The Protege (18 page)

“And
I am yours,” he said, kissing her.

Chapter 18

S
ebastian realized the extent of danger he’d
put Serena in, but getting Laura to understand that danger was proving
difficult. She remained tight-lipped about Serena’s whereabouts.

“Okay,”
he finally said. “Stay right there and I’ll be back in a minute.”

Reprimanding
himself for not thinking of it sooner, he rushed down to his car. In the trunk
he found his suitcase, unzipped a compartment and pulled out the picture of
Serena.  Certain this would convince Laura of the danger that surrounded
Serena, he hurried back up to her apartment.

“Look
at what I found on the windshield of my car.”  He shoved the photo in her hand.
“That was all the way in Seattle.”

Laura
visibly blanched. 

“Now
do you believe me?”

“Okay,
so someone isn’t too happy to see you with Serena,” she said after a long
moment of contemplation. “That being said, I’m sure she’s safe where she is, at
least with regards to whoever scratched her face out like this.” She held up
the photo.  “Her master has always taken care of her.”

Sebastian
cringed, white hot jealousy shot through him like he’s never felt before. As
far as he was concerned, Serena was his now.

“Besides,
that still doesn’t change the fact that you played with her while planning to
marry another.”

“I
told you. I have no intention of marrying another. For the time being, I have
no intention of marrying anyone.” A sense of desperation took over him. Time
was ticking away and he was losing patience. “Look, I cut my business trip
short because I felt it was important to come and protect Serena.  Are you
really willing to let her remain in danger? This Master you talk about, if he
doesn’t know the danger Serena is in, he might not be in a position to really
help her.”

Laura
stared at him, her lips parted with the desire to answer him.

“I
flew back from Seattle just to see her.  I care that much about her. I’d do
anything to protect her… and I’ll do anything to get her back. She’s all I
think about. Not an hour goes by when I can’t wait to get back to her, to be
with her.” Sebastian shook his head. He’d never admit it, but Serena had now
become part of his reason for breathing. She was everything to him.

“Anything?”

“Anything
and everything.”

“Then,
my dear Professor, you’d better be prepared for just that… everything, because
that is the price he’ll want for her.  Don’t expect him to just stand aside and
let you take over. He’ll make you move heaven and earth before he’ll relinquish
his power over her.”

Turning
away, Sebastian snorted in frustration.  “My God. What has she gotten herself
into? How in the world did she get mixed up in something so crazy?”

“The
woman you met is quite different from the young woman she was a few years ago.”

Sebastian
turned back to her.

“It
might not look like it now, but she had a rough start.  Her parents weren’t
around and she had to pretty much raise herself.  She’d been out on the streets
for over six months when he found her.  She was a skeleton of the girl you
know, but somehow he saw something beautiful in her. From what she’s told me,
he changed her life. He saved her life. He taught her what life could be, if
she trusted him. He fed her, clothed her and pampered her. He also turned her
into the lover he desired.”

His
skin went cold as he thought of his nights with Serena. How the thought of
another man touching her, brought murderous rage in him. No one can touch her
like he can…break through that innocence to see the wild woman she was
underneath. Yes, he’d noticed just how talented she was.  He’d enjoyed every
physical contact he’d had with her.  Her touch was comparable to that of an
expert, but he’d simply thought she had that natural instinct.  He’d never even
allowed for the possibility of her prior experience with such a man as this
master Laura spoke of.

“On
more than one occasion she’s told me just how indebted she is towards him.  She
feels she owes him everything, including herself.”

“That’s
ridiculous.  In this day and age?  In this country?  How can anyone belong to
another?”

“I
guess unless you’ve been through what she’s been through, you can’t really
understand.  Believe me, I did try to help her adjust to life outside his
realm.  I tried to help her live a normal life.  In the past little while she’d
become stronger.  She was determined to rebuild her life, her way.  Regaining
her self-esteem and confidence was difficult, but she was getting there.”

