Rose of Thorne (17 page)

Slowl
y, he walks up to me, and carefully removes the necklace from the box. He moves around to my back, and I can feel the warmth of his body as he moves closer. He reaches around me, lays the jewel upon my chest, and then brings the chain around to clasp. His touch is driving me wild with desire. I become electrified when I feel his fingers slowly slide down the back of my neck.

Can he hear my heart racing?
Will I ever be able to get him out of my heart? Oh, Sebastian… why do you do this to me?

“
So. Incredibly. Beautiful. You’re absolute perfection, Skylar,” he whispers. I feel the warmth of his breath against my neck. He gently kisses where the clasp is on the necklace, and I feel my knees begin to tremble. I fall back into him, and he places his hand around me on my stomach. I put my hand on his and he threads his fingers through mine. I don’t want to turn around… I don’t want to let go… I just want him… I want us.

He gently turns me to face him
, and I grasp the gorgeous jewel on my neck. Tears fill my eyes, but I don’t try to hide them.

”Thank you so much,
” I whisper. He lovingly kisses my cheeks one at a time before he cups my face in his hands. I am so lost in his amber eyes that I feel like I am drowning. He pulls me in and I inhale his intoxicating scent. Desire fills the room and our lips crash into one another. My arms slowly reach up and wrap around his neck, and he pulls me in tighter to deepen our kiss.

“God, how I have missed this…
you have no idea, Skylar,” he says as he breathlessly breaks our kiss.

“Me too, I’ve missed this more than you will ever know
,” I admit and lean in to place my forehead against his. “Why does it have to be so hard?” I ask sadly.

“Why does what have to be so hard
, baby?” He whispers.

“Why does loving you have to be so hard?
” I accidentally let the words slip out of my mouth.

“What?
Skylar, NO! That’s not possible! You can’t love–”

I interrupt him.
“Well, I do… I love you Sebastian… and although you may not love me… I can’t believe you don’t feel something between us. Why do you have to fight it? I just don’t understand this at all anymore. It’s like you are two totally different people,” I say sadly, as I look back in his direction.

“Skylar.
.. please... I do care about you, but… I don’t love you. I’m sorry,” he says and I feel completely mortified.

I nod my head and stumble for th
e door… I have to get out here… I can’t breathe. Right now, I am angry, confused, and beyond hurt. I tug on the chain and the necklace falls to the floor. I make my way quickly to the elevator and hear him yelling for me as it closes. I don’t know whether I am happy or sad that he doesn’t try to come after me.

Fuck
you Sebastian Thorne! Fuck ALL men for that matter!

Lucas

I don’t think I will make it back in time for Christmas, but somehow I have managed to be able to sneak away for a few days. I haven’t seen her in over a month, and I can’t wait to hold my girl in my arms again.

My girl?

I kno
w she isn’t exactly my girl yet, but I hope that she feels something happening between the two of us, as much as I do. I know she is hesitant to give into me completely, and I wonder if someone has hurt her in her past. All I know is that we were finally getting closer when I received the summons to Paris.

I feel terrible that it has been two weeks since I
’ve last spoken with her, but I want to surprise her. I have worked night and day in order to be able to spend Christmas in Austin, and now, knowing that I’m about to see my beautiful angel makes it all worth it.

I kno
w tonight is Thorne Enterprises Annual Christmas party because I got an invitation as I do every year. I decide that I will surprise her there tonight and give her my gift early. Skylar always loves silly cheap gifts and has always talked about how she and her sister would try to seek out the tackiest gift every year for Christmas. I smile to myself as I look at the wrapped package beside me. In a souvenir shop in Paris, I had found a horrendous bobble head of a pink poodle wearing a beret. When you tap its bobble head, it plays ‘That’s Amore’. I know she will love it, but the present that is making my heart beat fast is the large box underneath the bobble head. This present holds an envelope with a first class ticket to Paris. I will only be here in Texas until a couple days after Christmas, and then I have to fly back. There is no way I want to ring in the New Year without her. When the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Day, I want my lips on hers.

The party is
in full effect when I arrive, and I make my way through the crowd of people. Sara, Sebastian’s assistant, waves at me from the far end of the room. She has always been such a kind woman and I have enjoyed working with her over the years.

“So good to see
you, Lucas! I am glad you made it back before Christmas,” Sara says as she pulls me in for a hug.

“It is good to see you again too
, Sara. I didn’t think I that I would make it back in time, but I flew in to surprise Skylar. Is she still here by the way?” I ask as I continue scanning the room.

Sara slowly smiles and nods her head as if she is in deep thought.

“Yes, Skylar just went up to our office upstairs for something.
She will be back down soon,” she says. Another couple comes to greet her, and I quickly give her a wave and head toward the elevator.

I think I will just surprise her.

