Chapter 3
Sebastian
I look over to Lily, who is fast asleep in the seat next to me. I’m grateful for Luke talking me out of the whole private jet thing.
I realise that spending time alone with her will be more challenging than anticipated.
I’ve always managed to keep a certain distance between us, our families close by, and not really spending time together just the two of us.
Now though.
We’re going to be alone together a lot.
Lily is a beautiful girl, but even more terrifying, she is a beautiful person.
She has a fun personality and spirit that always shines brightly in every room she enters.
As she’s grown, she’s quickly becoming a striking woman who’s turning heads everywhere she goes.
And she doesn’t even seem to realise it.
When we got inside the airport, several men openly checked her out, which fucking irritated me.
She was there with me, and even though we’re not a couple, they don’t know that.
My taking care of her luggage should be telling enough that she’s with someone.
Luckily for me, Lily seemed oblivious as she bounced around and told me about the things she wanted to see in London.
She’s always striking, but when her excitement is out, she’s breathtaking.
I’ve never been closer to overstepping that line between us than I was a few months ago.
We were all attending a gala, celebrating the legends of Formula 1. I was visiting Luke on the road, which coincided with Lily’s visit to him.
When she entered that ballroom, wearing a light blue satin gown my jaw nearly hit the floor.
I hadn’t seen her for a while, leading up to the gala.
And then she turned up, looking gorgeous and turning the heads of every eligible bachelor in the room.
I’ve never been more tempted to let her know just how beautiful I thought she was.
I almost did.
But then, Luke sauntered up to us, reminding me of all the reasons why I shouldn’t.
Instead, I spent the evening counting how many men Lily danced with, each one driving me madder than the last.
Eight men.
Eight fucking dances.
Even though many of them were short, I still counted them, like my own form of self-torture.
Lily seemed oblivious to the lustful gazes of the men, always humouring them with her wit.
I, on the other hand, saw how those men looked at her. It reminded me a lot about myself, whenever I know she’s not watching me back—or her brother, for that matter.
Which is precisely why this will be a challenge.
I can’t act on my attraction to her, knowing that if things don’t work out, we’ll still have to see each other here and there.
I would also hate to ruin our friendship.
We may not spend too much time alone together, but I like Lily.
She is a woman I see as a friend, which I don’t have too many of.
I sigh, leaning my head back against the seat and closing my eyes.
I can do this.
I have to practice self-control.
It shouldn’t be too hard, knowing I’ve already done that for a few years.
As long as she doesn’t push that control, we should be fine.
～
When we arrive at our building I can tell Lily will probably fall victim to the jet lag. I should have booked a flight arriving in the evening so she could go straight to bed.
Now, she really should be trying to stay awake so as not fuck up her inner clock.
She will be staying in an apartment in the same building as my own.
My condo is more than big enough for her to be staying there, but that precious control I was talking about? Yeah, it could never handle having her in my apartment.
Therefore, I’ve secured her an apartment in the same building, so I’ll be nearby and easily accessible when she needs to meet me for her project or anything else.
“You really should try to stay awake, Lily,” I tell her, seeing her eyes drift close for the tenth time during the car ride from the airport.
“Shut up, Sebastian. I just need a nap.”
I chuckle at her.
A nap, my ass.
That nap will turn into a full-on sleep, and then she’ll struggle.
“We’ll bring in our luggage, then I’m taking you out. If you jumble up your sleeping schedule on the first day here, you’ll be a mess,” I tell her.
She mutters something under her breath, clearly not happy about my suggestion, but I know she’ll thank me later.
～
“Lily, this better be the last one, I swear,” I complain.
My mission to make her stay awake quickly turned into my worst nightmare.
She’s been dragging me through every store available, stating that the two suitcases she bought with her didn’t hold enough and that she needs more clothes for her “London adventure” as she calls it.
When she spots a lingerie shop, I halt in my tracks.
She won’t drag me inside there, will she?
I wouldn’t put it past Lily, but still.
Then I would have a whole set of new problems to deal with.
“Relax, I’ll save that shop for later, without you.” She winks at me.
Hell.
Now all I can imagine is Lily inside the shop, trying on skimpy lingerie.
I need to get a grip here.
It must be my own tired brain. It’s just a little wired on all things Lily after spending the last twenty hours alone with her.
“We should get some food,” I tell her, needing to distract my thoughts.
We find an Italian restaurant, needing a good amount of carbs to fill up after a long day.
The atmosphere is laid back and quiet, which is perfect for my tired brain.
We’re shown to our table, and I realise we look like a typical couple on a date, sitting across from each other in a cosy setting.
I look around, a little anxious about photographers and fans.
I don’t mind if we were photographed, but I don’t know how Lily would react if her face were printed on every gossip paper tomorrow.
The British media have a rather nosy gossip tradition.
“Relax, Sebastian. You look like you’re going to have a stroke. Afraid we’ll be photographed, and I’ll ruin your Playboy reputation?” Lily teases me from across the table.
“I’m not a Playboy. I was actually thinking about you and your lack of sleep. Would you be happy with your face across all the papers tomorrow?”
Lily always looks beautiful, and this is no exception. I can tell she’s tired, though.
She put her hair in a braid earlier, and bits and pieces are sticking out at all angles.
Her usual spotless makeup has gradually disappeared throughout the day.
“Are you saying I look like shit?” she asks me, raising her eyebrows.
Hell.
Why did I say anything?
Now I look like an asshole.
“Eh, no, Lily. That’s not what I meant. Shit. I’m sorry, this is all coming out wrong,” I say, dragging a hand through my hair.
One day with this girl and my brain is already at half its capacity.
Lily chuckles at me, which lessens my nerves a little.
“I’m just joking, Sebastian. Relax.” She picks up her menu, clearly not offended by my comment.
Still, I feel bad for even implying that she didn’t look picture-worthy.
“You look beautiful. You always do,” I say, my voice low as I pick up my own menu.
Lily casts her eyes at me over the rim of her menu, a slight content smile on her lips, before her eyes drop down to the menu again.
The next few weeks will be hard, but something tells me they’ll be amazing, too.