He shrugged. "Maybe." Something in the way he said that one word made her think that all wasn't well.

"Are you still close to your parents?"

"That's the funny thing. After I dumped Serita, my relationship with my parents deteriorated. They acted as though everything was hunky-dory, but I grew to resent them to the point that I cut myself off. I realized that as long as they supported me, they could make the same threat when I did something else that didn't meet their approval. Now we only ever communicate on holidays, if that."

"That's so sad. I'm not that particularly close to my mother either, but she's still my mom and I love her."

"I love my parents too, but I just don't like them very much. Sometimes I wonder what might have been."

"Isn't that a little futile? The damage is done, and the best you can do is learn from the past."

He nodded, and then a smile appeared. "You know, I've really enjoyed this conversation with you."

"I enjoyed it too. We have to do it again sometime."

His smile widened. "Over dinner?"

Chast.i.ty laughed. "You never give up, do you?"

"I haven't even gotten started, my dear, but don't worry, I won't persist. I can take no for an answer. A word of friendly advice though, be careful with Sebastian. He's my friend, but he doesn't have the best track record with women."

Chast.i.ty smiled. "Oh, I'm not the one who'll need to be careful."

Chapter Seven.

"Oh, my goodness! I can't believe you did that, girl!" Dallas screamed, falling back on the couch, her body shuddering with laughter.

"Yes, I did, and to be honest, I can hardly believe it myself. You have no idea how hard it was for me to walk away like he didn't have the same affect on me as I obviously did on him." Chast.i.ty tried hard not to remember the way his hands felt on her skin, the way his mouth slid against hers, or the thrust of his fingers in her p.u.s.s.y.

Sebastian's hard body pressed so deliciously against hers was all she could think about since it had happened earlier in the day. He kept giving her smoldering looks whenever he walked by her desk for the rest of the day. The tension could be cut with a knife.

Dallas squeezed her hand. "I'm so proud of you, girlfriend. Wait until we tell the guys. They'll be thrilled too."

"Yes, the plan seems to be going well. I didn't think I had it in me, but just when I find myself falling under his spell again, I think about what he said."

"That's the spirit. You should get a digital camera and take a picture of his facial expression when you drop the bomb on him."

Chast.i.ty shrugged. "And then what? Post it over the internet? No, I don't want to humiliate him to that level. As much as he's hurt me, I could never be that malevolent."

"Yet he humiliated and used you."

"He didn't realize I was listening."

"Why are you starting to make excuses for him? You're not chickening out, are you?"

"Of course not." Something still nagged her about this entire thing. It was true that he'd used her, but did Sebastian really deserve this?

Dallas pursed her lips, not looking quite convinced. "You don't sound very enthusiastic."

"I am."

"Are you really? Don't punk out on the plan now. You have to show this b.a.s.t.a.r.d not to toy with you again."

"I'm not backing out. I just...well, what happens if he does start having feelings for me? What if I don't have it in me to hurt him?"

Dallas crossed her arms, a shrewd look entering her dark eyes. "Is that all that's on your mind? There's something you're not telling me."

With a sigh, Chast.i.ty decided to unload completely. "I'm not sure if I can do this and not let my feelings get in the way."

"You can't be serious. After what that turkey said about you, you're still harboring feelings for him?"

"Feelings aren't like a faucet. You can't just turn them on and off, just like that. Anyway, I didn't say I had feelings for him, just that I'm not sure if I can go through with this and not get hurt. The incident in the bathroom today shook me up more than I would have liked it to."

"But then that means you have to keep reminding yourself of what a rat he is. Don't let yourself get caught up. Sure, he may be able to touch you in the right places and do things your body hasn't experienced before, but keep in mind that it's just physical and nothing more."

"But how? I'm not experienced in this like you."

"It sounds like you were doing fine to me. Is this what's really running through your mind or are you just trying to find a reason to back out?"

"I'm not trying to back out; I'm just trying to weigh all the pros and cons."

"Well, you can't end this now. I won't let you," Dallas said stubbornly.

Chast.i.ty hopped off the couch, placing hands on ample hips. "You won't let me?"

"You're d.a.m.n right. Me and the boys put a lot of work in to give you this new look."

"Is my look what this is all about? Do you think if I halt this crusade of revenge my makeover would have been in vain? Never mind that I feel good about myself, and for the first time I don't feel like your ugly friend."

Dallas's jaw dropped. To say she looked stunned would have been an understatement. "You're not serious, are you?"

"Do I need to spell it out for you?"

"Obviously you do, because I can't believe what I'm hearing."

Chast.i.ty began to pace her living room floor. It seemed like she'd been making a lot of confessions lately. Her feelings about how she viewed herself in relation to her best friend were something she'd bottled up for a long time. She wasn't sure how to explain herself.

Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, she walked over to the couch and took Dallas's hand in hers. "You know I love you like a sister, right?"

"Of course I do, and I love you too, girl. You've got to know that," Dallas said earnestly.

Chast.i.ty nodded. "Even though there's probably no one else I care about more, I've been jealous of you since we were kids. At times, I hated myself for feeling so petty, but I couldn't help it."

Dallas's eyes widened, the look of utter disbelief forming her lips into an "O", a range of emotions flickering in her liquid brown eyes. "Jealous of me? But why?"

"Do you really have to ask? You're gorgeous, confident and men drool when they see you. Whenever the two of us would go out, I felt like the invisible woman."

