Rose of Thorne (8 page)

“What a great pick up line,” I joke but he frowns at me.

“Trust me, gorgeous, I have used lots of lines in my day, but there is no line here. I mean every word. Come on, surely you know just how stunning you are,” he says as he studies me closely.

“Um…
no, but thank you,” I say blushing and looking back down at the old wood floor.

He lifts my chin and raises my face to his.

“Don’t do that, gorgeous. Hold your head up,” he says and I slowly lift my eyes to meet his.

His eyes are seriously the color of Sophie’s emerald birthstone!

“So, you have me to a disadvantage,” he says leaning back into his chair. “You know my name and number, but I still seem to be lacking yours,” he teases, and he pulls out his phone. “I promise I am not a stalker or some psycho serial pedestrian killer. I need your number for very important reasons,” he says as he smirks in my direction.

“Oh
, really, and what important reasons would those be?” I ask, smirking right back at him.

He leans into me
, and I get a whiff of his rich leather and spice smell. He stares at me for a minute and seems to be studying my face intently.

He grins and leans in
a little closer to me before responding.

“So I can ask out the most beautiful creature I have ever seen.”

My breath catches at his words
, and before I can open my mouth, Marie speaks for me.

“Skylar Rose
893-0517,” Marie chants out as she places the large white box on the counter.

“Why thank you
, Miss Marie,” he says and winks at me before typing my number in his phone. Once he has entered the number he stands to walk to the counter. He pays for the giant white box of chocolate treats and makes his way back over to me.

He opens the box and places a chocolate treat in my hand and leans down to kiss my cheek.

“Enjoy your orgasm from me, gorgeous,” he whispers in my ear and then he walks out the door.

I am speechless…
completely speechless. I should be offended, but then why do I have a massive grin plastered on my face right now?

“Who was that fine specimen of a man?” Marie says as she fans herself.

“Lucas Drake,” I reply as my phone chimes.

LUCAS:
Hello, Gorgeous. Tonight proved to be one of the most fantastic surprises of my life. Thanks for letting me run you over!

I smile as I type in my reply
.

ME:
Thanks for not killing me

LUCAS:
Trust me, gorgeous, walking away not knowing your name nearly killed me.

ME
:


LUCAS:
Sleep well and be careful crossing busy intersections at night.There are some real crazy drivers out there you know
!


ME:
HAHA. Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind.

I help Marie lock up the bakery and she insists on taking me back to my car. I can’t help but think about how crazy my day had been. Not only had I found out that I had landed my dream internship and seen Sebastian again, but for the next six months he would now be my boss. As if that weren’t enough, I’m nearly run over and killed by another sexy CEO. Could my life get any more soap opera-ish? No, I don’t think it is humanly possible.

Note to self, contact the Lifetime network.

I am curled underneath a blanket watching Scarlet O’Hara profess her undying love to Rhett when my sister comes in. She smiles widely at me and slides beside me making a grab for my uneaten popcorn. I laugh as she lays her head on my shoulder and crams the handful in her mouth.

“Go
od grief, how many times have you seen this movie, Sky?” Sophie jokes as she reaches for another handful. I roll my eyes as I hand her the bowl.

“Not nearly enough,” I joke as I stand and stretch watching the credits roll on the screen.

“Did you guys have fun tonight?” I ask her as I fold up the blanket on the couch.

“Yes, we went to see that new scary movie
The Darkness,
and it was SO good even if I did spend most of my time with my eyes covered and on Rylan’s shoulder,” she laughs.

“Hmmm…I’m sure he didn’t like that one bit,” I tease her as I jab her in the ribs with my elbow.

“HAHA… yeah, he didn’t seem to mind too much,” she winks and stands to go to her room.

“I’m going to go ahead and turn in, sis.
I have to work a double shift tomorrow. I am sorry I am going to miss your Saturday game,” I say sadly as I make my way to the kitchen to lock the doors.

“It’s cool
, sis. I’m just so happy you made it today! I just hate you are working all day again tomorrow. You promised me you’d slow down. You’re going to kill yourself at this rate.”

