Chapter 8: An Unexpected Turn of Events

"And how long has it been since someone you let in has given what I gave to you?"

-Maroon 5

Sebastian had been in a perennial of unrest ever since Kathryn's return, but he was doing his best not to let it be seen. As he hastily went home to get ready for that stupid family dinner, Annette came up to him with a sweet smile on her pretty face.

"You're in a hurry," she commented, giving him a hug. Her blond hair felt light and feathery as it brushed his cheek, causing him to swallow thickly. She had calmed down somewhat since the Down Under incident, obviously his assurance that he would take care of it appeased her. "Where are you going?"

"Oh, she said you could bring Dorothy since I told her I was having a guest along too."

"Some stupid family dinner." He replied after a hesitant pause. Before he could see the hurt look in her eyes, he glanced at his Rolex and tried to smile. "I better go."

As Sebastian drove off, a momentary pang of guilt clouded his sculpted features.

He never invited Annette.

---

The Valmont family dinner only happened when Tiffany wanted to get more money than usual from her billionaire adulterer husband by guilt tripping him with the frequent mention of how they were such a happy family. It usually consisted of mild pleasantries, a scrumptious meal, and the collective thought that everybody present at the said dinner would rather be off doing something and someone else.

"Kathryn, sit up straight, you look like a depressed teenager." Tiffany commanded coldly, addressing her daughter the way she would a servant.

Her daughter forced a pained smile, but it was apparent that her bright green eyes flashed with anger. Sebastian watched as Kathryn's grip on Court's wrist tightened slightly, and his blue eyes met Belinda's for a moment before he scowled. There was something about that woman that aroused his suspicions and nothing else. Point in fact was, although Belinda was indeed beautiful, more beautiful than the majority of his conquests in the past, there was a distinct quality about her, the way she moved, the way she studied her surroundings, the way she spoke… It was almost as if she bore this malignant secret beneath that beautiful exterior and was just waiting for the right time to spill it out.

"Sorry, Mother." She replied through clenched teeth.

"Oh, Court, dear, I'm glad you and my daughter are seeing each other again. Why did you break up in the first place? Clearly you and Kathryn were perfect for each other right from the start."

"That's because Court dumped her for Cecile Caldwell." Sebastian sneered at Court, who glared at him beneath his obviously discomfited appearance. The curly haired blonde felt a sharp heel dig into his leg, causing him to howl and jump up instinctively, banging his knee against the table. "Fuck!"

"Sebastian! I will not tolerate that kind of language tonight!" Edward Valmont thundered, his graying, handsome features reminiscent of his son's.

The younger Valmont glared at his attacker, who was currently throwing him a death glare at his comment earlier. But, just as quickly as the dark look came, it disappeared as she tried another tactic. Putting down her fork gently, she turned to her mother.

"Mother, have you heard about what happened to Cecile Caldwell?" she asked nonchalantly, and even her sister turned to Tiffany to watch her reaction.

A mean smile stretched across her recently done lips, giving her the look of a frightening Halloween mask. "Of course. What a pity… Don't you think so, Edward?"

Edward Valmont only nodded, but it was clear that his mind was somewhere else.

"I just got a call from poor Bunny earlier, they were trying to find the source of the video tape, but they could only trace it back to that Ronald fellow… Now they're pressing charges against him for statutory rape, since Cecile was a minor when they'd taken the video."

"I ran into Cecile today," Kathryn replied, watching as Court downed his wine greedily. "She was distraught…."

Her mother, however, had turned to the latest object of her affection. "Belinda, dear… It's so nice to see you…" The hag's claw suddenly attached itself to Belinda's diamond adorned wrist. "I'm glad you decided to come and visit."

"You too, mother." She replied stiffly, knowing full well that if hadn't become as famous as she was, she would still be back in Paris having to suck off guys for quick cash.

"I was supposed to come visit you in Paris but things have been awfully busy around here…" Tiffany Merteuil's glittering eyes were disappointed, even though she hadn't attempted anything of the sort. Belinda knew everybody, and she had known that her mother had only flown to Paris during Julian Merteuil's death and to collect the inheritance she and Kathryn would be entitled to. Belinda had been legally on her own by then, but had had her own inheritance squandered off by stupidity, and pretty soon, she was out on the streets. Tiffany never even spared a glance or a second of her time looking for her eldest daughter, assuming she was doing quite well.

