WORTHY (9 page)

Caitlin slowly looked up through her lashes,, her eyes wide with expectation. She wanted him to kiss her so badly. But for some reason Sebastian was not making any move to do so.

Breaking their eye contact, Caitlin’s eyes travelled down to focus on his lips. He had nice full lips and a strong chin that revealed so much of his character.

As if mesmerized, Caitlin continued to stare at his lips and without thinking stood up onto her tiptoes for a kiss. Sebastian waited for their lips to meet, his breath suspended. The moment was so special, he did not want to ruin it with his ardor.

Even on  tiptoes, Caitlin could not reach his lips. A bit impatiently, she reached up to tug his head down. With a groan, Sebastian leaned down to kiss her, trying hard to control his passion.

He could feel his blood pumping with excitement. Vaguely, he wondered what power this woman had over him that she could arouse him with just a kiss.

She laced her arms around his neck, inching up closer. She felt his hardness through his trousers, giving her more confidence. She shyly traced his lower lip with her tongue, which earned her a soft guttural sound from him, and prompted him to deepen the kiss.

Their tongues met and played, imitating the age old dance between a man and a woman. Sebastian could not seem to get enough of her. Despite his resolve to control the pace, Caitlin was making it too damn difficult for him.

He pulled her up, guiding her leg around his hips, still kissing her fervently. Without thinking, Caitlin rubbed herself against his length. She had grown wet and too aroused to rationalize her actions.

“Oh Katie, you can tempt a saint to sin...” Sebastian said softly, his voice thick with arousal. He started kissing her neck, his tongue expertly igniting the fire within her.

Still carrying her, he walked towards the bedroom. His head is pounding; all he could think of was burying himself into her tight welcoming heat.

Stopping the kiss, Sebastian cupped her face and looked deep into her eyes. “Katie, listen to me. I want to make love to you, sweetheart. I need to know if you want the same thing…”

She knew Sebastian did not need to ask her permission. With how things were going, he could easily ask her to do anything. It meant a great deal to her that he asked her.

Chest heaving, Caitlin paused and closed her eyes. She could not believe she was in his bedroom—again. She’d never even known she was capable of such passion, of such wild abandon. So this is how it feels like… Despite her very limited experience, she knew deep in her heart that she would not feel the same way with any other man.

She was in love with Sebastian.

The realization came like a thunderbolt, like a sudden kick in the gut—unexpected, disconcerting and terrifying all at the same time. She never knew it was possible that she could feel all these emotions all at once, with such intensity.

Thoughts were racing through her head. Caitlin doesn’t wish to entertain thoughts of a future with him—the mere thought of it was plain preposterous. She knew she was in for heartbreak.

Sebastian doesn’t have to know about her feelings. Forcing herself to shove all thoughts aside, she wants to have this night with Sebastian. One last time.

Sebastian watched the play of emotions on her face. It has clear to him she is not the type to simply engage in casual sex, like what he initially assumed.

He badly wanted her but he wanted to be certain she would come to him willingly—with a clear head.

Meeting his gaze, Caitlin’s eyes were shimmering with tears. She loved this man, that she was certain of. “Oh, sweetie, don’t cry. We don’t have to do this. It’s okay.” Sebastian murmured soothingly, flicking a tear off her lashes.

“I want you, Sebastian. I want this. Please… make love to me.” Caitlin whispered, her voice trembling with emotion. She reached up to pull him into a long, passionate kiss.

Without a word, Sebastian carried her to bed, the same bed they had made love on over a month ago. The memory of that night brought a new wave of anticipation for Sebastian. This time, he would make it more special for her.

* * * *

Sebastian deliberately slowed their pace. He gathered her close and kissed her deeply, showing her just how much he wanted her. To his surprise, Caitlin boldly matched his passion.

His hand moved to cup her breast through her bra, softly kneading the soft mound. In response, Caitlin moved closer to him, threading her hands through his thick hair. Her senses were heightened, every touch, movement and sound were intensified.

