Hard Rock Love Box Set, page 29
He grabbed his phone and thought he would call in a favor…
Hey man, I need your help.
Sebastian couldn’t say he was surprised when the next issue of Illusions came out, and Lillian’s story did incredibly well. She texted him that her editor was hinting at a promotion, and he wanted nothing more than to take her out to dinner to congratulate her.
He suddenly became aware of how precarious their relationship was, holding himself back from messaging her. He wasn’t about to risk it—not when he could finally feel their relationship healing again.
So, to get his emotions under control again, he called up Bella.
It was in the middle of a Friday when he texted her, asking her if she was free that evening.
It was an agonizing couple of minutes before she replied.
Of course. I’m guessing it’s the usual?
Definitely, my beautiful vixen.
Send a car by at 10:00pm.
Sebastian could tell that Lillian wanted him to ask her to a congratulatory dinner, but he had to let her know that he had other obligations that night. This made the day go by even slower for Lillian—almost agonizingly.
Lillian flipped through her phone on auto-pilot mode, when suddenly—she got a surprising text message from an unknown number.
Hey, it’s me.
And Lillian instantly knew who it was. But to verify, she shakenly typed back, her fingers trembling…
Who is this?
It’s Ash.
Lillian’s heart was beating out of her chest. She couldn’t think straight, and the anxiety grew even more. She was feeling a mixture of confusion, happiness, and wonder. Why was Ash reaching out to her right now? And how did he get her number?
The mixed feelings of emotions were too powerful for Lillian to contain, and she couldn’t help but reply back to his text with a smirk on her face.
Hi Ash. How can I help you?
Are you free tonight? I was wondering if you’d like to do something.
Lillian really could not believe her eyes. Was Ash really asking her out to do something? For what purpose? She was definitely feeling giddy inside, but she was also taking all of the precautions she could.
Sure.
By the time Bella came, Sebastian was ready to make the magic happen, but he made himself take things more slowly this time. He couldn’t afford another mistake like last time, it could ruin their entire relationship.
She looked lovely when she entered, dressed in the finest, thinnest slip of silk that hugged her curves like it was made exactly to fit her body. It flowed on her like gold, and he found himself wanting to tear it off immediately.
Backing her up to the wall, he leaned down to whisper in her ear. “You look like you need to be ravaged tonight.”
She giggled, giving him a little peck on the cheek before slipping out of his grasp and heading over to the bar.
“No pancakes tonight?” she teased, taking a seat on one of the barstools. She crossed her legs in such a way that allowed Sebastian to glimpse for one second the lack of clothing underneath, and he held back an aroused growl.
“I can make some later if you want.” He stalked towards her, already stripping himself of his coat and loosening his tie. “But only if you’re good.” He bit his lip, and this made Bella’s lady parts become soaked.
“Oh, you know I’m always good.” She looked up at him from beneath thick, dark lashes in a way that turned him on even more.
He grabbed her waist and pulled her towards him, keeping a tight grip on her as he kissed her passionately. She groaned into him, seeming to melt as he raised one of his arms to keep her upright.
“You look so good tonight,” he whispered in her ear, trailing kisses down her neck. “Did you think I wouldn’t notice your little scheme though?”
She gasped as one of his hands slipped up her skirt, playing with the exposed labia as he continued to kiss her. She squirmed against him, grinding against his hand as he found that most sensitive spot and worked it until she was gasping for breath against him. She was so wet, and he didn’t know how much longer he could contain it.
Leading her over to the couch, he began unbuttoning his shirt, then pinning her hands to her sides firmly, feeling himself become harder as she tried to resist him.
It sent a clear message. He was in charge here, and he didn’t need any of her help.
She shuddered against him as he slid his belt out from its loops, casting it aside with his shirt. He slipped her own dress up and over her head then, not wanting to be any more nude than her.
It was a position of power, to be dressed when someone wasn’t, to have them be vulnerable in front of you when you didn’t give the same to them. It was something he enjoyed.
He was pleased to see that the dress was the only thing she was wearing, so it didn’t take much longer for the two of them to be standing there, naked in each other’s presence.
They breathed for a second, just taking each other in, and then he grabbed her, pulling her onto the couch with him.
“You know what I want, lovely,” he said, guiding her gently down to where his sex stood, erect, throbbing, waiting for sweet release.
Making eye contact with him, she took it between her lips and in her hands, working her own small magic as Sebastian groaned in pleasure.
God, it felt good.
It felt so good, that for a moment, he forgot where he was, who he was, and that there was another’s name on his lips.
But he caught himself before it all happened, quickly changing the dynamic in hopes that it wouldn’t happen again.
He quickly, and maybe a little too roughly, flipped her over, beginning to thrust into her with quick strokes, fingering that knot of pleasure as he did so so that she might experience that wonderful release first.
