Donna was getting a lap dance from the marine who finally seemed to be enjoying himself. Sebastian looked for the other two and found Mariss sandwiched between them, dancing like she was having the time of her life.
Fury made his blood boil. Convinced she was doing this to make him look the fool, he looked around for someone, anyone, and caught Eloisa's hungry stare. He crooked a finger, motioning her over. She didn't hesitate. When she was in front of him, Sebastian tugged her closer so she was straddling his hips.
"You want to go to the backroom?" he asked.
Eloisa nodded.
Sebastian stood and dragged her beside him. When he got to the office, he locked the door and set her on the edge of his desk. She wore a miniskirt and a tube top with no bra that he could see. He shoved her skirt up over her hips and spread her legs wide to find she wasn't wearing any panties either.
"Did you come prepared?" he asked.
"Maybe."
Sebastian raised an eyebrow and knelt in front of her. He wobbled a little as he took a sip of his ice cold drink.
Without preamble, he pushed his cold tongue into Eloisa's warm depths. She moaned and let out a heavy sigh that suggested she'd waited a long time to be with him like this.
"Do you want this?" he asked before he took another sip. He popped a piece of ice in his mouth and rubbed it leisurely up and down her slit. She tried to jerk away from the cold, but he gripped her hips in place. "Answer the question, Eloisa. I'm sure you know by now that I'm being framed for rape. I want your consent before I do anything, or I'll record this."
"Yes, I want this," she moaned when he put the ice to her again.
"Just so we're clear." Sebastian licked the excess liquid away. He wasn't particularly turned on. With so much alcohol buzzing through his system it would take more than this to get him going.
Like Mariss. If this was Mariss he'd be ready to go. He twitched a little at that thought. Sebastian licked the salt off the inside of Eloisa's thigh. That helped some. Without looking, Sebastian reached up and pulled her top down so he could palm one of her breasts.
"You want to do the honors?" he asked. When Eloisa frowned he said, "I've been drinking all afternoon. Old boy doesn't want to cooperate."
"Oh, I can fix that."
Eloisa slipped off the desk and hit her knees. She quickly unfastened his trousers and pulled him free. Making some comment about his lack of underpants, she took him into her mouth.
She was right. Eloisa was very good with her mouth. In no time at all she had him more than ready to seal the deal. Sebastian set her back on the desk and fished a condom from his pocket. When it was on, he braced himself on the desktop, his hands on either side of Eloisa's hips, and rammed home.
Eloisa cried out, her hands gripping his shoulders. Sebastian growled into her shoulder. He licked a line up her neck to her ear,
then
bit her earlobe. She came suddenly, her lips pressed into his suit jacket to muffle the sound.
Sebastian took a handful of her hair and scraped his teeth over her jaw. He came on a moan, licking more salt from her skin, and shuddered.
Pressing a kiss to her jaw, Sebastian pulled out. It wasn't his best performance, but it surely wasn't his worst. Eloisa didn't seem
put
off by it, so he cleaned himself off with some tissue and tucked himself back in. He straightened his appearance in the mirror and let Eloisa do the same.
"Do you need a brush?"
Eloisa shook her head as she ran her fingers through her hair.
"Nope."
She grinned.
Sebastian opened the door and the din of electronica became a blast of sound as they made their way back out to the floor. He rounded the corner to be caught in Mariss' level stare. How long she'd been waiting he couldn't be sure. Eloisa came up beside him and stopped short.
The emotion drained from Mariss' face a lot like it had earlier that day. Sebastian nodded to her, raised his glass, and hooked an arm around Eloisa, pulling her against his side. She was stiff against him, so he let her go.
Mariss nodded to someone, said something to Juliet, and grabbed a purse and jacket. In one smooth motion, she covered herself with a knee length trench coat. Sebastian watched her walk to the door, then outside.
"Damn," Eloisa said under her breath and hurried after her. He stayed on her heels, pushing the door open.
"Mariss, stop." Eloisa jogged down the sidewalk, barely able to catch up.
Sebastian kept quiet, taking long-legged strides to catch up to Mariss. All of a sudden, she spun around and nailed Eloisa with a betrayed look that didn't match the calm tone of her voice.
"Did you have sex?"
Eloisa stumbled to a stop. "Yes."
