by Zoe Ann Wood
“I’m Lori, by the way,” she said, skipping over a missing cobblestone and trying to keep up with him; he’d picked up his pace again as if he was desperate to escape her. Which was kind of depressing, now she thought about it. “Well, Lorelei,” she added, words tumbling from her mouth to cover the embarrassing silences this man seemed to be so comfortable with. “But everyone calls me Lori.”
He stopped, and she nearly bumped into him.
Turning to her, he extended his hand. “Sebastian. Pleased to meet you.”
Oh my. Lori took his hand, worrying for a moment that her fingers might be clammy, that her squeeze might not be strong enough. But he enveloped her smaller hand in his—all she could think of was how warm and strong he was. Staring into his eyes, she marveled at the way they seemed almost green in this golden evening light.
He was looking at her lips, she was sure of it.
Lori’s thoughts blanked out. Oh, there was no doubt in her mind this man would know how to kiss. He oozed confidence—the kind that came from real experience, not an overinflated ego.
What was she doing?
Lori blinked and pulled away from him, wary of the way her instincts clamored at her to simply close the distance between them. Was he warm all over? She was certain he was strong; his suit did nothing to disguise his broad shoulders and powerful arms.
He was also a stranger. American, sure, but an unknown entity—he hadn’t even given her his last name. Which was fine by her. They would go to the store, buy her a phone, then go their separate ways.
Sebastian cleared his throat and stepped back. “We should move. They’ll be closing the store soon.”
She had no idea whether that was true, but it was as good a reason as any to keep moving and forget the awkward moment that had occurred.
As they walked on, she made no more effort to restart their conversation. Instead, she berated herself—why couldn’t she find a classy, worldly subject to chat about? If she were more confident, she would have charmed him, for sure.
She was in Vienna to have fun, after all, as mandated by her grandmother’s will. The old lady had played a cruel trick on her granddaughter—Lori was supposed to travel to Vienna with her grandmother’s ashes, have them buried in the old family tomb in the Achterns cemetery, and have fun. If Lori didn’t meet those requirements within three months of her grandmother’s death, the old house and all her grandmother’s money—a whopping forty thousand dollars that grandma had somehow managed to squirrel away—would pass on to Lori’s distant cousin, Nicky, whom she hadn’t even heard of. Her grandma wouldn’t be leaving a cent to Lori’s mother, that was for sure. She’d likely written the will to be completely ironclad for the express purpose of leaving her only daughter out of her inheritance. Lori couldn’t say she blamed her grandma. Her mother wasn’t exactly a paragon of virtue.
And wouldn’t flirting with a handsome stranger count as fun? Though she’d have to document the entire thing and send it to her grandmother’s evil lawyer, so that wouldn’t work at all.
She sighed, suddenly tired. Her jet lag and an entire day bustling from one tourist attraction to another were enough to wear her out. What she wanted most in that moment was to buy some croissants from one of the many bakeries she’d seen in the streets, crawl into her hotel room bed, and leave crumbs all over the sheets while she watched something mindless on television.
“There it is.” Sebastian’s low voice pierced her thoughts.
They’d arrived at the store.
Twenty minutes later, Lori was holding her new phone that was equipped with a cute polka dot case and a screen protector film, signing into her various social media accounts to see if everything worked properly.
“Thank you so much,” she said, glancing up at the man who’d orchestrated this entire thing.
They’d arrived five minutes before the closing time, but Sebastian had murmured something to the employee—Lori was fairly certain money had changed hands. The employee was all smiles when she ushered them into the empty store and proceeded to sell them the newest phone model with all the bells and whistles.
Sitting next to Sebastian while the woman transferred all her data from her old phone to the new one, Lori had taken the thousand euro from her purse and slipped it into Sebastian’s hand under the table.
He’d glanced down and frowned at the money as though he’d forgotten all about it.
