Man Seeks Woman 2, Man Seeks Wife Read online

  “Hmmm,” He whispered as he pulled back. “I like kisses.”

  I stared up into his light blue eyes knowing that if I stared at them long enough, I’d get lost in them, too lost in them. I blinked and licked my lips, revelling in his manly taste coating them. “You didn’t like kisses before?”

  Sebastian shrugged and rubbed his nose against mine. “It wasn’t the same.”

  My brows pulled together. “I don’t understand.”

  “Kisses with you are...” he lolled his head back and fourth. “Different, there’s something there, something in the deepness, the passion. I don’t know but it’s different and really good.” He smiled and pressed his lips to mine again. I couldn’t help but open my mouth and lick at his lips, taking and stealing his taste one more time. “enough.” he growled, pushing his hips against me, making me feel his steely erection before pulling away and grabbing his coat and gym bag from the floor.

  Since he had refused to leave on Friday night, Ralph had bought a bag over with the food that Sebastian had ordered. Seeing Ralph again was emotional. The big man was truly something and I’d missed him like crazy in the past months. Rosa too but I had yet to see her.

  I walked Sebastian to the door. He turned and gave me one last kiss and a squeeze before muttering those famous three words in my ear.

  Part of me still didn’t believe him even though I think I felt it from him now.

  My mouth opened to tell him the same, even as a whisper but he climbed down the steps before I could say anything. He headed to the shiny silver BMW X6 parked along the curb. I couldn’t help but shake my head as I watched the lights flash and Sebastian open the door and climb in. He turned the ignition on and wound down the driver side window. “I’ll see you tonight.” He called out before blowing me a kiss.

  I rolled my eyes but nodded knowing that if I didn’t turn up at his apartment, there’d be murders.

  From my steps, I watched as Sebastian drove off, giving him a wave until he turned at the end of the turning. With a sigh and a shiver because it was fucking freezing outside, I ran back inside my flat and closed the door, going straight to my bedroom where I rummaged through my wardrobe for clothing warm enough for this weather.

  ****

  I walked into the office and froze. My eyes were clearly deceiving me. Was this the same office that I’d been working in?

  The space was filled to the brim with men and women dressed in the black and white Brewster brother’s security uniform. They all looked damn right pissed too.

  As the door closed, one by one, they turned from the conversations they were having with each other to scowl at me. Some even glowered and some out right glared directly at me.

  “What?” I snapped, pulling my handbag up further on my shoulder and placed my hands on my hips.

  “You,” Ron an older security officer that worked for the local council offices pointed his meaty finger at me. “This is your entire fault.”

  My brows rose so high, I was worried that they just might pop off my head. “Come again?”

  “This.” He waved his big arms around, signalling everyone. “Without you here to do our timetables and arrange for us to be paid, none of us have anything. Even though we would normally go and do our normal duties, some of our contracts needed renewing or adjusting on Friday, something that you didn’t do.” Then he took a breath and he seriously looked like he needed it too, if going by the intense redness of his face. He looked like he was going to have a heart attack or something. Not good.

  My mouth opened to tell him that it wasn’t exactly my fault when I heard the stampede of feet, heavy feet at that. I knew those steps anywhere. Conrad. Then the voice came. “Victoria.” He blared.

  I rolled my eyes and edged my way through the throng of security guards, nodding when they voiced their worries and protestations. By the time I got through them, I had a headache coming on and wasn’t in the mood to deal with Conrad or Ben for that matter.

  “I’m here.” I called, stopping next to me desk where there was piles and piles of paperwork that came from where exactly?

  What the...

  Letting my bag slide from my shoulder, I heard it drop to the floor as my mouth dropped open in pure and utter shock and astonishment. All the filing cabinets that had been religiously sorted through by me, that had taken a painstakingly long time to file and sort out had been pulled out and emptied onto my desk and the floor surrounding said desk. The office, my office looked like a tornado had ripped through it, disturbing everything in its wake.

  There was only one person responsible for this...Conrad.

  “It’s about fucking time you turned up.” Conrad groused, coming out of his office with a cup full of that strawberry shit.

