“I was just going to get a glass of milk. Sorry if I disturbed you”, she turned to leave.
“Wait! Would you like apple juice instead?” he offered, holding up the bottle but she was preoccupied with the rectangular spectacles he was wearing.
“Sure”, jeez, even wearing glasses, he was drop dead gorgeous.
“Come and sit”, he encouraged, transferring the papers to the floor.
She regretted her decision to stay, the moment she sat and that treacherous locket of hair fell over his brow; as usual, she itched to stroke it away.
“Have you decided that the glasses totally kill my appeal?” his eyes shone with amusement behind the glasses.
“Actually I think they look super sexy on you”, she could’ve kicked herself the moment the words left her lips and he roared with self-righteous laughter.
He’d removed his jacket and tie, his shirt was opened at the collar and he was barefooted. Even the thought of his tattoo made her hot inside and she had a sudden image of her naked body riding his as her tongue traced his inky chest. She dragged her mind from such dangerous thoughts and accepted the glass he was handing to her.
He began sharing jokes about his travels and before long she was laughing so hard; her sides itched, her discomfort all but forgotten. And suddenly, the strain of the past few days dissipated and they were just two normal people enjoying each other’s company.
“So how come I’ve never seen you wear your glasses before?" she asked, smiling, feeling much like her old self again.
“Because I only need them for reading.”
She had such a beautiful smile, Sebastian thought. And when she looked at him with that sparkle in her green eyes; he felt like he was fifty feet tall. She lightly brushed his hair from his forehead and a fizz of desire barreled through him. Yet he felt this mystifying gentleness towards her and he was overcome with a profound peacefulness when he was with her.
She reached up and snatched the glasses from his face and perched it on her nose, peering at him over the rim, her eyes alight with mischief.
“Mr. Bradley, your performance on the last test was deplorable”, she mimicked her ninth grade teacher and they both dissolved into fits of laughter.
“Give me those”, he reached for his glasses but she shifted her face sideways and quickly snatched them from her eyes and stretched her arm away from him.
“No!” she giggled, stretching further away as he lounged at her so that his body was partially covering hers.
Her nightshirt stretched over her bosom as they tussled until the buttons at her collar disintegrated and her bare breast bounced free. They both froze as the expression in his eyes transformed from humor to smoldering desire in a heartbeat. His mouth drifted to hers and she closed her eyes; sighing in bliss as his lips met hers and his hand skimmed over her body.
She should stop him and she would, she told herself. As soon as his lips touched her neck, her breast, as soon as the weight of his body on her didn’t feel so delicious, as soon as the intense pleasure inside her lost its potency. And when would that be, a cold voice inside her head demanded harshly.
And she tore her mouth from his as she remembered the heartrending pain that had followed after their heated lovemaking less than a week ago.
She shoved at his chest, “Sebastian stop”.
He cupped her cheek, “why? We both, want this”.
His lips inched towards hers, “Sebastian, please don’t”, she begged, because she knew if he continued his delightful manipulation of her body, she wouldn’t be able to resist.
He must have seen the desperation to escape, in his eyes because he slowly eased away from her body. Not trusting him not to change his mind, she ran for her room, as if the hounds of hell were chasing her and threw herself across her bed and cried herself to sleep.
CHAPTER THIRTY SIX
PAIGE PRESSED A HAND TO HER THROBBING HEAD AS she sipped a glass of water; willing the nagging pain to go away. Her back and feet ached and she was having niggling cramps in her abdomen. Almost a week had passed since her late night stint with Sebastian on the living room couch. And she hadn’t seen him afterwards, until earlier, when he’d picked her up at the penthouse to accompany him to an engagement party.
She spotted Elizabeth approaching her with Jessica, Abigail and Jacqueline in tow. Sighing in distress; she glanced frantically around the room for an escape. But everyone seemed to be immersed in conversation; Sebastian was nowhere in sight and the ladies room was in the same direction the four women were coming from.
