“How many, Mr. Bennett?” the hostess asked as she smiled at me.
“Dinner for two and I want that table right there.” I pointed.
“Actually, that table is reserved for someone else.”
“Well, un-reserve it.” I reached into my pocket and pulled out a fifty-dollar bill, handing it to her.
She willingly took it from my hand and then looked down at her seating chart.
“It’s been un-reserved. Follow me.”
Shaking his head, Damien spoke, “What’s that all about?”
“I like that table.”
As we followed the small framed hostess to our table, I heard my name.
“Sebastian?”
I looked over and saw Chloe sitting down with a woman and a man.
“Chloe? What are you doing here?” I pretended to act surprised.
“Having dinner with my friends. Sebastian, this is my best friend, Sienna, and her friend, Sam.”
“‘Ello, mate.” Sam smiled as he stood up and extended his hand to me.
“Nice to meet you, Sam. Sienna, it’s a pleasure. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
“I’m sure you have.” She grinned. “It’s nice to finally meet you. I was beginning to think Chloe made you up.”
“Chloe, this is my friend, Damien.”
“Nice to meet you.” She flashed her beautiful smile.
“Well, we better sit down. Enjoy your dinner. It was nice to meet both of you and it was a pleasure seeing you again, Chloe.” I smirked.
Our table was right next to theirs and I made sure my seat faced Chloe. Every once in a while, I would glance over at her, only to find her observing me. As soon as our eyes met, she would look away. She didn’t lie about going out tonight. She already had dinner plans and it pleased me she told the truth.
Damien leaned across the table and whispered, “Another one of your sex toys? Why haven’t I met her before?”
“No. She’s the one I met in London.”
Damien Walters was a good friend of mine who also happened to be the vice president of my acquisitions department. We met five years ago when the company he worked for went under and I purchased it. I was highly impressed by his credentials, and being a Harvard graduate, he had a keen sense for business.
“Oh. She’s sexy as fuck,” he whispered.
I shot him a look and he leaned back in his chair.
“Normally, that doesn’t bother you. What’s going on?”
“I’m not sure yet,” I replied as I took a sip of my bourbon.
****
Chloe
I could feel his stare, even if he wasn’t looking at me, and my body fluttered at the thought of what happened in my office earlier this afternoon. I hadn’t stopped thinking about him since he left and to see him here tonight was bliss. Sienna knew something was up because she got up and announced to Sam that we were going to the restroom.
As we stepped inside, she lightly grabbed my arm.
“Okay. What happened to you today? And don’t say nothing because you’ve been glowing like a firefly on a hot summer’s night since you walked in here.”
Setting my purse on the counter, I dug for my lipstick.
“He came into the gallery today and —”
“You had sex with him in the gallery?!” she shrieked.
I looked under the stalls to make sure nobody else overheard her mouth.
“Keep it down. No. Not really.” I smiled.
“What do you mean ‘not really’?”
“He just made me orgasm and then he left.”
The shocked expression that overtook her face made me laugh.
“What do you mean he made you orgasm? You said you didn’t have sex.”
I held up my index finger.
“Oh,” she let out in a long drawl with wide eyes.
“He texted me and asked me to dinner. I declined because I was meeting you and Sam, so he came to the gallery and told me he wanted to give me something so I would think about him tonight.”
“Fuck! That is so hot! I need a man like that.” She pouted.
“You have Sam for the next week.”
She rolled her eyes. “I know. Somehow, I don’t think he’ll be a Sebastian.”
“You’ll survive.” I smiled as I put my lipstick in my purse. “I have to pee. I’ll meet you back at the table.”
After washing my hands, I dried them off, and when I opened the bathroom door, I found Sebastian leaning up against the wall with his hands pushed in his pockets.
“Hi.” I smiled.
“Is anyone else in there?” he asked.
“Umm. No. It was just me.”
Next thing I knew, his mouth was on mine as he pushed me back into the bathroom, his hands planted firmly on each side of my face.
“Are you going straight home after here?” he asked as he broke our kiss.
“Yes.”
“Good. I’ll be over after I finish dinner. We have some unfinished business from this afternoon.”
His eyes stared into mine as he kissed my lips one last time before leaving the bathroom. I stood there frozen as I tried to process what just happened, my heart beating rapidly and an ache down below that was screaming with desire.
When I arrived home, I kicked off my shoes and went to the bedroom to strip out of my clothes and put on my satin robe. When he got here, there would be no time wasted, but somehow, I had a feeling it was going to be a fuck and leave, something I didn’t want. I wanted to fall asleep with his strong arms wrapped tightly around me while my head lay on his muscular chest.
The door buzzer rang and I let him up. I stood in the doorway in my robe, and he smiled as he brushed his lips against mine and kicked the door shut with his foot. He wasted no time untying my robe and sliding it off my shoulders.
“Fuck, Chloe,” he growled as his eyes raked over my naked body.
Taking off his suit coat, he unbuttoned his shirt and threw it to the ground, along with his shoes and pants. Grabbing my arms, he pushed me up against the bare wall that sat opposite of the kitchen. His urgency to fuck me could no longer be contained and his determination to take me against the wall heightened my arousal. His lips caressed my neck as his fingers plunged inside me. I gasped and a low moan escaped deep within his chest.
