by Layla Hagen
“I want to make love to you, Ava,” he murmurs against my skin.
“Not here. The people outside. . .”
“Let’s go. Right now.”
Sexual tension crackles between us. It’s so thick and loaded that one single spark would be enough to make us both forget where we are. He locks his gaze on mine, and the mix of emotions in his eyes almost convinces me to give in to his request. The need to be alone with him hits me hard.
Swallowing hard, I say, “I still have to check on a lot of things. Give me two hours, and then we can leave.”
Leaning in to me, he says in a tight voice. “Two hours.”
Chapter Thirty
Sebastian
I watch her from afar for the next two hours. Ava’s her confident self again. She orders everyone around and keeps checking every little detail that could lead to confusion on the presentation day. As I expected, she treats Simone as if nothing happened.
Ava is a strong, independent woman. The thought that the lowlifes who cheated on her made her doubt herself even one bit, makes me want to find those idiots and smash their faces. She’s amazing, and any man who doesn’t see that is a fool. Their loss, my gain.
I almost came undone seeing her like that inside. My beautiful Ava was so fragile, so scared that I might hurt her. I flex my palms, rage coursing through me. No one will hurt her again. I’ll see to that. I want Ava just the way she is. She wiggled her way into my every thought, filling a void I thought would remain unfilled. I won’t ever desire another woman.
After precisely two hours, I walk up behind her. She’s dismissed almost everyone, and she’s now looking for something in her bag, with a lovely frown on her face.
“Your two hours are up,” I tell her over her shoulder. She flinches, but then turns around, a grin spreading on her face.
“I know.”
“Where do you want to go?”
“Home, but I’m starving. Let’s pick up some food on the way.”
“That’s my girl. Nothing can stave off your appetite.”
“Nope, not really.”
We buy tacos on our way home and devour them in the car. She’s silent the whole way, as if struggling with something. She wants to tell me something, but I won’t pressure her. When she’s ready, she’ll talk. Once inside the apartment, that moment seems to arrive. Ava looks up at me, her face flushed.
Leaning against the kitchen island, she says, “Sebastian, I want to apologize for the way I reacted back there.”
“What exactly do you think you must apologize for?”
“Crying. Trembling. Basically, losing my shit. You didn’t have to see me like that.”
“You were vulnerable.” I push a strand of hair behind her ear, kissing her forehead. “When you moved in here, I told you I wanted to know every part of you. I meant that. I’m not here just for the fun or sexy times. I’m here to love you. Every part of you.”
Her tiny body squirms, and she offers me a shy smile.
“I want to make one thing clear. The fact that those assholes cheated on you is not your fault. Trust me. You’re wonderful.”
“You, Mr. Charmer, must give me the name of the charm school you attended. Men worldwide need to follow suit.”
“Oh, it’s Mom’s school of I’ll-kick-your-butt-if-you-mistreat-a-lady. It was very effective.”
“Well, I’ll let her know she did a wonderful job.”
“She did. Now,” I drop my head to her ear and whisper, “I believe we have unfinished business.”
Instantly, goose bumps form on her arms, which is one hell of a turn-on.
“Is that so?” Her voice is playful and, at the same time, uneven. “I don’t remember.”
“You don’t?” I feather my lips on her neck and shoulder, enjoying hearing her breathing pattern become more labored.
“No, was it dessert?”
“You can call it that if you want to.”
I hoist her up in my arms and she tilts her head back, laughing. I’ll never get enough of her laughter. After getting us to the bedroom, I lay her on the bed and lean against the windowsill.
“Strip,” I tell her.
Ava wets her lips and unzips her dress in one swift move. She picks up the hem of the blue fabric, pulling the dress over her head. I suck in my breath when she remains in nothing but her bra and thong.
“Take off your bra.”
As her breasts spill free, my erection threatens to explode in my pants. I lean down to her, kissing her lips, cupping one breast greedily, letting my hand slide further down.
