“What makes you think I want to prove anything to you now?”
Leaning into the door on one arm, I held my finger up and made a tsking sound. “Want to or not, you owe me. But I have a feeling you want to.”
“You’re wrong,” she challenged.
“Am I? Would you like me to find out?” She stiffened and I smiled. “Deny it all you want, sweetheart, the spark in your eyes tells me differently.”
“You’re delusional.”
“And you’re a fucking liar. A delusional asshole and a liar. What do you think about that?”
“I think this was a mistake.”
“Maybe, but you still owe me.”
“Owe you what?”
“You’ll know soon enough.” I turned around and walked toward my desk.
“I’m not going to sleep with you,” she said confidently.
Making my way around my desk, I sat down, unaffected by her empty threat.
“If a little bit of truth is going to wound you so severely, then this arrangement would never work. If you think you can handle it and want to prove to me you’d be worth my time, then sit.” I gestured to the chair in front of my desk. “I’ll get you a room for the night.”
I smiled inside when she took the seat, and then I made arrangements for her to get a room at a nice hotel close to the club.
“Your room’s ready, and they know you’re coming,” I said. Putting the phone down, I stalked toward her once more. Placing my hands on either side of her chair, our faces were inches away from each other.
“Thank you,” she whispered with her head down.
She had a serious problem with looking me in the eye. I wasn’t sure I liked it very much.
Lifting her face to meet mine again, I grinned at her. “I gave you something. Now what are you going to give me?”
She visibly swallowed and her eyes widened. “What would you like?”
“You’re nervous. I can see it in the stiffness of your shoulders, and the acceleration of your breathing.” I drew circles on her knee with my fingertips. “I don’t do slow and I don’t do soft and romantic, but for now, how about a kiss?”
“A kiss isn’t soft or romantic?”
I smirked and wrapped my fingers around the strands at the base of her skull, pulling her head until she stood against me, her lips brushing mine. “If done right, not at all.”
I pressed my lips to hers, ready to show her what a real kiss was, except, something different happened. She wasn’t the only one affected. I was, too. I’d known from the first time I saw her that she was different, but my body could sense just how different she was.
Running my tongue along the seam of her lips, she released a tiny gasp and gave me entrance into her sweet mouth. She tasted like strawberries and cream. My mouth watered at the thought of tasting all of her.
Our tongues collided—mine more practiced than hers, but it didn’t take away from the affect it had on my cock. If anything, her inexperience turned me on even more. I pressed my hardness against her stomach, letting her know what she was doing to me
She latched on to my shoulders and I let my hands dip lower to grab her hips. She was a handful. Her round hips fit perfectly in my grasp. Leaning back against my desk, I pulled her thighs against mine and she melted.
I DIDN’T KNOW WHAT I was doing. I had marched into his office totally sure of myself, knowing I needed to make money.
Sure, I’d kissed a boy before. Jeffery Middleton had practically shoved his tongue down my throat in eleventh grade; however it was nothing—nothing—like the kiss Sebastian was currently laying on me.
Once he pulled me up from the chair and devoured my mouth, I forgot all about my nerves. I wrapped my arms around his neck and he worked my hips against him in a way I’d never experienced.
And just like that, he pulled away, leaving me panting like some wild animal.
“That’s enough for today.” He grinned down at me.
His smile was heartbreaking. Smutty romance novels had nothing on those lips. I stepped back, knees jittery, and caught my breath as I pushed my hair behind my ear.
“A car is waiting for you downstairs and I’ll have a phone sent to your hotel. Always answer it when I call. I’ll see you soon, beautiful.” He leaned down and gave me a soft kiss on the corner of my mouth.
“Okay,” I whispered.
Kyle was waiting downstairs with Vick when I left Sebastian’s office. I ran to him and held him so close, I was sure I was hurting him. Seeing him gave me a break from having to think about what the hell just happened upstairs.
“I’m so sorry. So, so sorry,” I said through tears.
He pulled away and smiled up at me. “It’s cool, Roz. It wasn’t bad.”
Vick cleared her throat, reminding me that my big display of emotion was seen by someone who’d probably never cried a day in her life.
“Who’s car is this?” Kyle whispered, while giving Vick shifty eyes.
“It’s my… boss’s,” I lied. “He was nice enough to let us borrow it.”
I didn’t want Kyle asking anymore questions, so I ushered him into the back of the sleek black car and avoided Vick’s knowing eyes.
As soon as I shut the door, the driver pulled away from the club. I hadn’t said a word to him, but he drove like he already knew our destination.
“Excuse me,” I said loud enough to get his attention.
Warm brown eyes and a friendly smile found me in the review mirror. Silver hair peeked under his driver hat and soft lines surrounded his eyes and lips. “Yes, ma’am?”
“Where are you taking us?”
“To the Hilton, ma’am.”
“The Hilton?”
“Yes, ma’am. Only the best for Mr. Black’s…” his eyes quickly shifted toward Kyle and then back to me. “Employees.”
I knew what he’d been about to say, but I didn’t want to correct him. It was pointless to even tell him I wasn’t Mr. Black’s anything yet. Especially in front of Kyle.
