Office Duties (Old Man Daddys Best Friend Romance) - RYE HART

Overtime Duties AN OLDER MAN BILLIONAIRE OFFICE ROMANCE By Rye Hart

Chapter One VIOLET

Breathe, Violet. Breathe, I told myself as I waited outside Sebastian Townsend's office. I tried to convince myself that this interview was no big deal, that I'd been to his office countless times before. But this time was different and I knew it. This time, I wasn't here on a social call with my father. No, this time I was interviewing for a job I needed very badly. What made it one hundred times harder was the infatuation I had on Sebastian for years. When Sebastian had initially offered me the opportunity to interview, I worried it was out of pity or even out of some sense of obligation to my father, and I balked. But now, well, things had changed and I couldn't afford to be picky. Far from being the hot commodity I thought I'd be, this was the only interview I'd had in weeks. My stomach lurched and his office door opened, and Sebastian – or rather, Mr. Townsend as I probably should call him if I were to work for him – stepped out. And I stared up at him like I always did – with the wide-eyed wonder of a little girl with a major crush. Fact: potential boss or not, he was drop-dead gorgeous – even if he was my father's age. “Violet, how nice to see you again,” he said, his smile going all the way to his blue eyes. Even though I knew, from conversations with my father, Sebastian could be absolutely brutal when it came to business, he always had such a genuine kindness and gentleness about him. It was one of the reasons I admired him as much as I did. “It's nice to see you too, Mr. Townsend,” I managed to croak. He waved me toward his office. “Come on in and let's chat.” I stood up and shook his hand, making sure my grip was firm and professional, and went through all the normal pleasantries of small talk as we walked into his office. I sat down in a chair across from his desk, the skirt of my business suit riding up and showing a little more leg than I'd intended. I fought to pull it down without looking too obvious about it, but it was too late. He was already looking down at my leg and doing his best to not laugh out loud and make me feel any more awkward than I already felt. “Excuse me,” I said, the color rising in my cheeks. “New suit.” “It's all good, Violet,” he said. “So, tell me, what have you been up to since college?” He ran a hand through his dark brown hair, and I watched his every movement with wide eyes and an open mouth. Seriously, Sebastian could have stepped right off the pages of a fashion magazine or a TV show like Mad Men; he was that beautiful to look at. It was almost distracting.

Damn. Why does he have to be so hot? “Well, to be honest, I'm just trying to find a job, as you know. I've applied at a number of different companies, had a few interviews, but nothing has panned out just yet,” I admitted. “They all want experience I don't have yet, which is part of the problem with just getting out of school, I suppose.” “Yeah, yeah, I understand. Believe me, I do. The market is tough right now, especially in real estate development,” he said. “A lot of companies downsized after the bust and many are still leery about hiring new people right now. They don't want to take on too much in labor before they know if the market is solid again.” “Exactly,” I said. “And as you know, things with my family have made it a bit harder. I had to take some time off for my father.” Sebastian grimaced, and I felt bad for bringing it up. He and my father had been close since college, and he knew all too well the toll it took on our family when my father had died. I didn't want him to hire me out of pity, but it was the truth. I hadn't been able to look for work while caring for my dying father and after that, planning a funeral – all things my mother couldn't deal with. And now, I was rushing to find a job since I was the one trying to keep a roof over our heads – sadly something else my mother was incapable of doing. “I can't imagine how hard that must have been for you,” he said quietly, looking down at his hands. “I was around your age when I lost my father, and the funeral was up to me too. It's such a tremendous burden to put onto a child's shoulders – especially one who's just graduated college and is trying to get on their feet. But you did a wonderful job of holding it all together. I commend you for that, Violet. I know that your father would have been proud of you.” Hearing such high praise from Sebastian was nice, even if it was about something so depressing. It was nice to know that someone felt I had it all together. Because honestly, it didn't feel that way to me most of the time. I felt like I was being held together by rubber bands and scotch tape – and that the slightest breeze would bring the whole house of cards crashing down on top of me. Before I could thank him for his kind words though, Sebastian spoke again, “And that is why I asked you in here today. I could use someone with a level-head and your organizational skills around here,” he said. “I've been considering hiring an assistant for some time now. I know that I desperately need one, but I could never find someone I trusted enough to do the job. And after watching how well you handled everything, under the enormous burden of pressure and stress on your shoulders, I knew you'd be the right person for the job. So, what I'm saying is, the job is yours if you want it.” My mouth was hanging open and I wanted to say something, but I couldn't find the words. So instead, I merely smiled, “Thank you, Sebastian. That means a lot to me. More than you know, actually.”

“When can you start?” he asked, opening up a planner and looking up at me. “I can start whenever you need me,” I said. “You're the boss. You tell me and I'll be here.” “How about tomorrow? That way we can get you prepped for the trip to Bali in the next couple of weeks and – ” “Bali?” I almost choked and stared at him with what I was sure was a dumbfounded expression on my face. “Seriously?” “Yes,” he said with a smile. “Being my assistant comes with a few perks now and again, trust me. You'll be traveling to some pretty cool places, I have to admit. We're opening a new resort in Bali and I need to travel down there to personally oversee a few things. And I could use your help with it.” Bali. Wow. I'd walked into his office an unemployed mess and I was walking out as his personal assistant who was getting an all-expense paid trip to Bali. I had to wonder if his friendship with my father had anything to do with it, but I wasn't complaining because hey, Bali. “Wow, I don't know what to say, Sebas – Mr. Townsend. Thank you,” I stammered. “For everything. I can't tell you how much I appreciate the opportunity.” “Sebastian,” he said. “No need to go making me feel older than I already do.” “Sebastian, then,” I said, a broad smile on my face. “I won't let you down. Thank you so much.” “No, thank you, Violet,” he said, smiling, those baby blue eyes boring straight into my soul. “Thank you. I know you're going to be amazing.”

Chapter Two SEBASTIAN

Violet had grown into quite the young lady, I had to admit. Having been around her most all of her life, I still pictured her as a child. It was easy to do. But having watched her handle herself so well during her father's illness and subsequent death, I saw firsthand how grown up she was now. It blew me away. She was most definitely not the precocious little kid I'd known. Yes, perhaps I felt a little bit sorry for her. But I knew how hard things had been on her and all she'd had to endure and overcome. But feeling sorry for her wasn't the only reason I'd hired her. Sure, Chuck would have been grateful to me for taking on his daughter like I was doing, but that wasn't the reason I'd given her the job either. In all truthfulness, I was impressed by her. She was a lot stronger than I think even she realized and she truly was a remarkable young woman. Even still, knowing all I knew about her, it was easy to forget that this was Chuck's daughter. She was so mature, so well-spoken, so smart, and most of all, so grown-up. With her auburn hair pulled back in a bun, and a suit that was tailored to her petite, but curvy frame, everything about her cried out straight-laced and professional. And when she spoke, you could tell that she knew what she was talking about and was probably the smartest person in the room. The fact that it was so hard for her to get a job was crazy to me – but then again, her resume was pretty bare. Which was why I was there to help her. It might not be the exact job in her field she'd always dreamed of, but it was a foot in the door. As she left my office that day though, I caught myself staring a little too long as she walked away. Yeah, she was all grown-up alright. Beautiful woman with just the right curves she‟d seemingly developed overnight. It was abundantly clear that she was no longer the little girl I'd known and was all woman now. I can’t be serious. I won’t go after my late best friend’s daughter. In fact, I silently vowed to do everything in my power to protect her. A moment after Violet had left the office, my cell phone rang – Jessica's ringtone. I groaned, contemplated not answering but realized that would be a dick move. With a sigh, I picked up the phone and connected the call. Before I could even say “Hello,” she was already attacking me. “Sebastian, I really need to get back into your place. I left some stuff over there, and – ” “Chill,” I said, “Calm down, Jess. It's okay. You can come over after work today and pick up the rest of your stuff.” Her voice softened. “So, you're going to be there?”

“Yes, I will be,” I said as if the answer was the most obvious thing in the world – because it was. “It is my house after all.” “It was our house,” she said quietly. No, not really. It had always been my house, I thought to myself. Jessica had just sort of wedged herself in and I didn't stop it because the sex with her had been amazing. But to be honest, the more time she spent over there, the more I came to despise her. She was clingy, jealous, needy, and bossy. All things I could never accept in a partner, not when I worked as much as I did. “You can come by after work, it'll be fine,” I said with a sigh. “What about Bali?” she asked me. “Am I still going with you?” “That's off, Jess,” I said with a sigh. “We've been through this already.” I was already second guessing having her come over at all that night. I didn't want the headache, the hassle, or the scene I was afraid she'd make. Maybe it would be best if I packed up her things and set them outside for her to grab – even if that would be a complete dick move. “But maybe it would give us a chance to work on our issues,” she said, her voice tinged with hope. “I mean, it could, don't you think?” “It's a work trip, Jess. Not a vacation, and most certainly not a couple's retreat.” “You're taking someone else,” she said. “I knew it. There's someone else.” I sighed and rubbed my temples; I could feel a whopper of a headache coming on. “No, Jessica. There's no one else. Like I said, it's a work trip. I only invited you along because you asked me to.” Though „asked‟ was putting it nicely. It was more like she'd begged, pleaded, pouted and cried until I said it was fine, but that was beside the point. The damn point was she wasn't going. “Work trips are for work,” I said firmly. “Doesn't mean you can't have a little fun too,” she cooed. She was really grating on my nerves, especially since I told her it was over a week ago. And yet, the near constant phone calls, the texts, the “stopping by because I missed you” visits. All of it was too much. If I ever had a doubt that this girl was too much for me, well, the last week proved it. I didn't have time for her drama. Nor did I have the inclination to deal with it. “Bye, Jessica,” I said. “I really have to get back to work now.” I could hear her arguing on the other end of the line as I hung up. Tonight will be so much fun, I thought. Hopefully this would be the end of it, though. She could get the last of her shit and get out. For good. Though deep down, I knew it wouldn't be that easy. It never was with Jessica.

*** Jessica was walking through the house, slowly and deliberately, pretending to look for stuff. This was just another of her tactics to get me face to face, and it worked. I was a damn fool. “I swore I left my iPod over here.” “When's the last time you used a damn iPod, Jess?” I asked. She shot me a look of death. “What's it matter? It's mine, so I want it back.” “Do you?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. “Or is this just another story designed to get me to talk to you because you think we can work this all out and get back together?” “Oh seriously, Sebastian,” she rolled her eyes dramatically. “Get over yourself.” Well, I'd be more than happy to get over myself if she stopped harassing me. I was ready to move on, and it was clear as day that there was no fucking iPod anywhere in my house. “We should get together for lunch before you leave for Bali,” she said, changing her tone entirely. “You know, just to talk some things out before you head overseas with God knows who.” “I'm not going with anyone,” I muttered. Which wasn't entirely true. I had Violet coming with me now, as an assistant. But Jessica wouldn't believe it and would likely just make trouble for me if I told her. So, I let it go. Not like she deserved to know. We were broken up after all. I owed her nothing. “Sure, whatever you say,” she said, rolling her eyes again. Jessica was a beautiful woman, there was no doubt about that. Long, blonde hair, blue eyes, and a killer body – the stereotypical Southern California beauty. It's why I initially fell for her, of course. But her personality made her less and less attractive over time. The more we got to know one another, the less I cared for her. I was starting to think I might end up alone, a bachelor for life, at the rate I was going. A bit fatalistic, perhaps, but it seemed like all I had was just one failed relationship after another, and it was growing old. Jessica stopped digging through a desk drawer for her non-existent iPod, closed it and turned toward me with a mischievous look in her eye. Licking her lips suggestively, she sidled up to me, draping her arms around my shoulders and stared straight into my eyes. The old me would have been hard in an instant, ready to take her to bed. But now? I didn't even want to be close to her. “So then,” she purred, “if you're not seeing anyone – ” “No,” I said, removing her arms from around my neck. “We're not playing these games, Jessica.” With a huff and a well-practiced pout, she turned and walked away, which I hoped meant she was leaving. I listened for the front door, hoping she'd slam it as she left, but instead, I heard her footsteps as she walked upstairs.

“Jess!” I called out to her, hurrying after her as she ascended the stairs. She stopped and smiled at me, crooking her finger and motioning for me to follow her. “What in the hell are you doing?” I roared. “Figured I'd slip into something more comfortable, Sebastian. Maybe take a dip in the pool, like old times? Come on, Sebastian. One more time just for old time's sake. What can it hurt?” Without waiting for me to answer, she walked down the hallway toward my bedroom. “No, Jessica. We're not doing this,” I said, following her up the stairs and down the hallway. “You need to leave. You have everything you left, it's time to go. I want you out of my house. Now.” She peered out from my bedroom with a devious look on her face. “Come on, Sebastian. Don't you want one last roll in the hay before we say goodbye? No strings attached. Scout's honor.” Honestly? I really didn't. The drama and baggage it would entail just wasn‟t worth the fuck. The fact that I didn't want to sleep with her one last time said a lot about my feelings for her – and I think she realized it. As I stared at her, not taking another step closer to her, her face fell and I saw tears welling in her eyes. She could see how much I didn't want her in my face, apparently. And it crushed her. I honestly believe she thought she could lure me back with the promise of sex. But I was done, and she knew it. There was no turning back now.

