10. Sebastian
Chapter 10
Sebastian
“Where did Elijah disappear to?” I stand by the bar, scanning the room for Lil.
“To where I’m going to disappear as well,” Connor says.
I follow his gaze and see Elijah talking with Richard Wempton.
Brandon claps Connor on the shoulder. “Whatever you’re planning, cuz. Good Luck.”
“Thanks.” Connor strides off.
“So, where’s your date? Weren’t you boasting all week about how Naomi would be on your arm tonight?”
Brandon’s face flames. He coughs into his fist. “She’s running a bit late, that’s all.”
“Or she stood you up.” I arch an eyebrow at him, earning an indignant huff.
“I’m sure she’ll be here any—”
“There you are.” Serena glides elegantly toward us, exactly how you’d expect from a socialite and the daughter of the Wang Group’s director.
Brandon’s face falls. “Isn’t Naomi with you? ”
“No, she called, saying something came up.” Serena reclaims her place at my side, linking her arm through mine. “I doubt she’ll make it.”
I take another sip of whiskey. “Come now, Bran. Don’t look so glum. You’ll get another chance.”
He scowls at me. “Easy for you to say. Some of us don’t have women throwing themselves at our feet.”
Serena gasps in mock offense. “I’ll have you know I did no such thing. Bash had to work for my affections.” The lie rolls smoothly off her tongue and she bats her lashes up at me. “Isn’t that right, darling?”
I grit my teeth behind my smile. “Of course, sweetheart.”
“Okay, enough, you two. Keep the bad acting for the boardroom,” Brandon says.
“You told him?” Serena asks.
“He’s one of my best friends. Isn’t that a given?”
“I guess it’s fine.”
I scan the room again.
There she is. My princess in an emerald dress that hugs her curves like a second skin. I down the rest of my whiskey, relishing the burn. It’s nothing compared to the fire Lil ignites in my veins.
I hand my empty glass to a passing waiter, my gaze never leaving her. She’s standing alone at the bar on the other side, stirring her drink, gaze distant.
“Bash?” Serena asks. “Who’s that?”
I tear my eyes away. “No one important.”
“Oh, I see.” Brandon smirks. “Juliet has arrived.”
Serena tilts her head. “Juliet? Who’s he talking about?”
“An old friend.”
“Old friend?” Brandon asks. “Is that what we’re calling her now?”
I shoot him a warning glare, and he holds up his hands in response .
“I hope you’re more convincing in the future,” Serena says.
“I will be. Don’t worry.”
Lil’s big eyes meet mine. A flush rises on her pale cheeks, and her lips part.
Fuck. She still has the same effect on me. How do I get rid of that?
She almost married that bastard Jason, whom she assured me was a friend. And during our night, she said, it was just physical.
Was it really, princess?
I turn my back on Lil, focusing my attention solely on Serena, my hands settling on her waist. “Serena.”
She blinks up at me. “Pardon?”
“Smile and laugh on cue,” I say. “Pretend we’re utterly enchanted with one another for the evening. Can you handle that?”
“For the right price, I can handle anything.”
“What do you want?”
“I want your public support for my charity. Something big—an event, donations, whatever it takes to make an impact.”
“You got it. Now play along,” I murmur.
“Good,” she says. “But if you’re going to put on a show, at least do it properly.”
Before I know what’s happening, she crashes her mouth against mine. There’s no spark, no fire—just emptiness.
I pull back from her, my eyes flickering over to where Lil was standing. As in, she’s gone. Fuck.
I snap my head to Serena. “What the hell was that?”
“Just giving the people what they want, darling.” She lifts her shoulders, a trace of amusement flickering on her face.
I scan the room again, trying to spot Lil in the crowd. Nothing. It’s like she vanished into thin air .
Brandon clears his throat. “Well, that was quite a show.”
“Not now, Bran.” I glare at him.
“Hey, I’m just saying. If you’re trying to make her jealous, I think it worked.”
A loud crash echoes through the ballroom. I turn toward the sound, my eyes landing on the one in question, who is helping a waiter clean up the mess and sinking her teeth into her lip.
Regret washes over me, bitter and swift. I want to take her in my arms and whisper apologies against her skin. I never meant to kiss Serena.
