“Boyfriend?”
Tess smiled. “Yes, his name is Sebastian.”
“That’s definitely not a Jersey name for a guy.”
“He’s English.”
“Aw, that explains it. I don’t know any Americans named Sebastian.”
Tess looked at her wristwatch. “We only have ten minutes until our next class starts. We should get going so you can actually be early.”
“What’s the fun in that?” he smirked.
Tess stood up from the table. “Suit yourself. I’ll save a seat for you in the front row.”
Sebastian spotted Tess as she walked through the cafeteria doors at lunchtime. He walked over to her and greeted her with a kiss. They picked up some sandwiches and sat down to eat.
“How has your day been so far?” Sebastian asked as he unwrapped his turkey sandwich.
“Good. I met a guy named Dan Miller. He was late for his first class and had to sit next to me in the front row.”
“Really?” Sebastian said with a hint of suspicion.
“You have nothing to be jealous about. I told him I have a boyfriend.”
“Oh, that will stop him from putting the moves on you,” he said sarcastically.
“Just like you did when we met?”
“I didn’t try to pick you up when we first met.”
“No, you offered to have sex with me on the library table,” Tess reminded.
“I wasn’t serious about that. I was simply trying to see if I could rattle you, but you were no-nonsense Hamilton. By the way, that incident happened the second time we met.”
“Dan’s a nice guy. He’s not trying to get me into bed.”
“We’re on a first name basis, are we?” Sebastian asked with a raised eyebrow.
Tess tried not to laugh, so she covered her mouth with her hand. “Sorry, he doesn’t have a title like you, Lord Sebastian.”
“I’m not a Lord,” he pouted. “That’s my brother’s title. I’m the honourable Sebastian Andrew Irons, if you must call me by my title.”
Tess could no longer hold back and burst into laughter. “That sounds like you should be a judge.”
Sebastian shook his head. He was not amused. “English peerage is difficult enough to understand let alone trying to explain it to an American.”
Tess reached over and took his hand. “I love you. I don’t care what your title is. Now tell me about your day.”
“The Language class was a breeze, since I already speak Italian. The Philosophy class was interesting.”
“You don’t sound very excited,” Tess mused.
“Maybe I just need you by my side to stay focused.”
“We have a class together this afternoon. I’d be happy to play the part of no-nonsense Hamilton for you.”
Sebastian leaned in and whispered in her ear, “You know it turns me on when you act superior and businesslike.”
“Maybe later,” she replied with a coy wink.
* * *
It had been a good first day at NYU, but Sebastian was happy to be home. The elevator door closed and Sebastian pushed the button to take them to the fourth floor. Sebastian backed Tess into the corner of the elevator and gave her a devilish grin. “I think I’d like to make love to you right here in this lift.”
“You’d better hurry up than. We’re only going up four floors,” she teased.
“I could always push the emergency stop button.”
The elevator dinged as they reached their destination. “Too late,” she whispered backing out of the lift, motioning him to follow her with a crook of her finger.
Sebastian hurried after Tess. When he caught up, he pushed her up against their front door and claimed her mouth with his. Sebastian fumbled with the key and somehow managed to unlock the front door while his tongue laved the delicate spot on her neck.
They stumbled into the apartment, taking off each other’s clothes. They were down to their underwear when Sebastian lifted Tess onto the breakfast bar, spread her legs, and stood between them. “What’s gotten into you?” she asked as Sebastian kissed the swell of her breast.
“I’ve wanted to do this to you all day,” he confessed as he worked open the clasp to her white lacy bra. Sebastian slipped it off her shoulders and threw it across the room. He teased her nipple by blowing cool air on it and then he nipped it with his teeth.
Tess sucked in a breath as a spark of excitement shot to her groin. She slipped her hand inside Sebastian’s boxers and took hold of his erection. He braced his hands on the counter to stop his knees from giving out. Her touch affected him profoundly. “Lean back,” Sebastian ordered.