“Hey, listen to me,” I
say as I pull her into a hug. “We’ve made it this far and it won’t be much longer, and you and I will be graduating. We just have to hang on a little longer, okay? You don’t worry about me. I’ll be okay, honey, I always am,” I reassure her and kiss her forehead.

“Oh
, Sky, I love you. You just don’t know how much!” She says as she hugs me tighter.

“Trust me
, babe, I know, if it’s half as much as I love you. You’re kinda stuck with me anyway, kid,” I say, winking at her beautiful face.

“
And I can’t think of anyone better to be stuck with,” she replies as she swats my butt.

“Even Rylan? I’ll have to tell him that
next time I see him. Oh and I’ll have to tell him you were grabbing my ass just then,” I tease and she giggles as she heads to the bedroom. “LOVE YOU, SIS!” She yells.

“Goodnight
, sis, I love you, too” I yell back as I head up the stairs to my room.

I fall asleep
thinking about Sebastian and Lucas. My heart hurts at the thought of Sebastian and how he was so cold and arrogant to me today. Had I really known him at all? Why, even now, does it hurt to not be around him? He is now my boss, and that can never happen. Then, I thought of Lucas and how incredibly sexy and romantic our meeting had been today. Even through it all I didn’t have the same spark I feel for Sebastian. What is wrong with me? I don’t have time for my head to get clouded up with men. Especially the kind that spell nothing but T-R-O-U-B-L-E! I toss and turn until time for me to get ready for my shift. Great, now I will be dead on my feet all day.

Lucas

From the moment I see her, something inside of me changes. After the hellacious day that I’ve just experienced, it is as if God himself drops an angel out of the sky, right in front of my new silver Aston Martin. When my eyes lock with her haunting blue-green ones, I think my whole universe shifts. Thankfully, I stop in just enough time, but curse my stupidity for failing to pay attention to where I am going. I am so terrified as I watch her slap the hood of my car and tumble to the ground. When I rush out to her, I never expect to be affected the way that I am. The moment my hand caresses her soft silky skin, I know she is different, and I’m not about to let her go.

She insists
she is fine, but even after inspecting her for injuries, I search for excuses to spend more time with her. When she smiles and continues walking down the street, I sit there at the intersection and watch her from my car. I notice she walks into a little shop named Marie’s Bakery. I immediately turn the car around and search for a place to park.

As I walk down the old pebble
stone sidewalk, the heavenly smells coming from Maries’ Bakery drift by in the air. I spot the beautiful creature sitting on the red chaise lounge by the fireplace, and I can’t help but wonder what she is thinking about. I find myself as nervous as a teenage boy as I make my way into the shop and beside her. She is eating some sort of pastry and has a huge smile on her face. Her eyes are closed and I hear a soft moan come from her body.

Dear
Lord, if she only knew what effect that sound is having on me right now.

I nearly ha
ve to bolt out of the bakery with a massive erection. She is truly enjoying these little treats, and I debate on buying the whole damn bakery right there on the spot just so I can watch her eat them all the time.

A
n older Italian woman smiles at me and holds up one finger letting me know that she will be right back. I hear the beautiful girl’s voice ask the name of the pastry she is eating and I hear the older woman reply, ‘the orgasm’, as she winks at me. Smiling, I can’t resist walking up to mess with her a bit. I stand above her looking down into her flawless face. Her eyes remain closed as she continues savoring the treat in her mouth.

Fuck me
, she is stunning!

“Enjoying that orgasm there?” I tease her.

My words startle her and she looks at me with surprise and humor. I reach down and take one of the chocolate treats into my mouth and smile as she locks eyes with me again. I know in that moment that I will do anything in the world to make this woman mine.

Skylar

I am so incredibly tired as I wiped down the sticky counter with the damp cloth. Tonight will be my last double shift at the café and I try not to think about what I am going to do when the money runs out. Starting the internship means I could only work the evening shift. It also meant only half the money. Staring up at the clock I wipe my forehead in relief. Twenty five more minutes and my shift will be over, thank heavens.

The door chimes and three beautiful girls near my age are laughing as they sit in the corner booth.
I finish clearing away the counter and make my way over to them. I am relieved they only want coffee, and I quickly fill their cups. The café is really slow, so I go ahead and turn off the neon
OPEN
sign before I begin doing my nightly table checks. I am adding new napkins to the booth in front of the group of girls when I overhear their conversation. They are discussing how much they made in tips the night before. I almost drop the dispenser in my hand at the mention of the amount. It is triple what I make her in an entire month here at the café and that is with me working double shifts.

