again, remembering his erection pressing against her, remembering how it felt between her legs, how much she had wanted more than it simply rubbing against her, and wishing she hadn’t said no. She wished she could take it back because, looking at Sebastian Stone, the only thing she wanted was him back between her legs, this time without the hindrance of clothes between them.
“Yes, but on one condition,” she said, slightly surprised by her own bravery, “first tell me what happened to you. It’s like you vanished one day from Elmbridge.”
“Dinner. I’ll answer any questions you have at dinner.” He walked past her, picked up her phone from the kitchen counter, and started typing something. A few seconds later, she heard his phone beep. Apparently, he didn’t feel that he needed to ask for her number. He just took it. The corners of his mouth lifted into a smug smile before he approached her to say goodbye. They walked to her door together, not touching but close enough to feel each other’s presence.
Sebastian turned at the door, pulling her toward him gently with hands around her waist. “In Edinburgh, you said you weren’t afraid of me. Is that still true?” The cold in his eyes had returned, and Eden gazed back at him, aware that there was no way she could lie to those eyes, despite how nervous they made her when they were cold.
“Yes, it’s still true.”
“Good.” And with that, he kissed her softly, his lips barely touching hers, cupping her face in his hands. “Until tomorrow, love.”
Eden waited until she heard the elevator doors shut before she bolted the door and slid her back along it. Even now, she could feel his touch on her. Her nipples were still sensitive and his caress lingered on her stomach. But she remembered the button, the sound of her jeans being opened, and suddenly, she wasn’t with Sebastian. She was back in the frat house room two years ago, pinned down by four boys, men really. She could feel her jeans being ripped off her, twisted around her ankles, her bra off and discarded, rough roaming hands touching her despite her cries of protest that were muffled by a hand. She could hear the sound of the music playing at the party downstairs, Lady Gaga’s “Monster” coming up through the floor, and she realized that even if she were able to shout, no one would hear her.
The sound of her phone ringing brought her out of her flashback and she jumped up, working through Dr. Shepherd’s calming exercises— get out of the moment, don’t dwell, that’s not how you will recover, Eden. She looked at her phone and winced when she saw who was calling—Joachim.
She answered, putting on a calm voice that she found within her, despite the memories that still circled in her mind.
“Baby! You’re back! I just heard.” Joachim’s voice came through vibrant and joyful as ever.
“Yup, I’m back. In a way,” she answered. Her parents had impressed upon her how she had to maintain her social relationships, especially since she wasn’t returning to Boston. She was establishing herself in a new city and Joachim had known her family since she was a child. He’d moved here two years ago to start work at his father’s law firm. And more importantly, he was the boy she had been dating for almost five years before she up and disappeared to Edinburgh. She couldn’t possibly say no when he invited her to lunch with him.
“I’ve only got an hour, but meet me at my office and I’ll take you out, my treat.”
****
Eden had to admit to herself that it was a pleasure to see Joachim again. She had pushed him out of her mind during her time in Edinburgh, although she had responded to his regular emails. She had tried to maintain a distance between them and thought that when she didn’t reciprocate the affection she found in his letters, he would slowly back off. It hadn’t happened, and Mara had pointed out that Eden clearly didn’t have a clue how Joachim really felt about her.
“Yes, but on one condition,” she said, slightly surprised by her own bravery, “first tell me what happened to you. It’s like you vanished one day from Elmbridge.”
“Dinner. I’ll answer any questions you have at dinner.” He walked past her, picked up her phone from the kitchen counter, and started typing something. A few seconds later, she heard his phone beep. Apparently, he didn’t feel that he needed to ask for her number. He just took it. The corners of his mouth lifted into a smug smile before he approached her to say goodbye. They walked to her door together, not touching but close enough to feel each other’s presence.
Sebastian turned at the door, pulling her toward him gently with hands around her waist. “In Edinburgh, you said you weren’t afraid of me. Is that still true?” The cold in his eyes had returned, and Eden gazed back at him, aware that there was no way she could lie to those eyes, despite how nervous they made her when they were cold.
“Yes, it’s still true.”
“Good.” And with that, he kissed her softly, his lips barely touching hers, cupping her face in his hands. “Until tomorrow, love.”
Eden waited until she heard the elevator doors shut before she bolted the door and slid her back along it. Even now, she could feel his touch on her. Her nipples were still sensitive and his caress lingered on her stomach. But she remembered the button, the sound of her jeans being opened, and suddenly, she wasn’t with Sebastian. She was back in the frat house room two years ago, pinned down by four boys, men really. She could feel her jeans being ripped off her, twisted around her ankles, her bra off and discarded, rough roaming hands touching her despite her cries of protest that were muffled by a hand. She could hear the sound of the music playing at the party downstairs, Lady Gaga’s “Monster” coming up through the floor, and she realized that even if she were able to shout, no one would hear her.
The sound of her phone ringing brought her out of her flashback and she jumped up, working through Dr. Shepherd’s calming exercises— get out of the moment, don’t dwell, that’s not how you will recover, Eden. She looked at her phone and winced when she saw who was calling—Joachim.
She answered, putting on a calm voice that she found within her, despite the memories that still circled in her mind.
“Baby! You’re back! I just heard.” Joachim’s voice came through vibrant and joyful as ever.
“Yup, I’m back. In a way,” she answered. Her parents had impressed upon her how she had to maintain her social relationships, especially since she wasn’t returning to Boston. She was establishing herself in a new city and Joachim had known her family since she was a child. He’d moved here two years ago to start work at his father’s law firm. And more importantly, he was the boy she had been dating for almost five years before she up and disappeared to Edinburgh. She couldn’t possibly say no when he invited her to lunch with him.
“I’ve only got an hour, but meet me at my office and I’ll take you out, my treat.”
****
Eden had to admit to herself that it was a pleasure to see Joachim again. She had pushed him out of her mind during her time in Edinburgh, although she had responded to his regular emails. She had tried to maintain a distance between them and thought that when she didn’t reciprocate the affection she found in his letters, he would slowly back off. It hadn’t happened, and Mara had pointed out that Eden clearly didn’t have a clue how Joachim really felt about her.
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