Chapter Three VIOLET

I rifled through my closet, not satisfied with anything I was seeing. It was the first day of work and I needed to look professional. I wanted to be professional and do my job well. I didn‟t want Sebastian to regret hiring me. But well, if I caught him checking me out or if he maybe complimented me, it might give me a self-esteem boost since he was one of the sexiest men I'd ever had the pleasure of meeting. Considering the fact that he was constantly surrounded by beautiful women – models who threw themselves at him, ex-girlfriends who'd give anything to have him back – I didn't really expect him to notice me too much. I was, after all, Chuck Maddox's daughter. And to him, I'd probably always be that same little girl who'd crushed on him long before I even hit puberty. Still, it couldn't hurt to put a little more effort into my appearance. Besides, if I was going to be at his side as often as it sounded like I would be, I needed to look my best. He always looked impeccable, no matter what he wore. I needed to match that. For my first day, I tried to keep my appearance tasteful – no more embarrassing moments with a skirt that rode up – but definitely not matronly either. I chose a dark grey pencil skirt that fell just above my knees, and a soft pink blouse. With some heels and my hair pulled back in a chignon, I looked very much the part of the business professional. Feminine, classy, and with just the right amount of sex appeal that made me think maybe, just maybe, Sebastian would notice that I was a grown woman now. I showed up at his office ten minutes early, coffee in hand, ready to start the day. I carried a cup for me and one for him. I knew how he took his caffeine from sitting in on coffee dates with my dad. I was always listening and paying attention. That was me, alright. I waltzed into the building and down to his office, feeling like I was on cloud nine. As I strolled down the hallway, I could barely contain my excitement. I had my first job, working for a great boss, and in just a few weeks, I'd be heading to Bali for the trip of a lifetime. All for work, of course. But as I rounded the corner into Sebastian's office, I saw that the door was shut. Waving at him through the window, I could see he was on the phone and didn't look all that happy. He motioned for me to come inside, and I walked in, smiling from ear-to-ear as I sat his coffee down on his desk quietly. “Listen, Jess, I'm at work,” he said. I knew Jessica. It was his ex-girlfriend. She'd come over to our house with him once or twice. She was a typical Orange County type, only after him for his money. With her Botox and boob job, she was about as fake as they came. I honestly never knew what he saw in her – well,

except maybe for the perfectly crafted tits. Best money could buy. Likely his money, too. I mouthed, “Should I come back?” Sebastian shook his head, motioning for me to sit down across from him so I did. “I'm hanging up now, Jess,” he said, irritation in his voice. “Goodbye.” And just like that, he put his phone down and looked up at me, his eyes tired. I'd never seen him so exhausted before. Sebastian had always been a morning person, up before the dawn and usually always in the office before everyone else. He and my father had been much the same in that regard. But today, even at eight in the morning, he looked ready to pass out. “Thanks for the coffee, Violet,” he said. “You're a lifesaver.” “Looks like you need it,” I said. As soon as I said it, I cursed myself. “I mean, because you don't have one already, of course.” Sebastian laughed, sipping his drink and looked surprised. “How did you – ” “I pay attention,” I said with a wink, hoping it didn't come across as too flirtatious or inappropriate. “And sometimes dad would ask me to pick up coffee for the two of you while I was out.” “Seriously impressive.” I beamed at him, proud of myself for being praised this early into my new job, even if it was for something as simple as coffee. “I aim to please, Sebastian – err, I mean, Mr. Townsend.” Suddenly, I felt like an idiot all over again. Half the time, I said the right thing. And the other half, I managed to put my foot right into my mouth. “I mean, I should probably call you Mr. Townsend at work and all,” I stammered. “It's just a hard habit to break.” “No, again call me Sebastian,” he said, smiling back at me. “It sounds weird otherwise.” It felt weird to call him anything else. He was, after all, Sebastian to me. We'd been on a first name basis for years. Honestly, he was more like family than anything, and he wasn't a big fan of the respecting elders notion. He said it made him feel old and that he wasn't really my elder. Even though he was, sometimes it didn't feel like it. Or maybe that was my crush coming out to play again, forgetting the huge age difference so I could pretend that maybe there could be something between us after all. A girl could dream, right? “Alright Sebastian,” I said, crossing my legs and sitting up straight. “So, what's the first order of business today? Where do I start?” “Someone's eager to learn,” he said. “Always eager to learn from you,” I responded with a slight hint of flirtatiousness sneaking through.

Though I had to admit, it was incredibly hard not to think dirty thoughts – like how amazing it would be to have him bend me over his desk and take me from behind right then and there. But as soon as the thought flashed through my mind, my cheeks burned bright red and I looked away. “Great,” Sebastian said, not seeming to notice my sudden shyness, “Let's get started.”

Chapter Four SEBASTIAN

Why did she have to look so unbelievably gorgeous? Yes, I thought my best friend's daughter was hot, sue me – my deceased best friend's daughter, at that. I scolded myself mentally, while also apologizing to Chuck, for thinking such things about Violet. It was wrong and inappropriate. But damn, when had she gotten so attractive? As she leaned forward, I couldn't help but glance at her very ample cleavage. But I kicked myself and quickly returned my gaze to her eyes, where I told myself they should stay. Then I realized how beautiful her eyes were; a deep shade of emerald green, just like her mother's. And her mother had always been a beautiful woman as well. I'd even mentioned that to Chuck a time or two. Told him how lucky he was to have found her. And when Violet spoke, it was hard to not notice her soft, voluptuous lips with the perfect cupid's bow. Stop it, Sebastian. Just stop it, I chided myself. I knew I was going to get myself into some serious trouble if I didn't stop admiring her. You have to work together now, so keep your mind out of the gutter. This is Chuck's daughter and your employee. You're old enough to remember when she wore bows in her hair and played on the playground while you and her father discussed business at the park. The early days of my business, of course. “Sebastian?” she asked, tilting her head to the side like an adorable little puppy. She smiled at me, showcasing her dimples and causing me to remember how sweet and innocent she'd always looked as a little girl. That managed to shush the thoughts in my brain right away. “Yes?” I asked and cleared my throat. “Is everything okay? You're awfully quiet?” “Yes, sorry, I didn't sleep too well last night.” “I can see that,” she said. “Everything okay with you and Jessica?” She sat back in the chair, as if taking her place as an armchair psychologist, and closed her notebook, looking at me with genuine concern in her eyes. “We broke up awhile back,” I said. “So, there is no „me and Jessica‟. Not anymore. I'm just trying to sweep out the last remnants now.” I swore she knew that already but then again, there had been so much going on in her life, how could I expect her to remember my relationship status? It's not like it was the most important thing on her plate – not with her dad's long, terrible battle with cancer before dying

and all. “Oh, I'm sorry to hear that,” she said. Though she didn't really look all that sorry. Not that I was surprised. Very few people liked Jessica, and that had included Chuck and Angela, Violet's parents. They'd all thought she was wrong for me and would be nothing but trouble. Boy, had they been right on the money about that one. “No, it's for the best,” I said. “She wasn't a good fit for me.” Violet bit her lip, as if she was holding herself back from speaking her mind. “Go on, spill it,” I said. “I can tell you're dying to say something. We have no secrets in this office, okay?” Well, aside from my secret thoughts about your amazing ass, but that's beside the point. Violet looked down at her hands, then back up at me. “I really don't think it's my place to say anything.” “Speak your mind, Violet,” I said with a laugh. “You didn't like Jessica, I get that. Not many people did.” Violet laughed along with me, but she was obviously uncomfortable and was trying to find something nice and positive to say. That was the thing with Violet, she always had something nice to say about anyone. She probably could have found something nice to say about Hitler if you gave her enough time. “Well, I just never understood what you saw in her, that's all,” she said. “I mean, you're rich, successful and attractive, you could be with anyone. And yet, you chose a clingy, blonde gold digger.” “Wow.” Okay, so maybe she didn't have a nice word to say about everyone. “That was blunt.” “Oh, I'm sorry, Sebastian,” she said, covering her mouth. Her eyes were wide as she stared back at me. “I should have kept my mouth shut. That was really out of bounds.” “No, not at all,” I said and gave her a rueful grin. “Everything you said is true, Violet. I mean, except for the attractive part. I'm not that vain.” “Oh come on, Sebastian,” she said, rolling her eyes. Now it was my turn to look surprised. I stared back at her, mouth agape, as I tried to find the right words to thank her for the compliment without sounding like a creepy old man who took it as something more. “Thank you? I guess,” I said, a nervous chuckle escaping my mouth before I could stop it. There was an awkward silence that seemed to linger forever, as Violet stared down at her hands, wringing them in her lap and I stared at her, trying to think of something to say to

break that silence and put us back on more comfortable footing. Trying, but failing. “I just keep putting my foot in my mouth every time I open it, don't I?” she asked with a sheepish smile. “No, not at all Violet,” I said. “It's okay. We're close enough that we can joke around like that and know it means nothing.” Means nothing. Yeah, right. I couldn't stop my ego from growing larger, knowing that Violet Maddox thought I was hot. Me. A man old enough to be her father. Sure, Jessica was younger than me by a few years and that boosted the old self esteem a bit. But Violet was a fresh out of college young woman with the world wide open to her – and boys her own age undoubtedly beating down her door, begging for a date. And she thought I was hot. So yeah, it meant something to me. Even if it was just a passing comment that didn't mean a lot to her. Right?

***

Violet was making copies when I walked by her desk. She was facing away from me and probably didn't even see or hear me come over to her cubicle. She was distracted, bent over and fighting with the machine in front of her. I chuckled as I listened to her cursing under her breath as she tried to get the machine to cooperate with her. I stood there for a moment without saying anything. All I could focus on was the nice curve of her ass in that tight, pencil skirt. I caught myself staring a little bit too long, and when she turned around, the color rose in both of our cheeks. “Oh God,” she said, putting a hand over her heart, “I didn't hear you behind me or I wouldn't have said those kinds of things.” “It's okay, the copy machine can be a pain in the ass sometimes,” I said with a laugh. “Still, I need to be more careful.” “The hell you do, Violet,” I said, “It's me. You know that shit doesn't bother me. So relax. It's okay.” I was purposefully throwing around swear words to lighten the mood for her. Because when she laughed, she laughed all the way to her eyes and it was a beautiful sight. “Well if you say it's okay,” she said, biting her lip and looking up at me through her thick, black lashes, “You're the boss after all.” “And don't you forget it,” I said with a wink. As I said it, I couldn't help but hear the flirtatious undertones, but that's not what I meant. Not at all. Or was it? Because the fact of the matter was, if this hadn't been Violet Maddox, the daughter of my best friend, I'd have been all over her in a heartbeat already. Her age didn't bother me, not for a fling or just some fun. Hell, I might even consider dating someone her age if she was the right girl for me. No, the only reason this one was off-limits was because my loyalty to her family meant more to me than nailing a fine piece of ass. And because Violet was more than just a fine piece of ass. So much more. She was also smart, caring, sweet, innocent – she was the whole package. Some guy needed to treat her right, treat her like a queen, and I knew that guy wasn't me. “Let's go to lunch,” I said. “What are you in the mood for?” “Anything,” she said. “I'm not picky.” I predicted that she was going to say that. Being her first day and all, she wasn't going to impose her own tastes on me. I had a few places in mind already. “How about sushi? Think it's too early for a little sake?”

“It's never too early when you're the boss.” “Or, when you're the boss' assistant,” I added. “Come on, I think we could use a break. We're working too hard.” “We've hardly done anything today,” she said with a laugh. I shrugged. “One of the benefits of being the boss, I guess.”

Chapter Five VIOLET

Here I was having lunch with Sebastian at a fancy sushi restaurant in Beverly Hills. Who'd have thought this was going to be my life? Sure, it was a working lunch and not exactly a romantic lunch date I'd fantasized about for so many years, but it was nice and it would do. Besides, he looked so sexy, as always, sitting across from me. So much so, I caught myself staring far too long into his dreamy eyes at times, and had to remind myself to look away. I also caught myself looking around and noticing the glares of envy on the faces of some of the other women in the restaurant. I had to restrain myself from smirking and taunting them. “So, about Bali,” I said, “How long do you think we'll be gone?” “Five days, I expect,” he said, taking a long sip of his sake. He'd ordered some for both of us, but mine sat untouched and I sipped from my glass of water. I still wasn't sure I should be drinking on a work lunch, especially when it was with Sebastian. My mouth could get me in trouble even when I was sober. I couldn't imagine the things I'd say with alcohol in my system. “But we could always stay a few extra days to look around or enjoy the beach. If you want,” he added. Of course, I wanted to, but the idea of taking a real vacation with Sebastian felt strange. It felt a little too personal. Besides, I knew it was never good to mix business with pleasure. That led to things getting complicated very quickly. “Whatever you want, boss,” I said. “I'm just thankful for the opportunity to go at all.” And I was. Oh God, I was. I'd always wanted to visit Bali, but never had a chance and honestly, never thought I would. And not only would we be visiting, we'd be flying via private jet. It just sounded so luxurious, I could hardly believe this was my life. It all felt so surreal. “I'll make sure you enjoy it,” he said with a wink. “I'm sure you will, Sebastian,” I said. The silence between us was more than a little awkward, as if yet again, I'd managed to turn something innocent into something flirtatious. Not that I'd intended to – well, not really. I was so confused over my intentions and found myself throwing out double entendres left and right. But deep down, I knew there was no way I could actually be with Sebastian. Even if he was a dreamboat and I admired the hell out of him, he was off-limits. “So umm – this is one of your favorite places?” I asked, looking around the restaurant. It was a high-end restaurant, the type of place you'd accept celebs to frequent. And that's when my eyes fell on a familiar face. I nearly choked on my drink as soon as our eyes met.

“What is it?” Sebastian asked, but he didn't have to wait for my answer because Jessica marched over to us, her face red as she started yelling at us from across the room. “How fucking dare you, Sebastian? Bringing another girl to our sushi place?” she screamed, scowling at me. I took her outburst to mean she didn't recognize me. We'd met before, but she seemed like the type who wouldn't remember someone she considered beneath her unless it somehow benefited her, anyway. Sebastian stood up; hands in the air in a surrender pose. “Listen, Jess, you need to back off. You have no place to approach us like this. And for your information, she's my assistant. ” “Assistant? You never had a fucking assistant before,” Jessica said, standing across from Sebastian with her arms crossed in front of her chest. Her black dress clung to her every curve, her cleavage was showing, almost too much so, and her blonde hair was in a high ponytail that flowed down her back. She towered over me at the table in her stilettos and I couldn't have felt more awkward if I'd tried. Seriously, I could not understand what Sebastian had ever seen in her; not at all. But I guess he was a typical man, going for the hot blonde in the high heels and tight clothes. I looked down at my hands, trying to avoid the stares from other diners in the restaurant. “Seriously, Sebastian? Our place? Our restaurant?” she fumed. “And you bring this little tramp.” “Hey!” I said. “That's the pot calling the kettle black, Jessica.” “How do you know my name?” she asked, staring down at me, her face a mask of rage. “Because we've met before,” I said. “I'm Chuck Maddox's daughter.” She looked momentarily stunned, but then picked up right where she'd left off. “Going after your buddies' daughters now? Like 'em young, do you?” “Jess, if you'd just shut up long enough, you'll see how ridiculous, and embarrassing, you're being. Not that I owe you shit.” “No, I guess you don't, asshole,” she said. She picked up a glass of water from the table and threw it in Sebastian's face. “And to think, I stopped by to reminisce about you and the good times we had. And I find you here with your jailbait little tramp in our place. What a fucking jerk.” She started to turn and leave, tears in her eyes. And of course, everyone in the restaurant watched the show unfold. Surely, they thought the worst of us because it looked bad. Really bad. Sebastian sat back down, but my blood was boiling. No one had ever accused me of being a tramp before, and of all people to throw around such accusations, Jessica had no right. “Jessica,” I called out, standing up and facing her. She walked back toward me, hands on her hips, a face darkened by rage, and looked ready to fight. Though I doubt she'd risk breaking one of her perfectly manicured nails by actually

throwing a punch. “Listen, believe what you want,” I said, “but Sebastian is a good man. He offered me this job as his assistant as a favor to my father – my late father, mind you – and his best friend. Nothing more, alright? So, go ahead and throw your little tantrum, because you're the one looking like a fool here, not us. We're enjoying a work lunch, which is something people who have jobs do sometimes. Not like you'd know.” I sat back down in my seat without another word, and the entire restaurant remained quiet. It felt good to get all of that off my chest. Sebastian smiled at me, shaking his head as if I'd surprised him. Hell, I'd surprised myself with that little outburst. But I'd be lying if I said it hadn't felt damn good. Jessica might have said something back but I wasn't paying attention. I was too busy staring into Sebastian's eyes, trying my hardest to not break out in laughter over everything that had just happened. It didn't work. We both started giggling like idiots at our fancy sushi lunch. Jessica made her way out of the restaurant in a huff. Sebastian and I had our moment and it felt like we were the only two people in the entire restaurant for the rest of our lunch.

