

The Road To Price

Justine Elvira

Published by Justine Elvira

Smashwords edition

©2013 Justine Elvira

The Road To Price

Author: Justine Elvira

Edited by: Eileen Proksch

Cover Design: Robin Harper of Wicked by Design

Published by Justine Elvira

Smashwords edition

© 2013 Justine Elvira

Original publication: March 2013

©2014 Justine Elvira

Revised Edition: May 2014

justinethedream@gmail.com

All rights reserved. This book contains material under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any Unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without written permission of the author, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages for review purposes only.

This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to any person, living or dead, or any events or occurrences, is purely coincidental. The characters and story lines are created from the author's imagination and are used fictitiously.

Cover image used under license from shutterstock.com

Table of Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

The Road To Forgiveness (Price #2)

Acknowledgements

About The Author
Prologue

I see the sign and off ramp for my destination. I'm hoping the change of scenery will do me good. I can't go back home, so Miami will be my new home. This is supposed to be one of the most spectacular cities in America, yet I know it doesn't matter. I have a long road ahead of me, no matter where I go.

Everything reminds me of him. I hope moving to a new place will help in my grieving process. Help me to move on with my life. It's wishful thinking because I know I can't move on. My heart died that day along with him.

I have cut all contact with my family and friends. I know this deeply hurts my mother, but I couldn't breath. I couldn't breathe being in that town, the place that holds my bad memories.

I hope one day I can go back. I pray that one day I'm strong enough to move past the painful events in my life. I hope that one day I wake up with the urge to live. I know that's what he would want.

Chapter One

4 months later...

The heat and humidity in Miami is still something I'm having trouble getting used to. I just finished cleaning the offices of a large printing company that must have decided air conditioning is optional. It's one hundred degrees outside. Four hours cleaning in this heat makes me want to pass out.

Luckily, I have on thin fabric yoga pants and a tank top with a built-in sports bra. Normally, I wear a t-shirt and jeans to clean, but the temp agency warned me that the offices can get warm. My guess is they knew about the AC, but conveniently withheld this information.

On the walk to my car I witness all the tourist activity around me. It's late August so everyone seems to be getting in some last minute fun in the sun. I swear Miami has its own idea of fashion. It's like the Jersey boardwalk, but the consumers in Miami pay a heck of a lot more to look trashy.

I hop into my 98' Toyota Corolla and turn on the air conditioning. I'm not a dramatic person, but I swear if my body temperature doesn't cool down I might burst into flames. It's hot in Georgia, but nothing is like the heat down in Miami.

Today is one of the rare days that I don't have to work my evening shift at the local diner. The temp agency I hooked up with four months ago keeps me busy with work. I met a young woman named Jessica in the office and she's been keeping me busy with work ever since.

Jessica constantly tells me I'm overqualified for the jobs that I want to work. Thankfully, she understands that I just want work that will keep me physically busy, so I can shut my mind off. Oh, and she doesn't ask me a lot of questions. This earns her brownie points in my book.

Once I have the AC going in my car, I reverse out of my parking space and head home to my studio apartment. The rent in Miami is not cheap. This is not something I had thought of before I decided to relocate. I come from a small town in Georgia where the rent is cheap and the people are friendly. Miami is an adjustment.

Most people my age can't wait for a night off so they can go out and party. Sometimes it's really easy for me to forget that I'm twenty-three years old. The life I've led has made me feel much older. Instead of going out on my nights off, I usually get my grocery shopping and errands done. My kitchen is looking scarce so I need to go grocery shopping soon. My body is extremely tired so I veto the idea of shopping for the night. The muggy heat will do that to you.

I pull into my apartment complex and head up to my apartment on the second floor. I decide to take the stairs because the elevator has taken on a distinct smell the past month. I would've called the landlord about this, but I don't want to force a conversation with him. I don't want to have a conversation with anyone. I just want to be left alone.

Walking into my apartment I lock the door behind me. My apartment isn't exactly in the best part of Miami so I have a lock, deadbolt, and two chains. It gives me the illusion that I am safe.

I don't really have any furnishings or décor around my place. My apartment consists of a bed, a dresser, and a bookshelf. No TV, no computer, no table, and no chairs. I have no expectations to entertain anyone and I avoid technology as much as I can.

I go right into the bathroom and strip off my clothing. I want to take a nice, cold shower to cool myself off and wash the dried sweat off my body. I step under the shower head and let the water hit my back. It feels amazing. My body instantly starts cooling down. I almost forget that outside these walls it's as hot as a furnace.

I take my time washing my hair and body, wanting to enjoy the feeling of being clean. When my skin starts to prune, I turn off the water and hop out. I wrap a towel around my head and start to dry off my body. My muscles ache. I'm tempted to pass out on the floor underneath me from exhaustion. Common sense comes back to me and I leave the bathroom.

I go to my dresser and pull out one of my large t-shirts. I slip it on and get into bed. My hair is still in the towel, but I don't have the energy to pull the towel off and comb through my hair. I know I will regret this later, but I don't care. I just need a few hours to rest my body.

Luckily, I enjoy sleeping. If I could sleep twenty-four hours a day I would. I know it's not healthy to feel this way, but I can't help it. When I sleep is the only time I don't hurt. I've never been a person who has dreams or at least not dreams I remember. So sleep has been my solace these last five months.

I've contemplated taking my life a few times. My reasoning behind this is that it is a permanent way for me to rest. I'm not able to go through with it though. Being brought up in a bible teaching home in the south, I was taught that suicide is a sin. Not that I think suicide is worse than any other sin. I mean, we all sin... but I don't want to do something I blatantly know is wrong and won't have a chance to repent for.

I can relate now to anyone who committed suicide. I understand it. I didn't understand it before, but I do now.

My hand reaches to turn off the light switch. I don't set an alarm clock because I couldn't care less when I wake up. I know it is only 5pm, but my body craves the sleep. I turn over on my side and tuck a pillow between my legs. It may be an odd way to sleep, but I have slept like this since I was sixteen. It's the only way I'm comfortable.

My head hits the pillow and within a couple minutes I'm out cold.

*****

I wake up a few hours later to a dark room. My hand starts to roam around my bed looking for my phone to check the time. The only clock in my apartment is the clock on the stove so I rely on my phone, a lot.

I find my flip phone and open it to check the time. My phone is so outdated, but I have no need for a smart phone. I never check my email, never go on the Internet, and I'm not on any social networking sites.

It's 7:30 at night. I've gotten a little over two hours of sleep. I also see that I have a missed call and voice message from the temp agency.

That's odd. Jessica never leaves me a message because she knows I'll never check it. I usually just call her back when I can.

I hit the button to call my voice mail and wait to hear the message.

"Hey, Mia, it's Jessica and I'm calling a little after six. Call me as soon as you get this. I'm leaving the office, but you can call my cell phone. I have a job opportunity for you and you would start immediately. I think you'd be the perfect fit for this job. Give me a call as soon as you get this. Talk to you soon!"

A job opportunity? I'm already working three different jobs through the agency. On top of the diner and cleaning, I also do filing work at a real estate company. I know Jessica understands my desire to stay busy, but adding a fourth job to the mix may be my breaking point.

I decide to call her back right away. I want to give her the opportunity to give this position to someone else as quickly as possible. I dial her number and she answers on the second ring.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Jessica, it's Mia Dechino. I just got your message."

"Mia! Thank you so much for calling me back. I am just so excited about this job opportunity for you. Unfortunately, Mr. Price wants the interview done first thing in the morning so I had to get a hold of you right away."

"Slow down, Jessica. I'm just calling you back to let you know I can't possibly add a fourth job onto my schedule. While I love to keep busy, I think three jobs is my max."

I don't want to tell her that when she called I was sleeping. I'm exhausted from working these three jobs, but I like that I'm too tired to do anything but sleep.

"Mia, I think there's a misunderstanding. Please, hear me out. This is a full time, live-in position. If you take this position you will no longer work at your other jobs. Now I know what you're thinking and stop right there to let me explain."

She pauses for a second to see if I'm going to argue with her, but I decide to stay quiet and hear her out.

She continues, "This is a live-in housekeeping position for one of the wealthiest men in Miami. It is physical work, Mia, and there will always be something for you to do. You could work from sun up until midnight if you want to. Plus, you'll live in the employee quarters so you can leave that crappy place you call an apartment."

Jessica continues to talk, but I have temporarily zoned her out. I'm focusing on the live-in part. This could be exactly what I'm looking for. My family has no idea where I am. If they find out I'm in Miami, they would come looking for me. It would be easy for them to eventually hunt down what apartment complex I'm living in. If I'm living on private property... the private property of an extremely wealthy man who probably has the best security around, it would be nearly impossible for anyone to find me.

I could work with this. I've been cleaning office buildings for the last four months. It can't be that hard to clean a house. Actually, I'm sure it's a mansion rather than a house, but I'm capable of doing that. I wonder if I will be the only housekeeper?

"Mia? Mia, are you still there?"

Shit....

"Yes, Jessica, I'm still here. What time is the interview?"

"It's at the Price estate at 8am sharp. I can give you the address and directions right now. You'll need to dress to impress, Mia."

I have to work in the morning. I'm cleaning some offices down on Ocean Avenue. I start around 3am and usually won't finish until around 8am.

"I wish I could be there, but I can't make it at that time. You're going to have to get someone else for the interview," I say reluctantly.

"Now, stop right there," Jessica states. "I already got someone to fill in for you in the morning. I'm going to do everything I can to get you this position. You may not understand now, but I know this job is perfect for you. I also called the diner to let them know you won't be coming in tomorrow. If Mr. Price likes you he might need a few other things from you. I needed to free up your entire day."

"Oh." It's all I can say. Jessica is very thorough with her job.

I start to nervously bounce my leg up and down on the bed. The jobs I've landed through the agency so far have not required me to interview for them. This will be my first interview in a while.

"Yes, oh..." Jessica says. "No excuses, Mia. Be there at 8am sharp and call me right after you're done."

"Okay."

"Now get a pen and paper and write this down."

I stay on the phone with Jessica for another two minutes before ending the call. I get the address and directions. The Price estate is about fifteen minutes from here. I don't want to risk hitting any traffic in the morning so I need to leave early enough to give me extra time to get there.

I walk into the kitchen to make myself something to eat. My cabinets and refrigerator have very little to choose from so I grab one of my lean frozen dinners and stick it in the microwave.

As I'm waiting for my dinner to cook, my towel starts to slip from my head.

Oh, shit!

I completely forgot about my hair. It probably looks like a bird's nest right now. I will need to rewash my hair before the interview so that I at least look presentable.

The microwave beeps and I pull out my meal, bringing it over to the bed and waiting a few minutes for it to cool off. I'm starving, so when I finally start eating it only takes a few minutes to finish.

I go back into the bathroom to rewash my hair. Once it is washed and blow-dried, I pick out my outfit for the interview. This is a rather easy task because I only have two nice outfits to choose from.

My eyes start to feel heavy. It's only nine at night, but I can't stay up any longer. I check to make sure the front door is locked and then put my phone on the charger next to my bed. My hand reaches to turn off the light and then I lay my head on my pillow... and fall asleep instantly.

Chapter Two

I walk down the steps to exit my apartment building and head to my car. It's a beautiful Tuesday morning. The sun is shining and the breeze in the air makes the heat bearable.

I'm feeling confident in my outfit choice. I'm wearing a navy blue pencil skirt and cream blouse. The navy pencil skirt, along with my light brown hair, makes my blue eyes pop. I never usually wear make-up, but today is an exception. I have applied some light concealer, mascara, and nude lip-gloss.

I consider my eyes my best feature so I can afford not going overboard with make-up as long as my eyes stand out. I have loosely curled my hair today to give it some bounce. Navy heels finish my outfit off and add a good three inches to my 5'5" frame.

I hop into my Corolla and put my keys in the ignition. I take a deep breath while pulling out of my apartment complex at 7:15am exactly. I'm right on schedule. I continue to take a few more deep breaths to calm the nerves I suddenly have.

I'm prepared to hit some traffic on my way over to Mr. Price's estate, but surprisingly there is none. I pull up to the gates outside the home twenty minutes before the interview is scheduled. There is a gentleman sitting in a small brick structure outside the gates and he waves me over. I drive up right next to him.

"Can I help you?" The man says to me while giving my car a look over.

"My name is Mia Dechino and I'm here to interview with Mr. Price." My nerves are back. This place is huge.

The man starts hitting some buttons on the tablet in his hands. A few seconds later he looks up at me and speaks.

"Nancy, Mr. Price's personal assistant, has you down here for an interview at eight this morning. If you just pull through these gates and continue down the road you will see an area where the driveway splits three ways. You will continue straight away to the front of the estate. Someone will be there to take your vehicle and Nancy will walk you in."

"Okay. Thank you, sir." I roll my window up and wait for the gates to open completely, following the driveway all the way up to the front of the estate. Sure enough, there is an older gentleman waiting near the front of the house. He waves me over and once I put my vehicle in park he is opening my driver's side door.

"Hello, Ms. Dechino. I am Michael. I will take your vehicle while you go inside with Nancy. I'll have your car waiting for you once your interview with Mr. Price is over," he says, standing at my door with his hand stretched out, waiting for me to hand him my keys.

"Thank you, Michael." I keep my communication short. I'm not used to having people do things for me.

At that moment a beautiful woman who looks to be in her early thirties walks out the front doors of the estate. She has blonde hair that can only come from a bottle. Her brown eyes are washed out by the heavy make-up she has applied to her face. She is tall with a model's body. Her breasts are on display in a tight corset. She's wearing a pantsuit over the corset with the jacket open to display her body. Her slim frame leads me to believe her breasts are surgically enhanced.

She's definitely the type that stands out when she walks into the room.

She approaches me with a stern look on her face. You can tell she isn't someone you mess around with.

"Hello, Ms. Dechino." She reaches out her hand to shake mine. "My name is Nancy and I'm Mr. Price's personal assistant. You're a little early for the interview," she says, glancing at her watch. "I love someone who doesn't make me wait around and Mr. Price loves punctuality in his employees. If you just follow me, we will head over to his office."

I'm not sure if I should reply to her greeting, but luckily Nancy doesn't wait for one. She immediately walks into the estate with me following.

I'm in awe the moment I step into the home. It is gorgeous with a wide-open floor plan. The main room is white with a beautiful crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling in the center of the room. The ceiling is two stories high and displays beautiful artwork you would expect to see in a gallery.

We start walking down a hallway to the left of the main room. Nancy refers to this as the west wing of the home.

We walk past several doors and another hallway. We approach the end of the hallway in the west wing where beautiful oak double doors stand. Nancy opens the double doors and we walk into a room that looks like a typical lobby in an office building.

There's a desk that sits to the right of another set of oak double doors. An impressive phone system is on the desk, and file cabinets behind it. There are six chairs lined along the wall to the left of me. A coffee table is placed in the center with all the latest magazines and today's newspaper.

There's also a 40-inch flat screen TV on the wall that has on one of the local news stations. The TV is to the left of the double doors. I assume Mr. Price's office is behind those doors.

Nancy walks behind the desk and picks up the phone. She hits a few buttons and puts the phone to her ear. I continue looking around the room while I await further instructions from her.

"Mr. Price, I'm standing here with your eight o'clock appointment for the housekeeping position. Should I let her in?" Nancy speaks into the phone.

She waits a few seconds listening intently to whatever Mr. Price is saying on the other line. "Okay, sir. We will wait until you come get us. Thank you, sir."

Nancy hangs up the phone and looks towards me.

"Mr. Price is just finishing up an important business call. He should be out here shortly to get us."

"Okay. Thank you, Nancy."

We wait for a good fifteen minutes in awkward silence. I try to say something, but change my mind the minute I lift my head. Nancy stares at me the entire fifteen minutes with a look of confusion on her face. She finally breaks the silence and directs an odd question at me.

"Ms. Dechino?"

"Yes," I'm hesitant with my reply to her.

"From what I understand you were sent over from the temp agency. Was it Jessica who sent you over?"

What an odd question. I got the impression that Jessica is the one who handles Mr. Price's business through the agency. Who else would have sent me?

"Yes, it was Jessica." I reply with a confident look on my face.

"Are you sure it was Jessica? I know there are a couple other women who work in that office... so maybe there was a little confusion on who actually set you up with this interview."

Now I'm a little annoyed and I snap back a quick reply.

"I am actually positive it was Jessica. I have worked with her the past four months and I spoke with her in great detail yesterday evening. She thought I would be a perfect fit for this position."

Nancy looks at me for a good twenty seconds before she seems satisfied with my answer. She starts typing away on the tablet she's holding in her hands. She remains this way the rest of the time while we wait for Mr. Price.

I'm starting to second-guess my decision on coming in for this interview.

Suddenly, I hear movement and look up. Nancy is walking towards me with a tight smile on her face.

"Mr. Price just messaged me and we are free to go in now."

I follow her through the second set of double doors and into a beautiful office. The furnishings are all in dark wood or black leather. The walls are painted taupe, which complements the furniture well. There are expensive paintings on the walls. The office has a simple beauty to it. The desk in front of me is huge and demands attention in the room.

I look behind the desk in front of me and stop breathing.

Oh. My. God.

Mr. Price stands up and I can't believe how handsome he is. He's impeccably dressed with a lean muscular build. His face confirms that he has to be the most gorgeous man on the planet and his hair is a sexy kind of mess. He must have had a stressful morning because you can tell his hand has been in his hair... a lot.

Nancy steps up to the desk and looks my way as she speaks.

"Mr. Price, this is Mia Dechino. She is interviewing for the housekeeper position," Nancy states, standing next to me.

I've completely forgotten she's here. I'm too distracted by the beautiful man in front of me. I've never seen a man like him before. I've never had this kind of reaction to a man's appearance before.

I want to eat him for breakfast.

Mr. Price walks over to me and extends his hand for a handshake. I don't react at first. Him standing so close to me makes my body forget to react to the simple gesture.

I compose myself and lift my hand to meet his. Once our hands touch I feel tingles go up my arm and through my body. It's an electric shock to my system. I have never felt anything like this before. It feels amazing and scares the shit out of me.

Mr. Price is silent as he stares at our hands that are still connected. I have a feeling he felt it, too.

"It is nice to meet you, Mia. My name is Sebastian Price, but you may call me Mr. Price."

How odd that he gives me his name informally, but then tells me to address him so formally. I decide not to dwell on this.

"It is nice to meet you, too, Mr. Price. You have a beautiful home," I say confidently. I'm a little surprised that I can form sentences at the moment

"Thank you," he says as he lets go of my hand, dropping the only connection our bodies have with each other. "If you have a seat we can get started with the interview."

He walks back around his desk as he addresses Nancy, "You can leave now. I will expect you back here in twenty minutes to escort Ms. Dechino out."

The look of shock on her face is priceless.

"Are you sure, Mr. Price? I usually stay with you during your interviews. I can take notes if you would like?"

"That won't be necessary, Nancy. Just be back here in twenty minutes."

Nancy looks a little stunned by Mr. Price's dismissal. She shoots me a dirty look that is so quick, I'm sure Mr. Price missed it.

"Yes, sir," Nancy replies and then exits the office.

I'm sitting in a large chair facing Mr. Price's desk, waiting for him to start the interview. I'm anxious to get the interview over with, but I'm not sure if I want him to speak.

I'm enjoying the view too much.

"Well, Mia, I have looked over your work history and the documentation the temp agency sent over. You seem to be overqualified for this position. You have an associate's degree and it states on your paperwork that you worked in the banking industry for the last two years. That is until you abruptly quit five months ago."

He doesn't continue and I can't find the words to speak. The silence lasts for what seems like forever.

"Well, is this accurate?" Mr. Price asks me, looking confused on why I haven't spoken yet. He leans forward in his chair while he awaits my answer.

My brain is screaming for my mouth to speak...

Speak, Mia!!!

I finally open my mouth, "Yes, Mr. Price, that is accurate."

He adjusts his body back into his chair. He looks a little more relaxed now.

"Why have you decided to waste a degree and slum it as a housekeeper?" His question catches me off guard.

"Well, I don't see it as wasting a degree. Cleaning a home is hard work and I have respect for anyone who does it." I don't like the fact that he implies the job is beneath me.

I continue speaking, "As far as why I do it? I'm afraid that is a personal question that I do not wish to answer."

I don't want to tell him the real reason behind my desire for the job. Cleaning is physically exhausting work and I need it to keep my mind busy. I need anything to help me forget.

It's quiet for a couple moments. He's watching me intensely and I start to feel self-conscious under his stare. He's looking me over and I can't read his facial expressions to figure out what is going through his brain.

God, is he gorgeous. It should really be illegal to look as good as he does.

He breaks the hold his eyes have on me and looks over a few pieces of paper that are on his desk. He's visually scanning the paperwork the temp agency sent over. He looks up again and starts to speak.

"I see here that you've had some great referrals from some clients at the temp agency. I guess you're good at your job. This is a live-in position, are you aware of that?"

"Yes, sir... I mean, Mr. Price." He smiles at my response.

Wow, his smile is breathtaking. He shouldn't be able to just unleash that whenever he feels like it. I smile back at him, not knowing what else to do. I don't want to sit here with a stupid look on my face. He makes me anxious and I have a feeling he knows this.

He continues speaking as if he can read my mind.

"You seem a little nervous and I don't want that. I want you to be comfortable in this interview. You can refer to me as Sebastian if that makes things easier."

He waits to see my response, but when I don't have one he continues, "When you're around other members of my staff I would appreciate being spoken to as Mr. Price, but when it is just the two of us you can be less formal. Does that help?"

Huh? I don't want special treatment.

"If it's all the same to you I would prefer to call you Mr. Price. It will minimize any confusion." I want to say 'Can we get to the job details, please?'

He looks at me like he's trying to decipher his next move. I'm beginning to think I'm some game to him.

"I would prefer you call me Sebastian. If you are feeling any confusion then you can call me Sebastian all the time. In fact, please, just refer to me as Sebastian. This isn't a request."

Not a request? Who the hell does he think he is? I don't have time to dwell on these thoughts because he continues speaking.

"We have that settled...," is it settled? "So let's get to your job details. My wife and I are the only ones who live in this home. You will rarely see us together though. You will be working primarily for me, but if she needs anything you will be expected to help her, too. You will work five days a week and have a complete benefits package. You are free to do whatever you like in your free time, but keep in mind that you are still one of my employees. You need to conduct yourself in a respectful manner when out in public. Will any of this be difficult for you?"

That is humorous. He has nothing to worry about with me. I never go out.

"No, Mr. Price... I mean, Sebastian. With time you will see that I'm always on my best behavior. You'll have no problems at all," I answer, hoping this interview is over soon. I am starting to feel the heat under his stare.

He's watching me again with a look of almost... is it... adoration? He has that look like I am the new puppy his parents brought home or the baby sister brought home from the hospital.

Scratch that. I don't want him looking at me like a sister.

"Are you sure it was Jessica who sent you over for this interview?" He asks me.

What the hell?

Is it such a shock that Jessica would send me over to interview for this position? I've never had such an odd question asked at any of my interviews. In fact, all of my other employers seemed satisfied that I was chosen by the temp agency to work for them.

I'm starting to get really offended.

"Yes," I state with a scowl on my face. "Like I told Nancy when she asked me this question, twice, Jessica and I spoke in great detail about this position yesterday."

I start to fidget as my leg bounces up and down on the chair. Sebastian is dragging his hand through the side of his hair, watching me squirm in my seat.

"When you say you spoke in great detail, did she tell you my expectations of you?" He's looking at me curiously, like there is a hidden meaning in his question.

"No, she didn't. We spoke more about the hours of the job, where it is located, and she gave me a little information about you. We never got around to the employee handbook," I reply sarcastically.

There is another long moment of silence. I swear he does this just to see my reaction. What he asks next truly shocks me. If I knew this is where he was going with his questions, I would have left the room already.

"Do you have a boyfriend, Mia?"

My mouth drops open for a few seconds and I can't speak. Then my anger takes over. "Excuse me?"

Is he joking? Does he actually expect me to answer him?

"I said, do you have a boyfriend? We don't allow guests in the staff living quarters." He looks agitated that he has to ask me a simple question twice.

I feel a little silly. He just wants to make sure I won't have any unwelcomed guests on his property. He isn't trying to invade my privacy. Wow, I must look really full of myself.

"No, I don't have a boyfriend, and you won't have to worry about me having any unwanted guests. I want this job and I wouldn't do anything to jeopardize it. Plus, I like to keep to myself." I'm starting to sweat and I can feel the nausea sweeping over me.

Why does he make me so nervous? God, does he have to be so gorgeous? Why do I feel such a pull towards him?

This is silly. I just met him and I am acting like he is some God and I am his follower.

Sebastian continues, "You will be expected to get along with the other staff members. You will be sharing living quarters with the women... among other things. Would you like to see where your room will be if I hire you?"

What does he mean, among other things? What other things will we share?

"No, thank you. I'm sure it will satisfy my needs, no matter how it looks."

I need to leave now. I haven't had a discussion that lasted this long in months. There is no way I can take this job. I'm acting like a complete fool and I don't think I can be around him every day.

"Well, Mia, it was a pleasure meeting you. You seem like you could be a great fit in my home," Sebastian says as he stands up from behind his desk.

"You signed paperwork with the temp agency saying it is okay for potential employers to run a background check. I will run a background check and make my final decision shortly. You will receive a call from Nancy letting you know either way. If you are hired you will be expected to sign a lengthy contract. I will expect you to move your things in this Friday and your start date will be next Monday. Does that work for you?"

He is thorough. I guess you have to be when you're worth over a billion dollars.

"Yes, Sebastian." I am so glad he's dismissing me. I have to get out of here before I do something stupid like throw myself at him.

Right on time there's a knock on the door and Nancy walks in. I stand up and shake Sebastian's hand. I start walking towards Nancy to leave his office.

"Ms. Dechino?" Sebastian calls after me.

Oh, God. What now?

I turn around to face Sebastian and stare right into his beautiful blue eyes. He's silent for a moment before he speaks again.

"It really was a pleasure to meet you. I have a feeling we are going to get along extremely well."