  I glared at the muscle building substance over my shoulder then at him. I held my arms out wide and shook my head. “What the hell have you done?”

  Conrad’s brown eyes blazed, turning darker if possible. “What have I done?” he yelled. “You waltzed out of here like Shirley fucking Temple, leaving all the contracts that needed sorting on your desk then when I call you, you ignore me. So I thought I’d have a go of your job seeing as you think you didn’t need it anymore and realised once I’d booted up your computer that you’d changed the password and for the fucking life of me, I couldn’t get into the systems.” He continued to yell, his voice rising with every other word. “Then,” He pitched. “I called you again, which you ignored, then,” He yelled in my face, his strawberry breath wafting over me, “I thought I’d do it by hand as in paper and pen then, I realised that you’ve moved everything from where it was originally and you’ve listed things differently to how we had our systems. Effectively, you’ve fucked everything up.”

  How frigging dare he?

  That’s it; I’d had enough of his fucking shouting and his fruit flavoured breath. “Listen, buster.” I ground out, jabbing my finger in his chest, getting back in his face. “You’ve got ten seconds to get your snout out of my face before I grab your nut sack and twist... What’s it going to be?”

  Boss or no boss, I did not take too bloody kindly to being ranted at or to.

  Conrad closed his mouth then opened it again, looking much like a fish. His eyes were wide; I think he was in shock. Then as if realising that he looked like an exposed fish, he smiled, a smile full of white teeth and accompanied with the raised brow and the swirling brown eyes, he was quite a catch. Eh, but not for me. “There’s the Victoria we all know and love.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Spit it out, Ralph.

  My head bopped to Missy Elliott’s “Get Ur Freak On” thumping in my ear, the bass pounding through my drums. I knew I was probably doing damage to my lugholes but good music needed to be appreciated and that meant loud and abusive. I plucked my headphones out of my ears as I closed the front door to Sebastian’s flat behind me. He’d left me a lone spare key this morning with instructions to be here after I finished work. Here I was.

  I bent down and pulled my furry boots off and kicked them to the side then shuffled my coat off and hung it on one of those fancy hat stand things he had next to the door. My orange scarf came next. I shivered at the small chill that slithered around my neck.

  “Hello.” I called out to what seemed like silence. This was a nice welcome, not.

  Rosa popped her head around the side of the door, a frown marring her face until recognition lit her features. She bustled out of the kitchen with her red apron fixed in place and a tea towel in her hands.

  “Victoria.” She gushed, rushing to me.

  I gasped and squeaked a little when the smaller woman pulled me into her arms and squeezed me like it was going out of fashion. “Rosa.” I said once I could breathe again. “How are you?”

  She pulled back, her hands on my shoulders as she stared at me through narrowed eyes. “About time you come back.” She then waved a hand around after removing it from me. “Sido malo aqui,”

  Uh....

  I knew som
e Spanish but not much. I squeezed an eye shut and bit my lip as I went through translations in my head but...I just couldn’t figure it out.

  “English,” I asked, hopeful.

  “Ah.” Rosa chuckled and slipped her arm in the crook of mine and began to pull me down the passage. My eyes followed the pictures on the walls, seeing them exactly the same except for one. “Been bad here,”

  I stopped and stepped up to the magnificent picture. It was of a woman who looked really familiar to me. I was sure I’d seen her somewhere before but for the life of me, couldn’t place her. Actually, the main part of the picture focused on the side of her face. In the partial shadow that covered her face, the streaks of tears running down her cheek shown bright and tense against the darkness. They looked like silver strands instead of clear liquid.

  “You like picture?” Rosa asked as she stepped up beside me.

  I swallowed past the lump forming in my throat, the picture was striking and so emotional all at the same time. “I do.” It was a work of art.

  “Si is you.” Rosa nodded and pointed at the picture. “Senor Sebastian had made it.”

  My eyes bugged at her. She couldn’t be serious. What the hell?

  “What?” I screeched.

