Reinvention of Chastity (6 page)

“Well, are you just going to stand there staring at me or do you have an answer to my question?”

Large eyes narrowed. “You didn’t ask me a question. You said, ‘I’m late’, so what could I possibly say in my defense?” The calm tone in which she spoke to him made Sebastian realize what a fool he was making of himself, but that only served to fuel his ire.

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The Reinvention of Chastity

“Well, don’t just stand there with that stupid expression on your face.

The least you could do, is explain why you’re late.”

“Have I ever been late before?”

“What the hell has that got to do with anything?”

“I think it has a lot to do with it.”

“You were certainly late this morning as well. I hope this doesn’t become a habit.”

“I called in this morning.”

“It didn’t make you any less late.”

Her nostrils flared. “For as long as I’ve been with this firm, have I ever been late before today?”

“No, but that’s beside the point. Tardiness is inexcusable under any circumstances.”

“Okay. I’ll keep that in mind. I’ve been duly reprimanded and it won’t happen again. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a lot of work on my desk to take care of.” She moved to sidestep him, but his hand reached out, stopping her. Chastity pointedly looked at the hand on her arm and Sebastian instantly let go. With one last look, she swept off, the sway of her hips would have enticed a blind man. Damn. What had just gotten into him?

He’d never railed at any of his employees like that, even if it had been deserved. Chastity certainly hadn’t. Sure she’d been late, but she had a point. It wasn’t her habit to be tardy. There were a few people in the office who were perpetual offenders, and they had never bothered him half as much as seeing Chastity coming back from lunch with that mystery guy. Jealousy. It was an ugly emotion that made even the most reasonable of men crazy.

Sebastian would be damned if he let her drive him insane. Screw that. The only feasible solution was to get some pussy, and soon, otherwise he was in trouble.

* * *

39

Eve Vaughn

“Sounds like our plan is working better than I thought it would,”

Dallas said over the phone later that night.

“Yeah, it’s kind of weird though. Before, it was like I was a nonentity to him, but now that I have this new look, he has this sudden interest in my life. I’m not really sure how to handle it all.”

“Wasn’t that the entire point of this whole experiment?”

“Yes, but I’m bothered that I had to change how I looked before he noticed me. Kevin made a good point about guys wanting a woman who took pride in their appearance, but I don’t think I was absolutely repulsive before. I only wished he would have noticed me before all of this. The more that I think about it, the more I’m down with the plan.”

“While his thinking is a little shallow, girl, even you have to admit that you looked a hot mess. I know you don’t want to hear this, but I have to agree with Kevin. And don’t give me that song and dance about your mother. We both know the kind of woman she is, but you can’t keep letting what she did to you ruin your life.”

“I realize that. Anyway, I can’t really put all the blame on Mom anymore. Actually, I feel kind of sorry for her.”

“Why is that?”

“Think about it. She’s always had her looks to rely on, and though I’m sure she’ll be one of those women who’ll be beautiful until the day she dies, her youth is important to her. It’s something she’ll never get back, but she continuously pursues all those younger men. And the fact that she can’t be without a man, tells me that deep down she never worked on her inside enough to enjoy her own company.”

Dallas sighed on the other end of the line. “I’m glad you’ve finally realized that. Looks are nice to have, but if your self-worth is dependent on having a man, then that’s kind of sad. On the flipside, there’s nothing wrong with looking nice, as long as you don’t go overboard about it.”

Chastity giggled. “Well, I’ve been an ugly duckling for so long, I think I’m going to have fun being the swan from now on.”

“Yeah, just don’t let it go to your head, or I’m going to kick your ass.”

Leave it to Dallas to pull no punches.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Chastity answered wryly.

40

The Reinvention of Chastity

“So, what are you going to do about Sebastian?”

“To be honest, I was a bit wary in the beginning about the whole scheme, but just by the way he acted today, I think I can pull this off.

Not only that, I’m going to enjoy playing the seductress.”

“That’s the spirit, girlfriend. You teach him not to toy with your feelings again. If I were you, I’d wait until he proposes marriage and then tell him off.”

