Page 45 of Love Sanctioned

I glanced down at my watch, seeing it was time for me to head out for my meeting. “Speaking of, I have a meeting I need to attend at the restaurant down the street, so I’m gonna leave my car here and head there.” I slid out of the booth and hugged Amethyst.

“With whom?” My brother’s eyes were on me immediately.

“Probably my future. I’ll call you later.”

He sent me a mug but nodded. “Don’t fucking forget either.”

I nodded.

“I’ll be waiting on that call. Don’t have us pull up on you. I know where you stay,” Amethyst threatened, bringing a smile to my face.

“Oh, I know you do.”

I left the lounge and headed to the restaurant up the street. I didn’t know what to expect because I had never done anything like this before. This was sorta like a blind date. I didn’t know how this man looked, all I knew was I was meeting him here. Damn, it sounded sketchy.

When I walked into the restaurant, I smiled at the hostess. “I’m meeting somebody here. Seth Morris.”

She smiled immediately. “Oh right this way, Mr. Morris is waiting for you.”

When I was told this restaurant, I immediately assumed this was casual because Junnie and I ate here plenty of times. We ate in the main dining hall, nowhere near where she was leading me. We went through a set of sliding doors then out a set of garden doors and took a left before we found the awaiting private patio.

“I don’t care about any of that and you know I don’t. As long as the money is good, I’m good.” I didn’t see his face because he was facing the windows.

Then he turned around and the most beautiful set of hazel eyes landed on me. Shit, he was beautiful, something I didn’t expect. His features looked carefully structured, a broad forehead with cheekbones from the gods. His skin was the richest shade of medium brown with light texture to his complexion. Those almond shaped, hazel eyes gave off the most intense stare as his full lips sat against one another. He sported a short fade with a curly textured type of hair that connected to his precisely trimmed mustache.

“I’m busy. Call me later,” he said to whoever was on the line, then he slipped his phone into his pocket. “Karsyn, I presume.” His deep tenor greeted me as he moved toward the table, eyes locked on me.

I nodded. “Yes, and you are Seth.”

He chuckled, then pulled my chair out for me to sit. Seconds later he rounded the table and sat across from me.

After a brief silence of us looking at one another, a nervous giggle escaped my lips. “I have never done this before. Like ever. So excuse my apprehension.”

“No need, me neither. How about I tell you about myself and you tell me about yourself. Then we go from there?”

I nodded. “I’d like that.” From that moment he went in depth about his childhood, his life, and his family. He was so different, yet so similar to everyone here even though he didn’t live here. He came here on business but lived in a town in Michigan. His late father did business with Charles from time to time, so that was how this came about. Seth was thirty-five, the oldest of four, and came from a family with deep roots in the oil industry. A Leo, sort of a workaholic, and heavy into traveling. On paper he sold well, but there was something empty about his eyes.

Then I told him about myself minus my current situation. I kept it light, but in a way selling myself to this man like I needed him, which I didn’t. Did I?

“So, if you don’t mind me asking, why this route to find a wife?”

He chuckled. “Isn’t it obvious? I’m a workaholic. I need a marriage without all the foreplay. Bedroom foreplay is fine but dating and all that extra shit doesn’t pique my interest. It’s boring and I have better things to sink my attention into.”

“So what you’re saying is you don’t have time for a marriage.” I didn’t mean to frown, but I did.

“Not that at all. I don’t have time for the beginning stages, but once we’re in it, then we’re in it. I’ll give you the whole experience, doting husband, insatiable, and only eyes for you.”

What he said seemed rehearsed, but then again, maybe I was thinking too much into this.

“Now what about you? Why this route for you?” Those piercing eyes were on me, studying me.

“Because my father is a bastard.”

He chuckled. “You don’t hold back, do you?”

I shook my head. “But I have a question. One that’s unorthodox as fuck but I find myself in a predicament that may make all of this useless.”

“I’m listening.”