by Amanda Lance
“What’s going on with you, Sebastian? You’re not acting like yourself.”
“I’m just trying to look after you,” he sneered before finally looking up at me. “Though I do admire how skeptical you’ve become.”
Smiling, I tried to infuse a little humor into the conversation. “Thanks to you.”
“Yes.” He sighed. “Thanks to me.”
A twinge of unexpected anger grabbed at me. If Sebastian wanted to play games with me—especially if they led to the bedroom—that was one thing, but after an incredibly long day at the office I was in no mood to be around someone immerged in self-pity. I stood up and firmly grabbed my bag. “I’m not a fan of this negative attitude of yours. If you invited me here to bring me down—”
“Stop,” he said firmly. “Sit back down.”
The sound of concrete in his voice immediately turned me on. I did as he said and bit my lip. Sebastian had once again reverted to looking at his glass, but the hardness in his jawline was something I couldn’t ignore.
“Why should I stay?”
At last, he looked up at me, his eyes as dark and sultry as I had ever seen them.
“Because I’m going to fuck your brains out.”
Sebastian waited for a solid two minutes before following me into the ladies room. Then, grinning from ear to ear, he locked the door behind him and slammed his lips into mine, sending sparks of electricity throughout my body. His kisses were hungry, desperate, and filled with something I couldn’t quite pinpoint but I took them all, coaxing his tongue into my mouth. He gripped me tighter, slamming my back against the wall and effectively knocking the air out of me.
He whispered his apologies and moving to leave bites on my neck that I was sure I’d have trouble covering up in the morning. The lust consumed me as I reached for his belt buckle, both of us effectively ignoring the sound of a knock at the door. It was one of the first genuine times in my life that I ceased to care completely—driven by pure desire, there was nothing else but the feel of his erection against me.
Breathing heavily, I finally managed to get a word out. “Tell me what you’re going to do me…”
Sebastian smiled, clearly pleased with my directness. “I was thinking about bending you over this counter and taking you from behind. Hard.”
“Well,” I said as I turned around. “What are you waiting for?”
I continued to watch his smile in the mirror while I bent over and put my hands on the sink to steady myself. The idea of public sex—something lurid and disgusting before—now seemed incredibly exciting, a once in a lifetime opportunity that I knew deep in my soul I only wanted to share with Sebastian.
Licking his lips, he ran his hands over my ass slowly—far more slowly than we had time for—and I relished every second of it, closing my eyes as a shudder eclipsed me. I continued to shake as he raised my skirt, sliding my panties aside easily before slapping each of my cheeks lightly. I gasped as he invaded my pussy with a single finger. Sebastian laughed and I was almost certain there was another knock at the bathroom door, but it was hard to concentrate when I was spinning out of control.
“Are you ready for me, sweetheart?” The smile in his voice sent a new wave of wetness between my legs. I opened my eyes, nodded, and spread my legs while Sebastian unveiled himself to me. The sight of his engorged hardness made my mouth water almost as much as my pussy. Unlike what I expected, however, Sebastian entered me slowly, gripping my outer thighs while he thrust in and out of me.
“Harder,” I begged softly. “Please.”
“No.” He shook his head, pulling himself out of me before slamming into me again. Sebastian swallowed hard, his voice raspy and tight before he spoke again. “You’re not getting out of this that easily.”
My wetness allowed him to slip in and out of me easily, but if that wasn’t enough, he reached his hand around to my front, effortlessly finding my clit and applying just the slightest bit of pressure. With each continued thrust, his balls smacked against me and I moaned, struggling to maintain my grip on the countertop as he slowly, painfully worked me over.
“Tell me you’re mine,” he whispered harshly in my ear. “Tell me and I’ll let you come…”
My mouth fell open but only a whimper escaped. When he realized my hesitation, Sebastian pulled his hand away from my clit and smacked me on the buttocks, the bathroom acoustics making the sound echo.
“I—I…”
“Tell me you’re mine!” He slapped me again, harder this time. And though I cried out, it wasn’t out of pain.
“I’m yours!” I called out. “I—I—”
I didn’t have to wait any longer before he brought his hand back to my clit, running his fingertip over me roughly enough to send me over the age.
I gripped the sink and bit my arm to keep from calling out as an ocean of pure joy washed over me. My knees buckled as Sebastian pulled out of me, burying his face in my back as he grunted into his hand.
As the world slowly returned to me, voices outside the bathroom became obvious and it occurred to me that someone was telling someone else to get management.
“W—We should go,” I whispered.
Sebastian released his grip on me, sighing as he reached over me to turn on the faucet. I took the opportunity to rearrange my panties and pull my skirt back down. My knees were still shaking and my knuckles red from gripping the counter, but I was content in a way I had never been before.
“Come home with me tonight,” he said suddenly.
I laughed. Though it didn’t sound like an entirely bad idea, having sex in a public bathroom seemed like a pretty clear indication to me that nothing had changed between us. That being the case, spending multiple nights together in a row might have unconsciously raised my hopes about the extent of our relationship.
Sebastian reached for a paper towel to dry his hands. “I thought we were on the same page about you keeping yourself safe. Going home by yourself this late—”
“I am keeping myself safe,” I said with a laugh. “Why do you think I’m going home without you?”
