Free A Deal with Benefits by Susanna Carr Page B

mercy.
    “Wait,” he said in a growl as he reached for his wallet and retrieved a condom. As he tossed his wallet aside and slid on the condom with quick, efficient moves, Ashley realized he was nowhere near to losing control. He had the sense to remember protection and it had slipped her mind. Was she fooling herself, believing she was in charge?
    Ashley placed her palms on his broad shoulders just as he clenched his hands on her hips and guided her down. The heat washed over her. She tossed back her head and moaned as he filled her.
    The sensations were almost too intense. She rocked her hips as the pleasure rippled through her. Sebastian leaned forward and captured her breast with his mouth. She begged for more, her words broken and jumbled, as the heat flared deep in her pelvis.
    He cupped her bottom and squeezed as he murmured his encouragement in Spanish. She didn’t catch all the words. She rocked harder, chasing the pleasure that she didn’t quite understand. Couldn’t quite curb. But she wasn’t scared because she knew Sebastian would take care of her. He wouldn’t let her go too close to the fire and burn.
    Sebastian grabbed her hips and controlled the rhythm. She could barely catch her breath. She saw the muscle bunching in his clenched jaw. She saw the lust glittering in his dark eyes. He was desperate to hold on to the remnants of his control. He wanted to be the last to let go.
    Ashley wasn’t going to let that happen. She was in charge. She would make him beg for release and she would decide if she would give it to him.
    Sebastian slid his hand to where they were joined. He pressed his fingertip on her clitoris and Ashley stilled. She arched back and groaned as the climax ripped through her body. Her mind went blank as she surrendered to the white heat.
    “Sebastian!” His name ripped from her throat. Ashley slumped against him, her muscles weak and pulsating, as she heard his short cry of release.
    * * *
    So this is how it feels to be a rich man’s plaything , Ashley thought as she lay in bed hours later, naked and spent. Sebastian was curled next to her, his arm wrapped around her waist. Even in his sleep, he made his claim known.
    She was now a mistress. A sigh staggered from Ashley’s throat as she looked at the moon through the windows. The one thing she swore she’d never become.
    Ashley knew she should be filled with shame and self-hatred. She should feel as if a piece of her soul had been stolen. Instead, she felt protected. Taken care of. Cherished.
    Was this how her mother felt when she had been a mistress? Was this why Linda designed her life around Donald? Why she suddenly came alive every time he stepped into the room?
    No, her mother had it much worse, Ashley realized. Linda made the mistake of falling in love with her benefactor.
    Ashley turned and looked at Sebastian while he slept. She wouldn’t make that mistake. She may desire Sebastian, she may even be infatuated with him, but she would not fall in love. If she did that, she’d never recover.
    * * *
    Hours later Ashley dived into the crystal-blue infinity pool that was on the rooftop of Sebastian’s penthouse apartment. The water felt cold and refreshing against her skin. The pool was designed for lazy afternoons under the hot sun, but Ashley swam down the length as hard and as fast as she could.
    She loved the water. Whenever she was upset or worried, she found peace watching the waves or swimming laps. But today, nothing could calm her.
    Ashley tried to exhaust herself as she thought about what had happened in the limousine. And the wild, fierce sex they’d had when Sebastian carried her to bed. And this morning...
    She felt her skin flush. Reaching the edge of the pool, Ashley did a turn and kept swimming. She was becoming a sexual creature and there were no signs that she could pull back. She needed to return to Inez Key before she got to the point of no return.
    Ashley paused when she heard a splash. She stopped swimming