“I thought you had the good sense to return to that little hovel you crawled from”, Elizabeth spat disdainfully and the women behind her snickered in agreement.
And Paige couldn’t believe that they were the said persons who’d begged her to follow them shopping, less than a month ago.
“Elizabeth, I really don’t have the time for this pettiness”, the throbbing inside her head seemed to have intensified with the women’s presence.
Elizabeth’s lips curled derisively, “petty huh? Well what do they say, when the dog’s away, the cat will play. Abigail, hand me your phone.”
Abigail obliged; a smug smile on her face as Elizabeth fidgeted with the phone before shoving it into Paige’s face. Paige bit the insides of her lips in an effort to keep her expression neutral as she saw a picture of a chicly dressed Elizabeth latching unto Sebastian’s arm. Elizabeth sifted through a few others; inching closer and displaying the dates they were taken as proof.
“So you see Paige; while you’ve been locked away to rot in the palace, the king and I have been touring the kingdom”, Paige couldn’t help the hot blush that stole up her cheeks at Elizabeth’s insulting remark.
“If you’ll excuse me…” Paige started to leave in an attempt to salvage what was left of her tattered pride but Elizabeth blocked her way.
“One more thing”, Elizabeth murmured sweetly and Paige’s stomach lurched precariously, “word is that Brad bought you a luxurious new Porsche and he’s renovating one of his sprawling building for your café…”
Paige exclaimed softly; her composure slipping. Her eyes darted around the room to ensure that no one was overhearing their conversation. Her posture relaxing a bit when she discovered that the nearest person was out of earshot. Only one person could’ve given her such confidential information and it was Sebastian. How could he have shared such personal information concerning her, with anyone, least of all, Elizabeth? What if he’d also told Elizabeth that he’d paid her to pose as his girlfriend? She wondered in alarm.
“…Plus, its evident, he bought your extended wardrobe”, she stared at Paige knowingly, “repeat after me ladies, ‘high priced whore’”.
Paige flinched as the crude statement hit close to home and all three women murmured in agreement.
“Pity he’s getting bored with the goods after he’s invested so much in it”, she cooed in disappointment, “it’s a good thing he always has my loving arms to return to”, she boasted smugly.
And Paige wished the earth would open up and swallow her whole. She felt like she was in a nightmare which she couldn’t seem to wake up from, no matter how hard she tried.
“He’s mine”, she bared her teeth like a lusty wolf that hadn’t been fed in days and had just spotted its next meal, “and I want you gone”.
Paige stepped away from her as she felt the sudden urge to grab the other woman by her elaborate French twist and shake her violently.
“This is my last warning”, her blue eyes darkened cruelly, “Whore…”
“That’s enough, Elizabeth”, Sebastian’s hard voice murmured from behind them and Elizabeth paled and her accomplices backed away quickly.
“Brad, darling”, Elizabeth laughed nervously; brazenly attempting to lace her arm through his but Sebastian grabbed it and hauled her, none too gently, to him.
He murmured something unintelligible into Elizabeth’s ear and her face transformed into a sickly shade of purple. Paige f
elt the bile she’d been struggling to hold back froth into her throat and she clamped a hand over her mouth and ran to the ladies room. She barely closed the door before she lost what little she’d eaten at dinner.
Hot tears of shame flooded down her cheeks as she retched uncontrollable until her stomach was empty and she slumped against the bathroom stall in exhaustion. If only Elizabeth knew how badly she wanted to leave, Paige thought ironically, or how much she wished she’d never returned to Manhattan. Perhaps Sebastian would’ve eventually nullified the contract and she would’ve been at home at this moment; possibly nursing a bruised heart. But whatever the outcome, she was certain she wouldn’t be enduring such an embarrassment.
The room seemed to shake on its hinges as Sebastian burst through the door, “Paige”, he called, banging on the stall doors; before halting at hers. She was so ashamed; she didn’t think she’d ever be able to show her face again in public.
“Paige open the door”, he commanded through clenched teeth.