Sebastian slowly undressed her, peeling each layer of clothing off with a slow seductive pace, amplifying the anticipation. When she was finally naked, Sebastian took his fill of her beauty, taking his time admiring every inch of her body.

“So perfect…” Sebastian said reverently, tracing her nipple. His admiration made her feel bolder and more confident.

“I…I want to touch you.” Caitlin whispered in between kisses.

“Hmmm… I’m all yours, sweetheart. Do as you please.” Sebastian said seductively. He lay back as an invitation for her to explore.

This gave Caitlin the cue to sit astride him, giving him a wonderful view of her body. Placing his hands at the back of his head, he gamely gave her full control.

Caitlin started taking off his shirt, kissing every inch of skin as it became exposed. When her mouth latched on to his right nipple, Sebastian could not help but let out a groan.

Her enthusiasm and curiosity more than made up her lack of experience. Her mouth travelled down, skimming the taut stomach. When she reached his hipbone, her right hand freed his erect manhood from the confines of his briefs.

She took her time, examining him with just her eyes at first. Then she finally touched him, her face showed her amazement at the velvety softness of his skin despite his hardness. She might not have been with other men but she knows he is unusually big.

Touching the base of his penis, she looked at him as she kissed the tip, eliciting a deep moan and quiver across his magnificent body. Wanting to please him, she kissed him again swirling her tongue along his length before taking him fully into her mouth.

Sebastian had to bite back a moan. For someone new at this, Caitlin is proving to be a very curious and adventurous student. When he could not take any more, he decided to take back the control.

“Ahh…sweetheart…my turn.” Sebastian said with a crooked grin, eyes twinkling with mischief, holding so much promise.

Sebastian thought their lovemaking a month ago was the best he’d ever had. This time certainly outdid the last one by a mile. He took his time making love to every inch of her body, gently showing her the ways to pleasure a woman.

When he finally entered her, Sebastian insisted she look at him while they perform that age old dance. Caitlin never knew it could be this beautiful and profound. With her newfound realization of her love for him, she relished every single moment, trying to memorize everything for she knew this could very well be the last time she would be with him like this.

An hour later, Caitlin woke up. The clock says it’s past 2 AM. Sebastian looked so peaceful in his sleep. She took time to simply stare at his finely chiseled face. His right arm was possessively latched at her hips, keeping her at his side.

They fit well together. She’d never felt this secure and happy but she knew this is a fleeting thing. She could never fit in his world. Gently kissing his lips, Caitlin slowly extricated herself from his embrace and placed a pillow in her place. Tiptoeing, she silently gathered her strewn clothing and quietly left.

Chapter Thirteen

Sebastian woke up to a persistent knocking at his door. As if in trance, he reached out to pull Caitlin closer to him, seeking her warmth only to grab hold of a pillow.

Looking about, Sebastian searched his room, Caitlin was nowhere in sight. He crossed to check the bathroom in two strides and still came up empty. There was no note, nothing.

There was no trace of her presence in his bedroom the night before, but Sebastian was sure it was not a dream.

“Sebastian?” Nicholas called out. “Open up, man.”

Slightly irritated, Sebastian open up, growling “What? Isn’t it too early to come barging in here?” The familiarity between the two allowed them to cross the lines of propriety without the risk of offending the other.

Nicholas strolled right in and looked around the bedroom as if casually searching for something—or someone. “Too early? It’s two o’clock in the afternoon.”

A bit startled, Sebastian checked the bedside clock, confirming Nick’s claim. “And? What is so important that you have to come pounding my door on a Sunday?” he demanded.

“Well, given that you were not answering any of my calls, I thought I’d stop by and check on what was keeping you so busy.” Nick replied, his eyebrows wagging. He was insinuating Caitlin spent the night there.

“Hahaha… Why don’t you go get yourself a nice chick to keep you occupied so you don’t have to stick your nose in my business, Nicholas.” Sebastian said as he lay back on his bed, staring at the ceiling with a silly smile on his face.