“Now I know you’ve lost your mind. I never said anything about marriage, and besides, I don’t think he’s the marrying type.”

“I think you can get him to that point, if you play your cards right.

Men like a challenge. Just think about it, you could get him so flustered that he goes down on one knee and proposes to you like a lovesick puppy.”

Chastity rolled her eyes. “That’s probably not going to happen. The man gets a lot of action, so I’ll settle for a little infatuation for now.”

“Well,” Dallas sounded slightly disappointed, “my plan would devastate him more.”

“You’re diabolical.”

“Thanks! I appreciate the compliment,” Dallas laughed.

As they continued to talk, Chastity couldn’t help but wonder if she could walk away if Sebastian proposed to her.

41

Eve Vaughn

It was official.

Sebastian wanted Chastity Bryant. He’d reached his boiling point and could no longer deny what had begun from the moment she stepped into his office with her glamorous new look two months ago.

It grew more difficult with each passing day to watch her stroll around the office looking drop-dead gorgeous. It wasn’t just her looks either. Chastity now exuded a confidence that hadn’t been there before, and he found it sexy as hell. He couldn’t get a proper night’s sleep from thoughts of her. He’d wake up in the middle of the night, body drenched with sweat after dreaming about burying himself between silky, chocolate thighs.

Whenever she walked past him, he couldn’t tear his eyes away from her slow, rhythmic movements that seemed to scream, “jump me”. He’d already lost count of how many times his dick got hard with just the mere mention of her name. Sebastian wanted to run his hands over her body just to see if that rich, dark skin of hers was as soft as it looked.

Once, he’d caught her nibbling on her bottom lip and he literally had to stop himself from grabbing her and tasting it for himself. Sebastian would sit at his desk for hours trying to concentrate on his work when all he could think about was stripping Chastity’s clothes off, one article at a time—tasting every delectable inch of her.

Tossing his pen aside, he stood up in frustration. It was already past twelve. He might as well grab something to eat since he wasn’t getting any work done. On his way out of the office he knew he’d pass by Chastity’s desk.

His plan to keep walking without looking her way went down the tubes when he spied Jeremy leaning over her desk. Chastity gave his friend the big smile she used to give him. Her eyes twinkled with 42

The Reinvention of Chastity

apparent amusement at whatever Jeremy was saying. The deep dimples in her cheeks gave her a look of sweet innocence.

Since her makeover, Chastity had taken to wearing low cut tops and today was no exception. The sexy décolletage on display was enough to set his pulse racing. His fingers itched to trace the tops of those generous mounds. She wore her hair pulled back into a ponytail tied with a pink satin ribbon. Although he preferred her hair flowing around her shoulders, she looked lovely.

An irrational burst of envy soared through his body, making him clench his fists. Unable to help himself, he walked over to them. “What are you two grinning about over here?” Sebastian cursed inwardly. He didn’t mean for his voice to sound so harsh.

They looked up at him, Jeremy eyeing him with mild curiosity and Chastity looking slightly resentful, as though he’d intruded on a private conversation. Jeremy straightened up, an easy smile splitting his face.

“What’s up, Seb?”

“I was on my way to lunch actually.”

The blond frowned. “I thought you had a business lunch with one of your clients.”

“They had to reschedule,” he lied. He wasn’t about to admit that he canceled his appointment because his head was in his pants. “You didn’t answer my question.”

Jeremy frowned. “What question?”

Sebastian hated repeating himself, especially over something as trivial as this. “What were you two grinning about?”

“Just small talk. Chastity and I were on our way to lunch as well.”

Sebastian’s blood thundered. He wanted to knock Jeremy on his ass.

He remembered his friend telling him of his interest in Chastity, but that didn’t stop the green-eyed monster from rearing its head. A demon must have possessed him because he couldn’t help saying, “Since we’re all headed for lunch, let’s all go together.” His eyes never left Chastity’s face.

Her lips tightened slightly before she turned her head away. She didn’t seem pleased.

Tough.

43

Eve Vaughn

“We were only going to the Gallery Mall, nothing fancy,” Jeremy said, almost as if to put him off.

