Part 23 (2/2)
”h.e.l.lo Kate,” she murmured, coming all the way out to join Sebastian on the balcony, showing not the least bit of jealousy.
Not that there was anything to be jealous about, Kat a.s.sured herself, but the gesture would have been nice. ”It's Kat actually,” she corrected.
”I'm not very good with American names,” Misha laughed, little more than a t.i.ttering tinkle. She draped an arm around Sebastian's shoulders like she owned him, literally hanging off of him. His hand came to rest on her hip. The sight of his fingers curving around her had Kat retreating.
”You two have a nice night,” Kat said with a perfunctory nod, backpedaling her way off of the balcony.
”We plan on it,” Misha murmured. One last glance at Sebastian, looking a little bit helpless, a little bit sheepish, the tip of his cigarette bright against the evening shadows, and she retired for the night, his tie still in her hand.
Chapter 22.
”How was your night?” Kat asked the next morning with a knowing grin as she entered the sunroom. Sebastian sat alone at the table, the food in front of him untouched.
”Fine, thank you for asking,” he replied, barely looking at her over his paper.
”No comments on the size of her nose or the tone of her voice or her grave boorishness? Might you actually like this one?” Kat tried hard to keep the teasing tone in her voice. ”So, do royal conquests have to leave before breakfast or is she still enjoying her beauty sleep?”
”Misha didn't spend the night. And I never said grave boorishness just regular boorishness.”
Kat looked at him in surprise before shaking her head. ”I'm surprised at you. Making your booty call leave afterwards is not very princely of you. You seemed much more gallant stateside.”
He put his paper down and watched her take a bite of toast. He waited until the server slipped back into the kitchen before responding. ”It wasn't a booty call. I didn't sleep with her it was just dinner.”
”Just dinner? She didn't look like she had 'just dinner' on her mind. You're forgetting, I saw you two together. In your bedroom.”
Sebastian couldn't forget that it's why he hadn't slept with her. Oh she was ready, willing, and able but he wasn't. He'd been with Kat three days before and the scent of her still clung to his skin. He wasn't quite ready to wash it off yet. Misha he was probably going to marry in the next few weeks they had plenty of time for that. He didn't know if he was ready for that commitment just yet. She hadn't been happy but he'd fed her some of the logic Kat was always using on him and she'd at least left mollified.
”You told me not to sleep with her.”
”The night of the ball,” Kat said. ”I was sure you would have ignored me by now.”
Sebastian made a move to stand. ”Should I go call her now then?”
Kat put her hand on his arm across the table. ”Settle down Casanova. G.o.d, you're just horrible at keeping it in your pants, aren't you?”
”You have no idea,” he said with that devilish wink.
She swatted him playfully before leaning all the way back in her chair. ”You haven't congratulated me yet. I made it all the way down here by myself this morning and only got lost twice. Twice.”
”You shouldn't be getting lost at all. What'd you do with that map I drew you?”
Kat laughed. ”Sebastian that map is so bad I'm surprised you can find your way here. You must be horrible at directions.”
”Oh, I know my way around the important things,” he said smoothly with that look of seduction on his face.
Kat just rolled her eyes. ”Save those looks for practice on your betrothed. I'm eating.”
”She's not my betrothed.”
”Yet,” Kat a.s.serted. ”Which, by the way, you should decide if she will be. Your birthday's how close now?”
”Three weeks.”
”How long does it take to throw together a royal wedding anyway?”
”A proper Royal Wedding, four weeks. But I'm anything but proper.”
”That I definitely remember. Sir,” she said, her voice light and cheek.
”Sir,” he murmured. ”Only Sergei's allowed to call me Sir. Watch out or that tongue of yours will get you into trouble.”
”All threats I've heard before. Hasn't really led me wrong so far.”
”You get off easy because it tastes so good.”
Kat pulled a face. ”You like the taste of my tongue? Eww.”
”You don't like the taste of mine?” he countered, shuffling around the table and dropping into the chair right next to her. Their eyes met, held, and he leaned towards her. Just as he crossed into her personal s.p.a.ce, footsteps sounded down the hall and his mother breezed in.
”Good morning,” she said.
”Good morning Mother.”
”h.e.l.lo Your Highness, err, Anya.” Kat tried to look innocent but Sebastian still sat sideways on his chair, an arm across the back of hers, looking too s.e.xy for comfort.
”Am I interrupting something?” the Queen asked in amus.e.m.e.nt.
”Yes.”
”No.”
After a glare from Kat, Sebastian stood. ”I suppose not,” he said with a childish pout, ”but another minute and you may have.”
”Keep dreaming,” Kat scoffed. Her eyes trailed to the Queen and her cheeks started to redden. ”I mean ”
”Exactly what you said, I'm sure.” The Queen grinned and turned a cheek to her son who came across the room to kiss it.
”Baba is requesting your presence tonight. Don't forget about dinner Sebastian.”
”Another one?!”
”Happens every night son.” Kat smiled into her oatmeal at that comment.
<script>