Page 20 of Sebastian

He nodded while taking a bite of his own steak. She watched the cords in his neck strain and move as he chewed, and she wondered how the hell he made chewing look sexy. She was in so much trouble.

“My parents owned a pharmacy when I was growing up. It was the one place in our little town where you could get groceries, school supplies, hell, even baby formula and maps of Tennessee. My parents always made sure our neighbors had the medication they needed, whether they were able to pay all up front, or on a payment plan. I saw the stress that ate away at them when it was time to pay their bills, and I want to alleviate that for people in Bell Ridge. People all over America, really.”

“But you’re a businessman, Seb. Isn’t the whole point to make as much money as you can?”

“I have enough money, honestly. My family will be set for generations. What I really want is to make sure other families are able to have that security, too. Besides, I don’t want my kids growing up in a world where there is a huge divide between them and other people. I want them growing up knowing how to operate a tractor and how to grow their own food. I want them to know the value of being neighborly and kind. Clarence County is important to me for more reasons than just good business opportunities.”

His kids. Of course, one day Sebastian would have a wife, and he’d expect her to give him children. Emma picked up the glass of wine and swallowed the contents down, before turning to look over the vineyard.

A warm hand brushed over hers.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“Perfectly fine,” she tried to push as normal a smile as possible onto her face, but his stormy gray eyes were searching hers.

“You went somewhere just now.”

“It doesn’t matter. Let’s just enjoy tonight. Tell me more about what you’re doing in Clarence County. It doesn’t quite make sense to me.”

He sat back, his eyes still searching over her face, but she didn’t let her smile falter.

“My main goal is to continue helping out business owners and farmers by taking over their mortgages and renting to them at affordable rates so their families can have more money in their pockets, with plans to return the properties to their ownership once the mortgages are paid off so that their families can continue on with their legacy. I’m also in the early stages of bringing a security firm to the area.”

“What would that business do?” She watched Seb take a sip of his wine, and suddenly she wished she hadn’t gulped hers all down. “There are different aspects of it. The facility we are hoping to open will offer a range of things like self-defense lessons, gun safety, things like that. We’re also working on building a top tier training arena for special ops teams. It would give law enforcement agencies a chance to come train their teams in real life simulations.”

“Wow. That all sound so impressive.” She bit the inside of her bottom lip as she swirled the last drop of wine around in her glass. “So, if someone was running from something, from someone, you would be able to protect them?”

Sebastian set his fork on the table, his gray eyes piercing into Emma’s soul.

“Are you running from something, Sprinkles?”

“No, no. Not me.” Emma set down her glass before continuing. “I just was thinking about Jackson and Grace, and how they had to deal with her ex.”

“I wish I had been able to do more for them. I didn’t have all the legal business aspects in place yet and could only offer certain things, but ultimately, that is what we are hoping to do. Protect innocent people from getting hurt.”

“That’s really nice, Sebastian. Clarence County is lucky to have you.”

“I’m starting to think that I was the lucky one, to stumble into the sleepy little town and find a beautiful baker who keeps me on my toes waiting there.”

Eight

“I had a really wonderful time, Sebastian. Thank you.” Emma was exhausted, and yet, there was a wild hope that had been taking root in her chest over the last several hours. Getting to see the Sebastian outside of what she had read online was refreshing. He was still the same unabashedly flirtatious man she’d come to know but there was a new door opening between them, she just had to decide to let him in.

“It was my pleasure. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t hoping you’d agree to let me take you out again sometime.”

“I’m not sure your wallet can survive another Clarence County auction night,” she joked.

“Like I said before, I’d spend way more than fifty thousand to have another night like tonight with you.” He wrapped his hand around her lower back and pulled her into his chest.

“Let’s see how I feel after the magic of being swept off to the coast of California for a dinner wears off. Okay?” Her hand patted over his heart.

“Fair enough. Goodnight, Sprinkles.” Sebastian leaned in and gently kissed her cheek.

“Goodnight, Suits.”

She felt Sebastian’s eyes on her until she closed the door to the alleyway. Slipping off her shoes, Emma trudged up the stairs, carefully holding the bottom of her dress up so she didn’t trip over the hem. The place where he’d kissed her felt warm and her mind felt dreamy with the thought of getting to go on another date with him.

When she reached the top of the stairs, her phone vibrated. Looking at the caller ID, she couldn’t help but smile.

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