  She turned and blinked at the sound then those brows of hers pulled together and her small hands landed on her ample hips. Then she was ranting off in Spanish so quick I could barely make out what she was saying.

  I closed my eyes and blew out a breath then opened them. “Rosa, calm down.” So much for missing the fiery woman,

  Rosa flapped her lips and waved a hand again. “You not here,” She seethed. “You not see Senor Sebastian everyday.” Her hands fluttered against her chest, her face burning red but not from embarrassment or anything but from anger. And it looked like it was towards me. “Bad thing to see, man like that, down on floor,”

  I had no fucking clue what she was talking about, I really didn’t.

  “Uh,”

  Her mouth opened to no doubt rant at me again but the front door chose that minute to open and Ralph walked on through. His face was contoured into intense concentration until he noticed me and Rosa.

  “Victoria.” He smiled but it wasn’t his usual, brilliant smile that made you, yourself smile even when you felt like shit.

  “What’s up, Ralph,”

  His eyes darted to the space above my head for a spilt second before coming back to mine. “Nothing you,”

  Hmmm, there was something going on. This wasn’t usual Ralph.

  “Where’s Sebastian?” I asked him then turned to Rosa. “I guess he’s not here?”

  Rosa shook her head in what looked like exasperation and turned back towards the kitchen, clearly finished with ranting and raving at me, thank God. I looked to Ralph with my brows raised.

  The big man came in and closed the door behind him then moved to where I stood. His big shoulders were tense and set, same with his jaw. “Sebastian’s been delayed for a bit.”

  “Oh where,” I asked. Ralph cleared his throat. Damn, he was lying to me and he was shit at it. “Spit it out, Ralph.”

  Rubbing his eyes with his knuckles, Ralph shook his head. “I said I didn’t want to do this, especially not to you but would he listen?” he growled. I think he was talking to himself rather than me.

  “Ralph?”

  “Sorry.” He blew out a breath. “Sebastian has been held up and asked that I keep you here until he gets home.”

  That was strange as it was but what I wanted to know was if he wasn’t here, then where was he and why did Ralph feel the need to lie to me about it?

  I crossed my arms over my chest as I felt my anger beginning to kick in. “Where is he, Ralph?”

  Ralph looked down at me, his jaw working as his eyes scanned my face, obviously debating about telling me the truth. “Hospital,”

  My brows pulled together. “Hospital, why?” had he had an accident at work, a car accident or was he just ill? Then come to think of it, he was fine this morning when he said goodbye to me and got off to work. “I don’t understand.”

  “He’s not ill.” Ralph said quickly and took my elbow, leading me down to the kitchen where Rosa was cooking up a storm. There were pots and pans all over the show along with ingredients. The place looked like a bomb had hit it. “Sit.” He pulled out a stall and pushed me into it.

  I wriggled on the stool, not wanting to sit there at all but I did. I pushed my fringe from my face and blew out a breath. “Now, Ralph, tell me why Sebastian has you lying to me over him being at the hospital. What’s going on?”

  “Tell her truth.” Rosa said quietly when Ralph decided to take his time.

  “Yes.” I nodded and agreed with the Spanish woman. “Tell me the truth.”

  Because if he didn’t, I was ready to grab one of the pots Rosa was using and bang him over the head with it and demand to be told what the hell was going on.

  Ralph sighed heavily and his whole body seemed to slump with the truth. “Naomi has gone into labour and called Sebastian. He’s at the hospital with her now.”

  Whoosh!

  A feeling very similar to an ice cold bucket of water being thrown over you, washed through me. It chilled me instantly right down to my bones. I wanted the truth of where Sebastian was but I wasn’t expecting that. Damn, the bitch was still around and Sebastian was still in contact with her?

  Wow.

  “And he didn’t think to call me and let me know?” I asked quietly, my mind was spinning. My head began to pound in time with my heartbeat. Little by little, the sound in the kitchen seemed to mute to nothing but white fuzz as the pound and bang of my blood pressure built and built.

  Bang, bang, bang. The vein in my head pulsed with pain and pressure. Unsteadily, I slipped off the stall and stood up straight. On shaky legs, I walked over to the balcony doors and slid them open. Immediately, the cold, wintery night air blasted at me sending a shiver through my body.

