“Yeah. This is Aline.” Sebastian refrained from giving the relationship between them.
“Hey.” She waved, as he placed her down.
“Hey, there. What’s your name?” Aline approached his niece, her arm extended so she could shake Naomi’s little hand.
“Naomi.” She shyly answered.
“A pleasure to meet you. I love your dress, by the way.” Aline smiled, ruffling her little tattoo dress.
“Do you like purple?”
“Yeah! Totally, purple is my favorite color. Ask your uncle.”
Naomi turned to look at him, and he nodded. Sadly, he realized he didn’t know Aline well enough to even know if the information was true. He only knew her name, her past, but nothing about her present. For a couple of minutes, he watched his niece talk to Aline. Naomi talked about her favorite color, and how she begged her mom to paint the whole house pink, but she refused.
As she talked, Aline listened carefully, making dramatic expressions whenever Naomi would say something worthy of a reaction. It was weird to see his niece so open to someone she had just met. She was usually shy and conserved.
“You know. I was looking through some recipes, and I saw this rainbow cake. Do you want to help me bake it?”
Naomi gasped, flashing her missing front teeth. She clasped her hands together, and looked between Aline and him.
“Can we? Can we really bake a rainbow cake?” After tasting Aline’s food Sebastian had no doubt that she could bake something like that. He had this blind trust in her potential.
“Of course we can!” Aline reassured, a deep laugh escaping her lips.
“Then, while you girls bake, I’ll be in my office.” Sebastian only managed to take one step towards his office, before Aline said:
“No you aren’t.” Frowning, he turned on his heel, so he could face her. “You are going to help.”
Sebastian wondered if that was payback for being a jerk to her the night before. The smirk playing on her lips and the triumphant posture of her body lead him to believe so. Sebastian searched his head for a way out, he looked deep inside for an idea that could save him, but there was no such thing.
“Are you coming?” Naomi asked over her shoulder, as she headed into the kitchen, hand in hand with Aline.
Sebastian could cook, but he had never tried baking. He didn’t have the time nor skills to do so. Yet, he followed the two women inside the kitchen without saying a word. It was funny how the world worked. He answered to no one, he gave orders and ruled an entire empire, however, his mightiness and dominance seemed to reach its limits when it came to those two girls.
“Where did I put that apron?” Aline mumbled to herself, looking around the kitchen, “There you are!”
She announced, swiftly moving to get the two aprons Sebastian had bought ages ago.
Aline placed the first apron around Naomi’s neck, folding it beneath the belt, so that it could fit her height. His niece giggled as she proudly studied her own reflection in the large glass window of the back door.
Meanwhile, Aline had approached him with the other apron in hand, extending it towards him. It took Sebastian a minute to understand what she wanted, and the second he did, he made sure to shake his head vigorously. He had never worn an apron before; they had been bought for Mrs. Marshall, not him, thus the flowery pattern against the orange background.
“No way, I am not wearing that.”
“Oh, yes you are.” Aline’s gaze was determined, she approached him with swift moves, slowly, like a predator, and before he knew it, she had slipped it over his head. Her hands had wrapped around his torso, her body pressing against his for seconds, as she tied the two straps together.
He doubted she knew how she was making him feel. And if she did, it must have been a mean of cruel torture. Being so close to her, even for the mere seconds, made his insides burn. He gulped, stiffing, waiting for the moment when he could breathe again, without being torn apart by the intoxicating smell of vanilla and mint.
“There. We are ready!”
“Yay! Let’s start!”
Sebastian’s initial plan was to stand around and watch. He had even poured himself a glass of wine to enjoy while watching. However, their boss for the day seemed to have other plans. Aline’s first order had been for him. He had to admit, it was weird to follow someone else’s instructions, especially with his dominant personality, but for the sake of having fun, he tried not to resist too much.
