Chapter 19

Jessica tapped the down elevator button like a jackhammer demolishing pavement. She needed a moment to collect herself. A ladies room, or… She turned and glanced around, looking for directional signs, but the elevator dinged behind her, and Sed (the callous jackass) was headed in her direction. She stepped onto the elevator and held the button to close the doors.

"Jessica!" Sed called, his trot increasing to a full out run. "Wait. We need to talk." The doors closed before Sed could reach them. She heard his hands slap against the outside just before the car started its descent.

Talk? She had no intention of talking to Sed. Ever again. She should have known better than to get mixed up with him in the first place.

Jessica leaned against the interior wall of the car and took several deep breaths as the elevator continued down to the lobby. A presence lurked behind her, so she couldn't allow herself to cry. Not in public. Why couldn't the rest of the world just disappear and leave her the fuck alone?

"Jessica Chase?"

Her heart thudded. She didn't know enough people in Vegas to be recognized by her real name. She turned and there stood some average-in-every-way guy she'd never seen before.

"How do you know my name?" She was almost afraid to ask.

The man hesitated and then leaned closer, his breath hot in her ear. "I saw your video today, sexy. Would you consider accompanying me to the real Eiffel Tower for a repeat performance? I'll pay your way to France. Buy you nice things. Give you cash. Whatever you want." His gray eyes took in every inch of her figure. "I just want to fuck that tight little body of yours."

She was too stunned to respond. Too nauseous to scream. Too humiliated to move.

"What do you say?" He grabbed her by both arms, his tongue laving her ear.

She jerked away and found herself trapped in a corner.

Instinct? She didn't know. Her knee came up and he went down.

"No," she shouted down at him. "That's what I say, you fucking jerk!"

The elevator door opened and she rushed into the lobby, leaving the jackass on the elevator floor cradling his crushed nuts and moaning in agony. She hadn't taken two steps before another man grabbed her by both shoulders and crushed her against his hard chest. She fought him, ready to deliver another groin-directed knee until she recognized her captor. Sed? How had he beaten the elevator fifteen floors to the lobby?

"Come on, sweetheart. I'll take you back to the hotel," he said breathlessly.

"I'm not going anywhere with you."

"I know you're upset. You probably want to hide for a while and cry. Let's get you out of here, okay?"

She gulped air. She did want to hide and cry, but not for a while. Forever.

"I'll take you to the hotel and I'll leave you alone. Or you can let me hold you. Whatever you want."

The problem was she didn't know what she wanted—being alone sounded good yet terrible, being held in Sed's strong arms sounded better yet worse—but she nodded and let him lead her to a waiting cab. She stared unseeingly out the window on the way through the city. What was she going to do? There was no way she could hide this video from her peers, her professors, her family, her friends, jerks in elevators. This kind of thing would destroy her credibility. Would it mean the end of her career? Was it over before it started? Her dreams destroyed for a few moments of bliss? It all seemed incredibly unfair.

Something hot streaked down her cheek. She dashed the tear away with the back of her hand and glanced at Sed to see if he'd noticed. When their eyes met, he smiled sadly, and then stared down at his hands, which were folded in his lap.

Another tear fell. Another. She wiped her face on the hem of her T-shirt. Damn it. This wasn't worth her tears. She was strong. She could get through this. She could always become a hermit and make pinecone wreaths in the sequoia forests. The trees wouldn't know she was a… she was a… a skaaaank .

Jessica took a deep breath that turned into an anguished sob. Sed touched her shoulder. That small connection was like a switch that opened the flood gates. She caught his startled expression just before she flung herself across the backseat and into his arms. He held her as if her tears would wash her away and he had no intention of allowing the raging waters to pull her from his grasp. Feeling safe, she let the humiliation wash over her. Oh God, people would see her, see her like that , and… and… they would think she was a slut. A whore. A tramp. A…

"It's okay, baby," Sed murmured, squeezing her tighter. "I'll fix it. I promise."

She struggled out of his embrace and glared up at him. "You can't fix this, Sed. You can't. This is an unfixable situation."

He cupped her face in both hands and kissed the tears from her cheeks. "I said I'll fix it and I will. Don't cry."

The cab pulled to a stop outside the Bellagio hotel and Jessica scrambled out of the car. People waiting in line for the next available taxi gawked at her as she hurried into the hotel. They'd probably seen her video. Or maybe they found the tears dripping from her jaw and her runny nose interesting. Whatever it was, she wished she had a bag to put over her head.

When they reached the room, Sed directed her to the bathroom. He turned on the taps to fill the large garden tub.

"What are you doing?"

"Pampering you. Get in the tub. I'll call room service."

"I don't want to be pampered."

"Too bad. I'm pampering."

