A/N: It's the long weekend here in Canada and I'm going to be busy finishing TMMM's latest chapter plus a whole bunch of things I need to do so here's a double-upload for all of you.

Amber, you can't say I didn't cheer you up on your birthday! =)

Vote and comment! Let me know what you think of the developments so far.

***

I decided to wait until Monday to see Sebastian.

I knew what I wanted to do but I wanted to give myself some time to figure out what exactly to tell him.

We’ve made such a muck of things that it was hard to find exactly where we left off.

When I came in on Monday morning, I called Dean’s desk and asked if Sebastian was in. He wasn’t.

I checked again later in the day and got the same response.

Dean confirmed he wasn’t away on a trip or anything—just that Jennison had called in the morning to say Sebastian wasn’t coming in.

I didn’t want to text or call him—if I prepared for it, the doubts might sink in and make me change my mind.

Maybe he needed time. He’d waited for me for four years. I could wait a day.

I stomped down the frustration and decided to go about the rest of my day.

Tuesday and Wednesday were pretty much the same thing.

I got anxious enough that I finally rang Jennison.

“Where is he?” I asked, barely controlling the impatience in my voice. “Is he okay?”

Jennison took a long time before answering, “Technically speaking, he’s fine but he’s not fit for company right now. He’s just been working from home.”

“I need to see him,” I blurted out, pacing by the front steps of TVG. 

I’d stayed behind a couple of hours to get ahead on some work before I went after Sebastian. The skies have darkened and I’ve already repeatedly refused the front desk security from calling me a cab until I knew where to go.

“Is he at Rockford?”

“I wouldn’t advise it, Cassandra,” Jennison said firmly. “You may want to give him another day or so.”

“His mood isn’t going to improve in the next few days and we both know it,” I snapped, exhaling sharply. “Not while he’s still furious with me.”

“It isn’t his mood I’m concerned about. It’s your safety.”

“He’s not going to hurt me,” I grunted. “He’ll yell and break things but he’ll never lay a hand on me.”

“Shrapnels can still be quite deadly,” Jennison said with a sigh. “Give it until tomorrow, Cassie. I’ll see if I can talk him into coming to work.”

“Alright, Jennison,” I conceded, trying not to growl. “Talk to you tomorrow.”

Of course, I didn’t plan on waiting until tomorrow.

I’ve already waited three days.

I flagged down a cab and instructed it to take me to Rockford.

A sense of déjà vu flitted through me as I approached the concierge-slash-security desk. 

I was still dressed in my work attire—a salmon-colored shift dress, dark brown leggings and matching suede booties draped with a basic, tan trench coat. I knew I looked sophisticated but I wasn’t sure if I could pass for ridiculously rich who might possibly reside in this upscale condominium building.

No such luck.

The doorman merely bowed at me as I walked past him but a female staff slipped from behind the counter to greet me.

“I’m here for the Vice penthouse,” I said politely, trying hard not to show any outward indication of my nervousness. I fervently prayed that Sebastian hasn’t banned me from Rockford yet. “My name’s Cassandra Collins.”

She nodded and moved back to her computer. “Please give me a moment to check, Ms. Collins.”

“Oh, she’s on the full-access list,” one of the other staff members looked up and smiled at me. “She’s all good, Marnie.”

I inwardly danced the jig. It’s been four years and Sebastian’s left my name on the list. He was being truthful when he said there had been nothing stopping me from coming back all this time but myself.

I smiled at my rescuer and racked my brain for a name to go with the familiar face. “Jim, right?”
He beamed. “That’s right. I’m glad you remember me, Ms. Collins.”

I laughed, more in relief than anything else. “No, I’m glad you remember me.”
His smile turned shy as he scratched his head. “It’s hard to forget a smile like yours, Ms. Collins, with those dimples.”

Ah. I knew I wasn’t drop-dead gorgeous but the dimples have always been my best trick.

Marnie scowled at him. “Perhaps Ms. Collins can be on her way if we don’t hold her up any longer.”

“Thank you, everyone,” I told them brightly as I followed Jim to the elevator where he punched in the penthouse code.

I turned to him and flashed him a broad smile. “Thanks again for all your help, Jim. I really appreciate it.”

As I rode up the elevator alone, my adrenaline abruptly drained out of me to be replaced by stomach-turning anxiety.

The last time I found myself in these similar circumstances was four years ago, just as I was about to walk into Sebastian and Natalie.

I reminded myself of the very same fact that it was four years ago. 

Sebastian had gotten much better than that.

From what I remembered, the entire top floor was comprised of Sebastian’s unit that it only took a few steps to walk down the private lobby and reach the front door.

I paused before it, taking a deep, shaky breath to steady my nerves.

My hands were cold and clammy but I cleared my throat and reached a trembling hand forward to press the doorbell.

Several seconds later, the door cracked open and the familiar face of Sebastian’s butler peered out.

“Percy, hi,” I greeted warmly, gracing him with a smile. “I hope you remember me.”

The butler recovered from his astonishment and straightened, opening the door wider. “Miss Cassie, of course I remember you! You look great by the way. The years have only made you lovelier.”
“Thank you. You look very well yourself, Percy” I said with a laugh. “I was hoping to see Sebastian.”