*** “Bali, huh?” my mom said as we sat down for dinner that night. “Seems a little fast, don't you think?” “Well, I am his assistant,” I said with a shrug. “I'd say it's not too strange for me to accompany him on business trips. It just so happens his business takes him to some exotic places. It‟s a nice little perk for me.” “I suppose so,” my mom said, pursing her lips. My mom and I looked a lot alike. Sometimes, I imagined I'd grow up into an older version of her, right down to the way she wore her hair pulled back into tight little buns. But now, as I grew into my own, I realized that while we might look alike, we were totally different women. “I'm just so grateful for this opportunity,” I gushed. “To work for Sebastian? To go to Bali and wherever else this job might take me? I never imagined this for myself. It's everything dad would have wanted for me.” My mom sipped her wine and listened as I continued to talk about the job. Every once in a while, she'd nod her head or smile and say, “That's nice,” between bites of her kale salad. But was she really listening? I couldn't be sure. She wasn't interested in this life. The business world had been my father's thing. My mom was simply meant to be a housewife. And since dad's passing, she seemed lost; her sense of purpose gone. That was why I spent so much time with her, reminding her that she still had me. And yes, that meant talking about my life, even when it was clear she wasn't entirely interested in all the little details. Not the way dad would have been at least. “Sounds like you and Sebastian really hit it off,” mom commented, raising an eyebrow. “Yeah,” I said, feeling the heat rise in my cheeks. “He's fantastic. I've always admired him, but now that I get to see him every day at work, I see why he and dad were such good friends. He's a great guy, and smart too.” “Uh huh,” mom said, putting her wine glass down and staring at me for a long time. “So, you admire him? Is that all?” I was taken aback by her bluntness. “What are you getting at?” “I'm just wondering if your childhood crush might cause some problems, Violet, that's all.” “It was nothing but a childhood crush, mom,” I said, feeling myself blush even more now that it was out in the open. My crush on Sebastian growing up had been obvious. I literally wrote his name all over my notebooks with hearts around it. Hell, even he knew I had a thing for him at the time, but I prayed to God he'd forgotten all about that. “And yes, I admire him,” I said. “In a business sort of way. There's nothing more to it. He's giving me a chance to get my foot in the door in this industry and I'm appreciative of that opportunity. That‟s all it is.”

That was a lie. I did feel more than just admiration for him, but I sure as hell wasn't going to tell my mother that. Truth be told, I craved him in a way I couldn't explain or say out loud. It was my little secret. My childhood crush had never gone away, it had merely blossomed into a grown-up crush; one that was a little more serious, even if it was still very much unrealistic.

Chapter Six VIOLET

“Ready for Bali?” Sebastian asked me as we walked toward the private jet. “Hope you packed your swimsuit, because we're going to have a little downtime once we get there and you're going to want to take a dip in the water down there. It's seriously amazing.” The idea of wearing my bikini around Sebastian was nerve-wracking, to say the least. Not that I looked bad in a bikini, but does any woman ever truly feel comfortable in one? Sure, it was fine most of the time, but Sebastian dated some of the most beautiful women I'd ever seen. He‟d been with women with bodies that rivaled those of supermodels, and I was just little ol' me. I didn't have the lingerie model body or their confidence either, which made it twice as uncomfortable. “Yes, I brought it,” I said meekly. “Just in case. But I do plan on doing my job and taking this trip very seriously, you know.” “I'm all about a work-life balance, Violet,” he said with a wink as we boarded the plane. “There has to be some perks to working as much as we do, right?” I heard him talking to security earlier; making sure the guards knew that Jessica was to not be boarding this flight. I guess she was originally supposed to be going with him and he seemed concerned she might try to sneak her way onto the plane anyway. The thought was sad and pathetic, but after what happened at the restaurant the other day, I wouldn't have put it past her. I knew she still called regularly, and it annoyed Sebastian to no end, but there wasn't much he could do about it. “All clear, sir,” one of the crew members said as we took our seats. I wondered if that was a code word for no sign of Jessica? “Glad to hear it,” he said. “Thank you, Danny.” There were two glasses of champagne waiting for us as we took our seats. He handed me one and then took a long sip of his as he relaxed back into his seat. I'd never flown in a private jet before, so I was still taking everything in and getting used to feeling like I was suddenly one of the rich and famous. It was a small plane that had enough seats for four people in the cabin, but that was it. In addition, the seats had plenty of room to lay back and could be turned into beds, for the longer flights, of course. There were privacy curtains around each one too, in case we wanted some privacy for our in-flight naps. A girl could get used to this kind of life, I thought. But it was probably better I don't get used to it. This was my job for now, and Sebastian was spoiling me out of guilt for what happened to my dad. This wasn't something that would likely happen again with any other employer, or likely even regularly while I was working for Sebastian.

I stared out the window, sipping my champagne as we took off. I watched the clouds race beneath us and kept to myself, for the most part. Sebastian looked as if he wanted to sleep; not that I blamed him for it. It was a long flight and I figured I'd eventually try to get a little sleep myself, once the excitement of everything wore off. “Would you like some music?” he asked. “Sure.” He hit a button on the armrest of his seat and the sound of soft jazz filled the cabin. I'd never really listened to jazz before, but my father had, and it reminded me of him. I stared out the window as the tears started to well up in my eyes. I bit my tongue hard, willing those damn tears not to fall. “I'm sorry,” he said softly, stopping the music. “I forgot that your father shared my love of jazz.” “No, it's fine,” I said, wiping the tears away before looking at Sebastian with a smile. “Keep it on. It's nice actually.” “You sure?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. “Positive.” He hesitantly pressed the button again, continuing with the music, and I closed my eyes. It reminded me of my father sitting in his study with the same sort of soft music in the background. Mom used to say that the music put him in a good mood, and often I'd find them dancing together to the music in his office. My dad was a romantic at times, and liked to take my mom dancing when he could – and when he couldn't, he turned his office into a private ballroom for the two of them. So, of course, the music made me think of love and romance. It was a nice addition to the touch of sadness that came along with my memories. I opened my eyes and found Sebastian staring at me. I so badly wanted to ask him what he was thinking, but I found myself afraid of what he might say. Would he say it was a mistake to bring me along? Would he talk about my dad and make me cry even more? So many people felt pity for me, and I hated it. But the look in Sebastian's eyes wasn't one of pity, it was one of awe, as if for whatever reason, he was admiring me. And as soon as our eyes met, he looked away, an expression of guilt upon his face. It was as if he were scolding himself for the thoughts running through his mind. That of course, piqued my curiosity and made me want to ask even more than ever. Before I could stop myself, I did. “What are you thinking about, Sebastian?”

Chapter Seven SEBASTIAN

Her question caught me off-guard and I knew I couldn't tell her what I was thinking; that she was beautiful, that she was strong like her father, and that she blew me away in every way. Despite the fact that it was all true, it felt like it would be a bit creepy to say out loud. Considering the fact that I was her father's best friend and was way too old to be entertaining such thoughts about her, I decided I should keep my admiration to myself. “That you remind me a lot of your father,” I said. “And your mother. You have the best of both of them, Violet, and that's amazing to me.” She was a young woman; a bright, ambitious, and beautiful young woman. If the situation was any different, I'd be hitting on her nonstop. And I could see myself settling down with someone like her. My history with women had been rocky, to say the least. Jessica wasn't the first clingy, needy, and emotionally unstable ex from my past. I seemed to draw in the needy women, which was something I was completely at a loss to explain. Maybe it was my fault. Maybe I was just attracted to those types of women. I had a type all right – fake boobs, fake lips, fake tan, blonde hair, you name it. Not that I found all that fakeness more beautiful than natural beauty, it's just women like Violet always scared me off. She was too smart, too ambitious, and yes, even as a strong male, that scared the crap out of me. Up until now, that was. Because Violet wasn't scary. Nothing about her was scary. What scared me was my growing fondness of her. She looked down at her hands, something she'd always done when put in an uncomfortable situation, or when she was trying not to say something. It was her biggest tell. She was a sweet girl, but as I witnessed at the restaurant recently, she could stand up for herself and others, if push came to shove. There was a backbone of steel inside of her and she wasn't one to take shit from anybody. Watching her stare down at her hands like that unnerved me, because she shouldn't be uncomfortable. Not with me. If I was doing something to make her uncomfortable, it needed to know. I needed to do everything in my power to make her feel safe. “What's wrong, Violet?” I asked. “Nothing,” she said, biting her lip and continuing to stare at her hands as she picked at the polish on her thumb nail. “What are you thinking?” I pressed. She blushed, and I remembered the teenage crush she used to have on me all those years

ago. I recalled how every time I spoke to her, she turned bright red and tried to hide her face from me. “Well, I just don't know how to respond when you say such nice things about me, Sebastian,” she said softly. “Because you know how I feel about you.” I wondered if her childhood crush ever subsided? From the way she looked up at me though, I thought I had my answer. My heart raced as I realized that perhaps, Violet still had feelings for me. And truth be told, I had some feelings for her; feelings I knew weren't right. Feelings I shouldn't be having about her. I quickly looked away and chugged the rest of my champagne, needing a moment to compose myself and get my head on straight. She too, drank the rest of her glass and silently stared out the window for some time. It probably wasn't the best idea to be drinking so much alcohol while in such close quarters with her, considering the fact I was already starting to feel things for her. We seemed to be treading some very dangerous water. I had another glass of champagne that I hoped would encourage me to fall asleep, but I was having no luck. Violet sat there, staring out the window, and every time I looked over at her, I couldn't help but smile and couldn't stop my pulse from quickening. She was so beautiful with her long hair flowing around her shoulders, and her soft, pale skin with a line of freckles across the bridge of her nose. She was not at all like the women I dated, and perhaps that was why I felt such a strong attraction for her. “You know,” she said, speaking but not looking at me, “I didn't mean for that to sound the way it did. All I meant was that you‟ve been such a big part of my life-” I cut her off as she continued to ramble. “It's okay, Violet. No need to explain yourself.” “But there is,” she said, finally turned to look at me. Her big, innocent eyes were wider than normal as she looked at me. “I don't want things to be awkward between us. Ever.” Too late, I thought to myself. “It's not your fault, Violet,” I said. “Perhaps I need to cool it with the compliments and flattery. It can get a little weird, I suppose.” “No, I like it,” she said softly. “I like that you think highly of me, given that I think very highly of you too. It actually means the world to me.” Her words were followed by more awkward silence, but this time, she was smiling at me. An apprehensive smile, but a smile nonetheless. It felt as if she was finally feeling comfortable enough to begin opening to me; which I liked, of course. As the alcohol started to hit my system though, I found myself staring at her perfect pink lips. I watched as she licked them and I wondered what it would be like to kiss her, to press

my lips against hers and to taste her. My head was spinning and I had to force myself to look away before my thoughts ran off with me. “You okay?” she asked with a laugh. “Yeah, just drank a bit much,” I said, resisting the urge to look at her again. “Maybe I should sleep it off, before I get myself into trouble.” “Maybe so,” she laughed. “But just so you know, you could never get in trouble with me.” Her words got twisted in my brain, and I almost took that as her saying we wouldn't get in trouble, if we pursued things. No, I was hearing things that weren't actually there. She was a smart girl. She could date probably any man she wanted. She didn't want or need me, in that regard. But as I closed my eyes, I found myself thinking about Violet in ways I never had before. The alcohol lowered my inhibitions and I had the sexiest, kinkiest dream of my life starring a beautiful young woman who just so happened to be sitting across the aisle from me on a private jet to Bali. The dream had been erotic, sexy, and it felt so real, too. I'd imagined kissing those soft, pink lips, running my hand through her auburn hair and pulling her head back so I could kiss lower and lower until I kissed her down below. Her hands were tangled in my hair as she moaned my name, “Sebastian, oh yes, Sebastian!” over and over again as I tasted her – really tasted her. I imagined her pressing my face closer to her as she came hard, shuddering against me as she screamed out my name, her knees buckling as I licked and sucked at her most intimate parts. I wanted her to feel good. Oh God, yes, I wanted her to feel fucking amazing. And in the dream, I made her come over and over again, harder and harder each time. And when it came time to fuck her, I bent her over my desk back at the office and exposed her ass, pressing my cock against her opening, ready to enter her, to fill her up at last. And that's when the whole world shook. No, not the whole world. The plane. I was awoken by turbulence, and I quickly saw that I wasn't the only one taken by surprise either. Violet was standing, and when the turbulence hit, she went flying. I woke up just in time to catch her in my arms as she fell. Violet she landed on top of me, her body pressed to mine. I felt the heat in my face as I knew she felt the erection in my pants. I knew by the way her eyes grew wide and her rush to jump off of me. I couldn't have felt more awkward than I did in that moment if I'd tried . “Oh God, Sebastian!” she shouted, and not in the way I'd hoped to hear her say it. “I'm so sorry. I was just going to the restroom when – ” “It's okay,” I said, pulling the seat into the sitting position. “It happens. No worries.” Violet looked down at my crotch and had to have seen the obvious bulge in my pants. Her cheeks quickly turned red as she stared, and if she felt embarrassed, though I felt even more

embarrassed than she did. The color in her cheeks told me she knew what type of dream I'd been having about her. Her mouth was ajar, but no sound came out. She just stared, in shock, and I didn't know what to do to make the situation any better or less awkward. I adjusted, pulling the throw over my lap. “I'm sorry, Violet,” I muttered, scratching my head. “I was umm having a dream.” “No need to explain,” she said, still staring at me with wide eyes. “Not at all. I shouldn't have reacted the way I did. I was just surprised that's all.” And with that, she turned and rushed toward the bathroom. I closed my eyes and sighed, feeling like no matter what we did, things were going to be awkward. The sexual tension was too much. I'd have to be very, very careful on this trip. Or else, we could find ourselves in deep trouble before heading back to the states.

Chapter Eight VIOLET

“Holy shit,” I gasped. “I'm actually in Bali.” As trite and silly as it sounded, that was the first thing I said as we stepped from the plane. The air was tropical and warm, the sun was shining, and it just felt different to me. Though the weather was similar, it was nothing at all like Southern California, where I'd been born and raised. Sebastian just chuckled to himself. “Yes, yes we are,” he said. “And our first stop will be at one of my favorite resorts.” When he‟d said it was one of his favorites, he'd meant it, and he owned the place. It was his first resort in Bali and I'd heard nothing but great things about it. But now, with a second resort opening up in the not-too-distant future, I could only imagine how much better it was going to be. A driver picked us up at the airport and took us over to the resort, which just so happened to be right on the beach. As soon as we stepped out of the car, my eyes grew wide as a sound of awe escaped my throat. “I never knew beaches could look like this,” I said. “When I saw pictures, I guess I always assumed they were photo shopped or somehow enhanced.” California had its fair share of beaches, but nothing like what I was seeing – crystal clear water and white sand. It was pristine and nothing like the dark murky water in many parts of California. In addition to the resort on the beach, there were bungalows out in the water. I was shocked to find that one could actually sleep out on the water. Sebastian seemed amused by my fascination and awe with what I was seeing, and he watched me with a smile on his face the entire time. He seemed more than happy to be showing off his baby to me and maybe, being able to see it through new eyes was something he appreciated. Given his life and everything he'd seen and done, I imagined it was easy to forget how beautiful some of these places were; or how easy it was to take certain things for granted. When you traveled to places like that all the time, it probably lost some of its charm. But there I was, staring out at the ocean like a child on Christmas. “See that bungalow at the end? The largest one?” he asked, pointing in the direction of one of them. “That's where you'll be staying.” My mouth literally fell open, feeling like it was hanging to the ground as I stared out at the bungalow he'd pointed to. I stood there, with the sun shining down on me and the aroma of the ocean in my nose, feeling like I had just hit a major jackpot. I‟d never been anywhere like this, let alone with accommodations so lavish.