She’s drenched.
Aren’t Gem and Mary with her?
Fuck it. I push through the crowd on instinct.
Her eyes widen as she spots me, and she battles to get to her feet, her knees buckling slightly. She winds her way through the throng of people, not caring about the waiters calling after her.
Not a chance, princess.
I almost lost her, then I catch a glimpse of emerald fabric fleeing into the women’s bathroom. I’m about to follow her when a hand grabs my arm.
“Bash, what are you doing?” Serena hisses.
I shake her off. “I need to talk to her.”
“In the women’s bathroom? Are you insane?”
“Probably.” I run a hand through my hair. “Look, just cover for me, okay?”
“And what am I supposed to tell people when they ask where you went?”
“I don’t know. Make something up. You’re good at that.”
Her eyes narrow. “You’re playing a dangerous game.”
“I know what I’m doing. ”
“Do you? You’re about to throw away everything we’ve worked for. For what? Some girl who broke your heart?”
“She’s not just some girl.”
She studies me before removing her hand. “You owe me.”
I open the bathroom door, not giving a damn about the startled gasps and indignant protests from the women inside. They scatter like frightened birds, but I barely spare them a glance. My eyes are locked on Lil, hunched over the sink, back to me.
“Lil.” Her name falls from my lips, a plea and a prayer all at once, and I take one tentative step after another closer to her.
She doesn’t move.
I come to stand behind her, our bodies nearly touching. The faint, familiar smell of chocolate is enveloping me, and I need to control the desire to bury my face in her hair.
“You should be more careful.” I hadn’t meant to upset her. Had only wanted… What? To prove I didn’t care?
She attempts to step away, but I grab her arms.
“Please.” I slowly turn her toward me. “Let’s get you cleaned up.”
A single droplet of red wine clings to the corner of her mouth. My gaze trails lower to the long column of her neck and the swell of her breasts speckled with drops.
I grab a paper towel from the dispenser, dabbing at the wine stains on her dress. My movements are slow, deliberate, as I work my way up her body. Each press of the towel against her skin feels electric, charged with a tension that’s been building for years.
Higher and higher I go until I reach her neckline. A little whimper escapes her, and I peer up at her face. Her teeth are sunk into the plump flesh of her lips, eyes half-lidded.
“Everything okay, princess? ”
“I can do it myself.” Snatching the towel from my hand, she steps back. “What are you doing in here anyway?”
“I saw what happened. Wanted to make sure you were okay.”
She scoffs. “Since when do you care about my well-being?”
Since always. “Look, about what you saw out there with Serena—”
“Save it.” She holds up a hand. “You don’t owe me an explanation. We’re not together, remember?”
The words hit me like a punch to the gut. She’s right. I have no claim on her, just like she has no claim on me. But fuck, I don’t care.
I bridge the gap between us, my heart hammering against my ribs. Her chest rises and falls rapidly, those tempting droplets still clinging to her skin. I place a hand on her waist, waiting for her to pull back, to slap me, to tell me to go to hell. But she doesn’t move.
Slowly, I dip my head, my tongue darting out to lick the wine from the swell of her breasts up to her collarbone. She sucks in a sharp breath, her head falling back. I’ll gladly take that invitation, and trail my lips higher, savoring the taste of her skin mixed with the heady flavor of cabernet.
I pull back to look at her—cheeks flushed, eyes hooded with desire. Fuck, she’s beautiful like this. I graze her bottom lip with my thumb, feeling her tremble under my touch.
I war with myself, torn between the desire to kiss her senseless and the knowledge that I shouldn’t. That we shouldn’t. But god, I want to. I want to devour her, to claim her as mine.
If she were a book, I would spend all day reading her.
“Sebastian.” My name is a whisper on her lips.
I tilt her chin up, my lips hovering just above hers. “Yes, princess?”
She doesn’t say a word, staring at me with those wide, innocent eyes. Eyes that have haunted my dreams for years .
The bathroom door swings open, and Serena pops her head in. Lil jumps back like my touch scalded her.
“Bash, I can’t hold them back any longer.” Serena’s eyes flick to Lil. “You need to come out. Now.”
