"You didn't have to send everyone away," Jason lays on my couch, watching me closely as I warm us up some food from the gala. "Soren, I take my eyes off you for two seconds, and you're flying in all kinds of directions. Of course, I needed to send everyone away. What happened while I was gone?"
I give him a plate of food that he seems disinterested in. I take a bite out of my food. "You know, now that I think about it, maybe that girl is a witch," I look up at the ceiling, trying to visualize my thoughts. "What girl?" Jason growls in frustration. I look at him for a moment. His gaze is intense, and his eyebrows are in a frown. "Before I continue, you need to tell me why you're so bent out of shape," If his current anger keeps building as my story goes on, which it will since Sebastian is a part of it, who knows what will happen.
Jason rubs his hands over his face and growls. "I don't see why you aren't. You were fucking levitated in front of everybody! You were twisted in all kinds of ways and nearly died!" It's only now that Jason lets me see his vulnerability and worry. I place my plate on the coffee table and cup Jason's face. "Honestly, I think I'm going to have to get used to this. I seem to encounter a lot of life-and-death situations whenever magic and I meet one another. But you're always there, and I trust you."
Jason places his hand on mine and grips it tight as if I'm going to slip away. "But what if I'm not? You would have been dead if I didn't catch you today. What if I'm not there the next time? We should call this entire thing off. If involving yourself in my past will lead to your death, then it's not worth it."
"Whoa, slow your roll there buddy. I was levitated, and I wasn't even checking out your past. We're better off figuring out what all of this is so we can be prepared for it, rather than ignore it and get dragged around like ragdolls. Indeed, you won't always be there, but I can handle myself. It's true that in this situation, I couldn't, but hopefully, I can next time. I mean, of course, I'm disturbed by all of this. It's frightening. A few weeks ago, I didn't know any of this existed. But I'm not letting you go through this alone. Hell, I'm interested in it myself. It brings some spice in my life." I grin.
Jason's face relaxes somewhat, so I tell him everything that happened. His relaxed face is no more. "So that witch you were talking about, you think it's Sebastian's secretary?" I shake my head and chuckle. "No, that was a joke, but I guess it's in the realm of possibility. I heard a little girl laughing. That secretary has never laughed at a good joke in her life. She doesn't seem like the type. Not to mention she wouldn't expose magic like that. Doing something so reckless is definitely the action of a child. It was creepy as fuck. I don't know why everything is popping out of the woodwork now. Maybe there's a rule about not telling humans you guys exist, and I'm being punished. Who knows. It sounds like a problem for tomorrow. I'm hitting the hay,"
I get up from the couch, but I'm pulled into a hug. "I will do everything in my power to make sure nothing bad happens to you. It may be impossible, but I'm going to try my hardest. Thank you for being here," his grip on me is ferocious. There's promise in his words. I hug him back and sink into his comfort once again.
"You're a really good hugger, you know?" I tell him. His laugh vibrates my entire body, and I whimper at the pleasure it brings me. God, this is so annoying. "You're really nice to hug too," he tells me. Every time he speaks, his chest vibrates. The vibrations spread throughout my body, and I can't take much more of it. That man can make me orgasm with just his voice. What a problem this is. It's just because you haven't gotten laid in a while. Once you do, you'll be over this. I tell myself. Hopefully, Sebastian can heal me.
I try to pull away, but his grip is tight. "Just a little longer, okay?" he tells me. I don't resist and stay in his arms. After a while, I become concerned. "Jason?" he starts to sniff my neck. Shivers go down my spine. "Are you sniffing me?" He doesn't respond and continues. I moan, and my body violently shakes. "Wait, Jason. My neck is really sensitive," Jason only grunts a response.
I feel the heat of his breath increase upon my neck before what feels like daggers pierce me between my shoulder and neck. I let out a blood-curdling scream. "Fuck!" I scream. I turn to see Jason's canines boring themselves into my skin. I instinctively punch his head. I try to move his head away from me. We fall backward on the couch. Another scream escapes my mouth, and tears start falling down my face. "Jason, please," I sob. He retracts his canines and starts to lick the bite. Shivers of pleasure roll down my spine, almost rivaling the pain. He kisses my neck and up to my face. He kisses my cheek and hovers over my lips. His eyes shine golden. He leans in closer. When he's about to kiss me, I slap him across his face.