I do
n’t even want to know what they had to do to earn that kind of money.

Now t
hey are talking about how the owner had mentioned they are needing another girl to work at lounge by the bar.

A ba
r? I can handle that I think.

So, I do it. I gather up my courage and I ask them about the position.

I’m now sitting in m
y car looking at the card that Megan, one of the girls had given me. JAXX is a new bar and restaurant about twenty minutes from downtown Austin. According to Megan it is pretty normal stuff such as waiting on tables and bringing drinks from the bar to the customers. The only catch is that all the waitresses perform one dance together on stage every night. It is nothing inappropriate, but something that was sure to draw in a large crowd of men. She wants me to come by tomorrow during practice to meet the manager and see for myself if I will be interested. I don’t know if I can do it, but I don’t see any harm in checking it out. I tuck the card in the cup holder and head home. Sleep is not kind to me tonight; I am too worried about my first day near Sebastian.

Morning finds me
weary and tired. This is my first day, officially, as an intern at Thorne Enterprise. To say I am a nervous wreck is a complete understatement. I am more like an emotional mess I check myself in my full length mirror for the thousandth time before grabbing my leather satchel and heading out the door and to the driveway. The rain is pouring down hard, and the traffic is slowing up because of an accident in the far left lane. Less than ten minutes into my drive, I am jolted as my steering wheel jerks to the side followed by a loud noise.

REALLY?
JUST GREAT! A freaking blowout on my first day!

I look at my clock on my phone.

SHIT!

I know how to change a tire, but I will ruin my dress on this wet pavement.
Cars buzz by me and the rain continues to pour as I frantically try calling Kylie.

Come on… please… please… pick up… “Hi, this is Kylie leave me a message!”

SHIT!!!
Now,
I’ve only got twenty minutes
!

I am going to be late if I don’t hurry. I throw on my
vinyl raincoat and battle the rain as I kneel on the pavement with the jack in my hand. Of course, the lug nuts would be rusted, and I now have grease all over my hands and cream dress. I roll the spare on and secure it quickly, then throw the other in the trunk along with the jack and wrench. Jumping in my car, I look at the clock.

SHIT! SHIT! T
wo minutes until 8:00am.

I put the call through to Sara but am transferred to the wrong extension.
I leave a message with the front desk and frantically make my way through town. I park in the garage in my designated number and grab my satchel and make a mad sprint for the elevator. I don’t even bother locking the car because I mean, who is going to steal that piece of shit next to all these other fancy cars. I absentmindedly look into the mirror in the foyer and I am horrified at my appearance.

The hair I had spent so long on this morning now
resembles a wet mop of curls down my back, my mascara is streaked down one side, and grease is smeared on my left cheek. We won’t even discuss the clothes. I look up at the clock on the wall 8:22 am
.

Shit….SHIT!

I quickly wipe at the grease, bu
t it isn’t coming off. Oh no…NO! The elevator chimes open behind me and I see his eyes find mine through the mirror. Sebastian.

Can
someone PLEASE, just kill me now!

He is with two other gentlemen and h
e dismisses them immediately after he sees me. Panicked, I quickly make a sprint for the stairwell door. I had almost made it to the door when his hand finds my arm and I before I know it I am being led into a nearby office.

“You are late
, Skylar! You missed the morning meeting and the agenda for the week. I am very disappointed that you not only show up late, but you show up looking like… like this. You look like a drowned grease rat,” he grits through his teeth.

              “I’m so sorry. My car had a blowout this morning on the interstate. I had to change my tire in this weather. I tried to call Sara, but I kept getting the wrong extension. It won’t happen again, I swear!” I plead with him to understand. His look softens at first. It’s as if he is struggling to stay angry, but then he spins away from me. With his back now turned, he opens the door but not before spitting out, “You need to go home, Skylar, NOW! And it’s best you remember that I won’t tolerate this kind of behavior in the future. I suggest you show up on time from here on out because this is your first and only warning. Next time will result in being excused from this internship program. Is that understood, Ms. Rose?”