"Oh, hon, I never realized you felt that way. To me, you've always been the beautiful one."

Chast.i.ty rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right."

"Your kind of beauty comes from within. I always knew you could be stunning if you allowed yourself to be, and now you've proved me right. If the truth be told, I've always been jealous of you."

Now it was Chast.i.ty's turn to be surprised. "Me? You're pulling my leg, right?"

"I'm serious. There are so many qualities in you that I envy. You're smart, caring and people like you for the person you are. I don't have a lot of female friends because they always see me as compet.i.tion. And the men...well, when they're not acting like a bunch of brainless idiots, they treat me like I'm some kind of dumb bimbo."

"I had no idea."

"The gra.s.s isn't always greener, babe. You know what I had to do to gain my independence from my family. It wasn't very pretty. It was a gritty life, and when you have only your looks to rely on, it can kill your soul."

"Thanks for sharing that with me."

Dallas flashed a set of perfect white teeth. "No biggie. Look, I didn't mean to get on your case about the Sebastian thing. It's entirely up to you whether you want to pursue this plan or not. What matters is your happiness."

Chast.i.ty was just about to give her friend a big hug when the phone rang, interrupting their moment of revelation. "Hmm, I wonder who that is," she mused, reaching out for the phone. "h.e.l.lo?" Only the faint sound of breathing met her ear. "h.e.l.lo?" she answered again, hoping it wasn't some sick pervert on the other end. She silently cursed herself for not checking her caller ID.

"Chast.i.ty," a deep, familiar voice filtered through the receiver. No. It couldn't be. Could it?

"Sebastian?" He'd never called her home before.

"You sound surprised. Surely you didn't think you could leave things that way between us and expect me not to seek you out."

"I didn't really give it that mu-much thought," she stammered, wishing her heart weren't beating so erratically.

"Liar." His throaty accusation cut through her thin facade.

"Look, what happened in the restroom today was a mistake. I'm sor-"

"If you tell me you're sorry, I'm going kiss you senseless the next time we see each other, which I hope will be tonight."

"Tonight?" she croaked, throat suddenly dry. "I can't."

"Why not? This is something you started, remember? Chast.i.ty, you have no idea what you did to me today. Do you know what it's like to walk around with a hard-on all day? I had to cancel the rest of my appointments because of you."

"I fail to see how that's my problem, Sebastian." She inwardly congratulated herself for managing to keep her voice level, while her body trembled all over with nerves.

"It is your problem, because I'm going to make sure you finish what you started, lady."

"Throwing down the gauntlet?"

"You'd better believe it. I've been thinking about that tight p.u.s.s.y all day, wondering what it would feel like wrapped around my d.i.c.k."

"Sebastian-"

"You've thought about it, haven't you?"

Chast.i.ty had, but would be d.a.m.ned if she admitted it. "I'd rather not have this conversation right now."

He chuckled. "That's fine. There'll be other times, preferably in person. So tell me, what's going on between you and Jeremy?"

"As if I'd tell you. What's this all about anyway? Were you stood up tonight and decided to give me a call?"

"If I were seeing someone at the moment, I certainly wouldn't be on the phone playing cat and mouse with you, now would I? d.a.m.n. I must be out of my mind to even bother."

Hearing him say that was the red flag waving in front of a bull. Was he implying she wasn't worth the trouble? "Oh, trust me, I'm very much worth the bother," she retorted.

There was a pause on the other end of the line. "Prove it then. Let me take you out tonight."

"To dinner?"

"Of course."

"A little candlelight and romance? Maybe even some dancing?"

"If you'd like."

"Cut the bulls.h.i.t, Sebastian. We both know what you want, and it isn't romance. You want to f.u.c.k me. I already told you before that I don't want any of that mushy stuff from you. Come to my place tonight at nine, and bring the condoms...lots of them."

A long silence followed her bold declaration. Holy c.r.a.p. Did she just say that? Hardly believing her own audaciousness, she bit her lip and waited anxiously for his reply. As the quiet stretched, she began to lose her confidence. "Sebastian?" she asked tentatively, hoping he didn't hear the squeak in her voice.

"Yes. I'm still here."

"Well?"

"Is this what you really want, Chast.i.ty? I don't want you to do this and later say I coerced you. h.e.l.l, I really shouldn't get involved with one of my employees in the first place, but d.a.m.n if I can walk away."

"Oh, stop being a lawyer for a minute. You're a man and I'm a woman, two consenting adults who want each other. The question is, do you want to do this? I could just as easily make plans with someone else."

"With whom?" he growled.

Chast.i.ty covered her mouth to stifle the laugh threatening to bubble to the surface. His jealousy was so cute. "Just a friend. Will you come or not?"

"I'll be there. This isn't some trick, is it?"

Chast.i.ty didn't realize she'd been holding her breath until she exhaled. "Of course not. You have my address right?"

"I only got your phone number from the emergency contact list. Go ahead and give me your address." After giving him the information, she wondered if this was the right thing to do. Everything just seemed so surreal. "Okay, I'll be there at nine. I'll see you then." Sebastian hung up before she could respond.

Chast.i.ty didn't know how long she sat immobile on the couch with the phone against her ear and mouth wide open with shock, but it couldn't have been very long with Dallas sitting next to her.

"Oh, my G.o.d! I can't believe you just said that to him." Her friend laughed.