by Ann Omasta
Proving that he was a true gentleman, Tess’s dance partner responded, “Of course.” The look on his face was slightly miffed, but he moved on without complaint.
When Sebastian squared his frame and took Tess’s hand in his own, the difference in the skill levels of her dance partners was immediately apparent. Her previous partner had been technically adept and perfectly acceptable, but Sebastian’s fluid and graceful movements made it feel like they were floating on air as they slowly swished around the dance floor.
Sebastian’s stance wasn’t nearly as intimate as her previous partner’s was, however it felt like a thousand butterflies were suddenly fluttering to life in Tess’s stomach. His hand resting just above the curve of her hip felt warm and good––almost too good. Her focus was drawn to its heat. When his fingers moved, lightly caressing her, she almost faltered.
Forcing her attention elsewhere, she looked into his eyes. They were dark brown, like smooth melted chocolate, and they were looking intently at her.
His steady gaze making her feel uncomfortable, Tess quickly looked away. She found Mo and the prince on the dance floor and watched them sway to the music. The slower song had allowed them to stop pretending that Mo had any real dance skills. She was now resting her head on the prince’s lapel as they moved back and forth from one foot to the other.
Tess couldn’t help but feel jealous that her friend was spending the entire evening dancing with the prince. That should be Tess in his embrace.
Sebastian took note of her longing gaze. “So, you thought the prince would like you?”
His disparaging tone set Tess’s teeth on edge. Jerking her head back as if she’d been slapped, she responded, “Is that such an outrageous idea?”
She had assumed that Sebastian would reply that no, it was completely feasible to think that the prince might have fallen for her. So, when he had the audacity to scoff and say, “Yes, you’re not his type at all,” she felt utterly outraged.
Shoving back and glaring up at him, she said, “We’re done here,” before flouncing away to fume and quite possibly cuss a little.
3
Once Tess locked herself inside the museum’s powder room, she began pacing and ranting.
“Who does HE think he is?” She spoke to her reflection in the mirror. “What does HE know about me? I am a perfectly likable, sweet, funny, smart, caring, and endearing person. The prince would be lucky to find someone like me… Not his type… Ugh!”
Tess felt herself shaking with fury that Sebastian had made it sound like the mere idea of the prince falling for her was completely preposterous. It wasn’t that outlandish. It could happen, she reminded herself silently. Just because it hadn’t happened, didn’t mean that it was out of the realm of possibility.
“Not his type,” she blustered as she whirled on her heel to stalk across the small restroom again. “I am exactly the type of lady that deserves a prince.” Even though she refused to admit it aloud, she silently added that Mo was the one who wasn’t fit to be royalty.
Immediately feeling guilty about her wayward and mean thought, Tess justified it in her mind… Mo would be the first one to admit that she was unrefined and loud. She would never imagine herself with a prince. It wasn’t even something she wanted.
Pausing in her movement, Tess realized that is what hurt the most about this entire scenario. Having dreamed of marrying a prince since she was little, it was an extra bitter pill to swallow that the eligible bachelor prince they met in person chose Mo to dance with––even though Mo couldn’t have cared less about his social status.
It was entirely possibly that Mo’s lack of interest in his royal bloodline was exactly what had attracted him to her. Tess briefly considered pretending like she too was unimpressed by his station, but it was already too late for that.
The sharp rap on the door startled her out of her ruminating. “Just a moment,” she promised as she moved to the sink to splash chilly water on her arms. She decided that the literal attempt to cool off had worked to some degree as she used a towel to dab her arms dry.
Emerging from the bathroom, she was surprised to see Sebastian standing on the other side of the door. “Stalking me now?” she asked him in a snarky tone.
“Just making sure you’re okay. You were in there a while.” His smile was genuine and kind.
“I got overheated and needed to cool off,” she answered his unasked question, even as she wondered if he had heard her seething to the empty room while she was in there.