“Are you on birth control?”
“Yes,” I replied breathlessly.
“What kind?”
“The pill. Why?”
“I don’t want to wear a condom tonight.” His pleading brown eyes locked on mine.
Our mouths met and a sensation of warmth engulfed me. I wrapped my legs around his waist and placed my hand on the back of his neck while he thrust inside me with deep, long strokes as his arms held me up effortlessly. I panted as he moved in and out of me, digging my nails into the back of his neck as the wave of an orgasm came in and swept me away. He moaned as sweat dripped from his forehead.
“Turn around, baby, and face the wall,” he commanded as he unwrapped my legs from his waist.
I did as he asked; his hands latched onto my breasts and his tongue slid up and down my spine before he thrust into me from behind. Letting go of my breasts, he placed his hands against the wall and rapidly moved in and out of me, letting soft whispers of ecstasy escape his lips. One last deep thrust and he slowed down, filling me up with his come. He placed one arm around my waist and gently lowered us to the ground. We lay there, his heart beating fiercely against my back as his lips pressed against my shoulder. My hand wrapped around his arm, never wanting him to let go. I could feel his cock soften and he pulled out of me.
“How was your dinner?” he asked.
I turned my head and looked at him. Smiling, I spoke, “It was good. How was yours?”
“Perfection now that I’ve had my dessert.”
He got up from the floor and held his hand out to me. After helping me up, he picked my robe up from the floor and slipped it over my shoulders as he kissed my lips.
“
I have to get going. I have an early meeting tomorrow morning.”
Disappointment shot through me, killing my extremely good mood.
“I want you to stay the night.”
“And I want to, but I can’t. You understand, right?” He cupped my chin in his hand.
“Yeah. I understand.”
“Good. I knew you would.”
I watched him as he got dressed and then I walked him to the door.
“I’ll be in touch. Thank you for a beautiful evening.” He smiled as he kissed my forehead and then my lips.
Shutting the door, I stood there and stared at it as thoughts escalated in my head. Thoughts of Sebastian, the mind-blowing sex we had, and the way he always left after. The only night he stayed was in London and that was because it was his hotel room, but he was sure as shit gone the next morning. Concerns filled my mind at the possibility of him using me for his own sexual pleasure. It was too late for me. My attachment to him wasn’t only physical, for now the emotional attachment settled in, leaving me feeling rejected and used.
Chapter 14
Chloe
After taking a shower, I climbed into bed and facetimed Sienna. I knew she probably wouldn’t answer because she was with Sam, but it was worth a shot. I desperately needed to talk to her.
“Hello, gorgeous.” Her smiling face appeared on the screen. She was covered in a sheet, lying in bed.
“I’m not interrupting anything, am I?”
“Not at the moment. What’s up?”
I sighed. “Sebastian came over and, once again, it was a wham bam, thank you ma’am.”
“What was his excuse this time?” She rolled her eyes.
“He has an early meeting in the morning.”
“He is a corporate hot shot and I’m sure he does. The least he could have done was bring an extra pair of clothes with him. What’s that look for?”
“What look?”
“Please don’t tell me you’ve become emotionally attached.”
“Who’s emotionally attached?” I heard Sam say as Sienna turned her phone and his naked body appeared on the screen as he walked by.
“Gah. Stop that!”
“Doesn’t he have the cutest little ass?” Sienna smiled. “Anyway, back to your emotional attachment. Don’t let him use you like that. You’re one of the strongest women I know. Don’t let his good looks and great sex take advantage of you. The next time he wants sex, you ask him if he’s hitting the road after. If he says yes, kick him out the door.”
“Good advice, S. Hey, Chloe.” Sam waved.
“Hey, Sam.”
“We’ll talk more about this tomorrow. Get some sleep and try not to think about him, okay?”
“Okay.”
Well, she was no help. As I pulled the covers over me and sank into my bed, I couldn’t stop thinking about how I knew nothing about Sebastian Bennett. All I knew was that he owned his own multi-billion-dollar company. He didn’t seem to want to share anything about himself, or maybe because the opportunity wasn’t there. Every time we were together, it consisted of nothing but sex, and then he left. My one night with a stranger in a foreign country turned out to be many nights with a stranger in America, and that was exactly what he was: a stranger. Just because I knew his name, job, and age didn’t mean I really knew him at all.
The next morning, I stumbled out of bed, showered, and headed to the gallery. After a busy morning, I glanced at the clock. It was almost noon.
“I’m going to head up to my office,” I spoke to Gregory and Micha. “Connor, Ellery, and Caden should be here shortly.”
As I sat down at my desk, I picked up my phone to see if I had any messages. None. Zero. Zilch. Somewhere in the back of my dumb head, the thought that Sebastian might have sent me a text message to at least say “hi” came forth. As I set my phone down, I saw Connor and Ellery walk in.
“Good afternoon.” Ellery smiled as she walked over and gave me a hug. “Is he here yet? I’m dying to see his work.” Her grin widened.
“Not yet.”