The old man’s brows knitted anxiously. “I don’t think—”

“Cassie, it’s not surprising to see you here,” came Jennison’s wry greeting as he appeared behind the butler. “I thought you were going to give it until tomorrow.”

“I was never good at sticking to the plan,” I answered with a cheeky smile. “Hello, Jennison. Are you going to let me in or should I wait out here until Sebastian decides to grace me with his presence?”

Jennison deliberated for a moment before glancing at Percy and giving him a brief nod. “I’ll handle this, Percy. You take care of what I was doing.”

The butler quickly disappeared and Jennison stepped aside to let me through.

I looked around the foyer and the living room, hunting for signs of Sebastian.

The place looked very much like it did four years ago except for one thing—the scattering of vases that held a bunch of fresh daises in different colors and sizes.

I warmed at the memory of our conversation four years ago, when I first came into this place and I told Sebastian he could use some flowers. Daisies have sentimental value to both of us.

“Jennison, is he sick? Is he drunk? Has he been eating?” I started rambling. “I hope you hid the alcohol away. He’ll be angry but—”

“He’d already drunk his bar dry on Saturday so that point is moot,” Jennison interjected gently. “As I’ve warned you, Cassie, he’s not very... friendly, right now. He might say things you’ll both regret. It’s better if you wait until he’s emotionally sober.”

I bit my lip in frustration. “Fine, I won’t talk to him. Just let me see him. I just want to see him. I’ll stay back. He doesn’t have to know I’m here.”

Jennison looked at me as he deliberated and I held his gaze, pleading him to understand.

He sighed and gestured to the balcony doors. “He’s outside.”

“Thank you so much,” I breathed out happily, quickly hugging the man before dropping my purse on the floor and tiptoeing towards the balcony doors. 

They were slightly ajar and I quietly slipped a hand through the gap to widen it further.

The balcony was vast and it featured an outdoor entertaining space and a well-landscaped garden. 

The sun had already set but some remnants of it still illuminated the horizon. It was hard to see everything despite the additional light from the old-fashioned lamp posts that were scattered around the balcony so I squinted and pushed the door further out, slipping half of my body through the gap.

Sebastian.

I stood still when I saw his silhouette at one corner, his arms spread out on each side of him, braced against the top of the railings.

His face flashed in my mind—smiling, angry, hurting, laughing, seductive, happy, pleading, stern, loving.

For all his faults, Sebastian had been many things because of and for me.

He couldn’t quit me any more than I could give him up.

My heart started hammering inside my chest and my skin tingled with the instinct to touch him and hold him and kiss him better.

I’d promised to just look at him from a distance but it seemed like my feet had a will of their own as they started forward in slow, sure steps.

I stopped when he stiffened, registering my presence.

With a slow glance over his shoulder, his eyes met mine.

His eyes glittered with suffering that nearly matched my own.

“Cassandra,” he said in a hoarse voice that trembled softly. 

It was like a dam burst inside of me.

One second I was standing a few feet away from him, the next I was sinking into his arms as they fastened around me tightly.

“I’m sorry,” I sobbed against his chest, losing my battle with my tears as they dampened my cheeks and his shirt. “I’m so sorry I left. I’m so sorry I didn’t trust you enough to not demand answers that weren’t for me. I’m sorry I hurt you.”

“It’s alright, my love,” he murmured against my hair. “There’s nothing I have to forgive you for.”

I pulled away slightly so I could look up to him. “I trust you, Sebastian. If you tell me nothing happened with Natalie, I’ll believe you. If you tell me that it’s in my best interest not to know your secrets, I’ll believe you. I’ll believe you because I love you.”

He gave me a tremulous smile, his fingers gently grazing my cheek. “I love you, Cassandra. If I could protect you from everything, myself especially, I would. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me and I won’t lose you.”

“You won’t,” I reassured him as I slipped a hand behind his neck and pulled him closer. “Because I’m here to stay, Sebastian. For good.”

The kiss started bittersweet but it didn’t take long for the flames to flare to life and start smoldering.

There was no hint of alcohol—just Sebastian, his sweetness, his desire, his love.

If the world could sing out in harmony, now would be the perfect time because everything felt right.

Until I heard the giggles.

I tore myself away from Sebastian and glanced at the door, the shocked gasp tumbling out of my mouth.

Standing there by the doorway were two tall, attractive women wearing nothing but sexy lingerie and watching us with amused interest.

“Care to make it a party?” one of them asked with a naughty wink.

I turned to Sebastian, feeling the blood in my veins turn ice cold at the betrayal once again.

Without saying a word, I bolted from my spot and stormed past the women, bumping into Jennison and abruptly snatching my purse which he held.

I ran out, ignoring Sebastian’s bellows as he followed me.

I scrambled into the elevator and punched it close before he could slip into it.

When the elevator started moving, I clenched my fists hard before I flung out my purse by the strap and sent it slamming against the wood-paneled wall.

“Damn you, Sebastian Vice!” I screamed at no one in particular, vibrating with fury, hot scalding tears slipping down my cheeks. 

The pain in my chest loosened only slightly and I struggled to compose myself.

I was not going to fall apart.

I sighed and leaned back against the wall, closing my eyes briefly as a whirlwind of emotions lashed inside of me.

