Seducing Celestine Read online

  “I don’t want to discuss sex with you, Nick.”

  Nick smiled down at her tense expression.

  “Yeah, doing is better.”

  Celestine knew she could end this conversation just by driving away. But there was something about Nick Swan that made her want to stick around and do stuff she shouldn’t.

  “Is sex the only thing you think about?”

  “When it comes to you, yes.”

  The man had a smile that could entice angels to run wild.

  “You’re perverted.”

  “But you love it.”

  Yeah, she did. But she had to get back on track.

  “I will be fine to get home. Now leave me alone.”

  “I don’t know if I can do that.”

  “Try, moonlight man.”

  ———

  Celestine shot the handheld shower spray full force between her legs, needing the hot pressure of it to take away the constant craving for Nick. But there was no way it could compete with the real thing. The man and his cock were unique. Both fit her perfectly.

  “Just get over it, woman,” Celestine muttered to herself as she slid soapy fingers between her legs and started to massage her clit slowly. What was it with her at the moment? She seemed to be constantly in heat. Celestine flung back her head and pushed her ass back against the tile as she tried to find release.

  Nick watched as Celestine worked her way toward an orgasm. He did not want her to do that without him inside her.

  “I would be much better between your legs than that shower spray.”

  Celestine jumped at his words and her fingers slid inside her body. Well, of course, Nick would turn up just when she wanted him the most.

  “The shower spray is less complicated.” She pulled her hand from between her legs and turned the spray off. She didn’t need an audience watching her desperation.

  Nick started removing his clothes.

  “How am I complicated?”

  “You just are.” That he was going to join her in the shower was a given. Could she have stopped him? Maybe. Did she want to stop him? Not really. “What are you doing here?” Yep, it was an obvious question but she still felt the need to ask it.

  “It’s your last night at Tess’ so I thought I’d drop by and give you an appropriate sendoff.” The last of his clothes dropped to the floor as he reached for shower door.

  “I’m trying to have a shower.” Celestine felt Nick’s hard body slide in behind hers. “I want you to leave.”

  “Is this about the love thing again?” Nick grabbed the soap and lathered up his hands.

  “I don’t love you.” It was easy to say when she wasn’t facing him.

  “Right, you love sex.” Nick’s soapy hands moved to her breasts.

  Celestine’s head flung back against him.

  “Right.” Was that what she wanted to say? Did she love sex or just sex with Nick? And how could she think clearly when he was massaging her breasts like that? It was impossible. “What are you doing? I’ve already washed myself.” However, his hard cock against her ass was making her think some mighty dirty thoughts.

  “Just relax, baby,” Nick crooned against her ear.

  “I’m not having sex with you.”

  “We’ll see…” His hands drifted down her body to the place where she needed him most.

  As Nick’s hands slid between her legs, Celestine whimpered in relief. Maybe having sex with Nick again would not be such a bad thing…

  “Nick…” Was it a plea to stop or to continue, or what? Who was she really kidding? Celestine knew that answer. She needed this man with a desperation she had not thought she was capable of. But was that love? She doubted it and she had to remember that. It’s sex, sex, sex…yay!

  Nick turned Celestine to face him. He had been hot and hard from the moment he saw her put her hands between her legs.

  “So are we having or not having sex?” His hands slid around the grasp her ass and pull her toward him.

  The feel of his long, rigid cock against her stomach was all the answer she needed.

  “This is the last time…”

  “Sure, it is…” Nick put his hands under her ass and lifted her into his arms.

  Celestine wrapped her legs around Nick’s waist as she felt her back hit the shiny tiled wall behind her. As he leaned into her, Celestine grabbed his cock and guided it inside her. The relief of it made her moan.

  Nick adjusted his stance and slowly thrust in and out of Celestine’s body. He kissed her lingeringly and deeply.