“Why don’t we go out there and wait for him?” Connor spoke as he walked over to the couch and took a seat.
I could hear Gregory’s voice coming up the stairs. Looking over, I saw Caden.
“Connor, Ellery, this is Caden. Caden, these are the owners of the gallery, Connor and Ellery Black.”
“Nice to meet you.” Ellery smiled as she extended her hand.
After hellos were said, we all took seats in the area outside my office and Caden opened up his portfolio. I studied Ellery’s face as she previewed the artist’s work. I could tell she loved it. Then I looked over at Connor as he cleared his throat.
“Well, I must say these are—” He took in a sharp breath. “Very artistic.”
I couldn’t help but let out a light laugh.
“Ellery?” he asked.
“I love it and I think it’s a great idea to hold a month-long exhibition. This gallery is perfect the way it is, but adding a little sex to it would make it even better.”
I watched Connor as he swallowed hard. “Chloe?” He glanced at me.
“I think it’s beautiful work and we should go with it.”
“I’ve added some framed black and white photographs towards the end. Not only do people like the realism of my paintings, but they like the still photography I do as well.”
“Beautiful,” Ellery and I spoke at the same time as we stared at the photos.
“Indeed it is.” Connor smiled.
Ellery glared at him and lightly smacked his arm.
“What? They are beautiful photographs. I’m agreeing with you. Caden, this gallery would love to exhibit your artwork. Chloe will handle everything and go over with you how we handle commissions and sales.”
Caden’s face lit up as he thanked Connor and Ellery. We said our goodbyes and I took Caden into my office.
“We’ll set up the exhibition in two weeks. That’ll give us enough time to advertise, invite, and get your work in here.” I reached in my desk drawer and pulled out a contract. “Here is the contract for your art. Read it over, and if you agree with everything, sign it and return it to me when you deliver your paintings. Also, I want to set up a few sculptures, so make sure you send them as well.”
“I can’t even believe this. Thank you so much, Chloe. I owe you big time.”
“You’re welcome and you don’t owe me anything. I’m just doing my job.” I smiled.
I walked him out of the gallery and turned my attention to Gregory.
“I need you to run an ad for the exhibition and send out some invites.”
“Where are we going to put the display?” he asked.
“Second level. We have all that space up there on the other side of my office. We’re going to need some more display cubes and a sign to put down here indicating that Contemporary Eroticism is upstairs. Have Micha take care of that.”
“Will do, Chloe.”
“Thanks. I’m heading out to lunch now, so I’ll be back.”
As I was walking out the gallery doors, Sebastian stopped me.
“Going somewhere?” He smiled.
“Lunch.” My belly fluttered at the sight of him.
“Perfect timing. Me too.” He held out his arm.
What the hell. I placed my arm in his and we walked down the street to a small but cozy Italian restaurant.
****
Sebastian
I wasn’t going to see her today. In fact, I had planned on not calling her or seeing her for about a week. She consumed my mind every waking minute and I even found myself dreaming about her when I slept. This wasn’t supposed to happen. It never had with any other woman and this concerned me a great deal that it happened with her. No matter how hard I tried to put Chloe Kane out of my mind, she wouldn’t leave.
“I had a wonderful time with you last night.” I smiled as I reached across the table and placed my hand on hers.
“Me too. But it would have been better if you had
stayed the night.”
“I’m sorry about that, but I couldn’t. I told you I had an early meeting this morning.”
“I know. I was just saying that it would have been better.” She took a sip from her wine glass.
I was about to do something that I had never done before.
“How would you like to go away with me for the weekend?”
“Where?” She smiled.
“Vegas. I have a business meeting. It won’t take long and then we can have the rest of the weekend together to do whatever you want.”
“You mean we can actually sleep together in a bed?” She smirked.
“That and many other things.” I winked.
She bit down on her bottom lip. “When are you leaving?”
“Tomorrow.”
“I have to work all day.”
I pulled my phone from my pocket and dialed Connor.
“Connor Black,” he answered.
“Connor, it’s Sebastian.”
“Hello, Sebastian. To what do I owe the pleasure?”
“Would you mind if I stole Chloe Kane tomorrow?”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m flying to Vegas and I would like her to go with me, but she says she has to work.”
“Oh. I didn’t know the two of you were seeing each other.”
“That’s yet to be determined.”
“Ah, I see. If she can swing the day off, it’s fine with me. She’s the manager and she knows if she can or can’t.”
“Thank you, my friend. I’ll be in touch.”
“Sebastian, wait. Chloe is a great woman and I know I don’t have to—”
“I know and, no, you don’t.”
“Okay. Have fun in Vegas.”
“Thanks. We’ll talk soon.”
Chloe sat across from me with wide eyes as she listened to me talk to her boss. I knew Connor wouldn’t mind, but I needed to put Chloe’s mind at ease.
“I cannot believe you just called him.”
“Why? We’re friends. He said that he doesn’t have a problem with you taking the day off as long as you feel you can. So can you?”
“I don’t know. I have an exhibition coming up in a couple of weeks.”
“Then you can work extra hard on Monday.” I smiled.
“Fine. I’ll go to Vegas with you.”