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I push out of his hold and collect my coat. I’m about to walk back to Ben, when Sebastian grabs my arm and pulls me into the alcove by the coat check.
Where did he come from?
My eyes dart around the space before going down to his hand which lightly grips my arm. Despite my gaze burning a hole into it, he doesn’t relent, instead he commands, “I’ll take you home.”
It’s an effort to not roll my eyes at the air of possessiveness in his tone. I can’t comprehend the arrogance of this man. Instead, I look him in the eyes, willing myself to not react to his proximity.
“Sebastian, when I told you I want nothing to do with you, I meant it.” Yanking my arm out of his grip, I fold my arms over my chest as I cock a hip, giving off an air of nonchalance. “No, you won’t be taking me home. Ben is going to take me, and you are going to respect my wishes and stay away from me.”
“Alex...” he growls. There’s a warning in there somewhere but I don’t care to listen to it right now.
How dare he try to dictate what I do with my life?
“Alex, nothing. I’ve told you what I want, and you need to respect that. You don’t get to tell me what I can or can’t do.” My eyes flick to Ben, who’s standing by the door watching our exchange. “You don’t get to tell me who I can or can’t go home with. If I want to fuck every guy in Manhattan, then I will. Just like I'm sure you're fucking every woman in the city.”
I briefly register the tick in his jaw and the way his eyes flare with anger at my statement as I brush past him. I know I shouldn’t have implied I’m going to take Ben home and fuck him, but I couldn’t help myself.
“Care to share what that was about?” Ben asks, his arm going around my waist pulling me into his side as we walk through the exit.
“Nope,” I say as I rest my head back on his shoulder.
He leans down to whisper in my ear, “Okay, but if I’m going to die, I should at least know why.” Turning my head but not lifting it. I frown at him in confusion, urging him to continue. “The look he gave me. It said, ‘if you touch a hair on the head ofmywoman, you’re a dead man’.”
I can’t contain the laugh that bursts from my lips. “No, it didn’t.”
“Oh, my dear Alex.” He pushes a stray hair away from my face, continuing, “Are you truly that oblivious? Yes, it did. Trust me. I’ve been on the receiving end of many looks like that. It was kind of hot. So... are you going to share the details?”
I think over Ben’s question for a moment as we make our way down the sidewalk toward my apartment. Deciding I don’t want to give Sebastian any more of my time, I shrug in the hopes that Ben will leave it be, before saying, “There isn’t much to tell.”
“Well, I don’t believe that for a second. I guess, if you aren’t going to tell me now, I’ll just have to wait for you to be ready. But be warned, I’m a very patient man.”
“You’re just going to have to believe me, because there isnothingto tell.”
Keep telling yourself that, Alex.
Deep down inside I feel a sense of failure just thinking about how I’ve let my desire for Sebastian control me. If he hadn’t pulled away, I wouldn’t have stopped him. That's the truth of the matter and the thing that brings me the most shame. I thought I had more self-control.
Apparently not when it comes to Sebastian.
Pulling my coat tighter, I loop my arm with Ben as we walk in comfortable silence the few blocks to my place. On the way, I decide to not tell him about what happened tonight. I haven’t known him for long and, although I’m sure he won’t judge me, I’m not quite ready to lay myself bare.
We’re about half a block from my apartment when we stop at the pizza place on the corner, grabbing a large pepperoni pizza to share. We take it back to mine and, as I let us in, I kick off my shoes and drop my bag on the console table by the door.
In the kitchen, grabbing some plates and drinks, I call to Ben as I peruse the refrigerator, “Soda or water?”
“Soda, please,” he replies from the living room.
Removing two sodas, I return to find Ben on the couch with the pizza box open on the coffee table and a slice half eaten.
“You couldn’t wait, huh?” I laugh.
A muffled ‘no’ and a sheepish pizza filled smile is the only response I get. Placing the drinks on the table, I sit on the couch, switching on the TV with one hand and grabbing a floppy, cheesy slice with the other. I moan around the first glorious mouthful as Ben chuckles at me. His long legs are splayed out in front of him, crossed at the ankles, as he leans back, chewing on his own slice with his eyes closed. He really is a good-looking guy, and I admire his relaxed features for a moment before turning to the TV.
It’s crazy how comfortable we seem to have become in the short space of time we’ve known each other and although there are some things I’m not ready to share, I have no doubt that in time our friendship will blossom.
Since Meghan introduced us, we’ve hung out a couple of nights during the week as Ben works in the city and doesn’t have anyone to go home to. Despite me asking, he hasn’t given me an answer as to why he doesn’t just live in the city and I haven’t pushed him for one. I guess we both have things we aren’t ready to share.
“What are you thinking?” he asks, obviously having noticed my dead stare at whatever show is playing on the TV.
