Sebastian smiles.
“You’re really overestimating my dad’s character. If you were rubbish, you’d have been gone whether I liked it or not. He would sack me or my brothers if we let him down.”
“I can see that now. But I couldn’t back then,” I admit. “I was so young when I left, and yet I had no problem moving away from home. Leaving this city, my family, none of it fazed me. But leaving you? That was the hardest thing I ever did.”
“Why didn’t you tell me all of this at the time Kimberley instead of just ending things between us? I’d have come with you. Hell I would have followed you anywhere back then.”
“And that’s why I couldn’t ask you to come with me. I know you would have done it. And even though you were hesitant about working for your dad, I knew deep down it’s what you wanted. I didn’t want to be the reason you walked away from the family business. You want to know the really ironic thing?”
Sebastian nods.
“I didn’t want you to come with me and wake up one morning a year, two years, down the line and realise you made a terrible mistake.” I laugh softly. “I didn’t want you to resent me.”
“Well you sure fucked that up,” Sebastian says with a laugh.
I laugh with him even though my heart is breaking a little. Because he’s right. I did fuck up. I fucked up big time.
“Didn’t I just,” I say.
I reach up and stroke his face.
“I would never leave you again,” I say.
Sebastian places his hand over mine and gently moves it from his face.
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep Kimberley,” he says.
“No, you don’t understand,” I say.
“I do understand,” he replies. “And I’m not trying to be a dick. You can’t say for sure your career won’t take you somewhere else is all I mean. But we’re older now. Some might say wiser. And we could make it work if it’s what we both want. Without you having to compromise your career.”
I feel tears fill my eyes and I blink them away quickly.
“Are you saying you’re willing to try?” I ask.
He nods.
“Yeah. But there have to be some boundaries. As easy as it would be to fall back into our old patterns, we work together now, and I think we can both agree that we’ve put far too much of ourselves into this merger to throw it all away because we realise we’re not the same people we used to be and things won’t work between us.”
I open my mouth to protest, but Sebastian puts his finger on my lips. His touch sends shivers through me and I fall silent.
“I’m not saying it won’t work Kimberley. I’m saying we don’t know how it’s going to go. And that’s ok. But we need to be sure before we make any sort of promises to each other.”
“So what are you saying Sebastian?” I ask.
“I’m saying I’m willing to try if you are. But that we should take things slow, keep it casual for now and see how it goes. And we both need to learn to separate business from pleasure.”
I feel myself nodding.
“Yeah. That makes sense,” I say.
“You sound disappointed,” Sebastian says.
“I’m not,” I lie.
“Yes. You are,” he says. “If this stands any chance of working, then we have to be honest with each other. I know you were hoping for more. Some grand gesture where I sweep you off your feet and we run off into the sunset together. But I’m just not ready for that Kimberley. Once bitten and twice shy and all that.”
“Ok,” I say, nodding. “I get it. But if we’re being honest, then I need to say something. If we have any chance of making it work, you have to find a way to forgive me for leaving you. Because if you can’t do that, then that will always be hanging over us.”
“I know. I can’t promise I can do that yet though. Which is why I said we need to take things slowly. I can promise I will try though. Is that enough for you Kimberley? Because if it isn’t, then say now.”
I think about it for a moment. Is it enough? I really hope so because although the merger was a good business move, for me, that was never really what this was about. I came back here for Sebastian. There I said it. Can I do this knowing he might never forgive me?
If I want him back, then I guess I’ll have to. I can’t wave a magic wand and make him forgive me. But I can show him that I’m serious about us. I can show him that every day until he sees it for himself and then surely he’ll forgive me.
I feel myself nodding and I start to smile. Of course it’s enough. It’s better than anything I could have expected. Even Matt told me I was wasting my time. That Sebastian would never come around and I should just move on. But here he is willing to try.
“Yes,” I say. “It’s enough that you’re here with me and you’re willing to try.”
He leans closer and kisses me and any remaining doubts I have float away. His words tell me he’s not ready to forgive me, but his kiss tells me something else entirely. His kiss tells me he’ll never ever let me go again.
I move closer to him, pulling his body against mine. I need to feel every part of him touching every part of me so I can convince myself this is real. I can feel his hard cock pressing
