I turned on my heels and went back the way I came. I knew what I wanted—what I needed, and all of that was up those stairs in a pair of sexy jeans.

Seven

Sebastian

I didn’t like it. Her staying at my place, us eating breakfast together—all of it felt right, which felt wrong. This shit was exactly why I had fucking rules. I was done making exceptions for her.

This girl was unknown to me, except her life seemed to be spiraling out of control… and I had the strongest desire to make everything better for her.

I was starting to think I should forget the whole deal and just learn her name. Take her under my wing, the way I did with Vick. But then she’d smile at me when I did something nice for her, and it would be better than sex with any of the women in my black book.

I was truly fucked.

If I’d learned anything in all my years, it was that you couldn’t give a woman an inch without her expecting the whole fucking world.

I made my way up to my office and sat down behind my desk before turning the monitor on and clicking around my desktop. A little box popped up, awaiting my password, and I entered with swift taps on the keyboard.

Welcome, Mr. Black. A computerized voice buzzed through the speakers on my computer. The screen lit up showing four different pictures.

Each of the four screens was surveillance for the different rooms in my apartment. I even had surveillance for the club. I wasn’t a very trusting person. In fact, I trusted no one. Therefore, there wasn’t anything in my home or work that I couldn’t see at all times.

I found Jessica still sitting in the kitchen as she ate alone. I was positive I knew what she was going to do, but it didn’t hurt to insure my investments. Plus, I liked watching her.

After she finished her breakfast, she went to the room she’d stayed in for the night. Almost an hour later, she emerged dressed in clothes from the night before.

While I watched and waited, I made some necessary calls. One of which, included getting my driver here. Her car was a total piece of shit, at least what I’d seen of it the night I followed her outside. Plus, I liked the idea of her needing me for something else. It gave her more incentive to take my deal. Once she did, her car wouldn’t matter anymore anyway since I’d have her use my driver or I’d get her a driver of her own.

I watched her walk to the entrance of the club and smiled to myself. I could appreciate her stubbornness. She wanted to feel like she was exercising all of her options, but the truth was, I was her only option. She was scared and feeling helpless, but I could sense other things stirring deep within her. She could deny it all she wanted, but she was excited by what I was offering her.

With a click, my monitor went black and then I waited. A few minutes later, when my office door opened, Jessica was staring back at me. She was stiff as she shut the door and made her way to the couch across from me.

“Can I help you?” I asked.

She trembled slightly, but it was enough for me to see it. And then she took a big cleansing breath.

“Yes, the proposition from the other night…” she stopped.

“What about it?” I asked.

“Does it still stand?”

I leaned back in my chair and stared at her. She licked her lips nervously and my cock started to grow. “It does.”

“I’d like to take you up on your offer.”

The words came from her lips too quickly. It was as if she was forcing herself to say them.

I couldn’t help the grin that covered my face. “Are you sure?” Seriously, Black. What the hell was I doing? Why was I giving her an out?

I wanted her more than I’d wanted any other woman—maybe ever. This was my way of doing things, and I had the upper hand, as far as she was concerned. The last thing I needed to do was make her second guess her decision.

She nodded and her nostrils flared. “I’m sure.”

I didn’t like how her emotions were showing so clearly, but her words made me extremely happy. It was about time I had someone new. It wasn’t normal for me to mold a woman into what I wanted, but for her, I’d make an exception.

Standing up, I made my way around the desk. Her eyes never left my face and her nerves were showing. My eyes dipped to her neck, just in time to see her swallow hard. I positioned myself in front of her and leaned against my desk. “Well if that’s the case, stand up.” I couldn’t wait to run my fingertips across her perfect skin.

She stood on shaky legs, with her head down.

“Look at me, beautiful girl.”

She lifted her face to mine with closed lids, and when she opened them, the rare green color caught me off guard. They were the color of moss—like the green of the Irish coastline. Beautiful. But then I looked harder and the fear lingering along the edges of her thick lashes cut me deep.