"You're fired.
You."
Mariss poked him in the chest.
Sebastian looked down at her finger, then back up at her face.
"I don't know what I did to deserve all this." She blinked hard a few times. Bloody hell, she was crying.
Mariss didn't say anything else. She turned and got into the car that pulled up next to them.
"I mean it, Eloisa. Come to the office in the morning to get your things. You're fired."
The car door slammed and pulled away from the curb. Eloisa turned to him, but she didn't look particularly disappointed.
"Was it worth it?" Sebastian asked.
Eloisa shrugged. "Was it?"
He frowned. Something in her eyes shifted and she turned away from him.
***
Sebastian wasn't sure how long he stood on the curb. When Hellena found him, he was sitting down.
"Bash?
What are you doing out here?"
Sebastian looked up at her. "I'm not sure. I've been drinking."
"I can smell that you have. Let's get you back inside."
"No. Call my car. I'm going home."
Hellena took his mobile from his pocket. It wasn't until she settled beside him on the leather seats and the car was moving that he snapped out of whatever trance had fallen on him.
"You alright?"
Hellena asked.
He nodded. "Thank you."
"You don't have to thank me."
"Yes, I do." Sebastian took her hand so she would look at him. "I don't let you know just how much I appreciate everything you do for me."
Hellena's eyebrows went up,
then
she laughed. "Sebastian, you're drunk."
He smiled. "I know, but I mean it."
"Happy Birthday," she said. "I'm sorry it hasn't been the greatest."
"It was fine. Yours is next week. What do you want to do?"
Hellena thought for a moment,
then
her eyes lit up.
"A dinner party."
Sebastian frowned, understanding exactly what she was asking for, but unsure if it was a good idea.
"Oh, come on. We haven't had one in a while. It'll be fun."
"With the charges, I don't think that's a good idea right now."
"We'll get them to sign wavers of consent. I'll take care of everything."
Sebastian shook his head, but said, "Alright." He couldn't deny her only birthday request.
The Dinner Party
Sebastian walked into the kitchen to find Hellena dipping little pastry balls in thick, dark chocolate. She had the whole flat smelling of it.
"What are you doing?" he asked and tried to snag one. Hellena slapped his hand away.
"I'm making
bossche
bollen
for tonight," she said.
"And why are you making that?"
"Because it's Mariss Red's favorite dessert, isn't it?" Hellena dipped another one of the pastries.
"I beg your pardon?" Sebastian frowned at Hellena, trying to wrap his mind around the fact that Mariss Red's favorite dessert was being prepared in his kitchen. "Please, explain this to me. Why are you making this? Have you invited Mariss over this evening?"
"Yes. Is that a problem?"
"Why would you do that?" Sebastian fought to keep his voice level. "What were you thinking?"
"I was thinking that this is my birthday and I can invite anyone I want.
Sebastian shook his head. "What are you trying to do to me?" he asked.
"I wasn't thinking about you at all." Hellena's humor was unignorable and Sebastian chuckled. "It'll be fine. There will be tons of people here. Maybe you'll finally get some and get her out of your head."
"
Hellena,
just shut up."
"There's no need for that, Bash." She was still laughing at him.
"You should have consulted me on this one."
"It's my birthday," she protested.
"Yes, I know." Sebastian pinched the bridge of his nose. "This one you should have run by me first."
He stepped out of the kitchen and down into the front room, hoping to find something to distract him, but he found nothing.
"You're angry." Hellena stood in the kitchen doorway.
"Yes. I am. More than that, I'm curious as to why you would invite her? No." He turned to her and let the full weight of his gaze fall. "Suspicious is a better word."
"I'm not trying to start anything."
The doorbell rang.
"We'll discuss this later, Hellena," he said, his voice sharp with warning as he opened the door.
"Hello. I am here for Hellena's birthday dinner party,
ja
?" a large man said in a thick German accent.
"A friend of yours?"
Sebastian asked Hellena.
"How could you tell?" she replied with a smile on her lips.
Sebastian only shrugged. Hellena laughed and kissed Sebastian on the lips, their little argument forgotten for the moment.