Her stomach heaved as the sound of his voice triggered the memory of him blatantly pulling Elizabeth into his arms; in plain sight of her. She cringed into a corner as he barreled into the door; breaking it from its hinges and she exclaimed in shock.
“Jesus Christ! What the hell did she say to you to put you in such a state?” he gripped her around the waist and lifted her from the stall.
“Let go of me”, what was intended as a biting command came out as feeble request and she was too weak to attempt fighting him off.
Ignoring her, he splashed cold water on her face and forced her to swallow a few mouthfuls before drying her face with paper towels. She gasped harshly as Sebastian placed her in a standing position; his arm around her waist keeping her upright. And the tightening inside her chest lessened until it stopped completely. She yanked herself out of his embrace as soon as her breathing returned to normal.
“I’ll get a cab so you don’t have to leave if you don’t want to”, her voice was as cold as she felt.
“Paige, I…” he raised a hand as if to touch her.
“Don’t touch me”, she shook with rage and humiliation, “don’t ever touch me again!”
She unlocked the door and ran outside on shaky legs; grateful that she didn’t have to re-enter the ballroom to leave the building.
He caught up with her at the exit, “please don’t make a scene; the car is waiting for us”.
He steered her towards his waiting car and she went willingly as she saw a few of the guests milling about; possibly awaiting their cars.
She sat to the far corner of the vehicle; her posture so stiff, her spine hurt. She felt like everything inside her was frozen; she’d never been so cold in her entire life. The car barely came to a halt before she leapt outside and rushed inside to board the elevator; Sebastian hot on her heels.
“Paige, wait…” he seized her wrist.
“Don’t touch me”, she screamed; wrenching her hand from his grasp as her eyes flooded with tears, “I hate you! Do you hear me, I. Hate. You.”
He stared in shock as she back away from him before dashing up the stairs to her room; locking the door and hooking it with a chair. After which she fell across her bed and whimpered brokenly into her pillow.
CHAPTER THIRTY SEVEN
IN THE DAYS FOLLOWING ELIZABETH’S RETURN AND subsequently, the masquerading ball; Paige had thought her life couldn’t get any worst. But the days superseding Elizabeth’s verbal thrashing was simply, unbearable. She didn’t get out of bed until she was certain Sebastian had left the house and she went to bed long before he was due home.
But the most unbearable of all was Sebastian’s betrayal. She couldn't evade it, she couldn’t shirk it and she couldn’t hide from it. It plagued her every waking thought and haunted her nightmares for she didn’t have dreams anymore. She had disturbed catnaps that left her panting and drenched with sweat when she finally struggled awake.
She didn’t visit the site for her café anymore as even the thought of the place was like a sharp piercing to her already battered heart. And as she sat with Joshua in the days, she knew the fact that he needed her to care for him was the only thing keeping her afloat. She’d contemplated leaving but in the end, decided that she wouldn’t give Elizabeth such a satisfaction. Sebastian might have made her a whore but she’d be damned if she’d give him cause to drag her through the courts and further disgrace her.
Majority, if not all, of her evenings were spent in the garden terrace and she found it amazing how nature could bring such peace. She’d spend hours, staring at the magnificent view, despite the stinging cold or just lie on one of the couches and listen to the rustle of the leaves in the wind. She knew whenever she left there; the garden terrace would be the only place in the penthouse that she'd miss.
Almost a week subsequent to her confrontation with Elizabeth, she’d had a wonderful dream. She’d been lying on a couch in the garden terrace, as she did most evenings. It was very cold but she’d been much too complacent to return to the warmth of her room until she’d fallen asleep. The warm, musky scent of him had awoken her as he’d gently, lifted her from the freezing couch.
The dream had been so potent that she could still remember the smooth texture of his jacket as she'd smothered her face into his chest as he’d carried her to her room. And against her will, her eyes had fluttered opened; caressing the hard planes of his face, lovingly and for once she didn’t have to hide her feelings.
