The CEO’ s second choice novel Chapter 28

　　Elena

　　I’ve been pacing my bedroom floor since I realised that Sebastian might be home soon. Damnit, why am I so nervous? I did nothing wrong!

　　Staying in my bedroom won’t help, so I decided to go down to the conservatory and take my mind off things. I traded my boots for my fluffy baby blue slippers and opened my door to leave my room, but someone blocked me from doing so.

　　Sebastian had his hand poised to knock on my door when I opened my door and my heart nearly dropped into my stomach. “S-Sebastian! How long have you been standing there?” I ask him as I feel my face flush.

　　But all he does is smile at me. “Not long. May I come in?” he asks me and this causes me to frown. “Sure, I was about to head to the conservatory to wait for you, but I suppose my room is warmer.” I was babbling. Why was I babbling? And why was he smiling at me like that?

　　I stepped back as he entered my room and suddenly I felt self-conscious; he was in my personal space and I allowed it. I close the door and follow him in, and he turns towards me with that same odd smile as before. “Do you know why I call you Little Daisy, Elena?” He asks me. I had always wondered why he called me this but never thought to ask him why, because every time we were around one another, we bickered.

　　Walking towards my bed, I turn around to face him and lean against the four-poster canopy. I shake my head, “No, but I always wondered.” He then walked up to me until we were a few inches apart. “Because the flower represents innocence, purity and new beginnings,” he says and he peers down at me. “That and your signature perfume is ‘Daisy’ by Marc Jacobs.”

　　This made me feel stupid. “You know my favourite scent?” I ask him as I look up into his soft hazel eyes, and he smiles at me again. “I know more about you than you realise, Elena, but I also don’t know you at all.” He says with sadness in his voice. Why was he acting this way? I thought he would be mad at me because of the whole Elijah thing, but instead, he’s acting like this.

　　“Is something wrong, Sebastian? You’re behaving rather oddly. Are you not upset with me because of this afternoon?” I ask him, curiosity itching in my bones. But he just looked down at me and brought up his hand to cup my cheek. “I am not upset with you, Elena. I’m more upset with myself.” He replies, making me even more confused.

　　“I don’t understand,” I say, and he put a finger to my lips to silence me. “You don’t need to understand. Just know that I am not upset with you, so you can calm your heart.”

　　Yeah, calm my heart with you standing in front of me like this.

　　Sebastian brings his forehead to mine and sighs. “I don’t know how long I can keep this up, Elena. There is an ache in me that cannot be filled until I see you, touch you, or even bicker with you. Since our first kiss in my office, you have plagued my senses relentlessly, and I knew I had to have more of you.” He breathes, and I am rendered speechless by what he has admitted. How do I respond to this?

　　He draws back and then looks down at me. “When I was told you were seen out with Elijah Somersett, my heart just about shattered. Elijah has been a thorn in my side since we attended the same private school. Everything I gained through lawful means, he has found a way to buy out. Everything, including the woman I planned to marry.” He says, and I look at him with a frown.

　　“Eliana?” I asked, not sure what he was talking about, but he shakes his head. “Not at all. I was 18 and in college with my then-girlfriend at my side. We had been together since we were 17. She was my everything, and I had planned to propose to her as soon as we turned 20. She was my best friend and knew all my plans for the future, all pending transactions and merges I was to come into when I turned 20. Only to find out that her brother was Elijah Somersett. And that they had stolen all my business partners from me before I could even legally attain them. Her name was Isla. Isla Somersett.”

　　Isla, was that not the woman that collected Elijah from the coffee shop today?

　　My eyes widen at this act of betrayal. “So she never loved you?” I ask, and he shakes his head and looks down. “She loved me, but she loved her brother more. He made her get close to me, but what she didn’t expect was to fall in love with me.” He says and looks back up at me, “So you can understand how I felt when I heard you were having coffee with Elijah Somersett.”

　　Oh, my God. I can completely understand now. Without thinking, I wrap my arms around his waist and lay my head on his chest. Listening to his heart beating frantically, I realise now that he is just as nervous about being alone with me as I was with him.

　　Sebastian wraps one arm around me, and with the other, he strokes my hair. “I am not a business deal Elijah thinks he can acquire or buy out, Sebastian. I am your wife.” I say, surprised at my own words, and I feel his hand still at my words. I inhale his delicious Tom Ford scent and close my eyes.

　　What would happen if I stopped fighting my feelings for Sebastian? What would happen if I gave in to him?

　　“Elena,” he starts, letting go of me and peering into my eyes, “I am truly sorry for disrespecting you on our wedding day. I never intended to hurt you or have sex with Sarah that day. I wanted to fill the emptiness inside me, and she was willing to make me feel. I needed to feel something, anything, but this dull ache inside me. Not that it makes up for anything, or excuses my behaviour. I did nothing with her last night, either. I couldn’t bring myself to hurt you again, so I drowned my sorrows in bourbon and passed out.” He says and smiles wistfully, running his thumb over my bottom lip.

　　I hold his gaze for what felt like the longest time, before he leans in closer to me, his lips inches from mine. “You do not know how much I am holding back from being this close to you,” he says, and my heart skips a beat. I feel his breath on my lips and breathe out a sigh.

　　“Kiss me, Sebastian.”

　　As soon as the words left my mouth, his lips were on mine, begging for entry, and I acquiesced. Feeling Sebastian’s soft lips on mine sent my mind into overdrive. His tongue traced mine in a graceful and soft manner, and I feel myself melting into his embrace. His hands gripped my hair as our kiss grew more intense, and I drew myself closer to him, not wanting to let go. I taste what must have been bourbon as we kiss, and it drove me to near insanity.

　　I’m not sure how long we kissed for, but when he let go of me, we were both out of breath. Sebastian had his forehead against mine again as he tried to catch his breath. “Tell me to leave right now and we can go back to living separately. I promise no more mind games or underhanded comments to rile you up or test your jealousy. Tell me to leave, Elena, and you will have your wish.” He says, and I am surprised at this.

　　Did I want Sebastian to leave? Did I want to go back to meaning nothing to him and living the next five years in loneliness? I look into his eyes and steady my heart as I answer him.