The Protege Read online

  Chapter 3

  Sebastian whistled a frivolous tune as he drove his Roadster out of Newport Beach’s Fashion Island’s parking lot. The newly tailored Armani suit he’d picked up fit him perfectly and going to his mother’s bash that night seemed a little more palatable.

  Out of curiosity, he passed in front of the address he’d seen in Serena’s file. Not bad, he thought. Nothing like the penthouse suite he had in the imposing glass and steel towers that faced the ocean, but still… not bad.

  Grinning at the last minute arrangement he’d made for the night, he drove on as he mentally dressed Serena. Would she go for something somber, even matronly, or would she play it stylish and classic? Truth was he wondered what she’d look like in something a little slinky… a little sexy. She had potential for sure, with what little he saw. Was that a package of edible underwear he thought that fell out of her bag? He couldn’t help but smile. If so, there was more to Serena Singleton than his first impression of her.

  She was thin; a little too thin for his liking, but with a few extra pounds, he felt certain she’d have interesting and tantalizing curves…like her breasts that seemed to strain against her prim and proper blouse. And her pouty lips…lips that looked as sweet as candy. The tight pencil skirt she’d worn that morning which hugged her bottom like a glove, had hinted at many possibilities he’d like to explore with his hands, though something innocent, even naïve had made it clear she had no idea the potential she had. That in itself made her a little intriguing and enticing. A woman who doesn’t know her own potential for passion. How he’d like to open that up within her, get her to tap into that, and make something great out of her. He can already see the potential she had as one of his students. Now if he can get through all those layers of clothing, insecurities, and emotional barriers; he could help her break out of her shell and possibly inspired her to be a great composer. Already she had been a challenge, being late to their meeting like that and insisting he drop everything to meet with her. How presumptuous. How rebellious. How much she deserves to be taught a lesson on being punctual. He would gladly give her a good spanking to show her that kind of behavior cannot be tolerated, and such a prim and proper outfit would stifle anyone’s creativity.

  Something about her seemed familiar and strangely erotic, though, despite her harsh student outfit. She would definitely be a challenge…a challenge he’d be drawn to take.

  He parked his car in the underground parking lot, draped his new suit over his arm and took the elevator to his suite. The moment he set foot in his home, he was once again reminded of his mother’s taste for everything refined. It was no wonder. She’d insisted he use her good friend Olivia Winston to decorate the suite while he’d insisted he wanted a décor that suited his personality, not hers.

  Though he would have preferred a younger and more avant-garde designer, he’d called Olivia. She’d been eager to meet with him; too eager. While Sebastian had anticipated the move she’d make on him, he hadn’t quite expected her to be so persistent. On more than one occasion, he’d had to physically pry her off him, something that revolted him.

  In her mid-forties, Olivia was a beautiful woman who knew it all too well. The more he’d come to know her, the more her beauty had been marred by her vanity. She had a body many twenty year olds would envy, but she was far from what Sebastian had in mind as a lover. Her aggressive nature turned him off and he’d taken to avoiding her whenever possible. Fundraisers such as the ones his mother had planned made it virtually impossible.

  As he set his suit on the bed, he had to admit Olivia had at least proven to be talented as far as décor was concerned. Between attempts to get into his bed, she’d managed to do a decent job. His room was elegant yet simple and masculine. The neutral colors, taupe, black and brown, suited his mood. The heavy oak furniture lacked the flourished carvings his mother was so fond of. It was streamlined and simple, just as he liked it.

  After a quick glance at the clock on his bedside table, he hurried into the shower. He would have preferred a long lingering shower, the kind that erased the pressures of the day; the kind that left his mind roaming to new melodies, new harmonies and breathtaking crescendos. Instead, he lathered up and rinsed off in record time.