I smile in return and then turn back towards Nancy who appeared in the door to follow her out of his office. I thank Nancy when we walk back into the lobby of Sebastian's office. I then walk briskly through the hallway until I'm out the front doors of the large estate.

Michael is out front with my car just like he said he would be. I thank him, hop in my car, and pull out of here as fast as I can. Once I'm back on the public road I let out a deep breath.

I'm more relaxed now because the interview is over. I'm sure there's no way I will get the job. I made a fool out of myself. I'm surprised I didn't drool all over myself. How embarrassing.

Well, if by some chance he does offer me the job there's no way I'm taking it. I like my life the way it is. It's quiet and predictable. I have to keep it that way for my sanity.

I can't afford to let these emotions in, no matter what. I can't care about anyone. I know if I take this position that I'll start to care for him. I have a strange connection with him and it's a connection I'm not willing to explore.

So it's settled. If I'm offered the job I'll say no.

Easy.

Now if I can just say it and convince myself that I mean it.

*****

I arrive at home a few hours later. I've successfully gone to the grocery store and picked up the essentials. Then I went and got the oil changed in my car. It has been way too long since my last oil change.

I unload the groceries and decide to do a little reading in bed. Hopefully, this will tire me out for an afternoon nap. I rarely get a day off and I want to make the most of it.

I pull out my latest rental from the library and start reading. After about ten minutes, I realize this distraction isn't going to work today.

Usually, reading is the easiest way for me to busy my mind. I need my mind occupied. If it isn't, then I have too much time to think.

These are the moments when I would wonder what I could have done. What if I drove that day? What if we woke up late? What if I didn't go to my meeting? What if I would have bought the house on the other side of town two years ago, instead of the house I did buy?

Would any of these decisions have changed the outcome? Would he still be alive?

My eyes become heavy and I can feel sleep taking over my body. My mind is fighting with my body to stay awake. It is like my brain wants to continue torturing me with questions.

Deep down I know his death wasn't my fault, but my heart and brain are not on the same page. I'm not sure if the guilt will ever go away. I know the grief won't. I feel like a complete failure. He was the one thing I was doing right in my life and in the end... I failed him, too.

My eyes close again and I drift off into a restless sleep.

Chapter Three

8 years earlier

"Come on, Chelsea! My momma is going to kill me. My curfew was two hours ago. We need to leave now!" I screamed at my best friend.

My best friend, Chelsea, was three years older than me. We have lived next door to each other our whole lives.

Chelsea was too busy making out with her boyfriend to care that I was going to be in so much trouble. We were in a room with twenty other people and she was straddling her boyfriend on the couch. She was dry humping him in front of complete strangers.

She finally broke away from the kiss and turned toward me.

"You are already going to be in a lot of trouble, Mia, so it doesn't matter anymore. Please, just give me twenty minutes and then we'll leave."

"Darn it, Chelsea, you don't give a shit about anyone but yourself."

I was super pissed. I went to grab my purse from a vacant bedroom and left the party we were at.

It was late August and Tanya Miller always had the biggest end of summer bashes. I lived about three miles away from Tanya's house, but I wasn't in the mood to wait any longer for Chelsea to give me a ride home. In one month I would be sixteen and I could get my license and be done with it. I knew Chelsea had no intention of leaving in twenty minutes so I was going to walk home. My mother trusted me and I did not want to ruin that trust.

To get home I had to take the main road in town. It was one lane going each way and the streetlights were few and far between. It was a road that could be scary at night, but not to me. I had walked this road several times before.

About ten minutes after I started to walk, a car slowed down and pulled up to my side.

"Hey, Mia, why are you walking by yourself at this hour? Don't you know how unsafe that is?" A man asked from the driver's seat.

Thank God. A friendly face.

Kyle Monroe had now stopped his car and was waiting for me to answer. I had known Kyle my whole life. I guess that's the plus of being from a small town. He was attractive and a lot of women wanted him. He was nineteen and had graduated from my high school last year, but decided to stay in town.

God only knows why because I couldn't wait to leave here. In a little over two years I would be eighteen and I could leave this town and never look back. The small town life where everyone barely gets by was not for me.

"Oh. Hi, Kyle. I was at a party with Chelsea, but she wasn't ready to leave yet. I was supposed to be home hours ago so I decided to walk home." It was sweet that he was concerned for me.

I leaned into the passenger side window to get a better view of him. He was dressed casually in jeans and a black t-shirt. His car was clean for a nineteen year old and smelled like lemons.

"Well, you know that's not the smartest choice to make. You're a young girl, walking by yourself, who knows what kind of weirdo you could run into."

I started to laugh, "Wow, that's almost funny. You do remember where we are, right? Nothing is going to happen to me."

"Well, I would feel a lot better if you'd let me give you a ride home." Kyle bent over the passenger seat and opened the door. "Come on, hop in."

I thanked him and got in his car. I was a little relieved he offered to drive me home because I was already so tired. We sat in silence for a minute until Kyle made a left hand turn onto a road that led out of town.

"Um, Kyle? Where are you going? You know I don't live this way?" I said to him slightly confused.

Kyle was silent for a second and then turned to look at me. "I know, but I figured since you were already past your curfew, it would be okay if you were a few minutes later. I want to show you something."

"At one in the morning? Couldn't this wait for another day? Preferably during daylight?" I didn't want to sound ungrateful, but I just wanted to go home.

"It will only take a second. I... I actually forgot my wallet at the warehouse earlier today so you would be helping me out by letting me stop. I don't want to have to stop there tomorrow, you know? Plus, I haven't seen you in a while. You look really good," he said giving me his puppy dog face.

"Well, thanks, but I'm really tired. Just be quick, please? Run in, grab your wallet and then let's go," I said to him sternly so he would know I was serious. "Oh, and I'm staying in the car."

"I had no intention of making you get out," Kyle said with a wink. For some reason the wink made me uneasy, but I let it go. We hadn't seen each other in months so maybe that was why I suddenly felt unsure.

A few minutes later Kyle drove past the warehouse he worked in and pulled off into the open field next to it. The field was wide open with hundreds of acres of crops.

"What are you doing?"

Kyle continued to drive about a half mile into the field and then stopped the car. I looked out the window and was surrounded by crops of cotton. I couldn't see the road or the warehouse. It was just pitch black.

"What are you doing? Are you crazy? Why would you drive us into a field?" His actions weren't making any sense to me.

Kyle was silent for a moment and then made a weird grunting sound in his throat. "Wow, Mia. When I saw you on the side of the road I almost didn't recognize you. You have grown up a lot since the last time I saw you."

His arms came out to grab me. He wrapped his arms around my torso and pulled me to him. His mouth moved to my skin and started kissing down my neck.

I tried to pull away, but that just made him hold me tighter. He continued his assault on my body and started unbuttoning my blouse.

"Kyle, stop!" I screamed at him.

He ignored my plea as if he didn't even hear me.

"Why are you doing this? I don't want you to touch me. Please, just drive me home," I desperately said to him.

Kyle looked at me with a blank expression on his face. It was like a switch flipped because any life in his eyes was gone.

"Are you refusing me right now? You should consider yourself lucky that I want you. Girls would kill for me to give them the attention that I am giving you right now," he spat at me.

He started kissing my body again and then ripped the rest of my shirt open. I started crying and was thrashing my body against his, anything to get away.

"Please, stop, please!! I won't tell anyone about this, just, please, let me go... I don't want this." My sobs and screams continued while he slid my skirt up to my waist, completely ignoring my pleas to stop.

"No... Stop!!! Please, stop!"

Kyle slapped me across the face, hard. I swear I literally started to see stars. He grabbed me and continued what he started.

I began to feel numb. I tried to block out what was happening to me because no one could hear my screams. Kyle was a lot stronger than me. With his weight on me I was unable to move.

My mind became fuzzy and I just prayed the assault was over soon.

Chapter Four

Present

I wake up from my nap in a cold sweat. It takes me a few seconds to realize where I am. I look around my room trying to figure out what startled me. Could I have been dreaming? I want to sleep peacefully.

This usually happens to me once a week. I would wake up sweating and confused, having no idea why. I'm pretty sure I'm not having nightmares. Could I really call them nightmares? Flashbacks seem more accurate.

Why won't my mind let me forget?

Almost instantly my thoughts go back to Kyle. He can't hurt me now. He is gone. Although he never suffered any consequences for what he did to me, he is suffering for his other wrongs. He is in his own living hell and this gives me some satisfaction. He can never touch me again.

I need to stop being reminded of my past. I need to shake off all thoughts of him and move on.

I get up and walk to the bathroom to wash my face. The water feels refreshing on my skin. My pale skin is reflecting back to me in the mirror. I'm as white as a ghost, which is odd because I have a nice tan to my skin from the Miami sun. I look at myself for a few moments, wondering why I can't get it together.

I walk back into the room when my phone starts to ring. The number flashing on the phone is a local number but I don't recognize it.

"Hello?"

"Hi, may I speak to Ms. Dechino, please?"

"This is her."

"Hello, Mia. This is Nancy, we met when you interviewed for Mr. Price earlier today."

"Oh. Hi, Nancy. Of course, I remember you. You're Mr. Price's assistant." I wasn't expecting a phone call after that interview. I want the position, but Sebastian makes me uncomfortable.

"Well, Mia, I will get right to the point. Mr. Price would like to offer you the position as one of his housekeepers. If you accept he would like you to come in this evening and fill out all the paperwork."

I'm stunned. Is it really this easy to land a job with someone so successful?

I should say no. I should say no and thank her for her time, hang up the phone, and never think about it again.

"Um... Yes. Yes, I would love to accept the position. It's my day off today so I can come by this evening and fill out all the necessary paperwork." What the hell did I just say? It's like my mouth has a mind of its own and tells my brain to take the day off.

"Okay, Mia. You will be meeting with Mr. Price at 5pm this evening. After you have filled everything out I will show you to your living quarters and you can settle in. Then tomorrow I'll give you a tour of the home and the grounds and let you know what is expected of you. You will have the rest of the week and the weekend to finish getting settled in. Then you'll start bright and early Monday morning."

I wasn't expecting to move in tonight. From my initial meeting with Sebastian I was under the impression that I would move in over the weekend.

"Nancy, I won't be able to move in tonight. I have to work tomorrow at my current job. They are expecting me the rest of the week. I also need to let the temp agency know I have taken this position. Can I just move in Friday like I previously discussed with Mr. Price?"

I start to pace across the floor. This is all moving really fast.

"I'm afraid that's not possible, Mia. Mr. Price would like you to move in right away. Your days of cleaning offices and working at the diner no longer exist. They will get by without you. I expect you to call them after we get off the phone and resign, affective immediately. Mr. Price has already let Jessica know over at the temp agency, so she has already taken you out of the system. I see no reason why you can't move in tonight."

What? When Sebastian wants something he makes sure it happens right away.

I'm slowly getting angry. How did he know that I would say yes? Maybe when I left the interview I decided that this wasn't the position for me. How could he assume I'm going to take the position, no questions?

I wish I could have seen Jessica for that conversation. When I called Jessica back after my interview this morning she seemed hopeful. She was convinced I was the perfect choice for this position, while I was still trying to dissect every word Sebastian said to me. I had no doubt Jessica would be calling me now, gloating about how right she was.

Well, I don't want to start an argument with Nancy. It isn't her fault her employer is full of himself.

"Okay, Nancy. I will get my things packed and be at Mr. Price's residence at five tonight. Can I assume that Mr. Price will get me out of my current apartment lease?"

If I'm living on the estate I don't want to continue paying rent here.

"I will let him know right away and he will be contacting your landlord. I will let you get to your packing and I will see you this evening. Goodbye, Mia"

"Goodbye, Nancy," I say hanging up the phone.

It's settled. I now work for one of the wealthiest men in Miami. I just hope I made the right decision.

*****

Thirty minutes later I'm completely packed and ready to go. That is the one nice thing about trying to forget your past; you never want to hold on to anything. Even the furniture in this apartment isn't mine. It was here when I moved in.

I traveled to Miami with a small suitcase of clothing, my checkbook, and a picture of Miles. I didn't need anything else. Material things mean nothing to me anymore. It amazes me what people will do to hold on to their possessions. We come into this world with nothing and we will leave this world with nothing. You can't take your possessions with you.

I still have a few hours to kill before I have to leave to meet with Mr. Price and move into his home. My nerves are starting to get the best of me so I decide to go out and get some fresh air.

Ten minutes later I'm walking on the local beach. The beach is one of the perks of Miami. God made some of the most beautiful places in the world for us to see and we take them for granted. I could lie out on the sand for hours and just listen to the waves.

There are tons of people out at this time of day. I know it will be a little more crowded, but I'll take what I can get.

Miami is beautiful today. Not too hot or humid. What a drastic change from yesterday's heat. The sky is a light shade of blue and not a cloud in sight.

I continue to walk a little over a mile down the coast until I find a stretch of beach that is almost deserted. I stop to lie down and just listen to the waves. If I could do this every day I would. I want to close my eyes and tuck back all my emotion. Emotions are a weakness I can't afford.

After several minutes my heart rate slows and my eyes become heavy. I want to stay up because I know I have to head back to the apartment soon, but my body wins the fight with my mind as usual. I fall asleep listening to the waves.

*****

I wake up to the sound of pigeons on the beach. In this moment I am content. Having the sand beneath my feet makes me happy.

"I wish I didn't have to move," I whisper to myself. My eyes flicker open and glance over to my phone that's next to me.

4:25pm

"Shit!!!"

I have slept for over two hours. I get up and start to jog down the stretch of beach and towards my apartment.

Twenty minutes later I open the front door to my apartment, grab my suitcase, and walk back out without a second glance.

I really have no attachment to anything anymore.

Hopping into my car, I speed off to Mr. Price's estate. If I race I can maybe make it a ten-minute drive, but being as it's a weekday at rush hour, I don't arrive at the residence until 5:15pm.

I approach the gates, but there is no one to let me in. I see a sound system with a buzzer on the brick wall next to the gate and buzz up to security. They open the gates for me and instruct me where to park and where the staff entrance is located.

I park my vehicle in the employee driveway and approach the side entrance, just as Nancy is walking out.

"It's 5:20, you're late!"

No shit, Sherlock. Does she have to be so snippy? She startles me and I am halfway convinced I'll be fired on the spot.

"I'm sorry. I lost track of time and hit rush hour traffic. I understand if you want to fire me."

Nancy looks at me for a solid five seconds before responding.

"Well, lucky for you, Mr. Price has been preoccupied for the last hour so he hasn't realized your tardiness on your first day. I wouldn't make this a habit. He will waste no time in replacing you if you do not give one hundred percent." I nod my head in recognition and Nancy continues.

"Leave your bag here. Once you are done meeting with Mr. Price we can come here to retrieve your bag and bring it to your room. Follow me and we will wait for Mr. Price in the waiting area."

We walk into the home and I find myself back in the same chair as earlier today. And just like last time, I'm waiting on Mr. Price.

A few minutes later the doors to Sebastian's office open. Out walks a beautiful woman who could be a Victoria's Secret model. She has to be close to six feet tall and is unnaturally thin. She has golden blonde hair that almost reaches her waist and a perfectly proportioned face. Plump lips and straight white teeth, she could be on the cover of a men's magazine tomorrow if she wanted to.

She smiles at me when Nancy calls out to her.

"Vanessa, wait. I would like you to meet Mia Dechino. She's the newest addition to our housekeeping family. She moves in tonight and starts on Monday."

I stand up and extend my hand to greet Vanessa, but she does not return the gesture. She looks me up and down and turns back towards Nancy.

"She's the new housekeeper? You're kidding, right?"

Nancy's face hardens. I can tell that she doesn't like to be questioned, especially not from the woman that is standing in front of me.

"This is no joke, Vanessa. Mr. Price hired her himself. He seems very excited to work with her." Nancy then turns her attention back to me and continues speaking.

"Mia, this is Vanessa. She is our indoor gardener. She takes care of all the plants in the home and any other things Mr. Price may ask her to take care of. You can ignore her bitchy attitude. She doesn't play nice when she feels a threat."

A threat? What could she possibly be threatened by?

The room becomes silent so I decide to speak up.

"It's nice to meet you, Vanessa."

Vanessa just smiles and then speaks to Nancy again. "Well, I guess Mr. Price's tastes have changed. She is not the typical type of housekeeper he hires. I'm not quite sure she will fit in." She glances at me one more time before she starts to leave.

Right as she reaches the double doors to enter the hallway Nancy speaks up.

"Oh, I don't know, Vanessa. I like her. I think she is just what Mr. Price needs in a... housekeeper. She will be good for him. And you know what else?" She pauses and gives Vanessa a soft smile, "He demanded that Mia calls him Sebastian."

If looks could kill I would be dead. Vanessa looks like she has seen a ghost. She storms off and out of our sight. Nancy looks as happy as can be. It's nice to know that she can genuinely smile if she wants to.

The conversation between the two of them confuses me. There's a lot of hidden meaning in their words. I'm in no mood to try to decipher the conversation because right now Sebastian is walking towards me.

"Mia!"

I stand up to greet him and extend my hand when he does something I'm not expecting. Sebastian takes a hold of my shoulders with both hands and slowly kisses my cheek. He then goes to the other side and kisses that cheek. Instead of backing away, he moves his face in front of mine and stares into my eyes.

I am lost. My body is unable to move.

His thumbs are slowly moving back and forth across my shoulders. This is so unprofessional. I am already uncomfortable around the man and now he has to make the situation worse by invading my personal space. Even worse, I like it!

I wish I could put up some kind of fight, but the truth is it feels good. His touch on my arms makes my entire body heat up. My face starts to blush and my heart rate increases. This man mesmerizes me and I have no idea why. I just met him today. I know very little about him and the little I do know I'm not sure I like.

One thing I know for sure? This cocky, arrogant man is going to be my kryptonite.

Yes... I just used a Superman reference and I don't care. Miles would be so proud of my Superman knowledge right now.

Miles. That thought brings me back to reality. I take a step back from Sebastian and he releases his grip on my shoulders.

"Hello, Sebastian." I need to stay professional.

"I'm so glad you were able to make this transition so quickly," he says as his hands lower to his sides. "I want you to become familiar with the property. This will be your home, too, so I need you to settle in before I put you to work next week. Why don't you follow me into the office and we can get your paperwork done."

He turns and walks back into his office. His backside is perfect too. Even in his suit I can see the muscles in his shoulders and his tight butt. I need to get it together.

I follow behind him, but Nancy stays in the room that I will permanently be referring to as the lobby.

I sit down in front of his desk while he walks around it and grabs some paperwork from a drawer. Instead of sitting behind his desk, Sebastian walks back to me, handing me the paperwork.

"I can give you a cliff note version of the employee contract if you like. That would save you some time and all you would need to do is sign where the tabs are placed." He may be the sexiest man I have ever seen, but that doesn't mean I trust him. I give him a look to show him as much.

He raises his hands in surrender. "Or, if you prefer, you can read all the boring terminology yourself. My way would have taken five minutes but, hell, if you want to waste an hour of our time I won't stop you."

Instead of acknowledging his sarcasm I decide to start reading the contract in front of me. Everything seems pretty fair and looks to be at the employee's best interest. All medical expenses covered... three weeks paid vacation.... retirement plan... disability coverage. If everything I'm reading is true, Sebastian looks out for his employees. He is a great employer.

Great. I really need to hate him, but he's not going to make this easy.

I start to lose focus around the sixth page. I wish I could say it's because of the legal mumbo jumbo, but that would be a lie. It has to do with the arrogant jerk that is leaning against his desk. His legs crossed, his arms folded against his chest, and his eyes glued on me.

I can feel the heat from his stare burning into my skin. Every few minutes he adjusts his legs and his thigh rubs against mine. It's distracting. Especially since an electric charge seems to go off in my body every time we make contact.

I have never been this attracted to a man before. The last time I had feelings even remotely close to this was in sixth grade when Bobby Hall and I were locked in a closet for seven minutes in heaven.

My best friend, Chelsea, arranged for it to happen because she knew I had a crush on him since the beginning of the year. I thought those seven minutes were magical. It was my first kiss and Bobby wasted no time getting his tongue in my mouth. Neither of us knew what we were doing, but I left the closet that day thinking Bobby Hall was a God.

Shit! Now my mind is on Bobby Hall who I haven't thought about in ten years. If I can just focus on these forms I can get this over with.

A few minutes later it's official.

I've read the same sentence a good fifteen times. I should have just let Sebastian give me a quick overview of what is on these papers. I'm not going to give him the satisfaction of doing it now, but I also know there is no way in hell I am going to be able to finish.

I pick up the pen from his desk and start to sign by the tabs on each page. Sebastian stands up straight and watches over me while I sign my life away.

Okay, maybe that is dramatic. This is just a job. The minute I let a job be my life there will officially be no hope left for me.

When I get to the pages I haven't looked at, Sebastian speaks up. "Don't you want to read over what you are signing?"

As a matter of fact I do, but your presence is distracting me!

"From what I have read so far this seems like a very fair employment contract. I have decided to trust you as my employer and sign the rest under good faith. I don't believe that you would stir me wrong." Sebastian smiles at my words. I'm not about to tell him that I actually have no trust in him, but his presence alone makes my mind turn to jelly.

When I finish signing the final page I hand it over to him. Our hands touch and I feel the tingles that are becoming more familiar to me. Sebastian's eyes look towards our hands and then he looks up to me. He is quiet for a few moments and then he speaks in a low voice.

"You felt that, too. I know you did." His hand lingers on mine and he has no intention of removing it.

This is the moment of truth. My acting abilities need to come out right now because I cannot show him that he affects me.

I take a deep breath before responding, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Liar. I am officially the biggest liar.

I drop my hand from his and wait for him to move. He smirks at me and then goes back around his desk and places the papers back in his drawer.

"I will have Nancy make copies of the contract and give them to you. If you ever decide to finish reading it and have questions just let me know."

"I will, thank you," I say to him. I'm grateful he changed the subject.

"Nancy will show you to your room. I want you to get to know the other ladies you will be sharing the employee quarters with. Everyone gets along for the most part. Just beware of Vanessa because she can be difficult. Most of the girls just ignore her as best they can."

Huh. So everyone is aware of her bitchy demeanor.

"I can see that. I caught that from my brief encounter with her before I came into your office."

"She started with you already?" Sebastian doesn't look pleased.

"Oh, yes, she was darling. She made it clear she doesn't want me here. She was pretty shocked that you hired me as a housekeeper. Apparently, I am nothing like who you usually hire. Like I said, she was darling."

"Well, just ignore her and eventually she will forget that you are fresh meat," he pauses briefly, looking at me like he is trying to decide something. "I will be eating dinner at eight tonight and I would like you to join me."

I guess I know what he's trying to decide.

He must be on something because I am not having dinner with him. I already feel like my body wants to cross lines that cannot be crossed. Being in a room with him for a long amount of time won't be a good idea. I will end up doing something I'll regret.

"Mia? You zoned out there for a minute."

I look back up towards him to show him that he has my attention.

"Like I was saying, I want to get to know you a little more. I need you to be comfortable with me once you start working here. I look at my employees as my family. I like to treat my family well."

He starts walking back around his desk until he is a few inches from me again. He is still wearing that smirk and I'm dying to know what is going on in that head of his.

He lightly runs his tongue across his lip and I swear I let out a moan. A moan!!!

Please, God, don't let him have heard me. How embarrassing. If he only knew how inexperienced I am. How screwed up my sexual past is. I can tell you one thing, he wouldn't have asked me to join him for dinner if he knew.

That could be the key to getting this back on track to a professional relationship. He wouldn't show any interest in me if he knew my past.

Wow, I am full of myself. He is just being polite by asking me to dinner. I am a new employee. He just wants to get to know me because he looks at me as family. He said so himself.

I am trash... I am dirty... I'm used goods. He can probably see right through me.

Get. It. Together.

"Dinner would be nice. Will your wife be joining us?" Short and sweet, keep it short and sweet.

"No, Mia. Darcy is my wife on paper only. She broke our union long ago. You may see her occasionally and if she needs something you will do it for her, but I am your employer. She has nothing to do with us. Understand?"

Us... two letters... one word. He means nothing by it, but I like the idea of it. I shouldn't like the idea of it.

"I understand," I say timidly.

He clears his throat, "Okay, it's settled. Nancy is waiting for you on the other side of the door. Once you're in your room you should unpack your things and relax. Someone will be down at eight to get you."

I nod and turn to leave when he speaks again, "And wear a dress, Mia. I will always expect you to dress your best when I request your presence."

I'm not even going to acknowledge that one.

One minute Sebastian has me melting at his feet, the next I am ready to wrap my hands around his throat. He is a control freak. That is the only way to explain it.

I meet up with Nancy and she gives me a quick tour of the employee quarters. When we part ways, I go back to the room she has assigned me. I guess it is my room now.

I still have an hour and a half before dinner so I decide to pull my book out and start reading. I need something to distract me from the potential disaster of the dinner I am going to tonight. One thing I know for sure...

I am wearing a pantsuit.

Chapter Five

I wish I could say the only reason I am wearing pants is to prove a point. I want to tell Sebastian I have a beautiful dress hanging in the closet that he will never see. The truth is, I don't even own a dress. I have two nice outfits and I wore one of them this morning to the interview.

I'm standing in front of the bedroom mirror in my only other nice outfit. I'm wearing a low cut black blouse that puts my breasts on display, tight gray dress pants that make my butt look amazing, and finish off the look with my black pumps. The only jewelry I have on are the cubic zirconia studs in my ears. I have a suit jacket that goes with the pants, but I decide to leave that hanging in the closet.

I was never the girl who thought of herself as beautiful, but l definitely know I look good tonight. My hair looks fantastic, which is rare. My face looks flawless and my skin glows. My light tan from living in Miami does wonders to my appearance. I shouldn't be happy about looking good for Sebastian, but I am.

I can hear giggling from outside my bedroom door. I haven't met all the girls yet, but the few I have met seem nice. The giggling stops when I hear a man's muffled voice and a knock on my door. I look to the clock that's in my room and it's a minute to eight. Right on time.

