by Zoe Ann Wood
“Hmm.” He stepped closer, then reached out and tucked her hair behind her ear. He slid his fingers over her cheekbone, down to her chin, and tipped it up slightly so she was forced to meet his gaze.
Lori held her breath, waiting to see what he would do. If he kissed her…
But no, he released her and moved back, a satisfied smile now curling his handsome lips. “I would like you to accompany me to an event tomorrow.”
Lori blinked. “I’m sorry?”
“There’s a premiere at the opera house at eight,” he said, putting his hands in his pockets. “It’s a ballet, The Sleeping Beauty, if I remember correctly. I have two tickets. A prospective client and his wife will be attending.”
There was a flicker of something on his face that had her thinking he wasn’t telling her the whole truth. Two tickets, huh?
“I…” She started to refuse him out of reflex, following her earlier this-will-lead-to-pain logic, but then she thought of her grandmother’s list. She was fairly sure there was a bullet point on it that said ‘see a show.’ She’d meant to find some small local pub that did live music, enjoy a glass of cold beer, and take some photos as proof. But ‘a show’ could really mean anything. It could mean a ballet performance in Vienna’s most prestigious institution.
Sebastian must have sensed her indecision, because he moved in like a shark. “I’ll throw in a dinner before the show,” he said, smiling down at her.
As if she needed more incentive. But agreeing felt strangely like defeat. Surely her resolve was stronger than that.
But the ballet. Think of the ballet. With a full orchestra. And he’d have fantastic seats.
Lori groaned, closing her eyes for a beat. “You make refusing really hard.”
“Then don’t refuse me,” he replied.
Warm fingers brushed her shoulder, sending a shiver through her. If he kept this sensual onslaught up the following night, she would most definitely cave and go to his hotel with him.
And would that be so bad?
She was running out of real reasons to deny him. She could almost hear her best friend’s voice in her ear, urging her to take the leap.
On the cusp of agreeing, she blurted out, “Give me a day.”
Sebastian cocked his head to the side. “A day?”
A flush crept up her neck, heating her skin. Even the cooling night air did nothing to calm her. “I don’t know you,” she explained, lifting her chin and trying to appear firm. “If you spend a day with me, I’ll have a better sense of who you are.”
His gaze darkened, his eyebrows creasing into a frown. “I thought we’d agreed on keeping this in the present. No personal details.” He rubbed his chin, adding, “Your suggestion defeats the purpose.”
She was right to have given him that request. Surely a man with a clear conscience wouldn’t be this secretive. “There’s no need for personal details. I hope that in spending more time together, I’ll get a better sense of the man you are.” She shrugged. “If either of us doesn’t like what we’re seeing by the end of the day, we’ll walk away. That’s my condition.”
A part of her screamed that she was being obstinate—difficult, even. But in her gut, she knew she was doing the right thing. She didn’t know Sebastian No-Last-Name. All she had to go on were her intuition and his promise that he wasn’t in the Mafia. Which wouldn’t be worth much if anything happened to her.
Though the truth was that she wouldn’t have had dinner with the guy if she’d felt even slightly unsafe around him. She wouldn’t have followed him to the Apple store but would have grabbed the thousand euro he’d handed her and run for her life.
And yet here she was, still buzzing from his touch, three hours later. Waiting for his answer.
“I have a meeting in the afternoon,” he said finally. “But I can spend the morning with you. We can even do lunch. Will that do?”
Lori barely kept her face from splitting into a huge, happy grin. Allowing herself a small smile, she nodded. “Yes, that sounds good.”
“Shall I pick you up at nine, then?”
There he went, trying to take charge again.
“Where are you staying?” she asked him.
“At the Chateau d’Or Hotel on the Kärntner Ring. Not far from the opera, actually,” he replied without pause.
“Good. Then I’ll meet you there at eight-thirty.”
He opened his mouth and closed it again. She had a feeling this went against all his habits.
But at last, he said, “Very well.”
“Wear something casual,” she added, just to be cheeky.
He rolled his eyes and glanced past her down the quiet street. It was still early in the evening, but even this close to the city’s historic center, the noise of the day was dying down.
“You won’t let me walk you to your hotel, will you?” he asked. His expression told her how unappealing he found that thought.
“Nope,” she said anyway. “I can’t very well tell you where I live, can I?”
“Will you at least text me to let me know you’ve arrived safely?” he asked.
His concern melted her heart a bit more. “Of course.”
The smile he gave her then was all wolf. “You’ll need my number for that.”
Lori laughed. “True.” She handed over her phone to let him type in his digits, then put it back into her purse. “Goodnight, Sebastian,” she said softly. As much as she wanted this evening to continue, she’d just won a small battle. She needed to stay strong and leave.
“Goodnight, Lorelei.” In a swift move, he swooped down—not to kiss her, but to whisper in her ear, “Dream of me.”
She caught a whiff of his enticing scent, but he pulled away just as fast, leaving her wanting more. With a nod, he walked away backward, slowly widening the distance between them.
Turning her back on him before he could do the same, Lori heaved a big sigh. Tomorrow would be interesting.
