by K. K. Allen
Sebastian took a step back, and I made eye contact with Dirk, who was grinning. He thought he’d won.
“You want to know why I’m here, Dirk?”
Dirk shrugged. “Not really.”
I took a deep breath and swallowed. “Okay, well let me tell you anyway. Because if Sebastian signs the show over to you, then I’ll quit.”
For a second of complete silence, Dirk’s eyes held mine, then a smile cracked his face until his smile widened to a full grin. A laugh boomed from his chest, filling the stage and theater as if I’d just told the best joke. “I’m sorry,” he said while gasping for breath. “Is that a threat?”
I quirked an eyebrow and a lip, my chest filling with amusement and strength in one steady breath. “It is. Which…” I glanced behind me toward the slit in the curtain then faced Dirk again. “I completely expected for you to get a good laugh at. To you, I’m replaceable. I’m sure you’ll have Claudette out here in a heartbeat.”
“Actually,” Sebastian cut in with a smile of his own. “I happened to catch Claudette as she was leaving the boat this morning. We got to talking, and she mentioned a certain sum of money you promised her to help you take over Angst and Grace.” Sebastian narrowed his eyes on Dirk. “You thought you could pay her what you owe in your divorce and use her to do it?” He scoffed at his question. “You’re are lower than scum.”
Dirk let out a breathy chuckle and held up his hands. “You got me. So what? I didn’t do anything illegal.”
Sebastian shook his head, his eyes wide. “No, you certainly didn’t. However”—Sebastian scrolled through his phone to an image and turned his phone toward Dirk—“You failed to pay Claudette before she left, so I doubled your offer. Lucky me, she accepted, along with an agreement that she will never step foot on any Angst and Grace production for as long as she lives. She won’t even breathe a negative word about it or me… or even you.”
Dirk’s face scrunched into a glare. “Fine. No Claudette. There are still plenty of Graces out there. Madeline will suffice until we get a replacement.”
“I don’t think so,” said a woman as she pushed through the slit in the curtain. “Because I’ll quit too.” Madeline crossed her arms. “If I have to work for you, then I’ll take no part in this production.”
Dirk coughed out another laugh though it sounded forced. “Fine. Brilliant. You were crap anyway.”
“You’re such a dick.” Jake pushed his way to the stage next, looking as furious as I felt. “Am I replaceable too? Because if Madeline and Kai are out, so am I.”
“I’m with them.” Gem came forward next.
Following him, one by one, the entire cast of Angst and Grace, principals and understudies and band members, filled the stage.
Jimmy stood from the table and walked to the front of the cast, a shrug lifting his shoulders as his eyes connected with Dirk’s. “This production is nothing without the dancers, band, and crew who have given everything to it. I won’t work for you, Dirk. Especially not without Sebastian as your buffer. I quit too.”
Happiness flooded my veins and chest so quickly that my next breath shook. All I’d done was talk to each and every person in the show, whether they worked lights and audio or rigged the set during the live shows. Everyone deserved to have a voice in this. I just hadn’t expected it to go so well.
Excitement rattled through me as Dirk processed what was happening. “So,” I started, doing my best to steady my shaking voice. “Looks like you win, Dirk. You get to keep Angst and Grace. But you don’t get to keep this cast.”
Dirk’s face was bright red as he stepped closer to me. Sebastian intercepted him with a quick side step. Dirk turned his glare on Sebastian while balling his fists.
“What’ll it be, Dirk?” Sebastian raised his arms to his sides. “Do you still want to keep Angst and Grace, knowing you don’t have a cast to back it up? Or are you willing to sign everything over to me today?”
“You motherfucker,” he spat.
Sebastian narrowed his eyes. “Funny, I just mumbled those words of defeat yesterday. Now look at me.” He reached for me and took my hand with a squeeze. “I’m so glad I didn’t turn my show over to you, Dick. Here I thought it was a sinking ship before we’d ever set foot on the Royal Athena. But I was wrong. The only way this ship will sink is if you refuse to get off it.”