Chapter 7
Sebastian
I spent the rest of the night pacing like a wild man, torn between picking up the phone to call Violet or one of the PIs Roger and I had gone in on together. Just a few hours ago they had interviewed the ex-wife of a professor Madison had had an affair with in college. When the professor attempted to break off their relationship, Madison had sent nude photos of herself to their children. After that, there was a boyfriend who assaulted her stepfather—apparently all on Madison’s say so. Even her gymnastics coach had filed a restraining order against her. Madison was all of 17 then, but apparently her obsessive tendencies had begun at a very young age.
I had every intention of telling Violet all of this when I invited her to the bar, but the moment I saw her, I no longer had the courage to tell her any of it. Violet might not have been the innocent, little girl she was when I’d first met her, but it seemed entirely wrong to subject her to any additional problems when exposure to me and my line of work had already hardened her so much.
Deciding early on that I wasn’t going to tell her didn’t lessen my anxiety in any way, though. On the contrary, even my not-so-subtle hints about her safety just made me more upset. Still, taking her the way I did—right over the sink in the women’s room—was an unexpected stress reliever. And as I expected, I didn’t want to give her up after our encounter.
Then again, maybe it was better she hadn’t come home with me—after all, I did have an arbitration first thing the next day.
Phone calls from Roger had piled up on my voicemail, almost certainly his last minute attempt to try and remind me to hold my temper and accusations when I had to see Madison in the morning. The voicemails were easy to ignore, but my growing anxiety over Violet being in the same building as Madison was borderline crushing. Though Madison was clearly disturbed, I couldn’t pretend that she wasn’t intelligent, practical even, and the odds of her doing som
ething violent against Violet in public wasn’t likely. Regardless, Madison was about as cruel as Violet was kind, and I suspected it wouldn’t take much for her ruin the delicate repairs Violet and I had made to our relationship.
I went out to my balcony and stared up at the sky. Though the night was clear and my view was unobscured, I couldn’t see even the faintest glimmer of a star.
The lights of the city had blocked everything.
I woke up before sunrise the next morning, startled by visions and dreams that faded from memory within a few moments of waking. I did my best to forget the incident and overcompensated my recent alcohol consumption by running on the treadmill an hour longer than usual. Once I threw up the contents remaining in my stomach from the night before, I stopped, got in the shower and prepared myself for what I was certain would be a bloody day in the conference room.
Once I arrived at the office, I was plagued by well-wishers and half-wits inquiring about my welfare since my suspension. Though my original instinct was to avoid them at all costs, I found myself actually taking the time to listen to them and their complaints about the firm since my leave, as well as the condition of their children and families. I even went so far as to thank them for their support when they reiterated Madison’s insanity and the apparent obviousness that I wouldn’t have any trouble.
Clearly, being in love was making me soft.
Roger joined me soon enough, fueled by too much coffee and potentially something else. As usual, he was also wearing one of those suits of his that was loud enough to draw snickers from everyone who didn’t know him. With a bright purple pocket square and matching tie, it was clear to me, however, that Roger had merely worn it as a distraction during the arbitration.
“You look… interesting.”
“Thank you my boy! Thank you!” He patted my shoulders firmly before trying to shake me. “How excited are you for this? I am so pumped up!”
I brushed his hand off my shoulder and sighed. “One of those meth dealers didn’t pay you in trade again, did they?”
He laughed loudly enough to startle a passing elderly woman. “No, my boy, no! I’m running on pure adrenaline!”
I rolled my eyes and headed toward the elevator. No matter how awful this day was probably going to be, at least I would get to see Violet in the office I had fallen in love with her. And sure enough, I saw her pushing the mail cart up and down the hall where the first year attorneys were situated. I smiled at the sight of her long legs sheltered in dress pants and the matching blazer that pushed up her cleavage in just the right way. Still, as much as I wanted to embrace her in a display of public affection, there was no reason to damage the reputation she was clearly working so hard to repair.
Keeping this in mind, I adjusted my tie and double-checked that there were no other eyes in the hall before greeting her. “Hello, Miss Donovan.” Instantly, her posture stiffened at the sound of my voice. I smiled to myself, quickly resenting the fact that I was crippled by office decorum. “You look very nice today.”
She gave me a wry grin but otherwise didn’t make eye contact. “I know.”
I continued to watch her as she wheeled the cart past me and down the hall, her hips swaying just a little extra than normal. I smiled to myself, ignoring everything around me until one of Nicky’s well-manicured hands waved in front of my face.
“Ah,” I sighed and actually made the effort to blink. “Hi.”
She rolled her eyes and smiled, keeping her verbal opinions to herself. “You and Mr. Gardner and expected in the conference room, Mr. Scott.”
Oblivious to everything but himself, Roger smacked his hands together and licked his lips. “Nichole, my love, maybe there’s time for you and me… in the executive wash room?”
Nicky just rolled her eyes again and gestured for us to follow. Roger watched her the same way I had been watching Violet. I sighed and did as I was told, desperately attempting to inhale the last scent of my flower’s perfume.
