CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
SEBASTIAN
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“F uck she’s stunning .” Colt shakes his head, glancing away from Emily to take in the rest of the guests while my last nerve almost snaps.
Why I chose the red dress for her, I don’t know.
The entire room reacted as I led her through the doors, and I almost turned the fuck around and left. A part of me was proud having her on my arm, while a great part wanted to tell all the men in the room to keep their damn eyes to themselves.
Emily is on my arm for a reason, so I sucked it up and wrapped my arm around her back and guided her through the crowd.
To everyone else, she’s just another gorgeous woman by my side. To Khalid and his team, she is my future bride.
Colt is wrong, though. Emily doesn’t just look stunning; she looks fucking beautiful.
With her hair twisted up, revealing her creamy, soft neck and matching deep-red glossy lips, I almost dragged her into our bedroom and canceled the goddamn gala when the elevator doors first opened.
But...half a billion dollars.
I watch Emily speak with Zander, Drew, and Khalid several feet away. I’m not sure if he’s taken with her or trying to work out if we’re lying.
Which we are.
Despite being upset, Emily walked into my arms when the elevator doors opened, let me cup her chin and kiss her so hard I’m sure I bruised her lips.
Josh smartly gave us a moment.
“You look breathtaking,” I’d said, then spun her around. The delight on her face did weird things to my heart.
I hate that I hurt her.
I hate that this is nearly over.
Tomorrow I am supposed to be taking her home, but this afternoon a whole bunch of what ifs ran through my mind. Like, what if she stays? What if Emily and I enjoy this—whatever this is—for a little longer?
What if she works for Mason and the entire shitstorm of me being the CEO and her being my PA didn’t matter anymore?
Remember what happened to Jack.
But what if...what if Jack’s story is not mine? That I might be, maybe, possibly, wrong about relationships. About marriage.
That with the right person...fuck, see, this is what happens. This is how Jack got sucked in by Sandy. I can’t do it.
Emily is playing a part.
Those damn lines are just getting blurred.
“Do you mind, she’s my fucking fiancée.” I grate between my teeth and shoot a dark look at Colt.
“Fake.” He lifts a brow. “Remember?”
“Sebastian’s having memory failure.” Mason winks at the mayor’s daughter as she walks past. I think they’ve fucked a few times, but I can’t remember.
“My memory is just fine. Did you check out Emily’s resume?” I ask Mason.
“Yes. I’ll set up a meeting for next week if that suits?”
I nod.
The sooner, the better.
Now I have to tell Emily and hope she is okay with the idea.
“Let me guess, you’re moving her on so you can keep fucking her.” Colt rolls his eyes.
Yes.
“What do you think I should do? Fuck her in my office three times a week and hope no one figures it out?”
“Three times a week? Poor girl. Tell Emily to pop by my office.” He smirks and I almost toss my drink in his face.
Mason laughs, then holds up a hand when I glare at him. “I have no intention of touching her. She’s beautiful, but not my type.”
“Just...stay out of trouble. Don’t fuck the mayor’s daughter and stop looking at Emily.” I use my glass to point at them and head back to talk to Khalid.
Sliding my hand over Emily's ass when I join them, I smile down at her cute, shocked face and drop a kiss on her red lips.
The shadow from earlier crosses her eyes, and I wish for the tenth time tonight that we’d cleared things up before leaving home. The truth is, I’m coming to grips with my feelings for her minute by minute.
It's...unexpected.
While Khalid speaks to his brother, I lean down.
“Mason has a job opening and is setting up an interview for you at his office next week.”
“Oh,” Emily replies, then takes a sip of her champagne. “Thank you.”
“You don’t have to go if you’re not interested, I thought—”
“I know. I have to leave. I understand.” Emily nods, giving me a curt smile. “Excuse me.”
I watch her walk toward the bathroom, her shoulders curved. My stomach tightens seeing her defeated.
Goddamn it.
None of this is her fault. She applied for a job in the States and arrived on an adventure. I was the one who seduced her on the flight and asked her to suck me off. Then coerced her into becoming my fake fiancée.
But I don’t want her to leave. I want her in my penthouse, in my life, in my bed. Showering with me each morning and pretending she likes the green juice. I want her to play silly card games with me and leave her hair ties laying around everywhere.
I want to hold her hand each morning as we drive to the office. It never occurred to me that I didn’t need to do that because I don’t need to pretend in front of my driver.
