Hot Bastard Next Door: A Boy Next Door, Second Chance Romance
Page 13
“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 my best friend's daughter, 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 had 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 went to my knees and 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 just happened to own 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 photoshopped or were 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 California. In addition to the resort on the beach, there were bungalows out in the water. I was shocked to find that yes, you 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 planned 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 a little bad. 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 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 had 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. A girl could get used to this, I thought to myself.
“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. Then sleep.
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, Minnie Mouse dresses, 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 Vio
let 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. Now if only I could date someone like her, we'd be set.
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.