The Bad Guy
There wasn’t a single soul in sight. Nowhere for me to get help. Sebastian had thought of everything, of course. Near the center of the building, we boarded an elevator and rose so quickly that my ears popped. Sebastian kept my hand in his and watched me in the reflective elevator doors. He was the picture of masculine perfection in a bespoke tux, everything about him imposing, crisp, and impossibly sexy.
The elevator opened, and the most delicious scents swirled past us in a rush of warm air. Sebastian led me through a wide set of frosted glass doors and into a dining room with an expansive view of the city. Timothy locked the doors behind us and headed toward what I assumed was the kitchen. Chandeliers glowed overhead, and the shiny black floor appeared like a pool of cooled glass with light reflected at intervals. A single table sat near the windows, its small shape appearing like doll furniture in the wide room.
I couldn’t begin to imagine what it would have cost to reserve an entire swank restaurant on a Saturday night in Manhattan. Reminding myself that he’d only done it to make sure I remained isolated was the only thing that kept me on an even keel.
“I hope you like it.” He showed me to the table and pulled out my chair.
I sat, and he took the seat to my left, both of us getting a gorgeous view of the city. “I don’t think I’ve ever been this high.”
He took my hand and rubbed his thumb back and forth over my knuckles. “I couldn’t agree more.”
His enchantment had worked its way inside me, lulling me. I let it. The beautiful dress, the sparkling night, and the gorgeous man beside me all demanded I buy into the dream for one night. It wouldn’t change my plans for escape.
“Thank you.” I squeezed his hand. “This is amazing.”
“I want to amaze you every day, if you’ll let me.”
The earnest look in his eyes was like a sledgehammer to the walls around my heart. I didn’t want to feel for him. Maybe it would have been better if I were like him—no emotions, no problems. But I wasn’t.
I pushed the feelings down. “Let’s just start here and see if you can keep it up.”
He smiled and kissed the back of my hand. “I assure you that I can keep it up.”
Timothy strode over with a bottle of wine, glasses, and salads. He poured generously, and soon I was eating and drinking as Sebastian asked me questions about teaching.
“The kids are so different. Each one’s personality has different facets. Some are brighter than others, but they all take away different parts of my lessons and apply in their own ways.”
“Don’t you get tired of it?”
“Teaching?” I sipped my wine. “No. It’s actually the one thing that never bores me. A new crop of kids each year, and the sheer variety of them—I love my job.”
“What about moving to the city with … him?”
“Link?”
His brows lowered. “Yes.”
“He had plans for all that. I never did.” I took a larger swallow of wine. Had Sebastian been right when he’d accused me of using Link as a crutch after my parents died?
“That’s because he didn’t know you.”
“I don’t know if that’s true. We spent a lot of time together.”
He shook his head and slid one hand under the table, resting it on my bare leg. “It was obvious at the gala. He spoke for you, but your voice was the only one that I needed to hear. You knew what you wanted to say, but you fell to the background to soothe his ego. That’s not who you are. The sun doesn’t reduce its heat to assuage the frigid moon.”
“How do you do it?”
He cocked his head to the side. “What?”
“Say things like that? Pure poetry from someone who never feels.”
“It’s you.” He leaned closer and slid his hand higher on my thigh. “You’re the reason. I can assure you I’ve never said a poetic word in my life until I met you.”
Heat bloomed along my cheeks, and he smiled, pleased with himself that he’d won a reaction from me. “I love it when you blush for me.”
Timothy strode up and set dishes in front of us, each of our plates as much a feast for the eyes as for the stomach.
“This looks amazing.”
“The chef sends his best regards.” Timothy backed away and disappeared into the kitchen again.
“Tell me more about school.” Sebastian removed his hand from my leg, the heat dissipating, but never truly leaving my skin.
As we ate, I told him about Trenton’s greenhouse and how I’d tried to get funding for it, how the current headmaster would love to tear it down and build a nicer auditorium instead. The wine flowed freely, and I drank with a tad more verve than usual. Once I was more than a little tipsy, I suggested he buy the school a brand new one.