“Her
love of music…” Sebastian muttered as he stared off into space.  In his mind’s
eye, he saw her, so innocent, so naïve, so willing and eager to learn.

“Yes. 
I think music played a big part in saving her.  She clung to it like a buoy and
put her heart and soul into it.”

“Yeah. 
I’ll admit she’s been a very determined student.”

“Unfortunately,
the spell he has over her is stronger than her love of music.”

“I
find that hard to believe.”

“That’s
the hold he has on her.  He controls her like a marionette. Looks like he did a
great job of training her.  She’ll do whatever he asks of her.”

“It
seems so unlike her.”

“She
does hold great affection for him.”

“You
think she loves him?” Sebastian asked incredulously.

“It
might not be a healthy love, but, yes, I do think she loves him.”

Never
a man to hold an ounce of jealousy, Sebastian wanted to fall back from the
force of the painful impact. The thought of Serena with him; with this man, any
man other than himself… it twisted his gut in a way that bordered on
excruciating.

When
he looked at Laura, he saw sympathy in her eyes.

“You
really care about her, huh?” she asked.

“Yeah,
I…” He chocked and coughed, surprised by the intensity of emotion he felt.  “I
do.”

Laura
nodded.

“Where
is she?” His question was soft spoken, almost defeated.

“She’ll
kill me for this, but…” Laura walked to the kitchen and found her purse.  She
pulled out a little pink notebook with a matching pen attached to it with a
small pink elastic band.  After shooting one last skeptical glance at
Sebastian, she scribbled on the first page of the notebook and ripped the sheet
out.  “Here.”

He
reached out for the sheet of paper, but she quickly withdrew it.

“This
is where she’s staying.  I’d like nothing better than to have you succeed in
getting her back; in getting her out of there. At least with you, you can help
her live a normal life – one which she’ll be able to be the master or mistress
of her own life. I owe Serena a lot.  She put up with a lot of shit from me
when I hit a few rough patches a while back.  I hope she’d consider this
payback.  I hope she’ll realize that I’m doing this for her own good.

“I’m
sure she will.”  Once again, he reached for the sheet of paper, but she held it
aloft.

“I
hope you’ll help her move forward and not allow her to fall deeper into the
black hole that will surely swallow her up for good this time.”

“I’ll
do my best.”

“But,
if you break her heart, if you get her away from her master only to turn around
and break her heart, you will have me to contend with.”  She glared at him. 
“You understand me?”

“Perfectly.”

She
handed him the address and he hurried out.  He’d already lost far too much time
and didn’t want to waste another minute. 

Mindful
of the traffic that surrounded him, he drove as quickly as he could to the
building that was familiar to him.  He knew many of the people who lived in the
prestigious building and had a gnawing suspicion who occupied the penthouse. 
As he rode the elevator to the top floor, he prayed he was wrong.

Chapter 19

T
he door opened before he had the chance to
knock and he faced the suspicions that’d grown on the way up.

“Price,”
Sebastian said with a cool nod.  It was in sharp contrast to the blood that
boiled so feverishly under his skin.

Wearing
only black silk pants, the handsome blond stood in the doorway, confident in
all that he was.

Sebastian’s
jaw tightened as he accepted the fact that this man, this master of Serena, was
a very good looking man. He obviously worked hard at staying in shape and for a
flashing moment, Sebastian imagined this man over Serena’s body.

He
wanted to vomit.

“Mr.
Sorensen,” Price said.  “What brings you here?”

Sebastian’s
fingers twitched as he fought the urge to reach out and grab the young tycoon
by the throat.

“I
thought I’d settled everything with your father.” Price leaned his toned torso
into the door frame and crossed his arms over his chest, emphasizing the
strength of his muscles.

Yes,
Sebastian thought. And his father wouldn’t be too thrilled when he learned of
this latest revelation.

Cocking
a brow, Price grinned. “You seem kind of lost.  Are you sure you're at the
right place?”

Sebastian
could have sworn the arrogant bastard flexed his biceps.