Fuck. I drag a hand over my face, trying to clear the haze of lust clouding my mind. “Yeah, I’ll be right there.”
Serena’s gaze lingers on Lil a beat longer before she nods and disappears, the door shutting behind her.
Lil wraps her arms around herself, not meeting my eyes. “You should go.”
I should. I know I should. But leaving her like this, all flushed and beautiful and broken, feels wrong. “Lil.”
“Don’t.” Her voice cracks on the word. “Don’t, Sebastian. Please.”
The please undoes me. “This isn’t over, princess.”
“There is no this. You made that clear when you walked away.”
“I didn’t—”
“You did.” Her eyes snap to mine. Cold, anger, desire? I can’t tell. “You left me. Twice, remember? You don’t get to waltz back into my life and pretend like nothing happened.”
I want to argue, to tell her that I never wanted to leave, that walking away from her was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. But the words lodge in my throat. She’s right. I did leave. And I’ve been paying for it every day since.
“I’m sorry,” I say instead, the words woefully inadequate.
She laughs, but there’s no humor in it. “You’re sorry? That’s all you have to say?”
“What do you want me to say, Lil? That I fucked up? That letting you go was the biggest mistake of my life? Because I’ll say it. I’ll say all of it if that’s what you need to hear. ”
Her bottom lip trembles, and she bites down on it hard. “I don’t need anything from you.”
“I wouldn’t have left if you had been upfront.” One look at her, and I’m that lovesick fool all over again, ready to throw away everything for another taste of her lips. “Are you here to finish what you started? Spying on me? Will you use my sister this time?”
“I—” Her brows knit together. “What are you talking about?”
I sneer, the memories flooding back like a tidal wave. “Don’t play dumb, princess. It doesn’t suit you. You know exactly what I’m talking about.”
“Sebastian, I—”
The bathroom door swings open again, and Serena’s voice cuts through the tension. “We need to go. Now.”
I rub my forehead. Damn it, I need more time with her. What am I thinking? Yes, right. I’m not using my brain. I can’t do this now. Not here, not like this.
I withdraw, placing some much-needed distance. “This conversation isn’t over.” I point a finger at Lil, my gaze boring into hers.
“I think it is.” She lifts her chin, defiance flashing in her eyes.
I stride to the door, pausing. “Next time, I won’t stop, princess.” I leave the bathroom, brushing past the scowling women in line, Serena close behind.
Each step is like a piece of my soul being ripped out.
“What the hell was that?” Serena grabs my arm, spinning me around to face her.
“Nothing. Let’s get back to the party.”
“It didn’t look like nothing.”
“She is my ex.” I throw my hands in the air. “Happy? ”
“Hmm.” She taps her chin. “Well. I always knew you were a playboy through and through. And now I know who made you like that.”
“I’m not a playboy.” I roll my shoulders, trying to ease the tension. “And now drop it. We have more important things to worry about.”
She purses her lips. “Fine. But don’t think for a second that I’m letting this go, honey.”
I plaster on a fake smile as we re-enter the ballroom. “Wouldn’t dream of it, sweetheart.”
“Oh, I just remembered I have to check on something. See ya.” She twists on her heel and marches off.
I need a fucking drink anyway.
I make my way to the bar, signaling for a whiskey.
The barkeeper slides it over, and I take it with a nod, swirling the amber liquid and watching it catch the light. Lil’s eyes flash through my mind—wide and innocent, yet filled with a fire that could burn me alive.
I take a sip, letting the whiskey burn a path down my throat. It’s smooth, but not as smooth as her skin. I can still taste her, feel her warmth under my fingertips. And that fucking chocolate scent.
Staying away from her is going to be a hell of a lot harder than I thought.
I down the rest of the drink in one gulp, slamming the glass back on the bar. “Another.”
The barkeeper raises an eyebrow but pours nonetheless without comment, and I hold it up into the light.
I’m going to swallow you whole, princess.
And when I’m done, there won’t be a single part of you that doesn’t scream my name.
I throw back the second shot. It’s a poor substitute, but it’ll have to do for now .
Because one way or another, I’m going to finish what we started in that bathroom. And this time, no one’s going to interrupt us.