She couldn’t figure him out. Why was he still there? He stood in front of her, waiting while she fiddled with her phone’s settings, even though he’d more than fulfilled any obligations he had toward her.
Self-conscious, she put the phone away. She could explore it later; she really shouldn’t waste any time while in the company of this quiet, intriguing man.
“I want to take you to dinner,” he said suddenly.
Lori froze, her hand still on her purse, and stared at him. “I’m sorry?”
His gaze was fixed somewhere above her head, and his face didn’t show a sliver of emotion. “I have a dinner reservation in half an hour. I would like you to accompany me.”
Well. Lori glanced down at herself, at her slightly scuffed ballet flats and cotton summer dress, catching herself just short of sniffing her shoulder to check whether she was as sweaty as she thought. After a full day in the sun, she was hardly fresh—or restaurant-ready.
And Sebastian’s choice of restaurant wouldn’t be some hole-in-the-wall Austrian brewery either.
“I’m…flattered, but I don’t think I’m dressed for the occasion,” she replied. A voice inside her screamed, What are you doing? He invited you to dinner!
In truth, he hadn’t invited her anywhere. He hadn’t asked a single thing. But since she wasn’t going with him, she wouldn’t bother pointing that out at him. He seemed like a man who was accustomed to obedience, to having his whims met with nothing but swift acquiescence.
His gaze now raked down her front. “You look fine. Come, it’s a ten-minute walk from here.”
He turned and continued down the street toward the center of the city. Lori remained rooted to the spot, dimly aware that the saleswoman from earlier was now locking the shop behind her.
Sebastian slowed and glanced over his shoulder. “Lorelei.”
The way he said her name, so it was both an order and a caress, sent a shiver down her spine, but she couldn’t. This man was so far out of her league, he might as well be all the way up on the moon. It wasn’t just his incredible good looks—he reeked of class and experience, of power and command.
Such a man would chew her up and spit her out, and she’d be left behind, ruined.
Several yards now separated them, yet she still felt his magnetic pull. He stood very still, his arms crossed over his chest.
“What’s bothering you, apart from your clothes?” he asked.
Lori opened her mouth, then shut it again. After a moment, she replied, “I don’t know you. But I don’t think you’re the kind of man I should get involved with.”
He scowled at that. “You’re not wrong. But we’re not ‘getting involved.’ I’m buying you dinner, because I heard your stomach growling earlier in the shop, and then I’m going to escort you to your hotel and leave you be.”
Oh. How embarrassing. A flush crept into her cheeks, and she was aware that she was now sweaty, red in the face, and underdressed.
She clutched the strap of her purse, mortification spreading through her veins. “I wouldn’t be comfortable, wherever you’re going. I’m sure it’s a very nice place, right? Do you see why that would bother me?”
Maybe he didn’t. Maybe he was so far removed from her world that this never even crossed his mind.
But for the first time, a small smile curled his lips. “Will you trust me if I tell you it’s not going to be an issue?”
Lori thought about it. There was that spark between them, the expression in his eyes beckoning her, telling her to give in. Have fun. This was exactly what she was supposed to be doing here in Vienna. Having fun. No
t just because her grandmother’s will had ordered it, but because she deserved to have a good time.
She wanted this gorgeous man to take her out for dinner, wanted to feel as though she was the center of his attention. So she relaxed the death grip on her purse strap and heaved one big, shuddering breath.
“Okay.”
Three
Sebastian
There was nothing as thrilling as a beautiful woman giving him her trust. Lorelei—even her name was fascinating—gave him a tiny, shy smile when he held the door of the restaurant open for her. It was a gentlemanly gesture ingrained in him since childhood, but it had the added bonus of allowing him to swipe his gaze over her lush figure and the way her hips swayed with unconscious grace.
A harried waiter bustled past them, carrying a tray full of drinks, and the chatter of the patrons was a wall of noise. He never would have frequented such a restaurant in the States, but here, he couldn’t help but see a certain appeal in the chaos.
