The Protege

by Kailin Gow

  “I had a few things I wanted to ask you,” Sebastian said with an uncharacteristic hesitation, “but… I could come back later.”

  “No. No. It’s just as well you stopped by when you did. Son, I’d like you to meet Price Turnsby.”

  “Yes, you looked familiar.” Sebastian accepted the finely manicured hand Price put out, and returned the strong handshake.

  Price nodded. “Ah, yes, probably the society pages. I hope you don’t believe everything you read. Those stories about me and that young woman were greatly exaggerated.”

  “I wouldn’t really know about that. I was talking more about a photo I saw in Times magazine. You were among the top ten young billionaires.”

  “Ah, yes, that. If I’m not mistaken, I was actually among the top three… but who’s counting?” Though they were clearly the same age, Price affected an air that was considerably older; much like that of Kaiser Sorensen. He jutted his chin up a little higher to better look down on Sebastian. “And you're a music teacher at a local school here, right?”

  Sebastian heard the condescension. He was used to it. “Yeah, you could say that.” He wasn’t about to give him the satisfaction of defending himself or his profession.

  “I hear that it’s a gratifying job.” He glanced down at Sebastian’s attire. “Though not a financially rewarding one, I take it.”

  Sebastian snorted in amusement as he realized he still wore the sweats Serena had loaned him.

  “Slumming it this week, Bash,” Kaiser said.

  “I guess a week in the hospital can do that to a guy. I didn’t take the time to change before coming over.”

  “Is it true you're working on a movie score?”

  “Yeah, a Rick Steinberg production.”

  “I once knew a girl who was really a fan of yours. Despite her music choices, I still loved her. So I have you to thank for her endless entertainment when I had to travel. Go figure. I was never into all that mushy stuff. But, I guess a guy has to keep busy, right?”

  “It certainly does keep me busy.”

  “You bet,” Kaiser threw in. “He’s so busy we have to make an appointment just to see him.”

  “Well then, I’ll leave you to reconnect with your son, Mr. Sorensen.” Price turned to Sebastian. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Bash.”

  The annoying nickname was barely tolerable from the likes of his mother and Willow, but on the lips of this man it was downright infuriating. Despite that, he grinned and nodded a salutation.

  Price turned to Kaiser and offered a handshake. “Thank you once again, Mr. Sorensen, for you confidence in me.”

  “It’s not idle confidence, Mr. Turnsby. Your track record speaks for itself. I have no doubt this new union will be a very profitable one.” He patted Price on the shoulder as he led him to the elevator. “I’ll have my lawyers draw up the necessary documents and send them to your place to be signed.”

  Price entered the elevator and shot Sebastian one last scrutinizing glance before the doors slid shut.

  “What was that all about?” Sebastian said as he followed Kaiser into his office.

  “I see you're feeling better.”

  Really? Now you want to talk about my health, Sebastian thought. “Much better.”

  “Good, good. I wanted to apologize on behalf of your mother. She desperately wanted to go see you at the hospital, but her commitment to everyone at the fundraiser…”

  “I understand,” Sebastian cut in. He didn’t really want to hear all the excuses they could possibly come up with for not coming to see him.

  “And as for me, well, you know how things pile up if I just miss a day at the office. Besides, I had this big deal with Price to finalize.”

  “So what is the deal with the Price guy?”

  “He’s just signed an agreement intending to purchase one of our subsidiaries… our line of Granite Gyms. Now I know talking business isn’t what brought you here. What’s on your mind, son?”

  “I wanted to share with you the suspicions I have regarding my mysterious food poisoning.”

  “But your mother told me it wasn’t food poisoning.”

  “Exactly.”

  “You suspect foul play?”

  “D’you have any other suggestions?”

  Kaiser stared blankly at him.

  “In addition to that, I arrived at my place this morning and it’d been ransacked. Everything was overturned, every drawer emptied, even the contents of my refrigerator were on the floor.”