  Patting his skin dry, he gazed in the mirror. He looked decent, he thought, though his mother would probably remind him again of his need to get a haircut. She’d never understood why he’d allowed his hair to flow down to his shoulders. As he turned to look sidelong at his reflection, he could easily see the arrogant gleam in his eye; the one that’d left him with a reputation for being as arrogant as he looked. Shrugging off the opinion of those he cared little for, he shaved and slapped on a little after shave. This was a large-scale fundraiser after all.

  Back in his bedroom he slowly and meticulously put on the articles of clothing that made up the elegant suit he’d chosen. Standing tall and proud, he admired his reflection in the mirror and once again thought of Serena.

  How would she look on his arm?

  As they’d stood face to face in his office, he’d noticed her height. With heels she’d almost be eye to eye with him. Would she wear her long hair up? Or would it be wild and flowing?

  Judging from the way she looked today in his office, bedraggled, uptight, and plainly dressed; he wasn’t sure if she was the right choice. Could she pull off looking like someone everyone expected him to be dating, versus the coolly beautiful Willow? Either way, he just hoped he wouldn’t regret bringing someone so simple and plain spoken to such an elegant soiree. As sweet and innocent as she was, she could easily be swallowed up by the cougars, prowlers and vipers who so deceptively dressed in satin and silk, and dripped with rubies and diamonds.

  Then again, Serena did prove to have complete disregard for rules. She had no concept of the order of things. Maybe she’d be the one showing those old cougars a thing or two. He laughed as he hustled to the kitchen and grabbed his car keys. Serena had dared refuse him. Perhaps she had more bite than she let on.

  Out of the corner of his eye he spotted the vase filled with luscious red roses.

  Perfect, he thought as he reached out to pluck one out.

  “Thanks, Becky,” he said. His housekeeper insisted on bringing in fresh flowers and while he’d often found them frivolous, he had to admit they added something warm to his home. And tonight, one would add a touch of romance to this last minute dating arrangement.

  The bad mood that’d sat on his shoulders since receiving his mother’s invitation slowly dissipated as he took the elevator back down to the parking lot. He realized now that far beyond the annoyance of his mother’s constant stream of fundraisers, luncheons, banquets and balls, it was the company she kept that truly grated his nerves.

  Olivia would be there and she’d used every seductive tactic in the book to try to get into his pants. Other mothers in attendance would try to set him up with their daughters; aunts with their nieces. He knew being a bachelor left him open to so many advances, but he wished everyone would just understand his need to be free of any entanglements at the moment. He had his career to think about and his lifestyle. He enjoyed getting and receiving sexual gratification from partners mutually seeking a purely physical relationship like that, and he wasn’t about to give that up to be tied down in matrimony to a woman like Willow or Olivia.

  Getting into his Roadster, he felt that need for freedom. The leather seat hugged him without suffocating him. The steering wheel yielded to his every command without complaint. The stick shift maneuvered the car as he willed it and didn’t argue. And… the motor purred, not whined.

  A willing body to have sex with; that was easy. Eager students, faculty members, starry-eyed young singers who performed in his musicals; they all wanted him. They all wanted a part of him. They all wanted the possibilities he could offer them; advancement in their career. Something from him, even pure sexual pleasure. Sometimes he was willing to give it, but since a year ago when he stumbled into a situation where it
almost ended badly, he had been more careful. He never ever wanted to hurt anyone, feelings or physically. It was a line he would never cross and felt strongly other men should never cross, too.

  He put the car into gear and gunned it once he reached the freeway. His eagerness to see Serena suddenly sent a shot of blood rushing between his thighs. Just curious, he said to himself. That tight pencil skirt and buttoned up shirt had been a severe way of hiding the woman she was. And that hair. He laughed as the image of her came to his mind. Who wore such a tight and demure chignon these days? Not even his mother. What was Serena hiding? Was she hiding anything at all or she simply had a wall built up to shelter her from getting hurt. Who had hurt her before where she would withdraw into herself like that?

  “Now let’s see what you're really made of, Miss Singleton.”