Why are you angry, Cassandra? You went on a weekend getaway with Marcus after telling Sebastian that you two were done. He could’ve slept with a hundred different girls and you wouldn’t have a say about it. Just as he wouldn’t if you’d gone and slept with Marcus.

I hated my rationalizations especially when they were right.

I had pushed Sebastian away—I had pushed him out of my life, giving him free reign to live his own.

If it involved threesomes, there was nothing I could do about that.

It still stung and as tempting as it was to turn around and tell him it didn’t matter—he only did as I’d prescribed—I just couldn’t face him at this moment.

When the elevator banked on the ground floor, I rushed out and stood by the front steps, keeping an eye on a taxi to flag down.

One arrived a few seconds later, letting out a couple who were giggling at each other.

“Cassandra, don’t you dare get into that taxi!”

I whirled around and saw Sebastian marching out the front door in his robe and pajamas, barefoot and looking thunderous.

There were a few people by the outside lobby including security and the building staff and they all froze at his frantic shout. No one dared to stand in his way. No one was foolish enough to attempt it.

He slammed a hand down the passenger seat door I had just yanked open, swiftly shutting it close.

“Go!” he yelled at the driver, giving the taxi another smack on the roof.

It careened away without hesitation.

“Sebastian, I don’t want to talk about this now,” I told him evenly. “I understood what happened and I don’t blame you but I—”

“If only you’d stop jumping to conclusions and running away before I could explain, we wouldn’t constantly be on a ridiculous chase,” he snapped, grabbing my elbow. “Let’s go back upstairs and I’ll tell you—”

“I’m not going back there with those... women!” I sputtered incredulously. “I may be incredibly weak when it comes to you but don’t think for a second that I’m willing to stoop that low for you!”

“What happened to all that trust you promised me minutes ago?” he demanded. “Why do you have this habit of constantly assuming the worst about me just based on the optics of the situation?”

“Maybe because the optics of the situation are as obvious as the nose in your face!” I shot back. “You’re the one with the habit of getting caught in incriminating circumstances. I just make the deductions.”

Sebastian growled in frustration. “Look, I was going crazy wondering what you were doing with Marcus on the weekend that I needed to do something to get it out of my mind. I wanted to do something far worse than what you did running off with him. I thought maybe two women would do the trick but I was so distracted by all-consuming thoughts of you that they eventually got bored of waiting around they decided to amuse each other in one of the guest bedrooms. Jennison was trying to get rid of them when you arrived. I haven’t been intimate with a woman in a long time, Cassandra, way before you came back to my life. I don’t want anyone else.”

He grabbed me by the shoulders and peered down at me, determination plain on his face. “You told me you trusted me. You can’t take it back now. I won’t let you.”

Then his mouth came crashing down on mine, savage and relentless.

Everything else faded away as my arms wrapped around him, every bit of my soul poured into our kiss.

“I love you so damned much, Cassandra,” he whispered gruffly as he broke away slightly, grazing his lips along the line of my jaw. “Please tell me you’re mine forever.”

I sniffed back my tears and smiled weakly, pressing my forehead against his chin. “I’ve always been yours, Sebastian. Forever.”

Without saying much else, he scooped me up in his arms and carried me back up the front steps, ignoring our gaping audience.

He didn’t put me down even after we got into the elevator and I happily linked my arms around his neck and pressed my cheek against his solid chest.

“I want the whole place vacated in five minutes,” he muttered to Jennison who opened the door before Sebastian reached it. “I will not be disturbed until further notice.”

My cheeks burned at the implication but I did nothing except smile at Jennison who was looking mildly relieved and amused at the same time before he turned around to follow his orders.

“I’m not sure I want to be in your bedroom,” I murmured to Sebastian as he continued down the hall that led to the various bedrooms. “Not with... you know... your memory with Natalie. In it.”

I swallowed uncomfortably.

Doubts didn’t assail me like they used to at the mere mention of her name but it still made me very uneasy.

“I’ve never slept with a woman in my bedroom, Cassandra,” he told me with a brief but meaningful glance. “And there will never be any other woman in it but you.”

Warmth pooled in my chest and I allowed myself a giddy smile. 

I couldn’t believe how hard I resisted something this good.

I expected him to drop me on the bed when we got to his room but he pretty much followed me right after, his large, muscular frame covering past the entire length of my body.

We spent a good amount of time kissing wildly before Sebastian pulled back to skim the length of my stockinged legs.

He easily slipped off my boots and worked to untie the belt of my trench coat.

Pushing myself up, I shook the coat off my shoulders and shoved it aside, enjoying the darkening look in his searing green eyes.

He edged off the bed and pulled me up on my feet, his hands curling around my waist as he leaned down to torture my lips again with hot, sucking kisses.

Wandering up to my back, his hands found the top of my dress’s zipper and slowly pulled it down, his warm, rough palm slipping inside to caress my skin.

“Sebastian, I need you,” I whispered shakily, my hands gripping the hem of his shirt and pulling it upwards.

Shrugging his robe off, he grabbed the back of the shirt collar and yanked it off. I shivered at the sight and touch of his well-muscled torso which was slightly shadowed by the sprinkling of soft, dark hair on his chest.

His hands hovered on my shoulders, pushing the straps of my dress down until it slipped easily into a heap by my feet. Deftly, he captured the heavy globes of my breasts and squeezed gently before unclasping my bra and freeing them back to his hands.