  “This whole episode with you in the hospital really brought home just how serious you and this new young lady are. I must say it came as a bit of a surprise.” Kaiser chuckled. “I don’t know if you’ll succeed in getting your mother and Willow to back off, though, but good luck.”

  “First off, her name is Serena Singleton, not young lady.” Sebastian couldn’t believe he’d just brushed off the fact his place had been ransacked. “Secondly, did you hear what I just said?”

  “Right, Serena. I knew her name had a lovely ring to it. A very efficient young woman. She’s the one who kept us up to date on your condition.”

  “Dad…”

  “Yes, yes. I heard you. Your place was ransacked. Apartments in your area are apt to be burglarized every now and then, despite the heavy security.”

  “This wasn’t a burglary. Nothing was taken. They went in there looking for something.”

  “Assuming you're right, assuming someone went into your apartment looking for something, I think the best course of action at this moment is to keep it all under wraps.”

  “Seriously? I may have been intentionally poisoned and my place was broken into and you want to keep it hush hush? And what am I supposed to do? Just go on about my day as if nothing had happened?”

  “Don’t worry. I’ll have someone look into it. Going to the police would just bring unwanted publicity to the whole situation. Your private issues should remain private. Bad press at this point in time could ruin this new deal.”

  Sebastian cocked a disbelieving brow. “Really? That’s what concerns you? How all this will affect your new deal?”

  “It’s a multi-million dollar deal, son.”

  Sucking in an exasperated breath, Sebastian looked over his father’s head at the grand view of Newport Harbor. He knew money and prestige were important to his father, but… this was too much. “Anyway, I just stopped by to see if you and Mom were all right. When I saw my apartment, I thought perhaps whoever had gone through my things might want to get to you two as well.”

  “We’re fine, son.”

  “Apparently. As far as you're concerned, it never happened.”

  “Don’t take it that way. You have to understand how this could affect more than just you. If it makes you feel better, I’ll arrange for added security at your building. You should know by now that we can’t let something like a nosy busybody get in the way of what needs to be done.” He fumbled with a few files that lay on his desk. “To tell you the truth, I didn’t really think you’d be targeted since you're so far removed from the business.”

  “Targeted?” His gut filled with dread. Not only was his father unmoved by the destruction of his own son’s apartment, but he’d apparently anticipated some kind of trouble. “Are you telling me you were aware of some potential danger and you never said anything?”

  “Like I said, son, I didn’t think you’d be targeted.”

  “What’s going on?”

  “Nothing that concerns you.”

  “I beg to differ. I have a ransacked apartment that says different and, the last time I checked, I was still a part of this family.”

  Kaiser shoved his hands deep into his pant pockets and turned to look out at the ocean. “I didn’t want to get you involved in this. I didn’t want you to be troubled by…” He turned to face his son. “You know, I started this company from nothing, literally. Today it’s a multi-billion dollar powerhouse and still you want nothing to do with it. I won’t lie, I would have been the pro
udest father in the world if you’d chosen to follow in my footsteps; if you’d admired the company I’d built enough to come add your own blood, sweat and tears to the mix, but no… you had better things to do.”

  “You know I don’t have a head for this sort of business.”

  “Your mother doesn’t really have a head for business either, but she’s nonetheless put great time and effort into hosting banquets, dinner parties, charitable events and everything in between. Even Willow and her mother take part. For crying out loud, Sebastian, you're my only child, my only son. You're the sole heir to all this and…” He chocked and coughed into his fist. “Damn it, all you’ve done is turn your nose at us… at this.” He spread his arms out, indicating his office.

  “We’ve been through this before,” Sebastian said in a monotone voice. “What is this trouble you're in? Why is security such an issue all of a sudden?”

