Little Black Book (8 page)

It wasn’t
quite the compliment I was hoping for, but he was probably used to sexy vixens, with their short skirts and ample cleavage. Then again, maybe it wasn’t a compliment at all. Maybe he was being an asshole.

“Well this was fun,” I snapped and turned around.

His hand was firm as it circled my elbow and he pulled me around and toward the car.

“Untwist your virginal panties and let’s go.” He stopped in front of the car and opened the door, waiting for me to get in.

My gaze shifted between him and the open door and then I crossed my arms. “You act like you’re doing me a favor.”

“I am. Now get in the car. We have reservations.”

“And if I refuse?”

“If you were going to refuse you would have done it already. You’re curious
, and you’re going to get into the car.”

As much as I wanted to prove him wrong, he was completely right. I was every one of those things, but I was starting to realize I wasn’t the only one. Without a word
, I got into the car and slid all the way over.

He followed me in
, shutting the door. We were incased in darkness.

I didn’t ask where we were going. Neither of us spoke, but as the
city lights flowed across his face, I couldn’t help but notice how nice he looked in his dark suit and tie. His hand rested on the door and my eyes went straight to his slender fingers. He really was magnificent.

“Like what you see?” h
e asked in a hushed whispered.

A heated blush rushed up my neck. I hadn’t realized he was watching me, too.
My God
. He was so cocky, and while it should have been a turn off, it was the total opposite.

“Actually, I do. I’ve always thought New York was beautiful at night.” I turned my head to look out my window and enjoyed his smirk.

“Don’t let the pretty lights fool you. The most dangerous things in the world are beautiful.”

When I looked back at him, he was staring out the window and looking completely lost in his own little world. I wanted to reach out to him, but he didn’t seem like the type who’d want to be comforted.

The car slowed as we reached our destination and I was anxiously looking through the dark windows in anticipation. Seconds later, the door opened and Sebastian was getting out. He held his hand out for me and I took it
upon my exit.

“Get ready
,” he said, before two older men opened the doors for us to the restaurant.

“Ready for what?”

He didn’t answer as he ushered me through the set of double doors, keeping one hand on the small of my back.

“Right this way, Mr. Black,” the host said
. He grabbed two menus and started toward the back of the room.

I’d never been inside such a place. Crystal chandeliers hung above my head and mirrors were strategically placed around the room
to reflect the candlelight, making the room look even larger than it already was.

Sebastian walked smoothly through the dining room
, captivating his audience and demanding their attention. I watched in bewilderment as everyone stopped to gawk at him. He pulled my arm through his and that’s when I realized they were also watching me, the girl on his arm.

“I hope you’re hungry
.” He pulled me closer. “Because I’m starving.”

His words brushed across the side of my neck and sent a wave of chills down my arms.

Everyone was staring at me. I self-consciously looked down at my outfit and knew right away I hadn’t dressed nice enough. I looked like an uptight school teacher going on a field trip, while ladies around me were dressed in satin, lace, and diamonds.

My hand on his arm began to sweat and I closed my eyes and tried to breathe.

“Don’t be nervous. You’re the most beautiful woman in the room.”

“Everyone’s looking at me,” I whispered.

“No. Everyone’s looking at me. I always come here alone. These people have never seen me with a woman before.”

“Then why did you bring me?” I asked as he helped me into my chair.

Leaning over me he whispered. “Because deal or no deal, you’re my Jessica.”

I had no idea what
his obsession with calling me Jessica was, and again, I began to think that maybe Sebastian Black was certifiable.

When he sat down
across from me, I worked up the nerve to finally ask something that had been bugging me since the first time we’d talked.

“Why do you refuse to know my name and why do you call me Jessica? Is that what you call all your girls?”

I tried not to fidget, or make uncomfortable eye contact, as I waited for him to answer my question.

When he finally did, I was thankful for the break of silence. “I most definitely
do not
call anyone else Jessica. Only you, and for a very special reason.”

He didn’t elaborate and I was left to question what exactly that meant.

“Would you care to explain why that is?”

“Actually, I don’t. Not right now anyway.”

He definitely made it clear I wasn’t going to get anything else out of him. I guess I should’ve known. For the short time I knew him, it was obvious Sebastian Black could be very stubborn and determined.

Once the waiter came and filled our glasses with wine, we were left alone. He sipped his wine and stared at me, making
me even more nervous than before.

“So you come here a lot?” I asked, trying to break the ice.

“Yes,” he said simply. He wasn’t going to make this dinner easy at all.

“You don’t talk much
.”

He sh
rugged. “I’m not good with idle conversation.”

“I thought you didn’t… date?”

“I don’t.”

“Then what is this?”

“I told you what this is. You’re proving you’re worth the risk.”

“And how am I supposed to do that?”

He stared at me for the longest time, then raised his eyebrows.

What the hell was that supposed to mean?

It was then the waiter came back to our table to take our order. When the waiter left, I continued with my questions. With every answer, I became even more curious about Sebastian Black.

“The others… they don’t have any problems with your rules?”

“If they did, they wouldn’t be one of my girls.” He was so matter of fact. “You were ready to accept my offer, did you have a problem with my rules?”

