He took a single step toward her and kissed her hard, groaning when he pulled away.
“Because I had a purpose for coming here tonight, and sex wasn’t it.”
He looked her over like he might a fine dessert he wasn’t allowed to eat, and then he finally let himself out. She stood in shock. That wasn’t the reaction she’d been expecting, and her heart felt a little heavier than normal. Not with rejection, though. With realization. Sebastian has exercised his control. And if his purpose of stopping by hadn’t been sex…
“He came to check on me,” she whispered to herself. The idea made butterflies dance in her stomach. If it was just about sex between them, he would have taken her up on her offer right then, and that’s what they would have done.
But he cared. On a deeper level than the physical.
She might have a new mission of keeping Sebastian for longer than their two weeks, but in the meantime, she had a feeling her emotions were going to be a torn to shreds trying to figure this guy out.
Whatever walls he’d put up, they were thicker and higher than she’d thought.
…
Sebastian couldn’t get his body to stop pounding like a damn drum. As he drove down the dark road, away from Penny and toward his home, all he could think about was how she’d feel with nothing between them.
That was a lot of power to give a woman.
But to be with her?
No holds barred. No barrier. Nothing but them and passion and opportunity.
He turned down the dirt road that led to his property on the outskirts of town. He did like his privacy. Especially lately, when those private moments were spent with Penny. But the idea of being inside her anywhere, anytime?
That was a heady notion.
It was also a tricky one. He prided himself on being
good at reading women. Penny was a firecracker. Pushed his buttons. But tonight, she’d been upset and tried to play it off like another challenge. But he’d seen it. The glimpse of hurt in her eyes at the idea he had a date with someone else.
This wasn’t just a good time anymore. At some point, it had become something much more. His nightmare scenario, the one he stuck to the two week arrangement to avoid, had happened barely a week in.
What was he supposed to do? End their arrangement early? She was already getting attached. And Christ, he wasn’t doing a great job of not getting sucked in either.
Maybe he could urge her to find a date for the rehearsal. Yes, technically that was supposed to be their last day and night together. He wanted that last night.
But what if they showed up with other people? Then they’d both have a clear understanding that this arrangement between them was ending. Yes, it was either that or end it now.
But the thought of giving her up early? He’d never have this chance again. So he had a new mission: keep Penny for the rest of their time together while putting distance between them…
Sounds easy enough.
Yeah fucking right.
Chapter Nine
Penny dropped off food at table seven, trying not to look over at the occupied booth where Sebastian, Huck, Colt, and Ryder sat.
Ever since last night, she’d been wracking her brain about Sebastian and their predicament. If she were to convince him—without pushing him so hard he ran away—that they could make their relationship work past the two week mark, she’d need a plan. One she hadn’t quite fine-tuned yet.
But it had been damn near twenty-four hours since he’d stood in her kitchen and she’d confessed yet another embarrassing aspect of her life. She didn’t want him to think she was weak. Now, he and the Diamond Rat Pack sat in her restaurant, waiting on their dinner, while she pretended to be thinking of something other than Sebastian’s mouth. More specifically, how it felt on her body.
“Order up,” cook said when the barbecue ribs were ready.
She grabbed the plates and made the long trek over to the booth. Her only plan of action was to take a step back and observe. If she got a better read on Bass, really saw what was going on beneath this surface façade he kept, maybe she could crack it better.
This was the time for her inner MacGyver to shine—sneakily disassembling one man’s commitment-phobia.