"Spare me your lies. I've had enough of them. I thought you were special. You were the first woman who I dreamed of having a future with. No matter what your motivation, I know you felt something for me. Maybe it wasn't love, but you'll remember the nights when we made love until we were blind and deaf to the world. I hope that gives you something to think about." He paused, taking in her ashen expression, knowing he could stop right there, but the need to lash out drove him.

"You know, I could almost respect you for your stand, but this last act of cowardice makes me realize you're not the person I thought you were. You're not even a woman. You're a little girl playing dress up." Sebastian refused to be moved by the sheer pain within the depths of her dark eyes, a pain that mirrored his own. "If it's your wish to leave this firm, you can do so, starting today. You'll be paid in lieu of notice. Good luck...Miss Bryant."

Chast.i.ty's head ached and she wanted to cry. She wondered how she'd even managed to go grocery shopping feeling the way she did, as she tossed the bag on the table before plopping down on the sofa. She was exhausted. After a long day at work, all she wanted to do was sleep. It was only day three at her new job, and she was already considering looking for something else.

It paid a few thousand dollars less and the firm was much larger. Some of the partners were nice, while others thought their s.h.i.t didn't stink. One particular attorney at the firm thought it was beneath him to make eye contact with her as he spoke, but had no problem staring at her chest.

Chast.i.ty felt like showering whenever he was around. Still, it was slightly better than seeing Sebastian day in and out, and wanting him. She'd had a lot of time to reflect on his last words to her. He was right.

She was a coward.

She'd fallen just as hard for him, but refused to admit it. At least Sebastian had the guts to lay his heart on the line. She, on the other hand, had run away.

Monty stalked over to her, rubbing his body against her leg. She still had her cats, at least. How pathetic. Chast.i.ty was just about to get up and put the groceries away, when the doorbell rang.

Frowning, she wondered who it could be. Nick and Kevin were in New York on vacation, and Dallas had gone down South to deal with a family crisis. Chast.i.ty didn't want to answer the door, but whoever it was, didn't seem to want to go away. Peeking through the peephole, she was surprised to see who her visitor was.

"Jeremy? What are you doing here?" she asked, as she opened the door.

He wore a grim expression. "May I come in?" he asked formally, ignoring her question.

"Uh, yeah, sure."

"Would you like something to drink?" Chast.i.ty offered, once he was inside.

"No, thanks. This isn't really a social call."

"At least have a seat. You're making me nervous, pacing around like that. Besides, you're about to-"

Rarrh! Grrrrr...

"...step on my cat's tail," she finished weakly.

Monty wasn't the type to run from a fight. With a swipe of his paw, he sliced through the khaki material of Jeremy's pants. "What the-get this h.e.l.lcat away from me," he protested, as Monty swiped him again, and then to add insult to injury, bit the stunned man.

"Monty, no!" Chast.i.ty lifted the hissing cat and took him to the bedroom, shutting him in. "I'm really sorry about that. He thinks he's much bigger than he actually is."

"How you deal with such a beast is beyond me."

"Well, you did step on his tail," she pointed out.

Raking fingers through his blond hair, he sighed. "So, I did. I apologize."

"Did he draw blood? Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine. It's a good thing I'm not wearing shorts. That cat is vicious." He took a seat on the sofa. "I'm sure you know why I've come."

"No. Actually, I don't, since I asked you what you were doing here when I opened the door, but you chose to ignore my question." Chast.i.ty sat next to him.

"Sebastian is the reason I'm here."

"Does he know you're here?"

"h.e.l.l no! If he did, he'd probably beat me to a b.l.o.o.d.y pulp."

"I see."

"Do you really?" He raised one dark blond brow.

"Honestly? No, but I'm sure you'll enlighten me on the reason you've decided to come on Sebastian's behalf, without his knowledge."

"Chast.i.ty, I didn't come here to spar words with you. Sebastian's in a bad way."

Chast.i.ty's heart skipped a beat. "What do you mean, a bad way? Has he been hurt?"

Jeremy shook his head. "No. Nothing like that, but he's not the same guy he was before you set out to play the avenger."

"That's not what I set out to do."

"Oh, really? From where I'm sitting, it looks to me like that's exactly what you did."

