A Deal with Benefits by Susanna Carr Read Free Book Online

how men bragged. She remembered hearing her father discuss his conquests to any man who’d listen. Each story got bolder and raunchier as the men tried to one-up each other. “This is a private matter.”
    Sebastian watched her carefully. She couldn’t tell if he was offended by her request or if he didn’t know why it was worth mentioning. “I don’t discuss my private life,” he confided in a low voice. “And I won’t let anyone talk about you.”
    Ashley blinked. She wasn’t expecting that answer or the sincerity in his dark eyes. Sebastian Cruz was a good liar. He knew what she wanted to hear. If she didn’t know that he would say or do anything to get his way, she’d almost believe him.
    “Anything else?” he drawled as he moved closer, towering over her.
    Ashley felt the pulse fluttering at the base of her throat. His scent, his heat, excited her. But she had one demand that wasn’t negotiable. If he denied her this, she would walk out immediately. “You will have to use protection.”
    He reached out and brushed his knuckle along the line of her jaw. She shivered with anticipation at the gentle touch. “I always do.”
    “Always?” she taunted. Womanizers didn’t think much about the future. They focused on instant gratification. It was the women who had to protect themselves and deal with the consequences alone.
    “Always,” he repeated as his fingertips grazed her throat and shoulder. “I take care of my lovers.”
    Sure. That had to be the real reason. It had nothing to do with giving up control. “And you wouldn’t want a gold digger to get pregnant and live off your money.”
    Sebastian’s eyes flashed with agreement. “Any more rules?”
    Ashley nervously licked her lips with the tip of her tongue. She wanted to create a list of rules, but her mind was blank. “No...”
    “Good.” Sebastian wrapped his fingers around her wrists. His hold was firm and commanding. She gasped when he held her hands high above her head. He leaned into her and Ashley hated how her body yielded to him. Her soft breasts were thrust against his hard chest and her pelvis cradled his erection. Sebastian surrounded her.
    His powerful thigh wedged between her shaky legs. “Now, for my ground rules.”
    Ashley swallowed hard. She should have expected he would have rules of his own. She was ready to refuse them all, but she was secretly intrigued. She wanted to know what he demanded from a woman.
    “First,” he said as he pressed his mouth against her cheekbone, “you are available to me twenty-four hours a day.”
    “You don’t ask for much, do you?” she asked sarcastically as the excitement clawed up her chest.
    “And you have no claim on me,” Sebastian said as he kissed his way down the curve of her throat. She couldn’t refrain from arching her neck and encouraging more. “When I want you, I will call for you.”
    Now, that she had expected from Sebastian. He would decide when and where. Any affair would meet his schedule and the woman would have to learn how to adapt.
    “Maybe you don’t understand,” Ashley said, closing her eyes as his hot breath warmed her skin. “I’m not the kind of woman who sits around and waits.”
    “You will be with me.” His mouth hovered against her wildly beating pulse point at the base of her throat. He circled it with the tip of his tongue, silently showing that he knew how he made her feel. “It will be worth the wait.”
    She took in a ragged gulp of air. “You talk big—”
    He cupped her cheeks with his large hands and kissed her. She was ready to counterattack, but he disarmed her immediately. His lips were demanding as he drew her tongue inside his mouth. She was out of control, mindlessly following his lead as the desire bled inside her.
    When he withdrew, Ashley saw the stain of lipstick on his firm mouth and the way his eyes glittered knowingly. “I know how much you want this. Want me .”
    She was embarrassed at her response. Humiliated that he