Page 25 of Drawn Together

“You should thank your lucky stars it’s me that’s here protecting you and not someone else.” His voice, deeper than normal, caused every hair on my body to stand on end. He then gripped my neck tighter, almost cutting off my breathing. “And next time you wait for me before coming up to the apartment.” His lips brushed the sensitive skin of my ear, and I froze.

I didn’t know how to feel. I was so vulnerable in that position, angry over what he’d done, but at the same time, I didn’t want him to ever let me go.

Then, Lili’s face flashed in my mind, followed by the faces of the other girls. I wasn’t going to be able to continue giving them classes, and it was all his fault.

“Let me go,” I hissed into his fingers that were still cupping my chin.

He did as I asked and, so that he wouldn’t further see how aroused I was by his tight embrace and his whispered words against my skin, I rushed to my room, slamming the door behind me. Once inside, I leaned against the wall and slid down to the rug.

I’d just had a dose of what would soon become the most addictive drug in history… at least for me.

CHAPTER 10SEBASTIAN

I shot daggers at Marfil’s back as she walked away and slammed her bedroom door. I hadn’t been able to resist the temptation to show her exactly who she was dealing with. The girl had no idea.

Calling Cortés had been necessary. I didn’t plan to keep giving in to her tantrums that could cost me not only my job but also her life.

On second thought, it was a relief when she locked herself in her bedroom. I wouldn’t have been able to continue that absurd discussion with her standing there half naked, her nipples showing through the thin fabric of that ridiculous outfit. Pressing her against my body had also been a mistake; the warmth of her skin and the smell of her hair had caused me to have an erection that would’ve been difficult to hide had I not been wearing jeans.

Seeing her that afternoon, dancing and interacting with those little girls, had allowed me to see a new side to her personality, very different to what she normally showed me. Marfil Cortés could test the patience of even a saint—she’d certainly tested mine—but with those girls, she’d been all patience and sweetness, calm and discipline.

Discipline was my middle name, something I couldn’t live without, something I demanded in my daily life. Having spent the better part of my formative years serving in the US military had given me a lot of practice in self-control, although Ialso had to admit that since I’d been working as Marfil’s bodyguard, my self-control had gone out the window several times. The more time I spent with her, the more I realized there was something about her, apart from her beauty, that managed to send me off the rails.

My phone pinged, alerting me to a text message.

Identity of bedroom attacker confirmed. They didn’t even bother to try to hide it. This is the closest they have been to her. Don’t let it happen again. If she goes down, we do, too.

The last thing I wanted was to lose my job.

CHAPTER 11MARFIL

Tuesday was uneventful. I didn’t say a word to Sebastian all day, not even when he asked me to lend him a pencil to jot something down. He seemed to understand that it was better to start back over from the beginning: using only monosyllables.

I took advantage of the silence to think of ways to continue with my ballet classes, but it would be impossible if I wasn’t allowed to return to Brownsville for the time being. The girls would never forgive me. In the end, I convinced Tami to take over for me. Tami danced ballet, too. We had taken classes at school from the time we were little girls, and although she wasn’t that into it, she covered for me on occasion when I couldn’t make it to class because I was sick or had an exam.

A few days later, on a Saturday afternoon, I was out for a run, Sebastian trailing behind me, obviously, his eyes glued to the back of my head as always. I decided to pick up the pace, force my body to go faster, wanting to make him sweat, to make him suffer, but there was no shaking this man; his long, muscular legs easily kept the pace.

In the end I was the one who had to stop first, exhausted, to catch my breath and take a sip of water. Although I’d been living alone for a while and had gotten used to it, I felt lonelier and more isolated than ever now that I’d stopped speaking to Sebastian.

I gave him a quick look out of the corner of my eye. Sweat dripped onto his workout shirt, and his gray athletic shortsshowed off his muscular legs. Still, there was no sign he was out of breath. I couldn’t stand the fact that I felt so attracted to him, even more so than before, despite how much he infuriated me.

The feeling of his body pressed against mine and his hands on my neck had stayed with me since that night, leaving me unsatisfied, wanting more. A part of me considered trying to seduce him. I wanted to drive him crazy, make him obsess over me twenty-four hours a day, like I was doing with him.

With that in mind, I bent down and grabbed my ankles to stretch my arms and legs, showing off my flexibility. My ass was right in front of his face, and I loved seeing how he averted his gaze, looking toward the opposite side of the park.

I smiled, satisfied.

Just then, my phone rang, putting an end to my attempt at seduction. It was Stella, inviting me out that night; the guys from the soccer team were having a party on the penthouse floor of a building along Park Avenue. A party organized by the soccer team was never my favorite activity, but I had nothing better to do, so I accepted the invitation.

I didn’t mention the party to Sebastian until I was dressed and ready to go. I had decided on a short red dress that fit me like a glove. It was revealing but at the same time elegant and feminine. For my hair, I went with a high ponytail, giving it a wet-look effect with what was quickly becoming my favorite product—one I’d bought at Harrods on my last trip to London. I picked up my black Louboutins and matching purse and went out into the living room as I tucked my phone away and called out to Sebastian. When he stepped into the hallway, dressed in a tracksuit but with his hair wet from the shower, I knew I’d just screwed him over good.

“I’m going out,” I informed him.

Sebastian looked me up and down, disapproval written allover his face, which was not the response I’d hoped for after two hours of preparation.

“It’s ten o’clock. Don’t you think you could’ve told me sooner?”

I shrugged. “I forget you’re here, sorry,” I said. I was being bitchy and I knew it, but I was still mad at him for taking me away from my girls.