I sucked in a sharp breath when his fingers strummed across my stiffening nipples, the friction sending a jolt of liquid desire straight between my legs.

Lifting me up by the waist, he laid me back on the bed, his hands moving down to the garters of my opaque tights.

His hands slipped inside just as his mouth closed over one of my nipples, his fingers skimming along the edges of my panties at the same time his tongue leisurely stroked against my heated skin.

“Don’t torture me, please,” I heard myself begging, my fingers thrusting into his hair to pull him back up to my mouth.

Heavy-lidded, he smiled at me, his fingers hooking onto the garters and pulling the tights off my legs. “I enjoy torturing you just a bit, my love. It’s nothing compared to the hell I’ve gone through in the last four years, wanting you so badly but not being able to have you.”

My panties soon followed the path of my tights and I scowled when I noticed he was still wearing his pajamas.

“You’re not nearly as undressed as I am,” I complained.

He laughed and quickly chucked off the offending clothing along with his boxer briefs.

My lips parted open at the sight of him—huge, hard and demanding—just like the man.

Moisture pooled between my legs at the memory of feeling him move inside me, stretching, taking and giving.

Without any encouragement, I found myself parting my legs, my hand slipping down to the wet valley that ached for this glorious possession.

“I have to have you now, darling.” His voice no longer held humor or any teasing. It was a near growl, barely restrained, as he crawled up over me on the bed. “I need to be inside you.”

His name stumbled out of my mouth in a terse cry as he thrust his full length into me, his hips barely pausing as he started to pound into me in a dizzying pace.

My legs were draped over his arms but as he leaned closer in a slightly different angle that sent him deeper inside me, they became pressed against the length of his upper body, my ankles resting on his shoulders.

“Reach for it, love,” he uttered in a guttural voice, his thrusts deeper and faster, his hands molding my breasts roughly, his control fraying nearly to shreds. “I’m not going to last long.”

Gasping, I squeezed him inside me, crying out along with him at the friction that sent a ripple of pleasure along our joint bodies. My hips rose and fell in answer to his own hammering rhythm, my fingernails digging into his shoulders as I thrashed from side to side, every muscle in my body clenching at the unnamable burst of heat and light that combusted inside me.

“Sebastian,” I breathed through heavy pants as the world spun behind my closed lids, feeling his pace quicken to an almost alarming speed until he buckled and groaned out my name, liquid warmth filling me at his shaky release.

I welcomed his weight, my arms wrapping around his back slick with sweat.

“I love you,” I whispered to him, kissing his damp brow. 

He raised his head, his green eyes softly shimmering with exhaustion and happiness. 

Smiling, he gathered me in his arms and rolled on to his side, taking me with him.

“I love you, Cassandra,” he whispered back, his lips brushing against the bridge of my nose. “Thank you for coming back to me.”

And with the world perfectly in balance again, we slept.

***

“I don’t remember posing in my red dress for you.”

It was much later that evening and Sebastian and I were snuggled in his big, soft bed, staring at the four portraits that hung on the wall across us.

After our first few initial lovemakings, we’d slowed down and taken more time and effort in rediscovering each other again. Completely replete, we finally sprawled against his bed and settled with talking for now until we recovered our energy.

It was the first time I actually got a good look around his bedroom. It was richly furnished, very similar to his one in Cove Manor save for the four portraits of me that adorned the bare wall across his bed—a sight that he couldn’t avoid every morning as he woke up.

Each portrait featured me in varying profiles—one was the original piece he’d started while I was still in Cove, the second was of me in the red dress I’d reconstructed for my birthday dinner, the third was of me smiling and looking over my bare shoulder with the sun above me and the fourth was of me looking pensive against the backdrop of a very familiar apple orchard.

Sebastian may have stopped painting when he was very young and didn’t pick up a brush again until four years ago but his talent was unmistakable. I was no art connoisseur but the pieces were done with a deft hand and a heart that knew me well enough to capture me in his imagination.

“You didn’t need to,” was Sebastian’s lazy reply as he ran a hand up and down my arm. “I have very vivid memories of you, Cassandra. I couldn’t miss a detail.”

I looked up at him. “I wish I had your talent. There had been times in the past when I wanted to see your face again and the most I could do was look you up online. Problem was, most of your pictures on the web were with some woman or another.”

He grimaced. “I thought you took photos of us that summer with your phone.”

“I did but I never took that phone out since you dropped it off at residence,” I explained, thinking to our last encounter at my university four years ago. “I wanted to see your face without having to dig up painful memories. It was a pointless endeavor, of course.”

Sebastian pressed a kiss on the crown of my head. “Did you ever try contacting me at all? During the first year, I anxiously hoped the phone would ring with you on the caller ID or that an email would pop in with your name on it. When I realized it wasn’t going to happen, I forced myself to stop anticipating.”

“Why didn’t you contact me?” I asked back, trailing my fingertips along the hard planes of his chest. 

“I couldn’t really, without risking losing my control and throwing the plan out of the window,” he answered with a soft smile. “I told myself you didn’t ask for much, just a little time to live your life, accomplish your dreams and maybe some room to forgive and forget all the damnable things I did to you. I kept reminding myself of my reward—of a future with you.”

