Chapter 5 #2
My heart slams into my ribcage with every minute closer to the city and farther away from my apartment in Jersey.
My knee bounces in the back of the taxi.
At the same time, it’s like a boulder lifting off my chest, to travel outside my chosen cage without fear of being caught.
When the taxi pulls up to the curb of the high-rise in the middle of Manhattan, I pay the driver and then climb out of the car, tugging my jacket tighter around me.
I’m not sure if the shiver is from the nippy air or trembling nerves from facing Sebastian again.
“Don’t be a weak bitch, Gianna. He’s only a man,” I mutter under my breath and head inside.
The front receptionist watches me curiously as I bypass her without a word and walk straight to the elevator.
If I know Sebastian, then he’ll have a large corner office that overlooks more of the Hudson River than the rest of the city.
His eyes, as clear as ice, lift to mine as I walk into his office.
He speaks into the phone with a slight curl of his lips and I glance away, cursing my traitorous body as heat clenches in my core at the blatant desire in his stare.
I study the room, unsurprised to find it void of anything personal.
No photos on the walls or on his desk. A collection of books and knickknacks line the shelves, but I know he couldn’t tell me a thing about them.
In college, I’d only been to his apartment a few times since he preferred coming to my dorm.
His place had been the same, minimalistic and deprived of anything that could tell me about him.
Sebastian has always been a person who keeps everything close to his chest, leaving it all to the imagination for anyone else.
My throat aches when I think about the months we had spent sprawled on my bed, discovering his favorite movies and music slowly through observation.
“You didn’t even ask who texted you. You just came, no questions asked?”
I frown at his anger and turn to face him. “Who else would it be? I knew it was you.”
The glower grows, his jaw working back and forth. “I would think your brother would have taught you better than that.”
I glare at him, narrowing my eyes. My thumb brushes against the bare skin where my bracelet usually rests.
“He has, but it doesn’t take a genius to figure out who would text me to come to Manhattan.
I know you’re the reason Jeremy received a restraining order.
I don’t know how, but I’ll get it resolved. ”
He leans back in his chair, resting his clasped hands on his stomach. “You won’t. The judge owed me a favor.”
My mouth drops open at his smugness. “That’s—that’s illegal.”
It’s a pathetic thing to say, but I hadn’t expected him to be so blatantly proud of what he’s done.
Sebastian shrugs. “And?”
“And he didn’t do anything to deserve this. You could ruin his career.”
He stands from his desk, unbuttoning his cuffs to tuck in as he walks toward me.
I back up, bumping into the table behind me and clutching the edge of it.
He stops right in front of me, the warmth of his body seeking mine, and I catch the faint tendrils of his cologne.
The familiar scent shoots arousal down to my belly.
Sebastian’s stoic gaze roams over my face.
“He touched what is mine. Tell me, Gianna, have you fucked him yet?”
My heart stops because why is he even asking that? Could he tell if I try to lie?
I tilt my chin up, unwavering in my stare. “That’s none of your damn business.”
The man has the gall to smirk at me. “Good, you saved his life.”
He turns away from me, and I struggle to catch my breath at his taunt.
Jeremy and I haven’t been fully intimate because I haven’t had the desire to get close to someone again.
Sebastian’s threat is a reminder of why I left him in my past to begin with.
I swallow the bile rising in my throat and stand taller as Sebastian sits again.
He grabs a stack of papers, waving them to me.
I don’t move to take them. “What is that?”
He raises an eyebrow. “Come and see.”
We stay in a stubborn staredown until I relent. Ignoring the alarms blaring in my mind, I walk to his desk and grab it. I flip through the pages in haste, skimming the words without grasping them fully because a part of me can already guess what he wants. “This is a relationship contract?”
I glance up at Sebastian, who is watching me with a calculation I cannot place. His face gives away nothing, no emotions or thoughts about what I stated. I narrow my stare and ask, “If I take this to a lawyer, is it real?”
He rests his ankle on his knee, blinking at me as if he’s bored. “As real as any contract is. It depends on what you’re willing to fight in the court of law.”
“And you’re above the law.”
Sebastian’s eyebrow raises, something briefly flickering in his eyes. “Am I? What makes you say that?”
My throat swells, nerves making my skin tingle and heart hammer. “My brother… He said—”
“Said what, Gianna? Be very specific. Words matter.” The coldness in his tone makes me shiver. I’d told him that once. Words matter. Because they do, especially when you struggle to tell your girlfriend of over three years I love you.
Licking my dry lips, I set the papers down and take a step back. He needs to know exactly why it will never work between us. “He said your father is part of the mafia.”
Amusement lights his expression. “Sure.”
I blow out a bated breath. “Oh god. See, that’s—”
“And what did your brother say about me?”
My body freezes as Sebastian waits, a harsh glint in his eyes as he stares me down. I blink, pressing my hand to my chest as I try to calm my racing heart. Something tells me not to repeat what my brother said, a warning that I’ll make things worse. I shake my head in refusal and Sebastian tsks.
“My company is completely above board. Any federal agency is welcome at my door to audit me whenever they want.”
That doesn’t mean anything when you kill people in the street is what I want to scream at him, but I stay silent. I wasn’t looking to have this conversation when I came.
“Tell me the terms,” I say, changing the subject and breaking eye contact. I’d never consider dating him again, but knowing what he wants can help me formulate a plan with Matt. It conveniently fits my brother’s narrative anyway.
He lets out a sigh, standing to move closer and sitting on the edge of his desk right before me. His knee brushes against my thigh and I force my feet to stay, instead of tucking my tail and running.
“You’ll break up with your little boyfriend, move in with me, and give us a second chance.”
“Or what?” I ask. “What happens if I say no?”
“Why would you say no?” Sebastian’s head tilts to the side, truly perplexed by the idea.
I scoff. “Maybe I don’t want you anymore.”
His lips curl on one side. “If that was true, you would have told me no in the bathroom. But you didn’t, did you?”
My stomach lurches and I look away from him.
He exhales a long breath. “Let’s skip the unpleasantries and get straight to the point. Take the contract. I’ll give you three days to think it over and come to terms with it.”
Saliva pools in my mouth, a finality ringing in my ears. “And if I do this, you’ll remove the restraining order and have them issue an apology that it was a mistake. His career is on the line.”
The sharp grinding of Sebastian’s teeth is the only sound in the office before my attention falls back on him.
His stare is cold, regarding me with such intensity that it stalls the air in my lungs for a moment.
He relents, snidely. “I’ll think about it.”
My temper flares. “No, Sebastian. You’ll fucking fix it.”
He stands and presses against my chest. When I lose my balance from his sudden presence, his hands catch my waist. My heart slams into my ribs, heat spreading throughout my body from where he’s touching me. He gives me a teasing smile, his thumb rubbing into my side. “I could be persuaded.”
I scoff, my hands sliding up his solid chest, but I don’t immediately move to push him away. “Seriously?”
He shrugs, his eyes lingering on my mouth and I finally step away from him.
“No.”
Sebastian shrugs again. He pushes me further with taunting amusement. “Just wanted to see your reaction.”