"If you've come to hurl accusations at me, then I'd rather you left. I don't need this." She stood up, but to her surprise Jeremy grabbed her wrist, yanking Chast.i.ty back down on the sofa.

"I'm not going to let you walk away, until this situation is resolved."

"Let go of me," she hissed.

Immediately he released her, but the angry glare still remained. "Was what he said worth you doing what you did to him?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," she lied.

"Do me a favor; don't insult my intelligence. We've already figured that you must have overheard us talking. So, I ask again, was what he said worth doing what you did?"

Chast.i.ty poked her bottom lip out mutinously before her shoulders slumped and head drooped. "I didn't think he'd fall in love with me."

"What did you think would happen when you paraded yourself in front of him the way you did?"

"I just thought he'd be interested for as long as someone like him, can be. I only planned to flirt with him a little, maybe go on a few dates together before I dumped him, but that's as far as I planned on going."

"So, why did you let things progress?"

"Why do you want to know? What's the point of dredging this up?"

"Because he's my best friend and I don't like seeing him hurt."

"Like he's hurt so many women before, with his love them and leave them ways?" she snapped.

"How the h.e.l.l would you know that? Those women meant nothing to him, and every single one of them knew the deal. Sebastian doesn't have to play games, like you obviously do."

That comment hit its mark, but she'd made her bed. "What's done is done. What do you expect me to do? I tried to apologize, but he brushed it off. In fact, he seemed happy that I didn't return his love. He told me that he wasn't ready to settle down."

Jeremy rolled his eyes heavenward. "Can't you recognize an act when you see one? The man is miserable. He spends all his time holed up in his office, he's short with people, he's lost weight, and he's apathetic about everything. You served him a raw deal, Chast.i.ty."

She briefly remembered the flash of pain she'd seen in his eyes when she'd rejected him. "I'm sorry I hurt him. Like I said, I tried to apologize. He seemed fine. I don't work for your firm anymore, so you might as well just write me off. This was a wasted trip for you."

He stood up, the disgust evident on his face. "I was hoping that by coming here, you might...it doesn't matter what I thought anymore, but I'll tell you what I know. There was a time, when you may not have been the most glamorous of women, but that didn't matter because you were a sweet lady. Your appearance isn't the only thing that changed. You may look hot, but your insides don't make you very appealing right now. Hopefully it won't take Sebastian much longer to get over what you did, because he's much better off without a schemer like you in his life."

Jeremy's words. .h.i.t her deep. She shouldn't have hurt Sebastian the way she did. Burying her face in her hands, Chast.i.ty let out a sob. Jeremy released a loud curse before sitting back down and throwing an arm around her. "Don't cry, Chast.i.ty. I didn't mean to upset you."

"Liar," she croaked.

"Okay," he conceded. "Maybe just a little bit."

"I didn't really change that much. I just made a lot of stupid decisions. When I overheard Sebastian laughing about my lack of a life, I was crushed. It cut deep, so my friends and I came up with a plan to make me over, and then set out to seduce Sebastian. It was all just fun and games to me, at first. I just didn't realize it would work so well, and I definitely hadn't counted on his feelings. What started out as revenge became real. I...fell in love with him, too."

"Then why did you hurt him the way you did?"

"Because I didn't believe in myself enough to trust the love he'd offered me. I was a big, fat coward. Now, it's too late, because he's moved on."

"Haven't you been listening to what I said, woman? He hasn't moved on. He's still nuts over you."

Chast.i.ty shook her head in disbelief. "Well, he has a funny way of showing it."

"Did you expect him to wear his heart on his sleeve after you crushed him?"

She sighed. "I guess not. But, what can I do about it now?"

"You say you love him."

"I do."

"Then prove it. Fight for him. It may not be easy, because Sebastian can be a stubborn sonofab.i.t.c.h when he wants to be, but I know he still loves you. I've never seen him as happy as the times he was with you." Jeremy patted her hand in rea.s.surance.

Chast.i.ty knew then what she had to do.

Chapter Seventeen.

Sebastian downed his third gla.s.s of vodka, letting the warm liquid burn a trail down his throat. d.a.m.n. He wished he didn't have such a high tolerance for alcohol. What he needed was to get stinking drunk. Maybe then, he could push the pain he felt to the furthest recesses of his mind.