I walk over to the door and open it, greeting the man on the other end.

I freeze.

Sebastian is standing there in all his glory. He has changed out of his suit from earlier. He's wearing dress slacks and a light blue dress shirt that's unbuttoned at the collar. No tie.

He is like nothing I have ever seen before. It takes me a few seconds to catch my breath before I speak.

"I thought someone on your staff is picking me up?" Can he tell that I'm having a hard time speaking?

He seems to be ignoring my question because his eyes are doing a slow appraisal of my body. On his way back up he spends a couple extra seconds eyeing my breasts.

"I told you to wear a dress." The arrogant Sebastian is back.

"Well, I wanted to wear this and I think I look good, don't you think?"

The smirk on his face shows he's enjoying my response. He looks me up and down again and my body enjoys it.

He gently clears his throat, "You look like sex in a pretty gift wrapped package. I'm tempted to start unwrapping."

My cheeks become flushed. I want to give him a witty comeback, but I can't form a complete sentence in my head. The images that are flashing before my eyes are inappropriate. I want to keep this professional, but all I can think about is straddling Sebastian while he lies naked on my bed.

Luckily, I don't have to say anything because the woman next to him does.

I had completely forgotten about her until now. She is blonde, tall and gorgeous. No doubt another contender for America's Next Top Model. There must be something in the water here.

"You don't want to scare her off on her first day, Mr. Price." She giggles and continues, "The girls and I haven't even had a chance to talk to her yet. You should let her get settled in before you have your way with her."

That's just what I need. Her words are like a bucket of ice water drowning out the fire that is building in my belly.

Sebastian sleeps with his employees. I'm nothing special. It's all making sense now. This is why the females on his staff look like models. This is why Vanessa was so shocked I am the new hire.

I look nothing like these girls. Vanessa was right when she said his tastes are changing. Or maybe he wants to try something different. Well, he can forget about it. Any chance he may have had is gone. I feel stupid for being sucked into his seduction.

The woman turns towards me and waves, "I'm Michelle. I'm one of the chef's here at the estate and my room is right next to yours."

She seems sweet, which makes this all the more difficult. I introduce myself to Michelle and we speak for a few minutes. Sebastian stands there, quietly observing our conversation.

Michelle gives me a quick hug goodbye and kisses Sebastian on the cheek before leaving.

What did I get myself into? Is this some sort of brothel where instead of serving male clients we all serve Sebastian? I know I am probably jumping to conclusions, but I don't know what else to do. This looks bad. I need to make it clear to him at dinner that I want no part in this.

"Are you ready to go?"

Am I ready to go? No.

I'm no longer hungry, but I will suck it up and make it through this dinner.

I turn off the light in my room and step outside the door instead of answering him with words. Sebastian is quiet, too, as we walk towards the estate.

A few minutes later we enter the dining room. I expect a large room with a table that seats twenty. It surprises me that the room is small, cozy, and the table seats eight.

Sebastian pulls out the closest chair to the right of the head of the table. He gestures for me to come and take a seat. I walk over and he takes my left hand into his while I sit down. He kisses my hand gently, but lets his lips playfully linger for a brief moment.

Sebastian is captivating.

His eyes hold mine and I am lost. Lost in the sea of deep blue. His eyes seem to know my secrets and that is okay. I want to know his secrets, too.

In the next moment everything changes.

Sebastian moves his hand from mine. His hands move up my body to my shoulders and lift me up out of my chair. His arms then come around my body, crushing me to his chest and his mouth is on mine instantly.

It isn't gentle.

His kiss is rough, but his lips feel amazing. I respond immediately. I can't say no to this man. His tongue comes out to gently part my lips and I willingly open my mouth to greet his tongue.

His kiss is like nothing I have ever experienced. I have heard of seeing fireworks when a kiss is intense, but I never believed it. I am a believer now.

My palms are resting on his chest, so I slowly bring them up his body and around his neck. I pull him closer to me. I feel like I can't get close enough.

His hands are everywhere on my body. The warmth in my belly is back with a vengeance and I need to satisfy it.

Sebastian puts his hands under my ass and lifts me, placing my legs around his waist. I hug him tightly with my legs and I can feel his erection below my core. It is incredible. The desire I thought didn't exist in my body is making itself known.

Sebastian continues kissing me while moving us until my back hits the wall behind me. His hips are grinding against my core and I can feel the slow build-up between my legs. I need more. I need his hands on me, his mouth on me, and I need him inside me.

He breaks away from my mouth and starts leaving light kisses up my jaw and down my neck. His right hand is massaging my breast while his other hand holds my ass tightly. As he is squeezing my ass, his fingertips gently brush against my core and I let out a soft groan. I need relief from the ache that is building, but it isn't enough.

He starts sucking on the area of skin behind my ear and I about lose it. I grab his hair as I let out a loud moan.

He lets out his own moan from the back of his throat and whispers roughly in my ear, "You see, Mia, this is why I wanted you to wear a dress. If you had listened I would be inside you right now." His hand moves from my breast and makes its way to the fastening of my pants.

"I'm going to take these off you and lay you across the dining room table. I want to kiss every inch of your body before I bury myself inside you."

I'm so incredibly turned on. His lips come back to my skin and he starts kissing the top of my chest. He unfastens my pants and starts to slowly pull them off when my brain decides to work again.

"Stop, we need to stop." My breath is staggered, but I manage to say the words.

Sebastian's hands instantly still and his lips release my flesh. He is panting just as hard as I am. I want to take it back and continue where we left off, but I know I am making the right decision.

My hands move to his chest, giving him a light shove, letting him know to release me. Once I am back on the ground I start to think more clearly.

What have I done? Fifteen minutes ago I was about to tell him how this would never happen.

I'm not going to be one of those girls. I have more respect for myself than that. I must look like a total slut. I met him this morning and by dinner I am ready to have sex with him on the dining room table.

Classy, Mia.

Neither of us says a word. I don't know what to say and the look on Sebastian's face tells me that is a good thing. He looks pissed and I don't want to say anything that will make his anger worse. He probably thinks I'm such a tease.

I'm just about to tell him I will leave when a woman walks into the room, carrying two plates of salad. She is also a tall blonde with a perfect figure.

If he has all these Barbie types in the house then why does he need me? I must be an experiment for him.

She smiles at us both, goes over to the dining room table and places the salad on the table. This snaps Sebastian out of whatever is going through his mind. He stands up straight and thanks the woman before dismissing her.

As she leaves the room he breaks the silence.

"That's Rachel. She's the overnight chef on the estate. She'll be serving us our dinner tonight." He lets out a deliberate cough, "You might want to fix your clothing."

I look down to see what the damage is. I'm a hot mess. I straighten my blouse out and refasten my pants. I run my fingers through my hair a couple times to make it look manageable.

"Shall we eat?" He asks me, motioning towards the table.

"Yes, please. Let's get this over with." After embarrassing myself by practically throwing myself at him, I want dinner to be over as soon as possible. I want to go to my new room and have a pity party for one.

Sebastian doesn't wait for me to be seated this time. He sits down in his chair and immediately pours some wine into our glasses. I'm not going to drink. I need a clear head around him. One glass of wine and I'll be back against that wall.

"Sebastian?"

"Yes..."

"I want to make myself perfectly clear. What just happened between us will never happen again. I'm not sure why you hired me. I don't know what your motives are, but I am not like the other girls who work for you. I am not going to sleep with my boss and I am definitely not okay sharing the man I sleep with." I pause to see what his reaction is, but his face shows me nothing.

"I want to work here, for you, but if you can't respect my decision then this will never work out. I would rather know now than a few weeks from now. If you can do this, great! If you can't, I will pack my bag tonight."

I wait to see what he'll say. I want him to be okay with this. I can't imagine leaving here tonight and never seeing him again. I will do it if I have to, but I hope that I don't.

I may have just met him, but I feel a connection with him. I have lived most of my life feeling numb and knowing something is missing. The moment I met him I felt my body awaken. I'm not willing to give up this feeling, but I'm not willing to be his plaything either.

Sebastian looks away from me and starts eating his salad. He's shoveling the food in his mouth like it's his last meal; meanwhile I won't be able to hold down anything I eat.

Rachel comes back in with the main course and we eat in silence. I manage to take two bites of my steak while nursing my glass of water. I catch Sebastian's subtle glances my way, but I never look up. At the end of the meal I'm convinced he is going to personally escort me from the property.

Sebastian suddenly stands up and places his napkin on his plate. "Dinner was lovely. I hate to eat alone so you saved me from boredom. I have something I need to do so I will see you out."

Does that mean I'm staying? Does he want me to continue working for him? He is being cold and distant. I can't blame him, but I need to know that we are okay.

"Sebastian, please, listen to me. I don't mean to make things awkward. What happened earlier was nice, but it can't happen again. It may not be what you want, but it's what I need. I've had a lot of shit happen to me in my life and I moved to Miami for a fresh start. I don't take these things lightly," I say as I make a gesture with my hands between us. "If I get involved with you it will break me. I need commitment and you could never give that to me. Please, understand."

I get up from my chair, "I can see myself out. Thank you for dinner and have a good rest of the night."

"Mia... I can respect your decision. Let's forget tonight happened and start fresh in the morning. I should have never mauled you like that. I know you've had a hard life and I'm sorry. It was unprofessional and it won't happen again. I hope you have a good night in your new room. If you need anything, just let me know."

He's being sweet. He's acting like he cares. He even pretends to know and understand about my past. There is hope for him after all.

I thank him again and walk back to the employee quarters. A couple of the girls are sitting in the large living room we share. Michelle is there and wants me to join them, but luckily she doesn't push it. It's been a long day and I want to go to bed.

When I walk into my room the light is on. There is a small stack of papers placed on my bed. I walk over to see what it is.

Mia,

Here are the copies of your employee contract; I look forward to getting to know you. You will be a great asset to our team.

~Nancy

Under her note is my contract.

I decide to strip, get into pajamas, and get right in bed. I will look over the contract tomorrow. It isn't smart going to bed without washing my make-up off, but I don't care. I don't want to see anyone the rest of the evening.

*****

I'm lying down on the bed and can't sleep. My mind is replaying everything that happened with Sebastian. His lips... his tongue... his rough voice... his hands all over my body... his hips grinding into mine. I need a distraction or I will never get to sleep.

Reading always helps me fall asleep so I decide to read over the contract. The legal terms should get me to sleep in no time. I flick the bedside light on and pick up the contract from the nightstand.

Twenty minutes and fourteen pages later I want to shoot myself. This is why I could never be a lawyer. I would fall asleep during my own cases. Why do they have to use legal terms? Basic words would work fine, too!

I have just finished reading my background check when I get to a letter from a man I've never heard of. The letter is dated with today's date.

Mr. Price,

This is the information I found on Mia Dechino. It's the best I could do in the few short hours you gave me. If this isn't sufficient let me know and I will continue my search. I wish you the best of luck.

Charles Scott

The Scott Private Investigation Team

Miami, Florida

What the hell? He hired a private investigator. I guess a background check isn't enough for the rich and powerful. I turn to the next page to see what this guy has pulled up on me.

Name: Mia Grace Dechino

Age: 23

Birthday: September 24th

Hometown: Riceboro, Georgia

Population: 768

Children: One son named Miles Dechino. Deceased at the age of 6.

Boyfriend: none

Marriage history: none

Criminal history: none

Law suits: None. She did have a legal case that was thrown out of court when she was a minor. The defendant was Kyle Monroe. He pled not guilty and never served jail time. Mr. Monroe is currently in jail for a string of rapes that happened in Atlanta, Georgia, four years ago.

My background information continues for seven pages. It feels like I'm looking over someone else's life. I continue to read.

History: Mia grew up in a small town outside Atlanta, Georgia. She gave birth to a boy at sixteen years old. The pregnancy occurred after a rape by a neighbor when she was just fifteen years old. Mia kept the child and worked part-time jobs while in high school. Mia received her High School diploma when she was seventeen years old. She then went to college at night and over the Internet. She received her associate's degree when she was twenty. She had been working for a financial institute up until five months ago. Her son, Miles, passed away after an automobile accident. A friend of the family was driving. Mia attended the funeral, but a month later left town. Mia has had no contact with her family, her previous employer, or her friends. She is not considered missing because she placed a call to her mother a month after leaving just to let her know that she was okay.

I stop reading. This feels wrong. He has no right to know this information about me.

This is one of the things I'm running from. I don't want the poor Mia looks. The girl who was raped and then lost her son, now has to run away so she can cope. This must be what he is thinking. Well, he can fuck off. He crossed the line and I need to make sure he knows it.

I get up from my bed and throw on a tank top and some sweat pants. I don't care that it is late and I probably look like a lunatic. He is hearing about this now. I know he said he has something to do, but that can wait. My privacy is more important.

I walk into his home and go on instinct. He is in his office... he has to be.

I make my way down the west wing. The doors to the lobby of his office are open. As I walk in I can hear some soft noises and movement coming from behind his office doors. I debate briefly if I should just walk in.

Well, he invaded my privacy so why shouldn't I extend him the same courtesy. I open the double doors to his office, ready to rip him a new one. I freeze, my hand still on the door.

Rachel, the woman who prepared my dinner, is standing with her chest pressed against the top of Sebastian's desk. Her head is turned toward me, her eyes are closed, her mouth slightly open, and her pants and thong are around her ankles. Sebastian is fucking her from behind and his pants are completely missing.

I can't move. My eyes are trained on their bodies and Sebastian moving in and out of her. They haven't noticed me and Rachel's moans get louder and louder. Sebastian's hands are on Rachel's hips, guiding her faster on him.

Then the unthinkable happens. Rachel opens her eyes.

The second she sees me she screams. Sebastian's head turns toward me to see what has happened. When he sees me he stops moving. His hands drop from Rachel's waist. Our eyes hold for several seconds before I break the connection. He almost looks ashamed.

"I'm so sorry. I came to talk to Sebastian about something important and I didn't realize he was in here with someone. I'm leaving right now," I say embarrassingly.

I race out of the office and close the door. I don't stop running until I'm back in my room with the door closed and locked. Tears start to slowly run down my eyes.

Really?

I'm crying over a man I met less than twenty-four hours ago. I used to make fun of girls like me. I have no reason to be upset. I am the one who told him that nothing would ever happen between us. I rejected him.

Sebastian is a stranger. I know nothing about him. My body needs to get the memo that I am not this girl who falls for a guy she barely knows.

My tears aren't because I'm some lovesick, pathetic girl who is attached to her boss she just met.

I'm upset because he was about to have sex with me just a few hours ago and now I see him fucking another woman a few hours later. I'm upset because he obviously doesn't respect any of us. I'm upset because he looks at women as a way to get off and nothing more.

I should be a treasure, dammit! Rachel, Vanessa, Michelle and all the other girls may not have respect for themselves, but I do.

This just confirms what I already know. Sebastian has no feelings for me. What I felt earlier was lust and nothing more. I can control lust. I just need to make sure I guard my heart because if I don't, Sebastian will surely break it.

Chapter Six

7 years ago

"I NEED IT NOW!" I screamed out.

The pain was unbearable. How women did this naturally was beyond me because no one should have to go through this kind of pain. There was a reason for modern medicine.

"A doctor, nurse, or some kind of fucking medical professional needs to get in here and give my little girl some drugs," my Momma yelled out into the hallway of the third floor labor and delivery wing at our county hospital.

I was about to give birth to the baby I had been carrying around the past nine months.

I had gone into a deep depression following the night of Tanya's party. I stopped speaking with my friends and ignored my family. The four pink walls in my bedroom helped keep me safe and locked away from the rest of the world.

It took two months for me to realize that my period never came.

I hadn't reported what had happened with Kyle that night. I just wanted to forget it, but when the pregnancy test I bought at the corner store showed a plus sign, I was forced back into the real world.

I just turned sixteen, I was going to have a baby, and my rapist, Kyle, was the father.

Chelsea was the first person I told. She listened to me while I gave her every grueling detail. Once her initial shock wore off and she was able to process what I told her, the blame came. Only... she blamed herself.

I wish I could say we were able to move past it, but we weren't. I didn't blame Chelsea for what happened and I tried to tell her that over and over. Sometimes words just aren't enough.

Chelsea blamed herself for not bringing me home like she promised and every time she looked at me she was reminded of that. She slowly started distancing herself from me until eventually she cut all contact.

I was six months pregnant when I lost my best friend.

Chelsea was with me when I told my momma I was pregnant. Thank God, for that. My momma didn't take it well. She called me every name in the book. When I told her what Kyle had done to me she threw me out of the house. She thought Kyle Monroe was a respectable, young man and I needed to stop spreading lies about him.

I stayed with Chelsea for a few weeks until my momma let me come back home. The only condition was that I needed to stop talking about the rape nonsense. I needed a place to stay so I let it go, for my mom.

My momma had come around these past few months. We went to the library and read up on what I should expect as a new mom, we went to the local Goodwill and bought some maternity clothing, and we even went shopping for a crib. It wasn't an ideal situation, but she was being supportive and that's exactly what I needed.

I left school as soon as the rumors started. I hid my growing belly for as long as I could, but I knew eventually everyone would know. The father stayed a secret, but the people of this town came up with some ridiculous possibilities. One rumor stated that our married science teacher was the father.

That one was disturbing.

I started attending night school for pregnant teens and teens with children. The people were nice and there was a therapist on staff who was helping me deal with what had happened. She even encouraged me to press charges. When I finally did, it was too late. Kyle denied everything and there wasn't enough physical evidence.

The bastard claimed it was consensual.

Now I'm at the hospital and four centimeters dilated. The contractions are already kicking my ass. Lucky for me, the anesthesiologist just came in to give me the epidural. My momma sat back down with her knitting needles and started praying to Jesus that the epidural would work. She didn't like to see her baby girl in pain.

I had to stay still while the anesthesiologist put the rather large needle in my back. He warned me about the pain, but I didn't even notice it because my abdomen hurt so badly. Thankfully, I started to feel the result of the epidural right away.

Within fifteen minutes I no longer felt any contractions. The nurse told me I should take advantage of this time and rest before I had to do the hard part, deliver my baby.

I was in and out of consciousness for the next few hours. I was trying to get as much rest as possible before I had to deliver my baby. I started feeling pressure below, which is what woke me up. My momma came right over to the side of my bed and placed her hands on my belly.

I had the urge to push. It was weird because I was still feeling no pain, but I had this intense feeling to push. I read enough in my preparation for delivery to know that this could be a sign that I was ready to deliver, so I had my momma get the nurse right away.

After an internal exam it was official. I was ten centimeters dilated and ready to have my baby. I was scared. I had been so strong during my pregnancy, but in this moment I was terrified. I didn't want to deliver my baby. I wanted my baby to stay inside me forever.

I was losing my hold on reality. The hell I had lived in these past nine months has finally caught up to me. What was I thinking having this baby? It was going to be a constant reminder of what had happened to me. How could I even love it?

I couldn't really tell you what happened next. It was like an out of body experience. I was physically there, but I had mentally checked out. It was like watching a movie being played out right in front of me. It wasn't happening to me, it felt like it wasn't me at all.

A doctor came in. More nurses. My mother was standing next to me talking, but I didn't hear her. My legs were placed in stir-ups. Medical instruments were placed to the left of my feet, while the doctor sat in a chair between my open legs. I couldn't hear anything to know if I was given instructions, but I didn't need to. My body knew to push. It was instinct.

I was pushing.

I was watching my mother. She was looking at me; still speaking what I hoped were words of encouragement. The doctor was looking at me, then between my legs, then at me, then between my legs. His mouth was also moving, but I couldn't make out what he said.

I continued to push.

It was draining all the energy out of me. I was so exhausted and I knew this next push was the last one my body could take. Luckily, it was the last push I needed. My baby's head was out and then its body. The doctor placed a towel around my baby's body and placed my baby on my chest.

"Congratulations, it's a boy," my doctor said.

That was all I had to hear to bring me back to reality, back in that moment.

I have a boy. He was beautiful. He was still covered in goo from my placenta, but he was the most beautiful creature I had ever seen. His perfection was only proven by the fact that he snapped me out of my mental breakdown.

I could do this and I knew this now. He was the only thing that mattered. I was going to be a fantastic mother and do right by him.

"He is one handsome devil," my momma said. "Have you thought of a name for him?"

Name? What would I name him? I hadn't thought about it yet.

I had been down such a rough road the past few months and the miles between had taken its toll on me. I never thought about what I would name my little girl or boy.

It had to be a strong name, something that he could live up to. He was going to have to face a lot of truths in the future, some I wasn't sure I wanted him to know. The road ahead of him was going to be rough and I wanted him to make it out the other side a strong man. I wanted the miles in between to be paved, smooth and beautiful for my perfect little boy.

He was a survivor.

It was then that I knew what my little boy would be called the rest of his life. It was the perfect name for him. It wasn't your average name like Mike or Tim. It had just the touch of originality and it had a story behind it. When he was old enough I might even tell him that story. How he saved his mother and showed her that there could be beauty in even the worst of situations. That he was my silver lining.

"Miles... his name is Miles."

Chapter Seven

Present

I somehow manage to make it through the rest of the week and weekend without seeing Sebastian. I want to avoid the awkward conversation that will happen after you walk in on your boss having sex. I do, however, run into Rachel that Wednesday morning.

Rachel was waiting for me in the living room. The second she sees me she walks over and hands me a cup of coffee. It's her form of a peace offering. The conversation lasts only a few minutes, but she is laughing near the end of it.

It's now Monday morning and my first official day as Sebastian's housekeeper. I have on one of the uniforms that were left for me in my closet. The uniform is a black short sleeve polo that is form fitting and black khaki shorts that stop only a few inches past my butt. White socks and white tennis shoes complete the outfit.

I guess it could be worse.

I have to meet Nancy in the kitchen of the estate in fifteen minutes. She is going to go over my daily routine and then I'll be left to do my work for the day. No one will train me. The other housekeeper works the night shift so I am on my own. A large part of me is happy about this because I won't be forced to make small talk.

I walk into the kitchen of the employee quarters to make myself something to eat and have a cup of coffee. Most of the other women are still asleep, but Michelle is sitting at the counter, reading the newspaper.

"Hey, you're up early. You excited about your first day of work?"

"I guess so. I'll probably be more enthusiastic once I have a few weeks under my belt."

Michelle is easy to talk to. She seems to be a genuinely nice person. I know that if I have to make one friend here it will be Michelle. I can be myself without her passing judgment.

"You'll be fine. The work is relatively easy and Mr. Price doesn't get upset very often. As long as you're working hard you'll be fine," she says with a friendly smile on her face.

"Well, I will work extra hard because I don't want there to be any reason for Sebast... Mr. Price to come talk to me." I almost forget that everyone else is told to call him Mr. Price.

"Uh, yeah, I heard about what happened Tuesday night," she says.

I raise my eyebrows at her in shock.

"Us girls talk. Rachel is really embarrassed that you had to see that on your first day. Especially since I wanted to slowly break you in on how things work around here. I think Mr. Price is embarrassed, too. Do you know he hasn't touched any of us since that night?"

I think maybe this is a rhetorical question, but Michelle seems to wait for me to speak.

"Oh. Is that not normal? I mean, how often does he sleep with all of you?" It's been less than a week since I walked in on Sebastian and Rachel.

"Honey, there's no sleeping going on when I am with him," she giggles. "The girls and I don't have a schedule or anything, but at least one of us is with him every day. He hasn't gone a day without sex since I started here. Well... that is until last Tuesday. He hasn't so much as looked at any of us since."

"Well, maybe he is getting it from somewhere else and you just don't know about it," I reply. If he is used to sex every day I can't see him going six days without it.

"I don't think so. Rachel said after you ran out he couldn't even finish. He put his pants back on and politely asked her to leave. I think you must have really gotten into his head. I just hope he gets back to normal soon. The man is an animal in bed," she says as she wiggles her eyebrows at me. "Best sex of my life. The other girls think so, too. I mean, he does this thing with his tongue-"

"Enough!" I shout. I can't handle hearing about how he is with other women in bed. "I'm sorry, I didn't need to shout. I just have no desire to hear about how well my boss performs in the sack."

Michelle smiles weakly at me.

"I understand. I'm so comfortable telling the other girls everything, I guess I forgot that you aren't used to it yet."

"It's totally okay. Listen, I have to go meet Nancy down in the main kitchen. We can talk later, okay?" I want her to know that we are okay. I don't mean to come across as a total nutcase.

"Sure. Have a great first day!"

"Thanks, Michelle," I say as I start to leave to meet Nancy.

I walk into the estate and make it to the kitchen before Nancy, so I decide to look around. I never considered myself poor until now. This has to be the largest kitchen I have ever seen. There are four ovens, a custom made built-in refrigerator, eight electric stovetop burners, and granite countertops. The cabinets are top of the line in a deep cherry color. It is immaculate.

I'm not one to fawn over material things, but I have to make a one-time exception.

Nancy walks in on me drooling over the kitchen and apologizes for keeping me waiting. She can't show me around like she wanted to due to a family emergency. She has to go take care of it so she leaves me with a stack of notes to look over and is on her way.

The notes are easy to follow and explain where I will find all the cleaning products I'll need. According to this, Mondays are laundry and dust day. I'm expected to do Sebastian and Mrs. Price's laundry along with every member of the live-in staff. In my spare time waiting for the loads to finish, I am to dust every room of the house. It may not seem like much to the average person, but this is not the size of an average house.

I'm finishing reading my notes when I see movement from the corner of my eye. I look up to see Sebastian walking into the kitchen from the other end of the room. He's wearing nothing but basketball shorts. His face and body are glistening with sweat. His head is down while he listens to music through his MP3 player so he hasn't seen me yet.

I'm enjoying the view.

Five days are entirely too long to go without seeing this man. He is in incredible shape. Drops of sweat are sliding down the muscles of his six-pack and I want to run my tongue over every one. With a body like that his stamina must be out of this world.

I watch the muscles in his arms as he opens the refrigerator door. He bends over and searches the shelves for a second. I could sit here all day watching his body, although I'd rather watch his body as he is pumping himself inside me.

