Chapter Three
CHAPTER THREE
SEBASTIAN
I watch Colton and Jace drag away that worthless piece of shit. I want to pull his eyeballs straight out of his fucking skull for even looking at Leena. And then touching her? Speaking to her like that?
I’m seeing fucking red, even as they round the corner out of sight and I’m left standing alone in the hallway with Luke and Leena. I vaguely hear the commotion over the radio as our team works to take out the goddamn trash. My fists are clenched tight when I turn, finding Leena all pressed against Luke’s side; like a perfect, little bird safe in his arms.
Right where she fucking belongs.
Up until this moment, I hadn’t allowed myself more than a glance. Hadn’t given myself permission to really take in how they each look tonight.
Fuck.
I didn’t miss how every head turned toward the both of them this evening. I can’t really blame them. Luke is… well, Luke. And Leena looks like a goddamn supermodel. Every single perfect fucking curve outlined, aside from the bunch of fabric on her thigh, which better be concealing a weapon.
I told her not to come in here without one.
No one would ever suspect that someone that small, showing that much skin, could be that lethal. But there she fucking is. Perfect, and dangerous and mine.
Well, ours. Which is somehow… better.
My eyes trail over Luke. Seeing him in that suit isn’t doing anything but fueling my protectiveness over the both of them. I saw how flirty he was with the ladies, something we are going to have a conversation about later tonight. Right alongside the talk I will be having with Leena about that scrap of silk she calls a dress. And even though I’m going to thoroughly enjoy punishing her for wearing that tonight, I think about how we still have to walk back into that ballroom, where there are other people staring at her.
Looking like this.
I narrow my eyes. This evening is going to throw me over the fucking edge.
I might actually kill someone.
I don’t care if I’m fucking working. No. One. Is. Touching. Her. Again.
I clench my fists harder.
Then I notice the smirks on both their faces.
“What,” I growl out, and they both fucking chuckle. “What is it?” I ask again.
“Seb, there’s no one here. Relax.” Luke smiles lazily, his eyes raking over me.
Which… catches me a little off guard. I’m still not used to my best friend looking at me like this.
Leena slowly walks forward. My eyes follow the sway of her hips. She smooths out my rumpled jacket and then tips her chin up to look at me.
I like her in heels. I don’t have to lean down as far as I normally do before our mouths are nearly touching. She places a hand on either side of my face and smiles before pressing her lips to mine.
My body goes stiff from the contact, my heart racing and my breath still sharp from my anger. But she doesn’t pull away. Leena just stays here, holding my face between her hands, slowly parting our lips and moving hers against mine until I finally close my eyes and just take in this moment. I wrap my arms around her small frame and relax into her, letting our lips fall apart, tasting her slowly.
A moment later, she’s gone.
But I don’t want her to be.
I take a breath and focus back on reality. Work. We’re at work. I can’t fuck them right now, we’re working.
I don’t let go of Leena as my eyes look over her head to find Luke’s. He’s staring at me with that goddamn dimpled smile, and fuck me if I don’t want to kiss him too. But there are cameras everywhere, we made sure of that.
So it will have to wait.
I look back down at Leena, giving her an appreciative smile. I’m still angry about that asshole, but I don’t actively want to murder anyone at this moment. So I guess that’s a start.
I finally let her go and offer my arm to her. She takes it, smiling up at me. It captivates me. No one has ever looked at me the way she does.
The way Luke does.
He steps up next to me and puts a hand on my shoulder in a friendly manner that somehow seems awkward now.
This isn’t how he touches me when we’re alone.
Still, I appreciate the contact. Appreciate the understanding I find in his eyes. Those two gestures from him, and that kiss from Leena, are what I needed. So, with a clear head, I give them each a nod as the three of us step back into the ballroom.
—
The next several hours are relatively uneventful. Aside from how Luke, Leena and I keep sneaking glances at one another as the party continues around us, like a bunch of goddamn horny teenagers with a crush.
What the fuck is wrong with me?
Luke, Leena and I make our way outside to find all the teams, along with several lingering waitstaff, hanging out on the front steps. And it seems they managed to snag more than a few bottles of leftover champagne.
“Alright, people. Great fucking work tonight,” I say as we approach them. They all cheer in a manner that lets me know they’ve already made it through several of those bottles. I look over at Ryan who’s holding one awkwardly by the neck, looking concerned by both it and the crowd, and take it from him. “Now, would one of you good-for-nothings take this man to a bar and buy him a real drink?”
“First round’s on us,” Luke adds and they all cheer again, a few of them slapping Ryan on the back, embarrassing the hell out of him.
“Oh, no, that’s alright,” he says, already trying to skip out on Bar Night.
“You handled all our asses tonight, obnoxious as they were. You’re coming,” I tell him. He glances over at Ava sitting next to him and she gives him a hopeful smile.
“Fine,” he gives in, grinning a little as he straightens his glasses before going back to not looking at her.
I hand the bottle over to Jace to finish. His tolerance for alcohol might just outweigh Colton’s. Where is that asshole? But I know damn well what he’s up to.
Horny bastard.
“So where are we going?” Jace says, looking around.
“There’s a roadhouse off the interstate!” a local from the catering crew answers and the teams start clearing out, heading toward the parking lot to pile into various vehicles.
God, they’re fucking loud.
“Come on, roomie!” Jace says, wrapping an arm around Ryan’s shoulders. He grumbles as Jace leads him toward the parking lot.
“Wait for me!” Ava chimes in, following after them.
“Hold it,” I call out before they can get too far away. “Ry, give me the keys, you guys can hitch a ride and we’ll meet you there.”
“Why?” Ryan looks back at me.
I don’t say anything.
“Come on, Ry, give him the keys,” Jace winks at him, and it only takes a few seconds for him to get the picture.
“Oh, come on . Not again,” Ryan complains, reluctantly handing them over to Jace who tosses them to me. “Gross,” he mumbles as the three of them make their way down the steps.
When the last car is pulling out of the drive, leaving Luke, Leena and I alone in the dimly lit lot, I turn to face our woman. My arms cross over my chest, causing the seams of my suit jacket to strain.
Leena looks up at me all innocently with those big, dark eyes out from under her long lashes. But she can look at me like that all she wants, it’s not going to do a damn thing to get her out of this.
She just showed off the body that belongs to only me and Luke, to a room full of strangers.
And now, she needs to be taught a fucking lesson.