“You soaked your thong.” I groan, stroking her slit with my finger over the damp fabric. Shuddering, she closes her eyes. I discard my clothes fast, and take her thong off too. She moves to the center of the bed, watching me. She’s so fucking sexy.
I join her in the bed, wrapping my hand around my erection, pumping up and down, squeezing it the way I like it.
Ava’s eyes widen in surprise.
“Touch me,” I tell her. Obediently, she closes the distance between us, coming so near that her delicious breasts touch my chest. She looks me straight in the eyes as she takes over stroking me. “God, you’re good, baby. So good.”
I want to drive her crazy tonight. I want to drive her crazy every night. Tasting her mouth, I claim her lips, dragging my knuckles down the sides of her body, enjoying the goose bumps forming on her skin. I squeeze her sweet ass with both hands. She’s gorgeous, perfect, and knows what to do with that hand of hers.
In one second, I change everything. I kiss her hard, pushing her back on the bed, parting her legs with my knee. I move my mouth downward, paying attention to first one of her breasts, and then the other. The way she arches her back drives me crazy.
“You’re fucking perfect,” I mutter against her skin as I continue my descent, settling between her legs. I run my tongue over her inner thigh, inching toward her sex with exquisite slowness. By the way she digs her nails in the mattress, I know I have her exactly how I want. I place my mouth on her clit, sucking it gently.
“Sebastian.”
She pushes her heels firmly in the bed, her breathing becoming more labored. That’s it. Lust shoots through me. I plunge one finger inside her, and another one, caressing her inner flesh. I crook my finger. She fists my hair, moaning. I continue to kiss her until I feel her tighten around my fingers, right before crying out from the orgasm. Watching her come apart completely burns my control. I grind my erection against her still sensitive flesh before driving into her, stretching her tight passage. Her breasts press against my chest.
“You feel amazing,” I tell her.
“You make me feel things I didn’t even know existed.” She pants underneath me, her skin glistening with sweat.
“I’m very pleased to hear that.”
She giggles in my ear, and I swear it’s the damned sweetest sound. I make her moan. Hard. I plunge into her faster, deeper, spreading her legs wider apart. I watch her unravel, fighting to keep my control, to last longer. Breathing through my mouth, I time my strokes, rocking in and out of her as she succumbs to her orgasm.
I spiral over the edge, coming hard, burying my head in her neck, screaming out her name at the same time she calls mine. Afterward, she cuddles against me, and I cradle her in my arms, kissing her forehead. This woman makes me want to have her and protect her. It’s the first time I want to give a woman everything.
As her breath falls into that peaceful pattern that indicates she’s asleep, I’m more certain than ever that I’ll never want another woman. She’s it for me. The one. I’ll be damned if I’ll let her slip away.
***
I can’t sleep. Not wanting to wake Ava, I’m leaving the bedroom when an idea strikes me. I open my laptop and start researching. One hour later, my master plan is done. I debate waiting until morning to tell her, and then decide not to.
Ava sleeps on one side, hugging a pillow. Her luscious hair is spread everywhere.
Sitting at t
he edge of the bed, I hover over her for a few seconds before whispering, “Ava.” No reaction. “Ava.”
“Mmm.” She hugs the pillow tighter, squishing her breasts against it. I’m tempted to push her on her back and suckle one of her nipples, but restrain myself. I’m on an important mission.
“I have an indecent proposal.”
“Can’t wait to hear it,” she says sleepily. “In the morning.”
“Nope, now.”
Lazily, she blinks her eyes open. “Is something wrong?”
“Nothing wrong, but if I tell you this when you’re up and buzzing, you’ll come up with a hundred reasons to say no.”
“No to what?” She closes her eyes again.
“Don’t fall asleep.”
“Then talk.”
“You said Dirk didn’t assign you to a new project right after you finish here.”
“Not yet, but I bet he’ll come up with something.”