He held the sieve in one hand and the flour bag in the other, eyeing the glass bowl strangely. Shrugging, he poured as much flour as he could into the sieve, half of it pouring directly into the bowl. He looked over his shoulder, hoping Aline wouldn’t notice, but he wasn’t meant to have that kind of luck. The hazel eyes that seemed to be on his mind recently were staring at him. She warned him silently, shaking her head.
Naomi came to stand beside her, her arms resting on her shoulders, mimicking Aline’s posture. She tried to look stern, but the smile she was trying to hide wasn’t helping much. She pointed with one finger towards him, and shook her head.
“That’s not how you do it. The cake won’t be as fluffy!” Aline took the glass bowl and placed another one in front of him.
“You want me to do it again?”
She nodded. She was about to turn on her heel and resume what she had been doing, but she didn’t get too far. By impulse, Sebastian took a handful of flour in his fist and threw it at her, the powder sprinkling over her hair and face. Gasping, she turned, her eyes squinted.
“This means war!” The next thing he knew was that he was covered in egg yolk, the liquid dripped from his shoulder, sliding down his shirt. With wide eyes, Sebastian stared at his niece, who had another egg in her left hand.
She was giggling; her eyes squinted, tearing with laughter. Armed with the flower bag, Sebastian launched towards her, throwing a handful of flour. White dust poured onto them as the three ran around the kitchen, the girls screaming as they tried to find shelter beneath the kitchen counter.
They had run out of eggs and the fridge was too far. Sebastian smirked as he saw the outline of the two girls crouched beneath the counter, as if he couldn’t see them. Slowly, he placed the bag of flour onto the marble surface, stretching his hands before he launched onto them. He wrapped each hand around one girl, tackling them down. Their backs pressed against the floor, and he hovered over them.
“Gotcha!” He whispered. “Ready to pay?”
The girls screamed as they realized what he was about to do, but it had been too late; his fingers were already across their sides, tickling them out of breath. Naomi had been small enough to snake out of his grasp, but Aline was helpless.
Her hands pressed against his chest, trying to push him away, her laughs mixing with those of Naomi, who stood in a corner and laughed. Eventually, Sebastian stopped but he didn’t move. He remained there for a second, hovering over Aline, gazing into her eyes.
He gulped as they searched each other’s gazes. His heart pounded hard against his chest. Aline bit her lip unconsciously, and it took all his strength not to kiss her.
“Let’s do it again!” Naomi giggled from the corner.
Aline and Sebastian both laughed awkwardly as they stood up. They looked at everything but at one another, which was probably for the best at the moment.
“How about a new game?” Aline chuckled. “It’s called clean up.”
Chapter 8
Aline’s muscles were still relaxed from the rush of hot water; she felt the warmth that radiated off of her body through the pink cotton nightgown she was wearing. Her hair was still damp from the shower, but she didn’t bother to blow-dry it, instead, she decided to just let it dry on its own. While she had been in the bathroom, the last rays of sunlight seemed to have melted against the horizon, vanishing beyond the line of raising skyscrapers and buildings.
Although nighttime had befallen on them, the city was still alive. Glistening lights shone against the black ca
nvas, breaking through the shadows casted against the streets. She knew the sound of traffic would be loud too, had it not been for Sebastian’s exclusive house.
The house was quiet. Too quiet. Aline wondered where Naomi and Sebastian were; she had left both of them in the living room. Sighing, she walked into the living room, stopping in her tracks. Sebastian was by the window, silently sipping on some wine as he looked outside. He seemed to be caught in thoughts, his gaze distant. He didn’t seem to notice her, and she didn’t mind it. She took her time to look at him. She had never had the chance to study him the way she was doing then.
Aline traced his broad shoulders with her eyes, trailing up his neck, and towards the messy strands of hair that stood on top of his head. She fought the urge to run a hand through them. Her mind remembered well how they felt beneath the touch of her fingertips, how they curled around her fingers as she pulled him closer.
