Chapter 7

7

Sebastian

If I don’t make Alice my wife, I don’t know what I’ll do with myself.

She’s given me a glimpse at what true happiness feels, looks and tastes like and I want her by my side forever. In my home, in my bed, everywhere and anywhere I happen to be. I want to be able to reach out and take Alice’s hand.

I’ve woken up far too early this morning, desperate to soak her in. Soak in the very first time I turn over in bed and find her blonde hair in a fan on the pillow, her hands tucked beneath her cheeks. In the first blush of sunrise, she looks like a fairy that has been debauched by a wolf. There are bruises and red marks on her neck, breasts and shoulders, left there by my mouth, teeth and hands.

Good God, I was rough with her.

And my cock is already hard as lead beneath the sheets. If I didn’t suspect Alice was sore, I’d already have her on hands and knees, making her pay for my morning erection. Look what you did, little girl.

I rake a hand down my face and laugh without sound. With her in my life now, I don’t know if my cock will ever be anything but achingly hard ever again.

That’s fine with me.

There is a lightness in my chest I’ve never known. I found her. I found the girl I didn’t even know my soul was seeking. Yesterday morning, the rest of my life looked like an endless maze and now…it’s like an open field soaked in sunshine with Alice standing in the center of it. Smiling.

I’ll make her smile forever. I’ll give her reasons to smile, every single day.

Mere words don’t seem sufficient. I can’t very well just wake her up and ask her to be mine, to come live with me in London and be my wife. She deserves a fucking monument in her honor. I have to do better than words. I don’t even have a ring to put on her finger when I pop the question.

Resisting the urge to kiss her shoulder, lest she wake up and find me totally unprepared, I get out of bed and dress quietly, watching her like a hungry, lovesick fool all the while. I ache to run my palm along the curve of her hip. My fingers hurt without the feel of her skin beneath them. But it won’t be too long until I’m back here with something real to offer. Something worthy of Alice. After all, I need to do better than feeding her cake in bed if I’m going to convince her to marry me after one day of being acquainted.

One day is all I need. Honestly, one minute had been enough.

She’s everything I never knew I was missing.

With one last look in her direction, I promise her without words that I’ll be right back and leave the hotel room. By the time I reach the street, I’m already on the phone with the Tiffany’s store manager, requesting they open immediately so I can buy an engagement ring approximately the size of an egg.

* * *

Alice

The soundof papers being shuffled wakes me up.

I sit up in bed, the sheet slipping down to my waist and bathing my naked body in sunshine. Reflexively, I shield my eyes from the light. What time is it?

Moments from the night before flip through my mind and I gasp, whirling around to look for Sebastian in the bed. But I’m alone.

That must be him making noise out in the other room, right?

I wish he’d woken me up with a kiss or some kind of reassurance, because as I pull on the white robe, my heart is beating in my throat. What will today bring? Is there a chance Sebastian wants our relationship to go somewhere? If he doesn’t, how am I going to go back to my black and white world where I hide my needs, my true self?

At the threshold of the bedroom I square my shoulders and take a deep breath. I’ll never know what’s possible if I don’t ask.

Expecting to see Sebastian in the living room, I freeze when I see a man I don’t recognize. He’s a short man. Young. He’s wearing a suit and he’s flipping through a folder of paperwork in a very agitated manner.

“Uh. Hello?”

“Look who’s decided to wake up.” The man glances up with a tight smile. “Would you mind getting dressed? I’ll need you to sign a non-disclosure agreement before you leave.”

“A…what?” I shake my head to clear it of the shock. “I mean, I know what an NDA is, but why do I need to sign one? Who are you and where is Sebastian?”

“I’m his assistant, Dan. The one who set out all the ingredients for your little baking class last night?” His tone is snide. “I hope you had fun.” He runs his eyes up and down my body in a lewd manner. “It certainly looks like it.”

“Where is Sebastian?” I whisper past numb lips.

“I don’t know. He probably went out so I could clean up the mess before he gets back.” By mess, he means me. That much is obvious. “Please get dressed. I’d like to get the document signed.”

Pain begins to bloom in my chest, gradually but thoroughly. “Do you do this often? Have women sign agreements that they won’t speak to the press about—”

“Your one night with Sebastian?” He shrugs. “It’s definitely been a while, but I’ve done it a few times. It’s ugly but necessary.”

I can’t speak. Or move.

He flicks a hand toward something to my right and I find my work uniform and bra folded neatly on a console table “If you don’t mind…?”

My hands are shaking as I pick up the garments and turn back into the bedroom, dressing with tears burning my eyelids. Is this really happening? Did my night with Sebastian really mean so little to him? He couldn’t even end things to my face, he had to ask his assistant to do it? There’s a hole in my lungs and it’s growing so fast, I feel short of breath. Dizzy. But I manage to get my button-down and black skirt in place and walk on trembling legs back to the living room.

Dan starts talking without looking up. “You caused quite a stir last night. All the gossip sites are going crazy with pictures of Sebastian carrying a woman half his age out of a restaurant. I’ll be spending the day spinning the story so he doesn’t come out looking like a sleaze bag who dates fucking teenagers.”

“I’m twenty-one,” I say uselessly, taking a seat on the couch. “I-I…are the pictures really going to cause a problem?”

“Not if I do my job. Speaking of which…” He slides an open folder in my direction. Words jump out at me from the page. Alice O’Donahue, henceforth known as Party B, agrees to keep confidential any information imparted by Sebastian Cove, henceforth known as Party A. Furthermore, Party B agrees to keep confidential any activities engaged in with Party A, including but not limited to sexual congress…

Not wanting to read another word, I pick up the pen and sign my name at the bottom in shaky script.

“Thank you,” Dan says briskly, plucking the pen out of my hand. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to pack Mr. Cove’s belongings so he makes his flight on time.”

I lurch up from the couch and shove my feet into my heels. I spin in a circle looking for my purse, wanting to slap myself when I realize I left it at Landmark last night. That leaves me with no phone, no MetroCard and no cash.

“There’s a couple of twenties for a cab on the counter,” Dan says breezily.

Hating how cheap it makes me feel, I have no choice but to pocket the money on my way out the door. I don’t even make it to the elevator before my heart seems to rupture and liquefy in my chest.

You are a stupid, naïve girl, Alice.

Stupid, stupid, stupid.