“Tell him you want two weeks off. Let’s go somewhere, just the two of us.”
She opens her eyes again, and this time there’s no sleepiness in them. A smile playing on her lips, she pushes herself up on an elbow.
“Mr. I-didn’t-take-a-day-off-in-five-years wants to take two entire weeks off?”
“You make me do things I didn’t even contemplate before. You make me want those things.” I lean in to her, kissing her cheek.
“I’ll go with you, Sebastian.”
On that vacation, I will ask her to stay here in San Francisco with me.
Chapter Thirty-One
Ava
Next morning at the office, I make a to-do list of all the things I need to get done before the show. It’s enormous. Looking at it, I decide that sleep is overrated. I’ll run on coffee, adrenaline, and the knowledge that afterward I’ll spend two weeks with Sebastian¸ without work or anything else getting between us. Dirk wasn’t happy when I told him I want two weeks off, but he can suck it. I haven’t taken a single day off in the last year, and I’m not eager to repeat that experience. I work hard. I deserve a damn break. One last trip before this dream ends. I’m surprised at the ache blooming in my chest. I always knew this wouldn’t last, but I never expected to fall in love with Sebastian. It’ll make going back to the way things were so much harder. Imagining my life without Sebastian depresses me. Back to empty hotel rooms and dinners alone in the office, long after my colleagues are gone. Empty beds. I shake my head, trying to clear my thoughts. A job is something fixed; something I can count on. A man can always leave. My job won’t keep me warm at night though. Sebastian does.
“Bah. Get your act together, Lindt,” I admonish myself. For the remainder of the morning, I work through my monstrous to-do list.
I will always remember the moment all hell broke loose. Lola and Sandra, two girls from the marketing department, burst inside my office, looking like they’re about to confess a mortal sin.
“What’s wrong?” I ask them.
“Martha quit.”
“What do you mean, she quit?” I leap to my feet, nearly knocking over my computer. No, no, no. This can’t be. “There is one week left until the presentation.”
“Uh-huh,” Lola says.
“She . . . Jesus.” I bite my tongue, drawing in deep breaths.
“So, we wanted to know who will take over her duties,” Sandra says.
I suspected Martha would leave soon, but I never thought she’d quit now.
A vein pulses in my right temple. “Right. You two go back in your office and continue with your tasks. I will let you know how to proceed.”
After they leave, I take a deep breath and stroll into Sebastian’s office. He and Logan stop talking when they see me.
“Your marketing manager quit,” I announce.
“We’ve been informed,” Logan says. “She received a job in Seattle she couldn’t refuse, and they required her to start right away.”
“You need to hire someone now.”
“There’s not enough time until the show,” Sebastian explains. I swear loudly, because I knew this was exactly what they were going to say.
“I know, but I needed to vent somewhere and I couldn’t do it in front of the team.”
Both men burst out laughing.
“This is not funny,” I say.
“We know it’s not.” Logan‘s expression turns somber.
“Can you do it without the marketing manager?” Sebastian asks. “Logan and I can try to jump in, but between the meetings we’ve already scheduled, there won’t be much time.”
“Well, it’ll mean pulling a hundred hours this week. Nothing I haven’t done before, but I hate it when it happens. I’ll get back to work.”
Sebastian looks at me intently.
I pull myself up straighter. “Just so you know, all these long hours mean you’ll get laid a lot less.”
“We’ll see about that,” Sebastian replies, a rueful smile on his face.
“Does anyone care that I’m in the room?” Logan throws his hands up in the air.
“No,” Sebastian and I reply in unison.
“Okay, glad we settled that,” Logan concludes.
“I’ll leave you two now and get back to work.”
***
One week later, I’ve used up every ounce of energy. I’m convinced my body will give in any minute now. Thank God, it’s the day of the show. I can do plenty of collapsing after it’s over.