The sounds vibrate the air. Jason's head whips to his right. My palm leaves a print, and his cheeks grow increasingly red. "Snap out of it!" I shout, hoping I literally slapped some sense into him. My breathing is ragged as I wait for his response. His eyes go wide, and he looks at me and then my neck. He looks back at me in horror. "I-I don't know what happened. I'm so sorry," he leaps off me and toward the door. Much to my neck's digress, I quickly follow him. He's rushing through the living room and toward the door. I speed past him and block the door with my body.
"No! You don't get to bite the shit out of me and then leave," I spread out my hands as if it'll stop him from throwing me to the side to escape. "I just promised to protect you and then tried to kill you!" Jason is panting, clearly freaking out. His entire body is shaking. There's no way he'll be able to drive. If he walks, he's guaranteed to encounter a problem with someone or even harm them. Clearly, he isn't in his right mind. "If there's one thing I'm sure of, it is that you weren't trying to kill me. My throat would've been ripped out by now if that was the case. Trust me, I know when you're coming at me with murderous intent. That's how we got into this situation, remember?"
I have to drop my left arm from the pain on that side of my neck. Fuck, this really hurts. "I told you that if getting involved with me would kill you, it isn't worth it. I'm not worth you getting killed, Soren! Don't be stupid!"
"You'd swear you were the one who got bit by how you're acting! Get it together, Jason! You don't get to feel sorry for yourself right now! This is clearly a problem. What if you do this to Saiya? Or anyone else you decide to hug? You're unpredictable right now. This should give you more incentive to figure out what the hell is going on! Yes, it may be stupid to stick with you, but I'd be a fool to let you go! I'd be a fool to act like none of this happened. As if, none of this can continue to happen. Things won't go away if you turn a blind eye to them."
I let my other arm drop and approach Jason. I grab his hand and put it on the bite. The blood disappeared after Jason licked it away. It's probably a magic thing. Jason flinches, and admittedly, so do I. He lightly grazes it. Tears fall down his eyes. "I'm so sorry," Jason's knees fail him, and he tumbles toward the ground. I go down with him, and we're both on our knees. I stop myself from wrapping my arms around him. "I'd hug you, but," Jason releases a barely audible chuckle. "Too soon?" I ask. "Too soon," he nods.
"Did you mean it?" Jason asks. "Did I mean what?"
"That you'd be a fool to let me go," I madly blush at his repeat of my previous comment. "Don't take it the wrong way, okay? You know what I mean," Jason looks me in the eye with tired ones of his own. "I'm not sure I do, but okay," It's a relief that he's letting it go, but his comment is disturbing. I let it go, as I am also too exhausted to contemplate the meaning behind his words.
Jason spends the night in a guest room, and I prepare myself for tomorrow's events. A date with Sebastian and intel on Jason and his past.
--
I spent all night finishing my work for today so that I could make room for Sebastian. I guess this is one of the ingredients. Does it count if this is technically business? My knee-high boots clack against the ground, my long coat flows in the wind, and my white shirt and black pants hug my body. I open the door to the cafe Sebastian and I agreed on. I see Sebastian on my right. His presence is impossible to ignore or not notice. The women are fawning, and everybody is snapping pictures of him. He poses and takes selfies for the people, mostly women, asking for them.
I walk up to him and cross my arms with a smirk. He smiles up at me. "Hello, darling," I take a seat in front of him. "Don't call me that in public. People will get the wrong idea." I say but can't hide my grin. Sebastian snaps his fingers and demands everyone away. He doesn't allow any more pictures, and he turns my way with a boyish grin that has surely made every woman's panties drop. "Better?" he asks me. "Better, thank you. So what's today's plans?" Sebastian leans forward, keeping his grin. "Getting straight to business, as per usual. But you don't get to do that today. Everywhere we go will be a secret. You'll love it, though." He boops my nose.
