Page 50 of First Comes Marriage

But Sabrina wasn’t listening to their muttered concessions. She was too stunned by Sebastian’s praise. Did he really meanthat? Did he really think she was…brilliant?

“How’s your golf game these days?” her father asked Sebastian, shifting topics as if he and her mother hadn’t just picked apart her life choices for the umpteenth time. “Sheldon and I have an early tee time tomorrow. I’m sure we could squeeze in another player.”

If Sebastian was bothered by the mention of his former fiancée’s husband, he didn’t show it. “I’m afraid I’d only hold you back. Golf isn’t really my game.”

“You’ll hardly want to stay here with the ladies.” Her father laughed at the ridiculousness of the notion.

Sebastian glanced at Sabrina before raising their clasped hands to his mouth and brushing his lips over her knuckles. “Don’t be so sure,” he said to her father.

Her stomach swooped.

You will not believe a word that comes out of his mouth tonight when he’s turned into some kind of Stepford husband. You will not read into the heat in his eyes and the little touches. You will not believe your own lies.

Chapter Seventeen

The rest of the evening passed in a blur—Baz and Richard discussing the stock market, Maryann not-so-subtly reminding Sabrina to dress appropriately for the party tomorrow—and before Baz knew it, Maryann had shown them to the guest room in the south wing of the house.

Once they were alone, he toed off his shoes by the door and loosened his tie. Sabrina flopped backwards on the bed, spreading her arms and legs like a starfish—well, at least as far as the form-fitting skirt of her dress would allow. The fabric slid up her thighs as she stretched out on the bed, revealing another few inches of creamy skin. Taunting him. Tempting him.

“That was awful,” she sighed.

“Not as bad as I expected.”

She turned her head to face him, her eyes tracking the movement of the muscles beneath his shirt as he set aside his jacket and unbuttoned his vest. Christ, he liked her eyes on him too much.

“What did you expect? A literal firing squad?”

He slipped off his vest and set it on top of his jacket. “They were more welcoming than I thought they’d be.”

“To you, maybe.” She sighed and returned to staring at the ceiling.

“Your mom is put out she didn’t get to plan the wedding. She’ll get over it and—”

“She’s always like this.”

He sat on the bed beside her as he pulled his tie over his head, tossing it onto the pile with his other clothes. And then he waited for her to say whatever else was swirling through her mind, whatever it was that put that crease back between her eyes. She drew in a shaky breath, and when she spoke, she kept her eyes focused on the ceiling.

“When I said earlier that I shouldn’t have asked you to come… That wasn’t about you. They were always going to likeyou.”

“They didn’t like me when I was engaged to Holly.”

“That wasn’t about you either.”

“Then what was it about?”

She gave a little half shrug, her eyes still fixed on some unseen spot on the ceiling. Baz lay down beside her, nudging her over to make room for him, and fixed his own eyes on the ceiling. More white. Though Maryann probably had a fancy name for this particular shade of white. Ecru, or alabaster, or snow drift.

“When I said that earlier, what I meant was, you’re already doing this amazing thing for me. With the health insurance. It was selfish to ask you to put on a show for my parents. To put you in a position to have to defend me. To tell them I’m a good businesswoman,” she said with a self-deprecating laugh.

“I believe I saidbrilliant.” He turned his head to watch her.

“You only think that because you don’t know me very well.”

“I didn’t say anything tonight that I didn’t mean.” Her eyes drifted his way, but only for a moment before she fixed them back on the ceiling. “What happened in Maine?” he asked softly.

Her lips contorted into a look of disgust, her eyes narrowing as they turned glassy. “My studio was thriving. People traveled from all over to book one of my break-up parties.”

Ahh yes, the infamous penis smashing parties.He’d ask more aboutthatlater.

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