She trembled under his touch, her pupils widening with desire as she rocked toward him. How damn ironic that it took a divorce to soften Marianna, but he wasn’t one to squander an advantage. His hand slid up her arm to cup her neck—
Headlights swept the driveway as Ward pulled in behind Sebastian’s Beemer. “Marianna? I meant to remind you before I left. Don’t forget we’re meeting with Matthew Landis and his fiancée tomorrow to discuss decorating plans for their new home.”
Sebastian eased his hand away. So much for drop-kicking Ward to the curb just yet. But at least Sebastian knew exactly where he needed to be for supper tomorrow night.
The next evening, Marianna drove along the winding paved drive leading to the Landis compound. Palm trees and sea grass parted to reveal a white three-story house with Victorian peaks overlooking the ocean. A lengthy set of stairs stretched upward to the second-level wraparound porch that housed the main living quarters. Latticework shielded most of the first floor, which boasted a large entertainment area.The attached garage held a fleet of expensive cars for all the family members residing in various suites and the carriage house. She stopped her Mercedes convertible out front by a clump of pink azaleas, having months ago handed over the garage remote she’d been given.
Although exhausted from a long afternoon dealing with a picky society scion with questionable taste, she looked forward to finishing her day here. She genuinely liked Sebastian’s brother and his fiancée. She’d asked them repeatedly if they would prefer another decorator from Ross’s business, and they’d insisted she was their first choice.
Climbing the stairway leading up to the main entrance, she reminded herself not to be nervous about seeing everyone. She was a twenty-seven-year-old woman with a successful career. She’d redecorated everything from a historic mayoral mansion to an elaborate tree house featured in Architectural Digest. She’d consulted on a design show that had been picked up in several regional markets. Besides, her ex-in-laws were wonderful people. They wouldn’t skewer her just because she’d initiated the divorce.
She hoped.
Shuffling the portfolio packed with color swatches and sketches of room designs, Marianna started to grab the doorknob—then pulled her hand back as if burned. She wasn’t family anymore. With a twinge to her heart, she rang the bell. She just wanted to get through this evening without tapping into more of those hormonal tears that seemed to hover ever-near.
The door swung wide to reveal her ex-mother-in-law, a smoothly beautiful woman with gray-blond hair. In her jeans and a short sleeve sweater set with pearls, no one would guess Ginger was one of the country’s most powerful politicians.
Even having been a Landis for nine years, Marianna still found herself taken aback on occasion by so much financial and political power in one family. Sebastian’s independently wealthy father had been a U.S. senator, a seat that passed to his wife after his premature death. Now that Ginger was on a short list to be the next secretary of state, her oldest son was running for her soon-to-be vacated senatorial spot.
Ginger wrapped Marianna in a warm hug and urged her inside. “Come in, dear.” She smiled openly, easing some of the awkwardness. “You must be feeling better. You look positively radiant.”
Pregnancy glow? Awkwardness tingled right back up Marianna’s spine again.
“Uh, thank you, Ginger.” Her shaky voice echoed up into the cathedral ceiling.
Ginger led her past the main living room, the wall of windows showcasing the stars just beginning to twinkle. Hardwood floors were scattered with light Persian rugs around two Queen Anne sofas upholstered in a pale blue fabric with white piping. Wingback chairs in a creamy yellow angled off the side in a formal but airy, comfortable way.
Marianna considered the decor one of her best works since she’d seen firsthand how the family worked and designed it with their needs in mind.
Ginger squeezed her elbow. “We’re having dessert on the balcony. I saved a plate for you. I know chocolate cheesecake’s your favorite.”
As much as Marianna wanted to keep this businesslike, no mealtime chitchat, her first official pregnancy craving walloped her. She would have walked across nails for a slice of cheesecake. “That was very thoughtful of you.”
Ginger paused just before the French balcony doors. “Even though you and Sebastian are no longer married, we still love you.” She’d said the same before, but hearing it again after the divorce meant a lot, especially with the baby on the way. Even more so because Ginger didn’t know about the baby. “You were my daughter for nine years and that’s not something I can just shrug off.”
Whoops, there went those hormonal tears after all as she studied Ginger with a new perspective—as her baby’s grandmother. Why couldn’t this have been a happy time of celebration? Heaven knew, she and Sebastian had dreamed often enough of the day they would be able to present Ginger with grandchildren.
They’d experienced this beautiful moment when Sophie joined their family at two days old.
Another tear slipped down her cheek. “I don’t know what to say except thank you, and you’re all very special to me, too.”
Ginger whipped a tissue from a brass box on a cherry wood accent table. “I’m relieved to hear that.”
Dabbing her eyes dry, Marianna prepared to face the rest of the group, hoping they would be as welcoming. Ginger swung the glass doors wide to the balcony overlooking the organic pool and rolling ocean.