Aline decided to stop there. She shook her head, forbidding herself to go there again. She had gone over things a thousand times with herself. What had happened with Sebastian had been a mistake. He made that clear the second he refused to talk about it. Although she found him attractive, and although she made her go wild with confusion, she wouldn’t allow him to fool her the way he fooled other girls.
“Did Naomi leave?” She asked, breaking the silence that had been lingering around her. Her voice had been enough to capture Sebastian’s attention.
He turned to look at her over his shoulder and nodded.
“My sister came to pick her up while you were taking a shower.” He said. “Do you want some wine?”
Aline pondered over that thought for a second. She would have enjoyed a drink, but she decided against it. She had promised herself to keep her guard up, to prevent something stupid from happening again. So, she shook her head and thanked him, her feet slowly closing the distance between them. As she came to stand beside him, she threw her glance over the garden laying beyond the window. The lights hidden between the rows of grass blades illuminated the darkness.
“You are lucky to live here. It’s like a safe haven from all the chaos going on beyond the gate.”
“I know. This is why I bought the house in the first place.” Aline rested her shoulders against the wall, her temple pressing against the windowpane. She looked at him as he spoke, but his eyes were set on the garden.
It was nice outside. There were no clouds to cover the glistering stars, nor breeze to disturb the warmness of the air. She hadn’t been out that day, but now, she longed to. She looked between Sebastian and the gardens, biting her lip as a thought slowly crept onto her mind.
“Let’s have a picnic.” She blurted out, the words rolling off of her lips before she even acknowledged them. Sebastian frowned, taken by surprise.
“A picnic?” He chuckled, raising a brow.
Aline nodded. Her lips pursed. He hadn’t agreed yet, but she was already wondering on what she could prepare. She needed something fast. Snacks that they could munch on as they talked. Of course, there was a part of her that was unsure if he would even agree. There was no guarantee he would even want to spend time with her. She was there just to steal some information, after all. Luckily, before those thoughts could grow into something bigger, he answered.
“Sure.”
While Aline prepared the snacks, Sebastian prepared things outside. He took his time to lay down a blanket. He felt the urge to light some candles and take out the best bottle of champagne, but he decided against it. He was already battling with foreign thoughts; he wouldn’t have wanted them to intensify.
She had refused the glass of wine before, but Sebastian had still brought along an extra empty glass. He placed it on the tray, beside his half-filled glass, along with the opened bottle and the leftover cake they had baked earlier. Sebastian smiled unconsciously, shaking his head as he remembered the events that had occurred earlier that day. He swore his sides were still hurting from all that laughing. His heart was still in a daze too, touched by the short moment he had shared with Aline.
“Why are you smiling?” The voice came from behind him, making him jump in surprise.
Sebastian looked at her for a second, his mind searching for an answer. Seeking a lie that could cover the truth, the fact that he was thinking about her, that she had been on his mind for days now.
“Nothing,” That was the best that he could come up with. “Here, let me help you.”
Aline only held a tray with fruits and sandwiches, nothing that she couldn’t handle. Yet, he used his help as an excuse to change the subject.
“I can take it.” Most women Sebastian knew were afraid to eve lift a finger. They liked being spoiled, to have people do their work. There was not one woman he knew, that was able to do or handle half the things Aline was. He was so amazed by that, that at some point, he wondered if that was why he was so bewitched by her.
Nodding, Sebastian sat on the blanket, resting his weight on his elbows. He lifted his eyes to look at the sky. There weren’t too many stars, the light of the city had dimmed much of their glowing, but there were enough to adorn the darkness. The moon was full too, a ball of silver light, guarding over them.
“You are so lucky to have such a quiet place. You must come here often.”
Sebastian shook his head. Looking around, he had to admit, the night was simply magnificent. Quiet and calm, relaxing in every sense of the word. He couldn’t remember a time where he took his time to sit there and take a breath of fresh air. He was almost always working, or resting so he could work harder the following day. He most probably would have done the same, had it not been for Aline’s sudden proposal.
