Something Different

by Allegra Johnson

  Chapter 7

  Sebastian awoke to a tickle of air against the head of his cock, then a slide of the skin covering it. Another gentle slide and a warm wet tongue flicked across the slit, taking a drop of precum with it. He shuffled a bit, feeling her smaller frame wedged between this long legs. Her breath once again tickling his needy member. He bit back a moan, not wanting to give away the fact he was awake. She held him loosely, using just two fingers to make short, slow strokes. Each down stroke was met with a warm breath. Lifting the sheet, he saw Kenz examining the foreskin of his throbbing erection.

  “What are you doing?” He almost laughed at the flinch brought on by his words. The guilty face flashing up at him did, however, get a quiet laugh.

  Shrugging, she continued lightly playing with the skin. Dark green eyes darted between his face and his cock, and she spoke matter-of-factly. “I’ve never seen an uncut one before. I was curious.” Her eyes watched as the head poked through the extra skin. A grin formed at her lips. “These are so much more fun to play with!” Taking his cock into her mouth, she rolled her tongue around the newly exposed head. His strangled laugh turned into moan from above the sheet.

  With a thrust of his hips, he teased her. “Well, as long as you’re having fun.” A moan accompanied another thrust. “Don't let me stop you.” Tearing the sheet off of them, his hand came down to rest at the nape of her neck, his fingers softly clenching and unclenching with every pass she made.

  Sebastian’s hand slid slowly into her silky auburn hair. His fingers clutched a handful as he applied a light pressure, encouraging her to continue. His thrusting hips became more forceful as she hollowed her cheeks and hummed softly. A vibration of pleasure shot throughout his entire being.

  “Oh, fuck. Kenz, I’m getting close.” His grip tightened further, his hips arching on a down stroke of those pouty lips.

  Meeting his eyes, she opened her throat to take him to the root, causing an electric jolt to run throughout his entire body as he tried holding back the inevitable. The next upstroke was his undoing. With a sparkle in her eyes, Kenz left just the tip of his cock in her mouth and sucked hard as the point of her tongue tickled the sensitive spot just under his head. Sebastian forced her head down to meet his thrusting hips as he roared out his release, holding himself deep in her throat, feeling her swallow against his throbbing cock. He let out a long, drawn-out moan. Relaxing his grip on her hair, he gently caressed the skin along her back as he fell against the pillow, spent and tingling all over.

  MacKenzie crawled up the bed to lay beside him. She wedged herself between his arm and torso, snuggling against him as his hand slide down her back to rest on one butt cheek.

  Turning his head to look at her, his breathing slowly returning to normal. He gave her a smile. “Well, that was a great way to wake up.” A yawn escaped him. “I could get used to that.”

  “Well, don’t. You know it’s not a possibility, no matter how much we both want it.” Sadness clouded her tone, and she closed her eyes against it. “If the universe has taught me anything, it’s that you don’t always get what you want, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”

  “I know, but what if—”

  Leaning up to press a kiss to his lips, she cut off his words. MacKenzie didn’t want to think in what-ifs. What-ifs were just more disappointment. Best to accept the fact that not every story has a happy ending, no matter how badly she wanted just one of those what-ifs to work out.

  “Why are we awake so early?” he spoke around a yawn.

  Letting out her own yawn, she replied, “I had to pee. When I got back, I saw a tent and went to investigate the camper.” She smirked, then broke out in another yawn.

  “Brilliant, but let's go back to sleep. The roosters aren't even up yet.” He reached down and pulled the covers back over them. He pulled her close while waiting for sleep to retake them.

  “Mmm ’kay.” She let out a soft sigh as her breaths evened out, fast asleep in his arms.

  Sebastian smiled and laid a kiss on her head. Yes, he could really get used to this. With a yawn, he closed his eyes and drifted off to his own peaceful slumber.