"Sebastian, I don't trust you enough for that. For all I know, you could have planned my murder. You're cute, but not enough to make me trust you. Nobody is," I boop his nose, but he grabs my hand. He gently places a kiss on it. "You think I'm cute?" his grin returns. I groan, but a smile forces itself onto my face. "You're fucking adorable. We'll see about the rest later," he releases my hand and sits back in his chair.
He licks his lips with a grin. "By the end of the night, I'll be more than just adorable, darling." By the end of the night? "How long do you think this date is going to last? I've got things to do,"
"If you're still focused on work by the end of the night, I'm not doing my job right," he winks. "This is too important to forget, but if you do, well, I'd just have to marry you. It would be nice to get my mind off these things. I'm not really a first-date kind of girl, but we aren't in it for a relationship. So, while we can't do it tonight, promise me one thing,"
He cocks his brow, waiting for my response. "Please fuck me senseless these next two days," Sebastian's face goes blank. I keep a stoic expression while waiting for his response. He erupts into a hardy laugh. I grin and wait for him to stop. "Well, shit. If I wasn't so interested in you, I'd fulfill your wish right now. Where was all of this when I was approaching you last year?" I shrug my shoulders. "Things have changed. Anyway, that's a yes?"
He puts a hand on my face and kisses my cheek. "It's a hell, yes," I turn my head to look at him. His light-brown eyes are absolutely captivating. I'm lost in them for a second. "Well, let's get this party started then. But you are going to have to tell me where we are going before we go." He gives me another kiss. "Your rules," I place my lips on his. It's not long enough for him to respond, only long enough to tease. "Your date. I'm all yours," He's stunned for a moment before he passionately plants a kiss on my lips. He's aggressive but not enough to cause discomfort or pain. He maintains a certain amount of gentleness. Both of his hands cup my face, and I place one of my hands on top of his. The kiss seems to last forever, and I'm lightheaded by the time we have to move apart for air.
Sebastian licks my bottom lip with a satisfied smirk. I'm left panting and breathless. "Fuck, I'd spend the entire day with you if I could," I place my head on the table and whimper. Damn past me for scheduling the meeting after the date. Sebastian chuckles and pats my head. "We still have tomorrow and the day after," he reminds me. "Are you sure it's okay to do this in public? My title as Jason's secretary isn't exactly a secret. And well, everybody knows you." I sit up in my chair. "Trust me, we're fine. How else do you think I hook up with so many people without anybody ever knowing them."
"Mhm, right. Anyway, we're going to have to get tested. I haven't gotten any action of any sort in god knows how long, so I'm fine, but better safe than sorry," Sebastian nods his head. We order our food, and it comes right away. Courtesy of Sebastian being a CEO and apparently a friend of the staff members. We enjoyed our breakfast, and I learned some fairly interesting things about Sebastian. He's got eight siblings, only three belonging to both his parents. His sister has already married and has kids. His younger sister is planning her wedding. Some of his brothers are in the army, others own businesses, and so forth. In short, they're all successful and in love. That seems to be the case these days.
With all of these married couples, I don't have a snowball's chance in hell of finding anybody. My odds worsen with each second. Sebastian is into art and photography and apparently trained to be an Olympic swimmer when he was younger. "You're a fairly straightforward woman, Soren," Sebastian says as we walk to our next destination. I scoff and playfully roll my eyes. "I'm sorry that I don't have an army of siblings, one too many hobbies, and multiple career paths." I nudge him with my elbow. He laughs and wraps his arm around my waist. "Don't be a smartass,"
"That's my entire personality, and you love it." Sebastian places another kiss on my lips that once again leaves me dizzy. "I can get used to kissing you whenever I feel like it," Sebastian says,
"Don't get too used to it. Jason would flip his shit if he ever saw this. Besides, I wouldn't want the playboy getting tired of me already,"
Sebastian snickers for a bit. "I'm sorry, I just imagined Jason literally flipping his shit. I'd pay to see that," I give him a questioning look. He ignores my obvious stare. "I didn't know you were on first name bases with him," Sebastian gives me a grin accompanied by a side eye. "I mean, there's no reason to call him anything professional outside of work. You call me by my first name,"
"That's because we're on a date. Not to mention you aren't my superior,"
"We'll see about that. By the way, why does Jason hold such a huge grudge against you? It's not even business related. He just doesn't like you, period." Sebastian shrugs his shoulders. "Jason and I are two completely different people. I think he always has a stick up his ass and he thinks my ass is too loose. We respect each other's craft, but not each other's lifestyle,"
I giggle a bit at Sebastian's comment. "Your ass is loose? I didn't know you liked it from the back. I'll buy the necessary equipment with that in mind,"
"Your open-mindedness has made you 10x more attractive than you already were,"
"I'm glad you're liking me. You're the first guy I've talked to outside of the office or any office for years. I don't exactly know what to do here, so I'm following your lead,"
"Then follow me into this building," I look up to see a big sign in bold saying 'Spa Treatment'. It's a bit on the nose, but I'm not complaining. "I didn't think this would come until way later," I gleam. "You seem to require a little relaxation before anything else," I sweetly kiss Sebastian, unlike the other aggressive but passionate times. I gently pull away, but not too far. "Thank you," much to my surprise, Sebastian blushes and is left speechless for a moment. "Right, um, you're welcome," he says after a momentary pause. I grin and walk into the place.