***
Sebastian hadn't expected Mariss to really show up, nor was he prepared for what he saw when he opened the door. She was breathtaking in a ruby red halter top jumpsuit with a jeweled collar that dove into a plunging neckline. Diamonds dripped from her ears and throat and lay gently across her wrist. Pointed black shoes peeked out from beneath the wide-legged bottoms of her jumpsuit.
"Mariss."
Sebastian had to clear his throat. Normally, the jumpsuits didn't quite catch his fancy, but Mariss proved she could wear just about anything and he'd be ready to jump her bones.
"Is something wrong with the way I'm dressed?"
Sebastian leaned against the door and released his most self-assured grin. Mariss frowned, untouched by it.
"Why don't you come inside and take it off and we'll see which suit I like best?"
She raised an eyebrow and tried to peer over his shoulder. Sebastian stepped to the side and let her in. There were several couples in all states of undress and compromising positions. He sneaked a peek at her from the corner of his eye. Mariss was furious. He wanted to laugh, but at the same time, he didn't.
"Hellena's choice of birthday party," he said. It sounded like he was apologizing. "I only just learned this morning that she'd invited you. Are you hungry?"
"I'm no longer a threat." Mariss' voice was flat.
"No? Dressed like that you might be."
"I dressed very modestly."
Sebastian chuckled. "I can see your shoulders.
And your breasts."
"You've seen more."
He shrugged. "That's true.
Wine?
Pop? Would you like anything, Mariss?"
"I really would like to leave, but I guess that would be rude since I was invited by the birthday girl herself."
"It is possible. Let's see if we can find her."
The scent of her berry shampoo and the heady musk of Mariss' anger made Sebastian want to ravage her. If he kissed her she would kiss him back because she wanted him as much as he wanted her.
"Hellena?"
Sebastian walked into the kitchen to find her digging through the refrigerator. "What are you looking for?"
"The cheese."
Hellena stood and turned. When she spotted Mariss, her lips curled up in a vicious grin. "You made it." She said something in German and Mariss answered back.
"Play nice, you two."
"Oh, always.
I'm sorry if this isn't really your scene, Mrs. Red." Hellena shrugged like she didn't really care. "Are you hungry?"
"No, I ate. I had a dinner meeting I couldn't reschedule."
"I made something for you."
Sebastian frowned and he felt Mariss' curiosity, and maybe a little fear, as she shifted her weight.
"I was being nosey and I found out that
bossche
bollen
is your favorite dessert. It happens to be one of mine as well and I am quite good at making it." Hellena uncovered a tray, and her smile was almost friendly. "I'm sure it's not as good as your mother's," she shrugged.
Mariss took a deep breath and let it out. "Thank you." She popped one of the chocolate covered balls in her mouth.
"Very good.
If I keel over in the next ten minutes, I swear I'll kill you."
Hellena beamed. "I might be willing to do a lot of things, but I wouldn't mess with your food. That's too easy."
Sebastian frowned, but he let it go. "Shall we join the party?"
Mariss grabbed a couple more of the
bossche
bollen
and followed him back to the front room.
The German Hellena had introduced him to earlier
had
gotten comfortable with two women who worked at the club. His shirt was off and they were rubbing his hairy chest as they simultaneously gave him a blow job.
Mariss went rigid next to Sebastian and she sucked in a sharp breath.
"What's the matter?" Mariss slapped his hand away when he tried to get her attention. "Mariss, I didn't realize she'd invited you. You don't have to stay."
She paid him no mind. Mariss walked slowly toward the man on the sofa. She took three small steps and stopped, then took three more steps. Sebastian watched with rapt attention, unsure of what was going on. Was this someone she knew as well? Slowly, she made her way down into the living room. By now, the man had noticed
her,
and the two girls as well. He'd pushed them away and the look on his face said he thought he was about to get lucky.
"Mariss?"
Sebastian tried one more time.
She made no move to show she'd heard him. Instead, she straddled the man's lap. His hands went around her hips and she braced herself on his bare chest with her hands. Sebastian growled deep in his throat and took a step toward them.
"Wait." Hellena put her hand on his arm to stop him.
Sebastian looked down at her hand and shook it off. Mariss fingers traced a tattoo on the German's chest. He said something to her in their language. How did he know she would understand? Then the German frowned.
Mariss reached behind her and her hand disappeared under the fall of her dark hair. When she pulled it back down, something silver glinted in the dim light.