Dirk growled and spun around, stalked toward the table where his lawyers were sitting, and sat down. “Let’s get this over with,” he said to the two men in suits. “Sebastian can have Angst and Grace. I’m done.”
Sebastian pulled me into his arms as the stage lit up with cheers and applause, everyone celebrating Dirk’s demise right in front of him.
Adrenaline was coursing through me and blasting my heart so hard I thought my chest might burst wide open. I looked up at Sebastian and smiled. “How does it feel to be the sole owner of a sold-out cruise line’s production?”
His forehead met mine. “Almost as good as this.” He tipped his mouth to mine, barely grazing my lips with his before fusing them completely. “But you know what will feel even better?”
I smiled against his lips and murmured, “Hmm?”
“Finishing what we started last night.” He cupped my chin and stared down into my eyes with an intense gaze. “This time, no distractions.”
Chapter 44
Kai
After three knocks, Sebastian’s door was swinging open to reveal his figure, just as decadent today as on the day we met. He wore black jeans and a leather jacket that hung open to reveal bare, sculpted abs and that sexy V that dipped into the waistband of his pants. But this time, instead of that devilish smirk, a smile stretched across his face.
“Welcome, Miss Ashley. I hope the new accommodations meet your expectations.”
I eyed him curiously. Sebastian had been with his lawyers and Dirk, doing paperwork until well past midnight. He called me the next morning and asked for me to meet him on the ninth deck in a suite at the end of the ship opposite from where we’d been staying. He sounded so formal that I’d figured this was a meeting for the cast and crew to go over the logistics of Dirk’s departure, but that wasn’t the impression I got when Sebastian swung open the door farther.
“What the—” My gaze swept over the space, which looked more like a miniature apartment than a meeting space. “Sebastian, what did you do?”
He chuckled and took my hand, guiding me down the hall, past a small kitchen, and into a living-room area. “I didn’t do anything. The room was already paid for, thanks to Dirk. Instead of trying to get the money back for it, I decided to keep it.” He threw me another look. “Don’t worry—I had them sanitize everything from top to bottom.”
I was still trying to process what he was telling me. “So you’re going to live here?” I couldn’t help but feel disappointment, realizing he’d no longer be across the hall from me. That was half the fun in all of this.
He stopped walking, faced me, and quirked a lip. “We’re going to live here. You and me.” He squeezed my hand and pulled me closer. “Move in with me, Kai.”
“But…” I was struggling to find an argument. It just felt natural to have one. “Isn’t that a pretty big step?”
He shrugged. “I thought about that, but you’ve spent almost every night in my room for the past three weeks, and I don’t see an end to that, do you?”
I shook my head, slowly, too stunned to speak.
“And I love you.” He smiled like he hadn’t caught me completely off guard. “I love you, and I want to spend as much time with you as I can.”
My throat squeezed while I felt a sting of fresh tears emerging. “I love you too. So damn much. I just … are you sure?”
“Absolutely sure. And,” he added with a wider smile, knowing he had me, “this way, we can hire two additional cast members to fill our empty cabins. Maybe… understudies… for me.”
My eyes widened. “Really?” I actually loved the sound of that. It meant that Sebastian wa
s finally starting to trust again.
He nodded. “With Dirk out of my hair, I’d really like to put more time into my next project. I just need to come up with a perfect title suited for the push and pull of two characters who desperately need each other but don’t realize it until they’ve already fallen.”
I let out a laugh. “Sounds familiar.”
He stuck his tongue between his teeth. “Maybe you can help me think of something? A story you once told me about your father’s philosophy with sailing really struck a chord. I was playing with the idea of gravity and how we’re constantly using force to control our direction in life, when it should be the other way around.”
I smiled, his words warming my chest. “So the story is a coming-of-age story about two people who meet and finally learn how to work with gravity instead of against it. Is that right?”
He leaned in, touching his nose to mine. “I think they become pros at it by the end, but let’s not get off track.” His mouth dipped to my neck and brushed its sensitive skin. “Move in with me, Kai.” His words came out in a growl, creating a tingling in my core and telling me he wasn’t asking politely anymore. I wouldn’t have expected anything less.
