Relentless Pursuit

by Lulu Pratt

  CHAPTER TEN

  SEBASTIAN DOWNS

  Extending my stay on the island hadn’t been a hard decision. One night with Olivia and I was an addict.

  After our first night together, I’d promptly canceled my room at the hotel across the island and stayed here.

  I enjoyed fucking her thoroughly in every corner of the house. In the solarium while she was supposed to be practicing yoga. In the kitchen when she went to get a drink. In the theater room while we were watching a movie. In the bathroom when she was taking a shower.

  We spend our days exploring the beautiful island and our nights fucking like rabbits. It’s heaven on earth, but I know reality will soon burst our bubble.

  She makes me insatiable and tomorrow she’s getting on a plane to head back to Tennessee.

  “Why don’t you come back to California with me?” I ask that evening.

  We’re in the theatre room again, binge watching her favorite show. Olivia is enthralled in the political drama but quickly pivots her head in my direction when the question registers.

  “My life isn’t in California,” she states plainly, making eye contact.

  Her words annoy me for some strange reason so I follow up with another question.

  “What’s holding you back?”

  “It’s my home,” Olivia explains. “My life is there. My best friend is there. My job is there. I have to get back to work.”

  “Liv, you just won a million dollars. Why the hell are you returning to a shitty CNA job?”

  Her face falters, instantly making me regret my inflammatory words. I know she takes pride in her work and that was low.

  “I’m sorry we can’t all be billionaire tech geniuses like you, Sebastian. But I make an honest living and I enjoy it.”

  Still, I don’t let it go. Even though I know I should.

  “It just doesn’t make sense to me.”

  “That’s okay,” she says with more patience than I deserve. “But Arnold needs me and I’ve always been a firm believer in finishing what I started.”

  I know my eyes are incredulous as I look at her.

  “So you’re basically waiting for him to die before you get on with your life? Why doesn’t that surprise me?”

  She gives me a sweet smile.

  “It’s about much more than that. My patient has dementia and at this point, consistency is vital. I can’t abandon him in the middle of the road. I’d feel awful about it. He needs me and I intend to be there.”

  My expression softens as her words sink in. Until she starts talking again.

  “Listen, I didn’t come to the island looking for anything serious. And I’m sure you didn’t either. I think the best part of this is that neither of us went in with any expectations.”

  I don’t say anything. I just watch her, waiting for her to continue and try to talk herself out of what we have.

  “But this just happened. And it’s been amazing. But we both know the real world is calling. You run a huge corporation on the other side of the country. And me? Well I’m happy in Tennessee.”

  “Right,” I say releasing a frustrated breath.

  “Can you honestly say you’ll even have time for me once we’re back in the States?”

  “I’ll make time,” I tell her.

  She looks at me quietly and reveals a patient smile. “You think so now. But trust me, you’ll get so busy you’ll forget about me in no time.”

  My suspicions grow when she says this and I wonder if she has a distraction lined up to help her forget about me.

  “Are you fucking anyone back home?” I ask candidly, not masking the anger in my tone.

  Her eyes triple in size but she shakes her head furiously. “Why would you even ask me that? I told you I’m not seeing anyone. I could never share myself with someone here knowing that I have someone waiting for me at home.”

  Possessive feelings that I’ve never had to deal with before assail me and I know in that moment that I’ll strangle any man who even dares to come near her.

  I need to make myself crystal clear.

  “I don’t want you fucking anyone else.”

  An emotion I can’t pinpoint flits across her face but she doesn’t voice whatever it is.

  What is she thinking?

  “I won’t have time to entertain anyone else for a while. I’m going to nursing school, remember?”

  “That’s not what I meant,” I retaliate, frowning.

  I don’t want her with anyone else. Period. The thought twists my gut in nauseating knots.

  Sighing, Olivia regards me with a tired look.

  “Why don’t we focus on enjoying the time we have left?”

  Her hand grazes my rigid jaw and my body reacts immediately even though I maintain a cool demeanor.

  “Things are good now because we’ve been left alone. Outside forces haven’t been a huge factor yet,” she speaks rationally.

  My mood darkens despite her logic.

  She doesn’t want me for more than sex because of my status. In high school I didn’t stand a chance in hell with her because of my social circle and now she’s telling me the same thing ten years later. Only with a different twist.

  Whatever I do, it seems like I can’t win.

  Gritting my teeth, I decide this is bullshit.

  From that point on, every time Olivia tries to engage me in conversation, I keep my answers short and simple.

  When I see confusion flicker on her face, I avert my eyes to ease the guilt.

  Even in my dark mood, I’m hard as a rock being this close to her.

  While the credits roll on the episode we’re watching, Olivia rises and I think she’s going to leave the room to let me brood in solitude.

  Instead, she steps in front of me, filling the space between my sprawled legs.

  Without a word, she bites her plump bottom lip.

  And right before my eyes, she sinks to her knees with lust clouding her jade eyes.

  I watch her from underneath heavily lidded eyes as she expertly unbuttons my shorts and tugs at the waist telling me without words that she needs me to move so that she can remove them completely.