I’m in a chic boutique in downtown San Francisco, trying on dresses for tonight. With everything going on, it completely slipped my mind that I don’t have anything to wear for the occasion. The vendor brings me two gorgeous dresses, but my enthusiasm fails when I see the price tag. They’re both over three thousand dollars.
“Unless you have something on sale, don’t bring me any designer items.”
To his credit, the vendor doesn’t look disappointed in the slightest. He hurries off, returning with three dresses that are within my price range.
“I’ll try this one on first.” I point to a dark blue dress. It’s floor length, and made of light chiffon. I put it on quickly, asking him for help to zip up.
I step in front of the mirror and he nods appreciatively. “You look fantastic.”
I smile. The dress hugs my figure surprisingly well, making my boobs stand out and my waist appear smaller. I wish it weren’t so long though.
“I’m going to need killer heels with this one,” I say. “Luckily, I have just what I need.”
The door opens and a new customer comes in. I notice her in the mirror as she looks through the store. Simone.
“You look familiar,” she remarks.
“I’m the marketing consultant at Bennett Enterprises.”
“Oh, that’s right. I saw you at the rehearsal. Will you be at the show tonight?”
“Yes, of course.”
She eyes my dress dismissively, telling the vendor, “Bring me a dress from the Red Valentino collection you have in the front.”
My eyebrows shoot up as the vendor eyes her with disdain and hesitates, as if he doesn’t want to serve Simone. Finally, he moves to bring her the requested items.
“It’s for the after-party tonight,” Simone explains. Not that I asked her. “I have a man to seduce.”
Looking away from her, I return my attention to the mirror, pretending to inspect my neckline.
“Do you know if Sebastian Bennett is dating someone?”
I swallow hard. “He is.”
“Well, it doesn’t matter much. Whoever she is, she can’t compete with me. Men leave their wives for me. They always fall for this.” She gestures at herself. I turn to her in disbelief. So this is what a homewrecker looks like. Does she know how much hurt she causes? All for what?
I look at Simone, pitying her. Strangely, I don’t feel the need to compete with her. “You have a very low self-esteem.”
“Excuse me?”
“Going around, offering your body,” I clarify as the vendor arrives with a Red Valent
ino dress.
“At least, I have something to offer,” Simone says viciously. “Unlike you.”
“We don’t allow this kind of behavior in our shop,” the vendor tells her.
“She insulted me first,” Simone says.
“I don’t see how telling the truth is an insult.”
“Do you know who I am?” she asks him dismissively.
“Yes, I do. The owner of this shop is one of those women whose marriage you take so much pride in having ruined. I thought you looked familiar. Now, get out.”
Simone stares down at him, but he doesn’t back off. After a few seconds, she leaves.
“Don’t listen to her,” he tells me. “You look beautiful.”
I look at myself in the mirror again, pleased with my choice of dress. Still, I feel uneasy.
***
When I enter the venue for the show a few hours later, I’m dazzled, even though I’ve been at the rehearsal and I know play-by-play how this will go. The opening act is a show of diffused lights. Simone is lowered slowly from the ceiling to the stage, looking every inch the beauty she is. The rest of the models come out next. The collection is exquisite, though one can barely see the jewelry on the models. That’s what the large screens on either side of the stage are for.
I sit at the table with the marketing department, right next to the runway. Sebastian sits with Logan, Alice, Blake, and Daniel at a table on the other side of the runway. I’m proud that he’s finally attended his own show and sits in the front row as opposed to hiding in the back room. He catches my eye on several occasions during the show. I blush every time. We’ve planned to stay for about an hour after the show, so he can answer questions from attendees. Then we’re going to celebrate—just the two of us, while everyone else attends the after-party. Tomorrow, I’ll clear my office while he attends a daylong meeting, and then our vacation will start.
The show ends with Pippa walking down the runway with all the models, bowing as the crowd applauds. As the girls return backstage, she jumps off the runway, coming straight to me. I stand up and give her a hug.