If he had heard her, he gave no indication. “Perhaps we should step outside for some fresh air,” he suggested.
Tess weighed her options. She didn’t really want to spend any additional time with the brutally honest steward. More than that, though, she didn’t want to go back to the ballroom to watch Mo dance with her prince. The decision was easy. Tess nodded before leading the way out to the balcony.
She could feel the heat from Sebastian’s hand on the small of her back as they walked outside. For some reason, she seemed to be hyper-aware of his touch. Although she didn’t care to admit it, the contact felt rather pleasant. When they reached the railing overlooking the museum steps, he dropped his hand, and she immediately missed its radiating warmth.
Without even realizing she did it, Tess shivered. Proving himself to be a gentleman, despite his annoying words to the contrary earlier, Sebastian removed his jacket and curved it around her shoulders.
Just when Tess was starting to think he might not be so bad after all, Sebastian said, “You seem jealous that Prince Pierce chose your friend over you.”
Tess winced at the harshness of his words. Even though she knew that was precisely the case, hearing it proclaimed so blatantly stung. “He doesn’t know me,” she bit back.
“Are you insinuating that once he gets to know you, he will decide he likes you, rather than your friend?” Sebastian looked utterly amused. Not waiting for her answer, he went on, “Because I can assure you that won’t happen.”
Deciding that this man was a little too honest––bordering on rude––for her liking, Tess said, “I should go get Mo because it’s getting late. We need to head home.”
“She’s having the time of her life,” Sebastian said. “You would ruin that for her?”
When he put it that way, Tess felt like a heel. Not wanting him to think she was a total jerk, she defended her previous statement. “You don’t know that she’s having fun. In fact, she probably isn’t. Mo doesn’t like going to fancy functions. I practically had to drag her here. She’s probably anxious for me to come rescue her.” Tess knew that last bit was taking it a bit far, but she felt desperate to prove that she had Mo’s best interest at heart.
Sebastian’s rich brown eyes sparkled with amusement. “You think so?” he asked as he took Tess’s hand and led her to the window.
When Tess looked inside, it didn’t take long to find Mo and the prince. They had taken a break from dancing, but were now sitting close together, chatting, and gazing at each other as if they were the only two people in the room.
“Well, of course, she has to pretend to be engrossed in their conversation… He IS a prince.” Tess didn’t know why she was still defending her theory that Mo didn’t care for the prince, when it was obvious that she actually liked him very much.
“Mo doesn’t strike me as the type of person to be disingenuous about anything––especially not something that important,” Sebastian weighed in.
Tess couldn’t explain the instant flare of jealousy. Did Sebastian like Mo too? Had they slipped into some alternate universe where every man was attracted to Mo?
Overwhelming guilt immediately followed the flash of envy. It wasn’t at all ridiculous to think that two men might be interested in Mo. She was a wonderful, funny, kind, and lovable person. Tess was simply used to most men gravitating towards her. This new pecking order where Mo was the hot commodity was going to take some getting used to. She certainly didn’t begrudge her friend the attention. Sh
e simply was unfamiliar with being second choice––or, more accurately––not chosen at all.
Swallowing her pride, Tess turned to Sebastian and said, “You’re right. Mo is honest, loyal, and an all-around amazing human being. I’m sorry the prince is ruining your shot with her. Now, if you’ll excuse me…”
Tess had already turned away and taken a step towards the doors to go back inside when Sebastian reached out and took her elbow to stop her. “Hold up a second, please.”
When Tess turned, she couldn’t keep the hope at bay that he was going to set the record straight and say he was actually interested in her, not Mo. Even though she knew it was by all rights Mo’s turn to have suitors chasing after her, Tess didn’t like being the odd woman out.
“Yes?” she asked as she turned back to face him. Her voice had taken on a mysterious husky quality that she hoped sounded sexy, not congested.
