Part 3 (1/2)
”You're cursed?”
”With good looks, with charm. You name it.” She rolled her eyes but he didn't notice. ”And sometimes it leads women to chase me. And when I don't let them catch me, they find other ways to get close.” Sebastian was constantly finding women in his bed, sitting at his desk; some of them much too h.o.r.n.y for their own good, or conniving. His thoughts flashed to Violetta, standing barefoot in his bedroom, telling him that Anton wasn't the one she wanted, just the one she'd caught.
”You'd have to drop some serious money to bribe your way into a Prince's room. You have admirers that ardent? I'm not sure I buy that.”
He smirked. ”Indiscriminately lucky, remember? You don't see anything worth having?” He gave her a long, meaningful look that had her rolling her eyes again. ”Come on, let's go look. I bet the Do Not Disturb sign's already on the door.”
”You just want me up in your hotel room.”
”Of course. Though that doesn't mean it's not true.”
”Fine, I'll take that bet. And what if there isn't anyone in there? What do I win?” she asked, following him to the elevators.
He shot her a truly delicious grin. ”Me.”
”So nothing good then?”
”That does not seem like the appropriate grat.i.tude for someone I just saved,” Sebastian said as they boarded the elevator.
Kat scoffed. ”Saved? I took care of him just fine remember. I didn't need you to save me.” She'd never needed anyone to save her. She was the savior in her story; always had been, always would be.
”No, but you wanted me to.”
”Did I?”
”Of course. You just don't know it yet.” And he'd make sure that cretin was fired so she'd never need saving again. He leaned over her, effectively pinning her against the wall. ”Rescuing gorgeous women is my princely specialty. Just one of the things I do very well.”
”Am I going to get a demonstration of the other things you do well?”
”Very well. Do very well,” he murmured against her lips. But the elevator doors opened and interrupted before he could complete the kiss. He pushed back from her but she didn't move, just bit her lip and stared. He smirked, grabbed her hand and pulled her down the hall.
”Hmm, interesting,” Sebastian said as they stood outside his hotel room. There was the Do Not Disturb sign, just like he'd predicted. ”Shall we?”
”I'll believe it when I see it.” She watched him slip the key out of his pocket and wondered at this Prince. How had he managed to get her up to his room? This had not been part of the plan. Then again neither had Donahue.
He swiped the key and pushed the door open, letting it swing wide. And sitting there, on a wingback chair, posed for maximum effect with the hotel robe slipping off one of her shoulders, was the b.i.t.c.hy blond from the party. Kat couldn't manage to hold back a smile as she saw her eyes get wide like saucers then narrow at her. ”You were right,” she said, slipping an arm around the prince's waist and putting on her own show. ”Anywhere else we can go?”
Chapter 4.
”Switch rooms with me,” Sebastian said the minute Sergei opened the door. His eyes travelled quickly to Kat's face, swiveling down to take in her catering uniform, and he looked a moment like he might protest. He met the prince's gaze and must have resigned to what he saw there because he just nodded and took the key being offered.
”You didn't tell him your room was already occupied,” Kat said as he bowed her over the threshold of the vacated room.
”I'm always looking out for my countrymen and he's always prepared,” Sebastian responded with a laugh. Kat heard the door close behind her and her heart started racing. What was she doing? Shouldn't she be getting home to check on her brother?
She turned, to tell him just that, but he was standing there, so close. Maybe he saw the indecision in her eyes, maybe he just couldn't last any longer without getting laid either way his hand came up to caress her cheek, pulling her close, capturing her mouth in a kiss almost drunk with pa.s.sion.
”This wasn't how this was supposed to go,” she murmured when he came up for air, his teeth sc.r.a.ping hungrily against the side of her neck.
”Really?” he whispered against her collarbone, ”Because it's pretty d.a.m.n perfect so far.” A s.h.i.+ver of desire skirted across her skin, the words sinking right down with it.
”I just wanted to play with you,” Kat protested, ”and leave. Knock you down a few pegs after hearing all night you think women swoon with just a wink. Be the one doing the leaving for once.”
”And how's that working for you?” he asked, his breath unsteady, his mocking gaze boring holes into her. She couldn't stop a smile skirting her face at his question. ”You needn't worry. I have no intention of mistaking you for all those other women. I know a diamond in the rough when I see one.”
She laughed. ”That's a line if I've ever heard one,” she pointed out, even though it was working.
”Doesn't mean it's not true.”
”Indiscriminately lucky,” she murmured to herself, taking a step away and catching a glimpse of her reflection in the mirror as he laughed. This wasn't part of her plan. h.e.l.l, a night with a prince wasn't even part of her fantasy, didn't even exist on any realm of impossibility. Was she drunk? Was she just some blackout waiting to happen? She looked for the answer to that in her reflection and saw something else.
The alcohol wasn't driving her, just pus.h.i.+ng her to deviate from the plans laid out in front of her, the ones that gave her the structure she craved but also imposed the restraint she didn't. Blaze was always telling her to color outside of the lines, to follow something other than the straight lines of her day printed across the notebook in front of her. Did she want this? Him?
She switched her gaze to him. His hands were braced on the wall, bookending the mirror as he watched her. Everything about his pose was idle his body leaning in but not too close, the ragged breaths slowing, his eyes questioning. He was waiting for her to make up her own mind. He would let her leave if she wanted to, no pus.h.i.+ng or protesting. That, more than anything else he could have done or said, convinced her.
Kat turned and took a step towards him, arching her body into the curve of his, no s.p.a.ce between them from knee to neck. Her lips barely cleared his shoulder and she had to stand on tiptoe to whisper in his ear. ”A diamond in the rough, huh? Prove it to me.”
”My pleasure, princess,” he murmured.
”That's the surest way to get me to change my mind.” Kat stepped away from him, finally shedding the stuffy vest she'd been in all night.
”What?”
”Calling me princess,” she said. ”Or honey. Or sweetie. Or sugar. I'm not royalty and I'm not food. You wanna get with this you have to at least remember my name.” She dropped down onto the end of the bed and sunk into it. How nice it must be to sleep in fancy hotels where there was never stray a mattress coil poking through. She hadn't had a good night's sleep in decades it seemed.
Sebastian laughed. ”Now what was your name again? Jane was it?” he joked from across the room, perching himself on the end of the dresser instead of approaching the bed. ”Ann? Cindy? m.u.f.fy!” He pointed proudly.
She rolled her eyes at him and just shook her head. ”So says the Duke of Cornwall?”
”You are different, aren't you?”
She was used to hearing that didn't even wince. ”You say that like it's a bad thing.” She held his gaze as she lazily kicked off her shoes. One landed a foot from him, the other dropping right down into his lap, garnering her an impressed smile. ”Isn't different what you're searching for on that string of one-night stands you boast about.”
”Who says I'm searching for something?”
”Aren't you?”
He gave her a devilish smile and her heart started racing. A rush of adrenaline, danger, excitement she read all of that in his stare. ”You know, you could be right.” He rose and approached her, dropping down just barely out of her reach. ”I have been searching for just the most perfect pair of legs.” His hand started at her bare heel and slowly rose, sweeping up her calf, over her knee, across her thigh before tracing its way back.
”Then your search is over,” she said. ”I may have nothing else, but great gams I got.”
”I don't know,” Sebastian sighed thoughtfully, ”There's just too much packaging here to tell what kind of gift it is.” He slipped his hand up her pant leg, stroking bare flesh. She was suddenly feeling flushed.