I waited until Trish was completely out of sight before I climbed into the back of the sleek black car that was waiting for me.
“Have a nice time shopping, Miss?” Mr. Martin asked, pulling away from the curb.
“I sure did.” I plastered on a fake smile and turned to watch the city go by.
I rode to pick up Kyle from school, and then Mr. Martin drove us home. After a quick dinner of Sloppy Joes, Kyle showered and went to bed. I sat up and watched TV. The last thing I remembered was an episode of Golden Girls, before falling asleep on the couch.
I BRIEFLY REMEMBERED WAKING IN Sebastian’s arms, as he carried me to my bedroom. I’d been too tired to try and talk to him, and my eyes had fluttered shut. Then I think he laid me in my bed, and pulled the covers up to my chest.
There’d been a soft warmth on my cheek that I was sure was a kiss, but I couldn’t be bothered to open my eyes. I must have been dreaming though. Sebastian Black wasn’t the kind of man to do anything soft and sweet.
I woke the next morning to Kyle making himself breakfast. I’d overslept, which was something I didn’t do often. Climbing from the bed, I made my way to the bathroom and splashed cold water on my face to help wake myself up.
After brushing my hair and teeth, I went back into my room to get dressed for the day. I reached out to open my closet door when I saw the green shirt I’d admired the day before at the mall hanging on the door knob.
Picking it up, I saw that it was the perfect size and everything. It was then, the night before came rushing back to me. Sebastian had definitely been there. It hadn’t been a dream like I’d thought it was.
“SO WHAT’S THE DEAL WITH you and Jessica?” Vick stepped into my office with Starbucks and a forced smile.
Her grin alone was alarming because smiling was not her thing.
“What do you mean?”
“You have to admit things are different with her.”
I couldn’t put my finger on it, but Vick wasn’t acting like herself.
“Our deal’s no different than the rest of the girls in my book.”
“Yeah fucking right,” she snorted around her cup of coffee. “I don’t recall you ever buying the other girls upscale condos.”
“She needed a place. I’ll make up the difference in her weekly payments. She’ll get less.” I was lying, but I didn’t want Vick thinking Jessica was changing me. She wasn’t.
“Don’t bullshit me, Sebastian. I saw the account you opened for her. She has the same amount of starter money as the rest of the girls.” She sat her hip against my desk and scowled down at me. “What’s the deal? Is this bitch turning you soft?”
Anger struck me deep, in a place I hadn’t visited since I was young and stupid, and fighting to survive on the streets of New York.
“Don’t call her that,” I barked, the side of my fist landed on my desk hard, shaking papers.
My voice was dark, daring her to say another word. Vick and I usually got along well, but her calling Jessica a bitch shook something loose.
She peered down at me with a look of pity. “No different, huh?” Shaking her head, she turned and walked out of my office.
My hands were shaking with rage. “You do not get to regard me in that manner!”
Without turning around, she called over her shoulder. “I’m sorry, sir. I thought it was my right to point out when the closest person to me was becoming a pussy-whipped dickwad.”
The door slammed behind her, knocking a picture from my wall. I was going to have to take Vick down a fucking peg or two. She was definitely getting too comfortable trying to control me. I wasn’t having it.
I didn’t want to hear any more shit from fucking Laura Croft: Emasculator. Jessica was not changing me. I’d just met the girl and I’d barely had a taste of her yet. I wasn’t changing for anyone, and I’d prove it.
I pulled out my book and flipped through the pages. Jessica wasn’t ready for sex yet, but I was in need of some female attention. Picking out at random, I pulled out my phone and prepared to text one of my ladies, but a loud noise from the club below stopped me.
“Where the fuck is he?” a female voice bellowed.
Going to the window, the workers below parted as Bambi came bursting through the tables knocking chairs onto the floor. She wasn’t as put together as she was every time we met. Her eyes were wide, but not the usual big doe eyes I was used to. She looked wild—feral, and on the hunt.