  “Oh, Nick…” Celestine murmured against his lips. This was the best feeling ever. She grasped Nick tightly to her as he continued his gentle assault on her body. This time was different. It was slower and softer yet it had a deeper impact. Celestine looked into his eyes. God, it was true. She had gone and fallen in love with the moonlight man. How dumb was that?

  “What?” Nick sensed something more than just physical was going on.

  “Just make me come, Nick.” She needed one last time to remember him by.

  Nick increased his pace and started pounding inside her like he could not get in deep enough.

  Celestine threw back her had and cried out loudly as the muscles of her body convulsed around Nick’s cock and drained every last drop of his essence inside her.

  “I love you, baby…”

  She stiffened at his words. Uh-oh…this was not what she wanted to hear. This was going to complicate things. It was different when she had said it, as she had been out of her head and was capable of ignoring her feelings for her own sanity and survival. Nick, however, looked completely sane and able to survive anything.

  Celestine slid down and off Nick’s body. She looked into his eyes. What was it she saw? Was it love or just the afterburn of lust? What did she know of love? Was it possible two strangers could fall in love so quickly? Nah, that only happened in romance novels.

  “You only said that because I did.” Celestine pushed away from him.

  “I mean it…”

  “No you don’t…you should go.” “What are you scared of?” Nick could not leave it like this. This was too important.

  “Nothing.” Everything, she added silently to herself.

  Chapter Four

  Celestine cursed softly after stubbing her big toe against the overgrown rockery on the front path of her Everton Park house, as she dragged her trash can out onto the nature strip for the garbage men to pick up. It was six in the morning. It was only the loud rumble of the Brisbane City Council garbage truck going down the other side of her street that alerted the half asleep Celestine that she had not put her garbage bin out the night before. Bugger! So she had crawled out of her bed and stumbled outside in her oversized purple t-shirt and pink-and-green-striped sleep shorts to put the bin out.

  Once the trash can was where it supposed to be and she had assured herself she had not missed the garbage pickup, Celestine ran the palms of her hands over her face and through her tangled curly red hair. She was so tired. She had barely slept a wink last night. Thoughts of Nick Swan had kept her awake. Although she knew she had made the right decision leaving Tess’ home after sex in the shower with Nick, it had not meant she was any more comfortable in her own home.

  Celestine looked around the front yard of the rental house she occupied. It looked bare and dismal. If she owned the house she would have painted the parched, flaking timber and put in a nice garden. But as she did not own the three-bedroom former housing commission home, she did not have to worry about. It was merely a temporary home until she could afford something better. Whenever that would be. Life had to pick up sooner or later.

  “Yeah, right, Pollyanna,” she muttered cynically to herself.

  Celestine thought back to the noise she had heard last night. What had that been about? Rattling, crashing and scraping. Has she imagined it? She did not think so as thoughts of Nick had kept her tossing and turning all night and she had not been asleep long enough to dream it. She
looked around her. Nothing appeared to be displaced. No one had magically come and pulled the abundant weeds out of the garden or fixed the crack in the steps. It probably had just been the neighborhood cat on the prowl. Still, Celestine had gotten up several times in the night, trying to work out where the noise had been coming from. But when she didn’t see anything she had gone back to bed each time, wondering.

  Celestine was not the nervous sort. She could quite happily live alone and did not jump at every night sound. But last night had been unusual. Yet nothing looked out of place or abnormal. Except her heap of junk car. It would look abnormal in the weirdest place as it was just that sort of car. It did not fit in anywhere. But then, neither did its owner so maybe they were well matched. Celestine looked at the ugly metal beast that was still parked under the carport as if it had every right to be there and would move only if it wanted to.

  Celestine was about turn to go inside her house when she saw a white work truck drive up her street. Celestine dropped her head back tiredly. She knew the ute. She had seen it only yesterday. She knew who the driver was. Nick Swan. She wasn’t really that surprised. He was not the sort of man who gave up easily. The constant dull throb between her thighs reminded her of that.

