I think for a moment as I watch him. What does that even mean?
“Has she ever asked you to take her back?”
“Every time I speak to her.”
Ouch.
“Is that why she does all these things? Is it some sort of revenge to try and hurt you?”
He shrugs, clearly uninterested.
“Sebastian, I don't understand. Explain this to me. I thought you hated each other.”
“I don't want to talk about this tonight. Seriously? You think I don't have enough on my plate at the moment, April? Now I have to deal with your insecurities.”
“Just forget it.” I exhale heavily and put my book down on the nightstand. I roll over and turn my back to him. Another thought enters my mind. Why haven’t I asked this before? “What did the police say?”
He stays silent.
I roll over to face him. “When she broke into this house, did they charge her for break and entering?”
His jaw clenches, and his tongue glides over his bottom lip. He’s annoyed.
Uneasiness fills me.
“We had no evidence. The cameras weren’t working.”
I frown as I stare at him. “She wasn’t charged?”
“No.”
“But you could have had a restraining order put on her. You did that, though, right?”
He reaches over and puts his hand on my thigh. “I've done everything right by you, April,” he says. “You have no reason to doubt me.”
“Answer my question, Sebastian.”
He hesitates, but eventually answers, “No.”
I stare at him for a moment. I open my mouth to say something.
“Don’t,” he warns. “This conversation is over.”
I blink, surprised.
Wow.
I roll over and turn my back to him. I can’t believe him.
I inhale deeply and close my eyes as I try to chase the demons away, because those bitches are scared and reading more into this than they should.
How could they not?
He’s still protecting her.
He switches the television off snuggles in behind me. His body is close to mine. He kisses my shoulder, and I stare into the darkness.
There are secrets between us. I can feel them lurking.
What isn’t he telling me?
We lie in silence for a while, and eventually he says, “Good night, sweetheart. I love you.”
Do you?
“Good night,” I whisper.
But it’s not a good night. It’s a terrible night.
Sebastian’s ex-wife still loves him… and maybe, just maybe, he still loves her.
The alarm goes off.
Sebastian bounces out of bed and walks into the bathroom, leaving me in the darkness, my mind a clusterfuck of confusion. I hear the shower running, and I go over what we talked about last night. Although it’s not what we spoke about that has me concerned. It’s what he wouldn’t discuss that’s triggered me.
I get up and walk into the bathroom. His eyes meet mine for a brief moment before he turns away and continues to wash himself.
I sit up on the bathroom vanity. Eventually, he turns off the shower and gets out. He begins to dry himself with a black towel.
“Can we talk about last night?” I ask.
“April.” He dries himself aggressively. “I don’t have the mental energy to fight with you this week.”
“Why are you protecting her?”
“For fuck’s sake!” he cries. “Are you listening to me at all? Press conferences, police questioning, federal taxation issues, organizing a funeral service and dealing with the entire fucking country’s questions.” He throws up his hands in disgust. “I’m so stressed out that my head is about to explode, and you’re carrying on a about a woman I divorced seven fucking years ago. The Cabinet is voting for a new Prime Minister today, and I’m in the front running.” He wraps his towel around his waist. “Do you have any fucking idea the amount of pressure I’m under?” He marches out into the bedroom and into his walk-in wardrobe.
My shoulders slump. God, he’s right.
This week is not the week to talk about anything of importance. I scrunch up my face in regret.
You idiot.
He dresses in his suit, acting angry, while I sit on the bed and watch on in silence. He stands in front of the mirror and does up his tie. My stomach somersaults. How can an angry man putting a tie on be so sexy?
I get up and go to him to take over his tie tying. “I’m sorry.”
His eyes meet mine. “I just—”
“I know, babe.” I rise up onto my toes and kiss his big lips. “I’m just being an insecure cow.”
“You have me, April. You know that you have me.”
“I know.” I smile up him. He’s right, I do know that I have him. There’s no question about that. “No stress tonight, I promise.”
His hand slides around to my behind, and he pulls my hips toward his waiting dick. “What I really need is a good stress reliever.” He gives me a pump with his hips.
“You’re a sex maniac, Mr. Garcia.”
He gives me a slow, sexy smile. “And you are excellent in bed.” He pumps me with his hips again. “Which is why we’re perfect together.”
“Well…” I rearrange his collar. “I will be at my most excellent best tonight, sir.”
His dark eyes hold mine. “I’ll look forward to it.”
8:00 p.m. and I look at myself in the full-length mirror. Holy hell on a cracker, who am I?
Determined to give Sebastian a stress relieving night, I went to the adult shop today and bought myself a sexy little hooker outfit.
Little being the operative word.
I’m wearing black suede, thigh-high boots, black leather crotchless panties, and a black leather bra with the boob parts cut out. I have on a full face of glamourous makeup, complete with fake lashes, red lipstick, and I’m wearing a long, dark wig, with a red satin ribbon tied strategically in a bow around my neck.
I’m unrecognizable, even to me.
I’m nervous seeing him like this. What will he think?
Who am I kidding? I know he’ll love it.
The man’s a fucking deviant.
I walk downstairs and pour myself a shot of tequila. I want it to be a complete fantasy for him, sensually as well as visually. I remember back in the day when I saw him at the Escape Club. He would always be smoking a cigar and drinking strong liquor. I go to his bar and take out one of his cigars and light it. I inhale and the smoke fills my lungs.
Hmm, it’s been a long time since I enjoyed one of these babies.
I won’t even smell like me. The tequila, the smoke, the look of me… they all bring back memories of when we first met. When he was a bad man and I was pretending to be a bad girl. Though, I didn’t have to pretend to hard. I loved every second of our time in the club. It was the ultimate fantasy…for both of us.
I place a chair in front of the door, and I sit down, spread my legs, and I wait.
I see the headlights come onto the driveway, and I smile darkly as I inhale the cigar.
Mr. Garcia, come to Mummy.
Game on.
The door opens, and Sebastian closes it behind him. He walks in casually. He frowns when he smells the cigar smoke, and he glances up, stopping in his tracks. He inhales sharply, and I know that he likes what he sees. I take a long, slow drag of the cigar, and I blow a stream of smoke.