She did as requested. Sebastian pulled her panties down and touched her, felt she was wet and ready to take his cock. His lips curved up into a smile. “I think you want this as much as I do,” he murmured, slipping a finger inside her.
“I want it more,” she gasped. “I need to feel you inside me, Sebastian.”
Sebastian slipped out of his boxers, kicking them to the floor. He partially slid inside her, pulled out, and on the next thrust buried himself deep inside Tess. “You feel so amazing,” he said, closing his eyes and concentrating on the heady sensation.
Tess sat up straight in an effort to get even closer to Sebastian, curling her legs around his waist. They moved in unison, each thrust pushing them closer to the edge. “Just like that,” Tess murmured between shallow breaths. And then they reached their climax, clutching onto one another for dear life.
“Oh my God, that was incredible,” Sebastian said, kissing her gently on the shoulder.
“We’ve never had an orgasm at the same time before. How are we supposed to top that?”
“I have no idea,” Sebastian chuckled. “Lots of practice, I reckon.”
Tess hopped down from the counter and walked over to the kitchen sink. Underneath, she grabbed the Windex and a paper towel. She started cleaning the surface of the counter.
“What are you doing?”
“We just had sex where we eat our breakfast. I have to clean this up.”
“Later,” Sebastian said, picking her up in his arms and carrying her off to the bedroom.
They lay in bed, Tess in Sebastian’s arms, the events of their kitchen encounter playing over in his mind. Talking about this Dan Miller person at lunch had made Sebastian jealous. He didn’t know why. He knew Tess loved him, but her reaction to Dan released something primal inside Sebastian. He felt the urge to remind her that he was an amazing lover. He felt the need to brand her as his. Something had shifted and their lovemaking was different. Sebastian wondered if Tess was feeling the same sense of possession he was or had she spent their encounter thinking about Dan Miller.
Chapter 3 - Like To Get To Know You Well
A week after the semester started, Tess and Sebastian were sitting in the cafeteria eating lunch.
“Tomorrow’s Friday night, why don’t we have dinner and see a show after class?”
“I would love it, but can we afford it?” Tess worried.
“I sold a painting at the gallery this week. My commission will pay for a night on the town,” Sebastian explained.
Tess smiled. “I do love going to the theatre with you, and it’s been a while since we had a real date night. Let’s do it,” she agreed.
Sebastian leaned in and kissed her. A shadow fell over them as they realized someone was standing next to their table and they looked up in unison.
“Sorry to interrupt,” Dan said, holding his lunch tray.
“Hi,” Tess greeted. “Sebastian, this is my classmate, Dan Miller. Dan, this is my boyfriend, Sebastian Irons.”
“Fiancé,” Sebastian corrected as he shook Dan’s hand.
“I didn’t know. I guess congratulations are in order.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome to join us,” Tess added.
“I can’t. I’m meeting some friends for lunch. Thank you for the offer. I just wanted to stop by and say hi.”
&nbs
p; “Nice to meet you, Dan,” Sebastian coolly greeted. “Maybe you can join us some other time.”
“Sure.” Dan turned to Tess. “I’ll see you later.”
“Bye.” Tess watched as Dan walked across the room and sat down at a table with two male friends. She turned back to Sebastian. “Did you have to be like that?”
“Like what?”
“So smug.”
“You didn’t tell him we were engaged. I was simply setting the record straight,” Sebastian informed her.
“It seemed more like you were marking your territory to me,” Tess frowned.
“We are committed to each other. I see no harm in announcing it to your friends.” Sebastian was careful how he used his words; he didn’t want Tess on his bad side. But damn it, he did feel threatened by Dan Miller, for some reason.
“He could be your friend, too, if you give him a chance. You know, he reminds me a lot of you.”
Sebastian rolled his eyes. “I highly doubt that.”
“He’s charming and just needs someone to believe in his abilities.”
“Ability to do what exactly?” He took a deep breath and mentally counted to ten. If Sebastian continued to challenge her, he would likely push her right into Dan Miller’s arms. “You’re right, Tess. I promise I’ll behave better next time.”