  Chapter 4

  Sebastian parked his car in the underground garage and took the elevator to the twelfth floor. The fact that she lived in an apartment complex that was not typically occupied by students was a relief. Though he wasn’t officially dating her, he still didn’t want any misunderstanding to compromise his reputation at the university.

  As the elevator doors slid open, he let out a long, low whistle. “Pretty impressive for a mere student.”

  Though not as opulent as the building he lived in, it was nonetheless tastefully decorated and offered an aura of tranquility with a dash of luxury.

  The carpeting was obviously new, still plush and thick. The walls boasted a handsome grouping of paintings, a few of which he could easily envision in his own home. Serena Singleton had exquisite taste, unlike many graduate students and women he’d known.

  As meek and mild as Serena had seemed, she obviously had her life more in order than many young women her age. This building was not the typical starving student abode. Perhaps over the course of the evening he’d find out how she managed to afford living in such a building. Rich parents, or maybe several roommates.

  With his rose held up before him, he brought his finger to the doorbell, but before he could even ring, the door open.

  “Hello, Professor.”

  For a speechless moment, he stared at her, his blood rushing downward to the part of his body that was suddenly hardening. If there was ever a dress that can be an aphrodisiac, the one Serena was wearing now, had to be it. He wanted to grab her, flip up her dress, and take her from behind while grabbing her beautiful hand-filling breasts with both hands as leverage. The image of this, made him catch his breath. It was so sudden and unexpected, hitting him like a brick. He had to have this woman whether tonight or tomorrow, but his mind and dick won’t rest until he knows how it feels to be in her and to hear her moan out his name in pure ecstasy.

  “Professor?”

  Sebastian licked his lips, backed up, looked down toward one end of the hall then the other. He looked up at the number beside her door and looked back at her. “I think I must have the wrong place,” he joked, trying to regain his composure.

  Serena let out a tickled giggle. “It’s me, Professor.”

  “Please.” He slapped his palm to his forehead. “Stop calling me Professor, Serena. We’re going to dinner, and we have to at least act like we know each other. It’s Sebastian… at least for tonight.”

  “Fine, Sebastian. Is that for me?” Serena asked as she reached out for the single rose.

  “No,” he said as he pulled it out of her reach. “It’s for my mom.”

  A lovely flush of pink colored her cheeks as she held her hand aloft. “Oh.”

  “You’re as gullible as you are lovely.” He handed her the rose. “Of course, it’s for you.”

  Taking the rose, she gave a megawatt smile that lit up her entire face, making her radiant and almost ethereally beautiful. Sebastian was speechless for a second time. What was going on? No one’s ever affected him this way before, especially not a student who was seeking him out as an adviser. He’d better put a lid on this lustful attraction or he’d really start to care about people and entanglements.

  “I admit a part of me regretted our impromptu date.” Sebastian’s gaze roamed over her shoulders and dipped down into the curve of her waist and lingered on her breasts and cleavage before returning to her face. “I mean, you arrived at my office so… well, you looked like something the cat wouldn’t even bother dragging in.”

  “Well gee, thank you, Prof… Sebastian. I needed that little pick me up. Now I feel so much better about myself.” Serena made a face.

  “Well, here comes the pick me up. You clean up like no other woman I’ve ever seen before.” Sebastian licked his lips. “You’re quite lovely, exquisitely beautiful even…why I haven’t noticed that lovely green shade of your eyes before…”

  “Yeah,” Serena said, completely unmoved by the compliment. “Well, considering how low I apparently scored on our first meeting, seems I had a lot of room for improvement.” After an awkward moment of silence, she added, “You clean up pretty nice, too.”

  Careful not to ogle, Sebastian took in the shimmering garment that clung to every gentle curve of her body. He’d barely heard a word she’d said as he took in every delicious inch of her. His hot eyes ignited her body, and he can see her get aroused, her nipples hardening under her thin gown. She’d opted to wear her long, dark hair free and flowing, and the effect was captivating. Shining like silk, the soft waves offered brilliant glimpses of copper. Her lips, glossed and luscious, beckoned him and he deeply regretted the boorish party that awaited them. At this very moment, he’d have easily accepted her invitation to sip a quiet glass of wine with her or better yet, from her body as he would pour wine into her navel and sip from it, as they became better acquainted.