“Really?” I asked, feeling absolutely shell-shocked by what I was seeing. “Yes, and the one next to it connected by the little bridge?” he asked. “That one will be mine.” I'd be sleeping over the ocean, like literally on top of it. The waves would be crashing all around me as I slept at night, or if I felt like going for a swim, I could simply step out the front door of my bungalow and jump right into those pristine crystal waters. And there was no way I wasn't going to take advantage of that. I decided to do that every chance I could get. And Sebastian would be so close to me. He'd be sleeping literally next door. Honestly, I couldn't have imagined a more perfect place to be. “Let's go drop off our bags, shall we?” Sebastian asked, taking my arm in his. I felt myself blushing because for a moment, it felt like a date. Arm-in-arm, walking toward bungalows that sat on the ocean. It just felt entirely romantic and to the naked eye, it might even look like we were a couple. Of course, we weren't carrying our bags ourselves, we were walking ahead of the staff who were carrying them for us. And as I glanced over my shoulder at the workers carrying our luggage, I had to admit that it made me feel a little weird. I'd never had staff before, and to have them carrying our bags for us when we were perfectly capable of doing it ourselves, made me feel strange. But Sebastian was so used to it; he didn't even bat an eye. It would take some getting used to if we took more of these work trips. That was for sure. We walked along the bridge that ran from the parking lot and across the sand. We strolled past a few of the other bungalows and then we were out over the crystal-clear waters. The wind blew through my hair and with the sun shining on my face, I felt like I'd died and gone to heaven. Reaching the end of the bridge and standing before my home for the next few days, Sebastian opened the door to my bungalow first and I had to pick my jaw up off the floor. “This is my room?” I said, rushing inside, giggling like a child. Sebastian seemed happy enough to indulge me. From the outside, yes, the bungalows were cute, but on the inside, it was pure and utter luxury all the way. It was more than obvious that no expense was spared. I stood in the living area which included a couch facing a wall-to-wall window with curtains that could be drawn. God only knew why you would actually draw the curtains when you could stare out at the ocean instead. I couldn't imagine a more glorious view. Adjacent to that was a bedroom with a king-sized bed draped in silk sheets and a soft, linen blanket. Everything was pristine and so white, so clean, so soft. The pillows were large and fluffy and if it wasn't for the fact that we were in a tropical paradise like Bali, I might want to spend my days curled up there reading a book. And of course, there was a deck right off the bedroom that led straight to the water. If I left the sliding door open at night, I could fall asleep to the sounds of the waves crashing into the dock beneath me. “This is amazing,” I said, taking in all the small little details and savoring them like a fine

meal or glass of wine. I looked at the bathroom that had both a tub and a shower that could easily fit four or more people inside of it. Then I ran out to the deck, and took in the fresh, saltwater scent, closing my eyes and picturing what a day spent out here would be like. A fancy and comfortable looking hammock had been set up for me already. All I needed was a book and I'd be set. Sebastian walked out onto the deck beside me, and together, we stared out at the beautiful, blue ocean. I could get used to this. “I'm so glad you could come with me,” he said softly. “Your father always wanted to visit this place, but he never made it out here. There was always work or something keeping him from coming. I figure the next best thing is to bring his daughter.” Tears welled in my eyes when he mentioned my dad. Yeah, my dad would have loved it there. Knowing him, he'd likely sit out on the deck and fish. He loved deep sea fishing, though it was a hobby he didn't get to indulge in too often. And like me, he'd savor nights outside in the hammock, listening to the waves, as he drifted off to sleep. In a lot of ways, I was a chip off the old block. “You're right,” I said, my voice barely more than a whisper. “He'd have loved it.” “I know. And I think about it every time I come here. I think about him. I wish like hell I could have shared it with him,” Sebastian said. We stayed outside for a few moments, standing in silence, just taking everything in and remembering my father. It was a beautiful, if unplanned, tribute to my dad, and it somehow heartened me to know that Sebastian felt his loss every bit as keenly as I did. “Come on,” he said, clearing his throat. “We'll have plenty of time to play, but we need to grab dinner and meet some people first.” Dinner. Yes. I was starving, and the idea of eating was suddenly very appealing. Of course, this would also be my first work meeting, which made me nervous, but Sebastian had promised to keep the drinks flowing and said that it would be a fun, low-key meeting. He promised that it would be more of a social, than a formal gathering. Just a few people, some dinner, some booze and we'd be back early enough so that I could relax before getting to bed. The thought of curling up in that cozy bed with the ocean air blowing through the patio door was something I was very much looking forward to. But first, food. And to think, we still had five more days in paradise. I wasn't so sure it wasn't all a dream, but if it was, it was a dream I never wanted to wake up from.

Chapter Nine SEBASTIAN

When Violet stepped out, dressed and ready to go to dinner, I nearly groaned aloud. I'd told her it was to be a dressy evening, and she didn't disappoint in a little black dress that hugged her curves perfectly. Her hourglass figure made it easy to forget she was Charles' daughter, the same little girl who used to wear pigtails, and had scrapes on her knees. No, that little girl was very clearly long gone. She'd been replaced by the woman before me, a woman with feminine curves, alluring cleavage, and a smile that could take a man's breath away. I had to force myself to look away from her, to banish all of the inappropriate thoughts that suddenly filled my mind. “What?” she asked, her smile turning into a frown as she looked down at the dress. “Is this too revealing, maybe? I was afraid it might be too tight, but it's the only – ” “No, no,” I said, nearly stumbling over my words. “It looks fine. More than fine, it looks great. You look great.” The wind swept through her soft, wavy hair as she turned to look up at me again, giving me a shy smile and I could see the color rising in her cheeks. “Thank you,” she said. “You look great too.” Truth be told, she looked more than great. She looked hot as hell, and I knew I was going to have a hard time not staring at her all night long. I had to keep picturing her as the girl with pigtails that used to sit on my lap and tell me stories about how she was going to be the first woman to walk on Mars. If I couldn't keep my mind focused on Violet the kid, instead of Violet the woman, this wasn't going to be easy on me. Especially once alcohol was going to be involved. I didn't want to say or do anything stupid, after all. But damn, she wasn‟t making this easy. “We're going to meet with a couple key players here in the region,” I said. “Paula Nichols and Steve O'Hare are overseeing acquisitions, and they're the ones who will decide where our next resort will be located.” She listened as I talked about the business we were conducting; mainly looking at a few proposed sites and discussing the logistics and costs that would go into developing them. Normally, with a new assistant, you'd have to explain key industry terms, but I was pleased to discover that wasn't going to be the case with Violet. She managed to keep up to speed with everything I was throwing at her, which was one reason I knew she'd be a great fit for the team. I could see her deserving and growing into a higher position soon enough, once she gained some experience and insight. We rode in a limo over to the restaurant, which was a very nice place that overlooked the

ocean. Paula and Steve were already out on the veranda, which had been reserved strictly for us. It was one of the perks of being a major player in the area and local economy. There was a fire going in a pit in the middle of the deck that added a touch of warmth since the air was getting to be a bit chilly, thanks mostly to the fact that we were right on the water. “Paula, Steve, nice to see you again,” I said, shaking their hands. I introduced them to Violet, and of course, she made a terrific first impression by shaking their hands and remaining very professional and polite, yet projecting confidence from every pore of her body. We made small talk for a few moments and I was pleased to see that Violet seemed to fit right in. She seemed to help make the meeting a little less stiff. She had Paula and Steve laughing and engaged in a lively conversation. When we sat down for dinner and opened the menus, however, I saw Violet's eyes grow as wide as dinner plates. “What's wrong?” I whispered to her. “These prices...” she whispered back, covering her mouth discretely so the others didn't see. “Don't worry about it, Violet,” I said. “It's all paid for, order anything you want.” I felt a smile on my lips. I loved that she was so considerate of things like that. Yes, I had the money to cover such extravagant meals, but I liked that she didn't take it for granted. I'd learned that it was a difficult trait to find in a woman, at least, those in the circles I tended to run in. I saw her still eyeballing the menu with a somewhat concerned look in her eyes as the waiter came over to ask about drinks. “Who wants to pick the wine?” I asked. “One bottle of red, one bottle of white?” “Sounds good to me,” Paula said with a smile. I looked over at Violet who seemed so very lost as she also scanned the wine menu. “Whatever you like, Sebastian,” she said. I wanted to push the issue, to have her pick something for a change, but I didn't want to embarrass her. While a submissive girl in the bedroom was usually a good thing, I didn't want her to always leave everything up to me. But she seemed intimidated and uncertain, adding pressure to the situation by asking her to make a decision would only make things worse for her. “Paula, you pick then,” I said with a smile, passing the menu over to her and looking at Violet a bit pointedly. “I don't always like being the boss.” Paula chose the wines – a nice red and a nice white – and Violet just listened and watched, taking it all in. While she hadn't grown up poor, far from it, in fact, she also never experienced this kind of life either. Her father was a stickler for remaining humble and modest, insisting they live relatively frugally, which was probably why he'd managed to raise such an amazing daughter who took nothing for granted.

We ordered food and ate, drank a little too much wine while talking business, and Violet managed to hold her own very well. At times, it was hard to remember she had only been with my company for a couple of weeks, and that she was technically only my assistant. She had such an incredible mind and working knowledge of what we were doing, that I was blown away. I had to give the girl some credit, she was assertive and confident. I could also tell that she impressed both Steve and Paula, which was something in and of itself. The wine was flowing, as per usual during our business dinners, and I noticed Violet's eyes were a little glassy and her skin was a little flushed, more than likely from the alcohol. Her rosy pink cheeks only added to her cuteness though, and yes, the wine made it hard not to stare at her at times. She smiled back at me, catching me staring several times, and looked away shyly. “So, Violet,” Paula asked after one too many glasses of wine, “How long have you been working for Sebastian?” “Only a couple weeks,” she said. “But I've known him forever.” Paula raised an eyebrow and looked at me, as if asking maybe we were a little closer than just employer and employee - which was why I interjected “Violet's dad and I were best friends,” I said. “Since college. I've watched her grow up.” That took Paula by surprise, and she nearly choked on her wine. “Oh, I'm sorry. I suppose I just assumed – ” “I know what you assumed, Paula,” I said, stopping her with a gentle smile. “But it's nothing like that.” “Oh no,” Violet said, eyes wide as if she just now realized what Paula was getting at. “Not like that at all. Nothing like that. No. No way.” She was blushing profusely now, and I couldn‟t say that I blamed her. It made things a little awkward to know that people simply assumed that we were an item, which was probably my fault. I knew that my gaze lingered on Violet a bit too long at times, thanks to the alcohol and how beautiful she looked. But still, I knew it probably sent the wrong signal to anybody paying attention and probably even hinted that there was more than just a professional relationship between us. Steve could sense the tension and stepped in, trying to fill that awkward void of silence. “So, what's your father do, Violet?” Oh shit. “Uhh well,” she said, her voice soft. “Her father passed away a couple months back,” I said. I gave her a gentle smile and tried to save her from having to tell her story yet again. I knew she'd had to tell it so many times already, and it never got easier for her. It was something I could understand entirely. She gave me a small, grateful smile as a thank you.

“Oh, wow, we're just digging ourselves deeper and deeper here with this conversation,” he said, scratching his head. “I'm sorry for your loss, Violet.” “Thank you,” she said, holding her head up high, even though I knew it had to be hard for her. Hell, it was still hard for me. “And with that,” Steve said, looking over at Paula, “I think we should call it a night. Before we get into any more trouble with our boss. Don't you think, Paula?” “Yeah, I think so,” she said and gave me an apologetic look. “Plus, I have an early morning meeting with a realtor tomorrow to discuss a new piece of land coming on the market, so if you don't mind, I think I'm going to head back and get some sleep.” We said our goodbyes to them, leaving just Violet and myself at the table. Well, us and half a bottle of red wine. “We shouldn't let this go to waste,” I said, pouring another glass. “And thankfully, I'm the boss, so we can start a bit later tomorrow.” Violet smiled at me, and I poured the last of the bottle into her glass too. It was a beautiful evening in paradise and her company was fantastic. Sitting in a fancy restaurant, just the two of us, surrounded by the sounds of the ocean, the moon shining down on us, a beautiful wine, a fireplace, it was all very romantic. And it was exactly why I had originally picked the place back when Jessica was still coming with me. By the time everything had gone down with her and I'd arranged for Violet to come along, I hadn't even really given the restaurant a second thought. “I'm sorry things got awkward,” she said. “I didn't mean for – ” “Don't be sorry, it's my fault. Really,” I said, holding up my hand to stop her from apologizing. She bit her lip and stared down at her hands, a look of despondency crossing her face. It was like a dark cloud drifting over the face of a full moon and it dimmed that beautiful light for a moment. But then she looked back up at me and that darkness had passed. “No, I think it's my fault. Really,” she let out an awkward little laugh, as she looked back up at me. “The wine is really going to my head, I'm afraid.” “Me too,” I said looking at the liquid in my glass, “but I'd hate for it to go to waste.” At the same time, I could feel the alcohol taking effect on me as well and I didn't want to say or do something stupid. I could tell Violet wasn't going to have any more as she sipped from her water glass instead. “But sometimes, a real man knows when to call it a night,” I said with a wink. “Ready to head back to the resort?” She nodded and reached for her purse, and when she did, she leaned forward ever so slightly and my breath caught in my throat as I was presented with a wonderful view of her cleavage. No, I shouldn't have looked, but it happened so fast and she caught me staring down her dress, making me feel like the world's dirtiest old man. I stood up, trying to pretend like it

didn't happen, like I hadn't actually been caught ogling her, and managed to knock over the full glass of wine I'd just poured all over Violet. “Oh God,” I said, feeling like a jerk. I reached for a napkin and before I could think about my actions, I was dabbing the wine off her dress and my hand brushed her breast. “Oh God, I'm a mess tonight. You're seeing me at my worst, I'm afraid. I'm so sorry. I can't even begin to tell you how humiliating this is.” “It's okay, Sebastian,” she said, laughing. “That's more action then I've had with a guy in months.” She stopped laughing then, and her face turned red as if she just realized what she'd just said. “What do you say we head out?” I asked, clearing my throat. “I'll pay to have you dress cleaned, of course. I am sorry about that, Violet.” “Don't ever be sorry, Sebastian,” she said. “And yes, let's head back so I can change into something more comfortable. And a little drier.” I could already feel the erection pressing against my zipper and I prayed Violet couldn't see it. This entire evening had given me in a case of blue balls, but there was no way I could do anything about that. Not with Violet. Not ever. That was a line I told myself a hundred times I couldn't cross. Wouldn't cross.

