Reinvention of Chastity
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Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
512 Forest Lake Drive
Warner Robins, Georgia 31093
The Reinvention of Chastity
Copyright © 2007 by Eve Vaughn
ISBN: 1-59998-379-6
All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
First Samhain Publishing, Ltd. electronic publication: February 2007
The Reinvention of
Chastity
Eve Vaughn
To my friends who keep me motivated, the hussy brigade, sexual chocolate and the freaky bunch. Thanks for the love and the laughter.
The Reinvention of Chastity
“It’s no big deal; I’ll have Chastity do it for me. She’s always willing to help out. Not once has she complained when I’ve given her extra work to do. I’d have to say she’s one our most valued employees.” Sebastian’s voice filtered from his slightly cracked office door.
Upon hearing her name, Chastity halted. At that moment she realized turning around would probably be best, but something kept her rooted to the spot. She’d been told once that an eavesdropper never heard anything good about themselves, but what could be the harm in listening this one time? Besides, what she’d just heard wasn’t bad at all. She
didn’t
mind the extra work given to her from time to time.
Normally she arrived at the office before anyone else, so it had surprised her to see her boss’s car in the parking lot before eight o’ clock.
Sebastian rarely put in an appearance before nine. Chastity had intended to leave him an iced coffee in his mini-refrigerator as she usually did on Monday mornings, and a fresh, homemade blueberry muffin on his desk. He never asked for it. It was just one of the many things she liked doing for him.
“I think you expect an awful lot of her. She’s only one person you know. I think you’d be up shit’s creek if she decided to leave the firm.”
That voice belonged to Jeremy Owens, the other partner in the Rossi & Owens law firm.
“In the event of that happening, I’ll hire someone else. I fail to see the problem.”
“The problem is that you put too much work her way and depend on her far more than you should.”
“Chastity has never let me down before, besides all I have to do is drop a couple of hints and she’ll drop everything on her desk to help out.”
“You’re so wrong.”
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Eve Vaughn
“What’s so wrong about it? She gets paid for her time. Hell, she probably makes nearly as much as the two of us with all the overtime she puts in—well not as much as us, but you get the picture.”
“It’s still not right how you work her so hard.”
“The choice is hers, not mine. Her work is not unappreciated, and I thank her at every opportunity. She’s not forced to stay late, and out of the two years she’s been with the firm I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve actually had to
ask
her to work overtime.”
“You’re playing coy with me, Seb. You know as well as I do why she really busts her ass for you,” Jeremy lightly scolded.
“So, she has crush on me. It’s nothing serious, I’m sure.”
“And you have no problem using it to your advantage?”
“Why shouldn’t I? It’s a cutthroat world out there, and I haven’t done anything to lead her on.”
“She’s a very nice lady who doesn’t deserve to be used like that. You’d better be careful, my friend, because one day you’re going to get a taste of your own medicine.”
“Well, it’s not like she has much of a life anyway.” Sebastian’s deep, throaty laughter filled his office.
“How would you know?”
“Do you see any pictures of loved ones on her desk? Does she ever talk about anything other than her cats? Hell, I bet the woman hasn’t been laid in years, if ever.” There was a brief pause and then a curse from Sebastian. “I wonder where she is. She usually has an iced coffee waiting in the fridge for me on Mondays.”
Chastity felt the walls closing in on her. A sensation of being kicked in the stomach shot through her, making it nearly impossible to breathe.
Much worse, how could Sebastian talk about her in such an offhand manner? The way he told it, she was just a sexless, emotionless drone to be called upon to handle his every whim. Maybe she didn’t have a wild whirlwind of social activities lined up, but it had never been something she’d obsessed over.
Up until now it hadn’t bothered her. Chastity knew she should walk away but instead stepped closer to the door to listen better. Some kind of 6
The Reinvention of Chastity
self-destructive impulse kept her neck craned closely toward the sound of the two lawyers’ voices. “It’s really none of my business, but since you bring the subject up, her lack of a social life doesn’t justify using her for your own selfish means,” Jeremy argued.
“When have I ever made any of our employees do anything they didn’t want?”
“I’m not saying you do, but it certainly doesn’t stop you from exploiting her crush on you. I mean, all you have to do is crook your little finger and that woman rushes to do your bidding like you’re the greatest thing since sliced bread. It’s really a shame she doesn’t know what a true bastard you can be when it comes to women.”
“I don’t need this shit so early in the morning. Like I said, I’ve never encouraged her crush. She’s a nice lady, but not exactly my type. I like my women a little more polished. Anyway, I can hardly be blamed for her schoolgirl infatuation.”
“No, it’s not your fault, but at least stop acting as if you don’t know exactly what you’re doing. Just when I think your ego can’t get any bigger, you always manage to surprise me.” A brief silence followed before Jeremy spoke again. “I’ll be in court for most of the day. I only came by to get some papers. See you tomorrow.”
Chastity backed away from the door as Jeremy’s voice grew closer.