The workers are really sweet, and I get the best spa treatment of my life. I got my nails and toes done, hot stones, a massage, and a face mask. I really need to start taking days off. But it's such a pain getting everything done the day prior or trying to play catch up. I'm sure by the end of the week, it'll be like none of this ever happened, and I'll be tense all over again. The woman nearly broke down at how 'terribly ragged and awful,' my muscles were. Whatever the hell that means.
I feel a lot lighter after everything. "Where to next?" I ask Sebastian. "We're going to party," he grins. "We're going to a club?"
"The one and only one created by yours truly,"
"Please, you have at least a dozen of them. There's a point where humbleness becomes straight-up lying. Anyway, I'm afraid I'll have to decline this one,"
Sebastian frowns. "Why? I thought you said my date," he pouts. "Sebastian, if I party with you, I'm going to wake up in your bed. What I have to do is too important for that. I have to be responsible for this one. Trust me, tomorrow or whenever our next date will be, you can go all out. But for my sanity, I can not party with you and resist you at the same time." his pout transforms into a satisfied grin. "I'm glad to know you find me hard to resist,"
"Everybody finds you hard to resist. I'm no different,"
"But you are, bunny,"
"How many nicknames are you going to have for me,"
"As many as I can think of," he winks. "So what do you want to do in replacement?" he asks. I ponder on it for a moment. "Well, if dancing is what you want,"
I dragged him to a dance arcade. When we reach our destination, Sebastian looks at me as if I'm insane. "Come on, it's going to be so fun!" I yell over the music. He groans but begrudgingly joins me.
After paying for our entry and coins, we make quick work on the Dance Revolution machine. The machine tracks our every movement like a glorified Just Dance. Sebastian was sluggish at first, but as we continued, the both of us were laughing and having fun. We recorded ourselves and looked absolutely ridiculous, but it was the most fun I've had in years.
"When you fell as we were doing the spin!" I burst out laughing. Sebastian rubs his head. He tries to make an angry face but fails when a smile falls on his face. "It was a sharp spin, and I was already dizzy. That dance is a hazard," I get up from our seats outside a cafe and plant a kiss on his forehead. "There, I kissed it better," Sebastian pulls me into his lap and cuddles me. "I'm feeling better already," he snuggles into my neck, making me whimper. "My neck is sensitive," I feel Sebastian's grin expand on my neck. Not even a second later, I feel his tongue gliding up my neck. I externally shiver. Sebastian holds me tight. I don't push him away. He takes this as confirmation to continue. Sebastian softly sucks on my neck, trailing tender kisses along the way.
My body quickly starts to heat up. A message pops up on my phone from an unknown number. I go to check it, but Sebastian sets my phone down. "Hey, that's important. I need to answer that," My attempt is weak and unconvincing. Sebastian continues. I summon the willpower and fiercely shove him away. "As hot as you and this situation are, I really have to go. This has been a beautiful day. Thank you so much," I give him a quick peck and dash away. I leave before my conviction runs out. I look at the text. I'm presented with a specific location. I quickly put it on my GPS, go in my car, which wasn't too far from the cafe, and drive into the night.