“Your secret is safe with me.” Ava laughs, and Logan joins in. That’s how I know I’m not the only one who feels at ease around her. For my brother’s sake, I hope he isn’t fantasizing about her neck or underwear too. A vein pulses in my neck at the thought, and I turn to watch him. He leans back in his chair, lacing his fingers on top of his head. I’ve seen my brother when he’s after a woman, and this isn’t how he acts.
“I want more secrets,” she says.
“Okay, enough secrets,” I interject when he opens his mouth. “Logan, you’ll be late to your dinner appointment.”
“Right, yeah. I’ll get going.”
“I love this banter between the two of you,” Ava says after he leaves. “You were right; this doesn’t feel like a corporation at all. Thank God neither of you is a brooding ogre.”
“You haven’t tried to talk budgets with him. He’s not the good cop at all when it comes to that.”
“Is the rest of your family like the two of you? Pippa and Alice seemed funny.”
“You’ll meet all of them at some point. I’ll let you make up your mind. How was your weekend? Did you do any sightseeing?”
“Not much. I was tired and didn’t feel like drawing up itineraries and running around town.”
“I can take you this weekend.”
Ava drops her eyes, rubbing the side of her neck. “Maybe not such a good idea.”
“You were open to it during lunch last week.”
“Yeah, but now I’m not.”
“Why not?”
“You know why.”
She says this in a final tone, and we both get up from our chairs. At the door, I grasp her arm and whisper in her ear, “You do realize I won’t give up, right?”
Chapter Ten
Ava
The week goes by fast, and before I know it, it’s Friday. I’m about to leave the office when Nadine texts me.
Nadine:
How’s hot stuff today?
Ava:
Stop calling him that
.
I grin as I type.
You know I have to do the proper thing and keep this professional.
Unsurprisingly, she answers right away
.
Nadine:
I googled Sebastian—again. Did you take a good look at him? The only thing you HAVE to DO is HIM.
Ava:
Enough with the caps lock. Go back to whatever it is you’re doing.
I shake my head.
Nadine:
My appointment is forty minutes late. It’s so boring I want to poke my eyes out.
Ava:
Well, I must work.
If I think this will deter Nadine, boy, am I wrong
.
Nadine:
No you don’t. You’re thinking about him, you little perv. So, no other gift cards?
Sebastian texts me in the meantime, asking me if there’s anything I’d like to discuss with him or Logan. I answer quickly that everything went smoothly this week before returning to Nadine’s text.
Ava: Nope. And no other display of unsexy underwear.
Shame grips me as I remember the incident, but I smile at Nadine’s reply.
Nadine:
Thank God. One display was enough. Come on, show the guy the sexy stuff you’ve got.
Ava: Nadine, go get laid and stop bugging me.
Nadine: I haven’t found anyone worthy, so I’m basically living through you. God, women who haven’t gotten laid in months should come with a warning sign, shouldn’t we?
I laugh out loud.
Ava:
Yep, we should.
Sebastian texts again, asking if I have weekend plans. I’m still waiting for Nadine to answer, but she doesn’t write anything back, so I assume her appointment arrived. I toss my smartphone in my bag, unsure what to tell Sebastian. Then I fish it back out, and type to Nadine,
I know Sebastian’s hot, but I have to keep my distance.
There’s my work clause, and other things, like my crappy experiences with men, the fact that I’m not a one-night-stand kind of girl, and that I’m here for a few months only.
I press Send. She’ll read it whenever she has time, though if I’m honest, I wrote it more for myself. To my surprise, the phone buzzes right away.
I can work with that
.
Frowning, I’m about to ask her what she means, when I realize I haven’t sent the text to Nadine. I sent it to Sebastian.
Ground, swallow me now, please
. Well, the list of embarrassing things I do around Sebastian has gotten longer and it’s only my second week here. Tugging at my lower lip with my teeth, I assess the damage, preparing a reply.
This wasn’t meant for you
—DELETE.
I don’t think you
—DELETE.
Damn. What do I write back? Drawing in a lungful of air, I close my eyes, trying to clear my head. Unfortunately, all my mind comes up with is an image of Sebastian, looking ridiculously hot in his suit. I start wondering what he looks like naked.
Ava: I’m not a business project, Sebastian.
He doesn’t reply right away. My stomach twists as I wait, holding my breath.
Sebastian: No, you’re a smart, sexy woman I can’t stop thinking about.
To address your concerns:
1. I’m not like the men you’ve met.
2. I’m not the “one
-
night
-
stand type” either.
3. I can’t make time stop yet, but I can give it a try.
See? All things we can work with.
I smile. I can’t help it as warmth spreads along my nerve endings. This man knows how to charm. Despite everything, I want to let myself be whisked away, even if only by his words. I’m about to type back when Sebastian strolls into my office, sporting a grin the size of Texas.
“So,” I say.
“So,” he replies.
Pulling my eyebrows together, I say with a businesslike tone, “I’m confused by point one in your message. Please expand. How are you not like the men I’ve met?”
Sebastian crosses the room to me.
“Well, for one, I’m much better looking.” To his credit, he looks me straight in the eyes as he says this. Also to his credit, he definitely is much sexier.
With all the confidence I can muster, I reply, “You don’t know that.”
“I’m fairly certain.”
Grinning, I huff out a breath, straightening in my chair. “My God, you do have a giant ego.”
“You said I deserved it.” Sebastian leans into me, as if to make a point.
Of course, having him so close whips my breath away. Still, somehow I manage to reply, “A mistake I shall not repeat.”
Seeming to realize his effect on me—and very satisfied by it, judging by his conceited smile—he pulls back. “You didn’t say anything about the other points.”