  “It’s not really all of a sudden. It’s part of the game. You have money and people want to get their hands on it. The more you have, the more ruthless they become. When your face appears on the front cover of Forbes with your net worth printed in big bold digits… well, it rattles people a bit. Seems everyone thinks they deserve a percentage of your success.” Clearing his throat, he looked thoughtfully at his son. “When you were young, we were careful to keep you sheltered from it all; lunatics, kidnappers, the Lindbergh baby. Your mother wanted to make sure you were safe at all times. Despite many requests, we never allowed a photo of you to be published. But now… well, you're all grown up, and we thought you were safe. You're a strong and capable man, but I guess you're still vulnerable. People can go to ridiculous lengths when greed takes over.”

  Sebastian wanted to argue that his hadn’t been a mere robbery, that money wasn’t the issue, but his father firmly guided him out of his office.

  “I know you probably don’t believe me, but I’m truly happy to see you're better. You know, I’m still available if ever you want to set up a meeting to discuss your possible future here. There’ll always be an office ready and waiting for you.”

  “Don’t hold your breath.” Sebastian managed a chuckle, but was far from amused.

  “Well, I’m sure you have a lot to do today, what with cleaning up your place, so I’ll let you get going.”

  Though being so politely dismissed, hurt the little boy inside, Sebastian stood straight and looked his father in the eye. “I wouldn’t want to keep you from your obligations either, Dad.” He shot him a curt salute and turned to head to the elevator. On the way he bumped into Darcy, his father’s assistant.

  “Sorry about that,” Sebastian said as he realized he’d caused her to drop the stack of news she’d been carrying. He stooped down to help her.

  “It’s my fault. I’m in a hurry and…”

  Neglecting to pick up every paper, Sebastian grabbed one copy and stared dumbfounded at it as he stood. The front page had a picture from the fundraiser. Though he sat at the table surrounded by his parents, Willow, her brother and mother, it was his arm around Serena that caught his eye. He was leaning close to her and the private smile she’d smiled just for him was now plastered on the front page for everyone to see.

  The headline only made matters worse. “Has Sebastian Sorensen found someone else to woo?”

  Silently berating himself for having risked the night out with her, he now realized it would be impossible for him to be involved with her on both a personal and professional level.

  Chapter 12

  Serena took a sip from her fifth cup of coffee and resumed pacing. Since talking to Sebastian she’d taken his suit out of her closet, put it back in, only to take it out again. She’d beaten a path from her living room to the kitchen and from there to her bedroom. She’d changed a half dozen times; shorts were too casual, a dress too contrived, yoga pants and sweater too laid back. She’d finally settled on a simple pair of jeans and a plain white t-shirt.

  In vain she’d tried to sit down and relax, and had even turned on the television, but it was useless. She was agitated and nervous.

  With a heavy thump she set down her cup of coffee. “That certainly isn’t helping matters,” she muttered.

  For the hundredth time, she walked over to the window and looked out hoping to spot his car. She couldn’t quite understand why she was so eager to see him again. Perhaps it was the past days spent at his bedside, wiping his brow, whispering encouraging words in his ear and holding his hand through the night.

  Of course she couldn’t forget the numerous sponge baths she’d given him. Though she’d argued with the staff that she was in a better position to tend to such an intimate task, it quickly became clear as she sponged off his muscular chest and perfect body that it was a completely selfish endeavor. She wanted to be close to him, to touch him, to see him, to give him pleasure without him even knowing it… and she did. It was her own guilty pleasure. Whatever it is about Sebastian Sorensen, she found herself wanting and willing to be very naughty with him.

  Then again there was that smooth and sexy voice when he’d called to tell her he was on his way. Even over the phone his silky voice was enough to make her melt. She wanted to steel herself for the encounter to come. In her imaginary rehearsals she was cool and collected when he passed by to pick up his suit. She didn’t fawn or blush. She didn’t stutter or blunder.

  But when the moment came, the moment he walked through that door, how would she be like?

  The doorbell rang and her heart immediately did a flip. Before opening the door, she took in three long, deep breaths and smiled, radiantly. “Hi, Sebastian.”

