“I’m not going anywhere with you.”
“I know you’re upset. You probably want to hide for a while and cry. Let’s get you out of here, okay?”
She gulped air. She did want to hide and cry, but not for a while. Forever.
“I’ll take you to the hotel and I’ll leave you alone. Or you can let me hold you. Whatever you want.”
The problem was she didn’t know what she wanted—being alone sounded good yet terrible, being held in Sed’s strong arms sounded better yet worse—but she nodded and let him lead her to a waiting cab. She stared unseeingly out the window on the way through the city. What was she going to do? There was no way she could hide this video from her peers, her professors, her family, her friends, jerks in elevators. This kind of thing would destroy her credibility. Would it mean the end of her career? Was it over before it started? Her dreams destroyed for a few moments of bliss? It all seemed incredibly unfair.
Something hot streaked down her cheek. She dashed the tear away with the back of her hand and glanced at Sed to see if he’d noticed. When their eyes met, he smiled sadly, and then stared down at his hands, which were folded in his lap.
Another tear fell. Another. She wiped her face on the hem of her T-shirt. Damn it. This wasn’t worth her tears. She was strong. She could get through this. She could always become a hermit and make pinecone wreaths in the sequoia forests. The trees wouldn’t know she was a… she was a… a skaaaank.
Jessica took a deep breath that turned into an anguished sob. Sed touched her shoulder. That small connection was like a switch that opened the flood gates. She caught his startled expression just before she flung herself across the backseat and into his arms. He held her as if her tears would wash her away and he had no intention of allowing the raging waters to pull her from his grasp. Feeling safe, she let the humiliation wash over her. Oh God, people would see her, see her like that, and… and… they would think she was a slut. A whore. A tramp. A…
“It’s okay, baby,” Sed murmured, squeezing her tighter. “I’ll fix it. I promise.”
She struggled out of his embrace and glared up at him. “You can’t fix this, Sed. You can’t. This is an unfixable situation.”
He cupped her face in both hands and kissed the tears from her cheeks. “I said I’ll fix it and I will. Don’t cry.”
The cab pulled to a stop outside the Bellagio hotel and Jessica scrambled out of the car. People waiting in line for the next available taxi gawked at her as she hurried into the hotel. They’d probably seen her video. Or maybe they found the tears dripping from her jaw and her runny nose interesting. Whatever it was, she wished she had a bag to put over her head.
When they reached the room, Sed directed her to the bathroom. He turned on the taps to fill the large garden tub.
“What are you doing?”
“Pampering you. Get in the tub. I’ll call room service.”
“I don’t want to be pampered.”
“Too bad. I’m pampering.”
That big tub did look inviting. And there was a complimentary bottle of bubble bath on the edge of the tub. “Okay.”
Sed let out a relieved sigh. He probably thought this fixed things. Well, it didn’t. Nothing would fix this.
“I’ll be right back.” And when he kissed her—for a fleeting moment—she started to believe that things really were going to be okay.
Less than twenty minutes later, she was already feeling more like herself. Fragrant bubbles tickling the bare skin of her shoulders, Jessica leaned forward in the tub and opened her mouth to accept the spoonful of chocolate mousse Sed offered. Her eyes rolled up in her head as she licked every decadent trace of dessert from the spoon. Smooth, sweet, and rich. She rubbed the mousse between the roof of her mouth and tongue, reluctant to swallow. Chocolate made everything better. Even her f**ked up life.
Jessica groaned. “It’s so good.”
“It can’t be half as good as watching you eat it.” He grinned at her and scooped another spoonful from the tall parfait glass.
“Aren’t you going to have any?” she asked, eagerly accepting another bite of his treat.
His grin widened and one of his adorable dimples made an appearance. “I’m saving my appetite for dessert.”
“You can climb in here with me, you know.” Sex with Sed was even better at taking her mind off things than chocolate. And more than anything, she longed for blank thoughts.
Sitting next to the tub, still fully clothed, Sed shook his head. “We both know where that will lead. You’ve had a hard day, sweetheart. I want you to relax.”
She’d forgotten how sweet he could be at times. “It’s hard to relax when I keep thinking about that stupid vid—”
He silenced her by stuffing a large strawberry in her mouth. She chewed, the sour tang of the fruit contrasting with the sweet chocolate still stimulating her taste buds.
“Then stop thinking about it.” He reached across the expanse of lily-scented bubbles and stroked a strand of hair from her cheek.
“You are taking my mind off things.”
Both dimples made an appearance this time. Her heart skipped a beat. Why couldn’t he be like this all the time?
“I am?”
“Well, you and the chocolate.” She opened her mouth, ready for her next bite.
He laughed. “Honest to a fault. Are you sure you want to be a lawyer?”
Her heart went from recovery to the pit of despair in one beat. “I’m not sure it’s even possible now. My reputation is ruined.”
“In a couple of weeks, it will be old news. No one will remember it.”
“I will.”
He gave her a pitying look and reached for the bottle of champagne chilling in a silver bucket near his hip. He sloshed some pale amber liquid into a flute and held it out to her. “More champagne?”
She nodded and reached for the glass.
Sed took a long swig out of the bottle. She watched his throat work as he swallowed and squeezed her thighs together to alleviate the building throb between them. She probably shouldn’t want him after the day she’d had, but she did. What was it about this man that made her so stupid? And slutty? God, the whole world knew how much she liked to f**k him now—how she’d go to any lengths to please him sexually—and did that stop her from wanting him? No. Sed lowered the bottle and stuffed it back into the ice bucket, accompanied by the rattle of melting ice.