Argh! I need to stop thinking about him sexually. He is my boss.

Sebastian grabs a carton of orange juice and opens a cabinet that is next to the fridge. He grabs a glass and pours himself a drink. After returning the carton to the fridge he turns my way and we lock eyes.

He just caught me ogling his body. Way to give mixed signals, Mia. He takes the headphones out of his ears and places them on the counter.

"How long have you been here?" He asks me.

Should I lie? No, I can't. Knowing him he has cameras in every room and he watches the footage.

"Since before you walked in. Did you just finish your workout or do you always wake up sweaty?" Oh God, why did I say that?

Talking about him sweaty reminds me of Tuesday night. The look on Sebastian's face tells me it reminds him, too.

"I wake up at five every morning. I run for thirty minutes, then I do weights, after weights I swim laps, and I finish by running for another thirty minutes. Doing that routine every morning helps me stay in shape and I can eat whatever I want."

"Wow," I reply.

"Where is Nancy? I thought she was giving you a tour this morning before you get started cleaning."

"There's some kind of emergency, she had to leave. She left me thorough notes that I'm reading through. I'm actually just about to get started on my work."

Sebastian nods his head as he lifts the orange juice to his lips. He takes a quick sip and then places his glass of orange juice on the counter.

"Well, my first meeting isn't until nine so I have a little time before I need to shower and get ready. I can give you a brief tour if you want?"

He's offering to show me around his home. I'm not going to turn down the opportunity to be near him. As much as I hate to admit it, I want to see him. Five days have been way too long.

"That would be great," I say to him.

Before we go on the tour I have to get the elephant out of the room. Otherwise it will hang over my head the whole time I am with him.

"Sebastian, I want to apologize... about the other night." He's finishing off his orange juice when his entire body tenses. I don't think he expected me to address what happened.

"It was late and I shouldn't have barged into your office like that. I was upset and wanted to confront you right away and I wasn't thinking. I'm sorry, and I hope you know that it will never happen again. I've already apologized to Rachel, but I needed to apologize to you, too, so we could move past this."

He walks over to the sink and places down his glass. He then turns to me and leans back against the sink. I can tell he is digesting what I have said and possibly thinking over what he will say to me. It is silent for a few moments before he speaks.

"You don't need to apologize, Mia. Things happen. I have felt so awful about what you walked in on. You should never have seen that... there shouldn't have even been anything for you to see." He pauses for a brief second and runs his right hand through his hair. He looks back up to me and continues.

"I was upset. I was upset with what you had said to me after we made out and groped each other against the wall. Then you left and I was still hard and worked up, I just needed a release. I wanted to release inside you, but you made it very clear that we will never happen."

He says all this without any embarrassment. I appreciate his honesty.

"I should have taken care of it by myself. I went to my office to shut down everything for the night. Rachel came in to see me and noticed the predicament going on in my pants. She offered to help it go away and I didn't say no. I didn't want her... but I didn't say no. Then you walked in."

He is spilling his guts. At least that is what it feels like because up until now he hasn't opened up about anything.

"When I saw you... the look on your face... I felt so low. I couldn't believe you were seeing me like that. I was mortified, I still am. I can't imagine what you were thinking. I mean, you walked in on me, a few hours after I tried to fuck you in my dining room, fucking another woman. I know what you must think of me and I can't argue with you. That was the lowest moment of my life and you will never have to experience anything like that again. I promise."

He lowers his head as if he is truly ashamed of his actions. I have to say something to ease his mind. I feel like I need to let him know it is okay. I need to protect him.

"You don't have to promise me anything. I did tell you that nothing could happen between us, and I did get you all worked up. I was worked up, too. You don't owe me anything, but I appreciate you explaining to me. It means a lot that you feel like you can talk to me."

He gives me a weak smile, "You said you came to see me because you were upset. Why were you upset?"

Oh, shit. I completely forgot that I'm supposed to be super pissed at him for invading my privacy. The truth is I'm not that angry anymore. You can rationalize a lot in six days, so my anger has almost completely gone away.

Almost.

I take a deep breath and stand up from my chair. "When I got back to my room that night my employee contract was sitting on the bed. I decided to read through the parts I hadn't gotten to in your office." I pause to see if his face shows any recognition of what might have upset me. His face shows nothing.

"Everything was looking great until I got to the end and saw that you had a private investigator look into me." His face still shows nothing so I continue, "He pulled up information you had no right to know. Information that is private, things I never wanted you to know."

Finally, I get some kind of reaction out of him. It isn't much, but his body straightens and his shoulders rise slightly. He is still looking directly at me with a blank expression, but it's something.

"I'm sorry you feel that way, but this is how I conduct my business. I have to do thorough checks on anyone who is around me for long amounts of time. It's for my safety. I can't risk any kind of errors in the standard background check the temp agency runs. Hiring the private investigator, that's my version of a background check."

He obviously doesn't get where my anger is coming from so I continue to explain.

"You don't understand. I came to Miami because no one knows me here. This is my way of starting over, starting fresh. I want to.... no, I need to forget. It may not make sense to you, but it's what I need. Knowing that you know about my past, it kills me because I never had any intention of telling you. That is my secret to tell, not something you should be able to just dig up on me.

"Miles..." I hold back the sob I can feel coming up through my throat. "My son is off limits. He is not your business and you don't know anything about him and me. Just because you have a piece of paper that gives you a brief overview of my history doesn't mean you know jack.

"That's why I came to confront you that night. I was pissed you invaded my privacy and I had to show you how wrong that was. The only reason I didn't quit right then and there was because you would have thought it was because I saw you and Rachel. I couldn't let that happen. You needed to know my leaving had nothing to do with you and Rachel; it had everything to do with you. Just you and the fact that you think you're entitled to know everything.

"I've decided to stay as long as you don't bring up anything you're not supposed to know about. I need this job, but the minute you bring up my history, I'm out. My past is buried and it needs to stay that way. Do we have an understanding?"

I feel like a five-day weight has been lifted off my shoulders. Sebastian is still lightly running his hand through his hair when I say this. I know I threw a bunch of shit at him, but it has to be said. In order for me to work for him I had to get everything out in the open.

It feels like an eternity before he speaks.

"So, what you're saying is that you didn't care that you walked in on me fucking Rachel on my desk?" Sebastian has the hugest grin on his face. He knows what he is doing and he knows I know it, too.

"I just spilled my heart out to you and that's all you got out of the conversation?" Did he not listen to a word I said?

"I understand, the rest of what you said I understand. I was out of line and I am sorry. You won't have to worry about me bringing up any of that shit to you. I know it's not my business."

Okay. That makes me feel a whole lot better and I feel like maybe things can be good between us. Maybe Sebastian and I can actually become friends.

"Come over here and I'll kiss you to make it all better." He starts walking my way, "Even better, I'll come to you."

Apparently, I spoke too soon on the friend thing. Sebastian is back to his flirty, sexual self and I need to cool him down... fast.

When he is about six inches from my face, I put my hand on his chest to stop him from coming any further.

"Friends, Sebastian. All we can ever be is friends, and I want to be your friend. You have to understand that I will never be the girl who will have casual sex with my friends. Although I don't have any experience in how to have a relationship, I do know one thing, I am all about monogamy."

He lifts an eyebrow and slightly opens his mouth as if to say something, but then closes it quickly. His eyes are gentle and he takes in my face before speaking.

"Okay, we can be friends." His right arm lifts to tuck a piece of my hair, which has fallen in my face, behind my ear. His touch gives me that all too familiar feeling throughout my body. Am I ever going to not be affected by this beautiful man?

I hope so and I need it to happen soon.

"Why don't I give you that tour now so we can both get to our work for the day?" His hand is still on the side of my head as he speaks. It feels really nice to be touched in such a delicate way.

"That sounds great," I say, while letting out a deep breath. Sebastian then lowers his hand and instructs me to follow him.

The tour only lasts about twenty minutes. He gives very little detail as we enter each room. He just wants me to get the lay of the land. Everything goes smoothly until we get to the last room, his wife's room.

He explains that Darcy's room is off limits. She doesn't want anyone on the staff snooping through her things. He explains that Darcy is hardly ever here, but she is a very private person. If she finds out I was in her room, she will have me fired.

Once we are finished he brings me back to the supply room so I can start my first day at work. The room is white with built-in cabinets and shelves that house hundreds of different cleaning products. I turn towards him, waiting for him to leave so I can start cleaning.

Sebastian is leaning against the door frame. He's looking at me thoughtfully and I feel my heart flutter. "I was thinking, maybe we should start working on this friends thing. I like the idea of having someone to hang out with who lives on the property."

I love that he's considering what I had offered him earlier in the kitchen. I want to be Sebastian's friend. I know we can never be anything more so I want to take what I can get from him.

"That sounds like a great idea," I say enthusiastically.

"Well, I have several meetings around town today so I won't be back to the estate until late. What if I come by after I get home and we can watch a movie or something?"

A movie sounds a little too intimate for me. After everything that's happened I know we should move slowly and approach being friends with caution, but I can't say no. There is a need in me to please Sebastian, but I want to clarify something before I say yes to him.

"As friends?"

He gives me that signature smile of his as he confirms, "Yes, Mia, as friends."

This makes me giddy inside. I don't have to give up Sebastian. Yes, it will be hard to be around him, but I'm going to do my best to work past my attraction to him. I have been good at avoiding intimate relationships my entire life; I shouldn't have a problem avoiding Sebastian.

"Okay, sounds great! I'll have popcorn, snacks, and a couple movies ready for when you come by." This is going to go well. I can feel it in my bones. Sebastian and I are going to be great friends.

Somehow his smile spreads even larger and I see something in his eyes that I never saw before. Is it hope? I'm not sure but whatever it is, it scares the crap out of me.

"I'm off to go shower and get my day going. I have motivation now to finish my day as soon as possible. Call me or text if you have any issues while you work today." I nod and with that Sebastian turns and walks out of sight.

I scurry around the supply room, looking for the dusting products and laundry detergent I will need for the day. I now have motivation to finish my day quickly as well. I don't waste any time getting to work and I try with all my might not to think about my plans with Sebastian this evening.

*****

I arrive back in my room around seven. I'm covered in dried up sweat, my hair is a mess and I'm starving. My stomach growls at the thought of food, but I know what my first priority needs to be. I have to get ready before Sebastian gets here. Once I'm ready I can eat something.

I go to my dresser to grab some of my clothing before I hop in the shower. My dresser is tucked away in the corner of my room. It's standard black and has six long drawers and two smaller ones at the top. It's the nicest dresser I have ever used. It has chrome handles and matches the rest of my bedroom set.

My room is much larger than I'm used to. I slept on a twin mattress at home. Here I have a queen size bed with a nightstand on each side. All the furnishings are black. My bedding set is white with hand stitched floral designs all over the comforter. I'm very happy with the room I was given.

Now what should I wear?

As much as I want to look amazing for Sebastian, I'm exhausted. I know I'll have no desire to change into pajamas after he leaves for the evening, so I decide on comfort over cute.

I grab out a pair of my black yoga pants from my bottom drawer. I have a nice figure and they are like a second skin on my body. They will definitely draw Sebastian's attention.

Not that I want that.

I then go to the third drawer from the top and grab a blue fitted tank top. It's comfortable and hugs my curves perfectly. My underwear drawer comes next and this is where I will pull out all the stops. I grab my black lace push-up bra that makes my breasts look good enough to eat. I'm blessed with a full, size C rack. It's nothing to write home about, but it definitely is enough to grab any man's attention.

I dig around the drawer to find my matching thong and I'm set. I have no plans to let Sebastian see what is underneath my outfit, but knowing I'm wearing sexy lingerie underneath will give me confidence.

I bring my clothes with me into the bathroom that is connected to my room. I turn on the shower and wait a few minutes for the water to warm up. Then I enter the shower and let the warm water run over my muscles. It feels amazing. Nothing is better than a good shower after a hard day at work.

I grab the shampoo and start washing up. My shampoo and conditioner smell like coconut and I love it. It always makes me feel clean. After I wash my hair, shave my legs, and wash my body, I'm ready to get out.

When I'm drying myself off I think I hear a noise coming from outside the door. I wait a few seconds to see what it is, but I'm met with silence. Figuring I must have imagined it, I start to put on my bra, thong, and yoga pants. I pull my tank top over my head last. I comb through my hair and decide to leave it wet to air dry. I quickly brush my teeth and go into my room to grab my make-up bag.

I open the door to my room and my breath catches in my throat. Sitting on my bed in front of me is a smiling Sebastian. He has his back against the headboard, arms crossed on his chest, and his legs stretched out in front of him. He's dressed in fitted jeans and a black fitted t-shirt. He must have taken off his shoes because he only has a pair of white socks on his feet.

He looks delicious.

I continue to eat him up with my eyes. He adjusts his body slightly on my bed. He definitely knows how to make himself comfortable in someone else's room.

"So, are you going to continue checking me out or are you going to say hello?" And cocky Sebastian is back.

"Hi. I wasn't expecting you so soon. I thought you said you were working late?" I'm still stunned by how casual he looks sitting on my bed.

"I had incentive to finish my day early." He looks me up and down slowly, "I like the casual look you got going there. It's sexy in a less obvious kind of way." He pauses to lick his lips, "Your hair is wet and I like it when my woman is wet-"

"Hold it right there. If you're going to make tonight dirty then we can end our evening now. We are supposed to be working on being friends. Dirty jokes are not the way to start a friendship," I say sternly.

Sebastian laughs, "I'm sorry, I was just kidding around. We are friends and I don't want to make you uncomfortable. I thought a dirty joke might ease a little of the tension between us."

He stands up from the bed and starts to approach me by the doorway leading to the bathroom. "Are you ready to start this movie or what?"

He really is trying to be friendly.

I walk over to the other end of my room where I've put the movie I selected. I grab it off my nightstand and show him the cover. "I thought we could watch this. It's one of my favorite movies and I haven't seen it in a while."

He followed me across the room so we're standing about a foot away from each other. "Clueless... Really? I know I told you to pick a movie, but I was expecting something a little less girly."

It's my turn to laugh at him. "I'll have you know a lot of men enjoy this movie. Plus, it's a classic. Cher and Dionne are hysterical."

"If you say so."

I bring my hands up to his chest and push him gently, "I do, and you'll love it!"

I move my hands back to my sides and smile at him. "I don't know about you but I'm starving. I haven't had time to eat dinner yet, so let's go to the kitchen, get something to drink, make popcorn and pick out a few other snacks to munch on during the movie."

"Sounds like a well balanced dinner," he says sarcastically. I'm learning to love his sarcasm. "After you," he gestures towards my door that leads to the hallway.

I walk out in front of him to the kitchen I share with the other girls. When we walk into the kitchen Vanessa is digging through the silverware drawer. She looks up from the drawer and spots us, then she shuts the drawer quickly and slowly starts to grin.

"Hi, Mr. Price!" She shoots me a dirty look and nods in my direction, "Mia."

"Hello, Vanessa. Is there something we can help you find in one of the drawers?" Sebastian is being polite to her when all I want to do is shove her grin down her pretty little throat.

"No, thanks. I'm just looking for a spoon so I can eat the soup I made myself." She takes a step closer to Sebastian and continues to speak, "I was kind of hoping to see you tonight. I haven't had any time with you in like... a week."

Wow, I'm uncomfortable. I feel like this is a conversation they should be having in private. I move to take a step back when Sebastian's arm dashes out and grabs mine. His eyes stay focused on Vanessa.

"I actually made plans with Mia tonight. We're going to sit in her room and watch a movie. We just came in the kitchen to grab something to eat."

Vanessa looks at my arm and then looks back up at Sebastian. "That's okay. What about tomorrow night?" She says hopefully.

Sebastian gives her a sympathetic look as he says, "I don't think so, Vanessa."

She's pissed. She looks at me disgusted and somehow moves even closer to Sebastian. She's standing with her chest a few inches away from Sebastian's chest.

"Is it because of her?" Her eyes flick in my direction and then back towards Sebastian. "You've never been known for fucking one girl exclusively."

Now it is Sebastian's turn to look pissed. He lowers his face towards Vanessa and speaks sternly, "First of all, I am not sleeping with Mia. She is my friend. Second, I have spent the last few days re-evaluating my life style choices. I've come to learn that I don't like some of the decisions I've made in my personal life and I'm starting to make changes." He slowly inches his face closer until their eyes are only a few inches apart.

"Now, this is the most important part, so I suggest you listen up and tell the others. I will no longer be fucking you or any of the other women. I'm changing my ways and I'm starting with you. It's not right and you girls shouldn't be okay with it either. From now on you work for me and that's it. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal," she says as she backs away from him and storms out of the kitchen. A few seconds later I hear a door slam. All I can think about is the conversations I know I'll be having with the other girls tomorrow.

I'm so deep in thought that I haven't noticed Sebastian is now standing in front of me. He's looking at me expectantly.

"What?"

"I'm sorry you had to witness that. I'm sure it doesn't help my case in the friendship department." He looks nervous. Does he think this will make me want to not be friends with him?

I take a step towards him and place one of my hands lightly on his shoulder, while looking into his eyes. "Sebastian, I already knew about your manwhore tendencies. It's common knowledge that you sleep with all the women on your staff, well, except for me. The conversation I witnessed doesn't change anything."

I look away for a second, smiling and then look back to Sebastian.

"Actually, I'm happy. I like that you have re-evaluated your life and are making changes for the better. You're... wait, how old are you?" I just realized I have no idea how old he is.

"Thirty-one. I must seem like an old man to you." He looks sad when he says this.

"No, you don't. I was just going to say that you're thirty-one years old. It's about time you started acting like it. You should be thinking about settling down." I point behind me to the hallway where the girl's bedrooms are. "Sleeping with all these women may feel good now, but in ten years you'll be lonely and wishing you had someone to keep you warm at night."

"I know. You're right and I've been thinking about that a lot the last few days. I have to thank you for that."

Now I'm confused, "Me? What do I have to do with it?"

He looks at me shyly.

Shyly!!!! I didn't know Sebastian could be shy.

"When we met last Tuesday I knew something was different. I immediately felt a connection to you... I can't explain it. All I know is... all I know is I want to be better. You make me want to be better."

I can feel the blush taking over my face. That is the sweetest thing I have ever heard. How am I supposed to be only friends with this man when he says things like this?

I smile sweetly at him, "We should probably make the popcorn so we can get this movie started." He nods his head in agreement.

We make popcorn, grab a few sodas from the fridge, and grab a package of chocolate chip cookies from the pantry. We head back to my room in peaceful silence.

I watch as Sebastian sets up the movie on the television hanging on the wall directly in front of my bed. I have yet to watch any television since I moved in. Sebastian doesn't know that TV really isn't my thing since Miles died.

I shut my bedroom door and decide to lock it. I tell myself this is just in case Vanessa comes in and decides to start trouble. Then I walk over to my bed and sit down.

I'm facing the TV with my back against the headboard. I cross my legs in front of me, put the bowl of popcorn in my lap, and start eating. Sebastian grabs the remote that is hidden on a ledge behind the television and sits down beside me on the bed.

"Ready?"

With popcorn in my mouth I muffle out a, "Yep!"

He presses play and then relaxes into the headboard. Sebastian hands me my soda and starts digging into the popcorn with me. We sit like this until all the popcorn and half the package of cookies is gone.

"Well, I'm stuffed," I say, while throwing the garbage into the can next to the nightstand.

"I'm glad this nutritious meal was so filling for you." He's back to the sarcasm again. It's adorable.

"You're hilarious!" I say back, equally sarcastic. I relax next to him and let out a yawn.

"You're tired. Come here," he says as he opens his arm for me to nestle into his side. I'm not sure if this is the smartest idea, but the invitation is too tempting.

I scoot over towards him and relax my body into his. It's weird, but I instantly feel safe nestled under his arm.

We continue to watch the movie like this. Well... he watches. I can't concentrate. I'm too busy focusing on his thumb brushing over my shoulder. It's comforting and that is a foreign feeling for me. I also feel those tingles I was talking about. With every brush of his thumb I feel a jolt go all the way through my body.

I'm trying to be discreet about how he is affecting me, but on his last thumb stroke he gently squeezes my shoulder and I moan. It's a soft moan, but he definitely heard it.

He keeps his eyes focused on the movie, but his hand is moving.

He starts stroking my arm up and down slowly. I moan again, this time a little louder. He takes this as encouragement and moves his hand down my arm to touch my side. His hand slowly starts stroking my side. On his way up, the tips of his fingers are gliding across the side of my breast.

I close my eyes to soak in the pleasure his fingers are giving me. I need more, but I can't ask. Luckily, I don't have to. His hand gently slides across my breast and lightly squeezes. When I don't protest, he moves to the other breast and does the same thing. It feels amazing. I can feel my belly getting warmer and my panties getting wet.

Sebastian lowers his hand to my stomach and massages it lightly. He rubs his hand across my lower belly, applying gentle pressure and squeezing. He rubs again and then squeezes. He continues doing this, each time his hand moving lower and lower down my stomach.

My breath starts getting faster and I completely forget I'm supposed to be watching a movie. His fingers start to lightly trace the edge of my pants. I am ready to beg. I am ready to beg him to take me, however he wants.

Sebastian's eyes finally leave the screen and meet mine. His eyes are hooded and I clearly see lust all over his face. He wants me. Right now, he wants me... and I want him.

Just when I think my body can't handle any more teasing, Sebastian moves his hand below my pants and thong. His fingertips brush over my clit and he starts to rub me in slow circles.

"Oh... my... God..." I moan out. His fingers on me feel amazing.

He moves his head towards mine and lowers his lips to my ear. His breathing is hard and his voice is low and musky. He whispers in my ear, "That's it, baby. Let me give this to you." He puts his mouth on my earlobe and sucks on it. His lips make a slow trail of open mouthed kisses to the crook of my neck and stay there.

It's the hottest thing that ever happened to me.

The slow build-up in my lower belly is getting stronger and I can feel my orgasm approaching. Sebastian continues to rub me at a perfect pace. It only takes a few more seconds for me to be on the verge of explosion.

Sebastian kisses his way back up to my ear and whispers, "You are so beautiful. You're so wet for me and you feel fucking fantastic." He licks my earlobe while his fingers move faster on me, "Let go, baby."

That's all I need. I explode as his hand rubs me through the most intense orgasm of my life. This feels so much better than when I do it. My body tingles all over and my limbs feel like jelly. It's amazing.

Sebastian is breathing hard into my neck. His hand slowly moves away from my clit and slides up my body to rest gently on my stomach. This movement snaps me back to reality.

My breathing starts to pick up again and it isn't because I'm turned on. I have just let Sebastian touch me intimately. I have just let Sebastian kiss up and down my neck. I have just let Sebastian give me an orgasm.

I am freaking out.

Chapter Eight

I am finally thinking straight. Somewhere in my room tonight my brain left my body, but it is back now. Thank God.

I need to get up and Sebastian needs to leave.

My hands raise and I'm pushing Sebastian off me so I can get up. He doesn't say anything or try to get me to stay on the bed.

My eyes are wandering around the room. For what, I don't know. Maybe I am looking for an escape, which is silly because we need to address what just happened.

He says he wants to be friends, but then he initiates what just happened. He must have planned this all along. Wow, he's good. I fell for the "friends" act.

Friends. My. Ass.

"You need to leave," I state confidently. I am finally thinking with the right part of my body.

He hesitates on the bed, but then stands up to face me. "We should talk about what happened. You're freaking out right now and I get it, but don't shut me out. You enjoyed it, so it couldn't be that bad."

"Ugh... you son of a bitch! You knew. You knew if you came over here and we watched a movie that I would cave in. You knew I would allow you to touch me. Were you hoping I would fuck you? Huh?" I don't give him a chance to respond, "Well guess what, asshole? It is never... going... to... happen." I draw out the last four words in an attempt to get my point across.

Even in my anger I don't completely believe what I'm saying.

"Slow down there, honey. First of all, I had no intention on feeling you up and getting you off tonight. I mean what I said when I told you we should be friends. Is it my first choice? No, but you want to only be friends and I will work with what I have."

"You-"

"No. You got to say what you wanted to and I heard you out without interrupting. Now you will finish hearing me out."

He has a point

"Now, where was I? Oh, yes! Second, I couldn't help myself. You were so close to me, you smell amazing and I could see your tits overflowing your lace bra through your shirt. Your ass was on display in your pants and I could see a light outline of your thong that had my dick hard in seconds."

He pauses briefly and I think maybe he's done. I'm ready to say something, but he continues speaking. This time his voice is softer, sexier even. It makes my hormones go crazy and I want to be back on my bed with him.

"Then you were making those noises. God, they were sexy. They started so softly, I almost missed them, but then you were getting louder and I had to touch you. I wanted to continue being the reason you were making those sounds. And you were so responsive. Your nipples were hard, then my hands were on your pussy and you were so wet. The second I touched your clit you moaned out in relief that I was finally touching you there. Don't act like you didn't want it. You loved it."

He's right. I did love it. It felt so good receiving pleasure from someone else. I am so fearful of anything sexual with someone that I was forgetting how good it feels. I want to feel it again.

"Mia, you're acting like we crossed some huge line that would destroy any friendship we could have. I got you off with my hand, that's it. You were fully clothed and I was fully clothed. I mean it's not like we fucked or sucked each other off. You need to calm down."

He doesn't get it, so I have to explain.

"Sebastian, it's just that.... I've... This has never... God, this is embarrassing."

I move back towards my bed and sit down, placing my head in my hands. Sebastian kneels in front of me and places his hands on my wrists. He slowly lowers my wrists and waits for me to look at him. When I finally look up I see concern. He is worried about me.

"What is it? You can tell me. There is nothing you should be embarrassed about. If anything I should be the one embarrassed. I'm your employer and I came on to you and now I'm being rejected. I'm pathetic." He says that last part with that grin I'm beginning to love so much.

I shake my head with a hint of a smile on my face. Taking a deep breath I tell him, "I've never done anything like that before. Sexual contact has always scared me. When I'm with you it feels different. All the guards I have put up over the years melt away and it's just you and me. That scares me the most."