Instead of responding, I backed away with a sly smile and pulled him toward the bedroom. “Hold that thought.” I grinned as he glared, his frustration fueling my desire and my need to make him suffer for just a bit longer. “I think if I’m going to agree to your proposition, you should at least give me a taste of what it will be like.” My eyelids batted with mock innocence.
He stepped forward, hovering over me with his height and strength, causing me to shiver. “You want a taste?” His eyes flicked up then down then back to my eyes. “Get on your knees.”
The corners of my mouth curled up as I slowly shook my head. “No. I want to see you on yours.”
His eyes darkened, but he did as I requested, never taking his eyes off me. When he was settled into position, his face at my waist, I reached for the bottom of my skirt and slid it up. His gaze dropped to my legs and I could feel his stare, hot like lasers running the length of me. Rough fingers met my calves then trailed along my skin in a pattern aimed directly toward that sweet spot between my thighs.
“Remove my panties.”
He groaned his agreement as his fingers floated up the backs up my thighs, over the hills of my ass, never stopping to do more than I asked. Fingers looped into the sides of my panties and pulled the fabric down as gently as his hands had moved up my legs moments before.
Though I felt confident, my body was still quaking at his touch, at the care he took in caressing my skin, at the warm breath sinking into my pores. I wanted more. I was still holding my skirt up as I kicked away the fabric at my feet, subtly inching my way closer to the bad boy on his knees.
“Hmm,” I said, assessing his height. “You’re too tall. Maybe you should sit instead.”
He chuckled and adjusted his position so that he was sitting with his knees up and his back pressed flat against the front of the bed. “Better?”
I nodded, stepping closer. “Perfect.” I placed a knee on one side of him then inched forward again until his mouth was a breath away from me. He didn’t wait for another command but darted his tongue out to taste me. Once. Twice. Then he was wrapping his lips around me and savoring me with one, slow, gentle suck.
A shudder wracked my body as I fell forward onto the bed, catching myself with one hand. He palmed my ass cheeks, bringing me closer to his mouth, and continued to devour me until I moaned a warning. Everything was spinning. My chest buzzed as everything below my waist heated and tightened until I was crying out in release as he moaned into me like he was coming too.
“Fuck,” I panted.
Sebastian didn’t stop to tend to my shaky limbs and quickened heart rate. He crawled out from under me, ablaze with desire. His hands were on the clasp of my skirt, tearing it to shreds as he stripped it from my body. Then he yanked my silky top over my head, revealing my bare chest and aching nipples. With a growl, he swooped forward and slid his fingers through the hair on each side of my head and shoved his lips against mine.
He lifted me, and I wrapped my legs around his strong waist before he tore away from my mouth and tossed me onto the bed. His jeans came unbuttoned next, and he slid them down, along with his briefs. Then he slipped off his jacket and placed it carefully over the closest chair.
When he walked forward again, he was completely naked, his chest heaving with energy. Then he crawled over me, cupping my breast and filling his mouth with it while my eyelids shot open in shock.
Sebastian had always made sure I felt good in bed, but I’d never seen him so… ravenous. His tongue swirled around my sensitive peak as his fingers made their way between my legs, plunging inside me at the same time he bit down gently, eliciting another cry from deep in my throat.
“You’re going to kill me.”
He chuckled as he worked his fingers, hitting deep inside me like a quickened melody, each staccato bringing me closer and closer to an epic climax. “Not if you kill me first.”
His mouth moved over my breast again, and all the tension in my body met its breaking point. I unraveled, my second orgasm hitting me harder than the first and shaking me with my release.
“Maybe we’ll kill each other.”
He nodded, fitting his mouth to my neck and his shaft between my legs. “Or die trying.”
Then with one rock of his hips, he thrust himself inside me, feeding me, hitting me deep. And we were moving together, like a perfect wave rolling through the ocean. I didn’t know the direction we were headed or the pace that we would get there. All I knew was that, with Sebastian, I was ready for whatever came next.
