“Do you think you have to buy my affection? This is why women take advantage of you.”
In a fraction of a second, his face grows cold, his whole body stiffening. I can tell I’ve struck a chord. A deep one.
I shake my head. “I won’t accept it. Nothing against you, but I don’t want expensive gifts from men, much less a ruby. The day I accept one, it’ll be on my ring finger and the man giving it to me will ask me to marry him.”
He blinks, his expression unreadable. “You’re somethin’.”
“We should watch the show,” I say in a calm voice.
“Yeah, we should.”
We sit on the couch again, keeping a small distance between us. Sebastian keeps the ruby necklace in his hand the entire time we watch the show, playing with it between his fingers. Once or twice, I feel his gaze on me, but we both remain silent.
The thoughts roaring in my mind are dangerous.
Kissing Sebastian was like being reborn. His lips were fulfilling, his touch freeing. His groans addicting. He makes me want to throw all caution to the wind. I’m not one to be reckless, but he demands it. I’m on the brink of obliging. What would it be to let this man sweep me away? Would he blow through my defenses the same way he kisses? Unrestrainedly and unapologetically?
I think he would.
Chapter Thirteen
Sebastian
Admission is the first step in overcoming an addiction, right?
I am addicted to Ava Lindt. There, I admitted it. I have a hunch that in my case, admission won’t help me overcome it. In fact, I don’t want to be cured. I want her, and I will have her. One kiss wasn’t nearly enough. Ava Lindt is unlike any woman I’ve met, and she’s fucking perfect.
Alarm bells ring somewhere in the recesses of my mind. I should control myself and not jump straight into this, considering my past relationships. I should be careful; I want to be reckless instead. I need it.
“Sebastian, I’m talking to you,” Logan says.
“Huh?”
“You either have developed adult-onset ADD, or you’re thinking about a woman.”
“Logan, don’t get on my bad side today—”
“It’s Ava, isn’t it?” When I don’t answer, he pumps his fist in the air. The gesture wouldn’t look half as ridiculous if we were on a soccer field, instead of in my office wearing suits. “Did you do her?”
“If you speak of her like that again. . .” I give him a meaningful look.
He flaps his hand dismissively, rising from his chair. “I can recite at least ten dirtier ways of saying that. If I call up Blake or Daniel, we can get that number to twenty.”
“Stop thinking in numbers all the time. And no, we didn’t. I’m working on it.”
Pacing in front of my desk, he says, “If you finally found a woman who isn’t working on bagging you, she’s a keeper.”
“Interesting yardstick you’re using.” My clipped tone does nothing to tone down his enthusiasm. I decide to keep to myself that she all but told me I was out o
f my mind when I gave her a ruby and expected her to accept it. He’ll tell me to marry her. I swore off that years ago, after one too many disappointments with women. Ava’s here for four months, and she said she doesn’t want to do long-distance relationships. We can enjoy each other while she’s here, no other expectations.
“I can’t wait to tell Pippa.”
I eye my brother. “What are you? The family’s messenger? Don’t tell her anything, or I won’t hear the end of it. Why don’t we actually talk about the next meeting?”
“That’s what I was here for before you fell into your weird trance.” He drops in his seat again, and we go through the retail stores’ numbers. Some of the stores are underperforming, such as Tylon’s and Derenbilt.
“We have to cut Tylon's loose. It’s bleeding money and they keep making empty promises.”