“I don’t need anything fancy. You don’t mind my tagging along, do you?” Sebastian knew very well that he was putting them in a position where they couldn’t refuse without looking like a couple of jerks. The look on Jeremy’s face spoke volumes. Chastity’s face, however, was unreadable and he wondered what was going on in that beautiful head of hers. “Do you mind, Chastity?”

She looked up at Jeremy with a smile, not bothering to answer Sebastian’s question. “I’m going to the restroom before we go.”

Jeremy smiled back. “No problem. Take your time.”

Both men watched her retreating figure, her curvaceous bottom swaying from side to side with each step she took. God, he wanted her.

When she was out of earshot, Jeremy turned on him, blue eyes blazing.

“What the hell was that about?”

“What do you mean? I thought you said you didn’t mind my joining you two.”

“You know damn well I couldn’t say otherwise.”

“Why couldn’t you? I would have.”

“Don’t play dumb with me, Romeo.”

Sebastian shrugged. “Who’s playing dumb? Haven’t we had lunch together on numerous occasions?”

“Not with Chastity.”

“Okay, fine. What’s wrong with a little friendly competition?”

For a second, it looked like Jeremy wanted to deck him before his face relaxed into a smile. “You’re a son of a bitch.”

Sebastian laughed. “And don’t you forget it.”

“She’s going to see right through this new interest you have in her.

You never gave two flying fucks about her before this sudden change.”

“Neither did you.”

“Okay, so we’re both bastards.”

Sebastian cocked an eyebrow and held out his hand. “May the better bastard win?” Even as they shook hands, Sebastian guaranteed himself the victory.

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The Reinvention of Chastity

The three of them decided to have a meal at a small tavern not too far from the office instead of trekking all the way downtown to the Gallery Mall. When shown to a booth, Jeremy slid in next to Chastity and Sebastian took the seat directly across from her. That was fine with him.

This way, he could face her, and she’d have no choice but to look at him as well. He wouldn’t allow her to ignore him, if he had any say in the matter.

The look of agitation on her pretty face told him that he was getting to her as well. Good. He wanted her to be as aware of him as he was of her.

“I think the Cobb salad looks good. Have you eaten here before, Jeremy?” she asked, turning to the blond. Sebastian knew exactly what Chastity was up to, but if she wanted to play games, she’d soon learn just how competitive he could be.

Fixing his gaze on his prey, he said, “Chastity, why don’t you try the Oysters Casino. A nice little aphrodisiac, don’t you think?”

She only spared him a brief glance before her eyes darted away again.

She fluttered thick lashes at Jeremy as if he were some kind of rock star.

“I’m not really in the mood for anything heavy. What do you think, Jeremy?”

“Hmm, I think I’ll have a hamburger and fries. Probably not the healthiest choice, but I’ll just have to hit the gym a little harder tonight.”

“I think I’m going to stick to the salad. My ass is big enough as it is.”

She closed the menu with a sigh.

Jeremy grinned at her wolfishly. “At the risk of sounding like a lecher, I think your ass is just fine.”

Chastity giggled, dimples popping out. Before Sebastian realized what was going on, his lunch mates fell into a deep conversation, completely excluding him. His fury grew with each passing second. By the time the waitress took their orders, he was ready to strangle them both. He knew what Jeremy was up to, but what was up with Chastity’s cold shoulder act? No woman had ever treated him like this before and it was driving him bananas. He hated being ignored, especially when it was by someone he wanted so damn much.

45

Eve Vaughn

It was time to step the game up a notch. “Chastity,” he said her name softly, but loud enough for her to hear. She turned her head, a frown marring her pretty face.

“What?”

“Did I tell you how lovely you look today?”

The expression on her face told him that his comment came as a surprise. “Thank you,” she murmured, her eyes sliding away from his.

“You’ve looked lovely every day this week. Pink is definitely your color. You should wear it more often. I like the way it looks against your skin.” Chastity squirmed in her seat. Sebastian smiled. “What’s the matter, Chastity?”

She kept her lids lowered, not replying.

Jeremy answered for her. “Isn’t it obvious? You’re embarrassing her.”