“I
got this address for Serena Singleton.” Holding his breath, he hoped and prayed
he had the wrong address. Perhaps Laura had given him the wrong address.  It
could have even been an intentional mistake… anything to get rid of him, to
throw him off Serena’s track.

“Yeah,
what do you want with her?”

His
heart ceased beating for an aching moment. Serena was here… with this man… with
this damned arrogant man who clearly didn’t deserve her.

“Who
is that?” An authoritative female voice called out.

Sebastian’s
heart resumed beating, but at a frantic pace. It was Serena’s voice, but with a
tone he’d never heard before. Gone was the innocent student voice that was so
soft, feminine, and pleasing.

Dressed
in a skimpy white silk teddy, her hair tousled and wild, Serena came to stand
beside Price.  She casually leaned into him, as though they’d been lovers for
ages. Sebastian could only stare, taking in her scent, her smooth skin, the
hair he had wrapped around his fingers many times before. God, she was sexy,
and every part of him wanted to go over, grab her, and make love to her right
now.

Lazily,
almost indifferently, she looked to Sebastian. After a shocked moment of
gaping, she smiled at him, a smile that betrayed nothing of the relationship
they’d had, nothing of the passionate nights they’d shared; nothing of nothing.
Judging by her polite but detached smile, they were mere acquaintances; or
worse still, they’d never met.

The
moment Laura had given him the address, he’d had every intention of tearing
Serena out of the grips of this master, of freeing her, but now… he felt an
immense loss. The animal instinct that had driven him to this man’s penthouse
now faded to nothing.  Though he ached, he had no idea how to deal with the
woman that now faced him; this woman he’d come to care so much for. Her
indifference to him, floored him.

She
seemed so content and at ease with this pompous blond man. She seemed
completely at home in the luxury penthouse. Laura had spoken of this master as
though he were Serena’s captor, her slave driver, but Serena seemed far from
being imprisoned or enslaved. When she looked up at her master, her eyes warm
with admiration and affection, a part of Sebastian crumbled inside.

“It
looks like we have a visitor, Serena,” Price said. He seemed unperturbed by
Serena’s lack of adequate clothing, just as Serena seemed perfectly at home
parading around in a teddy that left nothing to the imagination. Despite
himself, Sebastian grew hard just looking at her, remembering what it felt like
to touch her and taste her every night and morning.

She
nodded and took Sebastian’s hand, not as a lover or friend, but as a hostess
intent on welcoming a guest. Leading him into the living room, she said, “Could
I bring you a glass of wine?  Or perhaps you’d prefer coffee?”

“I’m
good, thanks.” Sebastian sat on the black leather sofa and watched Serena as
she stood at Price’s side as he took a seat.

“This
young man is here to see you, Serena.  Do you wonder why?”

“I
do.”

Sebastian
gazed at Serena then at Price.  Was he expected to state his reason for coming
to see Serena right there in front of this arrogant bastard?  He would have
preferred to talk to her alone, to have the chance to reach out to her, to hold
her hand, to… He took a deep breath and accepted the situation as it presented
itself. Price’s possessive glare clearly told him that a private reunion with
Serena would not happen.

“First
off,” Sebastian finally said. He held Serena’s gaze, hoping to convey the
emotion that accompanied his words. “I wanted to clear up all this Willow
marriage business. The society pages picked up on that picture of me with
Willow and they ran with it, no doubt encouraged by Willow herself and her
mother. I have no intention whatsoever of marrying that woman.  She knows it,
her mother knows it and my mother knows it.  That article was all wishful
thinking on their part.”  For a moment he forgot about Price’s presence as he
looked into Serena’s eyes.  “You know me better than that, Serena.  For crying
out loud, if I’d wanted to marry her, I’d be with her now, not here trying to
get you back.”

“Get
her back?” Price said with a menacing tone.

Ignoring
him, Sebastian kept his eyes on Serena. “I want to go back to the way we were
before…”

Price
whipped his head back to look at Serena.  “Is that what you’d want? To go back
to the way you were?  The way you were with him?”