“Thank you,” she said, squeezing his hand.
* * *
Dan Miller squeezed into the lecture hall with a minute to spare. He quickly took a seat next to Tess, and grinned while he opened his text book. “Good morning.”
“Good morning.”
“Ready for the exam?” he asked in a low voice, leaning into Tess. “Umm, you smell good,” he said, closing his eyes and inhaling her perfume.
“It’s Yves Saint Laurent, Opium. Sebastian bought it for me,” she replied, heat rising in her cheeks.
“Your boyfriend has good taste.”
“Yes, he does.”
“Class, you’ll have sixty minutes to complete the exam. Mr. Miller, put your textbook away, please.” The professor passed out the exam papers.
“Busted,” Tess teased as she grabbed a sharp number two pencil from her bag.
Forty-five minutes later, Tess finished her exam first. She placed her pencil down on the desktop and snuck a peek at Dan. He was writing away feverishly, his head bent in concentration. She could see that he was almost finished his exam. Their study group must have paid off. Tess felt a sense of accomplishment for being able to help Dan. It was really no different from being a tutor back in high school.
“Pencils down,” the professor announced. “Bring your papers to me as you leave.”
“Whew, just finished in time,” Dan muttered, standing up from the desk. He stretched his arms over his head and Tess caught a glimpse of his taut abs. She quickly turned away to avoid embarrassment.
“How do you think you did on the exam?” Tess asked, refocusing on the business at hand.
“I think I passed. I do have you as my awesome study partner, after all,” he replied with a wink. “I need some coffee. Will you join me?”
“Sure.”
“So are we still on for our study group tonight?” Dan asked as they walked toward the cafeteria.
“Yes, I can meet you in the library. Sebastian is working at the gallery today so he’ll pick me up when he’s finished.”
The library was packed, so Tess and Dan ended up sharing a table with some fellow students. They all worked diligently, some in groups, some individually. Tess was helping Dan set up an outline for his paper. She whispered tips and tools to use to organize his thoughts. At one point, she reached over to pick up her red pen and her hand brushed against Dan’s. He instinctively wrapped his hand around hers, but didn’t make eye contact. He looked down at her hand, noticing the naked ring finger. “If you’re engaged, why don’t you wear a ring?”
“We don’t have a lot of money. I didn’t want him to spend it on a diamond.”
“He dresses like he has a lot of money,” Dan observed.
“It’s complicated.” Tess slowly pulled away. The touch made goosebumps appear on her arm and she nervously rubbed them away. Tess looked at her wristwatch. “It’s almost six thirty. Sebastian should be here soon.”
“Yeah, I guess I should get going. I know he doesn’t like me very much.”
Tess wanted to say that it wasn’t true, but it was: Sebastian didn’t like Dan. She was beginning to wonder if Sebastian had just cause to dislike him. For some reason she couldn’t fathom, she was attracted to Dan. It made no sense. Sebastian was amazing and she truly loved him. So why did she get excited and nervous when she was with Dan?
On Saturday morning, Sebastian and Tess were invited to Henry and Alice’s condo for breakfast. They ate a scrumptious smorgasbord. Alice went a little overboard with buttermilk pancakes, fluffy scrambled eggs, bacon, and fresh fruit.
Henry and Tess remained at the table sipping their hot beverages while Sebastian and Alice cleaned up the dishes. “Henry, can you give me some advice?” Tess asked quietly.
“Sure, what’s on your mind?”
“I’ve met this guy at NYU. He’s really nice and reminds me a lot of Sebastian. We’ve become friends and study partners, but Sebastian doesn’t like him,” Tess explained.
“Have you talked to Sebastian about it?”
“I’ve tried, but he claims Dan has a crush on me and Sebastian doesn’t trust him. I feel safe with Dan. He knows Sebastian and I are engaged.”
“Do you think Dan has a crush on you?”
“Yes,” Tess admitted aloud for the first time.
“Do you have crush on him?”