“I’m not surprised.” She chuckled. “You should though. It’s important to take time and recharge. To re-center your thoughts and recalculate your priorities. You are human too, you know. I know you hate losing, that your company is all that matters, but if you keep on working the way you are now, you will one day reach your goal, but you won’t have the energy to enjoy it.”
Aline didn’t look at Sebastian as she spoke, but he did look at her. Her words were like a spell that worked its way into his heart. No one ever told him that. Everyone always admired him for what he was doing, they encouraged him to go full speed ahead, hoping that when the day came, they would have a piece of his success. But no one ever cared if he became worn out or tired. Lame as it was, he had been touched by her words.
“Here, have some fruit.” She smiled, handing him the plate.
There was a moment of silence between them, during which Sebastian tried to find a topic to talk about. It wasn’t like he found it hard to speak to her. On the contrary, the easiness with which they talked scared him to an extent where his mind went blank.
“Have you decided on what you are going to do after we are done with stealing the information?”
Aline nodded. “I will leave this city. It’s filled with bad memories. I want to start fresh, you know. I deserve to live a better life, I want to get a job, have friends, live without the fear of tomorrow.” She smiled, although he could clearly see sadness behind her lips, the emotion swirled in her eyes, making the hazel surface shimmer.
“Aren’t you tired?”
“No. I mean there are times when I say I can’t anymore, but then I look around, and I realize I was lucky enough to see another day. Another day means another chance. Why would I waste a chance, when it could be my ticket towards a happier life?”
Sebastian looked at her, and couldn’t help but remember his mother. If only she had had half the optimism Aline owned. Then maybe, just maybe she would have lived to see him till that day. As soon as the thought surfaced, he made sure to shake his head and banish it. He was enjoying himself way too much to allow such thoughts to disturb his peace.
“Your turn.” She suddenly said.
“My turn for what?”
“Tell me something about yourself. Anything.” She looked at him with eyes.
“Well, what do you wanna kno
w exactly?” Sebastian wasn’t good with small talk. No one ever was so enthusiastic to know stuff about him.
Aline stayed quiet for a second. She thought about it, one hand resting beneath her chin, before she eventually answered.
“What’s one country that you really want to visit?”
“I visited a lot of countries, Aline. I don’t think there is one I wanted to see but didn’t.” He chuckled.
“Then how about the one you liked most?”
It wasn’t hard to decide upon that. There was only one country in the whole world that had managed to capture his heart completely.
“Italy. I love their art, their history. Everything about it is simply breathtaking.” He answered.
“Then I will visit Italy the first time I travel.”
Sebastian wanted to tell her that maybe they could go there together. His tongue itched to ask if she would want to visit the place the very next day. But if he did, wouldn’t that complicate things more? It surely would have, that was exactly why he kept quiet. The rest of the night went by exactly as it had began. They talked, they laughed, they shared memories and thoughts, nothing too deep and nothing too dangerous. None of them realized when the hours of dawn had bestowed upon them.
*****
Days had passed by without too many events. During this time, Sebastian and Aline had made sure to walk out in public and show up at events together. Newspapers, magazines, and tabloids were talking about the girl who seemed to have finally captured the young bachelor’s heart. In all honesty, it was safe to say that they had actually reached their first milestone.
In fact, Sebastian had just received his party invitation. He stared at it through his lashes, his eyes going over the words written in bald. Looking at it, Sebastian felt a wave of distress wash over his body. He felt uneasy, anxious even. The invitation proved Aline had done a good job so far, Marie had agreed upon his plus one. Indeed, he was now one step closer to making sure the deal was his, however, he felt no trace of happiness.
On the contrary, he oddly found himself asking if he really needed that information. Sighing, he slumped into his chair, and ran a hand through his hair. While he tapped his foot against the floor, Sebastian thought of what will happen to Aline if she got caught. She would surely get punished, and even if that was not the case, she would forever live with the burden of knowing she was a thief.
The Alpha One Page 7