Sebastian.
There could only be one explanation for why he had helped me out. He wasn’t like his family. He wasn’t a selfish, entitled ass. He was just a nice guy, and I’d treated him like total crap.
Eventually, the guilt and gratitude propelled me to action. I hadn’t behaved right, and I needed to do something to fix it.
I remembered he’d said he was staying at a hotel near the Gentry house while he was working this job, since it saved him the long commute back to D.C. every night, so I got in my car and headed over there.
My skin felt cold and my hands were shaky as I knocked on his door. Room 421, like he’d told me that day he walked me out to my car. I’d never done anything like this in my life—showing up at the door of a man unexpectedly. He might be busy. He might have someone over. He might be annoyed with me and not really want to see me standing here.
I suddenly regretted the spontaneous move and turned on my heel to walk away.
I’d taken two steps when the door opened.
So Sebastian found me—not just standing at his door like a normal person—but running away after having knocked, like some sort of schoolboy playing a prank.
My cool skin flushed red as he said, “Ali?”
I froze, still facing in a different direction. “Hi.”
“What are you doing here?” He sounded surprised and baffled, and that made me feel worse, since he obviously thought it was bizarre that I would be here, outside his hotel room, at 9:25 in the evening.
I managed to summon enough sense to turn my head to face him. He wore workout clothes—t-shirt and gym shorts—but he wasn’t hot and sweaty so he must not have worked out yet. He looked bigger and more masculine than normal—but also more real, with his bare legs and feet. I gulped at the sight of him and tried to think of something to say.
I couldn’t even remember what I was doing here.
He reached out and put a hand on my shoulder, turning me around so my whole body was facing him. “Ali? What’s wrong? What’s going on?” He sounded more urgent, worried.
“Nothing’s wrong,” I finally managed to say, his concern pushing me into speaking at last. “I’m sorry to just show up. I just wanted to…to…”
“To what?” His face changed, softened somehow in that way I’d seen before, that way that made my heart clench strangely.
“To say thank you. For helping me out earlier. I would have been in big trouble. Lost my job or even worse. I don’t know why you helped me, but I wanted to thank you. I’d done nothing to deserve it, so…so thank you.”
His face softened even more, this time into a smile. His green eyes warmed into an almost intimate look. “You’re welcome.”
I stared at him, suddenly wanting to kiss him again, fighting a compulsion to reach out and touch his chest, his face. “So why did you?”
He seemed to be distracted by our shared gaze too. He blinked at my question. “Why did I what?”
“Why did you help me?”
“Oh.” The corner of his mouth quirked up briefly. “I make a point of rescuing beautiful women whenever I can.”
“Oh.” It was nice to be called beautiful, but the words were somehow disappointing. I’d thought he’d helped me for me , but maybe he would just help anyone who needed it.
I liked that he had a good heart, but I wanted him to feel like I was someone special. I looked down at the floor, realizing there was no reason for me to assume he would think anything of the kind, that he would treat me differently than anyone else.
He reached over and cupped my face, raising it so I was looking at him again. His expression had changed. It wasn’t amused anymore. It looked deep, meaningful, and it took my breath away. “I didn’t want you to get in trouble, Ali. I didn’t want anything bad to happen to you. I feel this urge to take care of you, and I have no idea where it’s come from.”
I swallowed hard, a rush of emotion drowning any rational thoughts I might have had.
There could only be one explanation for why he had helped me out. He wasn’t like his family. He wasn’t a selfish, entitled ass. He was just a nice guy, and I’d treated him like total crap.
Eventually, the guilt and gratitude propelled me to action. I hadn’t behaved right, and I needed to do something to fix it.
I remembered he’d said he was staying at a hotel near the Gentry house while he was working this job, since it saved him the long commute back to D.C. every night, so I got in my car and headed over there.
My skin felt cold and my hands were shaky as I knocked on his door. Room 421, like he’d told me that day he walked me out to my car. I’d never done anything like this in my life—showing up at the door of a man unexpectedly. He might be busy. He might have someone over. He might be annoyed with me and not really want to see me standing here.
I suddenly regretted the spontaneous move and turned on my heel to walk away.
I’d taken two steps when the door opened.
So Sebastian found me—not just standing at his door like a normal person—but running away after having knocked, like some sort of schoolboy playing a prank.
My cool skin flushed red as he said, “Ali?”
I froze, still facing in a different direction. “Hi.”
“What are you doing here?” He sounded surprised and baffled, and that made me feel worse, since he obviously thought it was bizarre that I would be here, outside his hotel room, at 9:25 in the evening.
I managed to summon enough sense to turn my head to face him. He wore workout clothes—t-shirt and gym shorts—but he wasn’t hot and sweaty so he must not have worked out yet. He looked bigger and more masculine than normal—but also more real, with his bare legs and feet. I gulped at the sight of him and tried to think of something to say.
I couldn’t even remember what I was doing here.
He reached out and put a hand on my shoulder, turning me around so my whole body was facing him. “Ali? What’s wrong? What’s going on?” He sounded more urgent, worried.
“Nothing’s wrong,” I finally managed to say, his concern pushing me into speaking at last. “I’m sorry to just show up. I just wanted to…to…”
“To what?” His face changed, softened somehow in that way I’d seen before, that way that made my heart clench strangely.
“To say thank you. For helping me out earlier. I would have been in big trouble. Lost my job or even worse. I don’t know why you helped me, but I wanted to thank you. I’d done nothing to deserve it, so…so thank you.”
His face softened even more, this time into a smile. His green eyes warmed into an almost intimate look. “You’re welcome.”
I stared at him, suddenly wanting to kiss him again, fighting a compulsion to reach out and touch his chest, his face. “So why did you?”
He seemed to be distracted by our shared gaze too. He blinked at my question. “Why did I what?”
“Why did you help me?”
“Oh.” The corner of his mouth quirked up briefly. “I make a point of rescuing beautiful women whenever I can.”
“Oh.” It was nice to be called beautiful, but the words were somehow disappointing. I’d thought he’d helped me for me , but maybe he would just help anyone who needed it.
I liked that he had a good heart, but I wanted him to feel like I was someone special. I looked down at the floor, realizing there was no reason for me to assume he would think anything of the kind, that he would treat me differently than anyone else.
He reached over and cupped my face, raising it so I was looking at him again. His expression had changed. It wasn’t amused anymore. It looked deep, meaningful, and it took my breath away. “I didn’t want you to get in trouble, Ali. I didn’t want anything bad to happen to you. I feel this urge to take care of you, and I have no idea where it’s come from.”
I swallowed hard, a rush of emotion drowning any rational thoughts I might have had.
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