I smiled back. “You sent me those paintings of daisies though, every year on my birthday.”

“I wanted to make sure you somehow knew I’d never forgotten you. That even if you’d left, you were never just a distant memory to me.”

Our heads leaned closer as our lips met for a slow, lingering kiss. 

I looked up as we pulled away, glancing at the portraits on the wall. “I’ve never really left, have I?”

Sebastian gathered me into his arms and kissed me deeply, his body shifting with languid motion as he settled me on top of him, his stiff cock quickly and easily finding my moist center.

I straddled him and lowered myself on him, gasping in a breath at the fullness of taking him from this position.

It was tender and sweet—our release only seconds apart.

“Cassandra, come away with me next weekend,” he murmured against my neck as I draped my exhausted body over his. “I want to take you somewhere that might answer your questions.”

I lifted my head to gaze at him, finding his green eyes serene. “I didn’t come back to force your secrets out, Sebastian. I have no reservations. I mean to be here no matter what. Keep your secrets if they need to be protected. I trust you.”

He smiled gently and tucked a lock of hair behind my ear. “I trust you too which is why I’m letting you in. I’m not afraid that you’ll sell me out. I’m afraid that you would change your mind about me once you know everything.”

“I think you’ve already come far in testing just how much I could take from you,” I teased, grinning mischievously at him. “I can’t imagine anything would scare me off now.”

Sebastian laughed, his chest vibrating with the sound. “I wouldn’t dare put that statement to the test.”

I wiggled my brows at him and kissed the center of his chest. “So, tell me. How many women have you slept with in the last four years?”

Alarm filled Sebastian’s eyes. “Why do you want to know? God, I’m certain you’ve asked me a very similar question four years ago and I remember not liking that conversation very much.”

I wasn’t sure if I really wanted to know the answer but I couldn’t help asking.

“Well, the number of men I’ve slept with hasn’t really changed over the last four years,” I quipped lightly, amused at his instant scowl. “Thanks to you. You seem determined to restrict my sexual experience to just yourself.”

“It’ll be a cold day in hell before I let another man have you,” he murmured savagely, his hand capturing a lock of my hair and twisting it around his fingers. “The thought of it makes me go crazy mad.”

I pressed my lips together, trying not to giggle in the face of his possessive declaration which he looked utterly serious about. “I don’t like the thought of you with other women either but I’m afraid I wasn’t quite there to do anything about it.”

His expression softened. “There hasn’t been many women, darling. Aside from the one you already know about after we broke up, there’s only been two others.”

I inhaled deeply. “Tell me.”

“I was quite determined to move on after you left for good,” he said in a low, sad voice. “I’d already decided I was going to look after you no matter what but that there was nothing more to it. I took to drinking mostly at first. I couldn’t stand other women just then. I loathed myself more than I ever did in my life. Not just because of what I did to you but also because of what I did to Natalie—I used her and sent her home when my head cleared and I realized how stupidly I acted.”

I reached for Sebastian’s hands and slipped my fingers through his own, squeezing gently. 

“When none of that worked, I decided the only way to cure myself of you was to distract myself with other women—maybe if I disgusted myself enough I would slide back to that dark path in my life where I didn’t care about anything. I just wanted to stop feeling, you know? I thought I’d fuck myself numb.”

“Oh, Sebastian,” I whispered, my heart twisting. I pressed a kiss on the back of his fingers.

“So I went out to meet lots of different women,” he went on, releasing a ragged breath. “Many of them were happy to indulge me but it was hard to want to do anything more with any of them. It was only when I got drunk enough that I managed to forget their name and face and imagine you instead. I only managed it twice before I decided I just couldn’t do it any longer.”

“What about the scores of women you’ve gone out with on all those events and parties?”

He smiled, noting the jealous echo in my statement. “I needed to keep up appearances. I didn’t want to puzzle the press with my sudden change of lifestyle and give them cause to dig around. You were living a quiet life apart from my world and I didn’t want you disturbed for it so I gave them what they’ve always expected to see from me. Unfortunately, thanks to my reputation, the women expected more. It was always tricky prying them off of me once the show’s over.”

I couldn’t say anything just yet—the revelations not only stunned me, they shifted my perspective.

“So for majority of the last four years, you didn’t have sex?” I asked, perplexed, gesturing at his spectacularly virile body. “How in the world did you manage that?”

He laughed. “I can happily survive with my hand and memories of you naked and writhing in pleasure.”

When I must’ve looked sufficiently mortified with embarrassment, he chuckled and pulled me up against him. “I also busied myself with other things—work, painting, traveling, dealing with my family, reading up on how well you were doing. My life expanded a little bit more outside of my usual pleasures. It’s amazing what you can do when you’ve got nothing but time in your hands.”

I pondered that, gazing at the peaceful profile of his face, his smiling mouth and his sparkling green eyes. “Have I mentioned yet how much I love you?”
He grinned. “I wouldn’t mind hearing it again.”

“I love you. Very much,” I said with a giggle against his mouth before sitting up and sliding off the bed. “Before I forget, I have something I want to give you.”

I grabbed my purse from the floor and fished out the box that held Sebastian’s birthday present.

“It’s nothing crazy but I hope you like it,” I said shyly as I sat back on the bed. “It was my father’s and it’s very special to me.”