That big tub did look inviting. And there was a complimentary bottle of bubble bath on the edge of the tub. "Okay."

Sed let out a relieved sigh. He probably thought this fixed things. Well, it didn't. Nothing would fix this.

"I'll be right back." And when he kissed her—for a fleeting moment—she started to believe that things really were going to be okay.

Less than twenty minutes later, she was already feeling more like herself. Fragrant bubbles tickling the bare skin of her shoulders, Jessica leaned forward in the tub and opened her mouth to accept the spoonful of chocolate mousse Sed offered. Her eyes rolled up in her head as she licked every decadent trace of dessert from the spoon. Smooth, sweet, and rich. She rubbed the mousse between the roof of her mouth and tongue, reluctant to swallow. Chocolate made everything better. Even her fucked up life.

Jessica groaned. "It's so good."

"It can't be half as good as watching you eat it." He grinned at her and scooped another spoonful from the tall parfait glass.

"Aren't you going to have any?" she asked, eagerly accepting another bite of his treat.

His grin widened and one of his adorable dimples made an appearance. "I'm saving my appetite for dessert."

"You can climb in here with me, you know." Sex with Sed was even better at taking her mind off things than chocolate. And more than anything, she longed for blank thoughts.

Sitting next to the tub, still fully clothed, Sed shook his head. "We both know where that will lead. You've had a hard day, sweetheart. I want you to relax."

She'd forgotten how sweet he could be at times. "It's hard to relax when I keep thinking about that stupid vid—"

He silenced her by stuffing a large strawberry in her mouth. She chewed, the sour tang of the fruit contrasting with the sweet chocolate still stimulating her taste buds.

"Then stop thinking about it." He reached across the expanse of lily-scented bubbles and stroked a strand of hair from her cheek.

"You are taking my mind off things."

Both dimples made an appearance this time. Her heart skipped a beat. Why couldn't he be like this all the time?

"I am?"

"Well, you and the chocolate." She opened her mouth, ready for her next bite.

He laughed. "Honest to a fault. Are you sure you want to be a lawyer?"

Her heart went from recovery to the pit of despair in one beat. "I'm not sure it's even possible now. My reputation is ruined."

"In a couple of weeks, it will be old news. No one will remember it."

"I will."

He gave her a pitying look and reached for the bottle of champagne chilling in a silver bucket near his hip. He sloshed some pale amber liquid into a flute and held it out to her. "More champagne?"

She nodded and reached for the glass.

Sed took a long swig out of the bottle. She watched his throat work as he swallowed and squeezed her thighs together to alleviate the building throb between them. She probably shouldn't want him after the day she'd had, but she did. What was it about this man that made her so stupid? And slutty? God, the whole world knew how much she liked to fuck him now—how she'd go to any lengths to please him sexually—and did that stop her from wanting him? No. Sed lowered the bottle and stuffed it back into the ice bucket, accompanied by the rattle of melting ice.

He covered his mouth with the back of his hand and chuckled. "That shit goes straight to your head."

"I don't think you're supposed to chug half the bottle." Though three glasses deep, she was working on it. She rested her wrist on the edge of the tub, her half-full flute tilted precariously. "Since you refuse to fuck me, can I have some more chocolate, please?"

"I'm not refusing. I just don't think that's what you really want right now."

"You don't know a goddamned thing about what I want." Her eyes filled with unexpected tears. "Why won't you ever listen to me?" If sex had been his idea, she'd already be on her back with him thrusting into her slutty, needy body.

He brushed a tear away with his thumb. "Shh, sweetheart, I'm not going to take advantage of you when you're this upset." He extended a spoonful of mousse toward her.

Oh yeah? Well, if he wasn't going to do as she asked, she'd just have to seduce him then. She waited until the spoon touched her bottom lip then slowly drew her tongue over it. She repeated the motion again and again, knowing what kind of thoughts she encouraged. Sed watched her lick his offering one thin layer at a time. He couldn't take his eyes off her mouth or the carefully timed strokes of her tongue. She sucked the remaining mousse from the spoon. "Mmmmm."

Sed answered her murmur of pleasure with a soft curse.

Her eyes drifted down his body, wishing he'd get naked already. The chocolate and champagne weren't doing it for her. She could still think. Her eyes settled on the crotch of his jeans. Anything ready to tango in his pants? Getting there, but only half-mast. She could do better.

"What are you looking at?" he asked.

Her gaze lifted to his. He had one eyebrow raised at her.

"I want more."

"More what?"

"You know what I want, Sed. Give it to me." She opened her mouth for another bite.

He scooped another spoonful of mousse. "If you don't stop that, I'm going to give it to you real good here in a minute. And then you're going to get pissed at me for taking advantage of you."