  He leaned in close… closer. Her perfume was delicate and sweet. He licked his lips, wanting to touch his hot tongue on her skin, his burning lips to hers.

  “You like the dress I found?” Serena backed away, smiling as her eyes widened with surprise.

  “Um, yes. Very… suitable. Your friend has lovely taste.” She’d refused him, he noted.

  “Yeah, and great shoes, too.” She pinched the skirt of her gown and jacked it up a few inches to show her feet.

  The sparkling gem-encrusted sandals could have looked gaudy, and probably would have on anyone else, but they looked stylish and perfect under Serena’s toned and tanned legs, legs he’d like to run his hands over inch by delicious inch, and inner thighs he’d like to nibble and lick his way over to more intimate areas.

  “You’re going to give the ladies quite a run for their money with those, and your legs.”

  “I’m happy you like it. I admit, I initially regretted our little impromptu date, too. The moment I left your office, I was like, what did I get myself into? But, well, I think all this dressing up could be fun.”

  Sebastian offered his arm. Yes, fun. “Then, shall we?”

  She slipped her hand into the crook of his arm and the mere touch of her hand against his sent an unexpected thrill through him, making him harder. “I think I’m going to enjoy this evening far more than I’d anticipated.”

  “Me, too,” Serena said with a smile.

  Chapter 5

  With an expert hand, Sebastian drove the Roadster toward the coast. Serena’s apprehension and uncertainty quickly gave way to a surprisingly serene sense of calm and belonging as Sebastian eased the car out of Costa Mesa then out of traffic and onto the scenic road that led to the dock.

  Serena gazed out at the Pacific. The setting sun painted a glorious picture and she wondered if she’d ever tire of the beautiful sunsets the California coast offered. She turned and brought her attention back to Sebastian. He wasn’t half bad to look at either. “Where d’you learn to drive like that?” she asked.

  “Like what?” he said with a pleased and boyish grin.

  “You drive fast, almost dangerously so, yet there’s something smooth and sleek in every move you make. I feel like you're in complete control at all times.”

  “That I a
m.” He shot her a knowing glance. “Actually, I learned to drive in Switzerland. Plenty of curves to keep a boy happy.” He smiled wickedly.

  “You lived in Switzerland?”

  “Born there.”

  “Oh, I thought I’d noticed a slight accent when we first met. I couldn’t quite put my finger on what it was. I thought perhaps German or something.”

  “It’s barely discernable these days. My years in America have erased much of it, or so I’m told.”

  In the distance the shimmering lights of the dock came into view. As they got closer, Serena wondered which of the spectacular crafts they would board. They were all magnificent and impressive.

  “Ready?” Sebastian said as he parked the car and killed the engine.

  “As I’ll ever be.”

  He came around the car and opened the door. Serena accepted the hand he offered and was caught off guard as his touch sent electric sparks running through her body. Quickly, she reminded herself of the role she was to play. This was to be a mere charade and her body had to keep that in mind. She’d have to play along while keeping any true emotion from entering the game.

  When he tightened his hold of her, she leaned into him, letting herself become completely immersed in her role. She had to convince everyone they were actually dating; actually knew one another. It wasn’t too difficult to fake. His body, muscular and strong, was like a magnet that was hard to pull away from. Her body was in perfect sync to his and she was surprised by how comfortable she felt at his side.

  With a carriage worthy of the most notable prince, Sebastian led her to an extravagant multi-million dollar yacht. The moment they boarded, Serena was surrounded by everything that was rich and ostentatious.

  “How many people work just to keep this thing glittering?” Her gaze darted from the glistening floors to the shinning rails to the glowing golden trim.