Chapter Ten VIOLET

Sebastian was so cute and awkward, it was hard not to stare intently at him as he fumbled about. He was trying his best not to give me the wrong idea about his intentions, but it was too late. My crush for him had never died, I'd just managed to hide it well. And now that I was tipsy, and he was obviously gawking at me, I felt like maybe there was a chance to move forward on that crush. Sure, it was a bad idea. I knew that. But the wine and the flirting and the touching, and yes, even the erection he was trying so desperately to hide, made me think very bad thoughts about my boss. Thoughts I'd been nursing for a long, long time. And if we happened to fall into bed together, would that be such a bad thing? I didn't know. The only thing I knew for sure was that it would make me a very happy girl. The limo ride back to the resort was awkward, with more apologizing from Sebastian and more of me trying not to stare at the very obvious bulge in his pants. He was endowed, I could see that, and this wasn't the first time he'd been turned on in my presence. I thought back to that moment on the plane. Maybe he'd wanted it as much as I did, but didn't know if he should make a move. Or maybe he felt it was wrong. Hell, maybe it was, but in that moment, it felt so incredibly right. In that moment, I wanted it more than anything I'd ever wanted in my life. “Sebastian,” I said, laughing at him trying to discretely adjust his erection so I couldn't see how turned on he was, “You don't have to hide that from me.” I pointed at his crotch and of course, he turned bright red and started stammering. “It's not what you think – ” I cut him off. Raising an eyebrow, I asked, “Oh yeah? So, if you're not turned on by me, what is it? The sea air maybe?” His mouth and his eyes were opened wide in surprise as he gaped at me, unable to find the words. It was as if he couldn't believe I had just said that. Hell, I couldn't believe I had just said that either. It slipped out, but I wasn't about to take it back. The wine was making me feel a little more courageous than I normally was. Okay a lot more. “We're both adults here, Sebastian,” I said with a grin. “We can talk about sex. I'm not that little girl you seem to think I am anymore. And considering the bulge in your pants, I think you realize that too. So stop apologizing and trying to hide it, because I'm not buying it.” “Violet, you know we can't.” “Can't what? Have sex?” I shrugged. “Sure. I mean, we could if we wanted to. We're both consenting adults and there's nothing actually stopping us from doing it. But I know what you

mean. Because I'm your best friend's daughter, I'm kind of off-limits. I get it.” “Wow, when did you learn to talk like this?” The look of shock on his face was priceless, but in his eyes, I could see a yearning. He wanted me as much as I wanted him, I could tell. Just as I could tell that he was having a fierce battle inside of himself about it. “You'd be surprised at everything I've learned to do,” I said, winking at him. “The wine just makes it easier for me to speak my mind, which is something I may regret in the morning.” “No, don't. I mean, no need to regret it,” he said quickly. “I'm just surprised, that's all.” “Surprised in a good way?” I asked hopefully. He chuckled and glanced out the window. “Yeah, I guess so,” he said. “You guess so?” But the limo had stopped and the driver opened the door, giving Sebastian the perfect opportunity to escape. I followed behind him quickly, and as we walked out toward our bungalows. Not content to just let this drop, knowing I might never have a better opportunity to fulfill a girlhood fantasy, I grabbed on to his arm, forcing him to turn and look at me. “Listen, Sebastian,” I said, licking my lips and imagining what it would be like for his to be pressed against mine. “I'm sorry I said all that. Please don't let things get weird between us. I really don't want any weird tension because I spoke my mind after having too much – ” But before I could say another word, he pulled me close to him and I no longer had to wonder what his lips would feel like pressed against mine, because he was kissing me. And man what a kiss. His hands were entangled in my hair, holding my face to his, pressing his body hard against mine. And he pressed past my lips with his tongue, I felt like I'd died and gone to heaven. The moonlight was cascading down over us, the waves were crashing around us and I was making out with the man I'd been obsessed with for as long as I could remember. Could life get any better? Sebastian pulled back quickly, a look of absolute panic on his face as he started to backpedal. But I didn't let him. I pulled him back to me and kissed him again, silencing his apologies and he didn't stop me. All the years I'd spent looking at him, fantasizing about him, yearning to kiss him, to touch him, to know what he looked like underneath his tailored suits; I couldn't believe that I was about to find out. Running my hands down his chest, I stroked the bulge in his pants, making him jump back in surprise. “Violet,” he said, stroking my cheek. “Violet...” “Yes, Sebastian?” I said, giving him my best bedroom eyes. “You're so beautiful.”

My heart raced. I needed to be with this man. Desperately. And for the first time ever, it seemed like he wanted to be with me too. I took his hand in mine, and together we walked toward my bungalow in silence, both of us basking in the romance of where we were, consumed by our thoughts of what the night had in store for us. As soon as we were inside though, it was a different story. Sebastian barely gave me a chance to shut the door when he was kissing me again, pushing me toward the bedroom as I worked at removing his shirt. My hands fumbled at the buttons, but once I removed them, his shirt fell to the floor. His pants were next, but when I reached for them, he stopped me, staring at me intently. “No, Violet,” he said. “But I thought – ” I was suddenly very confused and uncertain, fearing that he was putting a stop to things before they got out of hand. But instead of stopping anything, Sebastian pulled my dress off over my head, throwing it to the floor before lifting me up and carrying me over to the bed, where he laid me down, gently. I was still so confused, but not for long. In that moment, I realized that Sebastian was a giver, not a taker, and as he fell down to his knees and slid my panties aside, every nerve in my body was on fire. Feeling his warm breath on my most intimate parts drove me crazy, and when he lowered his mouth and started teasing my clit with the tip of his tongue, I thought I might explode from the intense feelings rampaging through my body. “Sebastian,” I moaned. “Oh God, yes.” Sebastian was amazing with his mouth, working his tongue over all the right places, licking and sucking and teasing my opening, as he went to town. My hands were in his hair, pulling him closer to me without me even realizing it, because it all felt so incredible and amazing. As Sebastian fucked me with his tongue, I felt my body come alive. For the first time with a man, I knew what it felt like to be the center of attention, for someone to not be all about them, to take my pleasure into account. No, Sebastian was making sure I enjoyed this as much, if not more, than he did, and from the way he was pulling my body closer to him, I could tell he was enjoying every second of it. My body shuddered as he ate me out, bringing me to orgasm within a matter of minutes. I thrust upward toward his face, crying out as pleasure took hold of me. Every muscle in my body spasmed as my toes curled and I just repeated over and over, “Sebastian, Oh God, Sebastian.” It was everything I'd always dreamed it to be and more. Never had I imagined it would actually happen, but there in Bali, my fantasies were becoming a reality. As soon as my climax subsided, Sebastian looked up at me. There was a hint of fear in his eyes, like “Oh God, what have I done?” but I wasn't about to let that fear take root. I pulled him so he was on top of me, and kissed him passionately, not allowing him to have second thoughts about this. We'd already gone too far to turn back now, and I needed him inside of

me. “Please, Sebastian,” I begged, wriggling underneath him as I stroked his cheek and stared into his eyes. “We're both adults here. I want it. Do you want it?” “God yes,” he said, his brow furrowed as he stared down at me. “More than anything I've wanted in my entire life.” “Then fuck me, Sebastian,” I said, reaching for the zipper on his pants. This time he didn't stop me. In fact, he helped me remove his pants, sliding them down his legs so they fell to the ground in an instant. And there he was in full glory, naked and on top of me. My hand gripped his cock, and I stared at him wide-eyed. I'd had an idea that he was wellendowed thanks to seeing the bulge in his pants, but holding it in my hand, it became real. I stroked him as he clenched his jaw, his head falling forward as a groan escaped his lips. “Violet,” he moaned. Placing the tip of his cock against my opening, I lifted my hips so the tip of him barely slid past my lips. Sebastian did the rest, sliding inside of my wetness with one, long thrust as we both groaned in pleasure. “Oh God,” I cried out, eyes wide, as he stretched me open. Sebastian stared down at me, an expression of pure bliss on his face as he realized that he was sheathed inside of me. Both of us just sat still a moment, getting used to the sensation of our bodies being united as one. Slowly, Sebastian started rocking back and forth, and I met his rhythm, lifting my hips up to meet each thrust. Sebastian pinned me down, holding onto my hands as he stared into my eyes and fucked me. Dotting kisses along my neck and collarbone, then back to my lips as he moved in and out of me with such precision and skill that it made my eyes roll into the back of my head. My legs were wrapped around him now, holding on for dear life, as spasms of pleasure ripped through my body, causing me to cry out. Sebastian knew I was close and buried himself deeper inside of me. “Yes, yes, come for me,” he muttered through clenched teeth. I felt my pussy tighten around his cock, which caused him to shudder and moan above me. The spasms continued and I felt a warmth building low in my body and it wasn't long before I couldn't control myself anymore. With my toes curling and my body arching upward, I held on for dear life as I was rocked by an orgasm so intense, I was literally seeing stars. Sebastian tried to keep himself from exploding inside of me, I watched as he fought for control, but with my tight pussy spasming around his cock, it was too much and he lost that control. “Oh God,” he cried out, a shocked look on his face as he buried himself to the hilt in me. “I'm – ” He didn't have to finish the sentence, I could see it on his face. Together, we rode out our orgasms, and just the idea of him filling me with his seed caused me to climax again. Our

bodies were shaking and shuddering against each other, just reveling in the pleasure of coming together, until finally, the last wave subsided and Sebastian collapsed on top of me. Sweat rolled down his face, and we were both drenched in it. The ocean breeze blew in through the windows, cooling our heated skin. I smiled at Sebastian. I'd never been more sexually satisfied in my entire life. I stroked his hair back from his face as he looked down at me and smiled. His now deflated cock slipped out of me, and I felt the intimacy of our mingled fluids as they spilled out , creating a wet spot on the bed. “That was amazing,” he said, laying down beside me. He pulled me close and kissed me. “Yes, yes it was,” I said. It was everything I'd always dreamt of, and then some.

Chapter Eleven VIOLET

That night, I was unable to sleep. My body was tired and worn out, but my mind was spinning. I was fearful that when Sebastian woke up and the wine had worn off, he'd regret everything that had happened between us. I worried he might pull away, and even worse, that it might affect my job. I didn't want any of that, which was why I'd never thought we'd actually sleep together. I'd always wanted to be with him, of course, but I was scared of the damage it might cause if it had ever come to pass. But as the sun came up the next morning, Sebastian reminded me of why I felt so strongly about him. His eyes opened and caught me awake, and he smiled at me. “Hey you,” he said, propping himself up on his elbow, gently stroking my cheek. “You're awake early.” I smiled back at him, trying to push away the lingering doubts and uncertainty about what was going to happen that clung to the corners of my mind like cobwebs. “So are you,” I said. “Well I'm always up early,” he said. He reached out and pushed back a strand of hair away from my face. I hated feeling like I was sitting there waiting for the other shoe to drop. But that's what I was doing. I was wondering when, or if, we'd talk about what happened the night before and what it all meant. After all, there we were, still naked in bed together. But Sebastian didn't need to talk, he leaned down and kissed me, nearly taking my breath away. Last night could be chalked up to a drunken mistake, but to kiss me today, sober and by the light of day, well, that meant something, right? A girl could hope. “Since we're both up, would you like to have some breakfast with me?” he asked. “Sounds great.” Though truthfully, another round of sex sounded even better to me, but I didn't want to push my luck. “Where should we go?” “Oh, we're not going anywhere. I'm going to order room service,” he said. “What would you like beautiful?” Sometimes hanging around with rich people came with benefits. Like room service. Sebastian placed the order, and then slid out of bed and proceeded to get dressed. I couldn't help but stare at his nice, tight ass as he was pulling on his pants, and I felt myself flush as I remembered how my legs had been wrapped tightly around his body. I stayed in bed, naked, but covered up with a sheet as I watched him.

“So about last night – ” Sebastian started to say, turning toward me. My heart sank as I waited for that damned shoe. He sat down on the bed, and my heart shattered. I could see there was a look of fear in his eyes, almost like maybe he knew he'd made a mistake by sleeping with me. “Yes?” I managed to choke out. “What about it?” “I don't want to hurt you, Violet,” he said. “I care about you, deeply. I always have.” There we had it; the talk about how I'm like family to him. I closed my eyes, feeling tears welling in my eyes, already fearing the worst. But while my eyes were closed, Sebastian had laid back down beside me and kissed my lips, causing me to open them mid-kiss, surprised. “I don't want to hurt you,” he said again, stroking my face. “But I also can't deny that I feel something for you.” “The feeling is mutual, Sebastian,” I said softly. “You don't have to worry about hurting me, I'm a big girl. I know what I'm getting into and I can handle whatever happens.” “I know you can,” he said. “I just don't know what will happen now.” “Can we at least take it day-by-day and see?” I asked, hopeful. “Yeah, I think that's a great idea,” he said, kissing me again. I was on cloud nine. There I was, living the dream in Bali with the only man in the world to ever capture my heart. I didn't think that things really couldn't get any better.

*** “This is amazing,” I said out loud, staring out at the water with a belly full of fancy tropical fruits and pancakes. “A girl could get used to this.” Sebastian was sitting beside me and though we hadn't said much about what had happened between us, he was still being fairly affectionate with me. I had to admit, it made everything that much nicer. “I guess I'll have to bring you on work trips more often,” he said with a wink. “Speaking of which, we have to meet Paula and Steve in an hour to start the property tours. So, as much as I don't want to, we should probably shower and get ready.” “Of course,” I said sheepishly. “I mean, we are here for work and all.” “Plus a little fun,” he said, his tone flirtatious. “And a little fun,” I laughed. “Care to join me in the shower?” As soon as I asked, I was fearful he would say no. Even though we'd had sex just the night before, and he was still holding my hand and kissing me, part of me wasn't so sure he was comfortable with the sexual nature of our relationship yet. He looked into my eyes, as if

contemplating the pros and cons of my request before smiling and responding. “Sure. I'd love to,” he said. “But we can't have too much fun, we only have an hour.” My heart nearly jumped right out of my chest, h was saying yes to showering with me. One more dream come true and something else I could check off my bucket list. “I'll try to be good,” I said with a mischievous grin, standing up and walking toward the patio door. “But I can't make any promises.” Sebastian playfully smacked my ass, causing me to squeal as I darted for the bathroom. We both laughed as we entered the bungalow, holding each other close, kissing and stripping each other down. Sebastian was shirtless and his pants were down around his ankles when there was a knock on the door. Eyes wide like we were kids caught doing something wrong, we stopped for a moment, wondering who it could be. “Probably just housekeeping, making the rounds,” he said. He walked over to the door and called out. “Can you come back later, please?” Whoever it was obviously hadn't heard him since they continued knocking. Only this time, it was louder and more insistent. Sebastian tried again, this time his tone a little less polite. “Come back later. We're in the middle of something.” More knocking. Finally, I could see that Sebastian had had enough, and he swung open the door just enough to peer out, and that's when we both saw her. My heart just about stopped in my chest and judging by the expression on Sebastian's face, his had too. Jessica. Standing in the doorway with a cruel little smirk on her face. “Ooooh, golly, am I interrupting something?” she asked, peering in. I hurried up and stepped into the bathroom, but it was too late. She saw me wearing nothing but my bra and panties and of course, Sebastian topless. “What the hell are you doing here?” Sebastian growled. “Well, I thought I might surprise you,” she said, peeking back past Sebastian. “Thought we might have a little fun, you know. But I guess your assistant beat me to it.” “Get out of here,” Sebastian said as he tried to shut the door, but Jessica stopped him. “I wouldn't do that if I were you,” she said, her smirk turning to a look of pure hatred. “Because let me tell you something, if you don't listen to what I have to say, I'm going to ruin both of your pathetic little lives.” “Like hell you will.” “I have photos, Sebastian,” Jessica said. And the words sent chills down my spine. “Photos of the two of you kissing outside last night, and photos of you being all cuddly on the patio this morning. But better yet, you two didn't even bother to close the blinds last night, and I didn't have to try too hard to see what you were doing. Or get photographic proof of it either. And what would happen if these photos got into the wrong hands? What would happen if say, Violet's mother got hold of them?”