My head s
napped up. I didn’t like having the situation thrown in my face. “I needed it.”

“So you’re saying you’re different?”

“Yes.”

“Because you
need
the money?”

“Yes,” I insisted.

“And what makes you think any of the others didn’t also need
the money?”

I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. The truth was I didn’t know, but I wanted badly
to believe I was different, that under different circumstances, I wouldn’t have sold myself to Sebastian Black for everything he could offer.

“The truth is, the money comes and goes, but they
don’t
. They just keep coming, over and over again.” He shrugged. “So maybe you are different.”

I dropped my head to the side. “Has
anyone left you before you could leave them?”

J
umping at the sound of his laughter, I looked around and saw that everyone was watching at us.

“What’s so funny?” I demanded. “You’re telling me no one has ever go
tten tired of you before you could get tired of them?”

“Nobody.” He was dead serious now.

“How do you know?”

“Because I have a cock that won’t stop and enough money to buy all the company in the world.”

“Don’t you think someday you’ll want more than an easy lay and women who only want your money?”

“Isn’t th
at what a relationship is based around anyway? Sex and money. In my case, I get to have sex with a different girl every night and not have to worry about a jealous wife.”

Suddenly I felt very sad for Sebastian. “Don’t you want love?”

“Love doesn’t exist, sweetheart. It’s a pretty lie. Something women invented to tie a man down and destroy his manhood.”

“You’re wrong.”

“You’re wasting your breath, Jessica. Save your delusions about love and happily ever after for a sucker because I am far from fooled.”

I want
ed to argue that he was wrong. I had seen love—real love—between a man and a woman. My parents had loved each other completely and without reservation. I knew it existed and I fully planned on finding the same kind of love one day.

“I’m very different, Sebastian.” I whispered
, looking up to meet his frown. “I need the money right now, but I refuse to live a life without love and happiness. I won’t come back when it’s all said and done.”

I didn’t know if I had stunned
him or angered him, maybe a bit of both, but he didn’t respond right away. When he did, it was a complete change of topic.

“I certainly don’t know a lot of virgins. How old are you?”

“Twenty-two,” I said proudly, daring him to make fun of me.

“How is it that a twenty-two-
year-old, with your looks, managed to stay a virgin?”

“If I have to explain the logistics to you, you’re obviously not the sex
god you claim to be.”

I thought I’d gotten him with my witty remark, but he sat forward in his chair and showed me exactly what it felt like to have the breath knocked from you.

“I could fuck you senseless right here, right now, and give the women watching orgasms. That, sweetheart, is how good I am.”

T
hankfully, the waiter made a sudden appearance with our food. I looked at my plate and kept my head down for the remainder of the meal. I could feel Sebastian’s hard gaze and it made me squirm.

I didn’t know what to say and I was already worried I had said too much as it was. I couldn’t afford for him to take back everything he had already offered… again
. I was doing an awful job proving myself after my declaration.

After dinner
, the car was out front, waiting for us. I climbed in and we rode in silence back to my hotel. He got out and held the door open for me. When I turned around to thank him for dinner, I found him standing there, with the car gone. He was coming to my room.

“Are you going to stand there all
night, or are we going to go up?”

I twisted my fingers together. “Kyle…”

“Doesn’t Kyle have his own room?”

“Well, yes, but…”

“But what? Have you given up? Are you no longer willing to prove yourself to me?”

“I think by now you’ve already made up your decision about me.”

“Are you sure?”

I was until he said that. Why was I being such a prude? I could seduce Sebastian Black. I could.

My nerves went crazy and my legs started to shake as I turned and made my way to the elevator. I pressed the button for my floor and waited. My knees felt like Jell-O, and I silently hoped I didn’t fall and face plant on the expensive tile floor.

He stood still beside me. He was too quiet, making my anxiety even worse. My hands shook when I pulled out my door key and tried to stick the card in the slot. Covering my hand with his, he took the card from my fingers.

“Allow me,” he said as he opened the door.

And then
, there I was, standing in a hotel room with a stranger who may or may not purchase me. Thankfully, Kyle was fast asleep in his room, I didn’t want him asking questions I didn’t know how to answer.

  My back was to Sebastian, but I could see our reflection in the expansive glass view
. I watched as he approached with the stride of a hungry tiger. A strut that relayed his confidence and security. Meanwhile, tension built inside me and threatened to break.

He ran warm fingers across the back of my neck as he moved my hair to the side. I jerked when he pressed his soft lips to the back of my neck.

“Exactly how far have you gone with a man, Jessica?”

I swallowed hard making my throat hurt.
“Far enough.”

My voice didn’t sound like my
own. It was deeper, darker... seductive. The girl who answered him wasn’t me. Whatever he was doing, was affecting me.

I could feel his breath in my hair. “Has a man ever touched you? Have you touched a man before?”

“No,” I whispered.

“Christ,” he cursed.
His hands moved from my shoulders and worked down my back, until his hands circled around my waist. He was hard and pressing into my back, which did nothing to help with my insecurities.

“You smell delicious,” he said as he nibbled on my earlobe. “
I shouldn’t want you this much, but I can’t seem to keep my hands off of you.”