His thick erection tented his workout shorts, looking extremely uncomfortable behind t
he fabric.
“We can be late,” she offered, no longer caring if they stood Sebastian up for dinner.
He shook his head, his jaw tight. “Wish we could, but he made reservations. You know how Sebastian is. He used his name and clout to get the best seat in the house. He wants to see and be seen.”
“He wants people to bow and kiss his feet and tell him how they can’t wait for his restaurant to open to the public. Got it,” Lucy said, knowing Sebastian’s cocky and slightly narcissistic side would be on full display.
“Right. And much as I’d rather skip it in favor of staying home with you, it’ll be good publicity for us to be out with him.”
She nodded in understanding. “But you didn’t need to get me all worked up beforehand,” she said, knowing full well she was pouting because he’d left her wanting. He hadn’t even given her a good orgasm to hold her over.
“Yeah. I did. Because I wanted your mind on one thing only while we’re out tonight.”
“And what would that be?” she asked, although she already knew.
“Me.”
The one consolation she had was that while she was thinking of all the naughty things he’d do to her later, when they got home, he’d be thinking about burying himself inside her too.
Turning away, she picked up a tube and swiped on some lip gloss, hoping she could fix her makeup so no one else knew she was sex-deprived and horny as hell.
* * *
Max had a damned hard time concentrating on dinner or Sebastian and their prime table when he was sporting a hard-on thanks to his earlier games in the bathroom. He wished he’d finished what he’d started. Instead both he and Lucy were suffering. The flush heightening her cheeks and the way she squirmed in her seat told him that.
He turned his attention to his chef, who’d not only secured the table but who’d chosen his seat facing out so he could meet and greet every famous person who walked by and some who weren’t. Thanks to the man’s stint on reality television and the fact that social media had turned him into a much-loved familiar face and name, most people were thrilled to shake Sebastian’s hand and have a few words too. But every compliment went to his head, and his ego was big enough. Especially since the chef was having trouble creating the menu he’d sworn would come easily.
Blaming his ex-girlfriend wasn’t cutting it anymore either. Sebastian needed to focus on business and not his celebrity status, a conversation Max planned to have with him once they got through tonight.
And since despite her sexual frustration, Lucy seemed to be enjoying the evening, laughing and whispering her opinions on the tacky décor, Max decided not to worry about work for the time being. Instead he marveled at the amazing fact that he’d been living with Lucy for the last month.
He hadn’t planned on moving in with her. Hell, he’d spouted the words in a frantic attempt to keep her close, knowing that if she had her way, she’d sleep with him at night and keep him at a distance all day. He couldn’t allow her to be in charge of their relationship that way. Once he’d suggested it, he sure as hell hadn’t expected her to agree. But she had.
And it had taken a lot of work—pleasurable exertions, to be sure—for him to get her to a place where she’d relaxed and enjoyed them being together, and not just when they were in bed. It was the only way he could think of to bind her to him in ways that went beyond sex. Ways that she was inherently and desperately afraid of feeling. He definitely liked where they were now, but he wasn’t fooled and knew they had challenges ahead.
She groaned at something Sebastian said, the sound bringing Max’s focus back to the present.
“Oh shit,” Sebastian suddenly muttered.
“What is it?” Max asked.
“Look who’s here.” The other man tipped his head toward a crowd of people, and Max caught sight of Sebastian’s cooking show competitor, Anthony Abbadon, walking toward their table.
“Behave,” Max said under his breath as Anthony reached them.
And if he thought Sebastian played star to the hilt, Anthony was a supreme diva. Where Sebastian wore khakis and loafers, Anthony was slicker, wearing a dark suit, white shirt, and tie, his blond hair smoothed back with gel.
“Sebastian, my friend, it’s so good to see you!” Anthony walked over and slapped Sebastian on the back.
The two men traded pleasantries through gritted teeth. In public they were playing nice, but clearly there was no love lost.
According to Sebastian’s account, Anthony resented how much the audience and social media loved Sebastian. And Sebastian had very much wanted to win the show, the money, and the job in New York. That he now would have his own kitchen and restaurant in Soho didn’t negate the sting of losing. He felt like he’d been humiliated in public by Anthony, who, rumor had it, had paid off one of the judges. Nobody could prove a thing. Which left the two men at odds, opening restaurants in the same city. The ultimate competition.
“And who is this lovely lady?” Anthony asked, his smarmy-eyed gaze zeroing in on Lucy.
Now Max’s hackles rose.