“Yes
, sir,” I reply softly, looking down so that I don’t give him the satisfaction of seeing me cry.

He closes
the door, and I stand there shaking from both the wetness of my clothes and the anger in his voice. I slowly exit the room and make my way to leave the building.

Sara is coming through the lobby to sign for a package and sp
ots me as I emerge from the hall. Her eyes grow wide, and she pulls me into the nearby ladies room. I can no longer manage to hold back the tears, and I sob into my hands as I hear the water turning on at the sink. Sara walks over to the door, locks it, and leads me to the bench by the mirror. She smiles sadly at me as she gently wipes my face and speaks softly to me.

“
Shhh... It’s okay, honey. What happened?” she asks as she continues to wipe my face.

“I had a flat on my way here and had trouble changing the tire.
It caused me to be late and ruin my clothes. Seb… Mr. Thorne spotted me as I was trying to make my way to the elevator and told me to go home. He is upset that I showed up late and looking like this. I tried to call you to explain, but I got transferred to the wrong department every time. I left a message for you, but I didn’t know if you would get it in time.”

“Now
, now, dear. You have had a most horrible day, bless your heart! I am certain Mr. Thorne wasn’t angry. He probably was just busy this morning, and you misread him. He can come across harsh sometimes, I’m afraid. Trust me, it will be fine. Now, let’s get you cleaned up, shall we?”

I nod at her
, and she pats me on the back. She helps me to remove most of the grease from my face and arms and thankfully now I look much more presentable.

“Now, why don’t you go on home and
rest? Tomorrow will be much better, I am certain,” she says and kisses my cheek. When she does that, it reminds me of my mother and of how much I miss her. Especially in times like these. I look up at Sara’s face. I really like this woman, and I am so glad I have her on my side.

“Thank you so much
, Sara,” I tell her as I hug her and grab my bags.

I can’t help my mind from racing on my drive home.
What right did he have to get so upset with me? I mean sure I was late, but it was obvious that I had not been lying about having the flat. I don’t know if I can handle him getting angry at me like that again. Perhaps I have made a mistake in taking this internship. I can’t help but wonder where the Sebastian I know went? Can I do this for the next six months? I just didn’t know. Before I know it, my eyes grow heavy, and I drift off to sleep across my bed.

Sebastian

“CLEAR MY SCHEDULE!” I bark at Sara, when I meet her in the lobby. I am fuming as I make my way up to my office floor. I slam the large wooden door behind me and flip over the leather chair in front of my desk. With one swift movement, I swipe the desk of its contents and watch as the glass paper weight falls and shatters. I grab my hair and growl out in anger. “FUCK!”
How could I have spoken to her so horribly?

When I stepped off the elevator
earlier, I was beyond horrified at what I saw. There she stood, rain soaked and filthy, frantically rubbing grease from her beautiful face, and what did I do? I yell at her. I was so damn mad at thinking about how she could have been hurt that I took my anger out on her. All I can think about is her trying to change that tire on the side of the busy interstate in the middle of the pouring rain, with no one to help her
.

What if she had been hit by a car? What if she had wrecked with the blowout?

All of these scenarios play out in my head, and I am BEYOND pissed that I allowed myself to even care. I can’t let her see how she affects me, so I give her the Sebastian she has never met. The Sebastian that the world and everyone else knows as the asshole, the monster, the cold hateful son of a bitch.

St
anding there with grease all over her face and soaked to the bone she looked so fucking beautiful. It was all I could do not to pull her into my arms and kiss her like crazy, but instead I sent her home out of panic because of my body’s reaction to her. She has no idea just how much she affects me and to be honest I don’t know how this whole intern thing is going to work out. I can’t spend the entire time away on business or hiding in my office.

No, what I need is
a distraction, a really good distraction to help me get her off my mind. Yes, a good fuck is exactly what I need to get myself back on track. My old childhood pal Jackson Stone has just opened his new club JAXX last month and I have heard it was the hottest new ticket in town. I text Jackson and he tells me that he has me a section reserved in the VIP area upstairs. I immediately feel better and back on track to being me. I have let Skylar Rose into my head for far too long. After tonight she will no longer be more than a memory.