"I thought... I mean, the report I read on you said... What?" He has a frustrated look on his face, "I'm sorry, Mia, I'm just confused. How could you never have done this before?"

"The report said I was raped, which is true, but I was fifteen at the time. He held me down, forced himself on me, and then left me in a field. The whole thing lasted only a few minutes. I had never been sexually active before that and I have been too scared to let a man touch me since."

"Oh, I see," he says softly.

"Well, I mean, I've had an orgasm before today."

I can't believe I just said that.

He smiles in amusement, "Uh huh, and how did you manage that?" His smile grows bigger. He's enjoying where this conversation is going.

"Oh, I think you know. I'm twenty-three and I have needs just like everyone else. My hand and I are on good terms."

He's laughing now and not even trying to hide it.

"Is it really that funny? I'm sorry, but it was the only way for me to get off since I never let anyone touch me." I laugh a little now too, "I thought I was pretty good at it, but one touch from you and I realize what I've been missing."

Sebastian stops laughing and looks up at me again. His eyes are filled with lust and I love that I make him feel that way.

Maybe I shouldn't have said that. I do have a tendency to say way too much in front of him. I usually have a filter, but it seems to fall out when he's around.

"I shouldn't have just said that. It's true, but I shouldn't have said it." I hope this helps ease the tension that has filled the room.

Any hopes I had of that happening are thrown out the window.

"Just your hand? I mean, do you only use your hand? What happens when your urge is stronger? Do you use a vibrator?"

Wow, that is straight to the point. No one could say he is shy about sex. Well, he wants to know, so I guess I should tell him.

"No vibrator. I have thought about it, but the idea of something being inside me again, well, let's just say it's not a pleasant thought. I'm okay with that though. I mean, it didn't feel that great the first time, so why let something or someone do it again." I let out a laugh to show him that it's okay. I am okay.

"Honey..." that is the third time he's called me honey. I'm beginning to like that term of endearment. "It didn't feel good because you were forced to do it. You didn't consent, there was no foreplay, and most importantly... you were a virgin, it always hurts the first time. If you mix that with the fact that there was no foreplay and you weren't wet, well, it must have been agonizing. You were forced, Mia, and you survived, and now you need to know what it feels like to have sex. You need to know that it can be pleasurable."

"And let me guess, you can do that for me?" I'm trying to bring a little humor to the situation.

His lip curls up slightly to form a smile, but after a few moments it falls flat. His face is serious again before he speaks. "No, Mia. As much as I want you, you're obviously not ready for that form of intimacy. I shouldn't have pushed you." He stands up from the ground in front of me and reaches for my hands. His hands are warm, smooth; his touch feels incredible.

He gently pulls me up so we are standing face to face. He then brings our joined hands between our bodies until our mingled hands are lying on his chest.

"I want to get to know you, Mia. I was serious before and I'm even more serious now. I want us to be friends.... I'm going to show you what a great friend I can be."

He brings my hands up to his mouth and gently kisses them with his soft lips. "I'm glad you felt comfortable telling me about your past. I know that must have been hard for you. You can always trust me. I will spend the rest of my life proving that to you."

Sebastian lets go of my hands and leans in towards my body. "It's late and I should go. Don't make plans for tomorrow night, okay?"

I nod and speak quietly, "Okay."

"Great! I'm in the mood for an action flick. I haven't seen the latest Mission Impossible movie yet so I'm leaning towards that," he says as he lays a soft kiss on my forehead and turns towards my bedroom door. He looks back at me one more time before walking out my door and leaving for the night.

My mind is replaying the conversation we just had. I can't believe I was so open with him; I've never been open with anyone. My own mother doesn't know most of the things I told Sebastian.

I want to trust that he will keep my secrets. Scratch that, I know I can trust that he will keep my secrets. I just need to trust him with my heart because after tonight I am sure of one thing, Sebastian Price is slowly getting ahold of my heart and soon he will have the power to destroy it.

*****

It's the middle of October and I am sitting anxiously on the stool in Sebastian's kitchen. I've on a pair of short jean shorts, a blue ribbed tank top, and flip-flops on my feet. I've straightened my hair this morning and loosely curled the ends of it to give my hair a little bounce. I have a navy canvas baseball cap on my head and my sunglasses are hanging from my tank top.

Sebastian is taking me out on the water today. He has a lot of toys, as he likes to call them, which he plays with on the ocean. Today he's teaching me how to ride a Sea-doo. I'm super excited because I've never been out on the ocean. Sure, I've put my feet in, I've even gone in waist deep, but usually I stay on the beach. This will be a new adventure for me.

Ever since that first night watching movies in my room, Sebastian has been amazing. He stayed true to his word and he has been an amazing friend to me. He also hasn't tried anything with me. The only physical contact we've had has been a lot of hugging. He hasn't even pecked me on the cheek.

I should be happy about the fact that Sebastian is respecting my wishes and not crossing any boundaries, but I'm not. I want him to touch me, I want him to kiss me, who am I kidding; I want him to do more than kiss me. Unfortunately for me, Sebastian has been the perfect gentleman.

We've hung out every night over the past six weeks. At first, I was worried he was doing this because he felt bad for me, but I quickly saw that he was enjoying his time with me as much as I was enjoying my time with him. The truth is, Sebastian is fun. He knows how to have a good time, he is funny, incredibly smart, and he doesn't take himself too seriously.

He is also extremely competitive. I found this out the first time he took me bowling. We were having fun on our lane, but he wasn't getting any competition from me. I suck at bowling and after one game I was ready to throw in the towel. Sebastian wanted to keep playing, so he turned to a group of guys in the lane next to us and asked if he could join their team. He bowled two more games with them while I sat and watched. He was adorable to watch.

We've played several board games at his estate and he usually wins. On the rare occasion he doesn't win, he is a sore loser. These are the times I like to rub it in that I won because he is so funny to watch losing.

He even makes cooking a competition. We've both tried cooking for the other person. Sebastian is a fabulous cook and I am not. He always eats what I make him and never complains, but it's obvious who is better in the kitchen.

Competitiveness aside, I found out what an amazing person Sebastian is and I have completely fallen for him.

That is just another reason why I'm practically bouncing in my seat waiting for him to come meet me in the kitchen. He's finishing up a business call in his office and then we will be on our way. I don't know much about Sea-doos, but when Sebastian showed me a picture of one and then told me we will ride together, I was giddy with joy. I love anything that gives me an excuse to touch him.

I'll start with my hands on his chest, and then I'll slowly move them to the waist of his trunks before teasing his-

Just when my thoughts are getting away from me, Sebastian strides into the kitchen. Holy crap, he looks good. He's wearing a white short-sleeve polo, khaki shorts, white gym shoes, and a pair of sunglasses is resting on his head. He could convince me to do anything looking the way he looks.

His eyes roam up and down my body, taking me in. When a smile appears on his face I'm inwardly happy. A part of me is pleased he likes the way I look.

"How was your phone call?"

"Boring as usual. I'm glad I dealt with it because now we won't have any interruptions when we're out on the water." He reaches his hand out to help me from the stool, "You ready to go?"

I hold his hand and stand up with a smile, "Absolutely, I can't wait!"

"I love to see you smile. Your enthusiasm brightens my mood after the phone call I just had." He releases my hand, but I'm not ready to lose contact with him just yet.

I raise my arm and place my hand on his shoulder while looking directly into his eyes. "Let's go, old man. I want to get out on the water before you make us come back for an early bird dinner." I squeeze his shoulder before letting go and walk towards the front doors that lead to the driveway.

Sebastian quickly catches up and slaps my ass. "Are you ever going to stop calling me old man? I'm starting to regret telling you my age. Plus, most people consider thirty-one to be young."

I laugh, "I'm just giving you a hard time, old man. You still have a little time before you're eligible for the senior citizen's discount."

He is pouting now, actually pouting!

"Well, if you're going to be mean, I guess I won't let you use my discount," Sebastian declares with a slight smile reappearing on his face.

"Sebastian, you have nothing to worry about. Your age is growing on me," I say, smiling back at him.

We walk over to his Jeep that's already in the driveway waiting for us. He opens the passenger door and waits for me to get in. Then he jogs over to the driver's side to get in the car. Once he's seated I start in on him again.

"A jeep? Are you trying to look like you're part of the normal folk?"

He rolls his eyes and sticks the key in the ignition. "Mia, could you stop busting my balls for a few seconds. I happen to love my jeep. When I go to the beach, this is what I drive."

The car starts, he puts the car in drive, and we are off to the beach. Sebastian has the stereo on low during the drive and we are both pretty quiet, listening to the sounds of his Mumford & Sons CD playing on the stereo. It's a comfortable silence. I just enjoy being in Sebastian's presence.

He slowly moves his right hand from the steering wheel in search for my hand. He intertwines our fingers and places them on my lap. His eyes never leave the road, but I can see a smile on his face. He's content.

I, well, I am freaking out inside. His hand in mine feels so amazing, like home, but this is out of character for him. We've never held hands. While my insides are doing flips, the outside of me looks happy. Actually, I am happy. This is the happiest I've been in a long time and I know that has everything to do with the God-like man next to me.

I haven't wanted to get my hopes up that anything could happen between the two of us, but I'm starting to wonder if today is a game changer. Sebastian's mood seems different. I can't put my finger on what exactly it is, but his mood is definitely different.

He's been on his best behavior since that night in my room. I have overheard a couple of the girls complaining about Sebastian rejecting their advances. I asked Rachel about it and she said he hasn't slept with anyone since I walked in on him and her in Sebastian's office. I guess some of the girls are pretty upset, but they haven't said anything to me yet.

I'm lost in my thoughts when I hear Sebastian clearing his throat. I turn my head towards him and he speaks, "So, would you be terribly upset if I cancel the Sea-doo trip today?"

I'm confused. Why would he cancel it if we are on our way there right now? "Aren't we headed there now? Why would you cancel it?"

"We are headed there, Mia, but I have another idea and I would really like to do that instead. We can do the Sea-doo trip another day, I promise."

I can't say no. He looks so adorable asking me if it's okay and I really want him to enjoy himself today. "Sure, that'll be fine. Where are we going?" I want to prepare myself, in case it is something crazy, like skydiving.

"It's a surprise." He looks over at me and as if he can read my thoughts, "It's nothing scary. It will actually be relaxing. We can stop in the next town and pick up something to bring with us for lunch."

So we're bringing food to eat with us to our new destination? Interesting. I reply quickly with an "Okay" and relax back into my seat to enjoy the ride, still holding Sebastian's hand.

Chapter Nine

After we stop in a small town outside Miami for some sub sandwiches, we are back on the road. Sebastian is no longer holding my hand; his free hand is playing the drums on the steering wheel. He's humming along to the music and I'm content watching him.

We pull off the main highway a little while later and head into a town called Hollywood Beach. It's a tourist attraction, but it's a lot less crowded than Miami. We follow along the beach until Sebastian pulls up to a stretch of beach a little less crowded.

It is beautiful.

I've never told Sebastian how I feel about the ocean. Him bringing me here just seems right and makes me think he knows me better than I do sometimes. I may be over thinking it, but I want to believe that he knows me.

Sebastian puts the car in park, turns off the ignition and jumps out of his jeep. I start to unbuckle my seat belt in order to get out as well. Before I can open the door Sebastian is standing next to me, door open, holding his hand out for me to grab and climb out. He is such a gentleman. I gladly take his hand and climb out of the jeep.

"So, the beach is your surprise? We could have gone to the beach in Miami." While I am glad that I get to spend so much time with him, I can't help but think what a waste of gas it is to drive this far for a beach.

"You don't say? I wasn't aware Miami has a beach." He looks at me wide eyed to see if I will say something snarky back. I keep my mouth shut; he can win this one.

Sebastian grabs a duffle bag from the backseat of his jeep along with the paper bag that holds our subs. He shuts the passenger door and looks my way.

"Mia, if you're done being sarcastic then I will tell you why I brought you here. I want to have a picnic with you on the beach. The beaches in Miami are crazy and I want us to have some privacy. Then I remembered this stretch of beach and decided I would take you here. It's stunning here and you can actually enjoy the sound of the ocean instead of the sound of the thousands of people around you." He smirks at me while lifting his eyebrows, "Is that a good enough answer?"

I'm speechless. He thought this day out. He wants to spend time with me on the beach... he wants us to have privacy. This man is constantly doing and saying the sweetest things. I guess I'll play along and spend the day his way.

"So, what's in the bag?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" He flicks my nose with his finger and lowers his hand to grasp mine again. Then we are walking, hand in hand, to the beach. To an outsider we may even look like a couple in love. Man, I wish we could be a couple in love.

I'm drawn out of my thoughts by Sebastian's voice. "I'm kidding around, you know. I have a blanket, water, and some sodas in the duffle bag. That's it."

We've stopped on a nice stretch of beach that's practically deserted. Since it's the middle of October there are less and less people coming out to the beaches.

Sebastian opens his black duffle bag and pulls out a large flannel blanket. He lays it out on the sand and makes a gesture for me to sit. I happily sit while he pulls the water and soda out of the bag.

"Which one would you prefer?" he asks me sweetly.

"Water, please."

He hands me the water and keeps the soda for himself. When he sits down next to me on the blanket I'm hoping for some kind of physical contact again. It doesn't happen. Sebastian keeps a couple inches between us and slowly sips his soda. We sit in a comfortable silence, just staring out into the deep blue ocean.

It's breathtaking.

There are some boats out in the water. A few are docked closer to the beach, but most are much further out. Occasionally, I'll see one of the beach goers step into the ocean, but most stay on the beach like us. The water is getting a little colder this time of year.

After a few more minutes of silence Sebastian turns to me, staring at my profile while I'm still taking in the sight of the ocean. When I turn to meet his eyes he speaks.

"You hungry?"

"Not really," I reply back, while taking in his blue eyes with mine.

They are piercing. I don't know if it's because they're on Sebastian or if they would look this way on anyone, but he has the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen.

His gaze stays on mine as he leans in towards me.

"Mia, I know I said I'd be your friend and I am your friend... but being your friend sucks."

"Excuse me?" I say with a bit of hurt in my voice.

He looks frazzled at the sound of my voice and quickly explains. "No... I mean... I mean being your friend has been great but, Mia, I want to be more. I want to hold you, kiss you, fall asleep next to you at night and wake up with you by my side in the morning. I want you to be mine and I want to scream it from the rooftop."

He leans in closer to me and my breathing starts to get faster. My heart begins to race.

He continues, "These past six weeks have been amazing, but they've also been torture. Every day I get to know you more and I fall deeper. I want to have a life with you, Mia."

His hand lifts to my face and cups the side of my cheek as he speaks softer. "I want... scratch that... I need to make love to you." His face comes impossibly closer to mine. He brings his mouth to mine and stops as his lips graze mine.

"Can I kiss you?" he asks, his lips gently brushing against me as he speaks.

I don't answer with words. I close my mouth on his and bask in the beauty that is Sebastian's lips. His kiss is soft, unrushed, like he's soaking in every part of my lips.

I'm soaking in his, too.

He slides the tip of his tongue along my bottom lip, asking for entrance. My mouth instantly opens and his tongue meets mine. His taste is like nothing I've experienced before. Every second, his kiss gets better.

One of his hands slides to the small of my back while his other hand is gently holding my head to his. Sebastian starts moving us down until I am lying on my back on the blanket.

I open my legs for him and his body slides between them. I have one hand on the back of his head, gripping the hair that's there. My other hand moves slowly down his back until I get to the hem of his shirt, then my hand slides under his shirt and makes its way back up, tracing and gripping his defined muscles.

His body is insane.

His lips move from my mouth as he slowly places open mouth kisses down my neck. It's sending tingling sensations throughout my body. I can feel the warmth in my lower region and my panties are wet.

Sebastian's hand slides from behind my back to my stomach. He slowly applies pressure while moving his hand to go under my tank top. The skin on his hand is a little rough and somehow makes me more turned on than before. His hand reaches my breasts and goes under the cup of my bra to play with them. He gently massages my breast and then he pulls on my nipple, continuing this a few times before switching to my other breast.

His erection is pressing against me. He's grinding his hips in time with each wet kiss he leaves on my body.

I am in bliss. This feels incredible.

His mouth moves to my collarbone as he continues his efforts on my breasts. His erection is now sliding back and forth against my core, through my shorts.

I need him now, but we are on a beach.

The Beach!

"Sebastian-" I moan out.

It sounds like encouragement. Sebastian starts sucking on the top of my breasts. For a second I forget that I need him to stop. It feels too good. Luckily, my brain won't let me forget we're on a public beach.

"Sebastian, we need to stop." This time my words come out stronger.

Sebastian lifts his head from my breasts, panting and looking into my eyes. After his breathing starts to slow down he speaks.

"I'm sorry. That was way too fast. I swear I was only trying to kiss you, but once my hands touched your body, I couldn't stop."

I reach out to brush my fingertips across his upper arm. I feel exactly what he is saying; I need to touch him, too. So I'm going to reassure him with my words.

"I'm not complaining, Sebastian. I want you to touch me. I want you to keep touching me, but we're on a public beach."

Sebastian looks around us as if he is just now noticing where we are. He looks back at me with a huge grin on his face. "I guess we put on quite the show," he winks at me. Sebastian raises himself off me and sits next to me on the blanket.

While I am getting myself back up he speaks again. "Was that okay? I mean... did you enjoy kissing me? Do you want to continue kissing me?" He sounds so unsure of himself. It's adorable.

"I enjoyed it and... I wouldn't mind if it happened again." I blush as I say that last part. I don't know why I am being shy all of a sudden, but I guess I am unsure of myself, too.

Sebastian reaches his hand out to grab mine. "Good, because it took everything out of me to stop kissing you. I'm ready to find some secluded area, strip you naked, and finally claim you as mine."

His words bring that familiar ache back to my core. I'm ready for him to claim me, too.

"Sebastian, I... I want that, too," I whisper to him. "Take me home."

He looks puzzled at my words so I continue, "Take me home and make love to me. I want you to make love to me."

His face shows a bunch of emotions, but shock wins out. I'm shocked, too. I have never imagined being comfortable enough with a man to trust him with my body, but I trust Sebastian.

Completely.

"Are you sure? I don't want to rush you; especially after everything you've been through."

I look into his eyes and with a steady voice say, "I'm sure."

Sebastian leans into me and plants a sweet, slow kiss on my lips. It only lasts a couple seconds and then he's looking into my eyes again. "Let's eat our lunch and take a walk on the beach. Then we can head back home and see where it goes from there. How does that sound?"

He is always so considerate. I have a hard time believing this is the same man I met back in August. He's a changed man and I can't help but hope it's because of me.

"That sounds perfect," I answer him.

He reaches for the paper bag next to him and pulls out our sub sandwiches. He hands me my Italian meat lover's sub and another bottle of water. My mouth starts to water and I realize that our make-out session has actually made me hungry.

I take my first bite and can't help but think about the night ahead of me. Sebastian and I are going to sleep together.

Sebastian is going to make love to me.

I am going to trust a man for the first time in over seven years, and although that thought should scare me, it doesn't. I'm ready to have sex. I just hope this time I enjoy it.

*****

The rest of the day goes by perfectly. We finish our subs on the beach, and then we sit for a little while longer enjoying being in each other's company. We finish the afternoon walking hand in hand along the edge of where the ocean meets the sand.

It's a perfect day. The best I've had in a while.

We are on the highway driving home now and I'm starting to get nervous about tonight.

What if I'm not any good? Sebastian has a lot of experience. Maybe he won't want to be with me after tonight? Will he go back to sleeping with the other girls tomorrow? My mind is going crazy with my thoughts.

He's said some life altering words to me earlier that make my insides melt. I can't be sure, but maybe they're just words for him. Maybe it is what he says to women to seal the deal. Am I just going to be another fuck to him?

I stay silent the rest of the way until we pull into his estate. Sebastian pulls up to where the driveway curves at the front of the house and stops the car.

I don't wait for him to open my door. I need air. I get out of the car and wait for him as he walks to my side of the vehicle.

"Everything okay?"

I'm not sure what to say. Should I lie and tell him yes? Or should I tell him the truth and let him see what a complete nutcase I am being.

I go with the truth.

"No, actually. Can we go inside and talk? Maybe up to your room? I've had some time to think on the car ride and I probably just let my thoughts get the best of me, but I need to talk to you about what you said earlier," I blurt out.

"Sure. You know you can ask me anything, Mia. I promise to be honest with you. You may not like what I have to say, but I will be honest. You're putting a lot of trust in me and I don't want to blow that by lying to you." I see the sincerity in his eyes as he speaks and I know whatever is said will be honest. That is all I can ask for.

We walk into Sebastian's home and go straight to the right side of the house where the bedrooms are. The house is eerily quiet and no one on the staff is in sight. I can hear the sound of each of our steps on the wood floor. We walk towards the end of the hallway until we reach a set of double doors that lead into the master bedroom.

Sebastian opens the doors to his room and makes a gesture with his hands for me to go in first. I've been in this room several times but only to clean. This time feels different.

It is different.

Sebastian is inviting me in for intimate reasons. I'm not in here to clean, or dust, or even to put his laundry away. I am here for the night... hopefully.

The walls in his room are a light blue that naturally brightens the look of the room. A dark brown, suede chaise is to the left of the doors along with a standing bookshelf filled with historical books and biographies.

Directly in front of me is a California King size bed with black bedding, black satin sheets, and dark gray accent pillows. Dark brown nightstands stand on each side of the bed and to my right is the largest dresser I have ever seen. It's dark brown and has to have been custom made just for him.

He doesn't have any pictures of friends or family in his room. In fact, most of the estate has no personal pictures, but he does have one painting above the headboard on his bed. It is one of those abstract paintings that looks like it's just paint splattered over a canvas, but the artist sees something else. And you, as an admirer, are supposed to draw your own conclusion of what the painting means to you.

When I look at it, it makes me sad.

He has two doors to the left of his bed. One opens up to a large walk-in closet. The other opens to and elegant master bath that has a gigantic Jacuzzi bathtub that I clean once a week. I often fantasize about being able to use his bathtub. What girl wouldn't?

At this point Sebastian has made his way over to his bed. He is sitting and staring at me because I am still standing in his doorway. I know that once I move I will have to ask him where he sees this going. The physical part of me, the part of me that wants him more than my next breath, doesn't want him to answer. She just wants him... all of him.... tonight.

But my heart? My heart needs to know that if I do this with him, it won't be just another fuck for him. I can't be just another girl he hooks up with. I have to know if he means what he has said on the beach earlier. My heart won't be able to take it otherwise.

I move across the wooden floor and sit next to Sebastian on his bed. We turn to face each other, neither of us speaking for a while.

I'm nervous. My palms start to sweat; I can feel my body temperature starting to rise. My heart starts beating faster and I know in a few seconds I might lose the ability to speak normally, so I take the plunge.

"What you said to me on the beach, I need to know if you meant it," I spit out rather quickly. I don't want to chicken out.

He looks at me thoughtfully and reaches his hand out to gently caress my cheek. "About wanting to be with you? Of course, I meant it, I have never meant anything more in my life. I have never wanted anyone more in my life."

His fingers continue to caress my cheek and I melt into his hand. Being with him like this, it feels so right. I suddenly don't need any more confirmation from him. I am done questioning the decision I'm making. This feels too good and I haven't had anything to look forward to in a long time. I'm not going to mess this up.

I lean in towards Sebastian and brush my lips against his. It takes him no time to respond. He kisses me back urgently. His soft lips are applying just the right amount of pressure to mine.

I open my mouth for him and our tongues meet and taste each other. Every kiss with him somehow gets better.

He has a hand on each side of my face while we devour each other. My hands go to the hem of his shirt and I start to raise his polo up.

Our lips separate from each other briefly as I pull his polo over his head. We reconnect and I can feel heat spreading through my body.

The things this man does to me.

He wraps his arms tightly around my waist and his lips move from my mouth and over to my jaw. He starts trailing kisses down my neck, then my collarbone, and then my chest.

My head falls back and I gasp as he starts to suck on the top of my breasts. His mouth feels incredible on my skin. His hands lower to the hem of my tank and he lifts it up and over my head.

His mouth makes contact with my breasts again as his hands reach around me to unclasp my bra. He unfastens and quickly pulls it off me.

He slowly lays me down on the bed and his left hand moves down my body, firmly tracing his hand over my collarbone, across my breasts, down my stomach and to the top of my shorts, while his mouth sucks on one of my nipples. His tongue comes out to flick my nipple and then he bites down gently. I feel a jolt straight to my clit. He has me so wound up.

My hands are in his hair, then they move down his back. I can feel all of his muscles flex and I'm imagining what they will feel like when he is thrusting inside me.

His hand moves from the top of my shorts and starts to unbutton them. Instead of removing them, he slides his hand down into my shorts, under my panties, until he makes direct contact with the folds of my pussy.

I CAN'T BELIEVE I JUST CALLED IT THAT!

He brings out this side of me.

His fingers separate me as his thumb starts to rub my clit. I moan deeply and my hands move to grab his ass.

His mouth is still working my breasts and I can feel the start of my orgasm coming on.

"Sebastian... Please," I moan out to him. My hands are moving up to grasp the side of his face.

He looks up at me with hooded eyes as his hand continues to rub circles on my clit. "What, honey... what do you need?"

He looks incredibly sexy right now... raw.

"Make love to me," I moan as the build-up continues from the perfect amount of pressure his thumb places on me. "I need it now, Sebastian, fuck me now."

He growls and his lips go back to my chest as he speaks between open mouth kisses, "We'll get there, honey. Let me make you come first. Let me make you feel good." His mouth continues making love to my breasts as his thumb picks up the pace.

The build-up is getting stronger and I can feel my climax on the horizon. My breathing gets heavier, my eyes shut, and my fingers leave his body to grip the sheets under me. I can feel it coming.

Sebastian then dives his middle and index finger inside of me. It is all I need to push me over the edge. I scream out as I violently come on his fingers. My body trembles as his movement over my pussy slows. His mouth continues to kiss my body.

His lips move from my breasts as he slowly places kisses down my stomach. When he reaches the top of my shorts, he moves his hands to grip the waist of my shorts, and with one tug he completely removes my shorts and panties from my body. I am completely exposed to him.