“Do you have a reservation?” another waiter barked. “We’re full.”
Sebastian glanced over his shoulder to where Lorelei was reading a menu, and quietly replied, “Yes, under Lynch. It was for one person, but we’d like a table for two, please.” He slipped the man a fifty-euro bill—it was his experience that potential problems were resolved quickly when a person was properly motivated.
Within seconds, they were being shown to a small table in the back of the restaurant. The scent of fried meat and potatoes hung in the air, stuffy but not entirely unpleasant. Then a thought occurred to him, and he turned back to Lorelei with a frown.
“You’re not a vegetarian, are you?”
Her eyes twinkled as she said, “Nope.”
He nodded and pulled out a chair for her. She seemed flustered, her cheeks still pink, but she allowed him to push her closer to the table. Digging into her purse, she replaced the sunglasses on the top of her head with prescription glasses.
Sebastian stifled a quiet groan. She now looked like a prim schoolteacher, that floral dress so proper and so tantalizing at the same time.
“This isn’t the kind of place I’d imagined,” she told him.
He appreciated her honesty; she’d likely pictured some classy, dimly lit lounge with tiny portions of food on gigantic white plates.
“You’ll understand once you’ve had the schnitzel.”
She grinned at that. “The schnitzel?”
“I discovered this place several years ago. There’s nothing like it in the world.”
Her eyebrows went up. “Well, now I have unreasonable expectations of this schnitzel.”
She was teasing him, and he found that he enjoyed it. It wasn’t often that the people in his life dared to tease him, which was either annoying or disappointing, he couldn’t quite decide. Sebastian knew she was only doing it because she didn’t know who he was, which was why he was determined to keep it that way.
“So, what brings you to Vienna, Sebastian?”
She set her elbows on the table. The din of the restaurant created an odd little bubble around them; they had to move closer to hear each other, but nobody could listen in on their conversation, either.
“I’m…” He paused, considering her question. “What do you say to this: no personal details? Let’s not do the whole life-story thing. We’re just a man and a woman, having dinner in one of the most beautiful cities in the world.”
For a long moment, she studied him, her dark eyes shrewdly assessing. She wasn’t as innocent as she’d seemed at first glance, Lorelei. Her gaze held enough knowledge of the world that she didn’t trust his request.
“Fine.” She pulled her napkin off the table and placed it in her lap.
Something in Sebastian’s chest jumped at the sight. She wasn’t leaving.
“Fine? Just like that?”
“You’re not the only one with secrets, Mr. Mysterious.”
She sent him a coy look from under her lashes. Sebastian grinned at her. She flushed a darker pink, and he grinned harder; she wasn’t immune to him, either. Good. This evening was about to get interesting.
Ordering for both of them, he had to fight back a smile at her glower. If this was their first date back home, he would have started more gently. But they didn’t have that kind of luxury now. They had one evening to enjoy each other’s company, and this was the way he was. No use pretending in front of her, since he wouldn’t see her again after tonight.
The thought stopped him short. He wanted to impress her, too—that might have been the reason he took charge. It was an unfamiliar emotion.
Beside him, the waiter stepped closer as though afraid to miss his words.
Sebastian shook it off and ordered both beer and sparkling water, then waited for the black-clad man to disappear toward the kitchen. When had his concern for Lorelei turned into this determination to get to know her better?
He could picture it now, the way she’d fight him, respond to him. Her will against his—sparks would fly for sure.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” she asked, moving her water glass an inch to the left.
“Like what?” This ought to be interesting.
“Like you’re hungry. I’m not a schnitzel, you know.”
Sebastian laughed, leaning back in his chair. She was delightful.
Her eyes flashed, and her eyebrows snapped down. “Just because you bought me a phone and dinner, that doesn’t mean I’ll sleep with you.”
“I don’t recall demanding anything from you in return.”
