My stomach rumbled as my brain finally registered the smell of oil and eggs. Looking around, I realised that breakfast was already well on the way. There was coffee brewing in a rather elaborate drip filter pot, and several fry pans were sizzling on the stove. Sebastian was busy flitting between them, spatula in hand. There was something about the image that made me giggle.
"What's so funny?" he asked.
"Nothing, I just didn't take you for much of a cook."
A look of mock offence crossed his face. "And why would you think that?"
"I don't know. I just assumed you'd have somebody to do it for you."
"Because money means you never do anything for yourself?"
"I didn't say that! It's just an amusing image. The millionaire dom who liked to cook. It's like a bad erotic book title."
He grinned. "Even us steely sadists have to eat."
"Well it smells great." I slipped closer to survey what was on offer. "Mmm, Chorizo for breakfast? You're living dangerously."
"I do everything dangerously, Sophia," he deadpanned. We both laughed.
"You know, I honestly can't remember the last time a guy cooked me breakfast," I said, taking a seat as he slid a plate in front of me. "I have to say, I kind of like it so far."
He joined me at the bar. "Sounds to me like you've been dating the wrong guys."
"You can say that again." As much as I willed it to stay put, the smile fell from my face. I hated that two years later, Connor still had the power to hurt me, but he did. Just thinking about him made my stomach knot with shame.
Sebastian gazed at me for several seconds, his expression mirroring my own. "He must been one hell of a bastard."
I nodded. "He wasn't exactly boyfriend of the year."
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring him up."
I sighed. As much as it hurt to discuss, I still felt a little like I owed Sebastian an explanation for my past behaviour. "It's fine. I should be able to talk about this stuff by now."
He hesitated, but took the hint. "What happened between you two exactly?"
"Nothing worth talking about. He was rich and charming, I was young and naive. It was a match made in heaven... for him at least."
"Were you together long?"
"A few years. Long enough to make me feel like an idiot for ever trusting him." It came out more bitter than I'd intended.
"Hey," he said, reaching out to stroke my arm, "everybody's allowed a mistake, here or there. God knows I've got my share."
"There's a difference between a mistake and outright stupidity. All the signs were there — unexplained nights away from home, mysterious texts — but he always had an excuse ready, and I ate them up. Looking back on it now it seems so fucking obvious."
"People don't behave rationally when they're in love. You can't hold that against yourself. Besides, from where I'm sitting, you're not the one that really fucked up."
"Oh?"
He smiled. "You're a strong, beautiful, amazing woman, Sophia. He may have had you for a year or two, but he gave you up. One day, someone is going to have you forever, and then they're going to be the ones making him look stupid."
I stared at him for several seconds, a rush of some foreign emotion blazing in my belly. Talking about Connor always left me feeling angry and embarrassed, but somehow Sebastian had washed all that away with just a few lovely words.
"Well, it's hard to argue with that," I said.
"Then don't."
We moved on to lighter topics. Sebastian had several less than flattering stories about Thomas. I think he was just trying to get revenge for 'Locky'. The whole experience was a bit of a revelation. Every time I was with him, he revealed a new side to himself, and I had to admit, lazy Tuesday morning Sebastian was quickly becoming my favourite. As fantastic as the sex was, it was nice just sitting around and chatting with him too. Away from prying eyes he seemed more relaxed; the professional superman persona was stashed away in the wardrobe alongside his racks of designer suits. Here he was just Sebastian, a man who wore old clothes and cooked scrambled eggs and delivered sweet words over coffee. What's more, he seemed at ease doing those things with me.
In spite of what Thomas had said and the initial discussions between Sebastian and I, it was hard not to feel like things were changing. Our last two nights together had been anything but casual, and it seemed impossible he didn't feel it too. The word 'forever' lingered in my mind. I didn't know how to take that comment. Was there more to it than simple comfort? Part of me wanted to think so.
After breakfast, we found our way back to the bedroom. He told me to leave his shirt on while he fucked me, pinning my arms behind my back and whispering dirty things about how hot I looked in his clothes. There were no cuffs or paddles or lengths of rope, just the unbreakable strength of his hands and the exquisite pressure of his cock. It was more than enough.
Afterwards, we lay snuggled in bed, flushed and glowing and blissfully satisfied. I desperately didn't want the morning to end, although I knew I couldn't delay much longer.
"Has anyone ever told you you tend to go above and beyond the call of duty?" I asked, dozing against his chest.
He began stroking my shoulder. "In what way?"
"Well, I tasked you with cheering me up, but apparently you weren't satisfied with that. Right now, I've left cheerful way behind. Seriously, you can't even see that shit anymore. I'd say I'm well into blissful territory. You deserve a commendation, sir."
His hand froze. "I'm glad you're feeling better."
"Next time, I'm totally going to call in sick and see how far we can push this."
There was a pause. "Next time?"
"Next time we do this. I'll tell you; a girl could get used to sleepovers and homemade breakfasts."
The silence that followed should probably have set alarm bells ringing in my head, but I was too content to really notice. All I could think about was how for the first time, it felt like things were really coming together for us.
How wrong I was.
CHAPTER TEN
It turned out that I needn't have worried about being relegated to the bench again. The Wrights case had hit the front page once more after a new batch of victims came forward, so we were ramping up our efforts. For now, it was all hands on deck.
It was fascinating, and a little horrifying, to be a part of. A perfect illustration of the power mega companies can bring to bear when profits are under threat. I was no stranger to the greed of big business, but there was a callousness about their approach that made even me balk. They were like a truck, calmly driving along, ignoring every traffic signal. Most people managed to dive out of their way, but those that didn't weren't even worth a second glance. They were just squashed underneath like bugs. In spite of the pain and hassle a proper trial would involve, part of me hoped they refused to settle. The more I read, the more I wanted Little Bell to crush them in the court room.