He hadn't seen Chast.i.ty in a month, but he hurt just as much now as he did on the day when she'd taken his heart and crushed it beneath her designer heels. Still, he couldn't help thinking about her gorgeous b.r.e.a.s.t.s, crowned with nipples so dark and tempting they made his mouth water.

His c.o.c.k twitched as he remembered how she'd sighed and moaned his name when he slid into her tight, fragrant p.u.s.s.y. Sebastian had made several attempts to date other women, but none of them could make him forget Chast.i.ty. h.e.l.l, he could barely bring himself to even look at another woman.

She'd emasculated him and didn't have the decency to stick around and brazen the whole d.a.m.n thing out. If she were here right now, he'd...he'd...ring her pretty little neck and then beg her to love him. It was kind of sad, but there it was. G.o.d, she'd reduced him to an emotional mess.

He couldn't go on like this. He'd have to learn to live without her...if he could. He reached for the bottle of vodka to pour himself another drink, when the doorbell rang. Who the h.e.l.l was that? "Go away," he muttered, only the visitor didn't go away. The persistent ringing of the bell told him that he'd either have to answer it or call the police.

Not bothering to look through the peephole, he wrenched the door open, and stumbled back in surprise when he saw who stood on the other side. "Chast.i.ty." He must have been drunker than he thought, because surely he was imagining things.

Even casually dressed, she looked beautiful to him. His fingers itched to caress every inch of her silky smooth skin. She wore a pair of jeans that hugged curvaceous hips, and a tight T-shirt, which didn't help matters either. Sebastian licked his lips as he spied the outline of her bra through it, knowing the treasure they supported within.

His body tensed with awareness. No. He wouldn't let this she-devil under his skin this way, but looking down into her big brown eyes, he wanted to pull her into his arms. Keep your cool, Sebastian. "What the h.e.l.l do you want?"

"May I come in?"

"For what? I see no reason to let you in."

With downcast eyes, Chast.i.ty sighed. "Because, I'd like to talk to you."

"So talk. I'm not stopping you."

"I was hoping you'd let me in first."

It was clear she wouldn't leave without her pound of flesh. He may as well get this over with. "Fine, come in, but whatever you have to say, how about wrapping it up in five minutes," he growled, standing back just enough to let her in. He nearly grabbed Chast.i.ty as the scent of her perfume wafted to his nostrils.

He walked back to the living room and took a seat on the couch, not bothering to offer her a seat. Chast.i.ty looked around, probably taking in the mess he'd made, and frowned. "Sebastian, how much have you had to drink?"

"Not that it's any of your G.o.dd.a.m.n business, but I'm working on my fourth gla.s.s."

"Maybe you should stop."

Was she for real? It almost sounded as if she cared.

"If I need someone to lecture me, I'll call my mother. From my estimation, you've just wasted two of your five minutes, so either tell me what you want, or leave," he barked. Just having her there made him want things to be the way they were before she'd played that trick on him.

Stay strong, he warned himself again.

"I came here to ask for your forgiveness. What I did was wrong and I'm very sorry that I caused you pain." Chast.i.ty began quietly, shifting back and forth on her feet.

Yes, Sebastian wanted to scream, but he forced himself to remember how cruelly she'd rejected him. "Okay, apology accepted. Now that you've had your say, you can go." Inwardly, he congratulated himself for remaining cool, when he was so close to crumbling.

"Please, that's not all. I wanted to tell you...oh, h.e.l.l," she broke off in apparent frustration. "I love you, Sebastian! I'm deeply, madly, and irrevocably in love with you. I have been for a while now, but I just didn't know how to tell you. It's true that I made myself over to get your attention, but I never meant to let things go as far as they had. The more time I spent with you, however, the harder I fell. I got to know the man you truly are, and not just the one I'd only idolized before."

Sebastian's heart sped up. Was what she said true? Part of him wanted to jump off the couch and press kisses all over her tempting body, but caution kept him glued to the spot. "Is that so? You have a funny way of showing someone you love them. For the sake of hoots and giggles, let's say I believe you. What did you wish to accomplish by telling me this? Did you think I'd actually return that love?"

Chast.i.ty nibbled on her bottom lip, her nervous gesture making his c.o.c.k stir. Sebastian shifted his weight to ease the uncomfortable ache.