Page 40 of Sebastian

“Dinner it is.” He holds open the door to my apartment building, giving me one final kiss before saying, “Tell Jinkies Papa said to be good for his mamma.”

“Hermom,” I correct and then smile. His wit never quits, and I find it hilarious.

Sebastian plucks at his imaginary shirt collar in pride.

“Cool, girl papa.”

“Goodnight, Sebastian.”

Thankful for his oversized and comfy sweats keeping me warm the rest of the day, I wonder if I can keep them. Would he mind? The thought stays with me as I stroll up to my apartment and lock the door behind me. Jinkies comes running, meowing her heart out at my return. With a thud, my purse lands on the table as I scoop her in my arms and smother her in a storm of kisses.

The quiet and solitude of my home is comforting and just the thing I need for a good night’s sleep ahead of my busy workweek. I go through my bedtime routine, washing my face and brushing my teeth while Jinkies purrs contently on the bathroom counter.

When I finally crawl into bed with my phone in hand, the aches and pains in my body from such a physically active day and the circle sex are prevalent. The contentment I feel is indescribable, if not unusual.

Beneath the covers, I reach for my phone and message Taylor.

You won’t believe the day I had. ?? Chat tomorrow.

I grin as I put my phone on the charger, ready to close my eyes and dream about my incredible time today, thanks to an overly raucous, sexy Santa named Sebastian.

I’m completely immersedin the Monday morning whirlwind. Ever since the scandal erupted, my job has been an endless sprint of long hours, bottomless cups of coffee, and a mountain of spin-doctoring to contain the fallout after their abrupt termination. Even with Mr. Williamson stepping in as CEO and bringing in a team of consultants, the damage control operation is running at full throttle. Today’s workload is no exception.

As I dive into a never-ending inbox, Taylor bursts into my office with a sparkle in her eyes. Her lipstick is smeared, and when I catch Paolo across the hallway with his eyes glued to Taylor’s ass and wiping his mouth, I know exactly what they are doing in the elevator again.

“Good morning, Chloe. Now tell me why I’m getting a late-night text from you with no details?”

She plops down in the chair across from my desk.

“You kept me in suspense when you wouldn’t answer my text this morning.”

Even though Paolo sits across the hall, there is a sea of cubicles between us with a fair number of coworkers that I don’t want to hear my personal business. I close my door, adding to the mystery of my gossip. Her eyebrows raise, and she looks over her shoulder like we’re keeping state secrets.

“Oh, it’s that good, huh?” she murmurs when I return to my chair, place my elbows on the desk, and lean in.

“I slept with Sebastian.”

Her mouth falls open, eyes widening until I see the white surrounding her eyeballs. The shock on her face is almost comical. While she’s recovering, I quickly dive into the details, leaving out the sordid parts as she gets the jest. It’s a few seconds of silence when I finish before her surprise turns into an impish smile.

“Welcome to the cougar den,” she mocks, leaning back with satisfaction at being brought into the loop of my unexpectedly exciting love life.

I chuckle, not sure if that is an appropriate label. Regardless, it’s humorous either way.

“I’m not sure if that’s applicable, but I had a great time. Of course, the sex was ridiculous because at that age, you can do it all and many times over.”

A dreamy look washes over Taylor’s face, giving me a hint at what she gets on the regular and possibly making me slightly jealous.

“But he’s also so in your face and doesn’t care what people think that it’s sort of refreshing.”

“Maybe that’s exactly what you need? I know appearance is important to you, but perhaps letting your hair down with him or tumbling backward in a hot tub in winter is exactly what you need right now.”

Taylor’s words give me pause. Maybe she’s right. I may need someone like Sebastian to help me break out of my structured, meticulously planned life for a while. I’ve been so focused on my career trajectory and future desires that I’ve almost forgotten what it’s like to be spontaneous and live in the present.

I consider her words carefully. “You know, you might be onto something. It’s been a long time since I felt so carefree. So . . . alive.”

Taylor grins, a knowing glint in her eye.

“I can tell. And I have a feeling this is just the beginning. Enjoy every moment, Chloe. Life is too short to let it pass you by.”

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