"Such a pity." Belinda managed a smile, which made Tiffany beam out loud. "I would have given you a tour of my favorite places." One of which is the cemetery, where I'd like to leave you in someday.

"You'll be staying with us, of course? I was just overhearing that you have a runway show here in New York in two months? Oh dear, I just had the greatest idea! Why not model for charity? I host a fashion show in the Hamptons every year and I would love it if you and Kathryn would be able to participate… Of course, Kathryn, with the exception of three years, have always been active in these projects… I'm hoping you will, too."

Die. "Sure." Her eldest daughter said nonchalantly, giving her mother a sweet smile. "Anything to help out."

Edward's cell phone rang, and everybody could hear a young, girlish voice on the other side. Sebastian smirked as he faintly heard the words 'love muffin' and 'hot stud' through his Nokia phone. "Er… Not now, Beatrice." He murmured, standing up to avoid possibly being yelled at by his wife, who was now watching him with an icy glare.

"Oh, boy." Kathryn muttered as she exchanged a dark look with Sebastian. "Here we go."

Belinda let out a disgusted snort, "Fuck this, I'm not staying to watch them fight. God knows I've had enough of that in my childhood to last me a lifetime."

By then, Tiffany Merteuil had gone to the next room to yell at her husband, and the three glanced at their meals in distaste. Court and Kathryn began making out right then and there, his hands wandering all over her low cut dress and she was making soft whimpers that turned Sebastian's stomach.

"Get a room." Belinda rolled her eyes, standing up to leave. She smirked at Sebastian, who was staring at the new couple with a look of hatred in his crystal blue eyes. "Want to go out and play, Valmont? I'm meeting up with my friends tonight."

Kathryn suddenly froze mid-kiss and her green eyes surveyed the two. Court started to unhook her bra but she swatted his hand away, eyeing her stepbrother. "Won't the missus disapprove?" she asked saccharinely, while Tiffany and Edward argued in the background.

"Well if my only other options include watching you and Mr. All American Alcoholic here have sex or bear witness to our fucked up parents throw priceless antiques at each other, then I guess I'm going." Sebastian threw the beautiful gray eyed blonde a charming smile. "I'm all yours, Belinda."

"Well, we're coming with you." Kathryn said suddenly, half dragging the protesting Court out of his seat.

Do I sense jealousy?

---

Gisele, Anna and some other Russian model whose name Sebastian couldn't remember surrounded him, giggling flirtatiously while Belinda focused more on a well built pretty boy she'd met while dancing. Personally he was glad Kathryn's sister wasn't hitting on him, but then again he probably wouldn't have noticed because all he was really doing was watching sourly as Kathryn and Court practically dry humped on the dance floor. She had changed into something more fitting for the night, we a tight, short dress that worshipped her delicate body the way it was meant to be worshipped. Her hips grinded against Court's as he ran his hands all over her body, his stupid drunken stupor filled with lust.

One day. Sebastian thought angrily, downing the shot of tequila before him while the other airhead models giggled. She's been here one day and in that short span of time, she's managed to ruin a person's life and unravel the threads of security my relationship with Annette. He supposed he should call it a night and just leave. It would have been so easy to take his eyes off that devastatingly beautiful and dangerous woman that he knew would be the end of him someday and head back to Annette, where she was waiting for him with a worried look on her face.

"Is she your girlfriend?" Gisele asked curiously, finally noticing how long he's been staring at Kathryn.

"No." he sighed, finally getting the last straw as soon as Court slipped his disgusting hand into her inner thighs, causing Kathryn's mouth to open slightly in surprise. Just when Sebastian thought she was going to push him off her, the bitch actually giggled and flicked her tongue over his ear.

Once again, he was reminded of the night of the party, only this time, he noticed Court heading off to the bar. Some guy started groping Kathryn and before he even realized it, Sebastian had gotten off on his feet and shoved the offending idiot out of the way. Suddenly caught off balance, she toppled into Sebastian, her cheek brushing against his own as his arms automatically went to steady her warm body.

"My regular knight in shining armor." She purred, their gazes willing the other to break.

