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"Sure, ten is good for me," she replied, then turned on her heel and began to walk away.
Glancing back at the house, Sebastian saw Cynthia beckoning at him encouragingly from the window. No doubt she'd been watching the entire interaction. If she were anything like his own mother, she would have picked up on the more tender mood between them and had probably jumped to all sorts of conclusions, most of which were likely to be correct.
He acknowledged her wave with a weak smile then watched as Amy disappeared down the street, cursing himself for not realizing how badly she would have taken this, cursing himself for not having explained earlier. Before he went back into the house, he plowed his fingers through his hair. It was a restless and desperate gesture from an unhappy man.
* * * *
Amy threw back the sheet, sighing into the night. She couldn't sleep because she couldn't stop thing about Sebastian. She could still sense his hands on her body. It was as if they still coursed over the surface of her skin, knowing and sure, bringing on a heady rush of sensation.
It was hot, that was why she was so bloody restless, she told herself. She rolled her head on the pillow and looked out at the night sky. Yeah, the heat wave would also explain the extreme sense of longing she felt inside, would it?
Her happy little studio flat seemed empty. The occasional noise and flicker of neon light from the street below did not, as it would usually do, make her feel as if the world was happening and alive around her. Instead, it made her feel alone. Lonely. Lonely for Sebastian. Even after what had been said between them that afternoon, her body still craved his. It craved his male strength, his warmth, his passion and vigor. Her hands fisted against the sheets. If only he weren't so darned good in bed.
It was more than that, though. She swore softly into the night, closing her eyes, unable to stop herself reliving some of the moments they'd shared. That first night, when their hunger for each other had made them eager and insatiable. She'd never felt the way she felt when he was inside her. It was as if they were perfectly matched, keying readily into each other's need and desires. He was so attentive, so aware of her. She would also never forget the playfulness he aroused in her, how he had unleashed that side of her. Seeing the look in his eyes when she
had straddled him the night before…well, that had been exquisite. She ached inside, physically and painfully, for more of him.
Perhaps she should have done as Janine suggested and pretended she didn't know, so that they could enjoy the rest of their time together. That would have been impossible, because it wasn't the way her heart and mind worked. Her mother would have been proud of her integrity, but maybe it was holding her back—and in more ways than one. Perhaps her integrity was the bane of her life. In terms of her job, she could have printed what Jake had told her, made something of the occult story without traveling to Arundel to check it out. And if she'd been able to ignore the truth with Sebastian, she'd be having a champion evening in his company right now, followed by another wild and memorable bedroom romp. She had to wonder if she was she cut out for any of this.
She sat up then paced to the window, looking down at the street below, looking for distractions. A couple ran along under the streetlights, chasing after one another. All it did was remind her of Sebastian. The young man caught his girl in his arms and kissed her. Amy shook her head. She ran her fingers along the window ledge. She shut her eyes, willing herself not to be aroused by the very thought of the man, not to hear his whispered seductions nor feel the touch of his hands on her body, not to remember how finely tuned they were to one another.
It was going to take a while, she realized, before this dreadful need wore off, this incredible addiction her body had developed for his. And continuing to work together was not going to help. Damn her father. Damn his conditions. Could any other journalist in the history of The City News have had so many obstacles and such a hard time to get a good pitch and a bit of respect?
She still couldn't believe Sebastian had done previous work for The City News. He'd been around before. The story about Frank Mayor fiddling the accounts had been hot gossip amongst the staff a year back, and Sebastian had been involved. She pictured him walking the corridors of the building, back then. If only she'd met him then, things might have panned out differently. But that wouldn't have been the right time for them, her rational voice interjected. He'd have still been with his ex. She shook her head, chastising herself for pursuing pointless chains of thought. She had to face it, they'd met at the right time but it still hadn't worked out as they'd agreed. She sighed into the night, resigned to the fact the next day would be difficult. Why oh why couldn't she be like Janine? Why couldn't she just have pretended it hadn't happened?
That's when it hit her.
Her duty to her integrity had been fulfilled, she'd done the right thing stating her case, but now she could move on. She could begin to collect the rewards, and the reward was Sebastian. Their arrangement still stood, didn't it? Yes, and she intended to take full advantage of him, while he was available. She knew what she wanted to do and how to go about it. They had two nights ahead of them, two nights in a secluded hotel on the moors. He'd already indicated he still wanted to be there for her, and he meant it regarding their personal agreement. She felt sure they could put aside any awkwardness that might linger on after today and restore their relationship to its former highly charged intimacy.
She returned to her bed and set her alarm clock, allowing herself plenty of time to pick out a few suitably eye-catching outfits to take with her. When she got into bed again it was with thoughts of Sebastian in mind and a smile on her face. Sebastian, and sex. Forget the job for now, she told herself, until you get the hot, sexy, no-strings relationship re-established.
* * * *
"Sorry Alex, did I wake you?" Sebastian asked when he heard his sister yawning down the phone.
"Hey, bro, what's up?"
"Oh, nothing." Sebastian lied. "I rang for a chat."
"A chat?" She laughed. "Sebastian, you never ring for a chat, least of all at eleven o' clock at night."
"I'm sorry. I didn't realize it was that late." He glanced at his watch. He'd been far too preoccupied to notice the time.
"Let me guess, you have a problem."
His little sister could always read him like a book. "I could do with some advice."
He heard her reorganizing herself. "Hit me with it, that's what I'm here for."
He summarized his meeting with Amy, and how much she had come to mean to him.
"She sounds lovely."
"She is lovely, but I think I've blown it."
"Sebastian. Why?"
"It's complicated, but you know I said we were working together on a case, it wasn't intentional, but I betrayed her trust."