She was delighted to discover when Sebastian smiled down at her that he had an adorable dimple on his left cheek that she hadn’t noticed earlier. It made him look even more handsome. Her eyelashes fluttered at him of their own accord as she gave him her best flirty smile in return.
“Umm… my jacket?” Sebastian said, completely deflating her high hopes.
Tess yanked the suit coat off her shoulders and tossed it at him, hitting him square in the chest. With a frustrated huff of annoyance, she turned and flounced back inside the museum. As the door slowly closed behind her, she was almost certain that she heard him chuckling in amusement.
4
Using her spike of annoyance as fuel, Tess barged up to the table where Mo and the prince were canoodling. “Are you ready to go?” she asked the woman without preamble.
“What?... Go?...” Mo gave her a wide-eyed stare, obviously caught off-guard by her friend’s abruptness.
“Yes. I’m ready to leave. Are you?” Tess clarified, since Mo seemed to be lost in moony-eyed oblivion.
“Oh, umm, okay,” Mo looked crestfallen.
“Don’t leave yet. Please.” The prince pleaded with Mo.
Seeming torn about what to do, Mo looked up at Tess, who was hovering over them. “Maybe you could take the car, and I’ll grab a cab later,” she offered a compromise.
“Tess isn’t driving.” Sebastian’s voice startled Tess. She hadn’t realized that he had walked up behind her. “She’s had too much to drink,” he revealed to the others, making Tess’s cheeks flare red-hot with embarrassment.
“Oh, then no, you can’t drive,” Mo stared up at Tess, daring her to object. The two of them had always agreed to keep each other from driving under the influence.
Knowing that she had promised her best friend that she would never put herself in danger by driving drunk, Tess lamented. “I’ll grab a taxi. You stay here and have fun, then drive yourself home later in the car.” She wanted to make it clear that she expected Mo to leave alone, rather than joining the prince for a one-night stand that she would surely regret the next day.
“Fair enough,” Mo agreed, with a shy smile up at her friend.
Tess had never seen Mo be bashful about anything. She feared that her friend might be falling into insta-love with the prince, who would likely not return her feelings. The last thing she wanted was to see her friend get hurt by a cocky royal, but she wasn’t sure what she could do at this point to stop it.
After digging in her tiny, sparkly evening bag, Tess retrieved the car keys and tossed them to Mo. “Be safe,” she told her friend. She hoped that Mo understood she meant both physically and emotionally safe. Mo had never had a truly strong connection with a man, so Tess worried that the prince could easily break the woman’s heart.
“Will do,” Mo responded flippantly, and Tess knew that she hadn’t caught the deeper meaning of her words.
When the two of them stared up at her from their chairs, Tess didn’t see a viable alternative other than to leave. With a wave, she whirled around and slammed into Sebastian. She hadn’t realized he was standing so closely behind her.
“Oomph.” They were both startled by the collision, but Sebastian reacted quickly and grabbed Tess’s arm to steady her. Stunned, they stared into each other’s eyes for a long moment.
Breaking the spell, Tess snapped, “I didn’t know you were lurking right behind me.”
Ignoring her snippiness, Sebastian smoothly tucked her arm within his and led her out of the ballroom with their elbows locked together.
Even that formal connection felt marvelous, which made Tess nervous. Yanking her arm away a little too harshly, she said, “What is this the 1950s?”
She hated the tone of her voice, as well as the mean sentiment, but she couldn’t seem to control her outbursts toward Sebastian. Seeking an excuse for her ill-mannered behavior, she decided that she must be a mean drunk. That was perfectly fine with her because she didn’t like the floating dizzy feeling she was currently experiencing.
Seeming unaffected by her prickliness, Sebastian casually slung an arm around her shoulders as they walked outside. It was a good thing she didn’t brush him off this time because she stumbled on the first step outside the museum. He deftly caught her, securing her tightly against his body and keeping her from tumbling down the flight of concrete steps.