His hands grip each of my ankles and slowly move up my legs, spreading me open for him as his body moves up with him. His hands reach my inner thighs and push me open completely. He lowers his mouth to me, licking and sucking my folds; his tongue traces over my clit and then goes lower, plunging into my core and tasting the evidence of my orgasm.

Once he's cleaned me completely with his tongue, he moves up my body until we are eye level with one another. He lowers his mouth to mine in a hungry kiss. I give as well as I get. I'm high on the most intense orgasm of my life. I don't want this feeling to end.

His mouth moves over to my ear and he whispers, "Perfect, you're perfect."

My heart melts inside me.

He's wrong. He's perfection. I am so damn lucky.

Chapter Ten

Sebastian lifts himself from my body and moves off the bed. He's standing in front of me, looking at me with lust. I'm just about to ask him what's wrong when he starts to unfasten his shorts.

Oh, no. He isn't going to take this opportunity away from me.

I crawl across the bed naked and place my hands on top of his.

"Let me," I whisper as I move his hands away from his shorts. My hands move to his zipper and slowly zip it down. I tug and remove his shorts, then his boxer briefs, while staring directly into his eyes.

He has no idea how sexy he is to me.

My eyes move from his and I take in his body for the first time. When my eyes land on his cock, I gasp. It is huge. I'm slightly intimidated and wonder how the hell he could think that this won't hurt.

I'll admit, I'm not an expert on the standard size of a penis, but I know enough to know that he is larger than your average male.

My hands move up and down his chest, taking in and feeling his beautiful body. I move one of my hands slowly to his cock and brush it against his length. He makes a sound from the back of his throat, but makes no movement. It's like he knows I need this, knows I need to take it all in.

My hand moves against his cock again, but this time it stays there. I move my hand around his thick erection and slowly start pumping up and down. I'm starting to get turned on again as Sebastian starts to grind his hips into my hand.

It's hot.

A few more seconds go by and then Sebastian moves my hands from his erection and gently pushes me down on the bed. I lay there looking up at him as he crawls over my body and places his hips between my legs.

His lips are moving against my neck again as his hips are grinding against my pussy. His erection is sliding between my wet folds and I'm moaning uncontrollably. It feels so good.

I can feel my wetness against his cock. With every thrust, the tip of him makes contact with my core. His mouth moves from my neck and he looks into my eyes before speaking. "I need you so fucking bad right now, Mia. I've wanted you since the first moment I saw you, I've dreamed about this for weeks."

He lowers his mouth to mine and kisses me passionately before speaking again. His breathing comes out heavy and uneven, "As much as I need to be inside you, and I really fucking need to be inside you, I will wait if you need me to."

His lips brush against my jaw as he slides his erection along my folds again.

"Oh... Fuck," I yell out. I need him to take me now or I might explode. "Sebastian..." I pant, "I'm sure. Take me now, fuck me now, you need to make love to me.... right now."

That is all the reassurance he needs because the next thing I feel is Sebastian thrusting inside me, hard and fast. Once he's inside me he stops to make sure I'm okay.

I may not be a virgin, but eight years is a long time. I'm in a little pain once he enters and I want to tell him to stop. I want to yell that I was right and he was wrong. Sex is painful. But I don't. I know I have to give Sebastian a chance because if I don't, I could lose him.

I'm so glad I let him continue.

He starts to slowly thrust inside me again and my pain quickly turns into pleasure. Sebastian lifts my legs over his hips as he continues his pace. He's hitting me from a completely different angle.

Every thrust feels incredible. He bends down to kiss my mouth as he continues to pump inside me. I'm so turned on at this point. His hands are all over my body; my hands are all over his. It is messy, it is uncoordinated, and it is amazing.

I can feel the build-up of another orgasm, but this one feels different. I can't explain it, but it feels like if I let this one take a hold of me, it will rip me apart.

The build-up grows faster and faster. I can feel myself coming apart. I'm so close and I can feel Sebastian's dick inside me getting impossibly harder.

I'm about to fall apart.

Sebastian must sense this because he holds me tight as he starts thrusting harder inside me. His huge cock is stretching me completely and I have never felt this complete.

My body goes over the edge as I scream, "Sebastian!"

I come so intensely that my body feels like rubber and I'm pretty sure I won't be able to move tomorrow. Sebastian gently moans my name a few thrusts later and comes inside me. I grasp him tighter with my legs, wanting to grab a hold of every ounce of his pleasure.

After our breathing slows down he kisses my mouth slowly, deeply, as if to thank me. He rolls us over with his cock still inside me. Sebastian is on his back and I'm laid across his stomach, my head is nestled in the crook of his arm.

Bliss. This is bliss.

I feel whole, like his body was missing from mine this entire time. He was the missing piece, the reason I never felt complete... and he is slowly putting me back together.

I drift off to sleep with these thoughts playing in my mind.

*****

I feel a warm sensation spread throughout my body. A sweet tingling that is familiar from the night before. I'm slowly awakening from my sleep as I feel hot, wet kisses caress my body. A heavy weight is pressing over me and I feel something delicious thrusting inside my pussy.

My eyes open slightly to see Sebastian leaving open mouth kisses all over my torso. His hips are grinding against mine and I feel the urge to meet him thrust for thrust.

This is a great way to be woken up.

"Honey," he whispers huskily to me when he notices I'm up. "I hope you don't mind but I woke up, still inside you, and I had to fuck you. Damn, you just feel so incredible, baby."

I love when he speaks to me like this. His little terms of endearment toward me mixed with his unfiltered speech turn me on so much. He wants me, and when he wants something he isn't afraid to show it.

"You feel incredible, too," I moan, as he thrusts his cock inside me again.

"You want more, baby," he says and then pulls his cock out of me.

My body instantly feels the loss of him. It feels unnatural for him not to be inside of me.

"Turn over on your stomach," he demands. "Then get on your knees with your hands in front of you on the bed."

I instantly follow his instruction. His commands make me even wetter and I love this side of him.

As I'm on my hands and knees, Sebastian comes up behind me and places his hands on my ass. His hands slowly caress each cheek making my body overheat more with desire.

His hands then slowly caress up my back, to my neck, and then back down again, until each of his hands are on my hips.

I can feel his erection press against my ass, sliding between my cheeks. He then makes a slight movement so that his cock is now sliding between the folds of my pussy as he thrusts his hips over and over again.

"You're so wet for me. God, that is such a turn on, Mia. You have no idea how horny you make me. If I could fuck you all day, every day, I would."

He moves his erection to my core and thrusts inside me from behind. He hits me so deep this way that I'm not sure I can take anymore of him. I feel completely filled.

His rhythm inside me is hard and fast. His right hand moves around me to massage my clit as his left hand grasps my hip to steady me.

I'm so turned on that it only takes a few seconds for me to be on the brink of an orgasm. Each time he thrusts his cock inside me, my back arches and my body trembles.

"Sebastian, I can't hold off. You're too good... I'm... I'm... I'm going to..." My body starts to shiver as I try to hold off as long as possible.

"It's okay, let go for me, baby," he demands and I instantly explode on his cock.

He thrusts inside me a few more times before he's coming with me as he grunts, "Fuck... Mia!"

As our bodies start to cool down and our breathing returns to normal, he pulls out of me and lies down beside me in bed. I crawl over to him and plant a tender kiss on his mouth. My body needs to keep in contact with him. It feels like a need, a necessity, for me to be touching him at all times.

I release his mouth and lay my head on his chest. His arm comes out to caress gentle circles across my back. We stay silent for a few minutes, just basking in the beauty of this moment.

Then the real world decides to make an appearance.

There's a knock on the door. My entire body stills, wondering who is going to catch me in Sebastian's bed. What if it's Vanessa? She'll think I'm just like her, that I have no respect for myself. That I am willing to share Sebastian like the rest of them.

Please, Lord, don't let it be Vanessa.

A few moments later, after Sebastian doesn't respond to the first knock, the knocking starts again. Then the double doors to Sebastian's room open and in walks a beautiful, blonde woman.

It's Darcy, Sebastian's wife. Her head is down, reading something on the tablet in her hands, so she hasn't seen us yet.

I quickly grab the sheet at the edge of the bed and cover my naked body as Darcy starts to speak.

"It's ten in the morning, Sebastian. It's really not like you to sleep in, especially when you have so much work to catch up on today. Get up before I make you..." Darcy stops speaking as she looks up and notices me in Sebastian's bed.

Sebastian is still next to me, his arm is placed over me, and he looks pissed off.

"What the fuck? Since when do you barge right into my bedroom, Darcy? If I don't answer the door, you don't just fucking walk in." He speaks in a tone I have never heard him use before.

Darcy composes her facial features before speaking, "I'm sorry, Sebastian. I was worried when you didn't show up to our meeting this morning. We have a very lucrative business deal to discuss before I am to bring it to the board of Daddy's company. When you didn't show I came right over. Then you didn't answer your door so I came right in." She glances at me and then at Sebastian, "When did you start sleeping with the staff in your bedroom?"

What the hell does that mean? I look over at Sebastian to see if he can shed some light on what Darcy just said, but I quickly avert my gaze. Sebastian's face is murderous.

"My personal life is none of your fucking business. Where I have sex and whom I fuck is none of your business. Got that?" He spits out, glaring at his wife.

His wife.

What the hell am I thinking? I just slept with a married man. I just gave my body, bared my soul, to a married man. A man, who just referred to me in front of his wife, as a woman he fucked. I am nothing special to him. Again, what the hell was I thinking?

Before I can get up and remove myself from this situation, Darcy speaks. "I got it. I would have never barged in here if I knew you had someone in your bed. It's just... you never have anyone in here. I thought it was a safe bet, but I know now for the future."

She smiles towards me and then at Sebastian, "What time should I expect you to come down to your office? We have to go over these documents, Sebastian."

Sebastian's face softens towards her as he says, "I'll be down in half an hour."

Darcy nods towards him and then smiles apologetically towards me before quickly leaving the room, shutting the door behind her.

Sebastian's arm is still across my body and he pulls his free hand through his hair a few times. He looks... lost for words.

"I'm so sorry about that. I guess I should have locked the door last night, huh?" He lets out a soft laugh, but then his face goes serious as he takes in my expression. Nothing about this is funny to me.

I slowly start to get up from the bed. I have the urge to bolt out of here and never see Sebastian again. I keep the satin sheet around my body as I search the room for my clothes. Spotting my panties at the foot of the bed, I go for those first. I urgently slip them on and locate my bra next. As I find different items of my clothing, I put them on as fast as possible.

"You look like you're in a hurry to get out of here," Sebastian says curiously.

"Uh, huh... yep, I am. This was a huge mistake. I should have never come in here with you last night," I say, frantically searching for the remainder of my clothing.

I find my shorts last and am pulling them past my hips when Sebastian jumps out of bed and heads towards me. He reaches me and grips my hip with one hand while lifting my chin with the other so I'm forced to make eye contact with him.

"A mistake? Nothing about last night was a mistake." The look in his eyes is sincere and he moves his hand from my chin to caress my jaw. "How we started our morning wasn't a mistake either. The only mistake was how Darcy barged in and ruined our perfect morning together."

Right... his wife... I somehow keep forgetting this man is married.

I let out a huff, "Yes, let's talk about your wife. I slept with you and you're fucking married!" I'm shouting now and probably being irrational, but I don't care. "Even worse, I knew you were married and still did it. We all did. Oh my God... Oh My God... She must hate me."

I'm hyperventilating right now. My chest is tightening and Sebastian's grip on my hip gets tighter as he releases my jaw with his other hand.

"I told you, Mia, it's not a real marriage. It never has been."

He's trying to justify what we just did. I want to believe him, I want to just forget about him being married and continue with... well, whatever this is.

I need to understand. I need some kind of explanation.

"That makes no sense, Sebastian. You need to explain to me how you can be married but it means nothing. Marriage is a sacred act. You must have meant something to each other at one point," I whisper to him. Somewhere in the past few seconds I've calmed down.

He looks at me, eyes squinting, as if trying to decide something by looking at my face. He must have gotten his answer because he drops his hands from my body and takes a step back.

This is it. This is the moment I was dreading. He is done with me. I am just a fuck to him. Maybe at one point he thought it was more, but I questioned his marriage. It's probably the deal breaker between us.

Out of nowhere he says, "Have dinner with me tonight. I have meetings during the day, but I want to come home to you tonight. I want to eat dinner with you, share with you how my day went, and listen to how your day went. I'll explain to you about Darcy. I'll tell you everything, Mia. Just say you'll have dinner with me tonight."

I'm stunned. One second I'm thinking that what happened last night is over, the next he's asking me out to dinner. I want to go. I need answers. I also can't say goodbye to him yet. He's the first person to make me feel alive in a long time.

I keep my head down as I respond, "Okay, I'll have dinner with you."

I finish putting on my shorts and look up at him. "I have to get to work. Apparently, I'm three hours late." I walk to the doors of his bedroom to leave.

The day away from each other will be good for us. I need to think and he should, too.

I place my hand on the doorknob and speak without turning towards him, "Sebastian?"

"Yes," he says to me softly.

"Promise me you'll think about what you're doing before tonight. Last night meant something to me. I've never willingly given my body to someone. If this... If this isn't going to go somewhere, then I need it to end now before I get hurt. My heart can't take anymore heartache." With this statement I walk out the doors of his bedroom. I don't look back to see his reaction.

I rush over to the employee quarters and into my bedroom. I change into my uniform in two minutes flat. I drag a comb through my hair, tie it back at the base of my neck, and brush my teeth. Feeling refreshed, I am ready to start my day of housework. The physical work will help keep my mind off of Sebastian.

I walk back out the door of my room and through the kitchen where Vanessa, Rachel, and another woman are sitting and eating breakfast. Rachel looks up from her bowl of cereal but doesn't say anything to me. I'm glad because I want to go by unnoticed. Unfortunately, Vanessa spots me and I'm not so lucky.

"Look girls, little Miss Mia decided to grace us with her presence. You must have had a wild night," she says maliciously to me. "I guess Mr. Price is back to his old ways. I'll have to go find him later so I can get the next round. No one rides me like he does."

Vanessa turns back to her breakfast as if she didn't just tell me she plans on fucking Sebastian today.

I feel the anger spread throughout my body. I want to knock her down a few pedestals. She can't have Sebastian because he's mine.

"I hate to break it to you, Vanessa, but Sebastian is having dinner with me tonight. We have some things to discuss before he takes me, scratch that, before he fucks me in his bed. You might want to change your plans for later. I'd hate for your ego to get crushed."

I don't know why I said it. My sex life is no one's business, but she brings out so much rage in me.

I can't help but notice the smile leaving her face when I mention Sebastian's bed. Maybe Darcy was right and he doesn't bring the girls in there.

"You're lying," she yells at me.

"Am I? About what?" I shouldn't be, but I am getting pleasure out of seeing her upset.

"You aren't going to fuck him in his bed. He doesn't bring women to his room, ever. In fact, you're not going to fuck him at all. I'm going to wear him out so much he won't have anything left for you tonight." She's bluffing, I can see it in her eyes.

I want to tell her that I've already had sex with him in his bed, but I can't. I don't want her to know the intimate details of my relationship with him. I already said too much to her and I feel sick about it. I need to leave so I'm going to have to let her believe she has won this round.

I turn to leave the room as I say, "We'll see."

I walk back over to the estate to get my work done for the day.

Tonight is the night. Sebastian is going to tell me about his wife. Then I need to make a decision on whether I want to have a relationship with this man. I wish this could be easy, but I know it won't be.

He has one thing in his favor before I even hear him out because I'm positive now.

I am in love with Sebastian Price.

Chapter Eleven

The day speeds by and the next thing I know it's six o'clock and time to get ready for dinner with Sebastian. He texted me earlier, telling me to meet him in the estate kitchen at seven for dinner.

Part of me is nervous to hear what Sebastian has to say. The other part of me has those exciting butterflies in my stomach, anxious for what the night holds.

I rush to my room to get ready for the evening. On my bed is a box, wrapped in beautiful silver paper, and a handwritten note on top.

Mia,

I remembered last time you didn't wear a dress. I thought this time I would get one for you. I'm looking forward to tonight.

~Sebastian

I unwrap the box and open it, pulling out a beautiful baby blue sundress. It's a casual dress, soft cotton material, and I love it. I go over to my dresser and pull out a pair of nude lace panties and a matching bra. I place them on my bed with the dress and then make my way to my bathroom to wash up.

The warm shower water feels amazing on my body. I'm still a little sore from my night with Sebastian. I swear I used muscles I never knew existed. The soreness only reminds me of my night with him and I can't wait to do it again. I wash my hair and body, and then I shave... everywhere. When I'm satisfied with my appearance I turn the water off and hop out of the shower.

I decide to let my hair air-dry. I don't want to waste the time doing it just for it to look wild again in a few hours. At least I hope it will look wild again in a few hours.

I put some anti-frizz product in my hair to help it stay under control. Then I put on some light concealer, mascara, a hint of blush, and strawberry lip-gloss. I walk back out to my room and pull my lace panties and bra on. The feel of the material against my skin and what Sebastian will think of them, starts to turn me on.

Before my thoughts get away from me, I grab the blue sundress and pull it over my head. Once it's on completely I look in the mirror. Wow. It hugs my curves in all the right places. I beg my nipples to soften so that Sebastian doesn't see the evidence of my desire for him through my clothing. I slip on a pair of tan wedges and I'm ready to go.

I make it to the kitchen of Sebastian's estate with a few minutes to spare. I decide to wait patiently on a stool by the kitchen counter.

My thoughts take over as I wait for Sebastian. I start to wonder if I can see a future with him. Could I really start a relationship with him? What if he wants to get married some day?

I picture him in a tux and me in a white gown under the sunset on his large property. Just Sebastian, a minister and me. Yes, I could see myself getting married to him one day. It may sound crazy, and I haven't known him very long, but I can't turn my back on a connection like the one we have.

Would we stay in Miami? Would I still work for him? Would he want kids?

Kids.

I really haven't thought about that. I can't have a kid with Sebastian. I lost my son. I'll never have another child again. I'll never be able to replace my beautiful little boy. I'll have to tell Sebastian. He needs to know that I never plan on having kids.

Whoa, I'm jumping way ahead of myself here. Sebastian and I haven't even discussed what kind of relationship we want, or even if we want to be in a relationship. Plus, I'm sure he's in no rush to have kids. We can keep using protection and I'll discuss with him my feelings on children when the time-

OH SHIT!

Oh my God... Oh my God... What the hell was I thinking? Well, that's pretty obvious, I wasn't. I let my lust for that man control my body and my brain shut off. We didn't use protection and he came in me, twice.

My heart starts beating faster, I feel my throat closing up, my mouth is dry, and I think I am going to pass out.

I rush over to the refrigerator and open it, looking for something to drink. I grab a bottle of water, open it, and start chugging the contents of the bottle.

"Thirsty?" I hear from behind me.

I jump back into the refrigerator door and turn to see Sebastian staring at me, amused. I lower the bottle from my lips and swallow. Taking a deep breath I say, "We need to talk."

His smile grows wider, "I know. Isn't that the whole purpose of tonight?" He looks me up and down with a smirk on his face. "You look absolutely breathtaking tonight." Sebastian leans in to kiss my cheek, but I back away further into the fridge.

"Yes, that is the purpose of tonight, but something new has come up. I just realized it a few minutes ago and I'm freaking the fuck out," I say, louder than I planned on.

Sebastian comes closer to me again and this time I have no place to move. I am completely backed into the shelves of the refrigerator. His hand reaches out to touch my arm and he smiles at me compassionately. "Whatever it is, it'll be okay. Let's talk about it over dinner."

He goes to pull me away with him when I decide just to shout it out.

"You didn't wear a condom last night or this morning, I'm not on birth control, and you came inside me twice." I suck in a breath of air because that statement takes all the air out of me.

Sebastian slowly turns around to face me with a look of horror on his face. I have to say something.

"I'm sorry, Sebastian. I was so caught up in you that I wasn't even thinking about asking you to wear a condom. Now everything is a mess and..."

"Stop," Sebastian interrupts me and I look up into his eyes and stop talking. "This is not your fault. We were both careless. Plus, there is nothing to worry about yet. So we forgot, do you know how slim the odds are that you actually get pregnant after a few hours with me? We should be okay." He seems confident with his words.

What. An. Idiot.

"Do you know the odds of someone getting pregnant after being raped? Those odds are pretty damn low, too, but guess what? It happened to me, so screw your odds and start taking the shit I say seriously." I'm fuming at this point.

"Mia, I know you're pissed but can you minimize the cussing, it doesn't sound good on you." I nod my head and he continues, "First, the odds are small, but if you are pregnant then we'll deal with that when it happens."

He slowly walks to me and grabs my shoulders with both hands. Then he leans down and kisses me gently on the lips before pulling away.

"Second, if you like everything I have to say tonight then I plan on continuing to have sex with you. You'll need to make an appointment and get on birth control because I want nothing between us."

His hands start caressing me, they move up and down my arms. He brings his lips to my ear, "I want you to feel me come inside you. I want to go to work, knowing a part of me is always inside you. When you decide to be with me, Mia, then I'm going to own you, all of you, and especially your pussy. That will be all mine. I won't let anything get between my dick and what is mine. That includes a condom."

I feel tingles shoot down my body from his words. I can feel his breath hot on my ear. He is making me incredibly hot for him. I don't want dinner anymore because all I want is Sebastian. I want the words he speaks to be true.

They are true. Whether I know it or not, my body does. My pussy is his and the throbbing below is telling me he needs to claim it.

I throw my arms around his neck and pull him into my body. My mouth connects with his and I instantly relax into him. My body feels like it's home.

He kisses me hard and fast. His hands move to my ass and lift me, urging my legs to wrap around his waist. I wrap them around him tightly and I can feel his erection pressing against my core. My head goes back and my mouth releases a long moan. I need him now.

He moves me backwards until I'm pressed against the wall next to the refrigerator. Sebastian's mouth moves from my mouth, planting kisses up my jaw to my ear, "I'm going to fuck you now, honey. It's been too long since I've been inside you."

His mouth stays on my neck, getting me so incredibly turned on, as I feel one of his hands leave my ass to unzip his pants.

It all happens so fast. One minute he's whispering in my ear, the next he's pushing my underwear to the side and slamming into me. I let out a scream as he fills me to the brim. "Fuck, you're so wet for me. Your pussy missed me," he says, nibbling on my earlobe.

I can't speak. Coherent thoughts are not possible as he thrusts hard inside me. I arch my back, my head falling to the side so he has better access to my neck. My moment is building and building fast. My entire body is on fire.

Sebastian's mouth lowers down my neck, kissing down my shoulder and to my chest. He reaches my breasts and sucks and bites my nipple through the cloth of my dress and thin bra. It is my undoing.

My moaning gets louder and louder, I grip his shoulders so hard as I scream out in ecstasy. His mouth clamps down on my breast as he comes a second later. We ride out our orgasms together and slowly regain our self-control.

Sebastian kisses up my body until he reaches my mouth. He licks my bottom lip and then sucks it into his mouth.

Damn, it's sexy.

He releases my lips to give me a soft peck. "I love the strawberry lip gloss, honey, but you taste better," he says while slowly pulling out of me.

It is then that I realize our mistake, again.

"Crap! Sebastian we didn't use a condom again." I'm still against the wall and his body is pressed into mine. He looks unapologetic as he takes in my words.

"I told you, your pussy is mine. I will not use a condom when I'm having sex with you and I definitely will not apologize. You'll see a doctor tomorrow and we can get this squared away. If you want to refrain from having sex until the birth control kicks in then that's fine, but if you want to have sex with me before then, you'll have to deal with me coming inside you." His words are definite; he isn't going to back down.

"Sebastian, I don't want to have kids. I had a son and he is gone now. I have no desire to have more. You need to know that before this continues. If you want kids then I am not the one for you and unlike you, I can't take the risk of possibly getting pregnant." I hope he understands where I am coming from.

It is quiet for a few moments. Neither of us speaks as we continue to stare intensely into each other's eyes. Sebastian lowers his arms from me and takes a step back. My dress is bunched around my waist so I take this moment to lower it over my hips and adjust it. When I look back up at Sebastian he is studying my face.

"Never. You never want kids?"

It's too soon to be discussing this kind of topic, but I'm the one who brought it up.

"I had a kid, and I loved him, but I never want another one," I say to him. He needs to know this isn't changing.

"Did you not like being a mother? I mean," he pauses to think about what he is going to say. "I know your situation wasn't... ideal, but you chose to have your son. You chose to be a mother. How could you not want that anymore?"

My eyes start watering as my thoughts are instantly flooded with Miles. Sebastian has no idea what kind of mother I was. How much I have loved Miles and would have done anything for him. How when Miles was younger I dreamed of him having siblings to play with.

But dreams change and when Miles died, so did my dreams.

I'm not having this discussion with him tonight. Somehow our night has completely derailed from the original plan. I need to get us back on course.

"Sebastian, I'm not discussing this with you. I came over to have dinner and discuss your wife. If you no longer want to I understand and I will go back to my room. But I am, under no circumstances, talking about this with you. Not tonight."

I walk over to the counter to grab a tissue from the tissue holder. I dab the tears that have fallen from my eyes and take in a deep breath. I need to calm myself down. I need another distraction.

I feel Sebastian's hands on my shoulders from behind me. He speaks softly in my ear, "Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. Let's go over to the dining room and enjoy the dinner Rachel has made for us. I promise, no more serious discussions that weren't preplanned."

I turn around to face him and reply, "Okay." We walk in silence over to the dining room to enjoy our dinner together.

*****

My mood is somber throughout dinner. I can't shake all the emotions that are running through my body. I want to scream, I want to cry, I want to go back to my room and just lay in the dark until I fall asleep. Mostly, I want anything that will help me numb the pain I am feeling.

This is exactly why I never wanted him, or anyone else, to know about Miles. I am fine when I can bury all thoughts of him. It is almost like he never existed, like it was a dream. It's when someone brings him up that I completely break down.

