Dear Mister Summers

thirty eight

Another week passed by like the previous week. There was little to no communication from Sebastian. What was more frustrating was during a team dinner on Thursday, he had completely ignored her although she had been sitting right next to him. He had talked with everyone, even Maria, but so little to her. If she remembered correctly, he had only asked her whether she would like another drink and that was it.

On the other hand, Andin had taken it like a champ and did not shed a single tear. In return, she acted as if he did not exist. Every now and then during the event, she could feel his eyes on her but she brushed it off and pretended that she was not affected by it. Instead, she conversed with Thomas, one of the marketing team leaders. Apparently, Thomas really liked hiking and he even invited her to go hiking with him this weekend. She had not said yes but she had not turned him down immediately either since that would seem rude. So she informed him that she was not free that weekend.

At last, it was Sunday morning and Andin was reading a book on her balcony, which had become her favorite spot with all the lilies and plants around. She took the sun lotion tube and opened the cap. One hand squeezed the product out to her other palm then she spread it all over her arms and legs. She had just finished putting it on her thighs when she heard a knock on the door. She got up and tossed the tube on the beach chair. She expected to see Damon, so she was quite surprised that her boss stood on the other side.

"Who is it?" she called out as she stared at him through the peephole.

He raised a brow and folded his arms across his chest.

She was irritated with him. Maybe irrationally so, but she was still annoyed and did not feel like letting him in right away.

"Miss Williams, I know you are staring at me. You might as well open the door," he said.

"What?" she asked as she opened the door. Instead of answering her, he stepped inside and forced her to move backward.

"I am busy and not—" His mouth on her stopped her flow of words as he brought his hands to the sides of her face. The door shut behind him with a soft click, and his thumbs brushed her cheeks. His lips slid over hers with the promise of passion rather than a full-out kiss.

"No hiking with Thomas," he said against her lips. "I will take you."

She had not been serious about hiking. She was not even sure whether she had no fear of heights or not. "I am scared of falling."

"I will never let that happen. Whenever you feel like it," he said as he kissed the corner of her mouth, "just give me a call and I will pick you up."

She almost smiled. "How? When you are so good at pretending I do not even exist."

He brushed his lips across hers. "I should get an award for that."

Andin put her hands on his chest and pushed him back. "You could at least say hello."

"No, I could not." He dropped his hands and leaned his back against the door. "I can not risk it."

"What does that even mean?" She moved across the room and turned off the television. "Risk what?"

"It means, Miss Williams, that when I look at you, I am afraid everyone within ten miles can see that I have sex with you."

She blinked. "Oh."

"And it means," he continued as he moved toward her, "that I am afraid everyone within ten miles can see that I am remembering the last time I saw you naked. That I got a little rough with you and I wish I was truly sorry about that, but it was so good I am not. Every time with you is good, and I am afraid that anyone within ten miles will look at me and know I am thinking about how to get you naked again."