“Even if I don’t want you.” The words felt like a lie the moment they escaped her mouth. Gabrielle flushed, fighting the lust blossoming within her for the infuriating man.
His demeanor shifted almost imperceptibly.
The blunt professionalism had been breached.
A hint of a smile played at the corners of his mouth as his eyes swirled with unrestrained desire. His gaze dropped to her lips and lingered there for a long moment before rising back to her eyes.
Battle lines were drawn between them.
Gabrielle feared she would be the first to wave the white flag as the most inappropriate thoughts crowded her mind. Like what it would feel like to have his full mouth pressed against hers. Or to have those strong arms wrapped around her body, caressing her and holding her close. And going dangerously further to imagine what kind of Greek god of a body was hidden underneath all those clothes. Her heart rate quickened as she shook the thoughts away.
“Serena gave me a job, and I will do it. Whether you like it or not.” His matter-of-fact tone irked her. Frustration reared its ugly head as she fought to maintain some semblance of calm.
“Job?” She scoffed and shook her head. “Fine. What’s your name?”
An expression she couldn’t read flashed across his face, but he recovered quickly and responded. “Sebastian.”
Gabrielle rolled her eyes. “There’s no way you’re Sebastian.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “Sebastian was a skinny homeless stray my brother brought back from L.A. decades ago. He looked like an Eminem wannabe with platinum blond hair and wore his pants sagging like some thug. But that didn’t stop my parents from setting him up with a host family and fawning over him as he got his life together and did everything normal kids do. But some way when he did them, he was special and a star. I got sick of hearing about how perfect Sebastian was, how well he was doing in school, and what a polite gentleman he was growing up to be. He made me look bad at every turn. There’s no way you’re the same guy …”
Her words faltered as his eyes smoldered with anger.
“You forgot to mention how you had tantrums anytime I was invited to your house for a home-cooked meal. As a homeless kid, I never knew when I’d find food. I spent more nights lulled to sleep by my growling stomach because I refused to keep scrounging in trash cans for remnants of gnawed junk food left behind. When I came to the island, I wasn’t trying to ruin your life. I appreciated your family’s kindness in giving me a fresh start as a foreign exchange student,” Sebastian said, then stepped closer toward her. His face had turned to stone, rigid with anger, as he stared daggers at her. “And let’s not forget how you stood on the sidelines while the college dicks who wanted to get in your panties roughed me up every weekend to impress you. But maybe in a cruel, twisted way, I owe you, Gabrielle. All of those experiences made me stronger and tougher. Made me the kind of man that your family trusts with your life. I wouldn’t be anywhere near you if it were up to me. But I owe the King Family a lot, which means I can put aside my personal feelings for you and make sure that no one harms a hair on your entitled little head.”
Gabrielle cringed. One of the tenets of her Emerge Anew platform was “own and speak your truth.” But sometimes, she should keep her mouth shut. Speaking her truth shouldn’t include tearing down the reality of another. She felt horrible.
There was no denying she resented Sebastian growing up. When her family returned from a trip to California blabbing about a kid they’d rescued from living on the streets of L.A., she’d lost any chance of ever being the focus of her parents’ attention. Every member of the King Family knew that Serena was her mother’s favorite and Ike was her father’s.
Gabrielle was the unexpected child her parents never intended to have. They made little effort to raise her, handing over those duties to other family members and a revolving door of nannies. Of course, she was pissed when they brought home another kid only a few years older than her, who inspired them to give all the love and attention she craved for herself.
But she wasn’t a kid anymore. She was too damn old to harbor resentment toward Sebastian Luttrell after all these years. It wasn’t his fault. Her parents had years to make up for their mistakes of ignoring her as a child, but they’d done nothing but double down on the distance between them by sending her away when she needed them the most. Now they were missing, and the likelihood that they’d fix the broken relationship was shrinking with each passing day.
It wasn’t fair of her to take any of this out on Sebastian.
It was pretty pathetic.
“Sebastian, I—”
“As I tried to explain to you earlier, I’ve devised a secure route to facilitate your exit from the airport and minimize the chance the protesters could get close enough to harm you. Unfortunately, this also means you won’t be able to stop and greet your fans,” Sebastian said. The strain that had flared between them had dissipated, at least for him. “You won’t be able to sign autographs. There will be no statements made to the press. I’ll be by your side the entire time and will step in if I detect a threat. Do not—I repeat—do not try to deviate from the plan. My sole focus is to ensure your safety.”
“So, you’re not going to let me apologize to you?” Gabrielle asked, gripping her butterfly pendant.
Sebastian stared at her fingers, holding the diamond charm for a long moment, then said, “You never need to apologize to me.”
His words arrested her as if he understood the flawed perspective of her childhood that had driven her to mistreat him years ago. Maybe he also understood how the chasm between her and her parents at the time of their disappearance could cause those old feelings to resurface within her.
She didn’t know how to respond and figured staying quiet was her best move. Hadn’t she already said enough?
Taking a tentative step toward him, she stared into his eyes, which had lost all the hard edges and transformed into smoldering warm pools full of empathy. The look on her face must have settled things for him since he launched into instructions on the exit plan.
“Stacy will bring your bags off the plane. When you get outside, follow the yellow-painted line across the runway to the private hangar. The limousine is waiting inside to take you to the marina, where we’ll catch the yacht to St. Felipe. Are you ready?” Sebastian extended a hand toward the plane’s cabin door, encouraging her to do what she’d been so eager to do only minutes earlier.
Inhaling a deep breath, Gabrielle nodded. She walked past him to grab her purse, then headed to the door. As she emerged through the opening, cheers greeted her, drowning out the few protest chants. The island sun warmed her face, and she inhaled the salty sea air. Lifting a hand, she waved to the crowd as they cheered louder, waving signs and beckoning for her to come closer.
A soft caress pressed against the small of her back. She glanced behind to see Sebastian donning dark sunglasses and a stony expression. Only inches separated them, which she found oddly comforting.
As she descended the last step, Gabrielle turned toward the private airport gate. Goosebumps peppered her skin despite the stifling humid air.
A foreboding engulfed her.
