Hiseyes sought mine, widened with expectation, and I nodded. “Uh, yes.”
“Right,but you know, I really wasn’t. I was so …cool with it, and you knowwhat I did?”
“Gotthe hell out of there?” I laughed, aware of the tension releasing from myfingers down to my toes.
“Noteven. All I did was say, ‘Night, Tom.’ Without even thinking. I just blurted itout, rolled over, and went the hell to sleep.” He spread his arms out and eyedme with a startled look that made me giggle. “I mean, what the fuck? I’mwhispering to ghosts now or something? I told Jane to take her hubby with herwhen she left, but I guess he failed to get the memo.”
“Iguess you have a roommate then, huh?” I bit my bottom lip while the nervestwisted again around my stomach.
“Notthe one I want, but I guess so,” Sebastian shrugged, crossing his arms. “Iguess it’s good that there’s nothing malevolent about him—right, T?” He raisedhis eyes to the ceiling, and when, expectedly, his question went unanswered,his brows dropped and his eyes narrowed. “Well, we’re clearly not on speakingterms yet, but we’ll get there.”
Finally,with enough courage to spare, I asked, “When did you make an offer?”
Cockinghis head, he pursed his lips with thought as though he were doing the math.“Uh, pretty much right after Roman pulled out of the deal.”
“Buthow? I don’t understand how you did all of this without me ever findingout.”
Helifted his mouth into a lopsided smile. “It was all done over the phone, Tabby.Alex hooked me up. Greyson and I spent August packing my house, and pretty muchas soon as I left, my sisters’ husbands moved my shit over. You didn’t have anyreason to come by this part of town, since Jane was already living with herniece, so when would you have ever found out?”
Ashroud was lifted from my eyes, allowing the light of realization in. “You’vebeen living in this house for—”
“Acouple of weeks,” he finished with a smug grin. “And you had absolutely noidea. I fucking played your ass.”
Theroom felt small and hot. Too tight and stifled to breathe. I moved to sit downat the small breakfast table he once had in his old kitchen.
“Whydidn’t you tell me?”
“Eh,”he shrugged casually, “why would I do that and blow the most amazing Christmaspresentever?”
Icouldn’t wrap my head around it. He’d had a life in his old house, with hisfamily only a short distance away. It was lost on me why he’d give all of thatup, to live in this tiny, nowhere town. I know what he said he felt for me, butthat was months ago. That was when I turned him down and told him to put a stopto whatever it was he thought he felt, after we’d only slept together a handfulof times. Hadn’t enough time now passed for him to put it all behind him?
HaveI put it behind me?
“Don’tmake a big deal out of it, Tabby,” he stated in an even tone.
Whippingmy head to stare at him incredulously, I nearly shouted, “How can Inot?”
“Uh,by just accepting it for what it is?”
“Andwhat isit, Sebastian? Because for months, you’ve been telling me itisn’tanything, but this feels a lot likesomething,” I snapped,gritting my teeth and hoping I could make it through the rest of thisdiscussion without breaking down.
“Yeah,you know, you’re right about that,” he agreed with a nod. “I never should’vetold you that, because I’m pretty sure I knew from the beginning that this wasmore than just us fucking around.”
Atremored breath rasped through my throat as I asked, “How did you know that?”
Witha one-shouldered shrug, he chuckled. “Because I’ve slept with only one womanmultiple times in my life, and that’s you.”
“Thatis … so oddly romantic,” I grumbled, tipping my head back to look at theceiling as Sebastian turned to stir the potatoes again. “I don’t—"
Hesighed heavily. “Look, Tabby,” he stopped me with my name, and I closed mymouth. “I know you wanna continue this conversation, okay, and we will. We haveto, I get it, but let’s just get through today first, okay? Can we do that?”
Idropped my gaze to the tiled floor. “Why can’t we talk now?”
“BecauseI need achance,” he blurted as though the line had been rehearsed. Iraised my eyes back to his and found them pleading with me. “I just want toshow you that Icangive you everything you want, okay? That’s all.”
Withoutanother word, I conceded with a single nod, and set out to help him in thekitchen. We finished the cooking together, laughing and sharing flirty commentsand gentle touches on the arm or hip. A number of times, within the span of onlya few minutes, I almost kissed him, or maybe it was Sebastian who almost kissedme, but neither of us took the chance. Not yet, but I knew it was coming.
Because,what I never told him, was that I already knew he could give me everything Iwanted.