"Assuming you need one." He said as coolly as he could, starting to extricate himself from her. Her forehead was slightly sheen with a thin film of sweat, there were small droplets of perspiration on her chest as well, but he didn't notice. At least, he told himself he didn't notice.

"You're right, I don't." A different song came on, and Kathryn starting swaying gently to the sensual beat, her long brown hair swishing gently against her back. "But here you are anyway."

He should stop. He should just turn around and leave, he should forget this ever happened. He should forget how graceful and exquisite she had moved against him, a dancing, living, breathing art form that presented many facades… Kathryn was poison, Kathryn was alcoholic, Kathryn was evil… Bulimic… Vengeful…

"Here I am." He replied, his body complementing hers as he responded to her movements, gently allowing her to wrap her arms around his neck as she cuddled against him the way she did last night. Thoughts of Annette filled his mind momentarily, or, more specifically, thoughts of her hurt and betrayed by him. Like a mantra that spoke in Annette's voice, the voice of steady, rational reason that resounded in his mind for the past three years, it repeated the hateful things he'd written about his stepsister. Kathryn was poison… Kathryn was alcoholic… Kathryn was evil… Bulimic… Vengeful…

"Sebastian?" she murmured as their faces neared almost close enough to kiss. He could see her beautiful green eyes cloud with indecision, partly because he felt sure she mirrored his own. Two of a kind, that's what she always said. Why should this instance be an exception? Her lips were parted, a promise of heaven and hell in its pink sweetness, inviting him to partake in this insanity that had somehow befallen the two of them. They had stopped moving, the surrounding, dancing bodies trapping them from the prying eyes of the people they came to the bar with. Everybody was drunk and stoned, but if you were there, if you were fully sober and alert, you would have seen what should, would have been the biggest scandal in the Upper East Side society.

Kathryn was poison… Kathryn was alcoholic… Kathryn was evil… Bulimic… Vengeful…His hands (was he trembling?) brushed the sweat off her forehead, but he was unaware of the heat from the other bodies on the dance floor. In fact, he was more aware of the rational voice changing its words. Kathryn is beautiful, too fucking beautiful to ignore… He kissed her, feeling as if he was fifteen again and he had seen her for the first time. Kathryn responded softly, their mouths molding and separating as one when they pulled away breathlessly. He could only stare at her dumbly; the taste of Kathryn still in his mouth. Had it ever really left? She was the unnamable craving in the pit of his stomach, the forgotten dream he'd wanted desperately to remember…

Her emerald green eyes lost the entranced glaze in them as she seemed to realize what they'd done. "Fuck!" she cursed, shoving him. "Dammit, Sebastian!"

He was still too shocked to say anything, but at the way she looked, Sebastian quickly recovered his wits. "What's the matter, princess? Come to cry date rape?" he finally snarled at her, his hand almost touching his lips as if to see if he had really just kissed her.

"Why the fuck did you do that?" she screamed, only to have her voice drowned out by the pulsating music. "People saw!"

"People are drunk and stoned!" he yelled back, "Stop overreacting, you stupid bitch it was just a kiss!"

She slapped him, "Don't you ever come near me again!"

"Or what? You'll kiss me to death?" Her stepbrother growled, stomping off the dance floor to grab Anna what's-her-name by the arm. Before the stunned model could react, he savagely kissed her, finally reciprocating the interest she'd been showing him the entire night. "I'm taking you home." He breathed in her ear, forgetting all about how he had a sweet, kind girlfriend waiting for him back at his other house. Soon, clothes were strewn all over the floor and Anna was whimpering in pleasure. Sebastian buried his head in her long, red hair, trying to push out the events that had happened. He tried his mantra again, Kathryn was poison… Kathryn was alcoholic… Kathryn was evil… Bulimic… Vengeful… But it didn't work. There was no voice of reason that night, there was only pleasure. Heaven and hell. The promise of pink lips and a sweet, lingering taste of sin and temptation into his mouth…

"Sebastian…" the woman he was mindlessly fucking moaned and writhed underneath him, but a shocking realization hit him, causing Sebastian to stop.

He was pretending it was her... And he wasn't talking about Annette Hargrove.

A/N Damn K/S goodness! Be nice and review! ;-P