trace of a smile.
‘You can do that?’ she asked uneasily.
‘Yes.’ He headed for the front door, but turned back to face her. ‘I mean it, Em. Call me if you get in trouble.’
She studied him for a moment, her head tilted to one side. Then she said quietly, ‘Okay.’
It wasn’t until the front door was closed behind him that Seb let out the breath he’d been holding. He would never let her see it, but she terrified him. Something had shifted between them in the last forty-eight hours and it was like she could look through his eyes and straight to his soul. Somehow she knew he needed to protect her.
He shuddered. No one else had ever been able to read him that well. He needed to keep his guard up with her.
*
When Emilia opened the door, it was clear Justin meant business. He was wearing a light grey suit with an open-necked sky blue shirt, which made his eyes look brighter and also happened to be Emilia’s favourite shirt of his. His blonde hair was styled to just the perfect level of designer scruffiness, his jaw cleanly shaven – he was the epitome of young, rich and gorgeous.
‘Here.’ He thrust a fancy box of chocolates at her. ‘I thought you might like these.’
‘Thanks.’ She put the box on the hall table and stepped outside.
‘You look… nice.’ He was frowning and she knew it was because she was wearing trousers. She always wore dresses and skirts when they went out, but tonight she’d opted for tailored dress pants with a sparkly deep blue top, which fit snugly around the bust and then flared out loosely over her hips. Generally not a glass half empty kind of person, nonetheless she’d chosen it deliberately because it was an outfit that made her feel safe and also allowed her to move freely and easily – just in case.
Justin’s lips thinned but he didn’t say anything further. He escorted her out to his car and opened the passenger door for her. All very gentlemanly, which normally she would have appreciated, but tonight she was nervous around him, unsure of where she stood.
He took her to her favourite restaurant on the lake, where he’d booked a table by the windows so they could enjoy the view. Emilia sat quietly while their waiter draped snowy white napkins across their laps and handed them menus and the wine list.
Justin shifted uncomfortably in his seat and kept shooting irritated glances at the waiter, who finally left them to peruse the menu.
‘I know I blew it at the party, Em, and I just wanted to say I’m really sorry and I hope you won’t hold it against me.’ He looked down at the table and seemed so contrite Emilia figured she’d better let him off the hook. ‘It’s just you keep me dangling with very little to go on. Surely you must have expected that eventually I’d snap.’
‘You think it was my fault?’ she demanded incredulously, her goodwill evaporating.
‘Not exactly. It’s the sexual tension… it’s driving me crazy. So you see the way I acted, it was partly your fault,’ he concluded, and she could see in his eyes he really believed that. He was completely incapable of accepting what he’d done was wrong.
‘Wow!’ She stared out the window at the stunning view as the sun began to set over the lake. She honestly didn’t know what to say to him. Check that, she knew what she wanted to say, but she didn’t want to cause a scene in the restaurant. She wished she was one of those girls who had a flair for the dramatic and the courage to pull it off.
‘But I really do want to make it up to you and so I thought we could –’
Emilia seethed inwardly and seriously considered getting up and walking out on him. But then she reminded herself how lucky she was to be with Justin. He wanted to be with her and it felt good to be wanted. And while she had no intention of being mauled again, she supposed he did have a point. Most of the girls her age were sleeping
‘You can do that?’ she asked uneasily.
‘Yes.’ He headed for the front door, but turned back to face her. ‘I mean it, Em. Call me if you get in trouble.’
She studied him for a moment, her head tilted to one side. Then she said quietly, ‘Okay.’
It wasn’t until the front door was closed behind him that Seb let out the breath he’d been holding. He would never let her see it, but she terrified him. Something had shifted between them in the last forty-eight hours and it was like she could look through his eyes and straight to his soul. Somehow she knew he needed to protect her.
He shuddered. No one else had ever been able to read him that well. He needed to keep his guard up with her.
*
When Emilia opened the door, it was clear Justin meant business. He was wearing a light grey suit with an open-necked sky blue shirt, which made his eyes look brighter and also happened to be Emilia’s favourite shirt of his. His blonde hair was styled to just the perfect level of designer scruffiness, his jaw cleanly shaven – he was the epitome of young, rich and gorgeous.
‘Here.’ He thrust a fancy box of chocolates at her. ‘I thought you might like these.’
‘Thanks.’ She put the box on the hall table and stepped outside.
‘You look… nice.’ He was frowning and she knew it was because she was wearing trousers. She always wore dresses and skirts when they went out, but tonight she’d opted for tailored dress pants with a sparkly deep blue top, which fit snugly around the bust and then flared out loosely over her hips. Generally not a glass half empty kind of person, nonetheless she’d chosen it deliberately because it was an outfit that made her feel safe and also allowed her to move freely and easily – just in case.
Justin’s lips thinned but he didn’t say anything further. He escorted her out to his car and opened the passenger door for her. All very gentlemanly, which normally she would have appreciated, but tonight she was nervous around him, unsure of where she stood.
He took her to her favourite restaurant on the lake, where he’d booked a table by the windows so they could enjoy the view. Emilia sat quietly while their waiter draped snowy white napkins across their laps and handed them menus and the wine list.
Justin shifted uncomfortably in his seat and kept shooting irritated glances at the waiter, who finally left them to peruse the menu.
‘I know I blew it at the party, Em, and I just wanted to say I’m really sorry and I hope you won’t hold it against me.’ He looked down at the table and seemed so contrite Emilia figured she’d better let him off the hook. ‘It’s just you keep me dangling with very little to go on. Surely you must have expected that eventually I’d snap.’
‘You think it was my fault?’ she demanded incredulously, her goodwill evaporating.
‘Not exactly. It’s the sexual tension… it’s driving me crazy. So you see the way I acted, it was partly your fault,’ he concluded, and she could see in his eyes he really believed that. He was completely incapable of accepting what he’d done was wrong.
‘Wow!’ She stared out the window at the stunning view as the sun began to set over the lake. She honestly didn’t know what to say to him. Check that, she knew what she wanted to say, but she didn’t want to cause a scene in the restaurant. She wished she was one of those girls who had a flair for the dramatic and the courage to pull it off.
‘But I really do want to make it up to you and so I thought we could –’
Emilia seethed inwardly and seriously considered getting up and walking out on him. But then she reminded herself how lucky she was to be with Justin. He wanted to be with her and it felt good to be wanted. And while she had no intention of being mauled again, she supposed he did have a point. Most of the girls her age were sleeping
Similar Books
