“I will contact you on this from now on; for confidentiality purposes of course”, he added when she frowned, “also my lawyer will contact you in regards to your banking information”, he said in a clipped tone, “I’ll give you the rest of today into tomorrow to sort out your affairs. My cell number is recorded in the phonebook and James will drive you home”, that said, he nodded his farewell and left.
Paige watched him leave; questioning whether she should be annoyed or relieved at his offhanded demeanor. In the end, she decided that it didn’t matter; at least that was what she told herself. She wondered for a moment what she had gotten herself into, as she made her way to the car but resolved that it was best not to cry over spilt milk and she would know soon enough anyway.
She changed into jeans and t-shirt as soon as she got home and went straight to the café. She would take a month off from work at the café, she decided. That should give her enough time to decipher whether or not her plans with Sebastian would pan out.
Her boss, Michael was unfortunately not as cooperative as she had hoped; flatly threatening to fire her. However after carefully emphasizing her exceptional skills in the kitchen, pleading and eventually resorting to bribing him with her famous apple pie, he finally relented.
She didn’t realize that she had had so many reservations as to the authenticity of Sebastian’s offer until his lawyers contacted her as he had promised, a few hours after her lunch date with him. She retrieved her father’s picture from her nightstand after the lawyer hung up; pressing her lips to the cold surface, as she so often did for comfort and prayed that this whole ruse would not blow up in her face.
CHAPTER FIVE
“WELL DON’T JUST STAND THERE”, Sebastian barked as Paige contemplated running back into her house and hiding in the basement, “get in!”
Stomping down the notion, she scurried into the rear seat of the car beside Sebastian; dread settling in the pit of her stomach and her palms clammy with sweat. Everything had gone as planned; the money had been wired to her account the day before, as agreed and she had wasted no time in starting the process for Joshua’s transplant. She sighed wistfully; the thought of Joshua getting a second chance at life made the prospect of what she was about to do, a little less daunting.
“Having second thoughts already?” Sebastian asked suddenly, pulling her out of her reverie.
“Not at all”, she said with as much exuberance as she could muster.
He trained molten brown eyes on her, their pensive depths touching the delicate contours of her face and her heart skipped a beat. Suddenly the spacious confines of the car seemed stifling.
“I’m not normally very fond of redheads”, he murmured, “but I find that I like yours very much”.
Her eyes widened in shock and she inhaled sharply as he lifted a large hand to stroke the soft tendrils of her hair which was hanging loosely about her shoulders. For a moment she thought he might kiss her and her eyes drifted to his lips; her heart hammering in her chest. But his hand fell, slowly, away and she released a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding.
Say something, her mind screamed; but for the life of her, she could not figure out what.
“Was… that a compliment?” she stuttered breathlessly.
“I suppose it was”, he said, an odd expression in his eyes before he glanced away.
They drove in silence for a few minutes while Paige attempted, with little success, to relax her stiff posture. Finally concluding that such a thing was no to be had, she made a feeble effort at conversation.
“So… what’s next..?” she asked hesitantly.
“I’ve scheduled a fitting for your new wardrobe and a full body make over”, he said, “and then it’s on to my apartment”, her pulse skittered at the mention of his home…soon to be hers as well.
Guilt prickled her conscience as he explained that he had expunged all evidence that she was an escort, she was a college student and she had taken the semester off from school and they had met at a charity dinner, a month ago. She sighed in relief when his cell phone rang and he was immersed in conversation for the remainder of their journey as she would rather not be reminded of what she had agreed to do.
She struggled to calm her fraying nerves as they arrived at their destination in the heart of Manhattan’s Upper East Side; constantly glancing over her shoulder for fear that someone would identify her for the imposter that she most certainly was. They were greeted by a beautiful strawberry blond woman with a perfectly toned body and bountiful bosom, whom Sebastian introduced as Leila. She hardly speared a moment’s notice for Paige; her attention centered on Sebastian.