  “Great,” she muttered to herself in frustration. He was the last person she wanted to see. His declaration of love was still replaying in her mind. She told herself it did not mean anything, that it was just words that had been flung out there. Yeah, right…

  Nick Swan smiled as he walked to where Celestine stood eyeing him warily. He took in the exposed pale flesh of her legs, her cute satin boxer shorts and the words “Kiss me” that were written directly under a jaunty-looking crown-wearing green frog emblazoned on the front of her purple t-shirt. Nick looked into the tired blue eyes of Celestine Holt. Those eyes shot out a most definite warning.

  “Morning, baby, you look awfully cute.”

  She looked and felt like crap and flattery was going to get this man nowhere he wanted to go.

  “What are you doing here?” It was a dumb question but it was one she felt she had to ask. She knew he was there to tease and tempt her until she begged him to take her. Celestine sighed. She had never been this easy or transparent before.

  “I asked Tess where you lived.” Nick looked at the words on her t-shirt.

  Well, of course Tess had told him where she lived. Pushy best friends did stuff like that.

  “Don’t even contemplate it,” Celestine warned as she pushed some tangled red curls from her face. The last thing she wanted was Nick Swan thinking she was inviting his kisses. That would only lead to her plastering her body to his and trading kiss for kiss as they slowly undressed and…whoa! Don’t go there! “What do you want?” Celestine’s bare foot tapped, impatiently awaiting his response. He was dressed in snug-fitting worn work denims and boots. He looked all hot and male and she was determined not to go there again either.

  Nick smiled at her obvious impatience. Celestine Holt was a hard woman to charm when she was cranky.

  “And it’s good to see you too, Celestine. I was thinking about…”

  Nick’s words were cut off mid-sentence by what sounded like a gunshot whizzing past their heads. Gunshot? Nick and Celestine looked at each other in open-mouthed surprise. As another shot bit into the dirt at their feet, Nick reacted quickly and he pulled Celestine to the ground.

  “What the—?” Celestine gasped on hitting the ground hard with Nick’s body covering hers. She heard the loud sound of popping and struggled to get up and see what was happening. But she was pinned down and there was no way she could shift Nick’s weight.

  Nick looked quickly around to see where the shots were being fired from.

  Celestine squirmed under Nick. His cock was lying hard in the cradle of her thighs and it was patently obvious she had no bra on. That meant her bare breasts were rubbing through the thin cotton between their chests. A surge of heat flooded her. Great. They were in danger and she was turned on by the man lying on top of her. Though in her defense, Celestine defied any woman to lie under Nick Swan and not get turned on. Not that she was about to let any woman have Nick until she was ready to give him up.

  The sound of car tires squealing as one last shot hit the dirt beside them made Celestine grateful for the protection Nick offered. It was sweet and caring and a bunch of other stuff she did not want to think about in case she was tempted to use the “L” word again without thinking.

  Everything had happened so quickly. It occurred to her that while she was protected, Nick wasn’t. A spear of alarm ran through her body. What if Nick had been hurt? Celestine ran her hands quickly down his back and over his ass. No blood or bullet holes, just fine male flesh.

  “Are you okay?”

  Nick looked down at the woman beneath him.

  “Worried about me, baby?” Nick smiled at Celestine.

  “No, you’re big enough and ugly enough to look after yourself.”

  Nick grinned down at her. Celestine’s hands were still on his ass.

  “Feeling me up then? If so by all means continue.”

  Her hands sprang away from his body. Okay, maybe she had been doing that after her initial concern for his well-being had been resolved. Bit it was his fault for lying on top of her like that. Naturally her hormones would react as they were meant to. Jeez, that was just nature. That’s it, blame Mother Nature.

  “No, I just thought if you died on top of me I’d be trapped forever.”

  “You’re already trapped, Celestine Holt,” Nick murmured, as his lips lightly grazed hers.

  Oh no, she didn’t want to be feeling anything when it came to this man. He spelled, added up and promised danger. Sex was one thing, emotion was another. It would not pay to confuse the two. Wanting and needing were not part of her game plan at present.

