Chapter Eleven

Facing The Demon

Maria’s POV

   I woke up with a start and wondered where I was for a moment. The scent and everything else felt different from my room.

  It was until I moved and felt strong, large arms around me that I realized that I was still in Sebastian’s office and that we were lying on the soft bed in his office.

  “What the hell is the time?” I asked myself and realized that Sebastian and I were in a spoonlike position and he wrapped his arms around me protectively.

  I listened to his relaxed breathing as he slept but jumped from the sofa when my eyes rested on the timepiece on the wall.

  “Shit!” I said and he woke up highly alert.

  “What’s going on, Maria?”

  “The time.” I said, putting on my clothes in a hurry.

  He looked at the time and asked. “You want to go home by this time?”

  “Of course!” I replied, looking at him with unbelief. “Do you want your staff to come in in a few hours and see me leaving your office building with ruffled clothes?”

  “I’ll take you home.” He said, standing.

  “I am perfectly capable of driving myself to my house.” I replied, fully dressed and heading out of the office.

  “I know, but the time..." He said behind me, but then I turned sharply, stood on my tippy toes and placed my forefinger on his lips.

  “Sebastian, I am capable of taking myself home. I have returned back home from work on numerous occasions by this time so there is absolutely nothing to worry about.”

  He looked down at me for a few seconds and when he realized that I wouldn’t crack, he gave in, then licked my finger on his lips.

  “Ewww, gross!” I laughed.

  “You didn’t say that when I licked it a few hours ago. I also licked other parts of your body.” He teased, then put on his dress shirt and said. “I’ll see you off and please call me when you get home.”

  “Yes, captain.” I gave him a mock salute as we stepped out of his office.

  I got to my car and was about to step in when he halted me with an amused chuckle. “Wait! You didn’t get to tell me the news.”

  “Get in!” I gestured for him to enter my car, glad that the windows were tinted so no one outside would see us. I told him everything that happened when my stepmother, stepsister, and ex-boyfriend came to threaten me.

  He listened patiently but not without anger.

  “It’s the audacity for me. Are you certain that we won’t share a restraining order or do something along that line? How about moving to a neighborhood with stricter security so that no Tom, Dick, and Harry can just waltz in?”

  “I won’t run away from them. I am ready to face them head-on. If I move to another neighborhood, what about my office? My favorite restaurant and other places I will visit; will I move from those places too? I like the retraining order idea but I am certain that they see now that I am standing on business and I am not one to be messed with.”

  We talked about it for a while and devised strategies for any possible visit next time, then I indicated that we should talk about it another time; it was the early hours of the morning. I need to get home and I am certain that he would need to do the same.

  He exited and watched me till I drove out of sight and when I got home, I called him to inform him that I was home so that I could catch a few hours of sleep uninterrupted.

  “Where the hell are you coming from, Maria Bellucci?” Helena asked after I ended the call with Sebastian and raised her brows when she took in my appearance. “Oh my! Why the hell do you look thoroughly fucked?”

  I laughed at her question shook my head, and headed to Nathan’s room and kissed him softly, then went straight to my room. I needed a hot shower, then my bed.

  She followed me to my room, then gasped and said,. “You were with Sebastian, weren’t you? And you two had a rump-in-the-hay session.”

  Immediately after I heard her last sentence, I bent forward and laughed. “Rump in the hay? How do you come up with these terms?”

  She folded her arms in response. "I was here worried sick about your ass and you were out there fucking.”

  I raised my hands to appease her with a small smile. “I am sorry that I didn’t send a text that I was with Sebastian.”

  “So you two are bed buddies now?” She asked curiously.

  “Nope, it was just a one-time thing I initiated,” I replied, certain that my cheeks had colored as I remembered all that happened in his office.

  “One-time thing that you initiated? You sound like some alpha female, Maria. I get it; you are strong and independent but this is different, and while it is purely physical now, if emotions slip in, it can become messy because the whole marriage thingy is just business.”

  “Lena, I get it that you are trying to look out for me but there really is no cause for alarm. It’s just as you said, it’s purely physical and I am too interested in my company and all that concerns me right now to allow emotions to complicate anything. I have been beaten once by the situation with my ex and now I am twice shy.”

  “I hope so. Anyway, I am glad you are fine and we need to discuss later in the day what we have to do about those people so they won’t pull the stunt of coming here anymore.”

  I spread my arms out and said. “I am lucky to have you in my life. Thank you for looking out for me.”

  Helena jumped backward and said. “Don’t you dare come close to me looking all fucked; go take a bath and come hug me.”

  “You'll be the death of me.” I laughed very hard and fell on my bed, but then I stood up, quickly gave her a quick peck on her forehead, and raced to the bathroom when she started protesting again.

  She wished me goodnight and left my room.

  After taking a hot shower, I slipped on my silk nightgown and slept off immediately after my head touched my pillow.

  ********

  The beep from my phone woke me up and I checked to see that I needed to get up from bed and prepare for work but it was the mail on my screen that woke me up fully.

  I sat up and clicked on the mail, then read with an increasingly open mouth. I screamed in joy until Helena raced into my room.

  “Are you alright, Maria? What’s going on?” She asked me when she came in but looked relieved when she saw that I was screaming in joy instead of otherwise.

  “Sebastian has started the procedures for the investment and he just sent the first batch of the investment funds. Look! Look at the mail.”