But it wasn’t enough. Or rather, maybe it was. Because, not looking at her face, feeling her sex close and contract around him, thinking of the close and intimate contact between human bodies, another thought came to his mind.
And he couldn’t help but speak.
He didn’t know if he whispered or screamed it, but one thing was for sure, Bella heard it. Because he rarely spoke during sex, and most certainly never said her name, and the syllables that had just passed his lips were Lillian.
Immediately, Bella pulled away from him, and Sebastian had to sit back, ashamed of himself, not quite sure how to explain what had just happened.
“I thought you were going to keep these things out of it,” she said, looking more frustrated than sad.
“I know, I don’t know what to—”
“Just…don’t. I think you’re a lot less mature than you realize, Sebastian. When you figure things out, you know where to find me.”
Hurriedly, she grabbed her slip, dressing herself with haste as she left his apartment without another word.
Sebastian had no idea how to process what he had just done.
Thirty-Five
The rest of the workday went by slowly and Lillian was counting the hours before getting off. Ash was on his way to pick her up. And this would be the first time that they would be in each other’s presence since the last time they saw each other. She wasn’t quite sure what to expect nor was she sure what her initial reactions would be.
She did another check of herself in the bathroom mirror, making sure she was looking presentable. Although her and Ash had been broken up, she didn’t know what his intentions were, at the same time—not quite knowing what hers were either. All she knew was that, she was missing him.
It was approaching five minutes to the meeting time, and Lillian made her way down the stairs of her office. She didn’t want to be late for their meeting and she knew being punctual was a good trait to have. Ash was waiting downstairs, looking as dapper as ever. His red convertible matched his leather jacket and shades.
Lillian couldn’t help but become swooned—but she stopped herself in her tracks when she remembered who he was—her ex, Ash Bennet. When she approached his car, he grabbed the handle and opened it for her. It was a nice gesture and Lillian couldn’t help but hide her blushing face.
“Thank you.” She replied as she got into the car, very lady-like.
He popped into the driver’s seat beside her and things were feeling like they were back to normal. She snarkly commented, “no motorcycle today?”
“I thought I would take you in something a little more ‘safe’, princess.”
She hated that name, and the fact that he was bringing it up now really irked her. What was he thinking and what were his intention? She decided not to get ahead of herself, and to just enjoy each other’s company.
“Tonight, will be my treat,” Ash leaned into Lillian, almost becoming too close to her in proximity. “There’s this beautiful look out spot I want to show you.”
Lillian hid her smile, using her hair to hide her face. It really felt like things were back to normal and that everything was falling into place again. It was almost too good to be true.
Ash wasn’t kidding about this beautiful look out spot. They had driven out of the city, past the land-locked grid of buildings, and out onto the interstate 95 highway. The hills were rolling, the environment became more lush and grassy, and the light pollution seemed to disappear from where they stopped the car.
They had driven up a windy road that stretched out for miles overlooking all of New York in the distance. And from where they were standing, the night sky engulfed the city in a scene that seemed almost dream-like.
Lillian looked up at the sky in awe, “Wow…”
Ash came up beside Lillian, hands in his pockets, a little shy, not knowing what to do. “It’s beautiful isn’t it? I told you it would be worth it.”
“Ash. I don’t know what to say. This is a lot.”
“I know Lillian.” He held a finger to her lips. And they both looked each other in the eyes, lost in translation. Lost in the moment they were sharing together in this instance.
“Ash. I’m not sure. I don’t know.” She shyed away from his glance. And he grabbed her hands. She had been waiting for this moment. For so long. All of the agony she had felt in the past several months seemed to lead up to this point. And for a moment, she forgot about everything, about everyone, and it was just the two of them. Up there, on that hill, in the Universe.
Ash leaned into her and kissed her.
It was as if their souls were colliding and forming into one. Like everything in that moment was right, the only two people that were made for each other, right there, for God to bring together. And for a moment, Lillian really believed that maybe that was the case, that maybe this was perfect. And that maybe, Ash was ‘The One’. But almost as quickly as it seemed their relationship was about to mend, she stopped herself from feeling anything more. She pulled away from Ash, second thoughts flooding into her brain involuntarily, quickly.
“Ash. Take me home.”
His hands were still caressing hers and he was startled.
“Why?”
“This… just… doesn’t… feel right. I’m sorry.”
She pulled away from him, retracting her stance as to fit herself back into her own bubble. He could see the disappointment in her eyes. A feeling of remorse rushed into him, and the fleeting moment of equanimity escaped him, and he nodded back at her.
The car ride home was quiet. Awkward. They both not dare say another word to one another, and the only sound that broke the air, was the humming of the radio.
They drove back into the city, and Ash stopped in front of Lillian’s apartment. He looked at her with eyes that seemed to well up in misunderstanding. Without another word, Lillian left the car.
On Sunday, Lillian sent a message to Sebastian.
Hey, did you want to have that dinner? My treat.
