Sebastian could not help but notice the surprise and shock on Andin's face and immediately felt bad for being the cause of it. "Never mind." He shook his head while chastising himself at the same time. This was stupid. No matter how annoyed he was at Michelle and his family, he should not make Andin feel more uncomfortable. Yes, he had had enough of them tonight and the last thing he wanted was to go back to his house and face them but still, he should not stay the night here. He should simply go to one of the hotels — preferably one which was not owned and managed by his brother Declan Summers. Furthermore, with him being highly attracted to her, staying the night was simply a bad idea.

"What's wrong?"

He heard Andin ask and turned to face her. "Pardon?"

"Why do you wish to stay? Don't you want to go back to the party?" she asked curiously, tilting her head to one side.

"After what they have done to you?" All he could do was stare at her with an incredulous look on his face. "Of course not."

"But, Sir—"

Before she could continue her sentence, he put one finger on her lips and she stumbled backward. He moved quickly with her, one hand securely holding her waist while the other planted on the wall of the lift next to her face. "I am not Sir for you tonight," he reiterated his earlier sentence. Then he leaned forward, so close that he could almost hear her breathing growing hard. "Is it that hard to think of me as anyone other than your boss?"

"I'm sorry," she blurted out hurriedly.

"Is it very difficult to see me as your lover?" he breathed out his question in a whispering level.

Her eyes widened and she tilted her head up. Her lips were painfully close to Sebastian's that he nearly could not control himself. All he wanted was to kiss her, sweep her off her feet, and bring her to her place where he could ravish her. He shook those treacherous thoughts away and reminded himself that Andin had faced enough humiliation that night.

"I-I don't think anyone will find it easy to think of their boss as their lover, Sir."

For a split second, Sebastian nearly lost it. He was so close to discarding his earlier thought and pulling her body tightly against his. He wanted to show her all the things that could prove otherwise, all the things that could indeed make her his lover. Before he could do anything, the elevator stopped on her floor with a ding and he straightened up.

"Then it's a good thing I will no longer be your boss in two months' time," he muttered under his breath annoyedly as he took a step back, moving away from her.

His finger pushed the elevator button to keep the door open and once she got out, he followed her behind. They traveled down the hall in a palpable silence as they both seemed to be occupied by their own thoughts.

"Look, I'm sorry," said the petite figure next to him as they stopped in front of a wooden door. "I don't mind you staying the night." Andin fished out her keys and unlocked the door then turned to him as she held the knob. "It's just that my place is very small and I know you long enough to know that you will not be happy sleeping in the second-hand couch that I picked up for fifty dollars a few months ago."

"Perhaps you do not know me that well, Miss Williams," he spoke cooly.

She shrugged her shoulders and swung the door open. "If you say so, Sir."

*******

Andin watched him as her boss looked around her apartment. Albeit it was less luxurious than other places her boss had probably gone to, she was not ashamed of it. It was warm and cozy and most importantly, she had paid for it with each dime she had earned. All by herself. She was proud of it. This was the place where she could curl up at the end of a long day.

"Nice place," said Sebastian after a while.

"T-thanks." She was a little taken aback by his comment and realized that he was being nice. Unsure whether that would mean he would stay the night or not, she put her bag on the small table by the coat hanger and walked further into her apartment. "Do you want any drink?" she offered.

"No. Thank you."

"Um, okay. Then let me get you some blankets." She headed into her bedroom and rustled up a few blankets and one spare pillow. With her arms full of linen, she walked back into the living room and shortly came to a halt. Her mouth suddenly felt dry as her eyes took in the strangely alluring view. Sebastian had loosened his tie, unbuttoned the top buttons of his shirt, and taken his jacket off.

As she slowly closed the gap between them, she watched him undoing the buttons on his cuffs and loosening them. He then shrugged off his waistcoat, the muscles in his back and shoulders rippling as he did so. Since he clearly had not noticed her presence yet and she seized that moment to watch him. Although Andin knew what the male body looked like, she actually had never seen a real-life one in person. It was understandable considering her first boyfriend was Leroy who then creeped her out of the entire male species.

Alas she knew what a hot male body was supposed to look like, she had seen the models and she had read the magazines. Moreover, she knew that her boss, Sebastian Summers, was incredibly hot. That fact, however, was suddenly accentuated as she watched him slowly pulling off articles of clothing, right after he had denounced his own family for her sake.