Neither of us said anything.
So why did I freak out?
I don’t know if I’ll ever want to get married, but I do know I want her to stay longer.
Josh will take the ring back to its owner tonight, and tomorrow, when Khalid leaves the country, there will be no more pretending.
So we have one more night together unless I tell her how I’m feeling.
“Well, Sebastian,” the sheikh says, laying a hand on my shoulder, looking in the same direction as I am. “I have a confession to make. When I pulled my funding and you suddenly announced you were engaged, I didn’t believe you.”
Shit, where is this going?
“She’s real.” I nod as Emily turns the corner and disappears.
“And unhappy.” He slaps my shoulder and faces me with a half-amused look. “I know women. I have four wives, so I am very good at reading them. That, my friend, is a woman in love and upset with her soon-to-be husband.”
In love?
Khalid has four wives because he’s a very rich sheikh, not because he’s some woman-whisperer. I almost laugh at his read on Emily.
“She’s not—”
Fuck. I stop myself before completely blowing everything.
He holds up a hand and laughs. “Sebastian. You don’t need to explain. I’m sure you’ll work it out. Let me tell you something, it’s the wife that I’m in love with most who drives me the craziest. But she’s also the one I would die for.”
Love?
I’m not sure what true romantic love feels like. I’ve liked a lot of women. Enjoyed their company. But die for one of them?
Would I die for Emily?
Then it hits me that I have Khalid’s sole attention. Despite what people think, the most important conversations in business take place in social environments, not in a boardroom.
“I never touched your daughter, Khalid. I would never disrespect you in that way. It’s not how I do business.” There is potent power and honesty in my voice.
He doesn’t respond, simply watches me for a long moment. Then, lowers his head slowly. “I know.”
My brows shoot up.
“Sebastian, my concern has been the zoning. I thought you knew that?”
I frown.
How could he have known about that? We only found out today, and he pulled the funding last week. We haven’t shared that news with our investors either.
I tasked Brandon with sorting that shitstorm out, and while it’s a valid concern, I don’t understand the timing.
Nor is the rejection from the DOB. I’ve developed properties all over the country and some in other parts of the world. My team are experts at ensuring we meet regulations and crossing all our t’s, dotting our i’s.
I wonder if my team has kept me fully informed. The last thing I’m going to do is make us look even more incompetent, so I nod.
“We’ll get that resolved. I have my team pulling strings.” I assure him, grinding my teeth as I spot Victor chatting to a couple of politicians and a well-known celebrity.
“Good. I was surprised to hear of the issue given your reputation, and then the rumor about my daughter forced my hand.” Khalid shares, snapping my attention back to him. “Send me home with good news tomorrow and we can get back to work.”
One day?
Jesus, I don’t know if we can turn it around that fast, but I will pull all the fucking strings I need to.
“Done.” I slap him on the shoulder.
My mood boosted, I turn as Emily walks back into the room, heading in our direction. Her eyes lock with mine with a sparkle that’s trying its hardest not to go out, as she stops in front of me.
I take her hand as it lands on my chest, a habit I’m beginning to love...
Love.
The band starts up.
“Take your fiancée onto the dance floor,” Khalid says. “Young love is to be savored.”
God, I want to kiss her and share how I feel, telling her not to worry about anything.
The thought terrifies me.
It excites me.
“Will you dance with me, Ms. Harper?”
Her face lights up. “Yes, Mr. Remington. I would love that.”
Jesus, that British accent hits my dick every time.
Thank God my tuxedo pants are loose. I lead her onto the dance floor, tug her up against my body, and we begin to move.
“You can dance.” I smile, unable to look away.
“Sebastian,” Emily sighs. “Just because I’m not wealthy doesn’t mean I’m some uneducated pleb who has no etiquette.”
“Okay, Penelope Featherington. Settle down. I just meant you dance well.”
Emily gasps. “You know Bridgerton ?”
I spin her around and catch her before moving us around the floor. “This is New York City. It was plastered everywhere for months.”
Emily grins, and her cheeks burn red.
My cock thickens.
“Did you know your cheeks blush like that when you orgasm?” I tease into her ear.
“Sebastian.” She glances away, but I see how happy that made her.
“It’s the same pink as your pussy.”
“Stop.” She plants her face into my chest, and I’m starting to understand what Khalid meant.
If someone hurt this woman, I would fucking kill them.