  ~*~

  The early morning sun greeted them when they next stirred to wakefulness. Sebastian lay on his side beside her supine form, his fingers dancing their way along her collarbone and down the length of her arm before reaching her hand to intertwine fingers. “I wish you could stay.” He looked pitifully at her.

  “Bas, we’ve been over this. I can’t.” Sighing, she looked back at him, trying to convey just how much she wanted to stay.

  “What if I came home with you?” A spark of hope lit his eyes.

  “Like a lost puppy?” she asked, hoping some comedy might lighten the mood. “You wanna follow me home?”

  “Well, no, but if you found a lost puppy, would you keep it?”

  “Maybe?” She was not sure where he was going with this.

  He began making whimpering puppy sounds while nuzzling her neck with his nose. “Is this working?” He nibbled at her ear a bit, giving it a slight tug as his hand released hers to begin a slow slide down between her breasts, his thumb flicking a nipple along the way. Pausing to trace a circle at her navel, his hand continued its journey. He circled and teased the tip of one finger inside her as he laid wet kisses at the sensitive skin just behind her ear, a spot he’d found the previous night that was guaranteed to turn her insides to mush. He danced his fingers down further to rest on her pussy, cupping her in his hand. He applied a slight pressure.

  “Not in an I-wanna-keep-the-lost-puppy kinda way, no.” She arched her back into his hand, searching for more.

  “Oh? What kind of way are we talking about?” The tip of his finger slipped between her folds, teasing her clit and sliding down to the wetness gathering between her legs.

  “The I-wanna-jump-your-bones kind of way.” She emitted a long, drawn-out moan as he applied more pressure, amping up the strokes to her clit.

  “I do love the way you think.” He backed off his teasing strokes and slid his hand to her hip, pulling her closer so they were both laying on their sides, their faces just a breath apart.

  “So you’ve said.” She let out a moan at the feeling of his hardening cock grinding into her thigh. His hand slid up her ribcage, causing her to flinch away, giggling. “Stop. I'm ticklish there.”

  “Good to know.” He rolled them both over so she was lying on her back again. Rising up, he straddled her thighs, pinning her in place. His eyes held a hint of danger as the corner of his lip twitched. The fingers of both hands found her sides and began a torturous tickle session that had her squirming and laughing. “Now say you’ll stay and I'll stop.”

  Shaking her head, she tried to speak through her laughter. “You know I can—” She lost the ability to speak through her laughter.

  His hands gentled, turning from tickles to caresses, and she started to catch her breath.

  His smile faded. He reached for her hands, pinned them above her head, and leaned his forehead down to rest on hers. “I know.” Defeat marred his tone.

  “I can’t stay,” she whispered, sounding absolutely miserable. She turned her head away, unable look at the disappointment she saw in his face any longer. Why did things have to be so difficult?

  ~*~

  Arriving at Sebastian’s building on Hugon Street a little before noon, they rode the elevator to the fourth floor, where his loft was located. “Won’t be long. Just a quick shower and change, and we’ll be on our way,” he said as they proceeded to his door. He unlocked the door and gestured for her to enter. “After you.”

  “Thanks, and no problem. The museum is not that far from here, right?”

  A large open floor plan greeted them. To the left was a galley-style kitchen. A long breakfast bar faced the room, lined with tall chrome and black pub chairs. Rather than a dining table, Sebastian had a pool table. To the right was the seating area, a leather sectional centered and facing a large-screen television m
ounted to a brick wall. The accent tables and shelving were all chrome and glass. A spiral staircase in the far right corner led to a catwalk that traced along the back wall to a darkened open area.

  Sebastian stepped up behind her. “Right, not far at all. It’s just across the river. As you can see, kitchen to the left, sitting area to the right. Left door along the back wall is my office slash guest room, door to the right is the guest bath. I’ll just head up and get ready. Make yourself at home.” He leaned down for a quick kiss before heading to the staircase.

  “You have a lovely place here. I love the modern décor,” she called after him.