Paige wondered idly if something was going on between the two as she noted the woman’s lingering touches on ‘Brad’s’ arm as she called him, throughout their brief conversation.
“Leila will assist you with anything you need”, Sebastian said, finally tearing himself away from the other woman who stared coldly at her, “I’ll be back to get you”.
She stared at Sebastian’s retreating back, forlornly; wishing he would stay. She felt like a child on her first day of school; alone and unsure. After all, he was the only person she knew on this side of town, not to mention that this deception of theirs’ would take some getting used to. She squared her shoulders and met Leila’s cold blue eyes head on. It was evident that she and Sebastian travelled in the same circles and Paige had the distinct impression that she needed to make it clear that she was no push over if she intended to make this hoax a success.
She soon discovered that she had had nothing to worry about as she barely saw Leila beyond the few moments it took her to deliver Paige into the care of one of her employees. She then spent the better part of the afternoon being pampered from the grooming of her long wavy red-gold hair to a thorough manicure, pedicure, massage and facial treatment.
She hardly recognized her reflection in the mirror as she smoothed the casual royal blue designer silk dress that the friendly store clerk had given to her a moment ago. Her hair framed her, lightly, made up face and the knee length dress outlined the rounded shape of her hips; her ensemble gave her a radiance that she hadn’t possessed that morning.
There was a light fluttering in the pit of her stomach as she made her way to the exit to meet Sebastian. She felt like a teenager going on her first date; nervous yet excited, all at once. Her pleasant state of mind died of a cold dose of reality as she entered the lobby and saw Sebastian and Leila conversing. This is a business arrangement, she reminded herself sternly and she would do well to remember that for the remainder of her time as his makeshift girlfriend. She cleared her throat loudly and the couple turned to face her; the smile on Leila’s face replaced by distaste as she saw Paige.
“I suppose we should be on our way”, Sebastian said, his brown eyes glazed with desire as they seemed to devour her.
“Later…” Leila purred; a hint of promise in her eyes.
“I’m not sure I’ll be available”, Sebastian said, his voice tinged with annoyance.
Leila’s cheeks flamed with embarrassment and Paige frowned. What was going on between them? Had her presence ruined their relationship somehow? Was Leila in love with Sebastian? Her heart ached for the other woman. But why would Sebastian pay an escort to pose as his girlfriend when he had such a lovely woman as Leila?
None of this made any sense, Paige thought as she mumbled her thanks to Leila and marched to Sebastian’s waiting car; guilt eating at her insides as she thought of how she was ruining the other woman’s life. She was suddenly angry with Sebastian for placing her and Leila into such an awkward position. Couldn’t he have taken her someplace else? It was cruel of him to be rubbing their, so called, relationship in Leila’s face.
Paige studied him through hooded eyes as he spoke on his cell phone on the ride to his apartment; fighting to contain her ire at the situation. She studied his mouth; the way it thinned when it was apparent that he was displeased at whatever was being said on the other end of t
he line, the whitening of the edge whenever he was angry and the sensuous curve whenever he smiled. Why did all the cute guys have to be such jerks? She wondered crossly. And this one was way out of your league, she reminded herself. She was just a means to an end for him; like so many other people in this man’s life; Leila for example.
She contemplated confronting him about what he’d done; eventually deciding that it was none of her business. They would be separate people sharing a house; nothing more and she wouldn’t take the liberty of crossing that line as she had an uncanny feeling that such a thing could only spell disaster.
CHAPTER SIX
SEBASTIAN’S APARTMENT WAS AS HUGE as it was magnificent. Located in the Upper West Side of Manhattan, the duplex Penthouse was the epitome of wealth and luxury. She tagged along behind Sebastian as he gave her a grand tour; dumbstruck by the impressive beauty enveloping them. Situated on the top floor; the floor to ceiling glass walls and double height ceilings provided a breathtaking view of the entire Manhattan area and substantial lighting. The kitchen was every chef’s dream and she fell in love with her bedroom immediately upon entering it.