“Thanks,” she mumbled, silently admitting that it was a good thing he was there.
Taking advantage of the moment, Sebastian used his free hand to lift her chin. “Anytime,” he shined a dazzling smile down at her.
Tess refused to be charmed, but it was difficult to ignore the racing heartbeat and sweaty palms that accompanied being this near him. Pulling back from him, she chose instead to steady herself with the elaborately detailed, wrought iron stair railing.
Unwilling to be deterred, Sebastian remained by her side as Tess descended the steps. She assumed that he wanted to see her safely to the street, so the prince’s evening with Mo wouldn’t be disturbed by a visit to the hospital to check on her tipsy friend after a fall down the steps.
When they finally reached the street level, Tess craned her neck to look for a cab. Instead, Sebastian led her to a waiting limo.
“What do you think you’re doing? I’m not going home with you!” Tess was appalled that he would be willing to take advantage of her when she was inebriated. She might not be in her right mind, but she was still aware enough to know that she wasn’t spending the night with the prince’s lackey, whom she had just met.
“Don’t worry. I’m not going to touch you tonight.” Sebastian had the gall to laugh as if the mere idea of it was ridiculous.
White-hot anger flared within Tess. It wasn’t that outrageous of an assumption. Most men would be happy to take advantage of her weak moment. It took a beat for the fact that he had said ‘tonight’ to dawn on her. As much as she didn’t want to admit it, that word intrigued her. She couldn’t help but latch on to it and wonder if he planned to touch her at a later date.
In a snit, she ignored that curiosity and said instead, “You got that right.”
The fact that he looked amused by her attitude only served to escalate her irritation.
“I would like to see you safely home in our car, if you’ll allow it. You have my word––as a gentleman––that I will not make a move on you,” Sebastian said.
Sincerity rang true in his voice and in the open, disarming gaze he gave her. She found it odd that he referred to the prince’s limo as ‘our car.’ Her guess was that the prince wouldn’t approve of his word choice.
She steadfastly refused to acknowledge the surge of disappointment that coursed through her when he promised not to make a move on her. Deciding that the alcohol in her system must be making her brain go haywire, she said, “Fine” and climbed into the back of the plush and shiny black limo.
With a mischievous glint in her eyes as she settled into the seat, she wondered if she might be able to get Sebastian to break his promise.
5
True to his word, Sebastian sat on the far end of the seat––as far
from Tess as physically possible. She rattled off the address for the driver before setting her sights on Sebastian.
It wasn’t Tess’s normal style to be the aggressor with a man, but the glasses of wine she had downed earlier made her feel brave and alluring. Besides, Sebastian’s insinuation that the idea of the two of them was laughable felt like a challenge to prove him wrong.
Trying to be sexy, she scooted across the smooth leather seat to his side of the car. “Hi,” she purred in her raspiest voice. She hoped it sounded seductive.
Proving that her attempt at allure had fallen flat, Sebastian responded, “Hello.” His voice didn’t betray even the slightest hint of interest in her.
His lack of enthusiasm did nothing to deter her. In fact, it spurred her on in her quest. Leaning in, she let her hot breath hover over his ear before nibbling softly on the lobe. When she replaced her teeth with her lips, he sucked in a deep breath. It was the first chink in his armor that he had revealed. Taking advantage of the momentary weakness, she dropped light kisses along the side of his neck.
Grasping her firmly by the shoulders and easing her away, Sebastian said, “What are you doing?”
“Having fun,” she murmured, already angling back in his direction. When he used his grip on her shoulders to keep her from coming closer, she pouted, “Loosen up a little.”
“You’ve had too much to drink. You’re not thinking clearly.” He softened the scolding by adding, “I don’t want to do anything that you might regret tomorrow.”
Even though she knew that his refusal to take advantage of her should have been endearing and comforting, her tipsy mind felt spurned. Crossing her arms and looking out the far window, she tried to keep the threatening tears from spilling over.