The Morning After
1427 Words
By eight-thirty the next morning, Sierra Santillan was sitting behind her desk, pretending to work.
Pretending was the operative word.
Her laptop was open.
A legal document occupied the screen.
Three cups of coffee sat within reach.
And she had been staring at the same paragraph for nearly fifteen minutes.
She couldn't concentrate.
Because every time she tried, her mind returned to last night.
She closed her eyes.
Bad idea.
The memories came rushing back.
Sebastian standing in her apartment.
The envelope in his hand.
The truth she had finally admitted.
The anger in his eyes slowly giving way to something softer.
And then the kiss and what happened after that.
Sierra opened her eyes immediately.
“No.”
She forced herself to look at her computer.
Focus.
She was a lawyer.
She had a major corporate acquisition to review.
She had clients waiting.
She had a career that she had spent three years building.
She did not have time to think about Sebastian Vale.
Especially not about the fact that she had spent the night with him.
Her cheeks warmed.
She reached for her coffee.
It was cold.
She grimaced and pushed it aside.
Then her mind betrayed her again.
She remembered the way Sebastian had looked at her before they kissed.
As if he had been waiting three years for permission.
She remembered telling herself she should stop.
She remembered not stopping.
And most painfully, she remembered how natural it had felt to be with him again.
As though the three years between them had never happened.
Sierra leaned back in her chair.
That was the part she couldn't understand.
She had expected guilt. Regret. Maybe even anger.
Instead, there was an ache in her chest that felt dangerously close to happiness.
She hated it.
Because happiness with Sebastian had always come with a price.
Her phone vibrated. She glanced at it. A message from her assistant.
"Mr. Vale is here."
Sierra's stomach dropped.
She quickly typed:
"Please tell him I'm in a meeting."
The reply came almost immediately.
"He said he knows you're here."
Sierra closed her eyes. Of course he did.
Before she could respond, there was a knock on her office door.
She straightened.
“Come in.”
The door opened. Sebastian walked inside. He looked completely composed.
Dark suit.
White shirt.
Perfectly arranged hair.
Not a trace of the man she had seen the night before.
Sierra hated how easily he could make her remember everything.
“Good morning,” he said.
“I'm working.”
“I can see that.”
“You should have made an appointment.”
“I did.”
“When?” She frowned
“Last night.”
Her eyes widened.
“Sebastian.”
A faint smile appeared.
“Relax. I'm here about the case.”
“Good.”
He walked toward her desk.
She watched him carefully.
He placed a folder in front of her.
“The revised acquisition documents.”
Sierra opened it. She tried to focus on the papers. She really did. But Sebastian remained standing across from her, and she could feel his eyes on her.
“Is there something else?”
“Yes.”
She looked up.
“What?”
“You're avoiding looking at me.”
“I am not.”
“You've looked at everything in this room except me.”
“I have work to do.”
“You've been reading the same page since I walked in.”
Sierra froze.
“How do you know?”
“Because I've been watching you.”
She closed the folder.
“This is a professional relationship.”
“Is it?”
“Yes.”
His expression softened.
“Then why are you blushing?”
Sierra immediately looked away.
“I am not.”
“You are.”
“Sebastian.”
He smiled. It was the same smile. The dangerous one. The one she remembered from three years ago. The one that had always made her lose her train of thought.
She stood.
“You need to leave.”
He didn't move.
“Why?”
“Because I have work.”
“So do I.”
“Then go do it.”
“I have.”
He took a step closer.
"And now I'm here.”
Sierra's heart began to race.
“Last night was a mistake.”
His expression changed.
“You keep saying that.”
“Because it was.”
“Do you believe it?”
She hesitated. That was enough.
Sebastian's voice became quieter.
“You don't.”
Sierra looked down.
“I shouldn't have let it happen.”
“But you did.”
“I know.”
“And you don't regret it.”
"No." She swallowed.
The admission escaped before she could stop it.
Sebastian's eyes softened.
“Neither do I.”
Sierra closed her eyes briefly.
“That's exactly the problem.”
He walked around the desk, stopping a careful distance from her.
“Then let me make this easier.”
She looked at him.
“How?”
"I'll have another lawyer handle the acquisition.”
“What?”
“You won't have to work for me.”
“That's not what I meant.”
“I know.” He paused. “But that's not the only reason I'm here.”
Sierra's heart sank.
“What now?”
Sebastian's expression became serious.
“Your security.”
She frowned.
“What about it?”
“Someone accessed your building last night.”
Her face changed.
"What?”
“My security team confirmed it this morning.”
She stared at him.
“Was someone inside my apartment?”
“No.”
He paused.
“But someone was outside your door.”
Sierra's stomach tightened.
“Who?”
“We don't know yet.”
She walked around her desk.
“I can handle this.”
“I know you can.”
“Then stop trying to protect me.”
"I can't.”
“Why?”
His answer was immediate.
“Because I love you.”
Silence. Sierra stopped breathing.
Sebastian didn't look away.
Three years.
Three years without hearing those words. And somehow, hearing them now hurt more than hearing them then.
“Don't,” she whispered.
“You deserve to hear it.”
“I can't.”
“You don't have to say it back.”
She looked at him.
“I already know what I feel.” Her eyes filled with tears. “And that's what scares me.”
Sebastian stepped closer.
“You don't have to be afraid of me.”
“I'm not afraid of you.”
“Then what are you afraid of?”
She looked away.
“Losing you again.”
His expression softened.
“You won't.”
“You can't promise that.”
“I can promise that I'm not walking away.”
She shook her head.
“You don't understand.”
“Then help me understand.”
She couldn't. Not yet.
Sebastian reached into his jacket and pulled out a key. He placed it gently on her desk.
Sierra stared at it.
“What is that?”
“My house.”
She looked up.
“What?”
“Come stay with me.”
Her eyes widened.
“No.”
“Listen first.”
“I don't need—”
“You're being watched.”
He stepped closer.
“My home has security round the clock. You can have your own room. Your own space. You can come and go whenever you want.”
Sierra stared at him.
“You're asking me to move in with you.”
“Yes.”
“Sebastian, that's insane.”
“Maybe.” He held her gaze. But it's safer.”
She looked at the key again. Then at him.
“You're making this sound like a business decision.”
“It isn't.” His voice softened. “It's me asking the woman I love to come home with me.”
Sierra's heart clenched.
“Home?”
Sebastian nodded.
“You left three years ago.” He looked at her with quiet certainty. “I think it's time you came back.”
Sierra stared at the key. She knew what she should do. Push it back. Tell him no. Tell him they had crossed enough boundaries already.
Instead, her fingers slowly closed around it.
And Sebastian knew he had his answer.
For the first time in three years, Sierra wondered if going home didn't mean returning to the place she had left.
Maybe it meant returning to the person she had never really left behind.
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