  My fingers gripped the steel banister and my breath came out in pants as I scanned the darkened London landscape, watching the red and white lights below me moving around on their way to wherever they were going. My eyes moved over buildings, my mind naming them silently in the back of my head. My eyes latched onto the hospital roof I could see across the distance, wondering if that was the hospital that Sebastian was in right now with her.

  The thought made me laugh for some reason. I laughed out loud, laughed until I bent over and doubled over with mirth. Sliding down the white painted balcony wall, I let my butt hit the ice cold floor before my laughter turned into silence and the situation permeated my mind. The truth like little ants worked its way through my mind.

  Shit!

  The truth was whether I chose to accept it or not was that Sebastian could meet his child for the first time tonight and he didn’t want me knowing the truth. He’d purposely told Ralph to lie to me, to deceive me. Me, the woman that he declared he loved, that was his one and only.

  He wanted Ralph to lie to me.

  Of course, I didn’t believe when Sebastian had told me the first time about the baby, that the said baby was his but still, no-one knew the truth until paternity was proved and I guess that was coming tonight.

  Tonight, tonight the night that Sebastian had planned for me to spend with him, with him in the place that we were last together. We were supposed to be spending the night together, here, in his home.

  God, this was a mess.

  What did I do? Did I stay here and rant and rave at Ralph for lying? Did I call Sebastian and give him what for? Or did I wait and bide my time? What the fuck did I do?

  The door slid open and the big man stepped out. He stopped just outside the glass, his hands splaying out against the thick plate. “I hate it out here.” He said eventually.

  I looked up at the handsome black man, seeing the tightness around his eyes and the grimace written across his lips. “Why’s that, its beautiful.” and it was. London at night was something else especially
this high up.

  Ralph huffed out a strained laugh. “Because I’m shit scared of heights, that’s why.”

  “Ahh,” I nodded in understanding and let out a soft breath as my eyes closed. I listened to the hum of the air around me and the subtle bibs and engines of London transport moving around below me. My breathing was almost silent, along with Ralph’s.

  “He doesn’t mean to hurt you, you know.”

  My eyes opened as a shiver wracked through me. “Who said anything about hurting me, Ralph?”

  Ralph glared down at me. “Don’t bullshit me, Victoria. I know you’re hurting right about now and I told him you would feel like that but he thinks he knows better when he knows fuck all. I love Sebastian like a brother even though he’s my boss. Me and him.” he sighed and shook his head. His big hands rubbed together to keep warm. “We been through some shit together over the years but I never thought him this stupid.”

  “He’s not stupid.” And Sebastian wasn’t. He just thought in his weird own way that his way was the right way when sometimes, it was so fucking wrong, it was in the complete other direction. “To be honest, I forgot about Naomi and her pregnancy and well, I guess I shouldn’t have because if I hadn’t, now wouldn’t be such a shock, perhaps?”

  Well, that was a semi lie. I hadn’t forgotten about Naomi and the baby, I’d just pushed her from my mind, kind of neglected to accept it I guess.

  “Oh Sebastian hasn’t forgotten whilst you’ve been gone.” He shook his head. His jaw tightened and hardened as his eyes scanned the landscape. “Naomi hasn’t let him forget. She’s been at him like a fly around a cow’s arsehole. There were times when I wanted to strangle the woman myself and that’s saying something because I object to violence against women but...”

  “Then why did he have you lie to me?” I asked quietly. “Why didn’t he just call me or text me even or hell, just told me the truth rather than me having to drag the fucking truth from you?”

  “Because Sebastian doesn’t want to hurt you, that’s why. He thinks mentioning anything to do with Naomi in front of you would be enough to have you running for the hills and that’s the last thing he wants. He’s finally got you back. You’re the woman who stole his heart, stole him and now, there’s a risk of her leaving, of her running away because of something that wasn’t his fault. No.” Ralph clenched his fists in front of him, his lips thinning. “He didn’t want to risk that. Not you, not again,”