Sebastian Summers didn't like this. Not even one bit. He could even consider thas the worst birthday he'd ever had. No, he could not blame it on the food being served. They were splendid, cooked, and prepared he his younger brother, Maxon Summers, who was one of the best chefs in the U.S. And he couldn't fault the decor either, they were exactly how he wanted it: elegant and high class. The band playing the music right now was also giving their best performance so he couldn't fault that either.

What irritated him the most was the fact that his little secretary who had always shown propriety suddenly decided to let loose tonight and not only did she do this on her own, she had a gorgeous man at her side, eager to please her and could not wait for the pleasurable night that might follow afterward — preferably in her place or his.

Sebastian needed some time to cool himself or else he would drag Andin to the nearest available room and shake some sense into her. And then do what?

He shook the naughty, inappropriate thought off his mind. To think that he was this attracted to his secretary was almost insane. It was true that since the first time he had laid his eyes on her, he had felt an immediate attraction. Unlike his previous secretaries, she had that cool, peaceful air about her. Furthermore, with her indifference, he had to press down any desire he had for her and tell himself that it was not worth losing a perfectly good secretary.

"Are you okay?" inquired London as she lightly touched his arm. She had followed him to the balcony, clearly unaware that he wanted to be alone.

"I'm fine," he retorted without a glance.

"You don't sound fine. Did I make you angry?" asked London worriedly.

Sebastian nearly laughed. It was really funny how London had thought that she had been the cause of her anger while the one person who had made him angry was enjoying herself with her handsome lover inside the dining hall. "I'm not angry. I'm just tired."

He wasn't entirely lying. He was truly tired of watching his secretary and thboy toytoy of hers!

"Then why did you not make love to me?" London pouted, her hand caressing the side of his face. "You didn't even respond to my kiss. Are you bored with me already?"

In all honesty, he had gotten bored of London Star. Her incessant demand to meet and have sex had lost its appeal. He thought he would date her for at least a month and yet since last Friday, he had barely seen her. It was absurd to have this sudden burst of sexual fantasies about his little uptight secretary Miss Andin Williams when he had London Star, the gorgeous actress, who was at his beck and call and was more than willing to satisfy his carnal needs. Yet he did not even want to touch her. All he wanted was to touch his secretary. Inappropriately. When there were only the two of them. When there was nothing but sheets between their naked bodies.

"Damn it," Sebastian growled at his sudden desire to kiss and ravish Andin. If only she did not have that boy toy of hers here. If only she had come alone.

"I-I'm sorry, Sebastian. I don't know what has gotten to me to say that," murmured London apologetically and Sebastian almost felt bad for lashing out at her when she had done nothing except annoyingly adore Andin's boy toy.

"It's fine," he replied and leaned back against the cool metal railing and wondered if he perhaps needed a quick cold shower before he went back to the dining hall. And all this trouble was caused by none other than his little secretary!

* * *

Sebastian stopped dead in his tracks. There in the middle of the dance floor, his secretary was wrapped around the arms of her lover, Damon. She'd perfectly melted and the look on her face was pure bliss. Her lips parted as if she wasn't only dancing but also involved in an activity that was far more intimate, more passionate. It was tempting his every nerve for she had been cold with him the entire night yet she was warm and sensual with this other man.

Each time Sebastian had asked her a question or tried to engage with her in a conversation, she had been cold as a cucumber and gave short, polite replies. Perhaps it had been his own fault for insisting to have her sit next to him and then telling her that there was a much-needed discussion. It had given the indication that he had invited her here only for his own amusement and perhaps he had.

Still, she didn't have to move her arm every time he brushed hers lightly as if he had a contagious disease. Furthermore, she always gave him that look as if telling him that his companion was London Star and not her and that he should be paying more attention to the former.

As Sebastian approached one of the event organizers, he only had one thing in mind. "Tell the band to play a slow song next," Before the event organizer could walk away, he stuck his arm out and added, "Preferably something longer than four minutes."

Then he turned his attention to London and commanded, "Go dance with that hunk."