“The building has a housekeeping team”, he informed her as she appraised the room with its splendid décor of sky blue and white hues and radiant sunshine from the glass walls, “you can call them if you need any help unpacking”.
She glanced at her small suitcase on the carpeted floor and snorted. He had told her to take nothing in the form of clothing but she had still taken a few personal items.
“I’m certain I can unpack my things myself”, she said sarcastically.
“Suit yourself”, he responded, offhandedly.
She sighed deeply and turned to face him. It was late evening and the fading light cast eerie shadows across his handsome features and she suddenly realized the intimacy of the moment and she almost forgot what she was about to say.
She forced her attention to the matter at hand. “Sebastian…”
“Brad…” he corrected, “all my friends call me Brad and my girlfriend should”.
She rolled her eyes, starting again, “If this plan is going to be successful, you need to be honest with me”, she said tentatively and he quirked an eyebrow. She rushed on, “what’s going on between you and Leila?”
His lips curled into a mischievous grin. “You mean Mrs. Leila Thornton”, he quipped, wry amusement sparkling in his brown eyes and she blinked in shock, “wife of the very wealthy hotelier, Philip Thornton”.
They weren’t together!
“Oh…” she stuttered, her face red with embarrassment, “I… I think…um… I’m ready to see that terrace now”, she breezed past him into the hallway.
He caught up with her and they retraced their steps downstairs and out unto the most amazing patio she could have imagined.
“This is beautiful”, she murmured reverently, as the light breeze tickled her face.
“Yes it is."
Similar to the rest of the apartment; it was vast and could have been more suitably referred to as a garden rather than a patio. She fluffed the soft cushions resting on the many sofas strewn across the patio; enveloped by the sheer etherealness of her environs. The mild scent from the vast array of flowers wafted below her nostrils and she closed her eyes for a moment; absorbing the moment so that she could relive it whenever she felt distressed.
She opened her eyes and gazed at the massive buildings, traffic and shoreline in the distance and for a moment she felt as if she was in the heavens above looking down at the earth below.
Reluctantly, she tore herself from her momentary reprieve and followed Sebastian back to the living room.
“I have to go back to the office”, he said suddenly, “you can order room service or if you want to go out, call me and I’ll send James”.
“Ok”, she said, suddenly nervous.
“And there is one other place we didn’t visit”, he said, his brown eyes alight with mischief and something else.
“Where?” she asked, hesitantly.
“My bedroom”, he said silkily.
“I don’t think such a tour will be necessary”, she said breathlessly, her heart racing.
“I can be a very patient man…” he said and strode towards the door and left.
She fought to calm her racing heart as she retraced her steps to the patio and sat in one of the sofas. What if Sebastian was a psychopath and had lured her to his apartment to rape and murder her and then dump her body in a dark alley somewhere? She shivered at the thought? No, she decided; he would not take such a risk. For all he knew, she had a family somewhere who knew exactly where she was at this very moment.
Omitting the sordid details; she had taken the liberty of giving Meredith, her kindly neighbor, Sebastian’s address along with her cell phone number; informing her that she would be away for a while. She shook aside her dismal thoughts; it was too late to consider such things. She stiffened her spine; she had made a decision and she would stick to it.
She rose reluctantly from her relaxing position on the sofa and went to retrieve her purse; it was time for her daily visit with Joshua. Disregarding Sebastian’s instructions to inform him if she was leaving the apartment; she hailed a taxi that took her directly to the hospital. Joshua was elated to see her, as always, commenting on how beautiful she looked and enquiring if she had a date and laughing gaily when she told him that he was all the man she needed in her life at the moment.
She stopped at a diner, a short distance from the hospital and bought a hamburger, fries and soda after which she hurried back to the apartment, hoping that Sebastian had not returned in her absence. She sighed in relief as she entered the penthouse and realized that it was empty.