Back in her hotel room, Lori texted Sebastian to let him know she was safe. She didn’t want to worry him, even though she wasn’t used to checking in with anyone these days. Since her grandma had died, she’d been on her own, and only her best friend knew what her mission was in Vienna.
Well, the funeral part was widely known, though Lori didn’t expect a big turnout at the cemetery on Friday. But her grandma’s list… She hadn’t told anyone but Hannah about it.
Why would she? She’d thought she needed to do this alone.
Yet now Sebastian had agreed to give her a morning of his time. He didn’t know he was helping her out, which had guilt swirling through her. But there was nothing sinister in her request. Her list of tasks was just tourist attractions and famous foods; it wouldn’t hurt him.
Sighing, she poked through the photos she’d taken that day. She was glad she’d already crossed off ‘take a carriage ride’ from her list—dragging Sebastian along for that one would have had them looking too much like a newlywed couple. She’d seen others being driven around the city’s Innere Stadt, happy and waving at passersby. Something had pinched inside her chest at the sight—not jealousy, exactly, but a wistfulness, a melancholy hope that she would one day find the same kind of happiness.
Stop it, Lorelei. Her inner drill sergeant had her sitting up in bed, forcing her thoughts away. Instead, she plotted out several possible routes for the following day’s excursion, then chatted with Hannah on her Messenger app and debated the name of their future wedding-destination travel agency. It was a shared dream, and she’d work hard to make it a reality.
Then she forced herself to power down her phone at eleven, knowing she needed at least seven hours of sleep to be presentable the next morning. She went through her wardrobe choices for the following day and decided she was going to look cute and put together, even though Sebastian had shaken her sense of equilibrium.
Thinking of his last words to her, she climbed into bed and shut off the light. Dream of me. She was hoping she would.
Five
/> Sebastian
He was waiting in the hotel lobby at twenty minutes past eight, pretending he was absorbed in that morning’s paper but really watching the glass double doors for any sign of Lorelei.
Last night, she’d texted him that she’d arrived at her hotel but hadn’t sent him anything further after he’d wished her goodnight. The truth was he was worried he’d pushed her too far the previous evening. Yes, women usually liked being in his company, but there was always a chance that Lorelei was an exception.
He felt strangely unprotected without his suit jacket, and had had to order a new, plain pair of jeans and casual shoes to be brought to his room that morning. This was a work trip, not a tourist visit, so he’d only packed his shirts and suits—and gym shorts, but he thought those might be a bit too casual for Lorelei’s taste.
Luckily, every hotel such as this old institution knew how to cater to the demands of every guest, so the clothes and shoes had arrived while he’d still been sipping his morning macchiato. The smartly dressed middle-aged woman had taken one look at him, selected a pair of dark-blue jeans from the rack she’d wheeled into his room, and turned her back to him discreetly to allow him to try them on. They’d fit perfectly.
Now Sebastian wondered where Lorelei would take him that morning. One of the many museums? The zoo? Vienna offered so many attractions, it was hard to guess.
Then suddenly, she was there. Standing in front of the hotel, glancing up at the imposing old building that had been renovated to become one of the most luxurious hotels in Europe. It seemed she was deliberating whether to come in or not. Sebastian put the newspaper on the table, moving slowly in case she could see him. His first instinct was to rush out there, grab her, and drag her to his room to convince her that she should give him a chance. But that would be a mistake. A rookie misstep.
But oh, how he wanted her. Yesterday’s evening had been the highlight of his month, which was saying something, considering he’d traveled to Osaka and Edinburgh in that time and had attended two very upscale charity galas.
He’d been doing more than his fair share of social appearances in the six months that had followed his father’s death. The board members of the company he’d inherited had insisted on it. The increased demands on his time were the last straw that had ended his previous relationship—Jasmine, who was lovely and well-connected, didn’t want to be paraded around the world on his arm and instead decided to focus on her career as a top-notch divorce attorney. A smart woman, all round, but she’d left him at a time when he’d needed something constant in his life.
Someone who would stay by his side and not escape at the first sign of conflict.
Lorelei would not be that woman, either. Her life, wherever she was from, was likely calm and happy. She seemed like she might have a large family who loved her. She probably attended church every Sunday and baked cookies with her nieces.
He wanted a sip of that wholesomeness. Just a taste, before he was dragged back into the morass that was his life. Opulent as it was, he sometimes wanted to put it on hold and pretend he was someone else for a day. And Lorelei would be that chance for him.
He smiled to himself. This was likely what she was doing as well, agreeing to go to the opera with him, even though they were strangers. And he was glad to help. He’d shower her with attention and give her the night of her life. Then they’d both return home and forget all about Vienna.
His homecoming would not be a joyful event. The weight of his decision to close his father’s company had been sitting on his shoulders for weeks now, and his general mood had suffered because of it. It was why he’d snapped at Lorelei in that museum courtyard—coming off a ten-hour work binge, his nerves had been severely frayed.
Rubbing his sternum, he fought back a groan. He’d behaved like a grump, which was unlike him. His sister would flay him for it, he was sure.
