name, or throw something at him, but I’m constantly aware that I must be professional. It wouldn’t be right to call your boss a bastard. But I feel silly and can’t help muttering, ‘Merde’ under my breath, as I return to my spot at the kitchen island and start clearing the surface.

‘That’s the first time since you’ve been here that I’ve heard you lose your cool. Well, except for our first meeting, perhaps,’ he chuckles.

I feel anything but cool.

I feel hot. Blisteringly hot.

He hasn’t moved and is still standing close to me, leaning against the counter. The sex appeal oozes from his every pore, but I don’t think he realises how attractive he is. I’m drowning in him. The air surrounding us is scalding and I struggle to draw a breath and worry I will pant if I even try.

It feels like I’ve been craving him forever and the pulse between my legs hammers manically, making me faint with longing. My need for him is urgent, but simultaneously a warning voice in my head shouts that it must not happen.

Billionaires don’t fall for nannies. And if they do, it will end in tears. There’s no other way for it to go.

But he’s staring at me in a decidedly un-boss-like way. I can tell he’s feeling the chemistry between us too, and I stand there next to him, suspended in time, unable to touch him but unable to move away.

Our eyes lock and the world disappears as his lips draw closer to mine and before I can remind myself this is forbidden, he’s kissing me, and I’m kissing him back.

Our kiss isn’t gentle and romantic like kisses in the movies. It’s frantic, like we’re both going to die if our lips don’t touch.

He moves into me, closing the remaining space between our bodies and I’m flush against him, my back leaning on the island and his body covering mine. His arms come around me as our feverish kissing continues, and he wraps his hands in my hair and I surrender to the bliss of being in his muscular arms.

It feels right even though it’s so wrong.

Isn’t it?

And then the sensual haze guzzles me up whole, and it is perfect. It’s all perfect as he sweeps the sandwich board out of the way and lifts me effortlessly, so my feet leave the ground and my bottom perches on the cool marble. I’m wearing the dress I wore on my first day, and as he leans into me, I feel his hard length pushing through the fine material.

He’s breathing fast and heavy, and I feel his heart pounding as we kiss and explore each other’s bodies for the first time. I touch him through his jeans, and he groans. It’s the most erotic groan I’ve ever heard, and something about him makes me want to surrender all of myself to him. I don’t know why he has this power over me, but I don’t hold back. A distant cavern of my brain tells me Ishouldhold back. But I don’t. I stroke his bulging mound and it grows harder, and he groans more until he begs, ‘Have mercy. You’re killing me. I’m going to explode if you carry on touching me like that.’

I’m so hot for him I feel the urge to drop to my knees, unzip his jeans, and take him in my mouth. I want to see him lose control. Like I’ve been losing control in the early hours of the morning just before first light seeps through the shutters, when I’ve yearned for him and imagined him making love to me.

I can see he’s losing it as I press my hand against his groin, but before I can ease myself off the island, he pulls away slightly and his blue-grey eyes search mine. ‘I want you,’ he says. ‘If you don’t want this to happen, we should stop now.’

He’s breathless, and I’m out of my mind with lust. I can’t stop now, so I say, ‘I want you, too.’

And then he lifts the skirt of my dress. I’m wearing little white cotton panties and he sucks in his breath when he sees them.

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