“Thank you, Mister…”
“Martin. Just call me Mr. Martin,” he smiled in the rear view mirror.
“Thank you, Mr. Martin.” I leaned into my seat.
“Wow, the Hilton? You sure do have a nice boss, Roz.”
Kyle was beyond excited about the whole experience. I wished I could match his enthusiasm, but I was less than thrilled.
When the driver pulled into the hotel, he told me to sit still. Seconds later, he was pulling our door open and holding it so we could step out. I flushed at the attention. I wasn’t used to being treated like anyone special.
Kyle followed closely behind as we followed Mr. Martin into the front lobby and to the reception desk. When it was our turn, the woman behind the desk flashed a familiar smile for the older man.
“Hello, Martin. How are you today?”
“I’m doing well, Molly, and you?”
“Happy to see you as always. How can I help you?”
“I have two guests for Mr. Black. The suite, please.”
The woman casted a knowing glance toward me. Her expression quickly changed to surprise, followed by confusion, when she spotted Kyle. I wrapped a protective arm around his shoulders and tried not to wonder what she was thinking.
“Of course,” she nodded.
She signaled for someone behind me and then there was a bellhop there at our side.
“Please take these guests to Mr. Black’s suite and don’t forget their luggage,” she ordered.
“Oh, we don’t have…“ I started to correct her.
I stopped when a cart was pulled up to the bellhop and I recognized our suitcases. What the hell?
I wondered how Sebastian had time to gather our things out of our car.
“Thank you,” I said to both the desk clerk and bellhop.
“Right this way, Miss,” the bellhop gestured.
Turning toward Mr. Martin, I smiled at him. “Thank you again.”
“You’re very welcome.” He mirro
red my smile and patted my hands.
Kyle and I spent the night in one of the nicest hotels I’d ever seen. The room was equipped with everything we needed, and had four separate areas. There were two huge bedrooms, and a deluxe bathroom with a massive tub. But the best part was the spacious living room, lined with a wall of windows, showcasing a stunning view of New York City.
Once Kyle was asleep for the night, I spent some time staring at the cars and the people bustling below. The surrounding buildings and streets were so beautiful from my vantage point. It was hard to wrap my head around our quick transition from sleeping in a shitty car… to this luxurious suite. Un-frickin-believable.
It wasn’t until I yawned and fogged up the window that I realized how late it was. Padding across the mahogany wood floor on my bare feet, I entered the bathroom to get ready for bed. My stress level was nothing compared to the past few weeks, so instead of taking a shower, I filled the massive tub with hot, steaming water, and dropped in some lavender oil. I soaked my body until the water went cold.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t hide from my conversation with Sebastian in his office.
I didn’t know what I’d been thinking or doing for that matter. I had marched into his office, ready for anything. I had to make money and I was no longer going to deny what my body obviously wanted. But boy had I definitely paid a price.
When he’d so blatantly asked if I was a virgin I hadn’t expected his reaction. In fact, if he had slapped me I couldn’t have been more shocked. I felt like he had slapped me with his response. I thought he would’ve been pleased and turned on, not turned off.
I was humiliated and embarrassed, and I wanted nothing more than to never lay eyes on Sebastian Black again. But even now, as I laid in the tub, my forbidden thoughts betrayed me and the sight of him bare chested made my fingers wander over my body.
I could still wanted him, even if I pretended differently. He didn’t want me and I should have been happy about it, or in the very least relieved. But something made me want to prove that despite the fact I was a virgin, I was still every bit as capable as the next girl.
I let my legs fall open and my fingers moved over my swollen lady bits, but before I could bring myself to orgasm, I stopped and closed my legs tightly. Covering my eyes with my hand, I exhaled loudly.
Who was I kidding? I couldn’t even get myself off without worrying about embarrassing myself. How was I going to get a man like Sebastian off?
I expected a lot of things when I finally worked up the courage to take Sebastian’s offer, but what was happening to me was completely unexpected. I was a woman, but it was clear I had no clue when it came to the opposite sex.
THE NEXT DAY, MR. MARTIN was outside waiting to take Kyle across town to school. I was wondering if I would ever be surprised at the things Sebastian knew without me ever telling him.
Kyle was more than happy to take the car and be chauffeured around in front of his friends, but I had a harder time being okay with it.
After making my way back up to the hotel suite, I laid around and waited for something—anything to happen. I hated sitting around, twiddling my thumbs.
Finally, when I thought I would explode from anticipation, someone knocked at the door. I opened it to find a young guy smiling back at me. He was boyish, with a lopsided ear-to-ear grin, and had an unfortunate case of teenage acne.
“Are you Jessica?” he asked.
I opened my mouth to say no, but then remembered when Sebastian insisted on calling me Jessica, which was the weirdest thing ever.
“Yep, that’s me.”
He held out a small pink box with a ribbon on top. “This is for you.”
“Thank you.”
He turned and left without saying goodbye.
Closing the door, I sat on the bed and pulled the lid off the box to find an expensive phone sitting inside. It was sleek, with a large touch screen. I ran my finger across it and it lit up with a picture of the Brooklyn Bridge.
