Sebastian
Present
“Nyx?” I called as I entered the house.
I’d told Aria I had to go to work today even though it was a Saturday. I didn’t. I needed to sort out arrangements with the Organisation for Luca’s shipment.
I walked through the house, and she was pouring a glass of wine in the kitchen. Leaning against the door-frame, I watched her for a beat. She must have had her AirPods in as she was singing away and dancing. She was truly something else.
I was the luckiest man alive.
She startled as she turned and saw me. “Jesus, you scared the life out of me.” She placed one hand on her heart and pulled the AirPods out with the other.
“Jesus is a bit formal. Sebastian is fine,” I teased, walking over to her.
“Ha, funny.” She swatted my chest.
“I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“No, it’s fine.”
“I got you these.” I pulled the grey roses out from behind my back.
It was guilt from lying about where I was. She wouldn’t forgive me for lying to her again. I knew her. We’d promised to be honest with each other, no matter how hard it was, because last time … she’d ended up in a situation she should never have been placed in.
This was different, though. This was about protecting her. I was lying to her to keep her safe from anything that could hurt her, and it would break her if she knew I’d gone back to save her.
“You don’t have to keep buying me roses.”
“Nyx, I’d buy you the moon if I could.”
“Just the moon,” she teased.
I rested my fingers on her chin and gazed into her eyes. “Anything.” Then I kissed her.
“Did you get everything done at the office?”
“Yeah, all sorted.”
“Good. I missed spending time with you today. No more weekend work?”
I scrubbed a hand over my stubble, taking the roses from her and placing them on the side. That was one promise I couldn’t make.
Lifting her by the waist, I sat her on the countertop, and her legs opened for me.
“Forget about work. What did you get up to today?”
“I went shopping in Oxford Street.”
“Get anything nice?” I stroked her hair behind her ear.
“Yes, but I can’t show you until we’re in the bedroom.” Her eyes darkened.
“Guess where we’re going right now, then.”
I grabbed her by the waist, and she straddled me, letting out a giggle.
“Sebastian, stop! I need to tell you something first.”
“It can wait.” I started kissing her neck.
“No, it can’t. Put me down,” she insisted.
I let out a heavy breath and gently placed her back on her feet.
“While I was out shopping, I bumped into my friend, Callum.”
I knitted my eyebrows. “Callum?”
“Yes, Callum Brown. I haven’t seen him since I was in Leeds.”
“Wait.” I rubbed my chin, taking a step back from her as my pulse quickens. “Brown? As in, the brother of your ex?”
“Yes—”
“What was he doing in London?” I interjected.
“He was looking at a few businesses nearby. I invited him to dinner next Friday.”
I blinked a few times. Had I heard her right? My jaw started to tic, and I narrowed my eyes, glaring at her. Callum fucking Brown.
She’d invited the fucking leader of the Leeds gang to my house?
“You did what?”
“Sebastian.” She closed the gap between us, resting her hand on my chest, and met my eyes. “He means a lot to me. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t have survived all those years. Please, for me, can you accept that he’s a part of my life and always will be? I want you to meet him.”
She had no fucking clue what type of guy Callum was.
Yeah, she knew what he did, but I bet she didn’t see half of what went down.
She had no idea I knew who he was or that I’d told him I’d fucking kill him the next time he was in London.
I couldn’t let her catch on to any of it, because I then ran the risk of her finding out about my involvement with the Organisation.
I swallowed, pushing that festering burning feeling in my stomach back down. This was not the time to get angry with her.
“I don’t like this, but I’ll do it for you.”
Her face lit up. “You will? Thank you!” Her lips pressed onto mine.
Someone cleared their throat loudly from behind. Pulling away from Aria, I glanced over to find Jane, my housekeeper, looking at us awkwardly.
“I’m so sorry to interrupt, Mr Knight. You’ve got a visitor,” she said.
“Who is it?”
“I think you should come see for yourself.”
She looked serious. She had never looked at me in that way the whole time she’d worked for me, and she’d been here since I bought the place three years ago.
“Stay here,” I told Aria.
I walked towards Jane, who turned to lead the way.
My body tensed the minute I saw the back of the figure standing at the door.
Fire ignited in the pit of my stomach, but there was more—that same feeling I’d always felt as a child, a feeling of never being good enough. I didn’t need to see his face to know who it was. That expensive tailored suit and silver hair told me everything.
They turned to face me. “There’s my prodigal son.” Dad looked at me with the same expression he had always done. Disappointment. “I hope you don’t keep business associates waiting like this.”
I’m surprised he even remembered he had a son.
I slammed the door in his face.
As I turned, I found Aria stood there, her eyebrows knitting together.
“I told you to stay in the kitchen.”
“What is wrong with you?”
“What’s wrong with me?” I questioned, taking a step closer to her. “Do you really think I want anything to do with that man?”
“You’re such an asshole at times,” she said, pushing past me and stepping outside.
My jaw clenched, fire burning through my veins. She had no clue what Dad was like growing up. She’d only seen two years, and I’d shielded her from it as much as possible.
I never wanted to see that man again.
I stormed into my office and left her to it. If she wanted to talk to him, then so be it. I wasn’t going to stand there and play happy families.
Taking the bottle of whisky and a glass, I slumped down in my chair and poured a finger, downing it in one. I poured another and sat there, leaning back, swirling the amber liquid.
First Callum, and now my dad.
That fucking asshole had just turned up at my house as if nothing had happened between us. As if he hadn’t fucked over the company, or treated me like shit growing up. He’d never looked at me like a son, no matter how hard I’d tried to gain his approval.
My eyes flicked to the office door opening, and Aria walked in and sat in the chair in front of me. I downed the drink and poured another.
“He wants us to join him for a family dinner next Sunday.”
I sniggered. “I hope you told him where to shove that invite.”
“Sebastian, stop.”
“What, Nyx? You really want to go for a family dinner with my dad? How wonderful that will be,” I replied sarcastically.
“He’s your dad. At least he’s bothered to come and see you. I don’t even know where mine is.”
I let out a heavy breath. Was she right? Should I be grateful that he’d taken the time to come over and invite us for dinner? He didn’t even tell me he was back in the country. Not to mention, he’d appointed Caspian as a COO without telling me.
He was up to something. I could feel it.
“We’re going on Sunday.”
I furrowed my brows. “Like fuck we are.”
“Sebastian Knight, that wasn’t a question.”
I raised my brows at her. Damn, she was pretty hot when she was making demands. This was the wrong time to be turned on by her, but fuck me, if I wasn’t so angry right now, I’d have her over the desk.
She stood from the chair. “We’re going whether you like it or not.”
“I’m not going.”
“Stop acting like a child. You don’t even know why he’s back. Give him a chance.”
“I’m sure he’s not back to be a dad.” I sipped my whisky.
She walked around to me, pulling my chair to face her, and snatched the glass from my hand, slamming it on the desk.
“You’ll do as you’re told. I’m not taking no for an answer.”
I grabbed her arse, pulling her to straddle me on the chair. “Demanding tonight.”
She leaned into my ear and whispered, “Oh, I’ve only just started.”
There was that fiery little attitude of hers shining through. Her eyes darkened as they met mine. I let out a breath through my nose, stroking her hair back, and rested my hands on her jaw, my lips devouring every inch of hers.