Sebastian realized too late what it was. Mariss flicked her wrist a few times and drove her knife into the German's shoulder.
"Bloody hell!"
Sebastian shouted as the German screamed in pain.
Sebastian leapt down the stairs and pulled Mariss away as the two other women dove for cover. He forced her to look at him, but there was no one home. Her eyes were dead and empty, the way they were when she slipped into that nowhere place of hers.
"Hellena, take him to the bathroom and stop the bleeding."
Mariss threw herself at Hellena and her hands went around the other woman's throat. Sebastian was there in a flash. He ripped her away as she started screaming in German. Hellena looked stricken.
"Hellena, do as I say!"
Sebastian shouted over the cries of the other attendees. Panicked, he dragged the kicking, screaming Mariss to his bedroom and locked the door. With no idea what had just happened or what to do, he shoved his hands through his hair.
"What the bloody hell?" Sebastian said to himself as he turned back to Mariss.
She flung herself at him. Sebastian grabbed her wrists to fight her off, but then her mouth was mashed against his. Her soft, sweet lips were anything but kind as she kissed him hard and full. He had no choice but to kiss her back. His mind and body would allow him to do nothing else. When she tugged against his grip he released her hands so his could settle at her waist. Having his hands on her again was like heaven. Her body pressed against his like she couldn't get close enough.
Mariss gripped his shoulders and did a little hop so she could wrap her legs around his waist. He groaned and supported her bum in his hands as he carried her to the bed. He'd meant to set her on the edge, but she pulled him on top of her and ran her fingers through his hair. He tasted chocolate on her tongue. She ground her hips against him.
Mariss hands disappeared for a moment,
then
her bare skin was beneath his own. Sebastian looked down at her bare breasts and pushed himself away. She tightened her legs around his hips.
"Mariss, this isn't you." He barely got the words out around the tightness in his throat.
"It's me," she promised. "I'm here. It's me."
Sebastian stared into her eyes and the light in them said it really was her. She really was there and she was pleading with him to take her. How could he say no? Relief flooded him and his body ached to touch hers again, even as he knew this was wrong. He just didn't care. Not tonight. Not now.
"Is this what you want?" If she said no he thought he would crumble, but she nodded.
"Yes. I want this. I want you this once."
He didn't need to be told twice. Sebastian dove at her, his mouth finding hers once again. He groaned when her warm breasts pressed against his thin shirt.
"No phone calls," he growled.
"Sebastian!" Hellena shouted through the door. The doorknob jiggled, and when she couldn't get in, she started pounding.
"Ignore her," he begged. "Please god, ignore her."
Mariss pushed him away. He gripped her wrists but she tugged them away. She stood before him and shimmied out of her jumpsuit, and she was completely naked. Her fingers went to work on his shirt, quickly unbuttoning each button so he could shrug out of it. Sebastian kicked off his shoes while she unfastened his trousers and they were naked together.
"I'm glad you don't wear underwear."
He grinned and she shook her head. Mariss hands splayed over his stomach and ran over his chest and shoulders and around his neck.
Hellena banged on the door, shouting louder.
"How much time do you have?" he needed to know.
Mariss shook her head. "Take your time. Don't rush."
"I hadn't planned to."
Sebastian lifted her onto the bed and climbed up after her. He licked across her collar bone, smiling when her skin prickled with goosebumps. He kissed between her breasts, fondling them both as he moved down across her belly to the apex between her legs. When he tongued her there, Mariss moaned, soft and low.
"Hm.
More of that please." He licked her again, slow and gentle.
"More of
that
please," she countered. Her fingers speared into his hair, gripping small handfuls as he pleasured her.
He licked the length of her slit. She tasted so sweet.
"Ooh, Bassy." She writhed into him.
He chuckled. "Yes, love. I like to hear that."
"I thought you didn't want me to call you that." A loud moan punctuated the end of her sentence when he locked his lips around her clit. He pulled at it gently, using his teeth so she would make those sounds he loved to hear.
"I like it when you say it. Moan for me, sweetheart." She made a high pitched sound that struck him hard. His dick jolted against his stomach.
Hellena's banging on the door grew more insistent, but he could no longer understand what she was saying, had trouble hearing around the sounds coming from Mariss.