As soon as I sat it on the bed, it chimed. The tiny symbol on the screen said I had a text message, but it took me a few minutes to figure out how to open it.
SB: Meet me out front at 7. Wear something nice.
I should have smashed his stupid phone and walked out of the hotel room, but I couldn’t, and I kind of hated myself for it.
Like a true woman, I spent the rest of the afternoon obsessing over what I was going to do. If I’d had any flowers the hotel room would have been full of petals.
I was in the lobby twenty minutes before Kyle was even supposed to be out of school, but I couldn’t stay in that room a second longer. I’d never been in a hotel as extravagant as this before and I was extremely curious.
I passed the five-star restaurant and walked through the different ballrooms, until I saw a sign labeled Peterson Wedding. Guests moved in and out of the beautiful double doors and after a quick peek around, I made my way toward them.
Pulling on the heavy handle, I slipped in and a wistful sigh escaped my lips. The room was breathtaking. It glittered and smelled like fresh flowers. I didn’t stay long because I was obviously not dressed for the occasion, but for just a moment, I closed my eyes and I imagined having a life that included these kinds of luxuries.
An hour later, Mr. Martin dropped Kyle off, and we went back to the suite and did his homework together.
When we were done, I called for room service to bring some dinner. With our bellies stuffed, I left to get ready, and Kyle plopped down in front of the TV to watch some disgusting show about zombies.
I felt much better about leaving Kyle alone this time. There were plenty of locks on the hotel door, and I had a phone he could call if he needed something.
I dug through my suitcase for my nicest outfit, a light teal peasant top and a beige skirt that touched my ankles. I slipped on my sandals, ran a brush through my hair, and barely made it out front by seven.
A black car pulled up in front, and Sebastian climbed out of the back. His steps faltered as he looked me up and down. Then he surprised me with a grin and held his hand out to me.
Confused, I did the only thing that made sense, and placed my hand in his. Feeling a thumb close over the back of my fingers, he lifted them to his mouth.
His lips weren’t soft or rough, there wasn’t a word that described the way they felt or what they did to my insides.
“You look… sweet,” he said with a dimpled grin.
It wasn’t quite the compliment I was hoping for, but he was probably used to sexy vixens, with their short skirts and ample cleavage. Then again, maybe it wasn’t a compliment at all. Maybe he was being an asshole.
“Well this was fun,” I snapped and turned around.
His hand was firm as it circled my elbow and he pulled me around and toward the car.
“Untwist your virginal panties and let’s go.” He stopped in front of the car and opened the door, waiting for me to get in.
My gaze shifted between him and the open door and then I crossed my arms. “You act like you’re doing me a favor.”
“I am. Now get in the car. We have reservations.”
“And if I refuse?”
“If you were going to refuse you would have done it already. You’re curious, and you’re going to get into the car.”
As much as I wanted to prove him wrong, he was completely right. I was every one of those things, but I was starting to realize I wasn’t the only one. Without a word, I got into the car and slid all the way over.
He followed me in, shutting the door. We were incased in darkness.
I didn’t ask where we were going. Neither of us spoke, but as the city lights flowed across his face, I couldn’t help but notice how nice he looked in his dark suit and tie. His hand rested on the door and my eyes went straight to his slender fingers. He really was magnificent.
“Like what you see?” he asked in a hushed whispered.
A heated blush rushed up my neck. I hadn’t realized he was watching me, too. My God. He wa
s so cocky, and while it should have been a turn off, it was the total opposite.
“Actually, I do. I’ve always thought New York was beautiful at night.” I turned my head to look out my window and enjoyed his smirk.
“Don’t let the pretty lights fool you. The most dangerous things in the world are beautiful.”
When I looked back at him, he was staring out the window and looking completely lost in his own little world. I wanted to reach out to him, but he didn’t seem like the type who’d want to be comforted.
The car slowed as we reached our destination and I was anxiously looking through the dark windows in anticipation. Seconds later, the door opened and Sebastian was getting out. He held his hand out for me and I took it upon my exit.
“Get ready,” he said, before two older men opened the doors for us to the restaurant.
“Ready for what?”
He didn’t answer as he ushered me through the set of double doors, keeping one hand on the small of my back.
“Right this way, Mr. Black,” the host said. He grabbed two menus and started toward the back of the room.
I’d never been inside such a place. Crystal chandeliers hung above my head and mirrors were strategically placed around the room to reflect the candlelight, making the room look even larger than it already was.
Sebastian walked smoothly through the dining room, captivating his audience and demanding their attention. I watched in bewilderment as everyone stopped to gawk at him. He pulled my arm through his and that’s when I realized they were also watching me, the girl on his arm.
“I hope you’re hungry.” He pulled me closer. “Because I’m starving.”
His words brushed across the side of my neck and sent a wave of chills down my arms.
Everyone was staring at me. I self-consciously looked down at my outfit and knew right away I hadn’t dressed nice enough. I looked like an uptight school teacher going on a field trip, while ladies around me were dressed in satin, lace, and diamonds.
My hand on his arm began to sweat and I closed my eyes and tried to breathe.
“Don’t be nervous. You’re the most beautiful woman in the room.”
Little Black Box Set (The Black Trilogy) Page 6