She pouted, a little disappointed. She had thought that he had requested the slow song for them to dance to. "Who?"

"Andin's boyfriend. Whatever his name is." His voice left no room for argument and London was too afraid that he would break up with her right there and then to think twice or wonder what might be the reason behind his request.

"Damon Matthews," she provided.

"Yes. Him."

At first, London was confused by his suggestion however as she remembered the handsome face and how marvelous Damon Matthews's body was, she was more than willing to oblige. Who knows, maybe Damon Matthews could be persuaded to spend the night with her. After the sexless nights, she had to endure with Damon's absence, she could care less about the repercussions.

* * * * * * *

The band started playing again. Only this time, it was a song with a slower tempo, something that would be best suited for a slow dance. Andin had just gotten back to the table when she caught sight of Sebastian and London Star. Her only salvation was having Damon by her side. It was always better to have a friend with her than to face something like this on her own.

London's eyes sparkled and she rose to her feet. "Damon, I love this song. Come dance with me," she linked her arm to Damon, pressing her large breasts on his forearm. "You don't mind if I borrow him for a dance right, Andin?"

"I really don't want to leave her alone," answered Damon, freeing his arm from her grasp and failing miserably for she had held him tightly.

Before Andin could say anything, a low husky voice had answered on her behalf. "She's not alone. I'm with her." Then Andin could feel his arm linking around her waist and she nearly jumped on the spot.

Damon's eyes were on her, waiting for her decision. At last, Andin gave him a nod. "It's fine, Damon. Go enjoy your dance with London."

"Your wish is my command, Andin Mia Bella," said Damon as if letting everyone present know that he only accepted London's offer only because Andin had ordered him to and not because of his own accord.

With his arm on her, he turned her around to face him. "Shall we?"

"Shall we what?" asked Andin defiantly.

"Well, clearly your partner has gone dancing with mine so why not follow their gesture," drawled Sebastian, slightly annoyed that Andin was still being cold and taciturn towards him.

"If this is just a matter of courtesy and doing what is appropriate—"

Sebastian pulled her closer — so close that the tip of her breasts nearly touched his front. Nearly. Then he dipped his head and whispered very closely and intimately to her ear, "I've wanted to dance with you all night. But if you don't want to dance with me, then just say it. I'm not going to beg."

The heat rushed up her face. In all the years she had worked with him, he'd never been in this close proximity to her. But again, she had never worn any dresses with such bold, striking colors and confidence that could match it either.

"Fine. Let's dance then," Andin took a step back, trying to get away from his captivated arm. Then as if she could not help herself, she added sarcastically, "since you've been wanting it all night."

Sebastian's eyes lit up as if he had just won the lottery. He didn't let go of his arm and brought Andin along with him to the dance floor. The way he held her was so possessive as if she belonged to him and only him. And that thought made her shudder in his arms. 

Had she just become a challenge to her boss? Andin wondered. It was the only thing she could come up with to explain his behavior tonight. He had been so possessive and so close. Way too close compared to what was usual.

Her stomach felt like there were a thousand butterflies ready to burst as he whirled her onto the dance floor. Without even realizing it, her movements had been awkward and stiff. However, it seemed that, unlike her, Sebastian had taken notice of it.

"Stop it this instance, Ann!" Sebastian growled next to her ear, his expression thunderous and leaving no room for argument.

Andin was well aware of the close proximity between their bodies. She was nearly breathless when she queried back, "Stop what? And as I've said numerous times, Sir, my name is Andin. I'm from Indonesia. My name isn't Ann or Anne or Anna which you often used to call me."

"Fine. Andin." He glowered furiously.

She blinked. This was the first time her boss had pronounced her name correctly. All this time she'd thought that he couldn't pronounce her name because of the language difference. However almost as if he'd imitated her, Sebastian had said her name almost as if he was a native Indonesian speaker.

"Stop resisting me. I saw you just now. I saw how you danced with that guy—"

"Damon?" prompted Andin, trying to be helpful.

