Part 9 (2/2)
”You look happy,” he said dryly later that night.
Kat laughed. ”And why wouldn't I be?”
”You're actually excited, aren't you?”
”Yes,” she said with a shrug. ”It isn't every day I get taken out to the opera you know.”
”I hate the opera.”
”Really? I never would have guessed,” she deadpanned in the doorway as she removed her coat.
”But,” he said lasciviously, ”it might have its uses.” He approached her and leaned down to whisper right in her ear. ”You, my dear, look good enough to eat.”
”Come now Casanova, did you forget I'm much too hot for you to handle.” She gave him a friendly pat on the chest before turning, hoping he missed the tiny wobble in the movement. She was not going to let him seduce her with a simple whisper, not again.
”You do like saying that, don't you?'
”The truth is always the best excuse.”
”Excuse?” he questioned with a raised brow. He started to follow that one up but there was a knock at the door and Sergei entered, not waiting for a response.
”I think that means we're on,” Sebastian said. Sergei was already helping her on with her coat and Sebastian glared at him for a moment before grabbing his own from the closet.
”What about her?” the prince asked. He nodded at the bartender who'd just handed him his drink.
”You do have a type, don't you? The point was to find someone who could be a Queen, not listen to Queen.” Sergei snorted in amus.e.m.e.nt, hiding it quickly in a cough, and stepped back a few feet. ”She looks promising,” Kat murmured. She nodded discreetly at a tall, willowish girl with her hair pulled back into a fastidiously neat topknot.
Sebastian shook his head. ”She looks fussy.”
”Cultured,” Kat countered.
”Stiff.”
”Cultured.”
”Prim.”
”Meaning what? She won't put out on a first date?” He didn't say anything, just tapped a finger against his nose. Kat rolled her eyes. ”I thought this was about finding you a wife, not a one-night stand.”
”I can multi-task. Can't you?” He took a sip of his drink and his eyes darted towards Sergei in the corner. He couldn't help but send him a mischievous wink. The man peered back at him unamused.
”You're a s.l.u.t, aren't you?”
”Player, Kisa. We're called players.”
”Pig,” she snorted with another eye roll, crossing her hands across her chest in annoyance and drawing attention to the low scooped neckline of her dress. He smiled it was why he'd chosen it for her in the first place.
”Player Pig. Has a certain ring to it. Not quite Casanova but I'll take it.”
The house lights flashed and they made their way to their seats. When the lights dimmed Kat became distracted by the drama unfolding before them. Sebastian became distracted by Kat's bare skin. Halfway through the act he bent down and pressed his lips against her shoulder, timing it perfectly so her surprised gasp was drowned out by a loud clank on stage.
”What are you doing?” she whispered fiercely, looking at him with daggers in her eyes.
”What does it look like I'm doing?” he asked softly, placing another kiss right under her ear.
”Acting stupid,” she answered, s.h.i.+fting away.
”You told me to go after what I liked. I like the look of you.”
She snorted and people around them looked their way. She smiled wanly and turned bright red Sebastian just chuckled. ”When are you going to stop using those horrible lines? You are way too preoccupied with finding the easy lay.”
His grin grew to wolfish proportions. ”You're an easy lay are you? I knew you'd been holding out on me.” She gave him one of her exasperated expressions and he basked in it he liked that he could get her all worked up and steal her attention away.
”You know what I mean.” She leaned in to whisper in his ear. ”You're only using your playboy senses not your princely ones. We know you can spot a one night stand from fifty yards with no moon. It's harder to find the quality girl in all this quant.i.ty, isn't it?”
”Are you saying I can't do it?” he whispered with his lips lightly brus.h.i.+ng her skin. His hand had moved to her neck, making lazy circles with his thumb.
”If you could, would I be here?”
”Fine. I'll pick someone good out. Just you wait and see.”
”I'm on the edge of my seat.” She leaned away from him and forced her attention back to the stage. Sebastian didn't spare another look at the action instead his eyes discreetly scanned the crowd, watching. He could tell fake, fraud, and French from fifty yards away too, he just never put it to much use. By the time the curtain went down and the house lights came up he'd made his decision.
”I've decided,” he said to her as she stood.
”You can't sleep with them tonight.”
”I know.”
”Or tomorrow. Or the next day. Or next week.”
”What am I, celibate now?” he asked with the quirk of a brow.
”Only you would think a week without s.e.x is the end of the world.”
”A lifetime,” he murmured. It had been longer than a week, much longer. He hadn't hooked up with anyone since he decided it was time to get married and settle down. That made Kat his last conquest, official or otherwise.
”Give it to me,” she said suddenly. Sebastian's eyes got round with surprise considering where his thoughts had been just a moment ago. She looked at him with suspicion. ”Your choice give it to me.”
”Oh,” he laughed, covering, ”for a minute I thought you wanted my little black book.”
”Hmm, that too.” And before he could move she slipped her hand into his breast pocket and extracted it. She dropped it into her clutch and closed it with a definitive snap. ”I'm still waiting.”
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