The moment I’d agreed to move in with Sebastian, he insisted on packing my things and bringing them immediately while I stayed back and relaxed. He’d prepared a hot bath, dimmed the lights, and turned on some music while I “made myself at home.” I was more than happy to oblige.
For three hours, I soaked and read and explored the suite, getting used to the idea that it was mine as much as it was Sebastian’s. I was in the kitchen, drinking some water, when my eyes caught on the brightly lit horizon. It was the perfect canvas, smeared with hues of purple, pink, yellow, and orange, all blending together in the perfect sunset.
I set my glass down and walked toward the balcony while tightening the tie of my robe. The sun had dipped just low enough to peek beneath where the water ended. And just like what I’d seen a couple weeks before, a white sailboat was moving over the plane.
My heart caught in my chest as I watched it cut through the water until its entirety shaded into a silhouette.
The sound of the door opening behind me made me blink, but I didn’t look away. I couldn’t. For the first time in twenty years, I could feel my father’s presence, and I didn’t question the image in front of me. It was him.
Strong arms slid around my waist as Sebastian cozied up to my cheek. “Hey,” he said gently. “You okay?”
I hadn’t even realized a tear had slipped from my eye and down my cheek until Sebastian swiped it away. “I’m perfect,” I said with a smile. Then I let out a deep breath before turning to look at him over my shoulder. “I think I just came up with the perfect title of your next musical.”
His brows lifted. “Do tell.”
“How does The Trouble with Gravity sound?”
Sebastian’s entire face lit up. “It sounds like we’ve been writing that story together.”
I brushed my lips to his. “And we’re not done.” My eyes latched on to his. “Not even close.”
Epilogue
Kai, seven months later
Sebastian smiled, clutched my hand in his, and raised it above my head. Everyone in the audience who wasn’t already on their feet stood to add to the cheers and applause throughout the theater. I laughed through the mix of emotions swirling through me and curtsied my gratitude. I’d never felt closer to flying than in that moment.
When I stood straight again, I gestured to Sebastian, bringing on the loudest cheer of all.
It was the final curtain call after the final performance of Angst and Grace. I felt like I could cry, but my tears wouldn’t be sad ones. Not at all. The past seven months had been the best of my life.
Sebastian and I were more in love than ever with firm plans to move to New York very soon. And the score of his new musical, The Trouble With Gravity, was complete and ready to put to choreography. I couldn’t wait for that part. The story he’d created through music was beautiful on its own, but the vision he’d described to me—between choreography and lighting and the set—it was going to be something spectacular. I could feel it.
One of the backstage assistants jogged forward with a microphone and handed it to Sebastian. Sebastian put it to his mouth and tested it. “Hello.” His deep voice came through the surrendering speakers and the crowd yelled back, “Hi.” He chuckled. “Since tonight is the last Angst and Grace performance ever—“
He paused as a loud “Awww” sounded from the seats.
“I know. It’s bittersweet, truly. These last seven months have been heaps of fun thanks to audiences like you. But since it’s our last night, I think it’s important to call out someone who has been vital to the show’s success since its conception.” He leaned around me to check out sidestage. “Jimmy, are you over there?”
Jake and I made eye contact and then took off toward the side stage. We grabbed Jimmy, not taking his resistance for an answer as we dragged him onto the stage to elicit a round of applause for him.
“Bloody right,” Sebastian started, bringing on a roar of laughter. “Everyone, give it up for our brilliant director. The glue that keeps this show running. Jimmy Sweetwater, the best damn Broadway director I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with.”
Sebastian slid an envelope from his pocket and handed it to Jimmy after they hugged. It was a bonus check, in the amount of what would have been Dirk’s cut, along with an offer for him to join Sebastian’s new show. Sebastian and I had talked in great lengths over what to do with that extra money. He could have put it into his new show. He could have taken it and been set for a very long time. But no. The only option Sebastian felt best about, was giving it to someone who had worked equally as hard as him, in his mind.