“I would love it,” he said without hesitation before I even extended the box out to him.

He sat up and slowly opened the lid, his mouth curling up into a smile as he took out the gold pocket watch. 

I waited as he turned it around in his hand before gently popping the cover open.

His expression softened as he read the inscription.

He looked up to me, his green eyes glittering with what could only be happiness. “Thank you.”

“Belated happy birthday,” I murmured to him with a smile before leaning forward to kiss him. 

He cupped my face and deepened the kiss until my toes were curling in pleasure and my body was responding to the heated invitation of his.

I groaned and pulled away, laughing and staggering off the bed. “We’ve got to take a break. Let’s go find something to eat in the kitchen. I’m starving for an entirely different kind of meat.”

I smiled as his hearty laughter floated behind me.

Some things were definitely worth the risks.

***

I had a little bit of practice in being Sebastian’s public girlfriend during those few weeks we spent together before the whole birthday and barbecue fiasco.

That was before we made things official and people couldn’t really ambush me with questions quite right to my face about it but when we showed up at work the next day and he walked me to my office and smacked a kiss on my lips with the entire office watching, he’d made it official and public.

I knew a part of it was to kill off any speculation about a rift between us which was also publicly witnessed by everyone who’d attended the company barbecue. As much as I’d like to avoid being office gossip fodder, admitting my relationship with Sebastian openly wasn’t going to make things that different—they were already talking about us anyway.

Most of it though was just pure satisfaction for Sebastian who was so cheerfully happy, it was hard to look at him sometimes—smiling, eyes crinkling at the corners, cheeks slightly flushed. If he’d been devastating in his typical brooding style, he was was a hundred times more potent being happy which made it worth it for me.

I was ready for tongues to wag in the company but what I didn’t prepare for was to find us splattered on the gossip spread of the city’s weekend tabloid almost right away. Cobalt Bay Social was not as nasty a column as some but it did’t beat around the bush either. You’d think Sebastian was a movie star for all the attention they were paying him but then he was a celebrity in his own way—hunky, influential and incredibly rich.

It was a message from Emma early Saturday morning that prompted me to scour the pile of newspapers and magazines delivered to the penthouse daily but as I suspected, Sebastian didn’t subscribe to tabloids.

He was still asleep when I left the bed and I decided to leave him that way as I put some jeans and a sweatshirt on before heading out to walk to Pattsie’s, a quaint but upscale cafe at end of the block.

I ordered two cups of coffee and an assortment of freshly baked pastries before buying a copy of the tabloid in question. 

I dallied by sitting on a corner table and hunting for the article first that just as I found it, a shadow loomed over me.

“Good morning,” Sebastian greeted as he leaned down to kiss me softly on the lips before settling into the seat across from me. He’d changed into a pair of jeans and a black sweater but his hair was still deliciously tousled from sleep and early morning sex.

“I’m sorry I woke you up,” I said sheepishly as I handed him his coffee and opened the small box of pastries. 

He picked up a brioche and shook his head. “It’s alright. I stirred when I realized you weren’t in bed. Jennison said you were headed here. It’s only seven-thirty, you know? Percy could’ve called in an order and have it brought up into the room.”

“I thought I’d have a look at the tabloids,” I told him, picking up the paper and showing it to him. “Emma texted to tell me we were this weekend’s special.”

His brows furrowed as he scooted closer to my chair so he could share reading it with me.

There was an impressively varied selection of photos of us—one of him helping me into the town car outside of TVG, another of us standing outside the restaurant where we had dinner with Emma and Ty, one of us walking along the sidewalk carrying groceries from that Saturday when he showed up for breakfast, another of us looking tense even from a great distance during our confrontation by the grove of trees during the company barbecue, another one of us wrapped up in a passionate kiss followed up by one of Sebastian in his pajamas carrying me in his arms up the front steps of Rockford and the last one was of us buying popcorn and drinks from the movie we went to see on Thursday night.

I winced at the undeniable fact that my face, unlike the gossip piece I’d been featured in four years ago, was quite clear and recognizable in most of these photos.

“Love & Vice: Perfect Union or Perfect Disaster?

Sebastian Vice, one of the country’s most eligible and elusive bachelors, and in fact one of the four members of the highly coveted Cobalt Bay Billionaires, is rumored to be caught up in a passionate whirlwind love affair that hit many lows and highs since meeting his new woman merely over a month ago. There are certainly enough incriminating photos to convince the captive audience.

Could this be the love that will redeem this wicked Vice?

The new woman isn’t one of the many society belles the 34-year-old mogul is typically accessorized with.

Cassandra Collins, according to a source close to the couple, is a 22-year-old employee at The Vice Group with a low-profile background. Fresh from university, she joined the company in September. The source says that according to Collins, she and Vice are old friends, explaining their instant connection.

Other sources have confirmed spotting the couple all over the city running mundane errands, dining with friends, having a public tiff at the company barbecue and having a movie-worthy confrontation at the front steps of Vice’s Rockford residence where the couple had argued, embraced and kissed before Vice carried his lady love in his arms back to his penthouse suite. Witnesses said that it was quite a romantic scene.

Which leads us to ask, is this the real deal?