  “Thanks. I’ll let my interior designer know. I had nothing to do with it.” He laughed as he climbed the spiral staircase.

  Sebastian reached the top of the stairs and followed the catwalk to his bedroom, then onward to his dressing room. He stripped off his shirt as he entered his bathroom. He stood before the vanity, thinking again of how exactly he could do this without causing major damage. That was not in the plan. No, the plan was to create a plumbing emergency that wasn’t, just so he could keep her here.

  He had no desire to share her with the public, not with less than twenty-four hours before she was gone. He had to find a way to at least keep her in his life. He was starting to come to terms with the fact that she couldn’t stay, but he didn’t want to lose all contact. As many times as he had had a just-for-now fling, he knew this thing with MacKenzie had the potential to be so much more than that.

  With his mind made up, he turned to the utility closet behind him and grabbed a wrench from his toolbox. Turning back to the vanity, he scooted forward, attached the wrench to the connection at the drainpipe, then twisted a few turns. He turned on the faucet, and soon water was splashing all over him and the floor. He let enough flow out to cause a minor flood before shutting off the tap. He blew out a breath. I sure hope this works.

  “Oh shit!” He headed back to the catwalk, then down the stairs.

  “What’s the matter? Why are you soaking wet? You're supposed to take all your clothes off before you shower.” She laughed as he ran past her to his phone on the table.

  “I’m soaked because my sink decided now would be a good time to spring a leak. I’m sorry, we’re going to be a bit delayed. I need to call a plumber. I managed to get the water turned off, but it needs fixing.” He spoke in an excited rush as he took his phone and went back upstairs.

  “Oh, that sucks. Do you need any help?” She began to rise from her spot on the couch.

  “No, no, I’ve got it. Just putting some towels down to sop up the water. Won’t be a minute. Just need to make this call.”

  Standing in his closet, he spoke loud enough to fake the phone call, then stripped out of his wet clothes, redressing in a pair of jeans and a tight black tee. I should feel bad about this, but I don’t, not even a little.

  “I spoke with the plumbing company. They’ll have someone out here in a few hours.” He hoped his face portrayed the right amount of remorse. “I’m afraid we’re not going to make the museum.” The look of understanding she gave him churned his stomach. He felt like a heel lying to her like this, but he just didn’t know what else to do. When she spoke up, he felt his guilt double and he almost called the whole farce off. Almost.

  “I don’t think it's in the cards for me to see the Clink.” Her voice said she understood the situation. Her face said she didn’t like it.

  Sitting next to her on the couch, he rested his arm along the back, and she curled into his side. “How about we find something to watch while we wait?” For a plumber that is not coming. His conscience kicked up the guilty feeling another notch.

  ~*~

  As the credits to the rom-com rolled on the screen, Sebastian let out a groan. “It’s not fair. This never happens in the movies. Boy meets girl, girl and boy like each other, boy and girl live happily ever after, the end.”

  Sighing, she muted the television and turned to face him. “You have to stop. We’ve been over this again and again. I can’t just stay. I have to get back to my life, the café, my family, my friends—”

  “Aye, your friends that are foaming at the bit to serve you up to every bloke around.” He sounded bitter, then stood quickly and stomped into the kitchen.

  MacKenzie leaned her head back against the sofa, feeling her heart twist. She felt so bad, but there was nothing to be done. “Bas, please don’t do this. Don’t make me feel worse than I already do.” She heard a grunt but no reply. She picked up her phone, unlocked the screen, and started googling car services. “I’m just going to call a taxi and go back to the hotel. Do you—”

  “No!” In a flash, he was on her, pushing her back down on the sofa. “No, don’t go, not yet. Please, just . . .” He ran his hands through his hair. Huffing out a tense breath, he sat down, taking her hand into his. “I'm sorry. I won’t bring it up again, I promise.” His free hand came up to cup her cheek, “I just—”