Chapter Twelve SEBASTIAN

Jessica wasn't lying. She had pictures, which she'd printed out just for us. She passed them through the door before leaving, shaking her ass as if to tease me as she walked away. As if I ever desired to see that ass again. Well, if she ever thought there was a chance of us getting back together, what she'd done had ruined those chances entirely. Jessica knew how to burn bridges on her way out the door. “I'm sorry, Violet,” I said, looking down at one of the photos from last night, one that showed I was clearly between her legs, eating her out. “I'm so, so sorry.” Violet remained quiet as she looked at the photos, but I could tell it worried her. It worried me too, to be honest. Not just because it could look bad from a business standpoint, but because Violet's mother was a close friend of mine, and I didn't want her to see me as some dirty old man. “What does Jessica want from us?” she finally asked. “What does she want to not release the photos?” “She didn't say, but I'm sure she'll be in touch.” Violet nodded, again, still not saying much. She just sat there with a shell-shocked look on her face and my heart went out to her. “We need to go soon,” I said, glancing at the clock. Violet nodded again, dropping the photograph she was holding. “I still need to shower.” “Me too,” I said. “But maybe it's better if I shower over in my own room.” Violet looked up at me, her eyes filled with hurt. She didn't argue though, instead she just nodded as a look of sadness and resignation crossed her face. “That's fine,” she murmured. I kissed her forehead before leaving the room, making sure the door locked behind me. With a sigh, I walked along the bridge that led to my room, my mind a maelstrom of conflicting emotions. And when I looked up, I was not surprised in the least to see Jessica sitting outside of my bungalow with her feet dangling over the edge of the bridge, letting the ocean water swirl around her ankles. A dark and abiding rage boiled inside of me when I saw her there. She sat there with her back to me, still managing to look like she owned the place; looking like she thought she deserved to be there. I knew this was her way of surprising me and in some dark, twisted part of her brain, she probably thought it was a romantic gesture. But I'd made it plain as day that I didn't want to be with her – or see her ever again. The girl had issues and this took things way too far.

“I've always wanted to see Bali,” she said, speaking without looking up at me. “I just never knew I'd be seeing it under such trying circumstances.” “What did you expect, Jessica?” I sneered. “I told you we were through.” She looked up at me with tears in her eyes. “Yes, but you also told me that little tramp was nothing more than your assistant. Well, guess what? I have photographic proof that you lied about that.” “I don't lie,” I said, clenching my jaw as I tried to control my rage. “We aren't dating. Last night was the first time anything happened. Not that I owe you an explanation. I told you that we were done. Several times.” “No, of course you don't owe me an explanation,” she said softly. “I get now that we're over. I see it clearly now for the first time. You've moved on.” “I moved on a long time ago, Jessica.” She looked out at the ocean and wiped at her eyes, obviously not wanting me to see that she was crying. I tiny inkling of guilt for hurting her, but how much damn clearer could I have been? And the fact that she was snooping around, taking secret pictures of me and Violet was going way too far. “You know, all this time, I thought that maybe I could fix things. Maybe somehow get you to love me again,” she said softly. “But clearly, that's not going to happen. You've moved on to someone younger and prettier.” “Please stop.” I said. I hated for anyone to think it was just about Violet's age or her looks. She was a lot more than that. She meant more to me than that, and to dismiss all of it and claim I was only after someone younger and prettier than she was, royally pissed me off. But I didn't want to cause a scene, and if possible, I wanted to defuse the situation entirely. Maybe make Jessica reconsider what she was doing with those pictures. “We were no good together. Not for a long while,” I said. “Besides, it became pretty clear that you were using me for my money, Jessica. That was it.” “No, Sebastian. Believe it or not, I loved you,” she said, her eyes filled with unshed ears. “I still love you.” “You're only in love with my money,” I said. “We were never good together as two loving, caring people.” “That's not what you used to say when I was the one you were fucking,” she said. “You used to tell me I was your world.” “Because you were at one time,” I said. “But that changed once things between us got a little more real and we started to see each other for who we really were.” The fact that I had to explain this to her again was killing me. We'd had these discussions before, countless times. I couldn't handle the clinginess, the neediness, the jealousy. Her

pettiness and snobby attitude also turned me off more than I could say. When we first met, she'd seemed like a different girl. She'd been kind, compassionate, confident. But as time wore on, I saw that it was all just a facade she had constructed. A mask she'd worn. She was nothing like that girl I'd met. And I started to feel like yeah, maybe she'd pretended to be someone she wasn't just to get me into bed and become part of my life. The longer our relationship dragged on, the more I felt used. She always wanted to go on the expensive vacations, always needed the shopping trips, and the fancy dinners out. Everything about our relationship became what I could do for her or buy for her, not what we could bring to each other's lives. That was exactly why I loved spending time with Violet. None of that material stuff mattered to her. Each time I did something nice for her, it was a surprise and something she appreciated. It wasn't something she expected or demanded. With Jessica, things had to keep getting bigger or more lavish. She demanded the finest things from the most expensive places, otherwise she grew bored and pouted. I eventually grew tired of it, and it basically ruined everything between us. I finally saw her for who she really was – a gold digger. She looked at me and though there were tears still shining in her eyes, there was a defiance and an anger in them as well. “Well, I guess the rest of the world is finally going to be able to see who you really are too, Sebastian,” she said. “As you know, I have contacts in the media and I'm sure they'd love to hear my story. The story of how you, the greedy CEO tossed me aside for someone younger and prettier. Yeah, feminism is all the rage these days, and don't be surprised if women stop coming to your resorts or staging protests and boycotts once they hear about how you took advantage of a young college graduate all alone in another country. That‟s how you treat women – who are nothing more than disposable toys to you.” Gritting my teeth, I tried so hard to keep my cool. By “contacts in the media,” what she really meant to say was that she had friends who worked for those trashy supermarket checkout line tabloids. If she went running to them with this, they would do a hatchet job on me that would be brutal. I really doubted it would have any lasting impact on my company in the long term, but in the short term, it would create a lot of embarrassment and headaches. Not to mention, it would wreak havoc on Violet and our budding romance. “None of that is true and you know it,” I said. “Again, what happened with Violet had nothing to do with you. We're two consenting adults.” Jessica shrugged, pulling her feet from the water and put her shoes back on. “If you say so, Sebastian,” she said. “But that's not the way I see it. And I'm not so sure Violet can handle the backlash that's going to come from this, especially not so soon after her poor daddy's death.” “Leave her out of this,” I hissed. “I'm warning you, Jessica.” “I'll leave both of you out of this and turn over all copies of the pictures to you on one condition,” she said.

I sighed, knowing where this was likely going. “What condition, Jessica?” “You cut things off with the little tramp, Sebastian,” she said, her voice firm. “Immediately.” “She's not – ” “Whore, trollop, whatever,” Jessica said flippantly. “Whatever she is, you cut things off with her and neither these pictures nor my story will never see the light of day.” “I'm never coming back to you, Jessica,” I said. “Not even if I cut things off with Violet.” “Oh, I know that now,” she said with a smile. “But if I have to hurt, I want you to hurt too. And if it means hurting your poor, sweet little Violet, then so be it. I'll do whatever it takes to ruin both of your lives and make you as fucking miserable as I am.” “Are you threatening me?” “No, sweetie,” she said, in that condescending tone of voice of hers that I hated so much. “It's not a threat. It's a promise. Now enjoy the rest of your trip. I've booked the bungalow down at the end so we're neighbors. Maybe we'll run into each other. We can have drinks and catch up.” She sauntered down the dock and entered a bungalow not too far from us. I felt the need to punch something – anything! But I also had to get ready. Paula and Steve were expecting us, and I had work to do. I'd have to handle Jessica, and speak to Violet after that.

Chapter Thirteen VIOLET

Paula and Steve were already waiting for us in the lobby, but they made no mention of us running late. Perks of being the boss when it came to being on time to work-related functions, I supposed. Paula looked a little stressed as she outlined our itinerary, listing off everywhere we were going for the day. I could tell Sebastian wasn't at the top of his game. Not that I blamed him, but what happened with Jessica had really thrown him off. When he'd come back to pick me up before we left for the meeting, he hadn't even come into my room, choosing to stay outside the front door and wait for me. And as we walked toward the resort, he stared straight ahead and kept the conversation purely to business-related matters. Even though I'd tried to bring Jessica up, he'd refused to talk about her, instead saying he'd deal with it. He apparently wasn't the only one off kilter, though. Paula looked over at me, a concerned look upon her face. “Violet?” she asked. “Yes?” “I asked if you'd made the arrangements with the driver to pick us up?” I tried to clear my head, tried to banish all other thoughts about Sebastian, Jessica, and the photos, but I couldn't remember. Had I made the arrangements? I could have sworn I'd booked all travel arrangements for the meetings, but for some reason, this one wasn't coming to me. As I was sifting through all of my paperwork in my file, trying to find it, I caught sight of a blonde woman sitting in the lobby with a glass of champagne, watching us closely, flashing a predatory grin our way. “What is – ” But then I stopped myself. I couldn't talk about Jessica with Paula and Steve here, so instead, I cleared my throat, tore my gaze away from her, and continued flipping through my papers until I found the reservation with the limo company. “Oh, there it is,” I said, pulling out the confirmation sheet. “I thought I‟d made it and wanted to make sure.” “Great,” Paula said. “Looks like we have a few minutes to spare, maybe we should get a drink at the bar?” Sebastian must have seen Jessica as well. “You two go ahead,” he said. “I need a little air, so I'm going to wait outside.”

There was no way I wanted to remain inside alone with Jessica, so I followed Sebastian outside. As soon as we were out of hearing distance, I turned to him feeling a surge of panic course through me. “What is she doing here?” I asked. “She's staying here,” he said, not meeting my eyes. “At the resort. As a guest.” Raising an eyebrow, I looked at him, an expression of bewilderment upon my face. “What?” “There's nothing I can do about it,” he asked, shrugging. “She's a paying guest. I can't just kick her out.” “And why can't you? You own the place!” “Because it would look really bad if I kicked people out of my properties based on personal reasons,” he said. “Besides, I think I've pissed her off enough already. God knows what she'd do if I kicked her off the property.” I was stunned. Seriously stunned. After what she had done to us earlier today, I would have suspected he would want to be as far away from that bitch as possible, but he just shook his head, an inscrutable look upon his face. “I have to be able to separate business from my personal life, Violet,” he said, obviously frustrated. “I don't like it any more than you do, but that's the way it has to be. I hate that she's in the same set of bungalows we are, but there's nothing I can do.” “Wait. So, you mean she's staying a few bungalows down from me?” I asked. “I'm not sure I'm comfortable with that.” And I wasn't. What if she spied on me, or worse? She was crazy, we already knew that. The fact that she was staying only like a few yards away from where I slept only made things that much creepier. At least now it all made sense, the fact that Sebastian seemed to be keeping his distance from me. But it made me wonder, was he doing it to keep the drama at bay? Or was it because he still had feelings for his ex? I wouldn't have thought it would be the latter, but now that I'd slept with him, I had to wonder. And I certainly didn't want any ex-girlfriends stepping back into his life, or mine. Especially crazy ones like Jessica. “What do you want me to do, Violet?” he asked, turning to me with an annoyed look on his face. “I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place right now. I think for the time being, it's best if we just keep everything professional and get our work done, then head home. I'll deal with Jessica, but kicking her off the property after she paid for the room isn't how you run a business. No matter how annoying she is. Not if you have a reputation to maintain.” A knot formed in my throat. In all the years I'd known him, Sebastian had never before taken that tone of voice with me, and it hurt to hear him talk to me like that. It was condescending and dismissive and not at all like him. As I stared up into his eyes, I fought back the tears because I was a grown-up and needed to act like one, crying in front of your

boss wasn't what adults did; they sucked it up and carried on. “I'm sorry, Sebastian,” I said, my voice flat. “I wasn't thinking. I let my emotions get in the way. It won't happen again.” His eyes softened, almost like he wanted to comfort me, but the moment passed quickly. His gaze fell past me, and he turned away. “The driver is here,” he said. “Can you run in and let Paula and Steve know, please?” “Yes, Sebastian.” I did as I was told, and when I went inside, Jessica was already gone. Maybe she'd made her point by being there, publicly, allowing me to see her. Or maybe she was outside with Sebastian now. Not that it was any of my business. What had happened last night was great, but perhaps there'd be nothing more that came of it. Maybe, for Sebastian, it had been a fun, one time only show. No repeat performances. How in the hell was I supposed to know what was going on in that head of his if he refused to talk to me? I needed to understand that sometimes, things didn't always work out the way you wanted them to. I knew last night when I'd slept with him that we probably wouldn't hop into some hot and heavy lifelong committed relationship, and I'd slept with him anyway. Deep down, however, I was still hopeful. “Stupid girl,” I muttered to myself, scolding myself for believing in happily-ever-afters. “Stupid, stupid, immature little girl.” I hid my face so Paula and Steve wouldn't see my tears, and I did my job for the rest of the day. I did the work I was there to do and offered little more. And at the end of the day, Sebastian and I went to our separate bungalows and kept our distance. I had a hard time even relaxing as I sat out on the deck, trying to enjoy the ocean breeze because I was fearful that Jessica might be watching me. Everything good that had happened quickly crumbled away, leaving me feeling incredibly alone and sad. In the span of twenty-four hours I‟d gone from the heights of elation to the pits of despair, and it had been my own damn fault. Sebastian had been trying so hard to fight his attraction to me, I should have just let it go. Now I was sitting alone in the most beautiful place on earth with a hole where my heart was.

Chapter Fourteen VIOLET

After another round of property tours the next day, Sebastian and I parted ways again. I asked him about dinner plans, if we were meeting with Paula and Steve and he avoided my eyes, giving me a brusque reply. “No, we're on our own tonight,” he said. “Should we grab something at the resort?” I asked, feeling hesitant to suggest it. “I'm just going to call in room service and stay in,” he said. “I'm really tired.” Biting my lip, I nodded. I didn‟t argue with him because I didn‟t want to face the rejection I was sure he would give. “Okay, I guess I'll do the same then,” I said. Sebastian looked over at me, and there was a sadness in his eyes. “Maybe you should go out,” he said. Go and have a little fun. See Bali, Violet. The company will pick up the tab.” Truthfully, I didn't want to go out without him. The idea of eating alone in a place like this just made the heartache that was crippling me even worse. That last thing I wanted was to be surrounded by couples when I was alone and my heart was breaking. No, thank you. I shook my head. “No, I think I'll just eat dinner on the deck outside the bungalow. It'll be nice. Maybe I'll go for a swim.” He nodded. “Just let me know if you change your mind.” I so badly wanted to stop him, to ask him what had changed or whether our night had just been a one-time thing for him. I didn't think so, not after what he'd said the next morning, but I was suddenly feeling insecure and uncertain. I wanted to fix things, to make them right, but I also didn't want to be clingy and crazy like Jessica either. So instead of having a meltdown, we parted ways. I went to my bungalow and he went to his. As much as I wanted to sit on my bed and cry over how quickly my dreams had been shattered, I forced myself to put on my bikini. I was in Bali, goddammit, and the last thing I was going to do was lock myself in my room and cry into my pillow. My bikini was a sexy two-piece, vintage style with the high waist that accentuated my curves. At one time, I pictured how hot I'd look wearing it for Sebastian and the effect it would have on him. But now, he wouldn't even see it because he was keeping his distance. I stepped out onto the deck, walked to the edge, and dipped my toe into the water. The water was warmer than I thought it would be so I slipped into the ocean, dunking my head and staying underwater for a bit, just floating there and feeling all the tension in my body seeming to float away on the currents.