I have barely touched any of my food and Sebastian notices. He doesn't say anything; in fact, he's silent most of the meal. The only time he speaks is when Rachel enters the room to check on our courses.

She has just brought out dessert when Sebastian suddenly tosses his napkin on his plate. I hear the screeching of the legs of his chair as he pulls it out and stands up abruptly.

"Rachel, can you have this sent up to my room? Mia and I are going to head up to bed." His voice sounds stern. It's a voice that's not to be questioned. Rachel notices this, too, because she nods shyly before leaving the room.

"Come with me," Sebastian says as he reaches out for me from across the table.

I stand up from my chair and place my napkin down. I have no desire to go with him, but his mood tells me this isn't a time to argue.

I walk over to meet him and he takes my hand in his. We walk to his room in silence. I'm not sure if he is going to tell me about his wife now, yell at me, or ask for sex. It really could go any way.

I step into his bedroom after him and he closes the doors, locking them this time. Sebastian starts to remove his clothing and I follow his lead.

I guess we are having sex.

Standing in his boxers, me in my bra and panties, Sebastian does something unexpected. He moves over to his bed and pulls back his bedding. He sits down with his back against the headboard, legs open, and calls me over to sit in between them.

Searching for some kind of comfort, I eagerly go to him and sit between his legs, my back to his front.

Sebastian leans over to grab his comforter and pulls it until it is draped over our bodies. Then he wraps his arms around my stomach, my head immediately falls back on his chest. I feel safe. Being in his arms gives me so much comfort and peace. It is something I have never felt before.

We lie like this for what feels like hours, neither of us saying a word. We don't address what happened earlier, we don't talk about his marriage, and we don't have sex.

Every couple minutes Sebastian shows me some little form of affection. He squeezes me a little tighter, or runs the tips of his fingers up and down my arms, or leaves lingering kisses on the back of my head.

The affection he is showing me makes me want to cry. I never knew a man could be so tender... thoughtful... loving. I have never seen that before.

I'm slowly starting to drift off to sleep. The rising and falling of his chest is the most comforting thing in the world and I know when I fall asleep tonight, I will be safe.

Chapter Twelve

7 months earlier

"Rise and shine," I said brightly as I placed a kiss on his forehead.

Miles was slowly starting to stir from his deep sleep. His rocket ship bedding was pushed to the foot of the bed where his head currently was. He had one leg hanging over the side of his twin bed and the other leg bent to his stomach.

From the day I brought him home from the hospital, he could never stay still in his sleep. It was one of the reasons I insisted on him not sleeping in my bed. It wasn't because I didn't want him in there; it was because I was never able to sleep with his body constantly moving around.

Miles would come home from kindergarten, telling me how his friends got to sleep in their parent's beds at night. It was a constant battle in our house, a battle I was going to win. Sure, I felt bad telling him no all the time, but what Miles didn't realize is Mommy needed sleep, too!

"Mommy," he said groggily as he was squinting his eyes to look up at me. "Why do I have to wake up so early?"

His facial expression was so cute. I absolutely adored my little boy. How anyone could look at a child and not see what a miracle that child was, baffled me. This six-year-old, fifty-five pound little boy was the love of my life.

"Miles, you've got to get up. Charlie is going to be here soon to take you to breakfast and get you off to school."

His face brightened at my words. He loved his mornings with Charlie. It was what Miles called his "man time."

Charlie had been dating my mom for the past four years. She really loved him and when he moved in with her a couple months after they started dating, he became instant family. He took a real liking to Miles, too. I was glad Miles had a male figure in his life.

Charlie worked at the local factory, the one that Kyle used to work at. Kyle should be thanking the Lord he's in prison because if he weren't, I could guarantee Charlie would kill him.

"Yes! Breakfast with Grandpa Charlie is the best," Miles shouted as he jumped out of his bed. "Do you think he'll let me order off the adult menu and get steak and eggs again?"

Miles walked over to his dresser where I had placed his outfit for the day.

"I don't know, buddy. I'm sure if you ask him really nicely you might get your way," I winked.

I didn't know why Miles even asked me that. He knew he had Charlie wrapped around his finger. I don't think the man had ever told Miles no.

I walked over to the dresser to help Miles get dressed. He was wearing a pair of carpenter jeans and his favorite top, an Atlanta Braves t-shirt. They were his favorite baseball team. We had gone to a game last summer and Charlie had bought him this t-shirt after they won. Miles would wear it every day if he could.

The doorbell rang and I heard the front door open. "Where is my favorite six-year-old?" Charlie's voice echoed through my small ranch.

Miles took off without finishing putting his socks on. I followed after him into the hallway where Miles had jumped into Charlie's waiting arms.

"You ready for breakfast, buddy? I don't know about you, but I'm starving," Charlie said as he patted his stomach with his free hand.

"I'm starving, too, Grandpa Charlie, I just have to brush my teeth-"

I cut him off mid-sentence, "First, you need to finish putting on your socks."

He laughed in Charlie's arms, "Oh, yeah, I can't go to school missing a sock," Miles replied as he jumped out of Charlie's arms and grabbed his white sock out of my hand.

I walked into the kitchen while Miles finished getting ready. I went to the fridge and grabbed out our lunches for the day. I placed his lunch box in his backpack and put it by the front door. Then I grabbed my lunch, purse, and suit jacket and walked over to the front door to wait. Charlie and Miles came a few seconds later. We were ready to go.

Miles and Charlie walked out of the house and I followed after locking up. I ran over to Charlie's car to give Miles a hug and a kiss goodbye. "I'll see you after school, okay? If you're good to Charlie we can stop for ice cream on our way home tonight."

"Okay, Mom. Love you!"

"I love you, too," I said as I moved away and shut the door. I walked over to the driver's side where Charlie was already seated with the window down. "Thanks again for doing this. I hate when I have these early morning team meetings. I learn nothing and it takes a morning away from my son."

"Don't worry about it, kiddo. You know I love my time with Miles. He's like the son I never had. You go enjoy your meeting and we'll eat some extra pancakes for you," he chuckled at me.

Charlie started to back away as I heard Miles say from the back seat, "I don't want pancakes." I laughed at his response and waved as their car drove down the street.

I walked over to my car and got in the driver's seat, placing my lunch and purse in the passenger seat. I started it up and checked my make-up in the rearview mirror. I turned my radio on to my favorite classic rock station and backed out of my driveway.

I drove in the opposite direction of Charlie. My meeting for work was twenty minutes outside of town. We were going to be implementing a new system for online banking. So as a manager, I had to sit down and figure out a training schedule for my staff. Why I couldn't just do this at my branch was beyond me.

Traffic wasn't too bad on the roads and I made it to our corporate office with a few minutes to spare. Not one to waste time, I went into the building and headed straight up to the third floor. The conference rooms were to the left of the elevators. When the elevator chimed, I walked out and veered to the right towards the kitchen. I needed a cup of coffee before this meeting so I would stay awake.

Jonathon, a branch manager from a different location, was already pouring himself a cup of coffee from the industrial size coffee maker. He was the first person I met when I started working here and he was a good friend, probably my only real friend.

I didn't share a lot of my personal life with him, but I still considered him a close friend. He was my partner in crime at these meetings and always made me laugh.

He looked up from his cup of coffee and spotted me.

"Mia," he exclaimed as he walked over to me and kissed my cheeks as if we were French. This was his greeting for me every time we saw each other. "I was going to text you to see if you wanted to get lunch after the meeting."

"I wish I could, Jonathon, but I made a lunch today." I actually really wanted to go to lunch with him, but I couldn't afford it. I had to save every penny I could.

"Oh, stop," he waved his arm at me like what I was saying was ridiculous. "You put that lunch of yours in the fridge at work and you can eat it tomorrow. I haven't talked to you in ages and I am taking you to lunch. My treat and I won't take no for an answer."

Well, when he put it that way...

He poured a second cup of coffee before handing it over to me, "How you can drink that stuff black is beyond me."

Jonathon was a coffee snob. I was actually surprised he was even drinking the coffee at corporate. He usually liked to go to an expensive coffee chain, order some kind of latte, and pay a ridiculous amount of money for it. I, on the other hand, could not fathom paying five dollars for a cup of coffee.

We walked out of the kitchen, through the hallway, and into the conference room. We took the two furthest seats from the front and planted ourselves down for the morning. The room was quickly filling up with other managers, IT personnel, and random people from corporate.

"Hey," Jonathon whispered. "Cameron really wants to meet you. I was thinking of having you over for dinner at my place... maybe this weekend? We can have wine, play board games, get drunk, and dance to horrible music. What do you think?" Jonathon looked really excited about the idea of me finally meeting Cameron.

Jonathon and Cameron had been dating for the past year. It was getting pretty serious and every time we planned to finally meet, I had to cancel. I was actually looking forward to meeting him.

"Okay, well, let me talk to my mom and Charlie tonight. Maybe they can watch Miles on Saturday and I can come over."

I stopped speaking as my boss stood up in front of the room and started his presentation. He started with how our banking system was ancient. That our customer complaints were at an all time high. This new system was supposed to be very competitive with other financial institutions across the country.

A few minutes in, my phone started buzzing in my purse. I ignored it and continued to pretend to listen to my boss's presentation. The buzzing stopped and then immediately started up again.

I reached into my purse to search for my phone. By the time I found it the buzzing had stopped. My caller ID showed two missed calls from my mother. I went to put my phone back in my purse when it started to buzz in my hand. The caller ID showed my mother again.

She was calling for the third time so it must be urgent. I stood up, grabbed my purse, and excused myself from the room. I tapped the answer button and placed the phone to my ear as I was walking out of the room.

"Momma, I'm in a meeting. Can I call..." I stopped speaking. I could hear my mother crying into the phone. After a few seconds of silence I spoke again, "Momma?"

"Mia... you... you..." her voice was trembling into the phone. She was having a hard time getting her words out. "You have to.... to get down to the hospi... hospital right away. Charlie and... Miles were in an.... accident."

My stomach dropped. My hand started to tremble as my phone dropped to the ground. I leaned over and picked it back up off the floor and ran down the hallway. I took the stairs to the main level instead of waiting for the elevator.

My thoughts were everywhere. Were they okay? Was Miles hurt? How bad was the accident?

I made it to the main level and ran out the doors of the corporate offices. I spotted my car right away. I dug my keys out of my purse as I ran to my car. I opened the car door, hopped in, and sped off to the county hospital. I hung up on my mother before I got any information out of her, but county was the only hospital in a fifty-mile radius to us.

The drive took me about fifteen minutes. I was lucky to have not run across any cops. I was speeding and running every red light.

He was going to be okay. My mother was a very dramatic woman. She cried over everything. Miles probably didn't even have a scratch on him. I was racing over there for nothing. I was going to go into that emergency room and see him laughing and smiling. He'd probably be talking about all the cool things the paramedics showed him.

As I was going over all this in my head, my heart told me something different. I knew I needed to prepare myself. Call it a gut instinct, I don't know, but I knew deep in my heart that Miles wasn't okay.

I felt a tear drip down my cheek and I wiped it from my face.

Don't cry. There is no reason to cry. He was fine. He would be fine. You are going to laugh about this later with him. Miles was going to think it was so funny that you were crying over this silly accident.

I pulled up to the emergency room at our county hospital. I didn't bother finding a parking space. I pulled right into the ambulance parking and jumped out of my car. I didn't even bother turning it off and taking the keys out of the ignition.

When I went through the automatic double doors I spotted my momma. She was sitting in the chairs against the wall on the far side of the waiting area. She was crying into a man's chest. I realized it wasn't any man... it was Charlie.

My knees started to shake and my eyes began to water.

Miles wasn't with them.

No! This wasn't happening. This was a mistake. He was fine. Miles was fine.

Charlie looked up and spotted me first. The look on his face said it all. It was somber, apologetic, and devastatingly heartbroken.

My mother's face shifted towards mine with Charlie's movement. When her eyes connected with mine... I wanted to die. Tears continued to fall down her face as she stood up to walk over to me. My face felt wet as well, and that was when I noticed I was crying, too.

My body was full blown trembling by the time she made it to me. I couldn't control it and I couldn't stop it. My momma's arms wrapped around me and we cried together.

I couldn't ask her, if I asked her that would make it real. I needed it not to be real.

She pulled away from me slightly so that we were face to face. "Mia, honey, they did everything they could," she sniffled back her tears and continued. "The damage to his body was too severe... he's gone, Mia. I'm... I'm so sorry, baby, but Miles is dead."

That was the last thing I remembered about that day. My vision blurred, my body felt week, and I was trembling. Then I blacked out.

Chapter Thirteen

Present

I'm sleeping.

I can feel the touch of someone's hands rubbing up and down my arm. I want to turn into those hands, but I'm still so tired.

"Mia," I hear my name being called to me.

His voice sounds so raspy, sexy and strong. The hands that were rubbing my arm a few seconds ago are now shaking my body back and forth. The sexy voice is back but sounds panicked now.

"Mia! Wake up, Mia."

My eyes dart open. My body is drenched in sweat and I can feel my heartbeat racing. My cheeks are wet and my eyes are slightly blurry. I look around the room to see what could have startled me, but I see nothing. That is when I feel the tender touch of someone's hands on me.

I turn into the hands to see a worried Sebastian. He is gently caressing me with his hands as his eyes show concern. I want to reach out to him and ask him what's wrong. I want to ease him from whatever is causing him to look the way he looks.

"What's wrong? Are you okay?" These are the only words I can think to ask at the moment.

Sebastian's eyes squint at me like he can't believe what I just asked him.

"Mia, honey... am I okay? That is..." he drags his hand through his hair as he contemplates what to say next. "Are you okay? You were screaming in your sleep, you're covered in sweat, and you're shaking."

Huh? I look over my body and I realize he's right. I am shaking.

"Honey, were you dreaming? Do you want to talk about it?"

Was I dreaming? I don't think so. I haven't had a dream in a long time. If I was dreaming and it affected me this much I would remember, wouldn't I?

I adjust my body to face him completely and I lift one of my legs over his hips so that I'm straddling him. I raise my hands to grip the sides of his face while I look into his eyes.

All I see in his beautiful blue eyes is the worry he has for me.

"I wasn't dreaming. I don't know why I'm covered in sweat, or why I was screaming in my sleep," I say with such determination. I'm not sure if I am trying to convince him or me. "I would remember if I was dreaming."

I caress his cheek and lean in to give him a quick kiss on the lips. "I'm sorry I scared you. Go back to sleep."

I go to move off of him, but his arms move around me to hold me in place. He gently adjusts my body so that my body is over his intimately. I can feel his erection through the thin material of his boxers and my panties.

"Are you sure you're okay? I'm here, you know, if you want to talk. I'll listen to anything you want to tell me," he says, sounding hopeful. I know he wants me to confide in him, but I'm not there yet. With my freak-out yesterday I'm not sure if I will ever be there.

I speak softly to him, "I know and that is very sweet. You were there for me last night. I needed you and you were there. That's what I need. That's all I need."

I lean down to give him another kiss on the lips. His hands tighten around my waist as he kisses me back. What was meant to be a brief peck quickly gets out of control.

His hands move up my body and caress the sides of my breasts. His tongue meets mine as we devour each other. Our need for each other is evident. My hands move urgently over his body. I waste no time in moving one of my hands inside the front of his boxers.

His cock is hard and ready for me. I hold his erection as I start to stroke him up and down. My hips are moving up and down with each movement. I release my mouth from his and move my lips across to his neck. My free hand moves to the back of his neck to hold him in place while I suck on his skin and continue to stroke his erection.

His hands continue their movement over my body. When Sebastian goes to take my panties off I stop him.

I speak panting into his neck, "We... can't." I barely get the words out before his hand is in my panties. His fingers stroke in between my folds before his index finger plunges into my core. "Ugh," I moan out. His hand feels incredible. He feels incredible.

I continue my movement over his erection as I start to ride his finger. Just as I am starting to feel the familiar build-up approaching, Sebastian adds another finger inside me. I let out another moan as I crash my lips to his.

I can't get enough of him. My body needs him. It is like some unexplained force has taken over me and it needs Sebastian to survive.

My teeth clamp onto his lips as I am on the brink of an orgasm. I want to wait for him, but I don't know how to stop it. I'm... almost.... there.

My back arches as my breasts smash into his chest. I still have my bra on, but the feeling of my hard nipples against his chest is my undoing. I come, riding his fingers, moaning out Sebastian's name. It feels incredible.

Sebastian is still panting as my hand moves faster over his cock. "Lift your hips," he breathes out to me.

I lift my hips as he slips his hand out from me. He moves his fingers to his mouth and sucks my juices off them.

I'm entranced by this action. It is completely and totally the most erotic thing I have ever experienced.

"Fucking delicious. You taste fantastic."

Sebastian has no qualms in saying this to me. He looks triumphant even. His hips start thrusting into my hand and I know he's getting close.

I don't know if it's the trust I am slowly having in him or the scene he just displayed in front of me, but I have the urge to do something for him. Something I have never done before.

My hand continues its movement as I slowly move my hips down his body. I place kisses down his chest. My lips hover over his lower abdomen, licking and kissing him right above his package.

I move my lips over the top of his erection. I lick the head of his cock as I continue to pump him up and down.

"Oh... Fuck!" He yells as I open my mouth and take him inside. I start to suck and bob my head over him while my hand continues to move on him. It only takes a couple seconds and he is ready to come.

His hand goes to move my head, but I stay firm on his cock. I love the feeling of him stretching inside me. I feel something hit my tongue, then the back of my throat as Sebastian comes inside my mouth.

I take all of him. Wanting to taste every last drop. Surprisingly, he tastes fantastic. I'm beginning to understand why he likes licking me off his fingers.

When I'm sure he's finished, I lift myself off him and lick my lips. The look on his face makes me melt inside. He is looking at me with such adoration.

I crawl back up his body and sprawl across his chest. We lay this way for a while, neither of us speaking. We are just enjoying being in each other's company.

After what has to have been hours but seems like seconds, I look over to the clock on his nightstand. It is a little after six in the morning. I'll have to get ready to start work soon.

As if sensing where my thoughts are, Sebastian breaks the silence in the room. "Stay in bed with me today. We can talk about everything and I can explain to you about my marriage. We can just lie here and enjoy being together."

I want to. The idea of staying in bed with him makes my stomach flutter. There is nothing I want to do more in the world than stay with him, but I have a job to do. I can't allow him to give me special treatment. It isn't fair and the girls would hate me.

"As great as that sounds, I need to work. We can spend the day together this weekend," I say to him, pouting slightly. I nuzzle my face into his chest a little more.

His hands start to caress my back as he speaks, "Just today. I just need today. You have sick days and personal days.... we can just say you are using one of those. Plus, I have a proposition for you. I've been thinking about this the past few days and I really want to discuss it with you today. What do you say? Will you stay with me?"

How can I say no to that? It is all too easy staying with him since I never wanted to leave in the first place.

I lift my head slightly to look into his eyes as I say, "Okay."

I lay my head back down on his chest and just enjoy being in this moment. I am in Sebastian's safe arms. Nothing can harm me in his arms. I know I have only known him for two months, but I can't imagine not being around him. He is my safety net. It may be unhealthy, and I am sure a psychologist would love to examine me, but I need Sebastian.

I feel like he is detrimental to my survival.

*****

We cuddle in Sebastian's bed most of the morning. I snuggle into him and let myself doze on and off in his arms. He does the same. It is the most comfortable rest I have had in a while.

He needs to take a few of the calls that come through on his cell. He apologizes every time he has to answer and he keeps the calls as short as possible. I don't mind. I like hearing him being so authoritative on the phone.

He sounds sexy.

A woman I don't recognize brings us up brunch around noon. It's a nice spread of bagels, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausages, pancakes, French toast, and fruit. I don't know how many people she thinks are in here because there is no way we are going to be able to eat all of this.

When I ask Sebastian about all the food he explains that he wasn't sure what I like to eat so he had them bring up a selection of different foods.

That is sweet.

I decide on some pancakes and sausage while Sebastian eats the scrambled eggs and fruit. I'm cradled between his legs while we eat. It's easy for me to eat, but I'm not so sure it's that easy for him to eat, but he doesn't complain.

When we finish eating Sebastian has Celeste, a member of the kitchen staff, come up and collect our dirty dishes.

We lie back down facing each other, him on his right side and me on my left. Our faces are only a few inches apart.

"I want to tell you about Darcy," Sebastian whispers to me as he plays with a strand of my hair between his fingers.

I am hesitant as I reply, "Okay." I'm not sure if I am going to like the story he's about to tell me. I'm also not sure if I am going to look like the dirty whore who sleeps with a married man.

I guess I am about to find out.

"Before I tell you I need you to know something," he says nervously. "I... the way I feel about you, I've never felt this way about anyone before. I've been in many relationships, some serious and some not, but I've never had any kind of intense feelings for any of the women. It was always just something to satisfy me, sexually. Also, I was lonely and any kind of companionship was better than nothing.

"When I met you, everything changed. I knew it the second I laid my eyes on you. You came into my office, looking so innocent and scared, and I instantly felt the need to protect you. It was instinct."

He pauses briefly, looking at me anxiously. He looks like he is afraid to continue. I lift my hand and place it on his chest, directly over his heart. I want to give him some kind of encouragement to continue.

"When you left my office I couldn't get you out of my head. I knew that no matter what the background check said, I was going to hire you. I couldn't imagine not seeing you again. Then... then I got the report on you from my private investigator. Out of all the horrible scenarios I could imagine being on that report, I never would have imagined reading what I read about you. My heart broke for you, even though I just met you.

"I immediately got on the phone with Nancy and told her to call you and let you know you were hired. When Nancy mentioned you moving in on the weekend my protective instinct took over. I couldn't imagine you living on your own for a few more days. I needed you safe, on my estate. I told Nancy you had to move in that night.

"She thought I was insane, but I didn't care. I needed to know you were safe. I filled my day in with Vanessa and her body. It was like I had to prove to myself that you weren't going to change anything. That I was still going to be able to fuck my staff... and you, some girl I just met, was not going to change me. Then you moved in and our brief interactions sparked something inside me."

He takes a deep breath and continues to play with my hair as he speaks, "Then that first night at dinner, when we connected, I felt it throughout my body. It was like I was alive for the first time. My body felt like it was on fire. Your touch did that to me, but then.... then you turned me down and left me.

"I was so angry. Angry with you and angry that I let you get to me. I used Rachel to fill the need I had for you and the next thing I know, you're in my office watching me fuck her.

"The look on your face, you were devastated. I could see it and I felt sick. Sick that I did that to you, and sick that after you turned me down I was weak and turned to Rachel. When you ran out of my office I made Rachel leave. I haven't touched another woman since."

I bring my lips up to his and kiss him gently on the lips. I want to comfort him. I want to soothe him from any pain I have caused him.

He moves away from my lips and continues, "I thought I blew any chance I had with you. Then we decided to be friends and that night, in your bedroom, was the hottest thing I have ever experienced. You trusted me. I knew then that I might actually have a chance with you... and I wanted a chance with you... so badly.

"So I told you we could be friends and over the next several weeks I got to get to know you and I loved everything about you. You are a breath of fresh air for me. Everything I've been missing. When we made love for the first time, I knew what a big deal that was for you. I was so happy you trusted me to let us experience that together. It was in that moment I knew I loved you."

Oh. My. God.

He loves me. Sebastian just said he loves me. He can't love me. Maybe he doesn't realize what he said. Maybe he is already regretting saying it. Maybe-

Sebastian lifts my chin so that I'm looking directly into his eyes. His are crystal clear while mine are blurry with unshed tears, waiting to pour down.

"I love you, Mia. I've never loved another woman. You are it for me." He looks so sincere and with his words I melt.

My brain and mouth lose any filter they've had before. I am no longer trying to protect my heart.

"I love you, Sebastian. God, I love you so much. I know we haven't known each other for long, but I think I loved you the moment I met you. You brought me back to life. Over the past several months I've been dead inside and you saved me. I love you."

I kiss him passionately this time. Saying with my mouth and body what I just said with words. We are getting pretty hot and heavy when Sebastian pulls away.

He's breathing heavily and his eyes are filled with lust, but he's determined. "We need to talk first, Mia. I still haven't told you about Darcy."

Well, that's like a bucket of ice water being thrown on my libido. The last thing I want to talk about after our confessions of love is his marriage.

He gently strokes my cheek as my eyes move towards him.

"Darcy and I have known each other our whole lives. Our families are close and our fathers have been business partners for over thirty years. Darcy and I never got along growing up, but our parents were convinced we would fall in love and get married. When I was a junior in high school I was so sick of hearing about the two of us that I started sleeping with any woman that would have me. It was surprisingly easy.

"My parents just thought it was a phase. They thought I was getting my promiscuity out of the way before I settled down. By the time college came around, it was evident that I had no desire to settle down with Darcy. Darcy was okay with that, too. She had a boyfriend at the time and she had no desire to settle down with me either.

"My senior year of college my father got very ill and I wasn't in any position to take over his company. Darcy's father offered to step in and run it for me until I was capable of running it myself. That sounded like such an excellent solution for all of us. He just had one condition. I had to marry Darcy first."

Sebastian's hands move through my hair and down my body as his eyes follow. It is like he wants to make sure I am still there.

I'm not leaving him.

He continues to tell me about Darcy.

"Darcy had broken up with her boyfriend at that point. I had no feelings for her and I knew that wasn't going to change, but I also needed to help keep my father's company running. I had spoken about this with Darcy and she felt the same way I did... but she was a Daddy's girl. She would agree with whatever he asked of her, no matter what.

"A week before my father passed away I made the deal with Darcy's father. We got married that weekend in a small ceremony on her family's estate. It was a business deal and her father kept his end of the bargain. He ran my dad's company for the next two years and then I took over.

"Darcy and I tried to have a real marriage in the beginning, but it only lasted a couple months. Neither of us was in love and Darcy was sleeping with her tennis instructor. We decided to stay married for the sake of our families. Also, a divorce would mean vicious headlines in the press. Neither of us wanted that.

"So we stayed married to make everyone happy, but we have little to no contact. Unless it has to do with business we don't speak. We rarely even attend functions together. It has worked for us, up until now.