Unfortunately, the sight of Madison ruined my inflated mood. She sat with a slumped posture and fretting hands—every bit the victim she was trying to make herself out to be. And because she was wearing thick glasses and a conservative ponytail, Madison looked more like a librarian than the psychotic harlot I knew her to be. I was proud of myself for not mentioning this out loud, however, and secretly hoped to joke about it with Violet later that evening. Regardless, I fixed my expression to my trademark indifference and took a seat.
This was going to be every bit as terrible as I expected.
Chapter 8
Sebastian
The arbitration went exactly as expected—more or less. Once I made my offer, Roger was more upset than Madison, but of course both of these things were incredibly amusing to me. Naturally, however, if I were no longer employed at the firm Madison, would have little recourse left in her suit. I told the arbitrator that I was willing to resign from the firm and write a check of $10,000 to each of the plaintiffs in return for the suit being dropped. And while Madison was furious with the offer, the arbitrator thought it was so reasonable, she signed off on it on the spot.
“How can you do this to me?” Roger pleaded. “Who’s going to help me when I get a virus on my computer?”
“The IT department? Besides, maybe you should consider not downloading so much porn at work.”
“And that’s another thing! Who am I going to send dirty pictures to in court?”
I smiled and smacked him upside the back, much like he had done to me just an hour earlier. “Relax, Roger. You’ll give yourself another heart attack.”
“Unbelievable!” At the sight of his favorite secretary, Roger flung his arms in the air. “Nicky, have you heard about this?”
He followed her down the hall, ranting and raving on. She rolled her eyes but slowed down enough to let him catch up with her. I didn’t bother to follow, making my way to my office instead. Besides, if Nicky knew about my resignation, it wouldn’t be long before everyone else did, too.
I made quick work of downloading client files on to a drive. Once I finished, I took a thorough glance around my office. I had gone through a painstaking process in selecting a decorator who understood my personality—making it all the easier to christen my oak desk with her luscious fake tits in my hands. Still, I wasn’t experiencing anything even close to sadness at my decision. I had always expected that if I did ever feel some depression, it would be at the prospect of having to leave this firm. I was king here, and what would I be without my kingdom? Yet now that Violet and I were together—at least unofficially—anything seemed possible.
A soft knock at the door disturbed my thoughts and instinctively, I knew it was Violet.
“Yes,” I called. “Come in.”
She walked in, biting her lower lip and clutching several cardboard boxes in her arms. Clearly she was distraught, but whether or not she had heard the results of the arbitration was beyond me.
I gave her my best grin before standing up. After all, the bookshelves wouldn’t clear themselves. “Hi again.”
“Hey…” Alone, her confidence was dimmed, but around our colleagues—or my previous ones—she adjusted herself to her true potential: a confident and sophisticated woman. It was beyond adorable, but considering the circumstances, I didn’t dare to say it.
“Um, Nicky said you would need theses?”
I looked away from her. “Just put them anywhere.”
“So…” She took a few cautious steps towards me and wrung her hands together. “Should I ask how it went?”
“About what I expected,” I said. “There was a lot of arguing, yelling, and even more swearing.”
She winced. “Sorry?”
“No matter.” I shrugged and grabbed several books off the shelf. “I got what I wanted and Madison didn’t.”
“Um—what are those for?”
“For packing up my office.” I rolled my eyes and caught a glimpse of her wringing her lovely hands. “How many people did you sleep wi
th to get that 4.0 GPA of yours, anyway?”
A look of annoyance passed over her face but otherwise she said nothing. “Why are you packing up your office?”
I paused from removing the books off the shelf. I wanted to see her complete reaction when she learned her suspicions were true. “Because I quit.”
Within a moment, a half a dozen different expressions flashed across her face. Everything from shock to rage illuminated her features in such a way that I couldn’t help but appreciate it—too bad she ruined it by speaking.
“B—but why? They can’t make you do that! I mean—” She looked at the floor, her eyes wild and enraged. “Why?”
“Occam’s razor.” I shrugged and worked another book into the box.
“Really?” I marveled as one of her eyebrows rose up and she crossed her arms over her chest. “’The most obvious solution is usually correct?’”
“How nice to have the reassurance that you successfully complete high school science…”
With all her strength, she shoved me mid-sentence, effectively shutting me and my laughter up. “Shut up!”
Smiling, I shook my head. “Why are you so mad, little Violet? Did I not satisfy you enough last night? I did invite you home for a second performance you know—”
“Shut up!”
Before I could respond, she ran into my arms and held me significantly tighter her petite frame seemed capable of. I opened my mouth but closed it again. Out of all those moments she had questioned me and defied me, this was not one that I was so eager show my superiority.
“What is it? I thought this was what you wanted.” I inhaled the sweet smell of her hair, my mouth taking an extra minute to rest on her forehead. “It’s not a secret how much you hate this place—”
Once again she cut me off. Maybe, I had taught her better than I’d originally thought. “But you love it.”
“I do,” I confessed. “But it’s time to move on. I’ve always thought about operating my own firm, maybe I’ll do that. Hell—” I wiggled my eyebrows at her suggestively. “I could even teach.”