As an only child, Marianna still felt overwhelmed by Sebastian’s relatives at times, even in partial force. The second-born son, Kyle, was serving in the Air Force and had just been deployed to Afghanistan. She scanned the porch, the wicker furniture full of Sebastian’s family.
The General, Sebastian’s stepfather, slid an arm around Ginger’s shoulders and smiled his welcome to Marianna. “We’re glad to have a chance to see you before we head back to D.C.”
The older Air Force pilot now served on the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Ginger and Hank Renshaw divided their time between South Carolina and the nation’s capital.
Sebastian’s oldest brother, Matthew, sat at a small corner table with his fiancée, Ashley; the engaged couple feeding each other cheesecake in such a blatant display of love Marianna clenched the damp tissue in her fist.
“Hey, Marianna,” the youngest of the Landis brothers, Jonah, said as he flipped a lock of shaggy hair off his brow. Tossing a mint into the air, he bounced it off his head and into his mouth with the seasoned dexterity of a college soccer player. Except now he’d graduated, and he was busy “finding” himself.
A bark drew her attention to the beach to see Holly—running with Sebastian.
He’d left work early? Blinking back her surprise, she allowed herself a second to study him playing Frisbee with their other dog—his dog now. He’d even been home long enough to change into khaki shorts and a polo shirt.
She braced herself for the inevitable wave of attraction. Wind ruffled his brown hair as he sprinted with a lean, athletic grace. What kind of craziness was this that she ached for his body even more now than before the divorce? Was this some kind of weird quirk of nature along the lines of want but can’t have?
Or could it be another by-product of the hormonal flood assaulting her system?
Matthew Landis rose from his chair, his hand still resting affectionately on his shy fiancée’s shoulder. “Thanks for coming over, Marianna. Hope you don’t mind if we look at the plans out here.”
As much as she wanted to retreat away from the lure of family life, who could argue with this million-dollar view? The beach view that was, not Sebastian, blast it.
Marianna kept her mind focused on business, doing her best to avoid the magnetic pull of her tanned ex thudding up the steps. “I’m glad to be here. Ross will be joining us shortly. He got held up by an accident on one of the bridges.”
“Hey, beautiful.” Sebastian’s voice drifted up the stairs.
An awkward silence settled like a storm cloud on the otherwise clear evening. Holly bounded past him, breaking the tension and providing her with a welcome alternative focus.
Marianna met Holly halfway down the wooden stairs, needing a chance to break the ice with Sebastian before facing him with his whole family in earshot. “You’re off work early.”
“A guy’s gotta eat sometime.”
She restrained herself from mentioning how many meals he’d taken at his desk. Was he genuinely making an effort because of the baby? If so, only time would tell whether or not he could maintain the change.
Marianna knelt to rub Holly’s ears. The brown-and-black mutt rolled onto her back appreciatively. God, she missed the sweetie and questioned again the wisdom of separating the two dogs. Had she been selfish? Should she have let them stay together with Sebastian? She had given them both to him for Christmas two years ago, after all.
Warm, strong fingers banded around her ankle and she, startled, found herself eye level with Sebastian. His thumb slid between her high heel and foot to stroke her arch, a spot he knew full well to be an erogenous zone.
“Nice shoes.” He tapped the strap on her fire-engine-red heels—and no, she hadn’t chosen them with him in mind.
Had she?
She inched her foot free, the exact imprint of his fingers still tingling along her bare skin. She wanted more, ached to test the rasp of his five o’clock shadow along the sensitive pads of her fingers. Gauging by the knowing glint in his blue eyes, he understood exactly what he was doing to her.
Marianna leaned closer, whispering, “Touch me that way again and the heel goes through your hand.”
“You sure don’t pull any punches.” He tugged a lock of her dark hair, stroking his fingers down its length and finishing with a gentle pull.
“You’re a big boy. You can handle it.” She eased her head away from his tempting caress. Too easily she could be wooed by the warmth of his touch and the welcome of his family.
“Can you handle it?” His hand grazed hers under the guise of petting Holly.
“Do I even want to?”
“You tell me.” His warm blue eyes turned lazy. “The Beemer’s out front.”
She swatted his hand aside, all too aware of his family working overly hard at conversation on the porch. “Stop flirting.”
“’Scuse me. Were you talking?” His gaze fell to her chest. “I was busy checking out your new curves.”
She rolled her eyes, sighing, not sure whether to be miffed or charmed by his teasing. At least he was trying in his own way to smooth over this awkward moment.
Regardless, she wasn’t sure how much more of his sensual teasing she could handle tonight. Marianna climbed back up the steps just as Ross Ward strode onto the balcony in his signature jeans and jacket.
Sebastian palmed her back.
Frustration simmered low, battling with the urge to press more firmly against his hand. Hadn’t she just told him to stop touching her? She looked over her shoulder at her ex and found he wasn’t looking her way at all. His eyes were narrowed and locked firmly on Ross.