Gramercy Nights (The Argo Press Trilogy Book 1) (28 page)

I bite my lip, but dig the foreword out of my bag, barely looking at Megan as I pass it over to her. There’s a little glint in her eyes, but she doesn’t say anything and I stand to leave.

I’m halfway out the door when I pause and turn. “Do you know if Sebastian is here?”

One delicate eyebrow lifts. “He’s always here. End of the hall. Impossible to miss.”

A small brass nameplate says SEBASTIAN CASAL, editor-in-chief and I run my finger across his name, smiling. It looks so regal and yet, so old-fashioned. Like the nameplate on some long ago journalist’s office.

I knock softly, hoping he won’t mind the disruption.

Before I have a chance to change my mind, a booming ‘Come in!’ comes from behind the door and I take a deep breath and step inside.

Sebastian is leaning back in his chair, the phone tucked between his shoulder and his ear, and the peeved look on his face says he’s less than pleased at being interrupted, but when he looks up and sees me, it’s gone in a flash and he’s smiling widely and motioning for me to take a seat.

“Unacceptable,” he says before mouthing it will only be a second. “You can’t make changes this late. If you were disappointed earlier…Yes, I understand but at this point, there’s nothing I can do.” Sebastian is polite but stern, leaving little room for discussion. “Good.”

Two windows look out on the Manhattan afternoon, the setting sun glinting off the windows of neighboring office buildings. Every inch of the office is covered in books. There are bound galleys with their brightly colored paper covers, finished books and books in more languages than I can count and I have to wonder just how many of them Sebastian has at least a reading knowledge of. I’m willing to bet he beats my English, Catalan and Spanish.

I’m too busy staring to realize Sebastian has hung up and is now watching me, his fingers interlaced behind his head, his posture relaxed and curious. “How’d your meeting go?”

I grin. “Great! Megan is terrifying. I think she knows more about Catalan literature than I do and she can’t read a word of it.”

Sebastian bursts out laughing. “That’s Megan. When I decided to start Argo, I knew I couldn’t do it without her so I shamelessly poached her.” He doesn’t look the slightest bit embarrassed by his admission. In fact, he looks pleased as hell.

“How long have you known each other?”

“Forever. We were at Columbia together, though she was a year ahead of me. We weren’t very close, but we kept in touch after we graduated. I was back in London, she was living in Paris for a time, then Berlin.”

“Were you two…?”

Sebastian gives me a questioning look, like he finds this amusing. “No. Megan is way out of my league.” He laughs at the incredulous look that passes across my face. Someone out of Sebastian’s league? Right. “I think you’re more her type.”

My eyebrows come together in surprise and Sebastian laughs. “I made it abundantly clear that you’re off limits. Work place romances and all that.” His eyes sparkle with amusement.

He unfolds himself from the chair and comes around the desk, his fingers brushing my shoulders as he slips past me. The lock clicks shut.

“Work place romances, eh?” I feel his strong hands on my shoulders, his agile fingers massaging the tension from my muscles.

His lips brush against my ear. “This is different.” The way he says different sends the most delicious shiver down my spine.

“How exactly is
this
different?” I ask breathily.

“Well,” he says kissing from my shoulder to my neck, “for one, I met you before you ever signed a contract with Argo.” One of his hands trails down my body, cupping my breast, making my nipples pucker in response. As if unaware of the reaction he’s having on my body, he continues. “Also, I don’t actually work with you. This is just a case of a girl visiting her boyfriend at the office.” He rolls my nipple between his fingers until it’s hard and throbbing. “Did you come in here hoping I’d fuck you?”

“Who says I’d let you fuck me here?”

Sebastian lets out a low chuckle. “The way your body responds to my touch. It’s like you were made for me. I’m willing to bet your pussy is hot and wet right now.”

I don’t even bother trying to disagree.

“Are you wearing panties under that lovely little dress of yours?”

“No.”