When I came back up for air, my eyes fell on Sebastian's bungalow. I caught him at the window, staring out at me. But the moment our eyes met, he turned and walked away from the window as fast as he could. I floated on my back, staring up at the sun, trying to relax as best I could. I wanted to forget all about Sebastian and Jessica and all of the drama. I was in paradise and didn't want to think about the real world and all of its bullshit for a while. The sun set, and it was starting to get chilly, so I climbed out of the water and reached for the towel. As I wrapped it around my waist, I caught sight of Sebastian looking over at me again. This time, he was sitting on the deck by himself, eating what looked to be a very nice dinner. He was close enough, I considered swimming over to him, but I could tell he wanted to be left alone. Still, when our eyes met, I could see that he was regretting that decision. Dropping the towel, I decided to walk around in my bikini, just to show him what he was missing. Since I knew he was watching me, I figured that I'd give him a show. I'd make him regret pulling away. I picked up the room service menu as I sat down, crossing my legs and looking it over. Once I knew what I wanted, I called the order in. Sebastian was still across the water from me, staring at me as he ate. I stared back, hoping it might make him react, do something, say something. When it didn't, I looked away and stared out at the ocean. My phone rang, and at first, I assumed it was room service calling to confirm my order. But when I looked down at the screen, I was surprised to see that it was Sebastian. I looked across at him, and saw him point to the Bluetooth in his ear. I grinned to myself and shook my head. Picking it up, I teased, “You know, you could just walk your sexy little ass over here if you wanted to talk.” He was quiet for a moment, as if he didn't know what to say. “I can't be there with you, Violet. Especially with you looking like that,” he said. “It's dangerous.” “What do you mean it's dangerous?” I said, scowling in his direction. “Because I wouldn't be able to control myself. After the other night – ” I knew exactly what he meant. “So don‟t control yourself. We're both consenting adults, Sebastian. We did nothing wrong.” “Violet,” he said softly. “I can't be with you that way. I just can't.” “Why not?” I asked. “Is this about Jessica?” Sebastian sighed, and for the first time since we'd started talking, he looked away from me. “Well? Is it?” I pressed. “Because ever since she knocked on the door, you've been acting like a completely different person, so I assume – ” “Yes and no, Violet,” he said, stopping me. “Yes, it does have to do with her somewhat. But not in the way you think it does. It actually got me thinking that I just can't do this to you.

What about your family? Your mother? What would she think if she found out your dad's best friend was sleeping with you. Christ, I'm old enough to be your father, Violet.” “And I don't care. About any of it,” I said. “My mom, well, she can think whatever she wants, but I'm a grown woman. I can make my own decisions. I can be with whoever I want and I don't let anybody tell me I can't.” “I'm not sure it's that easy, Violet,” he said. “If I were anyone else, maybe so, but – ” “But what? Sounds like maybe it's you who can't deal with the fallout, Sebastian,” I said, my blood starting to boil. “Maybe you're the one who can't handle the world knowing you're sleeping with your best friend's daughter because you're ashamed. Am I right? Does that about sum it all up?” He didn't answer for a moment. “Listen, I didn't want to argue with you.” “Then what did you want, Sebastian?” I asked. “Because dammit, I am tired of being treated like a child. Not just by you, but by everybody. You don't have to watch out for me, I am actually pretty capable of taking care of myself.” “I called because I wanted to tell you that you looked beautiful,” he said. And then there was a click as he disconnected the call. I stared across the water with tears in my eyes, as he picked up his glass of champagne and went inside his bungalow, closing the door and the curtain so I couldn't see inside. Dammit, Sebastian. Dammit all to hell. Suddenly, the very idea of dinner didn't appeal to me at all. All I wanted in that moment was a bottle of something I could drown my sorrows in. When room service came, I put in the request for some wine, and I sat there, staring down at my food, scallops with a white wine sauce over rice and fresh asparagus, something I would have scarfed down in a heartbeat if I wasn't too busy hurting. When the knock sounded at my door, I assumed it was room service again. “You're fast,” I said, wiping my tears away with my hands. I opened the door, but instead of room service, it was Sebastian. And as soon as he saw me, he pushed through the door, shut it behind him and kissed me harder than he'd ever kissed me before. We didn't even make it to the bedroom this time. He pushed me up against the wall and pulled my bikini bottom down, dropping to his knees in front of me. Without saying a word, Sebastian started eating me out, savoring me like I was the finest, juiciest piece of fruit he'd ever put his mouth upon.

Chapter Fifteen SEBASTIAN

It was wrong of me and I knew I should find a way to control myself, but as I paced my room, I couldn't stop thinking about her. The way her polka dotted bikini hugged her curves, the way her perky breasts nearly burst from the top, how her hair was dripping wet and th e droplets covered her bare flesh. It was too much. The erection was painful, and even though I'd tried to take care of it myself, it was no match for the feel of Violet's tight, wet pussy. I needed her, and her words echoed through my head. Maybe she was right, it was me. Maybe I was the one afraid of the backlash. She said she didn't care if her mom knew about us; didn't care if anybody knew about us. Who was I to determine what I thought was best for her? She was right. I spent so much time looking out for her that sometimes I forgot she was a grown woman who could take care of herself. And damn me, I wanted that woman. I prayed it wasn't just lust and selfishness making me walk over to her bungalow. Jessica said if I didn't cut things off with Violet, that she'd release the images. And yet, there I was between her legs, sucking and licking her delicious pussy, pressing my tongue between the folds of her vagina, sliding it into her slit as he grabbed onto my head and called out my name over and over again. God, it was amazing. When her body shuddered, I knew she was close. I felt the spasms take hold in her pussy, reverberating through my tongue as her knees started to give out on her. I held her steady as I flicked my tongue all around the juicy opening and she came with my tongue buried inside of her. She cried out and gripped my head tightly, making me one happy man. My cock was bulging in my pants, however, and the ache was almost too much for me to bear. I should have stopped right there, but before I could say another word, Violet pulled me up and was kissing me again, tasting her own juices from my lips. “Violet, I need to tell you something first,” I said. But she wasn't listening. She put her finger to my lips, dropped to her knees before me and took my pants down. “Violet, one second, I should – ” But her lips parted and she took my cock all the way into her mouth, making my entire body jerk uncontrollably for a moment.

“Oh fuck,” I said, my eyes rolling back into my head as this beautiful woman sucked my cock like a lollipop. She licked and sucked, and rolled her tongue down the sides while taking me deep into her mouth. When she couldn't take me all the way in, her hand made up the distance, and slowly, my hips started moving back and forth as I fucked her pretty little mouth. All mention of Jessica and the photos was gone. The only thing I could think about was her lips and her mouth on my dick; and she was good. Damn good. I could tell it wasn't her first time sucking a man off, and I feared that if she kept up the pace she was on, I might lose it. And as much as I'd love to shoot my load between those red lips of hers, I wanted to be inside of her. No, I needed to be inside of her. “Stop,” I said, pulling her hair back and keeping her from going down once more. She playfully pouted at me, but then she stood up and kissed me again, her tongue pushing past my lips with a ferocity born of need. All this time, I was worried I was the one taking advantage of her, and yet, there she was, horny as hell, doing everything she could to get me to bed. Then I remembered, I had something to tell her. “Violet, listen,” I said. “Seriously, stop and listen to me for a second.” She sighed. “Are you going to pull away again, Sebastian? Because I can't handle this on-off bullshit,” she said. “Either we're going to be together, like two grown, consenting adults, or you need to stop leading me on.” There was the woman I was falling for. She was not a little girl, and gone were all thoughts of her being that little girl. She reminded me that she was a grown woman by straight telling me off. It was an important moment, one that I was glad to see had happened, to be honest. “No, not at all,” I said reaching for her and pulling her to my chest. Her hands gripped my cock, and momentarily, I forgot what I was going to say again. “I just want to be sure you're sure, because Jessica has threatened to out us to your family if we continued with this.” Violet stared up at me with wide eyes, and for a moment, I feared she would back away. But instead, she surprised me when a slow grin spread across her beautiful face. “Fuck Jessica,” she said. “Or rather, don't. Fuck me instead, please?” “You don‟t have to ask me twice.” I growled. Violet led me by the hand, out onto the deck. I was surprised, but incredibly turned on, by the fact that she was being this daring. I had to admit, I liked it; I liked it a lot. She removed my shirt, tossing it onto the table with what looked to be her untouched dinner. If she wasn't hungry before, I'd make sure we were going to work up an appetite. The only view of the patio came from my currently empty bungalow, so we were safe from onlookers, for the most part. Not that it mattered in that moment anyway, I didn't care and Violet didn't seem to either. She sat down on the hammock and pulled me toward her, kissing down my neck and chest

as she wrapped her legs around me. My cock pressed against her opening, and she pulled me into her. My tip pressed past her lips and with one long thrust, I was buried inside of her. She was tighter than anyone I'd ever been with, so it still took me by surprise even after our last encounter. But I fit inside her so perfectly, and she clenched down on my cock, sending a wave of pleasure through me and making me moan her name. “Violet. Oh Violet.” Violet rocked on the hammock, with her legs wrapped around my waist, using it for momentum as we fucked right out there on the deck. The ocean breeze washed over our bodies and the waves crashed around us, only adding to the intensity of the moment. Violet wasn't quiet, not by any means. She kept calling out my name as I thrust deeper and deeper inside of her, her nails digging into my flesh. I held her head up so I could stare into her eyes when I felt her getting close. “I want to look into your eyes when you come,” I said. She nodded, biting her lip as I shoved my cock deep inside of her relentlessly. She was so wet and so tight as I fucked her, I thought I too might lose control. I somehow managed to keep it together, even as she writhed wildly under me, her legs tight around my waist, her pussy even tighter around my dick. Violet writhed and bucked wildly, but I kept moving in and out of her, trying to keep the rhythm that had driven her crazy in the first place. As soon as her orgasm subsided, she slipped me out of her pussy and looked up with a devious smile. “Take me from behind,” she said. She turned around on the hammock and bent over, shoving that magnificent ass into me. My dick rested against her ass, dripping wet from her juices and pre-cum and I watched as I buried it inside of her pussy once more. Violet screamed out in pleasure, gripping the hammock as I continued fucking her from behind. The view was fantastic. Her ass wiggling around on my dick, the ocean, the moon shining overhead. Everything was so perfect, it was almost surreal. As I felt the cum bubbling inside of me, a warmth inside of my balls, and a tightness unlike any other, I prepared myself. I could pull out. I should probably pull out because I wasn't sure if she was on any form birth control. But as I tried to pull out to shoot my load all over her perfect ass, she pushed backward, taking me back inside and it was too late. I exploded, a stream of cum shooting out of my cock and spilling inside of her tight pussy. I groaned as I let loose of my seed, every little but of cum spilling inside of her body. Violet fell limp on the hammock, and it took me a second to regain my composure. When I slipped my spent cock out of her pussy, I couldn't help but watch as my cum dripped out of her. It was such a glorious sight; one I knew I'd never grow tired of. Violet stood up and turned to me, smiling the biggest smile ever. “Oh my God. I think I love you, Sebastian,” she said, gasping for air.

Her hair was a mess, frizzy and knotted, and she was sweaty and bright red. She looked happy and satisfied. She was the most beautiful woman in the entire world. “love you too, Violet,” I said, surprising even myself. “I really do.”

Chapter Sixteen VIOLET

My phone lit up within minutes. We need to talk, Violet. Now. It was a text message from my mom. Sebastian and I were curled up in bed, and when I looked down at my phone, it only took me a minute to realize what was going on. “Oh, I think Jessica got to her,” I said, groaning, but also laughing. I looked over at Sebastian. “What should I say?” “Maybe tell her we'll talk when we get back from the trip?” he said. “It might be easier to break it to her in person.” “Break what to her?” I said. “That I'm in love with my deceased father's best friend and my current boss. Yeah, she's not going to take it well no matter when I tell her.” “I'm sorry,” Sebastian said, reaching out and stroking my cheek. “I didn't want to do this to you, Violet. Maybe I made a big mistake.” “No,” I said. “No, don't say that. I'm glad you came over here, and I'm happy we're able to be together like this. I'm going to deal with the consequences, Sebastian, whatever those may be. But this is my life and I'm going to choose the path that makes me the happiest. A little bit of blowback is worth it, for you. Trust me, it is.” He pulled me down so I was resting my head on his chest. “I sure hope so, Violet,” he said softly. “I don't want to ruin the relationship between you and your mother.” My mother didn't want me to date anyone, truth be told. She'd kept a tight leash on me throughout high school and even college. She had always been so worried her daughter could end up pregnant or give up on her dreams for a man. I‟d repeatedly told her that was never going to happen, but she'd never trusted me. She didn't know what made me tick, and even worse, had never really tried to find out. My relationship with my mother wasn't bad, I had just always been closer to my dad. And now, in her mind, she probably thought she had every reason to not trust me because I was a little whore. “Who knows what Jessica told her,” I said. “I doubt it was anything close to the truth.” “My biggest concern is that she showed her the photos she took,” he said. “That's the last thing I want your mother to see. Ever.” I sat up and looked at Sebastian. “I guess I hadn't really thought about that,” I said. “I guess with everything going on, I somehow managed to forget she took incriminating pictures of

us.” Sebastian sighed. “Yeah,” I said. “And no doubt, Jessica's friends in the tabloid world have them too.” “You didn't tell me she was going to go to the tabloids with them,” I said, looking worriedly at him. Any of those pictures could slander his good name and potentially cause trouble for his business. “I wasn't sure if I believed she'd actually do it. But given that she got to your mother, I guess nothing is out of bounds for her,” he said, sitting up and looking worried. “But does that make a difference?” I was quiet, but only to think about what my mother might have seen, and what sort of hit piece they'd run on Sebastian in the tabloids. I realized that my initial estimation was wrong, there was going to be more than just a little bit of blowback. I hated that Sebastian and I were getting caught up in Jessica's insanity, because we had done nothing wrong. “No, not at all. It's just going to make things more awkward at home,” I said, trying to laugh. “Because who wants their parents seeing them having sex, you know?” “Yeah, I'm sorry about that,” he said. He looked physically pained over it all, and I couldn't blame him. But I also didn't blame him for anything that was happening. I knew this wasn't going to be easy on him either. “You have nothing to be sorry about,” I said. “Your ex-girlfriend is just batshit crazy. You can't help that. I'm just sorry that you're going to be tabloid fodder for a while.” He shrugged. “It'll blow over soon enough,” he said. “No big deal.” I could tell he was uncomfortable with the spotlight getting ready to shift onto him. He was a well-known, well connected, wealthy man, and an eligible bachelor. An eligible bachelor free to do what – and who – he wanted. That was basically the extent of the material the tabloids had on him. My worry was what they were going to make up. “I hope so,” I said. “You don't deserve that. And you don't deserve to have such a freak trying to make your life difficult.” “I just need to pick a higher caliber of woman apparently,” he said with a wink. “I think you've already picked a better one,” I teased. “But I may be a little bit biased.” “Oh no,” he said, kissing the tip of my nose. “I've managed to get the cream of the crop with this one. She's something special, that's for sure.” “You better be talking about me,” I said, playfully punching him. “Actually, I was talking about our maid,” he said. “She's really something.” I giggled and slapped him in the arm. “You jerk.” “Of course I'm talking about you,” he laughed. We kissed, and even though I had a mess to deal with back home, I was currently in paradise with the man of my dreams. I could forget

about my mom for now ,and just savor what remained of this trip. Reality would hit us sooner or later, but we might as well enjoy the fantasy while it lasted.