When I arrive on the top
level, I see the lights of the office dimly light, and I make my way to the glass doors that open up to her office. Just as I turn the corner, I see my beautiful girl… but she is in the arms of another… Sebastian.

Sebastian?

My chest tightens and I feel li
ke I am going to be sick. I stagger back to the elevator and make my way downstairs. Before I exit the building, I toss her gifts into the garbage, and walk back out to my car. Part of me wants to go back upstairs and beat the living shit out of Sebastian, and the other part of me just wants her to be happy. I pull out my phone and message my parents that I won’t be there for Christmas after all, and then call to have my plane ready immediately. Within the hour, I am in the air flying back to Paris, but my heart is still in Texas. Although she was never truly mine… my heart isn’t exactly convinced of that.

Sebastian

“Skylar, wait!” I yell as I pick up the necklace off the floor, but she is gone. I had thrown her confession of love back in her face and had lied to her.

I am a fucking asshole! I have ruined everything!

“FUCK!”

Looking down at the necklace in my
hand, I am beyond saddened. When it was on her neck, it looked as if it were made for her, which in truth it was. I had designed it myself and had imported the diamonds to my specifications. Clenching the necklace in my hand, I feel defeated and begin walking back to my office.

The last words I
would ever think I would hear out of her mouth are that she loves me. I mean… of course, I lied. I more than love this woman, but she can never know that. I have already taken too much from her. I don’t deserve to love or be loved… especially by her.

Ho
lding her in my arms had been Heaven and I can still taste her raspberry flavored gloss on my lips.

Why did I do this to her agai
n?

Yes
, I know just how much of a fucking asshole I am. I don’t know what the hell I’m going to do now. She’s right. I feel like I am two different people when I am around her, and let me tell you, it’s absolutely exhausting. What she doesn’t know is that I want so desperately to be the Sebastian she wants me to be, but I give her the darker side because I can’t allow myself to have her.

Christmas blends into New Year’s and before I know
it, everyone is returning to work. I never left the office. I threw myself into it so hard that I never noticed what day it was or if it was still the holidays or not. All my hard work over the holidays paid off and I have secured a final meeting with Mr. Chiro Yung, the Japanese billionaire who is looking to design a multi-million dollar Japanese resort just outside of LA. I will be talking to my design teams about this today, in fact.

I
have been going out of my mind worrying about her since the moment she walked out at the Christmas party. So many times, I had to stop myself as I replayed the scene over and over in my mind. If we succeed in landing this account, Thorne Enterprises will reach its billion-dollar mark. Yes, this is a deal of a lifetime, so my team better bring their A-GAME.

Sara interrupts my thoughts
when she pages me to tell me everyone is gathered into the large conference room. Now, as I am about to face her, I have to put my game face on when all I really want to do was pull her into my arms.

Skylar

I have dreaded this day more than I can ever express. Today is the first day back after the holidays and I don’t know what I am going to do when I see him. Spending time with my sister and Kylie has been fun and they’ve tried their best to keep my mind off him, but as much as I try to fake my smile… they can see right through me.

I take a deep breath as I walk in
to Thorne Enterprises. Sara greets me with a huge hug and asks me about the holiday break. I smile as I listen to her tell about her grandchildren and how well her husband has recovered from his heart attack. There is a memo on my desk alerting everyone of an important meeting this morning

I take
my satchel with me to the conference room and slowly make my way to the back of the room. I keep my head down as he stands to address the staff in the room. The employees straighten in their seat and drawers fall at his every command… everyone, but me that is. I am not being defiant; I just simply remain amazed at how different he is from the man I had first fallen for. This Sebastian is so cold and arrogant, completely opposite from the warm and compassionate one that I first came to know. I quickly look down at my sketchpad when I see him begin moving to the back of the room near me. I continue to try to make myself invisible while the first two designers begin giving their ideas. Their suggestions do not impress me at all. Both of them have missed the concept completely in my opinion, but I am just an intern, so what do I know?

According to
Sebastian, we will be meeting again one more time before the big meeting with Chiro Yung next week. If this deal goes through, it will mean a three hundred million dollar contract for Thorne Enterprises; so needless to say, a lot is riding on this deal. Yung Towers is extending its Japanese hotel chain across the world and has decided to build a posh resort just outside of Los Angeles. They want a modern flair to their design, and specify that they want to stay away from the typical Japanese stereotypical designs. And so far, the number four presenter still hasn’t seemed to have listened to anything Mr. Yung has requested. Sebastian is now rounding the back of the room as the last member of the design team speaks, and I keep my head down, as to not bring any attention to myself. Sebastian cuts him off midway through his ideas.

