Free Rose of Thorne by Mia Michelle Page B

her way to the door. Her shoulders are shaking, and her head remains hung low.
    FUCK! She is crying.
    You are such a bastard Thorne. You’ve upset her. Fix this!
    “Thank you for your time , Mr. Thorne. I am truly sorry to have bothered you,” she manages in sobs, and she turns and pulls on the bronze handle. But before she can open it all the way, I am there behind her, pushing the door closed.
    “Wait,” I whisper into her hair. I inhale her sweet candy scent. Shit, that smell makes me want to rip every stitch of her clothes off and lick every magnificent inch of her. She is trembling as I take her by the shoulders and turn her to face me. Her tears freely fall as I lift her chin to look up at my face.
    What are you doing , Thorne? Stay strong. You are not going to be affected by her. You will nicely send her on her way.
                  I prepare myself for what I am going to say, but the minute her eyes lock with mine, I am rendered speechless.
    “I need this job , Sebastian. It’s just me and my little sister, and I have to graduate. This is my best opportunity. Please reconsider. You won’t even know I am here. I promise to remain invisible,” she pleads. All the while, I am thinking to myself, “ Yeah right, sweetheart. You can never be invisible to me.”
    I am torn between what I want to do and what I need to do. I open my mouth to let her have the unfortunate news, and it’s as if she can read my expression. She turns back to the door.
    WAIT. Don’t let her leave , Thorne! Where did that inner voice come from?
    "Goodbye, Sebastian," she says.
    B efore I realize what I’m doing, I blurt out, “Welcome to Thorne Enterprises, Ms. Rose. I will see you Monday morning. You can see Sara on the way out. She will get the paperwork started, and make the badge that you will need.”
    She beams a huge smile and leaps into my arms. My breath hitches as I catch her by her waist.
    She feels so damn good in my arms. I’ve missed her so fucking much.
    Her hair brushes my face , and she exclaims, “Oh, thank you so much! I promise you won’t regret your decision.”
    I highly doubt that, Ms. Rose. Oh HELL! What have I gotten myself into?

 
    Skylar
    My afternoon flies by quickly as Sara explains all of the basic information in the folder. She shows me around the floor where I will work. I become a little overwhelmed when she begins to introduce me to everyone, and I hope I will remember their names. She walks me down to security where I am fingerprinted and photographed for my badge. I really like Sara, and I look forward to Monday because I will be working closely with her while I learn the ropes.
    S ince I have taken the day off from work for the interview, the rest of the evening is mine. I am excited to actually see Sophie’s home game. Her braided honey blonde hair falls down her shoulder as she kicks another winning goal into the net. I beam with pride as I scream out, “GO, SOPH!!” She winks at me as she runs back across the field.
    She has really grown into a beautiful young woman, and I am so proud of her. We are both the perfect blend of our parents. Other than our hair color, you couldn’t help but know that we are sisters. I have my mother’s dark hair, and she has our father’s light brown color. It seems she has blossomed overnight, and I have been so busy with school and work that I am just now seeing it. In just a short while, she will be going away to college and our lives will never be the same. At least mine won’t.
    After the game , Sophie finds me waiting near the metal bleachers at the soccer field.
    “So, how did it go today?” She asks excitedly.
    “I got it! I start Monday, ” I say, and she nearly knocks me down as she wraps her arms around me.
    “That is WONDERFUL , sis!! I knew you would get it!” She smiles revealing her beautiful genuine spirit that I love so much.
    “Want to go celebra te over pizza? I’m off tonight,” I ask her, but her face