“You shouldn’t lie on the terrace at nights. It’s much too cold; you’ll freeze to death", he warned.
His voice was so soft and his eyes reminded her of the morning after the storm in Long Island; so tender and filled with concern. He kissed her forehead as he tucked her into bed and she felt like the most prized possession in the whole wide world.
“Kiss me”, she begged, “before I wake up”.
And his lips had drifted to hers for the most gentle, yet intoxicating, kiss, she’d ever experienced and she doubted she’d ever experience again, in her entire life. He’d just held her afterwards, his embrace undemanding, as if he knew she needed him more than anything else in the world. And she’d fallen asleep in his arms even as she’d slept.
She’d awoken the following morning; her bed empty as she’d expected even as her lips tingled from the impression of his lips. It was odd but she couldn’t seem to remember how she’d gotten to her bedroom as the last thing she remembered was lying on the couch on the garden terrace. Eventually she’d concluded that she must’ve gone to bed and not remember. How else would she have gotten to bed?
During the cold light of day, she found that she didn’t feel quite the same about the memory of her dream as she had during the initial dream. Instead of behaving like a lovesick fool, she should’ve told him to go to hell, she fumed but deep down she’d treasured the memory. And she had to admit she hadn’t slept that well in weeks.
PAIGE ENTERED THE LOBBY TO THE PENTHOUSE; contemplating whether or not she should take a stroll through Central Park. She glanced at her watch; five minutes past the hour of five. She’d returned earlier than usual from her visit with Joshua as he was asleep more than he was awake these days; a situation she found rather disturbing.
“Paige”, Sonya, the pleasant young woman at the front desk beckoned to her and she padded over to the desk.
“Good evening Sonya.”
“Good day, Ms. Sinclair. This was delivered for you while you were out today.”
Paige was taken aback as Sonya presented a beautiful bucket of red roses to her and after expressing her thanks, she fished for the card among the lush petals. It read:
Meet me at the address below at 7:00 pm. I have a wonderful surprise for you.
Brad.
She wanted to throw the roses into the trashcan as she strode to the elevator but then she remembered that Sonya might be watching, thus she refrained from doing so. Another surprise as elaborate as the café, so that Elizabeth could use it against her, Paige thought i
n disgust.
He hadn’t requested her presence to attend any events in the two weeks since Elizabeth’s slandering. And Paige had begun to believe that he had a modicum of decency in keeping his distance but she didn’t know what to make of this invitation. She entered the penthouse and went straight to the garden terrace. Why hadn’t he just called? Instead of sending roses and a note, she wondered.
A note that wasn’t even properly signed, she’d never called him Brad. Somehow, the situation seemed like a mockery of her. Well she would go, she decided, but she wouldn’t allow him to talk her into accepting any more gifts from him or anything else for that matter. Their relationship was strictly platonic; nothing more than a business arrangement as it was initially intended to be.
She dressed in a simple, knee length, black dress with matching purse and comfortable pumps. After which she applied light touches of makeup in an effort to add a splash of color to her pale cheeks. She paused before the mirror; fingering the necklace Sebastian had given her, what seemed like a lifetime ago but was foremost in her mind as if it had been just this morning. Somehow she couldn’t bring herself to remove the necklace. Placing it gentle over her heart and adjusting her dress above it; she marched from the room.
She doubted he’d see the necklace and even if he did she was almost positive; he wouldn’t remember it.
CHAPTER THIRTY EIGHT
PAIGE ENTERED THE CROWDED PUB AND FROZE IN SHOCK. The air reeked of sweat and cigar smoke and there were dozens of people milling about the large room. The crescent shaped bar was cluttered with brawny, raucous men; most of whom had a beer bottle in one hand and a cigar in the other. There was also a stereo playing in the distance and paired with the noise from the inhabitants; it was almost deafening. What sort of surprise could be housed in a place like this? She wondered; quizzically.
Unlawful Escort (Unlawful Series book 1) Page 14