There was a searing fire in the pit of her stomach. Despite her constant rejections, she had to admit — at least to herself, that she felt physically drawn to him. It was the fact that he swapped women as often as he changed his clothes that had kept her away and the fact that she had very little desire to be another notch on his bedpost, another name in his list of conquest.

Yet right now, none of that seemed to matter.

She kept her eyes on him as he unbuttoned his shirt now with a yawn, her eyes following his fingers as expanses of his smooth chest were revealed, his muscles firm and toned. For a second, she forgot how to think as the fire was spreading to her entire body. As if in trance, she moved closer to him like a moth to a flame. Then her finger touched his arm and she suddenly became aware of what was happening and more importantly, what she was about to do. She looked up and her eyes met his.

His gaze dropped to her lips before they were on the blanket and pillow she was holding. "Thank you," he said with a small smile. "Are you sure it is okay for me to stay? I did not want to go back but I can stay in another place if this inconveniences you."

"It does not," she replied and took a step forward. A distant corner of her mind was telling her to stop, that she did not actually want this. But again she had just spent the entire evening being disregarded and this man standing so close to her that she could feel his breathing was the only man who made her feel like she mattered. That was also one of the reasons why she had allowed him to stay despite her common sense warning her how dangerous that would be.

Sebastian stepped forward, his hands reaching for the blanket and pillow. He took them from her and placed them on the couch before turning back to her.

The effect of the champagne she had drunk earlier started to come back as she swayed forward, nearly slipping on her own dress. His hands caught her just in time before she smashed her head on the coffee table. Only then had Andin realized that in order to prevent her from the fall, he had pulled her towards him and now her front was pushed against his chest. She could feel his breath fanning her forehead and his palm pressed on her lower back.

Sebastian slid his thumb across her jaw, leaving a warm trail across her skin as he tilted her face up. "Are you alright, Andin?"

His silken voice melted her limbs, and Andin was terrified by her reaction to him. Still, she forced her eyes to meet his, refusing to show any vulnerability. "Yes." Her throat felt drier than earlier and she wet her bottom lips with the tip of her tongue not realizing that his baby blues were now fixating on her every movement.

His blue eyes darkened as he groaned in frustration. "Damn, Andin."

"W-what?" she asked again, unsure what had caused him to curse.

Before Andin had any chance to react, he cupped her chin with his strong, pulled her face to his, and his lips gently met hers.

"No," she whispered weakly, knowing fully well that she would not be able to control herself should she let him kiss her. She remembered what had happened last time and she was not sure she had a strong enough will to remain in control.

"Just one kiss, Andin," Sebastian moaned against her mouth. His voice was thick with desire.

Andin did not say anything, simply letting her eyelids flutter shut as his tongue traced the outline of her lips and her body responded shamelessly. She snaked her arms around the back of his neck and pressed her hips instinctively into his. Letting out a small moan, she parted her lips, barely conscious of her own actions.

Sebastian took full advantage of her reaction and pressed his tongue into her mouth immediately. "Fuck, Andin, you are going to be my undoing," he murmured huskily then he plunged back into her mouth, pressing and probing.

Her hand grasped at the silken fullness of his thick hair while the other roamed over the hard muscles of his back. Sebastian groaned as each of her touches ignited him. He slid his hand on her lower back down to cup her bottom and when he squeezed, Andin's eyes fluttered open.

She became fully aware of where they were and whose body she was pressed against. It was as if a cold bucket of water had been dumped on her head. All desire that was twirling inside of her left without a trace. Andin tore her lips away from him and placed her hands over the bare muscles on his chest and pushed him away. "No, stop. We can not do this."

"What?" He loosened his grip and pulled slightly away.

Andin took that moment to free herself from him and moved three feet away from him. "This can't happen," she said, gasping for air. Her arms folded in front of her chest protectively.

"Why?"

"Because I know you too well." She shook her head and tightened her grip on her arms. "We're far too different. You are the 'fun while it lasts' type and I am not."

"What the fuck does that even mean?" growled Sebastian frustratedly. His body was aching badly that all he wanted was to cuss out.

"I have too much to lose." Andin dropped her hands and took another step back towards her bedroom.

At first, confusion was the only thing registered on his face before realization hit him hard. "I understand." He grabbed his clothing and then headed to the front door.

Andin followed closely behind him. She could not help but feel bad for what had happened. "Look, Sir, I am sorry. I—"

Sebastian stopped by the door and held up one hand to stop her. "No need to explain anything, Miss Williams. I understand it perfectly." He turned the knob and stepped outside. "You always think of me as a player and that will never change, won't it? Well, have a good night."

Then he left, before the door even closed properly.