"I want a divorce from her. I want to show you off as my woman. I want everyone to know we are together."

I am stunned. A lot of declarations are being made in this bed today. I need time to take it all in. Just when I think there couldn't be anymore he says one last thing.

"I want you to stop working for me. I want you to live with me as my girlfriend, not as my housekeeper."

Wow. I wasn't expecting that.

I also wasn't expecting the overwhelming feeling of love that rushes over me when he calls me his girlfriend. Okay, maybe he doesn't call me his girlfriend, but he implies that he wants me to be his girlfriend.

I move closer to him and lift my right leg over his hips. I want him as close to me as possible. My chest is pressed into his and my arm moves around him to hold onto his back.

"As much as I love the idea of being your girlfriend and living with you, I can't. You hired me as your housekeeper. How would that look to everyone? Your housekeeper is now your girlfriend? I've made a few friends here and they will hate me when they find out."

He looks at me in disbelief. He knows I have no friends in the house.

"Okay, maybe not friends but acquaintances. If you change the dynamic of the house, things could backfire on you." I point to his door as I continue, "Those girls out there really like you. Some might even love you. If you declare me as your girlfriend and I stop working for you, everything will blow up in your face. Most of those girls will no longer be nice and then we will have even more issues to deal with."

I kiss his lips again, trying to soften the blow. I hope he realizes that I'm not saying no because I don't want to be with him. I'm saying no because it's what is best for everyone involved.

He has a really great life set out for him. He has all the help he needs and I will just get in the way of that. Plus, I don't know how Darcy will deal with this. I know they have an agreement, but she has never had to deal with Sebastian being serious with someone. This could change everything.

Sebastian continues to gently kiss my lips as he speaks.

"If you don't want to, I understand, but don't... don't use those girls as an excuse. I want to make a life with you and if you want to make a life with me, too, then the rest will work itself out. I just need to know what you want."

What do I want? Everything he said, I want that, too. But can I have it? Can I just forget about everything in my past and make a life with him? He'll never understand about the children thing. He'll never understand my love for Miles. He'll never know Miles and he'll never truly love me.

Can I live my life with someone who doesn't even know about the most important thing in my life? Can I tell him about Miles?

No, I know I'm not ready to talk to him about Miles yet, but I do want what he is proposing. I want to be his girlfriend. I want to make a life with him and I want to live with him. Not as his housekeeper, but as his girlfriend.

Screw what the other girls think. If Sebastian wants me then I'm not going to turn him down. He's made me happier than I've been in a long time. I would be stupid to give that up. People fight their whole lives to feel just a fraction of what I feel for Sebastian. I have to be with him, however I can.

I move my hand from his back, up into his hair and kiss him a little harder than the gentle kisses he is giving me. When I break the kiss, Sebastian is panting and ready for more, his erection digging into my stomach makes that evident.

I want him, too, so I am going to let us both out of our misery, "I want to start a life with you, too. I'll move in, I'll be your girlfriend. I want to be with you however and whenever I can."

I move my lips back to his and the kiss grows more and more intense as he is frantically ripping my bra and panties off my body. I pull his boxers off with just as much eagerness.

His hands roam all over my body. My hands can't decide where they want to touch first.

Then Sebastian's cock is entering me and I forget about anything and everything else. I just focus on Sebastian and the way he makes love to me.

Chapter Fourteen

The next few weeks fly by. Sebastian and I are inseparable. I stop working at the estate and move my things over from the employee quarters to his bedroom.

Any doubts I had about our new arrangement quickly vanish.

Sebastian treats me amazingly. He is the most attentive boyfriend I could have ever asked for. I'm starting to realize how lucky I am to have found him. If I would have stayed in Georgia I might have missed out.

He also took care of talking to the girls.

Two days after we decided to try a relationship, Sebastian sat down with all of the girls. I wasn't there so I don't know what all was said but from what he told me, they were all pretty understanding. Everyone but Vanessa.

Vanessa went off on Sebastian and said demeaning things about me. Sebastian reminded her of the contract she signed. Apparently, Vanessa and the other girls received a different version of the contract than I did. She understood fully what she was getting herself into when she signed her employee contract. He made no promises to her or any of the other girls.

So she quit.

I wish I could say I feel bad for her, but I don't. I am glad that I won't have to deal with all the idiotic things she might say. I'm also glad I won't have to worry about her throwing herself at Sebastian. I know he wouldn't reciprocate, but I still don't want it to happen.

I've spoken a little to Rachel and Michelle over the past few weeks; they seem to be really happy for me. It's obvious I'm in love with Sebastian. They also explained how they've never seen Sebastian this way. It's obvious to them that he loves me, too.

All in all, everything is going great. The joy Sebastian gives me helps fill the void Miles left. It is still there, but it is easier to ignore the pain when I have Sebastian to focus on.

I'm looking over myself in the mirror that is attached to the wall in Sebastian's closet. I'm wearing a blue, floor length cocktail dress, beautiful navy Louis Vuitton shoes and a beautiful diamond necklace that is loaned out from the jeweler for the evening.

My hair is down in loose waves over my right shoulder. I have on a decent amount of make-up, at least more than I usually wear, and I wear a set of diamond earrings that Sebastian gave me earlier this evening. I've never owned something so expensive before, but Sebastian insisted I have them.

I hear a noise come from the other room and when I look up Sebastian is standing in the doorway. He looks so handsome. He's wearing a standard black tux, but Sebastian makes everything he wears look like it's made just for him.

He walks over to me while I'm still facing the mirror. Standing behind me, his eyes meet mine in the mirror and he leans down to kiss my shoulder.

"You are the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. I am going to be the envy of every man in the room tonight." His words make me melt. I know there are going to be women much prettier than me at this event, but the fact that he thinks I'm beautiful helps me not to be self-conscious about my appearance.

He wraps his arms around my middle and rests his chin on my shoulder. We spend a few moments just staring at each other. I'm so lucky to have him in my life.

"We should get going," Sebastian says to me as he lets go of my body. I instantly feel a void on my body from where his hands were a second ago.

"I'm ready, I just need to grab my purse."

I turn around and start to leave the closet when Sebastian grabs me by the hips and thrusts me into his body.

His lips come down to meet mine and I'm lost in him. Every brush of his lips across mine sends tingles throughout my body. My breathing starts to get harder and I can feel my insides starting to heat up.

Just when I'm about to ask him to fuck me in the closet, Sebastian breaks the kiss and lets go of my hips. I'm panting hard and breathe out, "That was so unfair. You got me all riled up and now you're just going to leave me?"

Sebastian chuckles lightly and replies, "I told you, we have to go. This is a big night for me and we can't be late."

He takes a step towards the doorway and continues, "We'll finish this tonight, I promise. It'll be good for you to feel a need for me all night. It will make it even better when we finally do have sex."

He is such a tease.

We are off to a big celebratory event at one of the most exclusive hotels in Miami. Sebastian's company has just signed a massive deal with a huge oil company in Europe. It means positive things are ahead for him and the party is to celebrate what the next year will bring.

This will be our first public outing together. Sebastian and Darcy are still married in the public's eye, and I'm not allowed to announce I am his girlfriend or hang on him all night, but he wants me to go for support. He let Darcy know that I'm going and surprisingly she's happy for him.

I grab my purse off the dresser in Sebastian's room and turn to exit the room with him.

"Ah, ah, ah, honey. Aren't you forgetting something?" Sebastian says in a teasing voice.

I look at him skeptically. I can't for the life of me think of what I could be forgetting. I quickly look over my appearance to see if I am missing something crucial, but I'm not.

"I have no idea what I could be forgetting. Enlighten me?"

He shakes his head in a mocking tease to me as he speaks, "Your pill. Today is the first day you can start your birth control. I'm sick of wearing condoms for you, so you better start your pill tonight. I can't believe I went along with this to begin with."

Oh, yeah, my pill. I had gone to the doctor's office the morning after Sebastian and I decided to be together. When she asked if I had unprotected sex since my last period, I had to tell her yes. I wasn't allowed to start a new birth control until we were positive I wasn't pregnant. She wrote me a prescription for the pills and told me I could start them once I started my period.

I filled the prescription immediately and then came home to tell Sebastian the news. He wasn't too happy he had to wait a few more weeks to claim what he called "His pussy."

It has been hard on him the past few weeks, especially since I started making him wear condoms if he wanted to have sex with me. I explained to him that I had already risked it too much with him and I wasn't going to continue. I didn't tell him when my period was due, but he isn't stupid.

A few days ago he approached me to ask if my period had come yet. Our first time was twenty-three days before, so he knew if it hadn't happened yet it should happen any day now. I told him that the day of his party is the day I should get my period. I needed to tell him something so he would lay off me for a few days.

The truth is, I'm already late. As of tonight, I'm six days late. I keep trying to push away all thoughts of my period and possible pregnancy, but Sebastian makes that hard. Him bringing up my pill again quickly makes my stomach flutter and my head become dizzy.

I'm not feeling sick from morning sickness. No, I'm feeling sick because deep down inside I know. I know I'm pregnant and the minute I take the test my life will officially change.

I also know I won't have another baby. I won't do that to the memory of Miles.

Sebastian notices the change in my face right away.

"Are you okay?" he asks me.

I'm going to lie. I have to lie

"I'm fine. I just felt dizzy for a second. I, uh, actually already took my pill today. I took it this morning." I hope he can't tell I am lying.

His smile grows wide as his tongue comes out to lick his bottom lip.

"I never thought I would be so excited to hear about a woman being on the pill. Only a few more weeks and I can stop wearing those fucking condoms. That night we should have a celebration and burn the condoms box. What do you think?"

I laugh lightly at this because he is so happy as I reply, "That sounds perfect."

We head to the limo to go to the hotel in downtown Miami. I think us driving together is a bad idea. It might make everyone suspicious if he is seen leaving the limo with another woman so I offer to stay in the vehicle and enter a few minutes later.

Sebastian immediately shoots this idea down. We are picking up Darcy and her assistant at Sebastian's condo downtown. The four of us are going to enter the event together and no one will be the wiser.

Once we have Darcy and her assistant in the limo we drive to the hotel. The ride only takes ten minutes, but it feels like ten hours. I can't stop thinking about my period being late. Sebastian bringing up the pill earlier affected me more than I thought.

This past week I've had no desire to confirm if I'm pregnant, but now... it's killing me not knowing. Every second that goes by makes me more and more anxious. I'm not going to make it through the night.

The four of us enter the ballroom of the hotel together and then we go our separate ways. Darcy and her assistant mingle with some men by the bar while I am introduced to several of Sebastian's business associates.

Even though he doesn't introduce me as his girlfriend, he also doesn't try to demean me by introducing me as anything else. He simply refers to me as Ms. Dechino, with no other explanation.

Halfway into the night I can't take the suspense anymore. We are talking with two men from the law firm that represent Sebastian's company. We have been standing here with them for a while when I excuse myself to go to the washroom.

Sebastian grabs a hold of my elbow to get my attention as I start to walk away.

"Everything okay? Are you still dizzy?" Sebastian asks me. His concern for me makes me want to jump in his arms and never let go. He's the perfect man.

"Everything's fine. I just need to freshen up."

He releases his hand from my elbow and with a small smile I walk out of the ballroom.

It takes me a few minutes to find a bathroom, but I do find one. I'm lucky that very few people have to use the washroom at this moment.

A few minutes later I'm sitting in the handicap stall, in the nicest hotel in Miami, staring at the pregnancy test I just took.

Pregnant. It's as clear as day.

I am pregnant.

My emotions are everywhere, but I'm forcing myself not to cry. I don't want to draw attention to myself. The last thing I need is everyone talking about the woman crying in the handicap stall of the women's bathroom.

I pull myself together and stand up in the stall. I tuck the pregnancy test back in my purse and walk out of the stall, approaching the sinks against the wall by the front doors.

On the outside I look fine. Not a hair out of place. On the inside, I am dying.

I wash my hands and take a deep breath before stepping out of the bathroom. I can't stay here and pretend everything is okay. I'm about to have a meltdown and I need to have it in private. This is Sebastian's night and I don't want to ruin it.

I spot Darcy out the side door of the hotel near the bathrooms. She's having a smoke with her assistant. I walk over to the doors and step through them. Darcy is a little surprised to see me out there with her.

"Mia! I didn't know you smoke. You need a light?" Even Darcy's tenderness towards me is making me emotional. The pregnancy hormones must have kicked in.

"Um... no. I actually don't smoke."

"Oh, okay. Did you need something?"

I can see the confusion across her face. She's dumbfounded on why I'm out here with her if I don't need to smoke.

"Yes, actually. I'm not feeling well, so I'm going to go back to the estate and lie down. I don't want to disturb Sebastian on his big night, so could you make an excuse for me?"

I hesitate before I say my next words.

"Don't tell him I went home sick or he'll just leave to check on me. You can tell him I left at the end of the night. Let him believe I'm still at the party mingling with guests. Can you do that for me?"

Darcy looks me over skeptically, "You sure you're just feeling sick. Nothing else happened, did it? If someone said something to you, you would let me know, right?"

Darcy seems to be honestly concerned for me. I want to ease her concern.

"No, no one said anything to me. I'm really not feeling well."

"Okay, then take the limo. Gary, our driver, will take you home. I'll call him now to bring the limo around," Darcy says as she grabs her cell phone from her purse.

A few minutes later I'm sitting comfortably in the back of Sebastian's limo on my way to his estate. My mind is racing with all the possibilities of what I will do. I know if I tell Sebastian I'm pregnant, he'll want to keep it.

I can't keep it. I can't raise another baby.

Can I have an abortion? I know the answer to this before I finish asking myself. I can't... I won't have an abortion. It's my choice and I know I can't do that to my baby.

This leaves adoption.

Can I give my baby up to some stranger? Will I feel okay knowing someone I don't know is raising my son or daughter? I know there are a lot of couples in the world looking to be parents. I know that most of them will be and are great parents, but I can't do that. I won't risk the possibility of giving my child to the wrong family.

Sebastian will be devastated if he knows I gave up our child. We haven't spoken much about children, probably because I flipped out on him the one and only time it was brought up, but I know him enough to know that he would want this child. He would want our child.

Maybe Sebastian can raise the baby on his own. He'll be a great father. He'll love our child enough for the both of us. Darcy seems like a great woman; maybe she will help Sebastian, so the baby will have a mother figure in his or her life.

What am I saying?

If Sebastian raises the baby that means we can't be together. I can't give up Sebastian, can I? I love him so much. He makes me happy. He makes me feel safe. He makes me feel loved. No one has made me feel loved the way he does.

The thought of losing Sebastian makes me physically sick. I throw up in the trashcan in the back of his limousine. When I finally stop I realize we are back at the estate.

This is where I have my moment of clarity. I'm finally seeing straight for the first time since I entered the limo. I know what I have to do.

Our baby has to come first.

I may not want to raise it or be in its life, but I want to protect it. Our baby deserves the best life possible and I know there is only one scenario that can make that happen.

Gary opens the back door of the limousine for me and I thank him for giving me a ride to the estate. I immediately go up to the room I share with Sebastian. When I walk in the door I pause for a moment to take everything in.

This will be the last time I stand in this room.

I'll never get to see Sebastian again, talk to Sebastian again, kiss Sebastian again, and... make love to Sebastian again. These thoughts kill me, but I know it's for the best.

I'm leaving tonight. I'll go through this pregnancy alone. I'll deal with the next eight or so months alone. Once I deliver our little boy or girl I'll contact Darcy.

I will let Darcy know what happened and schedule a meeting with her to give her my baby so that she can give him or her to Sebastian. Sebastian is the only option for our child. Sebastian is the best option. He'll love his child unconditionally and that is all a mother can ask for.

If I stay during the pregnancy I know he'll change my mind. I'll do anything for Sebastian and he will convince me to keep the baby. He'll convince me to raise the baby with him.

I can't do that to Miles.

I walk into our closet to grab the duffle bag I arrived here with a few months ago. I fill it with the few items of clothes I came here with. I then go to my dresser to fill it with the few other items I have. I close up the bag and am ready to go.

I still have my dress on from this evening so I slip it off and lay it out on the bed with my Louis Vuitton shoes. I also leave the borrowed necklace I wore tonight and the diamond stud earrings Sebastian gave me. I won't feel comfortable keeping the earrings.

I slip on jeans and a t-shirt from my bag. Now I am ready to go.

I think about leaving a note for him. I want to explain to him why I left. I want to tell him how much I love him, I want him to know I'll miss him every day... but I don't.

This is real life, not some romantic movie. I'm not the heroine. I am forever going to be the girl who left him during one of the biggest nights of his career.

I sneak out the back of the estate and walk around the house looking for a way to leave without drawing attention to myself. I don't want anyone to see me go. They might call Sebastian.

After several minutes I realize I have only one choice. I am going to have to jump over the gate. There is a part of the gate that is low enough for me to escape from. It's about five hundred yards from the security entrance of the estate.

Hoping I won't get caught, I throw my bag over the gate then I climb over.

Once I'm on the other side, I take my cell phone out and call for a cab.

The cab picks me up about a mile down the road from Sebastian's estate. I have no idea where I am going to go. My car is still on the estate grounds and I can't chance driving it out of there. I have some money, but not a lot.

Leaving me no other choice, I tell the cab driver where to take me.

"Miami International Airport, please."

I don't sound confident in my decision on where to go, but I know it's my only option. Without a car, I don't have the freedom to go wherever I want to.

"Where you headed off to?" the driver asks me.

I don't want to answer him. I want to stay here and be with Sebastian, but I'm making the right decision. I'm making the only decision that is right for our baby.

With tears in my eyes I answer him, "I'm going back home... to Georgia."

Sebastian

I watch Mia as she walks away to use the washroom. Something's been off with her all night, but I can't quite figure out what it is. Maybe she's just nervous because we are in such a public place together around all my colleagues.

This night is a big fucking deal for me. I've been working on this oil contract for the past several months. Knowing the deal has finally closed is such a relief. This will free up a lot of my time so that I can spend more time with Mia.

Mia.

She looks so fucking great in that dress. She looks good in everything she wears. I am so glad that she started taking her pill today. I can't wait to claim her as mine... again.

Don't get me wrong, because sex with Mia is amazing. I never knew it could feel this great, but I hate having something between us. She is mine and I want her to feel me inside her. To know, as she goes about her day, that a part of me is inside her.

I know, it's a man thing, a way to stake our claim, but nothing is sexier than knowing that the woman you love is filled with your cum inside her. The condoms we are using conflict with my plan of claiming her body as mine... daily.

I excuse myself from Creed and Timothy, my lawyers, and start to make my way over to the bar. I want to have an ice tea waiting for Mia when she gets back. She's been drinking them all evening.

Unfortunately, everyone seems to want to stop and talk to me about this deal. I understand their enthusiasm. This deal will make a lot of people a lot of money and hopefully make life a lot easier for millions of Americans.

I put a smile on my face when I'm talking to the people who stop me. I try to be polite while keeping the conversations short. The truth is I can't think about business right now, not when I know Mia is walking around here looking hotter than fuck.

It feels like it's taken forever to get over to the bar. I order an ice tea for Mia and a scotch on the rocks for myself. I look around the room as the bartender makes our drinks. It's been close to a half hour since Mia went to the bathroom so I know she should be around here somewhere.

After looking around with no success, I grab our drinks. I continue looking for her throughout the ballroom, but she's nowhere to be found. Frustrated, I set our drinks down on the closest table and head out to the lobby.

Maybe she was stopped by one of my guests out here.

I don't see Mia, but Darcy is leaning against the wall next to the washrooms, having a conversation with her father. Maybe Darcy knows where she is?

I wait until her father walks into the men's room before I approach Darcy. I don't want her father hearing our conversation.

"Hey, Sebastian! The party seems to be going great," she greets me. This is the first time I've seen her all night.

"Have you seen Mia? She left to use the washroom over thirty minutes ago and I can't find her anywhere."

Darcy's eyes dart to the floor as she bites down on her lips. This is Darcy's tell. Not everyone has one but Darcy does. She can never tell a lie because her tell gives her away every time.

"Darcy? Where is she?" I am starting to get worried. I glance over the lobby again to see if I could have missed her, but I don't see her.

Darcy lifts her eyes back up to me. She looks guilty, of what, I don't know.

"Promise you won't be mad? She made me promise not to tell you. She didn't want to ruin your night."

What could she possibly tell me that could ruin my night? The only thing ruining my night is not knowing where the hell Mia is.

I grind my teeth together as I slowly say, "I won't get mad."

Darcy looks a little relieved by my declaration.

"Okay, well she came out to see me while I was having a smoke. She said she wasn't feeling well and was going to head back home to the estate. She didn't want you to know because she knew you'd leave with her. She didn't want to spoil your night. I had Gary drive her back to the estate. He's back already so it must have gone okay."

She's still feeling sick. That's why she wasn't acting like herself tonight. She's right about one thing; I would have gone home with her.

"I'm going to head back home to take care of her. Will you tell everyone thank you for me. This night was great."

"Sure thing. I hope she feels better," Darcy says as she gives me a quick hug goodbye.

"Thanks." I leave no opportunity for anyone to stop me. I run out to where the limousines are parked and search for mine. It isn't hard to find. Gary has the back door open and is bent over, his ass facing my direction.

"Gary," I yell to him.

He gets up and turns around to greet me. "Mr. Price! I wasn't expecting you so soon. I would have driven around front to pick you up."

"I know that, Gary, but I need to head home now. I just heard about Mia and I need to go check on her."

Gary nods his head as he speaks, "Yes, Ms. Dechino was not herself tonight. She got sick in the back of the limousine. I was finishing cleaning up when you called my name."

She's physically sick? Is she all by herself at the estate? I have to get to her.

"Gary, please bring me home as fast as possible."

I hop into the front of the limo with Gary and we drive to the estate. It isn't that long of a drive so I'm happy when we finally pull up to the front of the house.

I open the passenger door and get out of the limo.

"Thanks again, Gary. You can head back now and wait for Darcy to finish up."

"No problem, sir."

I head into the house and straight to my bedroom. I have to make sure she's okay. I wonder if the pill is making her sick? I know any kind of medication can have serious side effects.

I open the door to my room, but my bed is empty. Mia's dress, shoes, and jewelry are laid out on the bed.

She must be in the bathroom.

I walk over to the bathroom, but there's no Mia. I check the closet, but no Mia. I go to check if she's in the kitchen, but again, no Mia. I'm starting to panic.

I run around checking every inch of my house, but Mia isn't anywhere.

Where the fuck could she be?

I go to check the employee quarters as a last resort, but she isn't there. I'm screaming her name everywhere. I'm pretty sure I have woken up everyone who lives on the estate with me... possibly even my neighbors.

When I run back into my house, Walter stops me in the kitchen. Walter is head of my security on the estate. Being wealthy brings a lot of unwanted attention and things can get out of hand. Walter is there to make sure nothing happens.

We are facing each other in my dark kitchen. The only light is coming from the light above the sink. Walter's face is blank, hard; he never shows any type of emotion. I like this trait in my security.

"Mr. Price, I have something you might want to see," Walter says as he pulls out his tablet and pushes some buttons on the screen.

He hands me the tablet and tells me to press play. The video is dark and hard to make out at first. I'm confused on why Walter is wasting my time making me watch this video. Just when I'm about to hand him back the tablet someone walks into view.

It's Mia.

She's dressed in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. She's looking around the dark yard to make sure no one is watching her. Then I watch her throw a bag over the fence and a few seconds later she follows.

Once she clears the fence and is off the property, she is out of view. I don't know which way she went or where she is going.

The video cuts to black as Walter takes the tablet out of my hands.

She's gone.

"I'm so sorry, sir. I'm not sure how she got past security, but I'll take care of the problem immediately. Nothing like this will ever happen again."

She's gone.

Shit! She is fucking gone. No goodbye. Nothing.

Walter continues talking, "I will try to see if any of the surrounding properties have cameras facing the street. Maybe someone saw something..."

Mia is gone. She left me. I know in my heart she isn't coming back. Tears threaten to fall down my face as I drop down to my knees. I no longer have the strength to stand up.

I can't believe she left. I thought she loved me. I thought were starting a life together. I thought she was happy.

I told her I love her.

I fucking love her!

The tears start to fall. I can no longer keep them back. All of my memories of her start to flood my thoughts. Our first meeting... our first kiss... the way she smells... her messy hair when she first wakes up in the morning... the way she hums quietly to herself when she thinks no one is listening... the feeling of her skin against mine when I wake up.

I won't make it without Mia. She is my world.

I bring my hands to my face as I continue to cry my eyes out. I can't control the tears. I let the floodgates open and they aren't closing anytime soon.

Mia left me. My reason to live is gone.

I will let her have tonight, but tomorrow I am going to find her.

I am going to find her and bring her home.

We are meant to be together and I am going to make her remember that.

I just need to stop crying first.

The Road To Forgiveness (Price, #2)

The conclusion to Sebastian and Mia's love story and the second book in this two book series is available now!

If you enjoyed The Road To Price please consider leaving a review. Reviews are important in letting others know why you loved this book. Thanks!

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Books by Justine Elvira

The Road To Price (Price #1)

The Road To Forgiveness (Price #2)

Lawful Overdose

Rough To Ride

Changing His Game (The Reynolds Brothers #1)

Playing His Game (The Reynolds Brothers #2)

Acknowledgements

The journey of publishing my first book has been crazy. I'm so thankful to so many people and I couldn't possibly name you all. I love you!

My children, who give me such encouragement and they are unaware they do it. I'm thankful for them every day. They are the reason I'm able to stay home and write.

I want to thank God, who has blessed me so much in my life and is there during all of my ups and downs.

Thank you to all the online blogs and web pages who supported me. I received so much insight on how to publish on my own. Without these sites I wouldn't know what to do.

A big thank you to the readers who bought this book. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Thank you for your support.
About The Author

Justine Elvira is a best selling author at multiple retailers. She is also a mother and the Queen of Procrastination. Writing is her form of therapy and helps her escape reality for a little while.

When she's not writing you can usually find her with her kids, or attached to her kindle.