"Why would I get pissed if you give me what I need?"

"Jess, you're not thinking clearly. The last thing you need right now is sex."

She completely disagreed with him. No surprise there. Jessica rubbed her mouth over the soft dessert, licking the chocolate from her coated lips in bliss. She kept her eyes closed, but she assumed he watched with undivided attention. Her tongue stroked the underside of the spoon repetitively and then dipped into the depression on top.

"I wish I was a spoon," he murmured.

After she licked all traces of dessert from the spoon, she moaned, "More, Sed. I need more."

He fed her another spoonful of mousse, and another.

"Yes, Sed. Give it to me. More."

He scraped the spoon against the sides of the glass and gave his final offering. She finished the last bite and opened her eyes.

He rattled the spoon in the glass. "It's all gone."

She glanced at the glass, noting the film of mousse on its inner surface. "There's a little left. Don't waste it."

He rubbed his index finger along the inner surface of the glass and offered it to her, his breath catching. She licked his finger from base to tip and then sucked it into her mouth. The salt of his skin mingled with the sweet, rich taste of chocolate.

"Jess," he gasped.

She sucked his finger gently, drawing her mouth back to the tip, and working her tongue along its underside, before she sucked it deep again. She released his finger and took a sip of her champagne. "Are you sure there isn't any more?" Her eyes drifted down to his lap again. His cock strained against his pants as a thick, rigid pole along the inside of his left thigh.

How was he not in the tub already?

"I can order you another."

"I think I've had enough chocolate. What else do you have to offer?" She glanced down at his lap suggestively.

He didn't seem to notice. "Champagne."

"Excellent champagne," she murmured and took another gulp of the sparkling beverage.

"Strawberries." He lifted a lid off a plate sitting beside him on the floor. The smell of beef and grease filled the air. "And a hamburger."

She chuckled. "You don't really think I'd eat that, do you?"

"I ordered it for me, but if you want some…" He took a bite. "I'll share," he said with his mouth full.

"Charming, Sed. Hand me the strawberries."

He handed her a large goblet with fresh trimmed strawberries. She drained her champagne flute in several gulps and dropped the glass on the towel next to the tub. She set the cold goblet of strawberries on her chest and bit into a berry, pretending she didn't notice the juice dripping down her chin. She could be as persistent as he was stubborn.

Sed tossed his half-eaten burger on his plate. He retrieved her discarded champagne glass and refilled it. "I think you need more champagne." He handed the full glass to her.

"You're right. I'm not drunk yet." She polished off the glass in four swallows and dropped the flute on the floor again before selecting another strawberry. "I wonder if my law professors already know about my amateur porn debut."

"You're not supposed to be thinking about that." He stuffed the final quarter of his hamburger into his mouth. He could be such a pig. She wasn't sure why it turned her on.

"This is a big deal in my life, Sed. What am I supposed to be thinking about?"

He peeled his shirt off over his head and tossed it aside. "Me."

Like she could think of anything else when he was shirtless. "You just ate, Sed. You can't come into the water for at least twenty minutes." Despite her teasing, her appreciative gaze roamed the hard contours of his naked chest and stomach. Beautiful man. About time he got down to business and gave her what she really wanted.

He took the goblet of strawberries from her and set it on the floor. "I'm not planning on swimming." He drew her body halfway around the garden tub, so that her back was to him and the edge of the tub separated their bodies. His arms wrapped around her, large hands grasping her breasts. His mouth descended to suck on her neck. "Is this what you want?"

She gasped. "Yes."

He rolled her nipples between his index fingers and thumbs, drawing a hard shudder from her body. He kissed a trail up her neck to her ear, sucking its lobe between his teeth to nibble on it. Goose bumps rose to the surface of her skin. His breath, quick and uneven in her ear, fueled her excitement.

"You drive me crazy, woman." The low rumble of his voice drove straight to her core.

"I have no idea why."

His hands slid down her rib cage. He paused, taking several deep breaths to calm his excitement. Apparently, he was still under the impression that she didn't want him to dive into the tub half-clothed, unleash his cock, and plunge into her body. He reached for the small complimentary bar of soap on the edge of the tub and unwrapped it.

"Where would you like me to wash you?" he whispered into her ear.

She grinned. "My left hand."

He lifted her hand from the water and lathered it with soap before setting the soap aside and massaging her hand with his thumbs. The pressure of his touch was perfect—firm, yet gentle.

"Clean yet?" he murmured.

"Not yet."

He continued to massage her hand. Her knuckles, the base of her fingers, palm, wrist. If this singing thing didn't work out for him, he could always become a hand masseur.

"Right hand," she murmured.