Taking the stairs as fast as I could, I went straight to her. She practically growled as I took her by the arm and pulled her into the VIP section. My employees didn’t need to know my personal business and with her being an obnoxious bitch, it wouldn’t be long before everyone knew everything.
“What seems to be the problem?” I asked calmly, hoping she’d follow my lead.
“I’m completely fucking broke. That’s the problem. For months, your payments were getting me through. I lost my job since I left every time you called, and now you’re completely cutting me off. That’s bullshit and you know it, Sebastian.” She put emphasis on my name since I’d never bothered to tell her.
I silently wondered how she found out who I was—how she found me.
“That sucks for you. However, the club isn’t open right now. We open tonight at seven. Please return then.”
“Excuse me?” she asked, appalled.
“I’m asking you to leave. If you don’t, I’ll have you forcefully removed from the premises.”
“How could you treat me like this? I thought… I thought we had something special.”
I pulled her close to me. So close, her tits pressed into my chest and I could taste her breath. She squirmed as if she was enjoying it.
“We had an arrangement. One that made you a lot of money and one that got me exactly what I wanted from you. I wasn’t vague about our situation. You knew what you were walking into and you still did it. I got bored with you, which I tend to do, and now our arrangement is over. It’s not my fault you don’t know how to save money. Maybe if you hadn’t blown it all on frivolous bullshit, you’d have a little something in your account. Now, I’m not asking, I’m telling. Get the fuck out of my establishment.”
She stuttered over her unintelligible response, before she turned and fled from the club. I followed behind her, the employees turning away and working, as if they hadn’t heard every bit of our argument. Fuck it. I was stressed beyond belief, and I hadn’t had any pussy since I’d laid eyes on Jessica.
Jessica. She was beautiful and sexy—clueless to her seductiveness. She was the woman I’d been searching for, for years—the one type missing from my black book. And she was as good as mine.
I’d already bought her a condo and gave her an account full of money. Ready or not, it was time I started getting paid my part of the deal.
THE ELEVATOR DOOR OPENED INTO the clean, comfortable space of Jessica’s condo. I’d been there the night before, but this time the place smelled like woman and fresh flowers. I inhaled her sweetness and closed my eyes to the rush of desire consuming me.
Stepping into the room, I was taken aback by how comfortable and at home I felt in the condo. The family pictures taken from Jessica’s storage were littered across the wall and table in the living space. It was comforting.
A particular picture of Jessica and her little brother when they were younger, stuck out. I envied their relationship. Family—it’s all I’d ever wanted. Yet at the same time, the fear of being left behind kept me from making any new relationships with anyone. It was an endless cycle.
It was then I noticed the music coming from the other room. My feet followed the tune, until I was standing in Jessica’s bedroom doorway. She was there, with only a towel wrapped around her curvy frame. Her back was to me and she moved around the room, swinging her hips, singing badly into her brush.
Wet strands of red stuck to her back and beads of water rolled down her shoulders and into the towel. My mouth went dry thinking about sucking the water from her body.<
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Leaning my shoulder against the door frame, I watched silently with crossed arms. She was different—young and endearing, full of life. It was refreshing.
Jessica Rabbit, the cartoon character, had nothing on my Jessica. My Jessica wasn’t a seductive siren on purpose, but it was the way she made me feel that prompted the name. From the moment I first saw her, I was always seconds away from wolf howling with bulging eyes.
Her towel rode up her thighs, exposing the bottom of her ass cheek and it was my undoing. Stepping into the room, I slipped up behind her and wrapped my hands around her hips. I was rock hard already, so I rubbed my hard cock into the back of her towel.
She screamed before turning in my arms. The towel was forgotten and it drifted to the floor between us. There she was, naked in my arms, and wet—so fucking wet everywhere. I could only hope soon the sweet spot between her legs would also be soaked for me.
Fingering a strand of her hair, my fingertips glistened from the moisture. She looked up at me with wide eyes. Her teeth sank into her bottom lip and when she released it, it was swollen and pink—begging me to bite it.