  She cut off his words with a kiss. “I know, and I just want it too, but life is not like the movies. It’s not a fairy tale. A simple kiss doesn’t wake the dead, a simple wish doesn’t get you a knight on a white stallion riding in for the rescue. If you lose a slipper at midnight, your prince is not going door to door looking for you. The street sweeper is gonna sweep it away, and your drunk ass is waking up with a hell of a hangover.” She shot him a look that begged for understanding. “The best I can give you, the only thing I can give you, is the next few hours and the promise that whenever you call or text me, I’ll be there to answer.” She gave him a shy smile.

  “This is the part where I agree with you, right? Even if I don’t want to?” He watched as she nodded. “Then I guess that’s what we have to do.” For now, he uttered under his breath. He would have further contact with her, and that was something.

  Sebastian cleared his throat, picked up his phone, and announced he was going to call the plumber again. MacKenzie suspected there was no actual plumbing emergency, but she couldn’t think of a reason for him to lie about it.

  Unless he doesn’t want to be seen with you in public. The thought floated through her mind, not for the first time. She opened her browser on her phone and began scrolling through her newly saved images, the ones of Bas with a former love interest. He certainly had a type—tall, stick-thin, and gorgeous. All the things she was not. So, why would he want me to stay?

  With a sigh, MacKenzie enlarged the picture of Sebastian and his ex-wife on a red carpet for some event or other. Maria, his ex, was nearly as tall as Bas, with one of those wispy figures. Her long, straight ebony hair flowed down her back. MacKenzie studied the picture a few moments longer before scrolling on to the next. Another tall rail-thin woman, this one blonde, clung to Sebastian’s arm as they raced through the rain to a waiting car. MacKenzie scrolled through another few pictures before coming back to the first one, and she began questioning herself again.

  Why me? I’m nothing like these women. Does he think I’m easy because I slept with him? No, he wouldn’t ask me to stay for that . . . would he?

  The sound of Sebastian ending this phone call had her glancing over just in time to catch a guilty look cross his face before he spoke up. “Seems they can’t get a plumber out here ’til morning.” Breaking eye contact, he looked at his watch. “It also seems I’ve wasted our chance to see the Clink.” There was the guilty look again, albeit briefly. Whatever, I doubt there is any plumbing problem.

  Before Sebastian could reach the sofa, she blurted out the questions that had been burning in her mind. “Why do you want me to stay?”

  ~*~

  Sebastian stopped in his tracks. “Why? Why wouldn’t I want you to stay?” He sat down beside her. Taking one of her hands into his, he brought it to his lips, placed a gentle kiss on her knuckles, then pulled her in for a hug. He held her for a few minutes, using the time to work out what the hell had happened while he was faking that last phone call.

  MacKenzie took a shuddering breath an
d spoke into his chest. “I’m not like all the others. Why would you want me?”

  Sebastian pulled back from the embrace just enough to look into her worried green eyes. “What others? There is no other, Kenz, just you.” He began to pull her close again when she broke away, retrieving her phone.

  “These women! Look at them; I look nothing like them. They’re all tall, thin, and gorgeous, and I’m . . . not.” MacKenzie thrust her phone at him.

  Stunned momentarily, Sebastian clutched the phone. He looked down at the phone and saw a picture of himself and Maria arriving for Fashion Week in New York. Why the hell is she looking at that?

  “There’s more, just swipe right.” Her whisper was almost lost against the thundering sound of his heart beating in his ears. What the actual fuck? Sebastian swiped through a few pictures, remembering each woman and all their faults. Heather couldn’t tell the truth if her life depended on it. He wasn’t even sure if Heather was her real name. Krista was a gold digger. And then Maria, the worst mistake of his life. None of them could hold a candle to his Kenz; she was everything they were not. Tossing the phone aside, he cupped MacKenzie’s face in his hands and gave her the sweetest, most loving kiss he could.