Chapter 8 I Want To Love Openly For Once

• “I think I’ll pass, lest Mr. Hoffman gets sick of seeing me.” Natalie followed through his momentum with a hug and kiss of her own. “I’ve grown a little bored as well. Why don’t we try switching things up a little?”
• “What do you suggest?”
• She leaned her forehead against his until he could feel her steamy breath on his face. “I don’t want to be Mr. Hoffman’s pet canary. I want to love openly for once.”
• The man grabbed her by the cusp of her neck. He jerked her backwards and commented humorlessly, “With that newly crowned Best Actor?”
• Natalie’s flesh jumped against her skin.
• She knew Kirk must have reported to Sebastian after spotting Claude inside the dressing room.
• However, this woman was no pushover either. She was able to recollect herself and immediately revert to her captivating ways. “I’d very much like to keep my job, Mr. Hoffman, and I don’t find the prospect of being ripped apart by Mr. Nealey’s fans particularly appealing. How hard can it be for me to date someone? I can just pick one out of my many suitors...”
• Before she could finish, Sebastian’s lips were upon her as he pressed her onto the bed.
• With that, he continued to take her till dawn broke.
• As Natalie examined the multitude of love bites upon her skin while she soaked herself in the tub, she cussed at the man who deliberately wanted to give her a hard time. Her face lifted into a smile when she heard the sound of footsteps approaching.
• Already in his suit, Sebastian was adjusting the cuff on his sleeve as he looked toward the woman in the bathtub.
• “Are you sure you’re not interested in an extension?”
• “I am,” she answered with the corner of her lips raised. “You can’t give me what I’m looking for though, Mr. Hoffman.”
• She met this man during her greatest hour of need. Whatever money she had received from him was more than enough. She also understood that he was not one to be trifled with, and she had no desire to set herself up for personal and financial ruin.
• Sebastian observed her intently until his phone started ringing shortly after. He then took his eyes off her and turned around to take the call.
• “Speak.”
• As his voice faded into the distance, Natalie heard the door close once more. Her brows knotted when she assumed that the call must have come from that other woman.
• She stepped out from the bath and walked under the shower.
• Standing there with her eyes closed, she let the running water cleanse the filth from her body.
• Having been with Sebastian for this duration, she had grown to understand his personality. He was not going to keep her since she was the one who proposed to end things. Besides, he already had a replacement waiting in the wings.
• When Natalie roused from her sleep, she packed her things before she headed to the office. She also made a call to the movers.
• This was Sebastian’s apartment. She wanted a change of scenery after a year in it. There was also no reason for her to stay on considering where they were at right now.
• Receiving the villa in the city center was already a massive haul for her.
• She announced to Zoey that she wanted them to live together so that she may sponge a dinner off her every day. Zoey merely rolled her eyes after she heard that Natalie and Sebastian’s dalliance had concluded. There was nothing more for her to say about it.
• Four days later, Kirk came by again and presented Natalie with two more sets of documents. One was for the shares of a game development company recently acquired by Hoffman Group, and the other for a custom-built pink-colored Pagani.
• This got Zoey worked up. “The shares of the game development company may not be worth much in the long term but that race car though! It cost upward of thirty million. You should know that it is hard to get even if you can afford it.”
• She added, “As your confidante, I’m not poor by any means, but this baby is not something you can just grab off the shelves. That guy is something special.” Zoey was momentarily lost in thought before she turned to regard her friend beside her.
• Natalie slapped her on the back. “What are you looking at me for? He’s so loaded that he won’t even think much of this.”
• “You know something?” Zoey spoke as she pinched Natalie’s face playfully. “I heard that Sebastian had a secret crush for whom he had kept himself chaste all this time. You might very well be the first woman he ever had.”