*** The rest of our trip seemed to fly by, and we both slept hard on the plane heading back home. We couldn't let that hammock and that ocean view go to waste, and of course, we had to make use of the entire bungalow, inside and out. It had been physically draining and we were both worn out. Not to mention, I needed to be emotionally prepared for the fallout with my mom when I got home. When we landed, Sebastian asked me if he should come over with me, but I told him it would only make it worse and that I'd handle it. “I'll talk to her first,” I said. “And then you can stop by later, perhaps. She's got no real choice. She's going to have to get used to us being together.” While I wasn't officially Sebastian's girlfriend – mainly because he hadn't asked yet – we were very much in a relationship; albeit, a complicated one. I had texted my mom from Bali and told her we'd talk when I got back. She tried to call me several times after that, but I kept telling her the same thing; we'd talk when I got back. Period. There was no reason for her to ruin the rest of the trip by being dramatic. I didn't need or want her hysterics. But now that I was standing on my front porch, I was dreading the backlash I'd kept pushing off. It was a bill I knew was coming due, and I had no other choice but to pay it. As soon as I opened the door, my mother was standing there in the foyer, glass of wine in hand, a well-practiced look of disapproval on her face. “Have fun in Bali?” she asked, downing the glass of wine. “Yes, lots of fun actually,” I said, surprised that she'd started things out so casually. I'd expected her to be breathing fire the moment my feet hit the driveway. “What's going on? You wanted to talk?” “Come, sit down, Violet,” she said, sitting on the couch and patting the seat next to her. In that moment, I could see tears in her eyes. She was going to cry. Oh God, I couldn't handle it when my mother cried. But I sat down beside her. “So, guess who I talked to while you were gone?” I had an idea, but I didn't say her name. “Who?” “Sebastian's ex-girlfriend, Jessica.” “Oh yeah?” I asked. “She's crazy, you do know that, don't you, Mom? I mean, she's certifiable.” “Of course I do,” she said with a nervous laugh. “Crazier than half the people in the loony bin, if you ask me. I never did like her, but Sebastian did and that was all that mattered at the time.”

I kept waiting. She'd talked to Jessica, so I knew there was more. “Jessica said she had something to show me, which I refused to look at because it's Jessica and I have no interest in her drama,” she said and a wave of relief flooded my body. “But since I wouldn't look at the attachments she'd sent along, she told me that they were proof you and Sebastian were having a thing. Of course, I told her she was being completely ridiculous. ” “So, you didn't believe her?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. “Of course not,” mom scoffed. “You and Sebastian? He's a good man, and wouldn't do something like that.” I twirled a couple of strands of hair around my fingers. “What if I pursued him, mom?” “He'd still say no,” she said, shaking her head. “He and your father were too close for him to be involved with you. You're like a daughter to him, Violet.” For some reason, hearing my mom deny everything like she was doing made it all the worse. She was so sincere in her belief that we'd never get together and yet, I had to tell her. There was no way I could keep my relationship with Sebastian secret from her. Not for very long anyway. She'd eventually find out. And besides, if it was true that Sebastian and I were in love, it was only a matter of time before we became official. I couldn't hide something like that from my mother. “Mom, I have something to tell you,” I said quietly, staring down at my hands. “Jessica wasn't lying. Sebastian and I are actually together and we're in love.” My mom was quiet for a moment, then she burst out laughing. When I didn't join her, she stopped and looked at me, an expression of something like panic upon her face. “Wait. You're serious, Violet?” I nodded, finally bringing myself to look her in the eyes. “I am,” I said. “I know it seems weird, with the age difference and all, but we fell in love, mom. And what we have between us is real, I know it is.” My mother stood up, her knees shaking. “I - I have to get more wine,” she said, her voice cracking. I knew she was crying and didn't want me to see, so she refused to look at me. I grabbed hold of her arm and stood beside her. “Listen, mom. I'm a grown woman now,” I said. “And we are both consenting adults. I love him and he loves me, this isn't just some random fling. It's real, mom. It's really real.” My mom pulled her arm away, but instead of going to the kitchen for more wine, she reached into her purse and pulled out her cell phone. “What are you doing?” “Calling Sebastian,” she said. “We need to talk.” “About?” I asked, narrowing my gaze on her.

“About the fact that he's sleeping with Charles' daughter, that's what.” I reached for the phone, but she pulled away. She had dialed it and was waiting for him to answer. “Mom, listen to me,” I said, trying to remain calm. “I'm an adult. I'm not a child, and whatever – ” Sebastian picked up, and my mother immediately started screaming at him. She called him every name in the book as tears streamed down her face. It killed me to see my mom in such pain, but I knew that I needed to stay strong. This was my life to live, not hers. And I was going to grab hold of love and happiness where I found it, regardless of how uncomfortable it might make her. I heard Sebastian say, “I'm right down the street. I'll be there in a minute.” My heart pounded as I waited, and my mother continued to cry. She refused to look at me. Refused to talk to me. She just sat there sobbing. “Why can't you just accept the fact that I'm happy?” I asked, my own tears streaming down my face now. “And that I'm involved with somebody you admit is a good man, one who treats me really well.” That's when Sebastian knocked on the door, and we both ran for it at the same time. I reached it first, thanks to me being quicker, and my mom having consumed several glasses of wine. As I opened it up, just seeing his face caused a warm and fuzzy stirring throughout my entire body. “What in the hell are you doing here?” my mom slurred. “I stayed close by, just in case something like this happened and Violet needed me,” he said, keeping his cool. “Listen, Angela, I know it's hard to believe, but this isn't what you think it is.” “It isn't? You're not just sleeping with my daughter because she's young and pretty? She's actually not just another conquest under your belt?” “No, I promise you, it's different than that,” Sebastian said. “Violet is a brilliant young woman. She's wise beyond her years. Not many women her age have dealt with the loss of their parent, have managed to plan an entire funeral, kept her head above water, and taken care of their mother at the same time. You and Charles raised a strong, intelligent, confident, and beautiful woman. And I'm sorry, but I fell in love with her.” My heart pounded harder in my chest as he spoke. “And I hope I can prove to you that we're serious, that we're in this for the long haul,” he said. “This isn't just a fling, I can promise you that, and who knows? Maybe one day I'll marry her.” He looked so sexy standing there, defending my honor. I almost couldn't breathe as I watched him. I wanted to go to him, to kiss him, to feel him hold me, but knew that I couldn't in front of my mother. Not yet. Right now, it would only make things worse.

“Get out,” my mom said. “Both of you.” She threw her wine glass at the door, missing Sebastian, but just barely. It hit the wall and shattered into a million pieces that sprayed all over the foyer. I stared at him, and then back at my mom, completely dumbfounded. “You don't mean this.” But Sebastian took my arm and led me away, pulling me out the door as I stared at the wreck of my mom. “She doesn't mean this,” I argued with him. “No, she doesn't,” he said. “But she needs time. And there's no reason you need to stay there and put up with her emotions and abuse. You're done coddling your mother, Violet. You've protected her for too long. Now it's my turn to protect you.” As much as it hurt to leave that afternoon, I knew he was right. I knew my mother just needed some time. *** It took some time, but my mother eventually took my calls. I was living with Sebastian, and honestly, things were going very well. I just wanted to patch things up with my mother. I was no longer working as Sebastian's assistant, since he felt that might be a conflict of interest. I was working for another company, a job Sebastian helped me land, and that was going extremely well also. I was able to work my way up faster than I thought possible, and I didn't have to worry about it being because I was sleeping with the boss. I called my mom the day I got the news of my promotion, not expecting her to answer. But she did. “Mom,” I said, my voice cracking. “I miss you.” She was quiet for a few moments, but finally she answered me. “I miss you too, baby girl.” The tears fell, from both of us, as we talked. “I didn't mean for this to happen,” I said. “It just did. And I wouldn't take it back for the world, but I also don't want to lose you. You're the only family I have left.” “Do you love him, Violet? Truly love him?” “Yes,” I said, not even taking a moment to question that. “I do. With all of my heart. And he loves me, mom.” She sighed. “He's right, you know.” “About what?” “I heard what he said to you as you were leaving. How you were done coddling me. He was right. All these months, you were the one taking care of me, when I should have been the one taking care of you.” “I wanted to do that, mom,” I said.

“I know, honey, but you weren't supposed to. I'm the mother,” she said. “And when I kicked you out, it was all over my own feelings again. I was so caught up in how I was going to lose you, and I pushed you away.” “I'm still here, mom,” I said. “I always will be.” “And I'll always be there for you too,” she said. “And if it means I have to come to terms with accepting Sebastian, well, I guess I'm the one with some growing up to do. It's just hard to imagine my baby girl with someone old enough to be her father.” “He makes me happy, mom,” I said. “And treats me very well.” My mom was silent for a few minutes. “I don't doubt that, Violet. Sebastian is a good man, I have no doubt about that.” Hearing her say that filled me with hope. “Maybe you two should come over for dinner soon,” my mom said. “I'd really like to see you again, Violet.” “I'd like that,” I said. “And I bet Sebastian would like that too, mom.”

Chapter Seventeen VIOLET

As I stared down at the pink stripes, the answer was clear. This was the second test I'd taken that day and had gotten the same results. Sebastian sat beside me as I stared down at the test then back up at him. “Positive. I'm guessing two false positives in a row isn't likely.” I was shaking. Sebastian and I had never talked about having children together. After all, we were just getting started on living together. It became something of a necessity after my mom had kicked me out. A necessity that became a blessing in disguise. Tears welled up in my eyes. Yes, I wanted kids, and the idea of having kids with Sebastian seemed nice, but things with us were still relatively new. And I had no idea how he felt about any of it. “Shhh,” he said, pulling me into him, kissing my forehead. “It's going to be okay.” “I need to talk to my mom,” I said. For some reason, finding out something big like that – that I was pregnant – made me yearn for my mother even more. We had dinner scheduled later that evening, but I wasn't sure that would be the best time to make the announcement that she might be a grandma. She was just beginning to try and accept us as a couple, so there was that. That was a lot for her. But as I stared up at Sebastian, I feared maybe he had other plans; plans that didn't include keeping the baby. I tried to get a feel for his thoughts, but without him saying much, it was more than a little difficult. “Sebastian,” I said, taking a deep breath. “I don't know how you feel about being a father, and I understand if you don't want to be a dad. But whatever happens between you and me, I can't – ” Before I could finish, I broke down in a fit sobs. The idea of aborting our child filled me with dread. It was weird, before I even knew for sure I was pregnant, when it was just a matter of my period being late, I knew I wanted the child. Part of me was so happy to see the results, but of course, I was also fearful of what it might mean for my relationship with Sebastian. I continued, “Whether you want to be in the child's life or not, I'm still going through with it.” I was strong. I could do this. Even if it meant being alone, I could and would do it. Sebastian stared at me, a serious look on his face, but then he smiled at me. And in that smile, there was so much hope. “I was hoping you'd say that,” he said. “I didn't want you to feel obligated though. You're so young and have so much life to live still. But I don't have as much time to be a dad. And well –

” “So you're happy about this?” I asked, suddenly feeling my pulse racing and a sense of genuine joy spreading through my body. “Yes, I am actually,” he said, appearing surprised at his own answer. “Very much so.” “So this is it,” I said, letting out a breath I didn't know I was holding. “We're going to have a baby.” “We're going to have a baby,” he said, taking my hands in his.

***

“Wouldn't you like some wine, sweetie?” my mom asked, pouring a glass for herself and Sebastian. I looked over at Sebastian and he looked at me. I wasn't sure if we were going to tell her tonight or not, even though I was bursting at the seams to share the news. I was afraid she might not take it too well. Things were moving a little fast. “No thank you,” I said, sipping my sparkling water. “I'm trying to drink more water.” “Good girl,” she said, smiling at me. “You were always such a good influence on me.” I tried to keep my mom eating healthy, even after what happened to dad. She sunk into a pit of despair and often turned to wine and chocolate to soothe her feelings, and I was there to convince her to replace her wine glass with bottled water, her chocolate with something that might better fill her stomach. I looked down at my hands, not wanting to look at either her or Sebastian, afraid I might give something away by the guilt written on my face. I hated keeping anything from my mother, and this was something huge. Sebastian reached over and took my hand, squeezing it. As I looked up into his eyes, I couldn't help but smile. We were having a baby. Such joyous news, and I was dying to share it with my mother. More than anything. “Go ahead, if you'd like,” he whispered to me. “Now?” I mouthed. “What are you two lovebirds whispering about?” my mom said, obviously trying to show she was okay with our new relationship, but it still came out awkward and stilted. “Uhh well, Sebastian and I have some news to share,” I said. My hands were shaking, but Sebastian kept them still and calm in my lap by holding onto them for dear life. “I know it seems really sudden, but sometimes, things happen and well, we're having a baby, mom. You're going to be a grandma.” My mother dropped the wine glass to the table with a loud clank and stared at me slack jawed. She looked between Sebastian and myself, and I feared the worst. She was going to flip

out and kick us out again, I just knew it. I had to prepare for the worst, but this time, Sebastian was here for me. He would take care of me and we'd leave, if it came to that. “You're pregnant? But-- how?” My mom cringed at her own question. “No, don't answer that. I really don't want to know. Are you sure?” “Yes, mom. We're sure. It's unexpected, but were happy,” I said. My mother looked at Sebastian, then back at me. I watched the wave of emotions cross her face, and I feared the worst. But she kept her cool, and I had to commend her for that. “Wow. So I'm going to be a grandma? Well, I didn't expect this, but congratulations, honey. That's great news!” Sebastian cleared his throat, and both my mother and I turned to him. “I just wanted to say,” he said, turning to me, “That while things have moved incredibly fast between your daughter and I, that I fully intend to keep my promise to you, Angela.” “What promise?” I asked, turning to look at my mom. She looked as confused as I did. Sebastian pushed the chair back from the table, and before I knew what was happening, he got down on one knee and pulled out a ring. My heart pounded in my chest as I started crying before he even said the words. “Oh God.” “Violet, I intended to ask you anyway, but after what we found out today, I figured there was no time like now,” he said. “Will you marry me?” I stared into his eyes, and it took me a moment to realize this was real. That he was really asking me to marry him, and I barely managed to mutter, “Yes,” before we embraced, kissing and nearly forgetting about my mom sitting across from us. As soon as I remembered where we were, I looked over and she was also crying. For the first time in I don't know how long, she was crying happy tears. “Thank you,” I whispered to my mother. “I just want you to be happy, sweetheart. And obviously, he makes you very happy.” And in that moment, I realized something very important, something I never thought possible. Yes, Violet. Dreams can come true.