It had been an exhausting day, thus she went straight to the bedroom assigned to her and begun unpacking. She opened the large walk-in closet and exclaimed in shock; the closet was stacked with clothing, shoes, purses and jewelry of every color and design imaginable; a few of the pieces she remembered from her earlier fitting.
She hadn’t expected the clothes to arrive for another day or two. Whatever would she do with so much clothing? The closet resembled a mini boutique. She sifted through a few items; blinking to ensure that her eyes weren’t deceiving her as she saw a few of the price tags. A warm glow stained her cheeks as she stroked the soft silk negligees; wondering if Sebastian had seen or even selected the items. Pity he hadn’t been less extravagant in his purchases and donated some of the money to charity, she thought as she went to shower.
Weary to the bone, she crawled beneath the soft quilt and closed her eyes; sighing in contentment as the soft mattress seemed to mould to her body. Despite her obvious exhaustion; sleep eluded her and she tossed and turned in bed. She wondered if Sebastian would be home soon or rather if he was returning at all for the night.
Her heart pounded in her chest as she heard footfalls that could only be Sebastian’s, clinking on the marble tiled hallway outside her door. She swallowed hard as the footsteps paused at her door, which thank goodness she had bolted, however much help that would be. She released a breath she didn’t even realize she had been holding as the footsteps resumed and drifted away down the hall.
She had thought that her breathing would never return to normal and she would never get a wink of sleep. However within minutes, she was dead to the world.
CHAPTER SEVEN
SEBASTIAN BOLTED UPRIGHT IN BED; something was burning. The building must be on fire, he thought, as he sprang out of bed, not even bothering to put on a robe, hauled his bedroom door open and dashed downstairs. He frowned as he realized that the scent was coming from his kitchen. But why? He wondered as he pivoted in the direction. He froze at the entrance as he saw Paige; dressed in matching pink cotton sweatpants and t-shirt, waving a dishtowel in the air in a bid to clear the thin smoke clouding the kitchen. He groaned inwardly. Why hadn’t he gotten her an apartment of her own or allowed her to remain at her house?
“Are you trying to burn the dam
n building down”, he said furiously and she jumped; her cheeks reddening.
“Sebastian…” she began nervously, the apology she had intended dying on her lips as her eyes collided with Sebastian in all his semi nude glory. That is if snug boxer shorts could be considered as clothing.
Heat pooled in her belly as her eyes openly caressed his muscular arms and hairless chest. She was taken aback at the large tattoo on his smooth left breast that appeared to be Celtic in origin and stretched almost to his shoulder blade and another Fine Line tattoo on his right arm. The tattoo on his chest resembled an open flame in shades of blue and black, while the one on his arm was definitely a woman’s face in gray and black hues. The pictorial drawings gave him an air of danger and intrigue that seemed to heighten his appeal.
“What the hell are you doing?” he raged and her eyes flew to his face which was livid with rage, “I thought I told you to order room service”.
“I’m sorry” she said, ignoring the fluttering in her stomach, “I forgot to adjust the heat before I went to get my cell from my bedroom”, she laughed nervously, “I’m normally very good in the kitchen”.
“Well either you’ve lost your touch or you weren’t that good in the first place”, he said bitingly and her eyes stung with hurt, “and you’ve ruined my kitchen”
“Would you like some coffee?” she asked, ignoring his scathing remark as she busied herself with disposing of the charred egg.
“Are you certain you didn’t burn the coffee as well”, he scoffed before turning on is heel and trudging barefooted in the direction he had come. She stared after him; captivated despite herself, by the ripple of muscles in his back and legs as he disappeared from sight.
What was his problem? He was behaving as if she had permanently defaced his kitchen and who the hell did he think he was questioning her culinary skills. Well she would show him, she vowed, bristling with rage. Mindful of his criticism, she took extra care as she completed her task of preparing breakfast.
Unlawful Escort (Unlawful Series book 1) Page 3