Waking Sebastian (8 page)

She sat down then looked back at the bed. “All right Charles, time to go to work. Whip out your dick.”

“With pleasure!”

* * * *

Charles and Hannah were panting in perfect rhythm when Michelle saved her file and closed the lid on her laptop. It was a little after eleven, way too early for Sebastian to appear. Her eyes were tired, her body weary from lack of sleep, and from lack of food.

She hadn’t eaten anything since breakfast that morning, staying in her room to work. She needed to fill her belly, and then go to the cove to talk with Sebastian.

In the kitchen, she found a plate of chicken and vegetables covered with foil in the refrigerator. After removing the thin aluminum, she put the dish in the microwave to heat then looked out the window.

Visions of a young blond boy frolicking in the yard ran through her mind as she stared out over the grounds. She saw him climbing the trees, chasing frogs and playing tag with a young girl in a long, white dress. Michelle could swear they were real, but she knew they weren’t. She wondered if somehow Marta had planted them for her to see, to make her feel closer to Sebastian.

It had to be hard to be a guardian to what was, essentially, a lost cause. For almost two hundred years all those before her had failed. And now victory seemed to be a hand, if only Michelle would cooperate. Planting memories would increase her empathy, and perhaps make her feel things for the tragic figure in front of her.

Of course they weren’t really necessary. Michelle already felt something. She just didn’t want to fall in love. She’d done that with Justin, thinking it was forever. And then he’d dumped her, leaving her alone and crying. She’d barely recovered from that. Why should she open her heart again? What’s worse why should she open her heart to a man who—essentially—did not exist?

“Tell yourself that all you want,”
Charles said as the microwave dinged.
“He is real.”

“Shouldn’t you be upstairs, basking in the afterglow of the glorious orgasm I just provided you?”

“You provided me? I beg to differ.”
He sat down in a chair, propping his booted feet on the table.
“I was the one who said we should do the—”

“Enough!’ Michelle put her plate on the table. “I’m eating now, and don’t care to relive your sexual glory.”

Charles chuckled, then linked his hands across his chest.
“You know, I have been thinking.”

Michelle cut into her chicken. “You’ve been thinking? Without me?”

Her muse ignored her question.
“You helped Hannah to work through her fears about sex, yet you are perfectly happy to lock yourself away from the idea you could find happiness. Why is that?”

“Don’t you dare sit there and analyze me, Charles.”

“Why not? You refuse to do it for yourself.”

Michelle took her mostly untouched plate and put it in the sink. She gathered up a few oranges and bananas, found several bottles of soda in the fridge, and turned to Charles. “I’m leaving, and if you follow me the threat of a three-inch dick becomes reality. Understand?”

“Keep running, then. My large penis and I will stay right here.”

Michelle made her way to the beach, trying, and failing, to be angry with Charles. Because really, as he’d pointed out earlier, Charles was just her own subconscious mind spouting ideas that she was afraid to put forth.

She stared out at the ocean as she thought about what Charles had said. She helped her characters work through their problems with each book she wrote, yet she was willing to let herself wallow in sorrow, to let a chance for happiness slide by just because Justin had dumped all over her.

If she did that, Justin would win. It was an old cliché, but it was true. She needed to see if she had feelings for Sebastian, but how did you do that when you only have an hour each day? Of course, she’d already spent three hours with him, and had one fantastic orgasm after another.

But love wasn’t based on sex alone. You had to get to know someone. And how could that happen in just one hour a day?

Michelle lay down, closing her eyes and focusing on Sebastian.
Can you hear me? Is there any part of you that can feel me near you right now?

She got no answer, no tingle, no deep voice carried across the wind to caress her neck, no feeling of longing in her body.

Great,
she thought to herself.
If I had to put myself in the middle of a fairy tale, why did I have to be the one rescuing someone? I have no clue how to go about it. What the hell do I do now?

“Hey, wake up!”

There was a heavy push on her shoulder and Michelle groaned softly. “What?”

“I said wake up. I’m hungry, what’s for dinner?”

She sat up, trying to remember where she was. She’d gone to sleep in the cove, waiting for Sebastian to show up. But now she was in her house, the one she’d shared with Justin, the one she’d put on the market before leaving for Florida since it was filled with too many memories of the man towering over her at this very moment.

She stared up at Justin and her mouth went dry. “What are you doing here? What am I doing here?”

“We live here, remember? What’s. For. Dinner?” He enunciated each word, his gaze still locked on her face.

“Dinner?” His groan of disgust when she didn’t answer made her want to slap him.

He chuckled, and not in a joking manner. “I know you know what food is. Let’s face it, your knowledge is hard to miss. You said dinner would be ready soon and that was over an hour ago. And now I come in here and find you sleeping? What have you been doing for the last hour?”

“Trying to figure out a way to wake Sebastian by falling in love with him.”

He snorted again, then headed for the door. “Figures. Leave me starving while you dally with a romance novel hero. I’m ordering pizza.”

She could hear his steps as he went downstairs and she looked around the room, a feeling of horror settling in the pit of her stomach. Had it all been a dream? It wasn’t unusual for her to dream up plots for her books, but the last few days had seemed so real, and Sebastian had provided her with fantastic orgasms. That part was strange. She never had sex with her muses. They were only interested in the heroines.

“Sebastian?” No answer came and Michelle swallowed hard. “Charles?”

Panic gripped her stomach as Justin’s voice tailed up the stairs, giving directions to their house to the deliveryman. “Extra cheese,” she heard him say. “And I’m starved. Get it here quick and you get ten bucks extra.”