  She pulls down my boxers and shorts together, her eyes lighting up when she sees my hard dick spring free.

  Wrapping her palms around my shaft lovingly, she only has eyes for that part of me.

  “You’re so thick,” she says in awe, her hands beginning to move up and down.

  She rises up on her knees and opens her mouth wide. When her tongue is wrapped around the swollen tip, I swear as my eyes roll back.

  One thing this trip has taught me is that Olivia can work wonders with her tongue. Her mouth is fucking incredible.

  Her head moves up and down slowly, coating my length with her saliva. Once I’m lubricated, she moans against my cock and starts sucking me greedily.

  Soft hands work the base, gripping me skillfully and rotating while her head bobs up and down sending shockwaves of pleasure through my entire body.

  Tangling my hands in her tresses, my hips begin rising to thrust myself against the back of her throat.

  She doesn’t even gag, just moans and relaxes her jaw to give me more leeway.

  After a while, she pulls back and releases my cock from her mouth, hands still working up and down the length.

  “I get so wet when I have you in my mouth. It’s so sexy feeling how hard you get for me, Sebastian.”

  I swear I nearly come right then.

  Looking up at me with adoring eyes, I see that she means every word.

  That dirty mouth of hers betrays her innocent, small-town girl demeanor and I’m in fucking heaven.

  Olivia King is absolute perfection.

  The best of both worlds.

  She’s out of her mind if she thinks I’ll ever be able to forget about her.

  Impossible.

  Whether she believes it or not, she’s wormed her way into a deep part of my soul and I know that’s where she’ll reside forever.
>
  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  OLIVIA KING

  “Okay, Arnold. On the count of three, we’re going to get you up and in the chair.”

  My patient just continues to stare at me wide eyed and confused. Not for the first time, guilt assaults me for leaving him for a full week.

  In my absence, Gavin hired a temporary person to come in and give him his meals and daily medications but it just wasn’t the same.

  At this stage in Arnold’s dementia, he needs as much consistency as possible and I’d ripped that away from him. I’d been back for three days already and he still looked at me like I was a stranger off the street.

  Getting him settled in his favorite chair, I release an exasperated sigh and study him for a moment.

  Nothing about this job is easy but I enjoy it all the same. There’s a soft spot in my heart where only Arnold resides.

  On his good days, he charms me with stories of his time in the army and his life with his one true love, Claire. She’d died a decade ago and from what Gavin tells me, his dad had never been the same.

  Handing over the TV remote, I exit the living room and head back to the kitchen, intent on cleaning up the mess I made in the process of making lunch.

  In an effort to brighten his day, I’d made Arnold’s all-time favorite meal: baked pork chops and roasted vegetables over a bed of rice.

  Stepping into the kitchen, I’m shocked to see Arnold’s son Gavin standing at the counter sipping from a bottle of water.

  He’s never home in the middle of the day, usually preferring long hours at the office so that he doesn’t have to face his sick father.

  I can’t imagine how hard it must be watching a loved one deteriorate before your eyes.

  With an easy smile, I greet him.

  “Oh, hey Gavin. I didn’t expect to see you for a few hours. How’s it going?” I ask in a friendly tone.

  An imperceptible expression darkens his boyish features. He’s at least twenty years my senior but doesn’t look a day over thirty-five.

  Gavin is a man of very few words but he’s always been a pretty fair boss.

  “You’re looking tanned and well rested. Where did you run off to?” he asks as I begin clearing dirty pans from the countertops.

  Thrown off by his question, I glance over my shoulder and answer him.

  “I was in Turks and Caicos, remember?”

  He makes a noncommittal sound in his throat but says nothing else.

  Rinsing dishes in preparation for the dishwasher, I shrug off his weird mood.

  “Were you there alone?”

  How’s that any of your business? I want to ask, but I refrain.

  Instead, I shake my head. “No, there was one other person with me.”

  There’s no way in hell I’m telling him that the person with me was Sebastian.

  “Olivia, when I hired you, you told me you weren’t involved with anyone. It’s part of the reason I gave you the job so quickly. I knew your time would be free to give my father the around-the-clock attention he needs.”

  “I know that,” I say, trying not to sound defensive.

  What the hell has gotten into him?

  “I just want make sure that nothing has changed.”

  Swallowing an awkward lump in my throat, I maintain my professionalism and carefully choose my next words.

  “You don’t have anything to worry about, Gavin. I’m just as dedicated to taking care of Arnold now as I was the day you hired me.”

  “Good, I’m glad we’re on the same page.”

  Without another word, he backs out of the kitchen and heads down the hallway to his room.

  That was weird.

  *

  Several hours later, Arnold is tucked in for the night and I’m in my bedroom a couple doors down.

  Wildly energetic despite the long day and late hour, I decide to pop in a Zumba DVD and work off some of my restless energy.

  Although I’d much rather be engaged in some type of sensuous activity with Sebastian.

  After seven days of constant contact, settling back into my life in Tennessee had been a lot harder than I expected.