“Good girl.” He kisses my neck once before releasing me. “Stand up. I want to fuck you in that dress.”

I do, my legs trembling. I don’t know how he does this. How he’s able to pull me apart with a few words, but he does.

When he kisses me again, drawing me up to him, I can feel his need pressing against me, and the knowledge that I can do this to him makes me bolder. I lead him around his desk, pushing him back into his chair and he’s watching me with the most amazing look in his eyes, like he’s surprised and also appreciative, and I drop to my knees in front of him, his beautiful cock so close to my face I can breathe in the warm masculine scent of him.

When I finally take him into my mouth, Sebastian lets out a deep moan, his hands raking through my hair, forcing me to meet his eyes as I suck him deeper, running my tongue along his hard shaft. His eyes darken, losing focus as he groans.

“Jesus, Danielle, your mouth is fucking amazing.”

The hard, wood floor digs into my knees but I don’t care. Right now, the only thought in my mind is to pleasure this beautiful man who has made me feel things I’ve never come close to feeling before. I was unbelievably pissed when I found out he owned Argo. Now, I’m thankful. Because if it weren’t for Sebastian, I never would have met Megan. I never would have had this opportunity and I know he was right when he said that I deserve this. I suck the smooth, velvety head into my mouth, tasting the saltiness of his precum on my tongue as the room fills with the sound of Sebastian’s loosening grip on control. I want to make him lose control the way he makes me until he’s nothing but a wound up ball of need. I cup his balls, feeling them tighten in my hand and I know he’s close, so close. My fingers dig into his thighs as I suck him deeper, suck him harder, wanting nothing more than to taste him when he finishes in my mouth.

“Enough!” He pushes me off him. We’re both panting, our eyes locked. “I need to feel you around me when I come.”

He pulls me to my feet and onto his lap. I’m straddling him, his hard cock resting at the entrance to my slick sex. He leans back, relinquishing control and I sink down on him, filling myself completely. He’s so deep, so big. I rock into him gently, letting my body acclimate to his size and he lets me, his green eyes unfocused, his hand slipping beneath my dress, stroking me until I gasp. There’s something so intimate about this position, our bodies so close together, moving together, the feel of his cock rocking inside me as I grip the armrests of his chair. I lick and kiss my way along his jaw until our lips meet.

A knock on the door brings a violent curse from Sebastian’s lips. “Not now!”

“It’s only a quick question. One minute, max.” The doorknob rattles and I tense, eliciting another low curse from Sebastian as my inner muscles grip him like a vice. He wraps one arm around me, pulling me close as his hand continues to flutter over my clit, teasing my relentlessly. I bite my lip, trying not to make a sound but if Sebastian continues this, I don’t know if I’ll be able to.

“I’m busy!”

“Uh, okay, sorry. It’s really not that important. I’ll come back later.”

Sebastian lets out a sigh as the footsteps retreat, his head falling to rest on my shoulder and we begin again, rocking together, our movements hurried, impatient, fuelled by need.

Sebastian comes first, biting down on my shoulder to keep from shouting and I know it will leave a mark, but I don’t care. He never stops moving inside me, his cock still hard as it empties, his fingers dragging me over the edge and I clamp my mouth shut as I come apart in his arms.

Sebastian brushes the damp hair from my forehead and gazes into my eyes and I laugh.

“That was nice.”

Sebastian raises one eyebrow. “Nice?”

I give him a peck on the cheek. “Very nice,” I say, laughing as I slide off his lap and straighten my dress, Sebastian’s seed seeping from me, making my thighs slick and wet.

“Does Megan know?” I ask, straightening my hair. I don’t need a mirror to know I’m a mess and I don’t want to walk out of Sebastian’s office looking well fucked and running smack into my editor.

Probably something I should have considered before I stepped into Sebastian’s office.

“I don’t typically discuss my personal life with Megan,” he says, but I can hear the glimmer of amusement in his voice.

