The Soprano Ch. 06

Not that Claire would complain. She enjoyed watching Sebastien in his element, as always, so it was worth the nearly two hours of seated inaction. That's why she'd chosen a comfortable dress, a floaty, peach-hued off-the-shoulder number with subtle layering in the skirt. Of course, it was still a relief to finally stand and sing her arias.

After the concert they ducked into her dressing room together, kissing breathlessly, high on the energy of their performance. Sebastien's hands were sliding down over her backside when there came a sharp knock on the door. They both jumped, stepping away from each other quickly.

"Come in," Claire called, and the woman who entered the room was not someone she knew. She was tall, thin, pretty, her jet-black hair up in a braided bun, wearing a sleek velvet pantsuit. "Can I help you?"

"Well actually," the other woman said with a demure smile, "I was looking for the Maestro. Someone said he might be in here, and here he is."

"Julia," Sebastien said, his eyes sparking with – well, Claire didn't know what, but whatever it was, it made her uneasy. Sebastien rested his hand unconsciously on her waist as he gestured to Julia.

"Claire, I would like you to meet Julia," he said politely, though he wasn't at all sure he liked it. "Julia is my...well, we..." He hesitated slightly.

"Don't be shy, Michi – ah, Maestro, sorry," she corrected, seeing him flinch. "We used to date." Claire's eyes widened slightly. That was definitely not what she was expecting to hear. She flicked her eyes up to Sebastien, who was watching for her reaction. What should her reaction be in this situation? She smiled politely, but wasn't quite sure what to say. Julia looked from one to the other, and then smiled with the telltale look of dawning comprehension.

"Oh! Ohhh...I see what's going on here," she said. Sebastien cursed under his breath, walking over to the door and shutting it. "So you're his girlfriend. This explains so much!" Claire still didn't know what to say, so she just looked at Sebastien. How did this woman even know he was dating someone?

"I should explain," Sebastien said, turning to Claire. "Julia is on the board of directors for the symphony I am guest conducting with, which I discovered when I went to go meet with them."

Julia flicked her eyes toward Sebastien, but wisely held her tongue.

"I see. Well, I'm pleased to meet you, Julia," Claire finally said, recovering her manners at last.

"Oh, me too, me too!" Julia enthused. "Listen, why don't we go out for a drink, just us girls? Maybe after the Sunday evening performance?"

"Um...okay. Why not?" Claire slanted a glance at Sebastien, his face carefully expressionless. He lifted a shoulder in return; Julia seemed not to notice.

"Okay, great! I guess I'll meet you out front and we can go from here? I'll just take off now and leave you guys alone. Great performance, by the way!" Julia breezed out of Claire's dressing room, shutting the door behind her. Claire turned to Sebastien, finding his face a perfect mirror of the bafflement she felt.

"Well. That was a little awkward," she muttered.

"Yes, I apologize."

"No, you don't have anything to be sorry about. Except, um...why didn't you mention you'd run into her when you came back from your trip?" Sebastien shrugged uncomfortably.

"We dated a very long time ago, and we barely talked the last time I saw her. I had already forgotten about it by the time I was back home with you. I really am sorry," he said again, leaning down to brush his lips over hers. Someone knocked on the door and he pulled back, looking irritated. "Let us dispatch whoever this is, so we can go home and I can get you out of that dress," he said in a low voice.

-----

They managed to control themselves in the car on the way back to Sebastien's apartment, but as they were waiting for the elevator Sebastien pushed Claire back into the wall and kissed her.

"We are going to play a little game," he said as the elevator doors slid open and he tugged her inside. "I am going to do this..." He slipped his hands beneath her dress and into her panties. Claire looked around in surprise, but they were alone. "...and you will come before we reach our floor."

"Or...?" she prompted, already feeling the warm tingling pleasure between her legs.

"Or you do not come at all tonight."

He plunged two of his fingers into her, rubbing his palm against her as he plundered her mouth once more with his. She moaned into his mouth, moving her hips forward against his hand, always aware that the doors could open at any moment to reveal a fellow resident. At last she felt the pleasure growing, her orgasm absolutely imminent. But just before she came, the elevator stopped with its infuriating little ding. Sebastien withdrew his hand and with it, her victory.

"Hmmm..." he hummed, amused.

"You're so mean."

"You should know better than anyone just how mean I can be," he said darkly, walking off toward his apartment. Unfortunately, she did know. She followed him meekly.

Inside, Sebastien waited just long enough for the door to shut behind them before he turned and swept her up in his arms and carried her into the bedroom. They undressed impatiently, Claire's mind already running the probabilities – could she come before Sebastien stopped her? More importantly, would whatever punishment he devised for her be worth the orgasm? The warm softness she felt all over told her yes.

Sebastien turned to her with a sly smile and ducked down between her legs, his tongue sliding up and over her. Her toes curled tightly as she tried to hold back, at least to give the impression that she was trying.

"Maestro, please, stop," she begged.

"I am surprised that you have so little self-control," he replied smugly, giving her a short reprieve before going back to work on her. Having come so close twice in the past ten minutes, there was no way she would be able to stop it. When he slid his fingers inside her, her resolve shattered and before she could even ask him to stop she was coming, trembling all over.

"Why, Claire, you disobeyed a direct order."

"That's not fair," she complained, knowing as soon as the words left her mouth that it was a very dangerous thing to say. But Sebastien surprised her again that night, smiling at her with a little shake of his head as he rolled on top of her.

"I suppose I cannot argue with you," he said, pushing inside her as she sighed softly beneath him. He kissed a line down her neck and she wrapped one of her legs around his, holding him close to her.

"You're actually letting me win this?"

"Win? I do not know about that." But as he moved in her, he regarded her thoughtfully and finally gave a little half-shrug. "What the hell. You win."

Claire wrapped her arms around him and pulled him down to kiss her. He stroked her sides with his fingertips, eventually finding her hands and twining his fingers with hers before they were both pulled under by pleasure, and then by sleep.