  Our routine on the island came so naturally that it was traumatizing when it was snatched away.

  Leaving Sebastian on that private jet to return to California was gut wrenching. I’m not sure how I got so attached in such a short period of time, but the moment he was out of my sight my vision blurred with tears.

  Saying goodbye wasn’t supposed to be that hard.

  Like I told Sebastian that night in the theatre room, I wasn’t looking for more than a few days of fun and some great sex. But he’d given me so much more.

  The man is the best lover I’ve ever had. So attentive and unselfish every time we were intimate. I’d never felt wilder or more free than when I was with him.

  Beyond the sex, he also proved to be one of a kind. His charming sense of humor and his genuine interest in everything I have to say makes him so enticing. He’s aggressive without being brutish and he’s wildly intelligent without being a know-it-all.

  I miss him like crazy.

  This wasn’t a part of the plan.

  So far today, I haven’t heard from him and I figure he must be busy. Just as I’d predicted he would be.

  Sweating from my impromptu workout, I’m about to start song number four when my phone rings from the nightstand across the room.

  Pouncing for it, I snatch it up in seconds, grinning when I read Sebastian’s name.

  Still panting from the cardio, I don’t bother masking my excitement when I answer on the second ring.

  “Hi, Sebastian.”

  There’s a ton of ruckus in his background before I hear a door shut, blocking out the noise.

  A heavy sigh precedes his words. “Olivia. Baby, how are you?”

  Melting at his choice of words, I savor the sound of his voice for a moment before answering.

  “I’m good, how are you?”

  “I’ve been better,” he grumbles shortly.

  Even though his frustration isn’t aimed at me, I frown wondering what happened to sour his mood.

  “Is everything all right?”

  Sebastian’s answer is vague. “It will be. Hey, you sound out of breath. What are you up to?” he asks suspiciously.

  “Oh, I was just working out. Had a lot of extra energy to burn.”

  Expecting him to follow up with a sexy innuendo about how I could better expend the energy, I’m disappointed when he just says, “Oh yeah?”

  He sounds distracted and extremely tense. I can hear it over the line despite the thousands of miles separating us.

  I’d originally planned to fill him in on my tense encounter with Gavin, but now I reconsider.

  He clearly has enough on his plate right now and I won’t add my petty dilemma to the mix.

  “Listen, baby. I have some bad news,” he says lowly. “I have to postpone my trip to Tennessee until further notice. Something’s come up with the app and I can’t sneak away until it’s handled. We haven’t really nailed down an end date so there’s no telling.”

  “Oh,” is all I manage, my mood immediately deflating.

  I was really looking forward to seeing him in a few days. But I can’t say I didn’t see it coming. He’s the CEO of a thriving company and canceled plans were bound to happen.

  I just hadn’t counted on it being so soon.

  Reality is a bitch.

  “Liv, I’m so sorry.”

  Biting my lip, I tell him, “Me, too.”

  “I’ll make this up to you. I promise,” he swears.

  “Don’t apologize. It’s fine,” I say with a lot more understanding than I feel.

  We chat for a few moments longer until he has to rush off to another meeting.

  Suddenly drained and no longer interested in my workout, I shut off the TV and head for the bathroom.

  After my shower, I curl up with some wine and text Winnie. Someone has to hear about my strange confront
ation with Gavin today. Since it can’t be Sebastian, she’s the lucky winner.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  SEBASTIAN DOWNS

  Someone hacked the site.

  Every day there’s at least one hacking attempt. I pride myself on having some of the best cyber security in the industry. But this time someone got through the defenses.

  I’d already been on edge since returning to California and this just pushed me over the fucking edge.

  Hearing Olivia’s voice had been a temporary salve until one of the vice presidents banged on my door, demanding my presence back in the boardroom.

  Grudgingly, I’d hung up with Olivia. Walking back into the boardroom, the weight on my shoulders has nothing to do with the chaos at work. The disappointment she’d tried to hide in her voice makes me feel like shit. Not even three days have passed and I am already proving her point by being unavailable.

  Plopping down in the chair at the front of the table, I survey my team of executives and hope they have some good news for me.

  If not, I may just combust.

  In spite of our data being secured by the most thorough encryption measures, some idiot had still been able to hack into the servers and wipe out several features of the app. The desktop version had crashed completely, causing upset customers to flood our phone lines with frustrated complaints and outright angry demands.

  Eighteen long hours had passed since the problem was discovered and I’ve been right here the whole time, only stepping away from the mayhem to use the restroom.

  Even then, someone usually follows me inside, briefing me on the latest developments.

  It’s as if the universe had wanted to humble me after my lavish vacation away from my usual responsibilities.

  But, God, I miss Olivia.

  After having her within my reach twenty-four seven, having her thousands of miles away is a tough pill to swallow.

  With over a decade of experience in the tech field, I’m no stranger to the turmoil that can erupt at a moment’s notice. Behind the scenes, things go wrong a lot more than people realize.

  However, I can handle it because in this field you have no choice. You either roll with the punches or get knocked out.

  My skin is a lot tougher for it.