“Well, well, well…what do we have here… You should see yourself.” Nicholas said, chuckling.

“What? Why?” Sebastian countered, only half paying attention to their conversation.

“Well, you look like a besotted puppy, that’s why.” Nicholas said wryly, seemingly enjoying his friend’s current state.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Nick.” Sebastian simply said.

“Whatever you say… But I bet you have a lot to say about this!” Nicholas said, holding up a newspaper.

“What is it? The real estate market crashed?” Sebastian continued to stare at the ceiling, his mind busy replaying the events that transpired last night. He realized he didn’t even have Caitlin’s number. He made a mental note to get her personal details from her friend or from Caitlin herself. He definitely planned on seeing her more regularly.

“Here, I’ll read it for you.
‘Sebastian Avery Rescues A Damsel In Distress’ Sebastian Avery, heir to the Avery conglomerate was seen last night whisking away a girl who appears to be unconscious into his black Audi. Gone are the days of knights on white horses. Avery is keeping it in style with his expensive black coupe.”

As soon as Nicholas read the headline, Sebastian crossed the distance and snatched the newspaper from him. Plastered in the society page was a picture of him carrying Caitlin, her face partly concealed.

His face grim, Sebastian silently cursed. He usually prided himself of having high awareness and was always on guard when in public. While he was not really a celebrity, there were people who thrive in catching people of interest in uncomfortable and private situations. And having graced the covers of the local magazines with his brother and been hailed as one of the most eligible bachelors in New Jersey, he was certainly a person of great interest.

He was just thankful they had not identified Caitlin and her face was not fully exposed. Nick knew better than to joke about the entire thing. Sebastian had always been more intent on keeping his affairs private compared to Shawne and Nicholas.

This will certainly stir up a lot of interest and set some tongues a-wagging. They knew better than to disregard society gossips as it could easily be blown out of proportion.

“What happened? Did you kidnap her or something?” Nicholas asked, trying to divert Sebastian’s attention from the newspaper.

“I was telling her to get in the car then she just fainted.” Sebastian muttered.

“You certainly have that kind of effect on women, huh?” Nicholas teased.

“She’s not like any woman I know, Nick. There’s something about her—an innocence and sincerity I find really refreshing.” Sebastian finally opened up. Talking about women they’d dated was never a taboo topic between them but with Caitlin, he wanted to keep everything to himself—at least for now.

“Wow! You got it bad, dude.” Nicholas chuckled. “Anyway, I got a chance to talk to Shannon about her and I was able to pull some information about Caitlin you might be interested in.” Nicholas opened up.

The truth was, Shannon acted like a mother hen protecting her chick. The two shared a cup of coffee after her shift, she did not hesitate to speak her mind and tell him Caitlin was not like any other girl they could play around with. In her anger, she spilled out some very interesting information like the fact Caitlin did not sell her body for a living. She was only forced to do so because she was in desperate need of cash for her brother’s kidney transplant.

In fact, Nicholas learned from Shannon that Caitlin had never had a boyfriend at all, she was too focused on making ends meet and taking care of her brother who was constantly in and out of the hospital.

When Nicholas finished giving him all the details, Sebastian was not really surprised. She had, after all, been a virgin when he took her. However, the new information made all the pieces fit together.

Caitlin was really special—a breath of fresh air.
“And she’s mine,”
Sebastian thought with great satisfaction.

Now more than ever, he was keen on pursuing a relationship with her. With a short laugh, he just realized that his best friend pulled through after all. He had unwittingly given him the best birthday present ever.

Letting out a belly laugh that startled Nicholas, Sebastian clapped his back. “As it appears, I owe you big time, brother.”

“It certainly appears that you do. It took you awhile to realize it.” Nicholas chuckled. He certainly would not be shy in rubbing that little fact in Sebastian’s face every chance he gets.

* * * *

Hours later, Sebastian was on his way out when he got a call from his mother. In a way, he was expecting it. Sooner or later, she was bound to read the newspaper. Either that or one of her socialite friends saw it fit to inform her.

