I woke up in bed, with my pajamas on and a blanket draped over me. The sun from the windows blinded me when I opened my eyes.
A sound from inside the condo startled me and I reached over to my bedside table. Still in a sleep-induced haze, I pulled open the drawer, and grabbed the gun Sebastian bought me.
Walking toward the noise on quiet feet, I raised the gun, ready to shoot. Making it to the corner of the kitchen, I took a deep breath and tried to steel my nerves.
When I stepped around the corner, I came face to chest with a large man. Without thought, I pulled the trigger.
Nothing happened.
I looked up and Sebastian was standing before me, looking down with wild eyes. He reached out and took the gun from me.
“Holy shit. You could have killed me, Roz.” He set the gun on the counter beside us. “Thank God you had the safety on. Speaking of which, you have to make sure the safety is off before you use it.”
He turned and walked away from me, and back to the stove where he was cooking. I’m not sure how I missed the smell of bacon wafting all around.
“You’re here,” I stated the obvious.
“Yes I am,” he grinned at me, as if I hadn’t just tried to kill him. “A ‘good morning’ would be nice.”
I was still in shock by the fact that I’d almost blown a hole in his chest.
“Good morning,” I said slowly.
“Come sit down and eat some breakfast,” he said, setting a plate on the counter full of bacon and eggs.
“You made me breakfast?”
“It was the least I could do.”
I had a million questions I wanted to ask, but I didn’t want to jinx the moment. Instead, I sat on the stool in front of my plate and started to pick at the bacon.
“Eat. We have a lot to talk about,” he said, taking a big bite of bacon and chewing with a smile on his face.
I couldn’t wait.
“I’m sorry, Sebastian. I didn’t think. It just came out,” I said.
“I didn’t come here to talk about that.”
“Oh.” Maybe I had jumped the gun, thinking he was actually back.
“I came here today hoping you’d tell me your whole name.”
“No,” I said sternly. “I don’t want you to push me away. I’ll stay your Jessica.”
There I’d said it. I showed my desperation and while I should have been completely embarrassed by it, I wasn’t.
“So you’re perfectly okay sleeping with a man who calls you by another woman’s name forever?”
“Well maybe not forever, but…” I stopped. “What do you mean forever?”
Sebastian never said the word forever. I seriously doubted he even thought about the following week when it came to his girls.
“I mean, I went a week without you, and I’m not sure I ever want to go that long again.”
He moved around the counter and stood next to me.
“Are you saying what I think you’re saying, Mr. Black?” I asked playfully.
He looked down at me with a soft expression, before pressing his lips to mine. “Tell me your name,” he said against my lips.
Pulling back, I let my eyes devour his face. If it was possibly going to be the last time I saw him, I wanted to take it all in.
“Rosslyn. My name’s Rosslyn Harris.”
He closed his eyes and swallowed hard before pulling me closer. “A beautiful name for a beautiful girl.”
“You think I’m beautiful?” I asked as I batted my lashes at him.
“You know I do, smartass. And what makes it even better, you’re all mine.”
“Again, are you saying what I think you’re saying, Mr. Black?”
“I don’t know, Miss Rosslyn Harris. What is it you think I’m saying?”
It felt good to hear him say my name. After being called Jessica for so long, it was nice to finally be acknowledged as myself.
“It sounds to me like you’re saying you’re prepared to throw away you’re little black book.”
He threw his head back and laughed out loud before leaning down and kissing me softly. I lost my fingers in the soft hair that touched the back of his neck and he filled his hands with my hips. Pulling away, he smiled down at me before kissing the tip of my nose sweetly.
“What black book? I own no such thing,” he grinned.
Twenty-Five
Sebastian
It was official. I was the most stupid motherfucker alive. I should have stayed away from her. I should have stayed off her register and cared for her from afar. It was the least I could do for her. But then I’d seen her and my resolve crumbled.
She had been standing there, across the street, looking at me with that fucking smile I loved so much. I wanted to go to her. I wanted to take her in my arms, put her in the back seat, and spend the rest of the day in bed with her. But I didn’t. I blew her off, got in the car, and drove away.