So I did.
I sucked her bottom lip into my mouth and bit down enough to make her go tense.
“You’re driving me bat-shit crazy,” I said, leaning in and slamming my mouth against hers.
She tasted amazing. Like fresh fruit in the rain. Like one of my favorite memories… like a home I never knew. And strangely, it angered me.
I pulled away, releasing her arms and her mouth all at once. She fell back, covering her breasts before I could see them. Bending down, she attempted to retrieve her towel, but I stopped her.
“Move your hands,” I demanded. “I want to see your tits.”
“Sebastian, this is…” she started.
I cut her off before she could finish. “What did I say?”
She stood there staring back at me. I could see the debate in her eyes. She wasn’t sure if she should listen or tell me to go to hell. Finally, she dropped her hands from her body and stood in front of me, gloriously naked.
Heat radiated from my eyes as I let them dip and explore her balmy skin. Her dusty nipples hardened, taunting me to squeeze them. Reaching out, I pinched a nipple between my thumb and forefinger, eliciting a hissing sound from between her teeth.
“Does that hurt?” I asked.
“A little.”
“But it still feels good, doesn’t it?”
She’d be lying if she denied it. Her eyes were already sparkling with desire.
She didn’t answer, prompting me to squeeze tighter.
“Yes!” she exclaimed.
“Yes, what?”
“It feels good.”
I released her reddening nipple and relieved it with a nice lashing with my tongue. Her breathing hitched and then she moaned when I sucked the nipple into my mouth and nibbled sweetly. She’d earned that little bit for now.
When I pulled away and looked back at her, her eyes were glazed over with want. Already she was melting in my hands. It wouldn’t be long before I’d have her tied to a bed, ass wiggling in the air, begging me to fuck her.
I ran a single finger from her collar bone, down over her moist nipple. I couldn’t seem keep my hands off her. Her humid skin pebbled beneath my fingertip. I continued on my path, running it down her stomach to her navel. Her skin was like silk. It was wrong for her to cover it with cheap cotton.
Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out a card and placed it in her palm, closing her fingers around it.
“What’s this?” she asked, opening her hand.
“It’s for you to spend how you see fit. I only have one request, get rid of the cotton panties. Your body begs for silk and lace.”
She shocked me by shoving the card back into my hand.
“No, Sebastian. You’ve done enough. I can’t take this. The condo, the car, the shirt, all of it… by the way, thanks for the shirt. I don’t even want to know how you knew I’d tried it on.”
“I have my ways.”
I didn’t tell her that Martin had gotten out of the car for a walk and saw how happy she’d looked inside the store, shopping with her friend. He’d picked it up and turned it over to me. As I said before, he got paid the big bucks for a reason.
“Well, it’s all too much. Not to mention, I haven’t really done anything to earn any of this yet.”
I grinned. She was so clueless and sweet. It was a wonder New York hadn’t eaten her alive yet.
“Don’t worry, you will.”
Her face paled, shyness filling her expression, and I chuckled.
“Go shopping. Buy yourself something that will drive me crazy. I’ll pick you up tonight at seven. Be ready and be dressed to kill.”
I didn’t wait for her to respond. I walked away. If I didn’t get away from her soon I was going to do something stupid, and push her before she was ready—like laying her on the bed and sinking myself balls deep into her tight pussy.
I had full rights to do what I pleased with her, and I knew she’d go for it because she obviously felt indebted to me. But that was not my goal. I wanted her to want me the way I wanted her. I wanted her soaking wet and begging for my cock and anything else I had to offer. To have that, I’d wait—even if it killed me.
ONCE SEBASTIAN LEFT THE ROOM, I let myself relax. It wasn’t that he scared me, but he made me physically aware of myself and of him. The way my body responded to him was something I wasn’t accustomed to.
My nipple ached, stinging from his attention, and between my legs was soaked. Every part of me was hyper-sensitive. When I picked up my towel and rubbed it across my body, a tiny gasp escaped me.