“Sebastian, what is this I’ve read in the paper today?” Audrey Avery asked her son with forced casualness.

“Ah, it’s nothing, Mom. A girl fainted and I had to take her to the hospital.” Sebastian answered, feigning nonchalance. The last thing he wants is to have his mother come sniffing into his affairs right that moment.

“Well that’s a new one.” Sebastian could imagine one of her eyebrows hiking up. “I assume this is not just an ordinary girl you met off the streets?” she proceeded.

Inhaling deeply before he answered, “I don’t know a lot about her, mother. In fact, I just recently met her. But if you really care to know, I am hoping it will turn out to be something special.”

There was silence on the other line for several seconds. He knew he had probably caught her mother off guard. Growing up, he had not given real interest in women, except for some passing fancy here and there. But as a mother, Audrey made it a point to keep tabs on her sons’ affairs. And now that she only had Sebastian to look after, she would no doubt become more protective.

Sebastian could not blame her. In fact, he did not resent her for it. Neither had Shawne. Their mother was one of the rare women who find it difficult to show her affection, even for her loved ones. When she was married to their father, she was dubbed as the ‘ice princess’ and for good reason.

But while Audrey may not openly hug or profess her love for her husband and sons, they have come to depend on her in so many ways. She always has a way of making her family feel her presence even she was away on a trip or off jet-setting with her friends. They all have come to love her for her quirky ways. The thought made Sebastian smile. He wouldn’t want it any other way.

After a taut silence, Audrey shifted the conversation to a more neutral subject, “When will you come and visit me and your dad? You have been remiss of your duties, son.” She chided softly.

“I’m sorry, Mom. I’ve been busy. How was your trip?” Sebastian deftly changed the subject.

Shawne’s death had been a huge blow to their family. And unlike typical families who instinctively sought solace from either, they had somehow retreated and preferred to lick their wounds in private.

His dad had plunged himself knee-deep in his business. His mother chose to take off and embarked on a yoga retreat in India, which left Sebastian to wallow in his misery and drown in alcohol every night…until he met Caitlin. Indeed, theirs was not the conventional family. Sebastian absently wondered as he listened to his mother talk about her trip to India.

“Ahh…but enough of that. I want to see you. I’ve missed you, Sebastian.” Audrey’s voice was thick with emotion. In a rare moment, Sebastian felt guilty.

“I miss you too, Mom. I’ll try to come and visit you one of these days, okay?” Sebastian said in an effort to pacify her.

“How about dinner next Saturday then? I’ll call Cynthia and have her block off your dad’s schedule.” Audrey was subtly persistent.

Sebastian was about to give out a noncommittal reply but stopped when he caught the anticipation in his mother’s voice
. She must be growing lonely
, he thought.

“Okay, you know what? Let’s have dinner next Saturday. I’ll be there, I promise.” Sebastian chuckled. In all his years, he had never learned to say no to his mother, just like Shawne and their father.

“Okay great. I’ll tell Chef Evans to prepare all your favorite dishes.” Audrey said with a hint of satisfaction. “And oh, Sebastian?” she proceeded, “Why don’t you bring along the girl in the newspaper so we can meet her.”

Ahh… He’d walked into one of Audrey’s traps again—one he doesn’t care to get out of. Once she had her mind on something, everyone knows better than to stand in her way. “I’m not making any promises about that. As I’ve said, I just met her,” Sebastian still trying to fake nonchalance.

“Ahhh, I’m sure you will be able to convince her. You never did tell me her name.” Audrey said.

“It’s Caitlin, Mother.” Sebastian responded dryly.

“All right. We will see you and Caitlin next Saturday.” Audrey said with an air of finality.

Pity his mother had no interest in business.
She would have always kept the upper hand in any negotiation or argument without batting an eyelash,
Sebastian thought sardonically.

Now that he had compromised himself and dragged Caitlin into a family dinner, he would have to find a way to get in touch with her and somehow find a way to convince her to go with him to New York next Saturday.