on the sofa, or do I have to put you there?’
She shoved her way past him, face sulky, but her attempt to look capable was marred by the way she cradled her bandaged hand against her chest.
Sebastian closed the door gently behind him, tucked his hands in his pockets, and took in her tiny flat with a single, sweeping glance. Small living area, minimally furnished with a cheap yellow sofa that had a sweatshirt slung over the back. A pile of magazines sat next to an even higher pile of DVD’s. Her social life?
Looking around, he didn’t find it hard to believe that it was. Didn’t she need company? Other people?
To his left lay a small, functional kitchen. He found a glass on the drainer and rinsed it out, then filled it with cold water from the tap and took it through to Nic. ‘Here,’ he said, pushing it into her good hand. ‘Now for god’s sake, take the pills before the wind changes and you get stuck as a complete cow forever.’
Her shoulders stiffened as she set the glass down on the floor and pulled the bottle of pills from her pocket. Sebastian felt a kick of regret at his words as he watched her struggle with the lid. He waited for her to ask him to do it.
She didn’t.
He sat himself next to her on the sofa and grabbed the bottle from her hand. ‘For god’s sake, princess, don’t you know when to ask for help?’ He popped the lid and shook out a couple. ‘Stick out your tongue.’
Her head jerked up, and those big dark eyes fixed on him. He saw pain in the creases that fanned out from the corners. But more than that, he saw awareness, as that darkness became almost black, and colour gathered in those pale cheeks. ‘Open,’ he said softly.
She hesitated for the briefest of moments, then did as she was told.
Sebastian slowly deposited the small white capsules on the end of her tongue. The heat of her mouth caressed his fingertips as she exhaled a jerky breath. She’s hurt , he told himself fiercely. This is not happening. Don’t be a jerk.
But knowing it was wrong didn’t stop him wanting to take everything she was offering. He wanted to kiss her, and he wanted to do it hard and deep and now.
Then she turned her head, and the moment was gone. But the urge, well that remained exactly where it was. All he could think about was soft lips and great legs and how much watching her work had turned him on.
She picked up the glass, lifted it to her lips and gulped down the water, then got up and disappeared through a door on the other side of the room. The door didn’t quite slam behind her, but it wasn’t far off.
Rubbing his hands over his face, Sebastian huffed out a breath. What was he still doing here? Why hadn’t he shoved her in the door, chucked the bottle in after her, and then left? What was he doing getting comfortable on her sofa?
‘I’m going to bed now,’ came a shout from the other side of the door.
‘What?’
‘I’m going to bed!’ A drawer slammed, and a bed creaked. Sebastian knew he should take the hint, given what had just happened, but her sofa had the extreme comfort of a wellloved piece of furniture and he couldn’t quite persuade himself to move. Plus she had looked like hell. What if she passed out?
More muffled sounds came from the other side of the door. Sitting forward on the sofa, Sebastian picked up the remote, turned on the TV and started to flick. Bad TV was bad TV no matter where you watched it, he reasoned
As soon as she was asleep, he’d leave. Yup. That was a good plan, and not that far removed from the original one. She was his business partner, and it was his duty to make sure she was okay. Rolling out his shoulders, he tried to unlock viciously tense muscles. Nothing short of a medical emergency was going to get him on the other side of that door, but it didn’t stop him thinking about it. Thinking about her, and what she was doing in there.
He flicked through a few channels, found a twenty-four hour cartoon channel and let Road Runner pull
She shoved her way past him, face sulky, but her attempt to look capable was marred by the way she cradled her bandaged hand against her chest.
Sebastian closed the door gently behind him, tucked his hands in his pockets, and took in her tiny flat with a single, sweeping glance. Small living area, minimally furnished with a cheap yellow sofa that had a sweatshirt slung over the back. A pile of magazines sat next to an even higher pile of DVD’s. Her social life?
Looking around, he didn’t find it hard to believe that it was. Didn’t she need company? Other people?
To his left lay a small, functional kitchen. He found a glass on the drainer and rinsed it out, then filled it with cold water from the tap and took it through to Nic. ‘Here,’ he said, pushing it into her good hand. ‘Now for god’s sake, take the pills before the wind changes and you get stuck as a complete cow forever.’
Her shoulders stiffened as she set the glass down on the floor and pulled the bottle of pills from her pocket. Sebastian felt a kick of regret at his words as he watched her struggle with the lid. He waited for her to ask him to do it.
She didn’t.
He sat himself next to her on the sofa and grabbed the bottle from her hand. ‘For god’s sake, princess, don’t you know when to ask for help?’ He popped the lid and shook out a couple. ‘Stick out your tongue.’
Her head jerked up, and those big dark eyes fixed on him. He saw pain in the creases that fanned out from the corners. But more than that, he saw awareness, as that darkness became almost black, and colour gathered in those pale cheeks. ‘Open,’ he said softly.
She hesitated for the briefest of moments, then did as she was told.
Sebastian slowly deposited the small white capsules on the end of her tongue. The heat of her mouth caressed his fingertips as she exhaled a jerky breath. She’s hurt , he told himself fiercely. This is not happening. Don’t be a jerk.
But knowing it was wrong didn’t stop him wanting to take everything she was offering. He wanted to kiss her, and he wanted to do it hard and deep and now.
Then she turned her head, and the moment was gone. But the urge, well that remained exactly where it was. All he could think about was soft lips and great legs and how much watching her work had turned him on.
She picked up the glass, lifted it to her lips and gulped down the water, then got up and disappeared through a door on the other side of the room. The door didn’t quite slam behind her, but it wasn’t far off.
Rubbing his hands over his face, Sebastian huffed out a breath. What was he still doing here? Why hadn’t he shoved her in the door, chucked the bottle in after her, and then left? What was he doing getting comfortable on her sofa?
‘I’m going to bed now,’ came a shout from the other side of the door.
‘What?’
‘I’m going to bed!’ A drawer slammed, and a bed creaked. Sebastian knew he should take the hint, given what had just happened, but her sofa had the extreme comfort of a wellloved piece of furniture and he couldn’t quite persuade himself to move. Plus she had looked like hell. What if she passed out?
More muffled sounds came from the other side of the door. Sitting forward on the sofa, Sebastian picked up the remote, turned on the TV and started to flick. Bad TV was bad TV no matter where you watched it, he reasoned
As soon as she was asleep, he’d leave. Yup. That was a good plan, and not that far removed from the original one. She was his business partner, and it was his duty to make sure she was okay. Rolling out his shoulders, he tried to unlock viciously tense muscles. Nothing short of a medical emergency was going to get him on the other side of that door, but it didn’t stop him thinking about it. Thinking about her, and what she was doing in there.
He flicked through a few channels, found a twenty-four hour cartoon channel and let Road Runner pull
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