He lowered her left hand into the water and rinsed the traces of soap from it before picking up the bar of soap and lathering her right. She tried to keep her attention on the feel of his strong fingers kneading her flesh. If this didn't take her mind off things, nothing would. She didn't want to think about that stupid video and how twenty minutes of bliss might ruin her entire life, or what would happen if Trey never got better, or how much Brian despised her, or how now that Sinners weren't on tour she was sort of out of a job again, or that she had to retake Ellington's class next year, or—

"You're supposed to be relaxing," Sed murmured into her ear.

"I am relaxing."

He kissed her temple. "I can tell when your mind is churning out a million thoughts a minute."

"You'll have me thinking of nothing but you soon enough."

"I think of nothing but you most of the time. Doesn't seem fair, does it?"

She turned her head to look at him, a smile on her lips. "Bath Boy," she said in a haughty British accent, "my breasts are filthy. You are neglecting your duties."

He grinned and directed the bar of soap to the underside of her right breast and then the left. The soap slipped from his grasp and landed in the water with a splash, but he didn't take his hands from her breasts to retrieve it.

He worked the suds between their skin over her nipples. Stroking. Plucking. Kneading.

She gasped, her head falling against his shoulder.

"Find the soap," he murmured, the timbre of his voice drawing another shudder from her body.

She searched for the soap beneath the surface of the water, eventually finding it near her hip on the bottom of the tub. He accepted it from her, soaped her breasts thoroughly, and set the bar of soap on the tub's rim. His hands rubbed over her slick flesh repeatedly, driving her to madness.

"Bath Boy, I'm so dirty between my legs," she gasped.

"You are?" He nipped her earlobe.

She shuddered. "Yeah."

He took the bar of soap and slid it beneath the water's surface down her belly. She spread her legs in anticipation. He caressed her lower belly and then the insides of her thighs.

"Are you sure your back isn't dirty?" he murmured.

She wondered why he hesitated on getting right down to business. "Do you want my back to be dirty?"

"I want to help you relax."

"And I want you to ravish my body."

"I plan on it. After your bath."

She sighed in frustration. "This pampering isn't necessary, Sedric. My legs are always open to you, aren't they? We fuck. That's what we do. That's all we do. I don't need you for anything else. Get it?"

His hands moved from her body, dropping into the water. After a moment of his silence, she glanced up over her shoulder at him. His scowl almost covered his despair.

Exasperated, she asked, "What's wrong now?"

He hesitated. "Is that all I am to you? A toy for your amusement?"

"Yes, that's all you are, Sed. All you'll ever be. An amusing toy."

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, his handsome face twisted in anguish.

He sat there for a full minute before climbing to his feet and drying his hands on a towel.

He retrieved his discarded shirt from the floor.

Left without a word.

Jessica waited for him to return, listening to sounds of him moving through the hotel suite. The outer door opened. Closed. Had he really abandoned her? Just because she'd called him a toy? Was that really all it took to hurt him? Too easy.

She reached for the bottle of champagne and took a long swallow.

He'll be back.

An hour later, the champagne was gone, the bath bubbles had vanished, and the water was cold, but Sed still hadn't returned. Well, shit. What did he expect from her? They'd agreed that this "relationship" was a game. Only about sex. And now he was pissed because she wanted to stick to the terms of their agreement. Fine. Whatever. They could be done. This could be over. Why should she care? It didn't mean anything. Like she'd said, the only thing she needed him for was sex. If he had any doubt, he could ask any of the five hundred thousand people who'd witnessed her needs on video.

She pulled the plug and climbed from the tub, staggering as she reached for a towel. She wrapped it around her body and went in search of clothes. She should find Sed and apologize. Make up with him. It really wasn't his fault that she was a skank. She dashed a tear away with the back of her hand.

Her vision blurred as she left the brightly lit bathroom and entered the dim interior of the living room. She couldn't walk in a straight line. Kept drifting to the right. She'd consumed way too much champagne. She stumbled through the living area with her arms extended for balance and bumped into a side table, whacking her shin on hard wood. Eventually the pain registered.

"Ow!"

As she danced away from the offending piece of furniture, she stubbed her big toe on the sofa leg.

"Ow! Damn!" Tears of pain filled her eyes. She sat down heavily in a taupe over-stuffed chair, grabbing her smarting toe with both hands. Jessica sucked deep breaths through her teeth until the sharp pain faded to dull. Why did big toes have so many frickin' pain receptors anyway?

Comfy chair… She blinked slowly and leaned her head against the chair arm. She curled her legs under her for warmth and tugged her towel closer. So sleepy… Sed… Please don't be mad at me… I'll find you… Sorry I hurt you… I do need you… Please, hold me… Don't leave me alone…