Taking Chances (Learning to Love) (14 page)

"Of course, sure." She shot me an apologetic look and disappeared into her room.

"What's going on, Lex? This isn't like you." Matt stood up and learned against the counter next to me, looking concerned.

"Nothing is going on, really. I'm a grown woman. If I want to have a one night stand with some guy, I can."

"Wait, what? Now you're having random sex with Sebastian?"

"No!"

"So this thing with Sebastian is an ongoing thing?" He shifted uncomfortably. Talking about his baby sister's sex life clearly wasn't something he enjoyed.

"There is no
thing
with Sebastian. He kissed me a few times, that's it. This isn't something I want to talk about with you. You're my big brother and I love you, but you need to stay out of it."

"Look sis, I'm never going to stop worrying about you. I see you acting different lately and doing shit you wouldn't normally do. If you think I'm going to keep my mouth shut, you're delusional. And for the record, you are never going to be old enough for one night stands."

My phone buzzed on the counter and Matt picked it up, reading the text before I could grab it from him.

'Maybe we should talk'

It was Sebastian again. Matt looked angry, and texted back for me. I didn't even bother to protest because he was going to do it whether I liked it or not.

'Maybe you should lose this number'

He handed the phone back to me and stomped back to Kat's room. He was such a child. I started to type a response back, to let him know that was my brother and not me when it buzzed again.

'You are probably right.'

I looked at the words feeling a little hurt by them. I didn't know why I should care. I probably
should
want him to lose my number. In the short time I knew Sebastian, I'd made a fool of myself, nearly drunk fucked someone I was not interested in, caused the idiot to have his face punched in, made a public scene, more than once, and made my brother think I'm some sort of slut in the making. Matty was right. I was doing things I didn't normally do and acting differently. I didn't know what had gotten into me but I needed to stop behaving that way. I deleted the half-typed text, hit the off button on my phone and went back to bed.

CHAPTER TEN

By the time Friday rolled around, I was feeling more like my old self. Matt had been spending more time over at his apartment without Kat and I sensed there was more going on with them than she was letting on.

I hadn't heard any more from Sebastian either. Part of me was disappointed that he hadn't contacted me again. I even considered sending him a text and letting him know that it was Matt that sent that last message, but each time I stopped myself, knowing it was for the better that we stay away from each other. I just didn't trust myself around that man. When he got close to me I lost all ability to think clearly. My body took over, and the things my body wanted were very different from what my head wanted.

I had been working on a story all week about the old paint factory leaking lead into the ground water. It was a good story and I was actually happy with how it came out. Pete, my boss, was so thrilled with it he gave me a new assignment and said if I did as good of a job with it, I might be able to get on the payroll part time rather than just freelancing. It wasn't my dream job or anything but it was a step in the right direction.

The new assignment was a piece on a research company working on a new medication for autoimmune diseases. I was supposed to meet with one of the scientists over there, a Mr. Johnson, to go over the program and medication. It seemed like an easy piece, just some facts. I had to make the place look good and give it a promising spin. Simple.

I dressed in black dress pants and a black v-cut shirt, paired with black boots. I pulled my hair back into a ponytail and put on a little lip gloss. It was simple, yet professional.

I pulled into the parking lot of Bas-Linc Tech, stopped at the security checkpoint, and pulled into the spot up front that I was directed to. The building was huge. It had to be about the size of the hospital, not at all what I was expecting. Outside as well as inside, the place was sterile and cold. Everything was white and shades of gray, from the walls, to the marble floors, and even the furniture. Nothing about the place said welcome. I couldn't imagine working in such an environment day after day. It looked depressing.

"Lexi James to see Mr. Johnson," I said to the woman behind the large desk, inside the massive double doors leading into Bas-Linc Tech. She was an attractive woman who looked to be in her fifties, with warm, kind eyes. She reminded me of my grandmother, at least what I could remember of her.

"There's been a change, Ms. James. If you would take the elevator to the left up to the fifth floor, the receptionist, Ms. Rivers, can help you." She smiled and handed me a visitors pass to clip to my shirt.

"Thank you very much. Who will I be meeting with?" I asked, and clipped on the tag awkwardly.

"Ms. Rivers will explain all that. Fifth floor please." She gave me one last smile, then picked up the phone to make a call, cutting off any further questions.

I made my way over to the elevator and hit the button to the fifth floor. Inside, a camera with a blinking red light sat in the corner letting me know I was being monitored. I made a mental note of the security measures at Bas-Linc so I could mention it in my article. Who knew what kind of bugs they studied in the place, in addition to their autoimmune disease research. I felt better knowing they made an effort to keep unwanted visitors out.

I stepped outside the elevator and walked over to the massive receptionist's desk. There were several large plants breaking up the cold white lobby. Ms. Rivers immediately got up when she saw me emerge from the elevator and introduced herself, shaking my hand gently. She was a small, pale woman, with attractive features. Her voice was quiet, but confident. She offered me a drink and showed me to a seat to wait.

"Who will I be meeting with?" I asked her as she hurried back behind her desk.

Before she could answer, her phone buzzed and she held up a finger for me to wait. The large double doors behind her opened and out walked Sebastian Michelson, dressed in a perfectly fitting, expensive black suit. Seeing him at first didn't register in my brain. I had to blink a few times and give it a moment to sink it. Even after I was consciously aware that it was Sebastian standing in front of me, it didn't quite click that it was him that I was there to see, and not some big coincidence that we were both there at the same time.