“Wait, man,” Sebastian halted his friend. “Are we still on for a game of hoops tomorrow night?”
She didn’t wait around to hear Jeremy’s response. By the time he stepped out of Sebastian’s office, Chastity was already around the corner, racing to the bathroom, tears running down her cheeks.
Charging through the restroom door, she realized she still held the muffin and iced coffee, which she promptly threw in the garbage can.
How pathetic would it have looked for her to take Sebastian breakfast when he obviously thought so little of her? Sinking down onto the closest toilet seat and shutting the stall, she let her head drop into trembling hands. Sobs racked her body, misery freely flowing.
In just one moment, Sebastian Rossi had stripped her of every bit of dignity she possessed without even realizing it. Perhaps what he’d said wouldn’t have been so bad if it weren’t so goddamn true. No, she didn’t 7
Eve Vaughn
have much of a social life. Yes, her cats were probably the most exciting things in her life, but did it warrant such censure? The other cutting thing was learning that he knew of her feelings for him. He’d ripped a hole in her soul, and then laughed.
Chastity couldn’t figure out what was worse out of the two. How could she face him now? The only solution that came to mind was to look for another job, anything so as not to see him again. She’d been working for Rossi & Owens for two years and from the moment she’d set eyes on Sebastian Rossi, her entire world came to a screeching halt. Whenever he drew near, her body would tighten. Her nipples would grow stiff as she’d imagine his large tanned hands cupping the undersides of her breasts.
Everything about him made her body seize up with lust—from the smell of his cologne, to the devilish twinkle in his pale green eyes.
Whenever Chastity took notes for him, she sometimes found herself staring at the sensual curve of his cranberry lips. Even the way he walked, with slow, fluid movements, made her pant. She couldn’t count the hours she’d spent fantasizing about his tall, lean and taut body.
Oddly, Sebastian wouldn’t be considered handsome by most. Striking most certainly, but not handsome. His face had too much character for such a weak term, with its tad too long nose and thick black brows slashing angrily over eyes that made him look slightly sinister. His craggy features were all hard planes and harsh lines, but when Sebastian Rossi walked into a room, women took notice.
He carried with him a larger-than-life presence that had helped him rise to one of Philadelphia’s top personal injury attorneys. Intelligence and sharp wit only magnified his appeal. There was no doubt about it; he was the epitome of sex on two legs.
And she was just another dummy who fell for him.
Of course he wouldn’t want someone like her. She was short and borderline chubby. At best, she was cute. At worst, she was a bit on the plain side. Chastity shuddered when she thought of all the times she’d stayed late because Sebastian granted her one of those devastating smiles of his.
Biting her bottom lip, she recalled how she’d drop everything she was working on just to do his bidding. On top of it all she went above and 8
The Reinvention of Chastity
beyond what any paralegal did at the firm, like bringing him breakfast and volunteering to run errands for him even though he had a secretary.
“How pathetic,” she muttered. To know she’d been taken advantage of sucked. In the back of her mind, she’d always known she wasn’t Sebastian’s type, because he seemed to favor the tall, willowy model type.
At least with him, she knew race wasn’t a factor, so she couldn’t use her being black as a reason he wasn’t interested in her. Brunettes, blondes, redheads, black, white and Asian: Chastity had seen quite a few of his girlfriends when they visited the office, but none remotely resembled her.
Instead, every single one of them looked liked they’d stepped off the cover of a high fashion magazine.
She removed her glasses to wipe her tears away before slipping them back on her face. A brief glace at her watch told her it was time to begin work. Grabbing some toilet paper to blow her nose, she left the bathroom stall. Chastity walked to the mirror to make sure she looked presentable.
No, she’d never be a bombshell, but she had nice skin, a smooth, rich dark cocoa, and full, curvy lips. She’d been told her smile was nice, to which she agreed, especially when a deep set of dimples popped out.
Her large, dark brown eyes weren’t bad either, heavily lashed and tilted slightly up; they had the disadvantage of being covered by huge, thick, horn-rimmed glasses. She’d already reconciled with the fact that she’d never win any beauty pageants. Hadn’t her mother always told her not to shoot beyond her reach?
Patting her hair, which she kept pulled back into a tight bun, she frowned noticing an inch of new growth. It was time for a touch up at the beauty salon. Chastity took a deep breath and made her way out of the restroom. An impending sense of doom flowed through her when she made it back to her desk.
The moment she sat down to work, her nasty co-worker, who sat at the desk a few feet away from her, started in on Chastity. “Well, if it isn’t little Miss Punctuality. I was surprised you weren’t already typing away like the good little employee you want everyone to believe you are,” the older woman sneered.
If she hadn’t been taught to respect her elders, Chastity would have told Pearl off a long time ago. She had to be one of the most unpleasant 9
Eve Vaughn
people to be around. “If you don’t mind, I’d rather not talk. I have a lot on my mind,” she answered with a sigh.