Michelle stood and glanced around. She was in her office, the desk littered with research books and notes, the walls full of cover flats from her books. She’d been sleeping on the daybed that she kept for just that purpose, since she kept odd hours, something that had always bothered Justin.

She stopped in the doorway and sniffed. The smell of stale cigarette smoke hit her nose. She and Justin had often fought about that habit, and he’d quit right before they’d broken up. But it did not seem to have lasted. Unless…unless it was all a dream and they hadn’t broken up. Maybe she hadn’t gone to
Florida
.

The stairs seemed steep as she walked down them, turning toward the living room when she hit the bottom.

Justin sat in a chair, rummaging through her purse. “What are you doing?”

“Money for the pizza guy,” he said. “You got a lot of crap in here, you know. Hey, get me a beer, will ya?”

“Get it yourself,” she said, grabbing her purse out of his hands. “And stay out of my stuff.”

The incredulous look on his face made her smile. He obviously hadn’t been expecting that. “Excuse me? I seem to remember the deal we made when I agreed to take you back.”

Her smile faded and icy fingers of fear tightened around her nerve endings, making her hands tingle with pain. “What deal?”

“The one where we got married and you paid for everything, remember?”

She backed away from Justin, her hands in the air. “Now I know this is a nightmare. I would never agree to something so stupid.”

“Stupid? I’m the best thing you could get. I’m the only man who would put up with you.”

“Now it’s my turn to say,
excuse me?
You’re the one who left me, remember? What’s the matter, did your skinny little girlfriend dump you?”

The anger on his face told her she’d hit the nail on the head. She threw back her head and laughed. “Get out, Justin. I wouldn’t take you back if my life depended on it.”

“No?” He stood and pulled her purse from her hands, letting it drop to the floor. “Did you miss the part where I said we were married? Husband and wife? Until death do us part?”

The fear Michelle had felt earlier increased. What if this wasn’t a dream? What if he was telling her the truth?

The doorbell rang and he thrust some bills at her. “Go get the pizza.”

“Get it yourself.” She slapped his hand away and the money fell to the floor.

Rage passed over his face and he lifted his hand as if to strike her. Several things happened at once. The front door burst open, the sound of splintering wood filling the air.

A large man pushed himself between her and Justin, the sound of a fist hitting flesh echoed through the room and then Justin was on the ground.

Sebastian turned to her. He wore tight leggings and a chain mail shirt, and had a sword in his hand. Michelle’s eyes widened as she stared at him.

“What is happening?”

“You said you wanted me to rescue you.” He wrapped an arm around her waist, drawing her close to him. He captured her lower lip between his sucking on it gently. “You taste so wonderful.”

“So do you.” She laughed and threw back her head as he licked her chin, working his way down her neck. “But why are you dressed like that, and why are you carrying a sword?”

“In case I have to slay a dragon,” he said, his look turning serious. “I would do anything for you, Michelle.”

He kissed her again, his tongue stroking her lower lip before slipping inside her, filling her as pleasure wrapped around her heart, then seeped inside and sealed her as his forever.

“You have given me the most wondrous gift,” he whispered into her ear. “Not since I was bound have I been able to dream, to see anything but the cove and the sunrise.”

“How is this is happening?”

“You’re both nuts, that’s how.” Justin’s voice intruded on them and Sebastian stepped in front of her, his sword at the ready.

“May I?”

“No!” Michelle stepped in front of him. “I may hate him, but no bloodshed.”

“Very well,” Sebastian replied. “Leave now, or I will feed you to the dragon.”

“What dragon?” Justin said, putting his arms across his chest.

Michelle stared at the apparition that appeared behind Justin. She tried to speak, but no words came, so she just pointed at the large, scaly monster that stood patiently looking at Justin’s back.

Justin followed her gaze, screamed like a little girl, and ran off, the dragon in hot pursuit.

“I like this dream,” Michelle laughed.

“As do I.” Sebastian dropped the sword and pulled her into his arms, kissing her fiercely. He moved his hands to hold her head still, the pressure hard and forceful, and one of the most gratifying things Michelle had ever felt. He was claiming her, putting his mark on her, and she loved every second of it.

“I want to see the sunshine,” he said, putting his forehead against her and stroking his hands up and down her back. “I want to smell the flowers and taste wine.”

“Can you do that?” She put her hands on his hips, pulling him close to her. His hard cock pressed against her belly and she groaned. “For that matter, how is this happening?”

“I don’t care,” Sebastian replied. “All I know is that you are in my arms, and that makes everything perfect.”

Michelle felt as if she would melt on the spot. She kissed him tenderly, then took his hand and led him toward the back door, throwing it open wide. She watched as he took in the garden she had so lovingly tended for years, the one that made it hard to put the house up for sale.

“It’s magnificent.” He ran across the deck, pulling her behind him. She let go of his hand as he roamed from flower to flower, bending over to inhale deeply, a look of childish wonder increasing with each sniff. At one point, he held out his arms as if in supplication, lifting his face up to the sun.

Michelle fought back tears as she watched him, grateful to Marta for letting this happen, for she knew the older woman was responsible. He stood there for a few long moments, and then he went to the rose bush he pulled a few flowers free. He carefully picked off the thorns before heading back to her, offering them as he got down on one knee.

“For my lady.”

“Thank you, kind sir.” She lifted the roses to her nose and then batted her eyes at him. “You are a true gentleman.”