  He’d barely had time to step into her apartment than she rushed into his arms. She felt him stiffen for a surprised moment before wrapping his arms around her.

  “I’m so happy to see you. You sounded so strange when I called you. I was worried about you.” Serena suddenly felt the need to justify her move. As she’d feared, her cool and collected self flew out the window the moment his hot and sexy self entered her apartment. He was dressed in black from head to toe, which brought out the inky black of his tresses and made his blue eyes more piercing. His upper body muscles were outlined perfectly against the soft silky shirt so smooth, she wanted to rub her cheeks against the fabric. She could hardly believe she’d thrown herself into his arms.

  But as she tried to back away from him, he held her steady, his hands resting on top of her hips, close to the top of her jeans. It was familiar, yet heated at the same time, sending little shocks of heat through her, and making her nipples stand at alert. “It’s good to know somebody worries about me.” Sebastian’s eyes looked deeply into hers before moving down to her shirt, her breasts, and back up to her face.

  Her heart instantly went out to him. She knew his parents’ indifference affected him more than he let on. “I’ve invested a lot of time in your wellbeing,” she said with a lighthearted chuckle. “You know I was at the hospital all week.” She felt the heat of the moment and sought to cool it with humor, but his warm hands remained on her waist, reminding her just how much she wanted to be touched by him.

  “Well, I hope you get a satisfactory return on that investment.” His voice was low, almost a growl, while his eyes smoldered with insinuation as he pulled her closer until her crotch was up against the front of his pants. Feeling his hardness, she knew the attraction was mutual. Remembering how well-endowed he was while giving him a sponge bath, her face flamed with want and the need to explore him.

  The heat of her cheeks became intolerable and she pulled away. “I’ll go get your suit,” she murmured as she headed to her bedroom closet. In the privacy of her room, she batted her hand in front of her face in an attempt to cool her cheeks. The effect he had on her surpassed any experience she’d ever had and she didn’t know how to respond.

  Concentrating on the task at hand, she pulled the suit out of the closet and turned to head back to Sebastian only to find him in the doorway, his eyes narrow with lust.

  “Ah, yes… the
suit,” he said. “I knew I had another reason for coming here.”

  Serena cocked her head to the side. “Another reason? What’s the first?”

  “Honestly? The first is just to see you again.”

  “You saw me this morning, silly. Don’t try to tell me that we saw each other a few hours ago and you already miss me.”

  “You're right, and I won’t insult your intelligence by trying to tell you I missed you, however, that doesn’t mean I didn’t look forward to seeing you again.” He took his suit from her and hooked it on the doorknob. “Truth be told, there is another reason that brings me here.”

  Her gut tightened as she anticipated his next words. She remembered the tension that’d been in his voice when she’d called him that morning. That same tension was there again.

  “I had an unexpected surprise when I arrived at my place.”

  “Oh?”

  He led her to her bed and sat her down. “Someone broke in and went through my things.”

  Shocked into silence, Serena simply stared up at him.

  “I don’t know what they were looking for, but…”

  “You're a rich guy. It could…”

  “It wasn’t a burglary.” Taking her hands in his, he sat beside her.

  “Um, okay.”

  “There’s more.”

  She didn’t even want to ask.

  “I stopped by my father’s office… just to make sure he was okay… that my mom was okay.”

  “And?”

  “They’re surprisingly fine. Nothing fazes them, apparently. My father, in addition to being unmoved by my week in the hospital, was utterly unperturbed by the break in.”

  “That’s hard to believe.”

  “I’ll agree with you there, but I quickly learned why he was so unperturbed. He’s been anticipating something like this for a while.”

  “Something like what?”

  “Hmph.” He shrugged as his eyes became shadowed with anger. “I don’t really know. Something about protecting me all these years. Something about being old enough to take care of myself now. He didn’t really divulge much.”