“Yes, but do you frequently sleep with Megan’s translators?” I ask then pause. “No, don’t answer that. All I want to know is how much of a problem it will be if I walk out of here and run into Megan.”

Sebastian laughs. “I’m sure she’s done worse in her office.”

“I’m not sure I believe you, but okay.” I lean down and kiss Sebastian. “I’m glad I got to see where you work.”

“Stop by any time. My door is always open.”

“Probably not the best idea.”

“Am I seeing you later?” he asks, the look of satisfaction never leaving his face.

“Nope. I have to face the roommates. By now they must think I’m in a ditch somewhere, bleeding to death.”

“We wouldn’t want that,” he says dryly.

“No, we certainly wouldn’t.”

“Give me a second and I’ll walk you out.”

I check the time. It’s not even five yet.

“Cutting out early, eh?”

“Hardly. I need to get something to eat. Oh, and before I forget.” He reaches across his desk and grabs a book, passing it to me. “If you have a chance, would you read this and let me know what you think? The reviews have all been good and the rights are available.”

I look up from the book in my hand, beaming. I haven’t had a new Catalan book to read since I finished everything I brought back with me from Barcelona.

“I’d love to.”

Chloe and I order in Thai and watch television before I call it a night. I pull the book Sebastian gave me out of my bag and wrap myself in blankets.
Tomorrow, Tonight
by Juan Martin. The blurb calls it one of the best books published in Catalan in the past decade. But I rarely trust blurbs. Even terrible books seem to get glowing reviews from someone.

Two hours later, I put it down and stretch my back. I was wrong. The book is fantastic and there’s no way I’m getting any sleep tonight. I almost text Sebastian, but I decide I’ll wait until I’ve finished before I pass on my opinion. But it’s great. Unexpected. Creepy. Not really the type of book I’d usually read, but I don’t want to put it down. Not even to go to the bathroom.

But I seriously have to go to the bathroom.

When I crawl back into bed, there’s a message from Sebastian.
Do you have a valid passport?

Yeah, why?

Just curious. Good night, Danielle.

I sigh and go back to reading. It doesn’t take me long to forget all about Sebastian.

Yeah, that’s how good the book is.

Chapter Thirty

I spend the rest of the week working on corrections for Megan and reading
Tomorrow, Today
. When I tell Sebastian I loved it, he suggests I translate a twenty-five page sample for him which I’m more than happy to do. It probably won’t go anywhere, but he said the rights were available, so it’s worth a shot. Anyway, I’ll need a project when I finish
L’hivern fosc.

I’ve done enough research to know Argo publishes more literary, high-brow work, and
Tomorrow, Today
is definitely a genre thriller. Well-written enough to appeal to people who don’t necessarily gravitate towards thrillers, but still belonging enough to the genre to appeal to those who do. I’m excited by the prospect of translating it, even if it’s only a sample.

It’s good having something to focus on other than Sebastian. I know he’s busy, but I miss sleeping in his bed, so when he invites me to dinner on Friday, I jump at the opportunity to see him. Even a few days apart seems like too long. I try not to think about it too much.

Sebastian is early so when the buzzer rings, I’m still getting ready so I let him in and unlock the front door. He’s only been here once before and that was at six in the morning and I’m nervous about him seeing my apartment, which is stupid. Sebastian may live in a palace, but he isn’t foolish enough to expect everyone else to as well. After all, this is New York. Most people live in shoeboxes and pay out their asses for that privilege.

I hear Sebastian come in and shout that I’m still in my room. His shoes click along the floor as he makes his way down the narrow hall, pausing at the door. The sight of him, leaning against my doorway in a slim-cut black suit takes my breath away.

“You look beautiful,” he murmurs and I smile and turn back to the mirror to finish applying my mascara.

Sebastian wraps his strong arms around my waist, enveloping me in his delicious scent and I close my eyes, relaxing into his chest as he nuzzles my neck.