Enchanting Sebastian (Big Sky Royal 1)

Wait, that’s not right. He didn’t ask.

He told.

“Say something,” he says quietly, watching me intently.

“I’m sure I misheard you.”

He sighs and gestures toward my house. “Let’s go inside, and we can talk.”

I lead the way, turning on lights and walking through my space to the living room. I sit on the couch, cross my legs, and watch as Sebastian paces the room, rubbing his hand over his lips in agitation.

I’m fascinated.

“You need to marry me, Nina.”

“What was in that wine she gave us?”

He smiles and sits across from me, his elbows braced on his knees as he watches me with those bright blue eyes. “I’m being serious.”

“Sebastian, I know I’m a pretty great catch, but even I can’t make someone fall in love with me in the span of roughly thirty-six hours.”

He licks his lips. “You’re right. I’m not suggesting we marry because I’m in love with you.”

“I’m flattered.”

“And I don’t mean to offend you by saying that. We’re both adults here.”

I nod and wait for him to continue. Although, I should stop him. I’m never getting married, remember?

“In addition to coming here to see Jacob, I’ve also been on the lookout for a bride. You see, I’m coming up on my thirty-fifth birthday.”

I narrow my eyes, listening.

“In my country, the law states that if the heir to the throne is not married by the time he reaches thirty-five, a suitable wife will be chosen by the king.”

“Wow, that’s archaic.”

His lips twitch. “My thoughts exactly.”

“So, you’re looking for a suitable wife so you’re the one who chooses, rather than your father?”

“You’re perceptive as well as intelligent,” he says.

“But I’m not British. And even I know that, in order for you to be king, you have to marry a British woman.”

He nods slowly. “I will abdicate my claim to the throne after we wed. I won’t be king.”

I sit back in surprise, watching as Sebastian swallows hard, then looks down at his hands before looking back up at me.

“Why me?”

“Isn’t that obvious?”

“No. No, it’s not. I need you to enlighten me because I’m definitely not what I would consider princess material.”

“Aside from the fact that you’re beautiful, I enjoy spending time with you. You’re also highly intelligent, and you know how to work with celebrities, and what it means to be in a world where you’re constantly under scrutiny. You’ll be able to handle the pressures that come with being in my family. And let me tell you, there are plenty of them.”

“So, you’re saying you want to marry me because of my resume?”

He blinks once. “That sounds way worse than I intended. Please know that I think very highly of you, Nina. I wouldn’t suggest this if I didn’t.”

I take a long, deep breath. It’s true, I don’t plan to ever marry. Certainly not for love. Love is fleeting. Fickle. It comes and goes with the phase of the moon or a woman’s hormonal cycle.

It’s not forever.

But this? This is different.

“You’re awfully quiet,” Sebastian says at last, watching as I chew my lip.

“I’m thinking,” I murmur.

I can’t believe I’m even entertaining this. It’s insane!

But at the same time, it sounds like an adventure. A challenge. Have I not been searching for exactly that?

“If you’re looking for compensation, I’m sure we can work something out.”

Okay, that pisses me off.

“I’m not a whore.”

My tone is calm, my voice cool.

“That’s not what I was implying.”

“Well, offering to pay me for my services is doing exactly that. I don’t need your money. I have plenty of my own.”

I stand now and walk to the windows. The night sky is so dark, I can’t see the shoreline tonight.

“I’m sorry. But you have to get something out of this.”

He moves behind me. He doesn’t touch me, but I can hear the regret in his voice.

“Adventure,” I whisper. “Change. A sense of purpose.”

I turn and stare up at him. Into those bright eyes.

“I’ll marry you,” I say at last and hold my hand up before he can speak. “I’ll pretend to be in love with you, if that’s what you need.”

“I do.”

“If this evolves into something intimate, I’m okay with that. I feel the chemistry between us.”

“Thank God, because I’ve had a hell of a time keeping my hands to myself.”

I smile now, enjoying him.

“But, Sebastian, I’ll never fall in love with you. You need to know that now.”

His eyes narrow, and he’s quiet for a long moment, watching me in silence.

“Loving me isn’t a requirement,” he says at last.

For some reason, that bothers me. I’m the one who just said no to love, yet for reasons I can’t grasp, hearing him say that he doesn’t have to be loved hits me wrong.

“Then it seems we have a deal.”

He reaches for my hand and lifts it to his lips. He presses a kiss to my finger, where a ring will eventually go.