“Nothing but words.” I wave my hand dismissively, even though my center throbs. They were good words, but I’m not about to own up to that.
“I’ll prove it to you.” His low, raspy voice does nothing to dull the ache between my thighs. “I told you I like a good challenge.”
Chapter Eleven
Ava
Thankfully, Sebastian leaves my office after our encounter. I’m restless the entire evening and sleep evades me at night. I toss in my bed for hours, checking the time on my phone now and again. At about one o’clock in the morning, I receive a text. The sender is Sebastian. My heart flutters as I draw the phone closer to me.
Sebastian: Are you asleep?
I shouldn’t respond. I really shouldn’t. The temptation is too big though.
Ava: No. I can’t fall asleep.
He answers fast.
Sebastian: Neither can I. I can’t take my mind off you.
I bite my lip, trying hard to ignore the heat igniting inside me.
Another text arrives.
Sebastian: Why can’t you sleep?
For a second, I debate not writing back, but I give in to temptation again.
Ava: Same reason as you.
Sebastian: You can’t stop thinking about yourself?
Smiling, I shake my head. He’s really gonna make me write it. Oh well, here goes nothing.
Ava: I can’t stop thinking about you.
My breath catches when I read his next reply.
Sebastian:
I want to see you tomorrow.
I try to backpedal, because seeing him outside the office is a really, really bad idea.
Ava: I already have plans. I’m sightseeing in San Francisco.
Sebastian: Great. I’ll pick you up at nine tomorrow.
I type back quickly.
Ava: There’s no need. I can go by myself.
His reply comes in three seconds.
Sebastian: See you at nine.
I stare at the screen for a long time, but don’t write back. There’s no point contradicting him. He’ll do exactly what he wants anyway. The problem is I want him to do that. I toss in my bed, sweating. Jesus, I don’t remember being so painfully aware of the ache between my legs in a long time. The feeling grows unbearable, and I briefly wonder if it’s possible to die from it. I can already imagine newspaper headlines.
Death by sexual frustration
, or something equally ridiculous.
***
I wake up at seven o’clock sharp, even though I set my alarm for eight. Bolting to a sitting position in my bed, I acknowledge the reason behind my early rise: adrenaline. The knowledge that I’ll spend the day with Sebastian makes me grin and spikes my blood with something dangerous and addictive.
I can’t wipe the stupid smile off my face the entire time I’m getting ready. I shower first, using my best-smelling shampoo, and then use the razor to get rid of unwanted hair from my body. I’m aware that I’m putting more effort into looking perfect than I have in a long while. It’s for tonight, I tell myself. The presentation for the buyers is tonight, so I’m preparing myself for the occasion. Great excuse. Except, why would I shave my pubis for the show?
At nine o’clock, I hear three knocks at my door. Drawing in a deep breath, I open it and thank heaven for having spent the past hours beautifying myself. Sebastian looks perfect. He wears jeans and a black cotton shirt. It’s simple, but it hugs his torso and biceps in a mouthwatering way. His gaze rakes over my body, resting on my breasts and lower on my hips.
Holding up two brown paper bags, he leans against the doorframe, saying, “I bought breakfast. We can eat it on the way to our first stop.”
“Okay.” I go toward the desk and grab my purse, then pause, turning to him. “I have one rule for today.”
“Only one?”
“Yes.”
“Okay. Let’s hear it.”
“No flirting,” I say seriously.
He strokes his chin, as if he were expecting this. “That’s no fun.”
“Then I’m not going anywhere.” I drop my purse on the table.
“You drive a hard bargain, don’t you?”
“Yeah.” I cross my arms over my chest, looking at him expectantly.
“Let’s go, Ava.”
“Promise.”
“I don’t make promises I can’t keep.” He strides inside the room, slings my purse over my shoulder, and hooks an arm around my waist. “But I can promise you’ll have fun today.”
Sebastian proves to be a perfect tour guide. I showed him my itinerary when we got in his car, and he nodded, scribbling two more stops on it. Five hours into the tour, and he hasn’t thrown one flirty line my way. Oh, he’s thrown plenty of insinuating stares, and I’ve returned every single one of them, because apparently I can’t stick to my own rules around him.
We grab a sandwich for lunch and crash on a bench in the Golden Gate Park.
“Why do you know so much about the city?” I ask, munching on my sandwich. There must be an apricot tree nearby, because the smell of apricots invades my senses. It’s so thick, I feel like I can bite into it and it would taste like Mom’s homemade apricot pie.
“I live here.”
“Yeah, well, I’ve lived in New York my whole life, and I don’t know that much about it. Kind of embarrassing.”
Sebastian doesn’t answer right away. “One of my first jobs in San Francisco was as a tour guide. I still remember a lot of that stuff.”
“Wow. So, what other jobs did you have?”
“Hmm, let’s see. I was a driver, a waiter.” As he recites a number of other jobs, I take in his body language. He holds his head high. He’s proud of every single job he’s had. Heck, he has every right to be proud; he’s a self-made man. I’m proud of him too.
“That’s why you treat everyone with respect,” I conclude.
“I honestly don’t think there is an easy job. I got a lucky break, but others don’t. This doesn’t mean their work is less valuable or easier.”
I look at him in awe. If only more people thought like him.
“Ready for the next round?” he asks.
“Let’s stay for a few more minutes. My feet are killing me.”
Without any warning, he lifts my legs, pulling my feet into his lap. I lose my balance and prop myself on my elbows on the bench. How did I end up on my back after only half a day with him?
“What are you doing?” I ask, as he gets rid of my flats. “Oh, foot massage.”