A Tempting Dare by Cathryn Fox Page A

getting on the plane and having a few hours to herself to get her head back on straight. Hopefully, by the time they landed in Miami, she would have summoned enough strength to tell Sebastian they were done.
    Sebastian grabbed them both a coffee as they waited, and she was a little surprised that he knew how she liked hers. When the boarding call sounded, they both made their way to the line. She followed the crowd onto the plane and found her seat. Sebastian slid in beside her.
    “What are you doing?” No way could this be a coincidence.
    “I got us seated together.”
    “Why would you do that?”
    “Why wouldn’t I?”
    Oh, because he only wanted to be seen with her behind closed doors. She buckled in, and tucked her purse under the seat in front of her. She held the armrests and prepared for take off. As soon as they were airborne, she reached for her tablet and powered it up. Maybe work would take her mind off Sebastian and the way his thigh was pressing against hers.
    Sebastian sat quietly for a long time, then he finally broke the silence between them. “Kat.”
    “Yeah.”
    “You’re wrong, you know.”
    “Wrong about what?”
    “Loyal, supportive guys do exist.”
    She laughed. “Says the guy who is with a different girl every week.” As soon as the words left her mouth, a wounded look crossed his face. Her heart slammed. Jesus, she hadn’t meant to hurt him. “Sebastian—” she began and put her hand over his.
    “Maybe there’s a reason for that,” he said, his voice low.
    “What kind of reason?”
    Turmoil backlit his eyes and he glanced down. A beat passed, then he shook his head, and said, “What Zoe said about you being a man hater… I know that’s not true.”
    “How do you know that?”
    His blue eyes met hers, and she was sure he could see deep into her soul, see how much she loved him. “Because I know you, Kat.”
    She swallowed. It was true. He did know her. Just like she knew him. Growing up, he’d been so sweet to her, always made time for her when it annoyed the hell out of Danny. Played games, puzzles, and let her hang out whenever she wanted. Everything had changed on her sixteenth birthday, however.
    “Sebastian?”
    “Yeah?”
    “Why did you disappear on my birthday?”
    He shifted, suddenly uncomfortable. He raked his hair back. It fell forward again. She read his body language, took in the rapid-fire tapping of his foot. He opened his mouth, only to shut it again.
    “Sebastian?”
    “Can I get you a drink?” the flight attendant asked, leaning over Sebastian. A wide smile split her face when Sebastian lifted his gaze to hers. The woman’s demeanor instantly changed, becoming flirtatious.
    Kat turned her attention to her tablet and swallowed the jealousy rising in her throat. Sebastian wasn’t hers. And why wouldn’t the flight attendant be interested? They guy was gorgeous, smart, and successful. Real romance material. Except for the whole playboy thing. A noise sounded in her throat. Maybe Emery should write a book about him.  Who would she match him up with? What kind of heroine would it take to for him to fall madly in love and change his ways? A jaded divorce lawyer who’d been in love with him for ten years, maybe?
    A sound hissed from her lips. Yeah, right. She was not going to get her hopes up and go down that path. Sebastian didn’t even want to been seen in public with her. 
    She buried herself in her work for the remainder of the flight and, despite her protest, they shared a cab into the city. The driver dropped her off first, and she climbed from the car, needing a reprieve from Sebastian and the things he made her feel. She stepped onto the sidewalk and was about to dart up the steps to her condo when a warm hand moved to the center of her back. Her entire body melted from the inside out just from his touch. He took her bag from her and she spun to face him. She opened her mouth to tell him she couldn’t do this. Except her words turned into a