I was alone. I’d listened carefully as the elevator opened and closed, assuring me Sebastian was gone. So I let my hands slowly drop down my body, my palms rubbing across my hard nipples and weaving sensation into my lower stomach.
It wasn’t going to be long before I was begging him for everything he had to offer, but the whole being paid thing was really messing me up. Not to mention, I hated it that he called me Jessica.
Who the hell was this Jessica, anyway?
How could I get into anything sexual with him, knowing he didn’t even want to know me? It all felt so wrong, but oh so right at the same time. It was confusing.
Not long after I dressed, Kyle stepped off the elevator. I could tell right away something was bothering him.
He tossed his bag onto the floor in the corner and went to the kitchen for the food that was there when we moved in. Teenage boys ate more than grown men.
Reaching down, I plucked his heavy bag from the floor and moved it to the table so he could start his homework once he was done with his after school snack. A white envelope fell out of the side pocket and landed at my feet.
“What’s this?” I asked, sliding my finger into the envelope and popping it open.
“It’s an invitation to an art program that’s going on this summer,” he shrugged. “It’s not a big deal.” His mouth was full of potato chips, and his voice was muffled.
My eyes scanned the letter. The art program was distinguished—as in, only thirty students in the entire state of New York were invited each year. And yet, my little brother managed to be one of them.
“Looks like a pretty big deal to me. Since when are you into art?” I asked, holding up the letter.
“Since always, I just kind of always kept it to myself. Then Mrs. Gelding, my art teacher, busted me drawing in my notebook. She’s the one who sent my work off to the program coordinators.”
I was flabbergasted. I thought I knew everything there was to know about my little brother… guess I was wrong. “Can I see your work?”
He pulled out a manila folder from his book bag and handed it over. Flipping through the art, drawings of New York City looked back at me. Lines drawn to perfection, and shadings in all the right places, formed an exact representation of the city. It was beautiful—more than beautiful.
As I flippe
d, I came across a picture which made my heart sink. There was Gran smiling back at me, wrinkles filling her face with happiness. It was a perfect likeness—exactly as I remembered her.
“There’s one of you, too.” Kyle mentioned at my side.
I hadn’t known he was watching me and quickly swiped at the tear forming on my bottom lashes. I ran my fingers across the next drawing. It was me, and it was like looking in the mirror. Lines were etched into my frown, and my eyes were full of sadness.
Sliding the art back into the folder, I handed it over to him.
“These are amazing, Kyle. I can’t… I don’t know what to say. You’re simply amazing. You have to go. No, you’re going.”
And I meant it. It would be a lonely summer, but it was honor to be invited to such a place and with his talent, he had to go. Not to mention, with everything I had going on around me with Sebastian and the new place, maybe Kyle being tucked away somewhere wasn’t a bad idea.
“I can’t,” he said sternly, tucking his folder back into his bag.
“Why not? I think it’s a great idea, Kyle. You could be the next big thing in the art world.”
He laughed and shook his head, his floppy hair falling into his eyes. “I’d like to, but it’s kind of expensive.” He shrugged. “Like I said, it’s no big deal.”
And then, I knew. Kyle wanted to go—he wanted to go bad, but like he was always doing, he blew it off so I didn’t get stressed out. Well, no more. It was time my little brother got something he wanted for once.
“How much?” I asked.
“It doesn’t matter.”
“How much, Kyle?”
He smiled sheepishly before giving in. “Five thousand for the summer,” he answered.
I swallowed hard, trying to push down the lump stuck in my throat. It wasn’t going to happen. It wasn’t like five thousand dollars was just going to land at my feet, and as much as I loved my brother, there was no way in the world I was going to ask Sebastian for it.
I already hated the idea of him taking care of us, which is exactly what he was doing. I felt even worse knowing I’d done nothing so far to earn everything he’d given us. Then again, it was kind of scary. What would Sebastian consider adequate payment for everything?
Little Black Box Set Page 9