“
This is ABSOLUTE PURE SHIT! Calvin, your team has two days to present. That is all everyone! Now clear the room!” he demands. I place my sketchpad in my satchel and make my way to the door as quickly as possible. One of the men from the team reaches back to grab his coffee and swiftly turns, knocking into me. Warm coffee soaks my black silk top and runs down my gray pants. I stumble back into gentle arms and feel the air hiss from between his teeth. He helps to steady me before turning to the man and unleashing his fury on him.

“Are you fucking insane?
Do you realize that if that had been hot, she could have been severely burned or scarred? ” he spits out as he makes his way out the door leaving me dripping with coffee and grabbing for my fallen satchel on the floor.

WHAT THE HELL? I mean it was just a
n accident!

Sara
, being the absolute jewel she is, volunteers to help me clean my blouse in the ladies room.

“You know
, dear, it isn’t my place to say this, but is everything okay with you and Mr. Thorne?” she asks. When I look away from her, she catches my nervousness and pats my face.

“You know, sweetheart, I have worked here for over
22 years. And believe you me, I have seen a lot over the years, especially between his father and him. I have to say that I have never seen him look at any woman the way he looks at you.”

Huh? What look is she talking about? He ignores me when everyone else is around.

“You must be mistaken, Sara. I am just focusing on getting through my internship. Mr. Thorne and I have nothing more than a professional relationship.”         

She ignores my words and begins eying
my sketchpad in my open satchel on the floor. Before I know it, she reaches down, quickly retrieves it, and begins flipping through it.

“Skylar, this is simply magnificent.
Have you shown him any of these?”

“Oh
, no. I was just working on an idea while sitting through the presentations. I am sure Seb… Mr. Thorne wouldn’t be interested in an intern’s drawings. “

“You really should let him see these, Skylar.
I don’t think anyone else has gotten the idea down, and I know Sebastian has been very worried about this account,” she adds and hands me back the book.

I tuck the sketchbook back into my bag and tell her that I will consider letting him see my ideas.
What she doesn’t know is that there is no way in hell that I am actually going to do that.

Two days later
, the office is a bundle of nerves as we prepare for the huge afternoon meeting with Mr. Yung and his associates. I am making my way into the large conference room when I see him. Sebastian’s thick dark ebony hair is styled smoothly to one side and the length teases the top of the crisp gray designer suit that he is wearing. He looks magnificent and powerful and he exudes confidence when he enters the room. My gaze locks to his and for a few seconds, I see a hint of that perfect crooked smile that I have missed so much. Blinking rapidly to break our locked gaze, he turns to speak to the presenting team.

I notice
an empty seat in the far back and begin heading towards it. Suddenly, Sara calls my name out load and motions for me to join her at the front of the conference table. I inwardly cringe as I move to sit next to her. She pats my hand and I settle my things beside her. Mr. Yung and his associates make their way into the room a little while later and everyone stands to greet them.

Thorne’s team wastes no time beginning their presentation an
d for the next fifteen minutes I watch a very terrified team give it their all. A very unimpressed Yung leans in to his associates and begins shaking his head at them. They immediately nod and begin waving their hands and stop the anxious team midway in their presentation.

“Mr. Thorne,
you disappoint me greatly. I am a very busy man and when I ask for the best, I expect the best.” He points to the screen on the wall. “This trip has obviously been a complete and utter waste of my time.”

“Mr. Yung
, sir, as you know I have some of the world’s best team designers here working for me. I am more than confident that we can come up with a design plan that pleases you,” Sebastian confidently says as he tries to motion for the men to sit back down.

“No, Mr. Thorne!
I need to get this project going immediately and these plans do NOT please me. I think, it’s best perhaps that I pursue other options on design firms.”

Sara kicks me and I glare at her.
Mr. Yung begins to stand and Sebastian immediately tries again to convince him to stay.

“I am sorry
, Mr. Thorne, but if this is all you have prepared to offer me today, then I am afraid we do not have a deal.”

Sebastian has now grown irritated and impatient.
It isn’t in his nature to fail and he isn’t handling the situation very well. Sara clears her throat and nudges me again, this time hard in the ribs.

“OW
!” I yelp and immediately fifty sets of eyes turn to find mine.

I want to crawl under the table and die now.

Sebastian looks harshly in my direction and then he softens as our eyes lock.

“Is there a problem
, Ms. Rose?” Sebastian asks me with irritation in his voice. And then Sara kicks my foot.

Damn it, t
his woman was ruthless!

“Yes
… I mean, no sir, there isn’t a problem,”
JAB.
“OUCH, Sara!”

“Sara
, is there a problem?” Sebastian now asks through gritted teeth.

Sara boldly stands
. “Yes, Mr. Thorne, there is indeed a terrible problem. You see, Skylar here is too modest to show you her design concept. I think it warrants your immediate attention,” she says as she hands him my sketchpad.