"Ms. James," he said, extending a hand to help me from my seat. I thought about declining his offer, surely I could manage to get up from the chair without assistance. Looking at his hand in front of me however, sparked that area of my brain which screamed for the touch of that man. That part won as I told the rest to shut the hell up, and took his waiting hand. My skin tingled under his touch as usual and a warmth spread from the area he held, outward in pulses through my body. I couldn't begin to battle the response my body had to Sebastian. It was useless to even try to fight it.

"Mr. Johnson was otherwise engaged. I hope you won't be too disappointed if I show you around and answer any questions you might have," he said, and flashed me that irresistible panty-melting smile.

"I'm sure that will be fine, Mr. Michelson," I said, trying to sound professional as I pulled my hand back from his. If I was going to have any chance at all, I needed to keep him from touching me, no matter how badly I craved the feel of him.

Sebastian led me back to the elevator and punched the button for the second level basement.

"So, this is where you work?" Okay, I knew at that point it was a stupid question, but I had to say something to keep from staring at his delicious lips and imagining them trailing kisses down my belly.

"Yes, you could say that," he chuckled.

"What does that mean?"

"Well, I own the place." The elevator doors opened, and he led me out into the lab.

I stopped for a minute to absorb what he said. I knew he was supposed to have a lot of money, but that wasn't really what I had in mind. He turned to look at me curiously.

"What's wrong, Ms. James?"

"I just... nothing. So tell me about the work you do here Sebas... I mean Mr. Michelson." I was trying my best to keep things professional, trying not to watch his ass as he walked in front of me and not think about how it might look out of those pants. There really was no hope for me.

"Well, Ms. James," he winked, sending chills down my spine. "Down here on this level we are working on the autoimmune research I was told you are interested in."

He went on to explain some of the different diseases they were targeting and the new medication they were working on. He showed me how they came up with possible drugs, how the testing works, and what would happen if it gets approved for human trials. Watching Sebastian speak about his work was fascinating. He was passionate about finding ways to make better lives for those struggling with autoimmune diseases.

I learned that he started the company with his brother Lincoln, hence the name Bas-Linc, who was no longer able to work due to his chronic health issues. Sebastian didn't go into what exactly was wrong, but that it was also an autoimmune disease and had sparked their current research into the area. Sebastian also explained that his company did a lot of other medical research, but this was the one area that he stayed involved in.

I was sure that he could go on all day talking about the research and lab. He used to be directly involved with the work himself when his brother was still working but during the last year he took a step back and stuck to more of a managerial role because he felt like he was getting too close to be objective. My appointment was supposed to be for thirty minutes, but when I glanced at the time, I realized I was there for more than two hours. Sebastian's enthusiasm was contagious and made me lose all track of time until he walked me back to the elevator.

"Do you have what you need for your story?" he asked, pressing the up button for the elevator.

"Yes, I think so. Maybe we could have Kat come over and take a few photos to run with the article?" Although it was a good idea, part of me just wanted an excuse to see him again. If it was just about the article, I would have had Kat come with me or had my boss set something up.

The elevator doors opened with a loud ding and we stepped inside.

"I actually have some photos upstairs for you. We keep them around with the press kit."

"Oh," I said, trying to hide my disappointment. He noticed anyway.

"Lexi, you and me, this is a bad idea. You know that, don't you?" he asked, turning toward me.

I could see in his eyes that he meant it but there was something else, something that begged me to give him a reason he was wrong. I had nothing. My brain told me to tell him he was right, that there was never going to be a "me and him". My body however, was screaming for him to shut up and kiss me and there was no doubt which one was getting their point across.

I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came. Instead, I found myself taking a step closer to him, reaching a hand up to touch his face. He looked at me for a moment, caught off guard, before he wrapped one strong arm around my waist and pulled me tight against him. His other hand smacked the button to stop the elevator as he brought his mouth down inches from my eager lips. He paused briefly, as if he was giving me the opportunity to stop him, but stopping him was the last thing I wanted. I leaned up on my toes, brought my hand up to tangle into his hair, and pushed my tongue into his mouth.

Kissing Sebastian Michelson took the air out of my lungs and left me feeling like I was floating up above my body looking down. Our bodies fit together like they were meant for each other. I lost all sense of the world around me and wanted nothing more than to stay lost in him forever.

He pulled back from my mouth, but only slightly, our lips mere millimeters apart.

"You have no idea how much I want you right now," he growled against my lips.

"I think I have a pretty good idea." I could feel the evidence of his need pressed against my belly and all I could think was how much I wanted to release it from those pants and feel it in my hands. I nudged my hips out further, pressing him harder against me, making sure my awareness did not go unnoticed.

"That doesn't even begin to cover how much I want you."

"Uhh, is everything all right in there, Mr. Michelson?" asked a voice coming through the intercom in the elevator.

I forgot about the camera in the corner. Warmth spread over my face with the realization that there was someone not only watching us, but that it was probably being recorded. Sebastian smiled at my embarrassment, and hit the button to resume the elevator.

"Yes, James, everything is perfect," he answered, smirking.

When we reached the fifth floor, Sebastian walked me to his office and offered me a seat while he went through the filing cabinet for the press kit. His office had the same cold and sterile feeling as the rest of the building. Everything was meticulously organized and functionally set up. There was not a single thing in the entire room that looked personal except for a solitary photo of a beautiful young woman with a sad smile that sat on the bookshelf. Honestly, she kind of looked like me. She had the same long brown hair and blue eyes, and her face was similarly structured. She could easily pass for my sister.