Page 16 of Sebastian

“Oh yeah?”

“Emma is our big prize tonight. We’ve had a lot of amazing things donated, but my beautiful wife and Daisy convincing her to auction off a date night…yeah, that certainly has been the talk of the town.”

“I had heard a rumor about that.”

“Don’t get any crazy ideas. She’s already made our buddy Sam promise to have the winning bid.”

“Well, I hope Sam is a very wealthy man, because there is one item I don’t plan on losing tonight, and that siren in the sexy red dress is it.”

Jackson laughed. “Jesus, Seb. You really are asking for trouble.”

“Nothing I can’t handle, I’m sure.” Sebastian took a sip of his drink. “How’s life now that you’re all domesticated?”

“It’s the best.” He watched his buddy scan the room for Grace, his eyes lighting up as soon as he found her. “I wake up some times and have to pinch myself, I still can’t believe we’re married, and that we have Jack.”

“I love seeing you happy, man. You deserve it.” Sebastian clamped his free hand down on Jackson’s shoulder.

“You deserve it too, Seb. If anyone can handle Emma, it’s you. I kind of do hope you out bid Sam. The look on Emma’s face is going to be priceless.”

His eyes roamed the crowd to find his little vixen. She wasn’t near the stage, or at any of the tables set out for the auction and dinner part of the night. There was a line of people near the exit, and that’s where his eyes finally found her. Seb’s heartbeat took off. Emma was speaking with a man he’d seen at the bakery a time or two, but he’d never caught his name. The bastard had her blocked in, and from the way Emma’s eyes were bouncing back and forth between the people around her, she was looking for a way out of the conversation.

“I gotta go, man.” Seb took off without waiting for Jackson to reply.

He saw red the instant the man’s hand landed on Emma’s arm, the way she flinched igniting every protective fiber in his body.

“Come on, Em. I know you’re not trying to get away from me again,” the bastard said.

“Again?” Sebastian growled, reveling in the way Emma’s eyes snapped to him and how she looked instantly relieved to see him there. “You’d think if a woman said no once, that would be enough for you to leave them alone.”

“Look, I know you probably think you can come in here with your money and fuck with people’s lives in Clarence County just because you want to, but this is between me and Emma. We’ve known each other a long time. There’s history between us.”

“The only thing between us, Alan, is the coffee you buy each morning. I’m sorry, but I’m not interested.”

“Emma.” Alan seemed determined to dig his own grave before the event even started.

Sebastian couldn’t take it any more. He gripped the man’s shoulder.

“If you want to keep that disgusting hand, I suggest you remove it from Ms. Sullivan’s arm right now. She’s made it perfectly clear to you that she desires nothing more than the customer relationship she’s had with you, although I’m sure now she doesn’t even desire that.”

The creep released Emma, but Seb continued to squeeze down on his shoulder.

“I suggest you either head home for the night, or at the very least stay as far away from Emma as humanly possible. I’ll be letting the sheriff and the event security know that you are to be watched all night if you choose to stay.”

“Fuck you, man.”

“You’re not really my type, Alan, was it? But thank you for the compliment.” His heart burst when he heard Emma chuckle. They watched as Alan stormed away, and Seb turned to Emma.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” It took a moment for her eyes to meet his, but when they did, he could see she was anything but fine.

“Has he been bothering you a lot lately?”

“No. And honestly, you didn’t have to intervene like that. I had it handled. He’s just one of those guys that doesn’t take no for an answer the first couple hundred times. Too much ego. Probably has a little dick and is trying to compensate for it.”

Now it was Seb’s turn to burst out with laughter.

“Thanks for the save, Suits, but I’ve got to run.” Sebastian watched her wave to Daisy, who was calling her over to the stage. “Good luck with the auction. I hope you get something nice for that woman you’ve got your eye on.”

---