Is our favorite bachelor smitten and set for the altar all for a doe-eyed and dimpled petite beauty in his payroll?

With rapt attention, we’ll wait and see where this fairytale goes if it goes anywhere at all.”

I grimaced as soon I finished reading the article out loud.

Some parts were sweet and some were a bit, well, crass. It wasn’t as horrifyingly scandalous as one could expect from a gossip column but it was surprisingly... sedate.

Well, it wasn’t like I expected a glowingly positive article with unquestionable journalistic integrity. It was a gossip tabloid after all.

“Hmm,” was Sebastian’s noncommittal comment as he sat back in his seat.

I raised a brow at him. “What does hmm mean? I’m not sure if the article’s trying to portray me as a gold-digger or you as a predatory employer or both.”

He shrugged. “They’re used to dissing the women I’ve gone out with in the past. They always knew it was never anything serious. They’re not quite sure what to make of you and our unusual circumstances.”

I studied him suspiciously. “You don’t seem distressed in the least about this article. You’ve always been pretty vigilant about the press. You cleaned up that article about us four years ago.”

“Four years ago, I couldn’t afford to lose you more than I already have,” he answered calmly. “This time, I’m actually pleased that the world knows about us. That way, there’s no question about what we are to each other.”

“This isn’t exactly illuminating in the most accurate sense,” I grumbled, glaring down at the offending article. “I hate the angle about me being on your payroll. And the dubious last line about whether we’re even going to last at all.”

He smirked and reached over to hold my hand in his. “It can’t be too favorable if it’s published in a gossip tabloid. If everything sounds perfect, people might think it’s press material we’ve just sent over for printing.”

His placid expression didn’t convince me. “Are you saying that you’ve volunteered us to be gossip fodder?”

“No, nothing like that,” he quickly clarified. “I got a call from the tabloid asking for comment and sniffing around for an article. I didn’t offer any comment but my team made sure nothing too unfavorable came out. Honestly, it’s not as bad as I thought it would be.”

“Sebastian, your God complex again!” I groaned, swatting his arm. “You have to consult me on these things. I’m the other half of this gossip piece. I’d like as much warning as possible. I know it’s unavoidable given your high-profile status but I’m not used to this much attention. It’s very... uncomfortable.”

His green eyes softened and he pulled me closer, pressing a gentle kiss on my temple. “I’m sorry, Cassandra. I didn’t realize how big a deal it is for you. Don’t worry, I’ll do my best to keep the press away.”

I shook my head. “It’s okay. I can’t hide forever—not if I want you, all of you—I have to learn at some point. But all I ask is that you talk to me before doing anything. We make the decisions together, Sebastian.”

A slow smile curved on his mouth. “Yes, we do. Speaking of decisions, what do you say to dinner tonight? I want to take you somewhere special.”

Later that evening, that somewhere special turned out to be Silver Leaf.

I’d dressed simply in an wide-necked, cobalt blue dress with three-fourth sleeves and Sebastian in jeans and a sports jacket. He didn’t say where we were headed but the moment we pulled over in front of a small, old-fashioned brick building that I remembered to have once been a general store, I knew exactly where we were.

There were large glass windows on the front that looked into the restaurant, the name Silver Leaf only written in silver script on the slope of the dark green awnings that lined the exterior of the building. 

It was modest, warm and inviting with the brick detail and old-world charm and whatever was cooking smelled delicious even from the outside.

A girl in a black shift dress greeted us as we came in through the throng of waiting diners and immediately directed us into a private corner table. She noted down our drink requests and left us with a basket filled with assorted, freshly baked dinner rolls.

“I wonder if Lexie and Charlie are here tonight,” I murmured as I buttered a roll. 

Sebastian looked up to me in surprise. “You know Lexie and Charlie?”

I smiled, realizing that I haven’t actually told him about meeting the twins at the wedding. “Yes. They attended Marcus’s sister’s wedding. Lexie was the maid of honor, you know?”

He nodded. “Yes, Daphne and Lexie have been best friends for years. I knew you were going to a wedding and Lexie’s mentioned it to me too but I was too distracted to put two and two together.”

Suddenly, his expression was strained and anxious as he took my hand and rubbed it absently. “So, how did it go? I’d been debating how to best introduce you to them. I wanted you to get along.”

“We got along splendidly,” I assured him, squeezing his hand. “They’re both incredibly sweet. Lexie’s got your tough hide but she’s bubbly and fiercely loyal. Charlie’s very down to earth and I think he balances his twin well.”

Sebastian grinned. “He does. Lexie can be strong-headed but she always means well. Charlie’s growing up to be a great guy and I’m very glad for that. The last thing I want him to be is as screwed up as me and our father.”

I nodded in understanding. “The twins told me they don’t even believe they’re your father’s biological children.”

He sighed, stretching his neck sideways as if the topic made him uncomfortable. “They’re probably right but as far as I’m concerned, that’s a good thing. The less chance they have of having Vice blood running in their veins, the better for them. It doesn’t matter whose children they are. They’re my family.”

Warmth trickled around my heart. “They are. They love you a lot, you know? I spent a great deal of my weekend there talking with them.”

“Is that why you came back to me?” he asked gently, a touch of wariness in his eyes. “Did they talk you into it?”

