Chapter 17

Like the perfect gentleman, he'd walked her to the diner before saying goodnight. Weirdly, she actually looked forward to their friendship and she had a suspicion that it was going to be a good one.

The diner was almost empty by the time she got in and she walked straight to the lodgings. The day had come to an end. She would have been married by now if she hadn't run for dear life. Her husband, curse him, would've expected her to do her wifely duties and she'd have probably had to sleep with him. If he had one eye and three fingers like she imagined, it would've been the worst day of her life. As it was, she'd just returned from a date—if one could call it that—with one of the most handsome men she'd seen in a long time, and she'd pick that over marrying deformed men any day any time.

"Great night, huh?"

Sebastian's deep voice flowed through the narrow hallway and again, she was reminded the effect he had on her. Her skin tingled and her throat worked profusely. He was leaning against the wall near his door with one leg carelessly crossed over the other. His blue eyes seemed to pierce her skin and if it hadn't been impossible and absolutely absurd, she'd have thought he was straight into her soul.

"The best," Her chin shot up in defense, daring him to say something else. He did look like he had more to say but he only nodded at her, turned around and slipped into his room.

For the second time in one night, he'd left her standing by herself, wondering what the fuck just happened.

She couldn't say she was enjoying it.

***

The next day, Sebastian took his sweet time waking up. It was his day off. He lay in bed wondering how things would have been if he'd chosen to go ahead with his parent's plans. By now, he'd be in bed with his new wife, doing God knows what. He couldn't even imagine it. It was dreadful.

Would he have touched her? Probably not. He would have probably gone six months without touching her and then gotten the marriage annulled on grounds of lack of sexual relations.

Who he did want to have sexual relations with was a door away, as stubborn and as sexy as ever. Last night when she'd come in with that stupid smile on her lips, he was ready to scream. He hadn't been able to sleep. He couldn't even deny that he'd been waiting for her. The buffoon had probably worked some magic into her because she looked about ready to tie the knot with him. And she'd even admitted to having a great night.

Sebastian knew the emotion he was currently feeling. It wasn't one he'd felt before but he'd seen it. One look in the mirror told him all he needed to know; he was jealous. It vexed him to no end that she'd gone out with that Harry guy and it vexed him even more because she'd enjoyed it.

Why? He had no fucking idea.

He turned on his stomach. He'd switched off his phone about a week ago to keep the noise out. No doubt Mitch was going crazy looking for him. His cousin was the definition of dramatic. He hadn't checked his email since yesterday morning and he supposed he should've. But the thought of reading anything drastic was not an act he relished at the moment.

He wanted to bask in his freedom and peace of mind as much as he could.

No, he shook his head fiercely. There was no peace of mind where Jane was concerned. Not when she was intentionally trying to drive him crazy with that red one-piece the devil himself had given her to torment his soul. Her body was beautiful. The suit rested on her like a second skin, hugging and enunciating her curves. Those glorious globes on her chest were in his dreams now and he wanted more than anything to put them in his mouth. Her legs were slim and perfect and try as he might, he couldn't keep the thoughts of them wrapped around his waist as he drove into her out of his mind. The dark mane of hair fell in waves across her shoulders, calling attention to the beautiful neck he longed to taste. He wanted to flicker his tongue against her pulse and watch her moan in delight.

His cock was hard. Shit. This had been the story of his fucking since he'd met Jane. It now seemed like he couldn't help but be hard whenever the thought of her passed through his mind.

Sebastian had never been a man controlled by basic desire. In fact, he prided himself on the level of sexual discipline he'd attained. He wasn't easily moved by the opposite sex and he certainly never dreamt of fucking any woman before now, just like he'd never been compelled to jealousy. Jane had completely turned his thoughts upside down and she didn't even know it.

Firstly, he needed a fucking bath and then he wanted things to go back to the way they were before his family had decided to ruin his life and that of an innocent young woman.

He supposed he could go home now. The wedding should've happened and it didn't. No, he'd give it some time. A few days should do. His mother might've probably stopped crying by then and his father… Well, the old man was just going to have to learn that not everything works out in the end.