It felt like it had been too long since she had seen him—they had had no contact since Friday—and she wanted to be able to celebrate her accomplishments with him.
It took a while for him to respond, almost long enough for her to start becoming concerned.
But then, finally, Sure, what time should I pick you up?
Seven is fine. Shall I make reservations?
That would be lovely, as I have no idea where we are going.
She giggled, setting her phone down to find where she had written the phone number for the restaurant one of the seamstresses had recommended. She was always eager to try out new foods, and she was sure that this was a wonderful opportunity to do exactly that.
It was a smaller Korean restaurant that apparently had wonderful soups, as well as good vegetarian options, though neither of them were vegetarian. It didn’t take long to make the reservations, and then that just left the rest of the day until Sebastian picked her up at seven.
Sebastian tapped his foot anxiously as he waited outside Lillian’s apartment. It was a few minutes past seven, and he couldn’t say that his patience was the best when he was eager to see her.
Then the door flung open and she was rushing down the steps, glowing brightly in the setting sun. She had had a lot of time to think over the weekend. And after that spontaneous series of events, all she wanted was to have a bit of stability in her life.
“Sorry about that,” she said, a little out of breath, as she slid into the passenger seat of the car. “I wanted to make sure I looked my best.”
“You look lovely,” he said with a smile. “Now, will you stop being cryptic and tell me where this place is?”
“Of course!” Lillian said with a laugh, typing the address into his phone’s GPS. “I got it recommended to me by one of the seamstresses, so it should be good.”
“I certainly hope so,” he joked.
“What, you that hungry?”
“Most definitely. Don’t you know me by now, Lillian?”
They joked and teased as he drove them to the restaurant, and if Sebastian didn’t know any better, he might almost say that they had a certain type of chemistry going.
But it was long past the time for that.
At least, that’s what he kept telling himself.
All throughout dinner he couldn’t keep his eyes off her. The food was delicious, and the conversation wonderful, but she was just brilliant. He was hyper aware of every touch, every glance, every laugh as the two of them finished her congratulatory dinner.
“Shall we get dessert?” she asked when the waiter offered them the menu for the next course. She wanted to spend some more time with him.
“I have some wonderful pie at home if you want to come back with me,” Sebastian said, not knowing what had come over him. There was no way he could deal with having Lillian in his home again, especially not now, especially when all these feelings were coming up again and he had no way to control them. “I don’t think I can finish all of it alone.”
“Sure, that sounds lovely, we’ll have the check now.” Lillian directed the last part at the waiter, who hurried away to grab their bill. “What kind of pie is it?” This was the perfect opportunity to get Sebastian alone. She wanted to spill everything to him, to tell him about her weekend, and about a little, someone.
“Oh, a coworker brought me some apple pie from a local bakery.”
“Sounds delicious.” She smiled as she said this, and Sebastian almost couldn’t contain it. He felt like his fifteen-year-old self again, watching her beam with radiance, wondering if she might be in love with him.
It had been him, all those years ago, who had made the first move. But he hadn’t been as confident now, and it terrified him. The butterflies in his stomach were involuntarily jumping about, and it wasn’t the dinner that was making them do that. He looked over to Lillian and wondered if she was feeling the same way.
He felt like that boy again, unsure of how to work things out, but knowing now that he had to get those feelings under control somehow. Otherwise, he was sure he would combust. And he would rather have rejection than uncertainty.
The two of them headed back to his apartment, and Sebastian did his best to seem normal, trying to figure out what might be the best time, still painfully aware of every single move that she made.
She seemed to him now like a goddess. A figure of light. Shining with radiance every time she so much as turned her face slightly.
He wanted to bring her down from her place in the sky. Kiss her passionately and let her light burn him, burn away everything that had ever happened as they consumed each other.
When they arrived back at the apartment, he took the pie out of the fridge, watching as she sat on one of the bar stools. He pulled down a couple of plates and silverware as he noticed the way she crossed her legs beneath her.
God, she was perfect.
And so unaware of it too.
He knew that she had no idea what effect she had over him, even from just sitting there, fully clothed, no hint at nudity, no glimpse of her body beneath.
It was difficult to contain his praises of her beauty as he cut her a slice, sliding it across the counter as he came over to sit next to her.
The pie was good, but as not as good as the prospect of spending extended time in her company, especially as she smiled to herself at the taste of the classic dessert.
“You’ll have to get the name of the bakery for me, this is delicious,” she said, and Sebastian could only nod. His gaze was fixated on her lips and the small bit of sugar syrup that was smeared across them.
He thought of kissing her to get rid of it, but then thought better of it.
Instead, he reached out his hand, using his thumb to wipe it off. She looked up at him with wide, questioning eyes.
Lillian struggled not to shudder with pleasure when Sebastian reached for her.
She’d been feeling more attraction to him recently but was doing her best to repress it, but at the same time, there was something else on her chest. Something else bothering her.