Tess closed her eyes and bowed her head. She took a deep breath and then opened her eyes. “Maybe I do.” Tess put her head in the palm of her hands. “Oh, Henry, I’m so confused. I love Sebastian. I want to marry him. How could I possibly have feelings for another guy?”
“Sebastian was the first person you ever dated. Maybe, now that you are at NYU, you’re seeing and meeting all types of different people that you wouldn’t have come in contact with back in Pennsylvania. This is an exciting time for you. You moved away from home. You and Sebastian are sharing a life together. I know you’re a mature young woman, but you must admit, the whole thing has to be a little overwhelming.”
What Henry said made perfect sense to Tess. She breathed a sigh of relief to realize that it was okay to feel conflicted, not that it made the situation any easier. “Do you have any suggestions on how to handle these feelings?”
“Honey, I wish I did. Growing up isn’t easy. Hell, I’m almost fifty and I don’t have life figured out yet. But I will say this: there is nothing like having someone who loves you by your side to navigate this crazy adventure called life.”
His statement brought a tear to her eye. Tess stood up from the table and hugged Henry. “Thank you. I’d like to think that if my dad were still alive, he would have said the same thing.”
“That is the greatest compliment you could ever give me, Tess.”
* * *
Sebastian helped Alice load the dirty dishes into the dishwasher. “Alice, can I ask your advice?”
“Of course, what can I help you with?”
“Tess has this new friend at NYU. He seems charming enough, but something about him just rubs me the wrong way. I think he has a crush on Tess, but I can’t convince her of it.”
“Charming like you?”
“Yes, that’s the problem: I think he reminds me a little too much of me. I know Tess loves me, but what if she becomes attracted to this guy?”
“Why do you doubt yourself and the love you two share?” Alice asked, gently placing her hand on his shoulder.
Sebastian shook his head, a confused expression on his face. “I don’t know. I just have this feeling.”
“Tess loves you. You have to believe that. You can’t let jealousy seep into the relationship. Nothing good can come of that emotion.”
Sebastian
leaned back on the counter and sighed. “I know you’re right, Alice. How do I stop being jealous?”
Alice placed the dish towel on the countertop and gave her full attention to Sebastian. “Show her how much you love her, and I don’t mean by spending money on her. Listen to her when she wants to talk. Cook for her. Help her clean. Make her feel secure and safe in the life she chose to live with you.”
Sebastian smiled, so grateful for Alice’s advice. “You’re bloody brilliant, Alice,” he said, giving her a hug.
“Yes, I know,” Alice joked. “Now get out of here and spend the day with your girl.”
* * *
After they left Henry and Alice, Sebastian whisked Tess into the city. They were going to MoMA and then they would meet Sigourney for dinner at the brownstone.
They toured the exhibit—Vienna 1900: Art, Architecture and Design. Sebastian enjoyed the paintings of Gustav Klimt, while Tess admired the jewelry and fashion design of the period. “Are you enjoying the exhibit?” Sebastian asked, wrapping his arms around Tess’ waist.
“Yes, it reminds me of our time in London.” Her heart was happy. Even though the trip to London had occurred under terrible circumstances—Nanny’s burial—the trip had cemented Tess and Sebastian’s relationship. It was then that Tess agreed to marry Sebastian.
“We should go back soon,” Sebastian agreed.
“What do you think about applying for the overseas study program next year? We can go in the spring of our sophomore year.”
“To London?”
“It doesn’t have to be London. We could go to Rome, Sydney, Paris. We can pick a name out of a hat.”
“I can take you on a tour of Europe for our honeymoon and then you can decide which city you like best. Then we can apply.” He had promised Tess not to bring up the wedding until December, but it seemed like the perfect opportunity to mention it.
“Not a bad idea,” Tess agreed, not wanting to fight with Sebastian. “I’ll give it some serious consideration.”
Sebastian kissed the crown of her head. “Thank you.”
Love This Life: Love's Great Adventure Series Book 2: Love's Great Adventure Series Book 2 Page 2