"Him. Whatever his name is," he said with a gruff. "So stop pretending like you can't dance properly."

"I'm used to dancing with Damon, he is my friend," protested Andin then glanced at her surrounding, hoping none of the partygoers noticed their little argument. "I'm comfortable with him."

There was a pause.

"Are you saying you're not comfortable with me?"

"You're my boss," answered Andin diplomatically. She didn't want to offend him, after all, she still needed him to give her a recommendation letter so she could find her next job easier. She needed money to help her pay her mother's debt and losing her source of income would be troublesome.

"This is not the office," he argued.

"But you are still my boss," Andin insisted.

Anger flashed in his blue ocean eyes and for a moment, Andin held her breath. Then before she knew it, he caught her totally off-guard by grabbing her and hauling her to him. His arms snaked their way around her back, holding her intimately and pinning her against his muscled front. Her arms had nowhere to go but to slide their way up to his shoulders and then clung around his neck.

"For a moment, think of me as someone else. Someone other than your boss," Sebastian commanded gruffly. His voice was intoxicatingly low and damn sexy.

Her breasts were glued to the heat of his chest and her stomach quivered with the awareness of what it was pressed against. No wonder he had been called a ruthless playboy and wild CEO amongst many other names.

Still, she fought for self-control and lifted her eyes to meet his. "As in who?"

"Think of me as," he paused and dipped his head to whisper the next word in her ear, "your lover."

Andin kept her mouth shut. She had no idea what to answer him. Sebastian Summers had her clamped in the kind of embrace that she could only dream of — something made out of fantasy. The way he had whispered the words to her ear was as if he was making a promise of what would follow after the party was over. There was nothing the least platonic about the way he was dancing with her.

It was no doubt an exhilarating taste of the sexual power he exerted and he was not entirely unmoved by her either. She could definitely feel his arousal. Yet he didn't seem to be concerned at all about removing himself to a discreet distance. Was he reveling in feeling or perhaps imagining what it might feel like to move what was currently outside her inside?

And as if having a party of its own, Andin's treacherous body just kept on responding to wherever he led, circling on the dance floor with physical friction between their bodies that nearly drove her to the verge of climax.

Andin hadn't realized that the music had stopped until it dawned to her why Sebastian was no longer moving her around. It occurred to her that despite their mutual arousal, he had been more aware of their surroundings than she had. And this thought alone instantly cooled her body and tamed her desire. As if his satisfied smile was any indication, Andin stiffened.

Was it perhaps Sebastian's plan all along to prove that he could seduce her? That he could easily have any woman he wanted? Was he trying to demonstrate how potent his sexual appeal and wild, playboy whims were with women? Was Andin just another woman to conquer? Another one to bed and dump?

Any desire pooling in her stomach started to evaporate and she unlocked her arms from his neck. She was ready to bolt when his arms tightly and possessively locked her in place.

Andin looked up past his prideful jaw and stared into his deep ocean eyes. Under the glint of light, he looked very dangerous and handsome at the same time. Her pride pushed her into dismissing any thought about him or his gorgeous look. "The song is over. This dance is over," she stated. Her voice was cold and detached.

"The band will play another song," he insisted, not letting her go.

"Perhaps," Andin shrugged her shoulder and took his arms off her. "But I'm done dancing with you."

His eyes were smoldering with desire and lost as if the dance had affected him more than he had let on. "Don't say that you didn't enjoy it, Miss Williams."

That nickname was the last bucket of water to cool her down. It killed any spark that was left in her. "I'm glad that you seem to enjoy it, Boss." She put on her polite smile, one she had always used in the office.

"Are you refusing to admit it just because I'm your boss?" He tilted his head.

"Because you are my boss," drawled Andin with a smile, keeping her tone light, "I don't think it is appropriate to have this conversation."

She forced herself to take a step back, suddenly feeling vulnerable and exposed. His arms immediately fell to his sides. "Goodbye, Mister Summers."

Then Andin turned around and walked away without glancing back at him. She kept on walking with her head held high even when she could feel his eyes pinning on her back and watching her every move.