  “Are you going to get off me?” she muttered angrily, trying to push him off her. But he was a big man who could not be pushed easily.

  Nick was in no rush to get up. He knew the danger had passed. But he liked lying on Celestine. He braced his body slightly to ease some of the weight on her.

  “Someone just drove by and shot a gun at us.”

  “Really, Nick? I would never have got that on my own.” Celestine wriggled beneath him to free herself.

  “Are you squirming under me to turn me on because I can tell you it’s working.”

  “Get off me!” Celestine yelled. “Now you’re just trying to cop a feel.”

  “You did, so why not me?” Nick looked at her in surprise. “Are you blushing?”

  “No…as if…” This man could tease and confuse the hell out of her.

  “Yeah, right…” Nick rolled over and stood up. “I was trying to protect you.”

  Celestine’s hair was rioting wildly around her head in a mass of wild red curls as she scrambled to her feet.

  “Protection? Is that what you call it?” She brushed the grass from her t-shirt and slapped Nick’s hands from her t-shirted breasts as he tried to brush away nonexistent pieces of grass. “What the hell is this all about?”

  “It’s about love, baby.”

  “I’m not talking about that.” She actually planned never to talk about that. That one went into the vault. “I’m talking about the gunshots.” Celestine put distance between herself and Nick. Too much touching led to much too much touching. “Who have you pissed off that they decided to take some potshots at you?”

  “Why would it be me?”

  “Well, it’s not me.”

  “I see, you’re saying you’re too sweet to piss anyone off.”

  “Damn straight.” Nick did not need to know the list of people Celestine had pissed off in her life.

  Nick looked behind them over at her car. His eyes fixed on it. He walked over and touched a spot just above the back number plate.

  Celestine followed him over to see what he was looking at. She saw a neat round hole in her paint work.

  “It’s a bullet hole all rig
ht.” If Nick had doubted what he had just witnessed, this was proof that something was definitely wrong. His face creased with worry. Why would someone be shooting at either of them? Or more specifically, why would someone be shooting at Celestine?

  Celestine pushed Nick out of her way to look at the damage.

  “That bastard shot my car. He must die!” As much as the car was a trial, no one shot her car and got away with it. But in this case they had, thought Celestine furiously, feeling suddenly powerless. This was not a feeling she was comfortable with. Powerless did not work for her. Yet since meeting Nick Swan it seemed to be something she was experiencing a lot of.

  “That’s not the only thing they’ve done.” Nick pointed to the smashed pane of glass on the back passenger left side of the car. “Were there any unusual disturbances around here last night?” Nick asked as he scoped out the modest, timber home with its peeling paint and rickety-looking front stairs.

  Celestine looked at him thoughtfully. Maybe that wasn’t a cat she thought she heard last night. But why would someone want to vandalize her car? Didn’t it look as if it had had a hard enough life already? And it was not like she kept anything of value inside.

  “So, why is someone shooting at you?” Nick didn’t like it one little bit.

  Celestine looked at Nick incredulously.

  “Shooting at me? Why do you think it’s me?”

  “It’s your home.”

  “And you’ve dropped in unannounced. Someone could have followed you and wanted to shoot you.”

  “But your car is the one that’s been vandalized.”

  “That doesn’t mean it had anything to do with me.” Okay, it was a good point but she did not want this to be her problem. She had enough to deal with, let alone people wanting to shoot her. “But this all started to happen when I met you.”

  “If you care to cast your mind back, Ms. Holt, someone tried to carjack you yesterday so I reckon this has everything to do with you.”

  Bugger! Nick could possibly be right. Celestine thought back to the incident. She had chosen to believe it was some drugged-out wacko who thought the car was worth nicking. But now, in light of this, she was beginning to wonder if there was something more to it. But it was crazy. Her life was boring. Boring people did not get shot at, did they?