She huffed, deflating, and studied him for a long moment. “It’s just… I don’t want to lead you on. If you thought this was heading somewhere, I have to…make it clear to you. I’m not for sale.”
Her words were honest, more candid than he was used to, but so refreshing. All her cards on the table, Lorelei looked as if she might bolt at any moment.
He placed his hand on the table, palm up, in easy reach of her fingers. A peace offering. “I’m sorry for coming on to you so strongly. I’d never…” He swallowed and picked his next words with care. “If, at the end of this meal, you wish to return to your life and never see me again, I will kiss your hand and walk away. I would never presume.”
Hesitantly, she inched her hand forward and rested it on top of his. Her slight fingers were warm and graceful. He resisted the urge to grab hold of them and tug her closer. Instead, he brushed his fingertips over the pulse point at her wrist and felt her heartbeat against his skin.
“You will?” she asked, not breaking her gaze. Her brown eyes were wide open, concerned, but also trusting.
“Mm. I’d never impose on a woman’s time.” He fixed her with a look. “But if you decide that I’m worth your time, you won’t regret it.”
Her pulse fluttered under his fingers, and he instinctively lifted her hand to press a soft, almost chaste kiss to the inside of her wrist.
She let out a shaky laugh and withdrew her fingers from his. “Oh my, you’re smooth.” Fanning herself with her hand, she leaned back in her chair.
Sebastian knew what she was doing. She needed her distance, needed time to decide.
He’d wait. He could be patient. And he had a feeling that Lorelei would be worth every second of uncertainty.
Four
Lori
The man was as dangerous as radioactive plutonium. She was afraid of touching him, afraid of the power he had over her already.
Their food arrived, giant schnitzels that hung over the edges of their plates—but they were cut super thin and fried to crispy perfection.
“Mm,” she murmured. “I get it now. Thank you for bringing me here.”
His satisfied smile was beautiful; she had a feeling he wasn’t a man who laughed a lot, so every tug of his lips brought her a little thrill. Her entire body felt electrified. She was on to him— he was rationing out brief brushes of their fingers, shifting his legs under the table so the smooth material of his trousers slid along her calf.
&nbs
p; By the time the waiter brought their bill, Lori was reduced to a quivering mess. Which was exactly why she wouldn’t be accepting his invitation tonight. Nothing good would come of this. He was the kind of man who would roll over her and leave her broken. With her past boyfriends, she’d always held on to her control, but Sebastian would never allow that. And she would change herself to please him.
No, the thought alone was enough to sober her. This wouldn’t be the fun she was searching for in Vienna, but rather had heartbreak written all over it.
He glanced her way, his brilliant gaze finding hers, and she knew he somehow sensed the change in her mood. He didn’t say anything, though, only handed over his card to the waiter without glancing at the bill, and stood, walking around the table to pull out her chair.
Which left her feeling like a princess, for some reason, even though her dress was now severely wrinkled.
He didn’t crowd her, didn’t invade her personal space, for which she was intensely grateful—if he even brushed against her, she wasn’t sure she would be able to resist him.
He held out his hand. Lori stared at it for a second, then looked him in the eye. He was waiting patiently, without a hint of judgment. That was why she surrendered her hand and let him lead her out of the restaurant.
But when they reached the street, she pulled away. “I’m sorry, Sebastian,” she said, keeping her voice low to keep their conversation private.
Tourists and locals hurried past, conversations in various languages echoing off the centuries-old walls around them.
The corner of his lips tipped up. “I take it you’re not accepting my invitation?”
She shook her head. “I don’t… I’m not used to this.” She waved a hand between them to indicate…what? The insane attraction? The fact that he was clearly from a different world? “I’m not sure how to do any of this.”
With the men she’d tried to date back home, she’d had zero chemistry, but none of them were this…dangerous. No, that wasn’t the right word—she wasn’t scared of Sebastian. Her apprehension stemmed from being severely out of her depth with him.