Which reminded him… He’d have to come clean to his sister about their father’s scamming ways, and their mother would receive the shock of the century when she found out her beloved late husband had been a crook. It wasn’t a conversation he was looking forward to. But it would need to be done, sooner rather than later, if he wanted to extricate himself from that company.
Then Lorelei stepped into the lobby. Sebastian’s heart kicked into high gear; she’d come. She’d decided to take a chance on him.
“Good morning,” he greeted her, kissing her on the cheek. The move was natural as though he’d done it countless times before, but he heard her breath catch, and stifled a satisfied smile.
“Hi,” she said, her voice slightly raspy. “Are you ready to go?”
He spread his hands, as if to say ‘I’m yours to command.’ It…chafed. But he could let go of the reins for one morning and pretend to be a normal human being instead of a controlling billionaire heir of a possibly criminal empire.
She looked him up and down, flushed when she realized he was watching her ogle him, and cleared her throat. “I have several possible routes for today,” she said. “The choice depends on what sights you’ve already visited here.”
Sebastian thought for a moment. “Most of the museums in the Museum Quarter. Albertina. And the Schönbrunn Palace, of course.” The list wasn’t exhaustive, but those were just the most common choices. He wanted to give her a challenge, see if she’d gone a little way off the beaten track with her planning.
Lorelei pulled out her phone and brought up a notes app. “Hmm.” She thumbed through her list, then showed him the screen. “How about this one?”
Sebastian leaned closer and caught a heady whiff of her fragrance. Something floral with a hint of spice, perhaps. He focused on the bulleted list she’d prepared.
“I’ve never been to Prater,” he said, pointing at the first item. “And I don’t know what this might be. Shmett-house? Smut-house? That sounds promising.”
She winced at how he butchered the German word. “It’s Schmetterlinghaus—the Butterfly House.”
He frowned. “The Butterfly House.”
“Yes! I read it’s magical. It’s this greenhouse with hundreds of butterflies fluttering around you while you walk through it. Some are supposed to be as big as your hand.”
Her excitement was palpable, her eyes shining behind her black-framed glasses. If he were exploring the city on his own, a ‘greenhouse with butterflies’ would have sunk to the bottom of his list of preferred destinations. But maybe he could take some photos to send to his sister. Sophie would appreciate it.
“All right,” he said, pointing toward the door. “Lead the way.”
It turned out Lorelei had planned on them walking around the city. They had breakfast first, if eating the iconic Sachertorte could be called breakfast. Lorelei took a photo of her thick slab before digging in with obvious pleasure, and Sebastian groaned quietly, watching her lick the chocolate ganache off her lips.
Then they visited the Butterfly House, which lived up to its name and reputation, complete with actual caterpillars and chrysalises displayed to show the natural life cycle of the insects. He didn’t linger long over those exhibits—there was something sinister about all those wriggly, worm-like creatures.
Then they strolled through the city’s pedestrian-only old center, ducking into the crowded St. Stephen’s Cathedral. Lorelei lit a candle and stood still for a moment, silently gazing up toward the soaring Gothic ceiling. Despite the rush of tourists jostling all around them, she appeared so distant in that moment, he wasn’t sure she was aware of what was happening around them. Using the bulk of his body to keep people from bumping into her, he let her enjoy her quiet moment, until she blinked suddenly, then turned and graced him with a blinding smile that was just slightly edged in sadness.
He fought down the urge to ask her about the candle—who had she prayed for? But he’d made that rule up for a reason, to protect them both, and breaking it would require him to divulge too many secrets of his own.
Lorelei documented their progress through the city
with her phone and kept up a steady stream of conversation that somehow coaxed personal information from him without going into identity-revealing detail. He found himself telling her of their family summer vacations in Switzerland and the time he’d visited Patagonia with his best friend from college.
“You must have seen so much of the world,” she said, her expression growing wistful.
“Mm. It comes with the job.” That wasn’t exactly true—he’d taken most of his trips for the pure pleasure of traveling, but in recent months, trying to disentangle himself from his father’s legacy had become a full-time job that took him all across the globe.
They were walking from the St. Stephen’s Cathedral without a clear destination ahead, but he didn’t mind. He stepped closer to Lorelei to let a group of Korean tourists rush by, and when the pavement ahead was clear again, she didn’t move away from him. Instead, she tentatively touched his elbow, then slipped her hand into his.
“This way.” She tugged him left. “We need to get to Karlsplatz.”
He let her pretend that was the only reason they were holding hands. Her smaller fingers were warm and slight, and somehow felt incredibly right.
“I work at a travel agency,” she said, not looking up at him. “And don’t worry, that’s as much detail as I’m going to go into. But I’ve spent the past six years booking flights and hotels and sightseeing trips for people without ever leaving my city.”
“And now you’re here.” All on her own, too. “What changed?”
She shook her head. “I’d be crossing your line if I answered that question.”
There was something sad in her expression; Sebastian almost caved and told her to forget about his rule, to tell him what was bothering her.
But she added, “This was a last-minute decision.” Her full lips turned up into a sweet smile. “I’m really glad I came here. Or I wouldn’t have met you.”