I shook my head, smiling. “They sang your praises but it just solidified the decision I already made on our first night there. It was great to finally get to know them but whether I’d met them or not, it wouldn’t have altered my course.”

Sebastian’s dark green eyes warmed significantly as he leaned forward to press a kiss on my lips. “That’s good. I wouldn’t have complained either way but I’m glad to know you came to me on your own.”

“I love you, Sebastian,” I told him, leaning close that our noses rubbed together. “I never wanted to be without you but I was scared that you’d hurt me all over again.”

“Well, isn’t this a sight to behold.”

We both looked up and found Lexie and Charlie standing there, grinning broadly at us.

Lexie was in a red sheath dress and Charlie was in a black chef’s uniform.

“Hello, brother,” Lexie greeted as she leaned down to give Sebastian a quick hug and a buss on the cheek. “It’s been a while.”

Charlie clapped him on the back and winked at me just as his sister leaned over to me for my turn at a hug.

“From the looks of it, everything seems to have worked out,” Lexie said cheekily, slipping into a chair next to Charlie. “I even saw you two in the paper today.”

“Lexie loves her scandal sheets,” Charlie said wryly. “Not when they talk about her or her brothers but she was especially pleased about this particular one.”

“Who doesn’t love a happy-ever-after?” Lexie quipped with a roll of her eyes. Then she beamed at us. “You both deserve it.”

Sebastian smiled warmly at his sister. “I heard you and Charlie may have something to do with it. Thank you.”

Lexie grinned proudly while Charlie just shrugged and said, “There’s no helping the inevitable.”

“Sweetie, I—”

We all looked up at the interrupted remark and saw Marcus halt in his stride when he saw us.

“I’m assuming it’s not Charlie you’re calling sweetie, Aldridge,” Sebastian said dryly, eyeing his friend in suspicion. “I certainly hope it’s not Cassandra.”

Marcus flushed and laughed awkwardly before coming to stand behind Lexie. “No, neither.”

“Didn’t I tell you, my love?” I asked Sebastian sweetly, tilting my head up at him. “Marcus and your sister got over their signature banter and went for it.”

Amusement glimmered in Sebastian’s eyes as he raised a brow at a blushing Lexie. “Lex, is this true? Are you really dating this guy? He’s dated half of the female population in this country.”

“So have you!” Lexie shot back, sticking out her tongue as she got up and slipped an arm around Marcus’s waist. “You’re having your cake. Let me have mine too.”

Sebastian just chuckled and shook his head. “You can have it, Lex. I have no fear that you can’t handle him.”

Marcus wrinkled his nose. “Thanks, I guess.”

Charlie got up and rubbed his hands together. “Well, why don’t we leave these two to enjoy their dinner. I have to get back into the kitchen and you still need to keep an eye on that food writer, Lex.”

“We’ll get together another time,” Lexie promised as she and Marcus pushed back the chairs. “Family dinner or something like that.”

“Just let us know,” I said, grinning at her and Marcus. “See you around. You too, Marcus.”

“I’m glad you’re finally happy,” Marcus said with a wink before guiding Lexie away from our table.

I turned to Sebastian and found him staring after the couple. I pressed against him in reassurance. “I think Marcus really cares about Lexie. They’ll be happy together.”

Sebastian smiled. “Oh, I’m sure. They’ve beaten around it for years. My sister is a handful and Marcus has known her long enough to know how to handle that.”

I reached out to hold his hand. “It all works out, doesn’t it, when you’re with the right person?”

He brought up my hand to his lips and gently kissed it. “Oh, absolutely.”

Later that night, as we snuggled in his bed in Rockford after a round of noisy, playful sex, Sebastian nibbled my shoulder and whispered, “Darling, did you meet her too?”

I stilled. “Who?”

“My stepmother.”

I sighed. “Yes, I did. She’s not the nicest lady but I can handle her. You don’t need to protect me from her, you know.”

“Oh, it’s not her I’m protecting you from.”

I looked up to him in the dim light of the room. “Then from whom?”

He leaned down to kiss the tip of my nose. “Ghosts from the past.”

We didn’t say anything for a long moment.

I felt Sebastian’s arms tighten around me and I let him hold me as long as he needed to.

“I want to spend every day and every night with you, Cassandra,” he murmured softly. “I want you to think about moving in with me. If you don’t like this place, we can find another, whatever you like.”
I opened my mouth to speak but he pressed a finger against my lips. 

“Don’t give me your answer yet. Come with me next weekend and see how you feel about everything when we come back,” he said in a low, strained voice that hinted at uncertainty. “I hate giving choices but it’s only fair to you.”

I nodded and shifted to press closer to him in the embrace.

The truth was, I already knew what I wanted.

Whether it was smart to do it at this point, that was an entirely different matter.

But he wanted me to wait until I knew the secrets he wanted to share with me, as if knowing them might change my mind about us.

I didn’t share his fear. 

Whatever it was, I doubted it would change my feelings any more than my own fears and reservations could. 

But because he asked to wait, wait we shall.

***

What do you guys think of Seb's revelation about his supposed 'affairs'? 

As for the article, it's titled Love and Vice instead of Virtue and Vice because that was supposed to be the title for the second book but since I merged them, it didn't matter anymore.

Please vote and comment on both chapters if you like them! =)

XOXO! -Ninya