Page 30 of Treasure and Tarot

“I think so, yes. When we look at the plans tonight at dinner, I’ll show you.”

“Okay. Okay, sure.” Sebastian chewed his lip. “But what about all the other stuff?”

“Do they throw books at you?” Colton asked.

“All the time.”

Colton’s wry grin invited him in, asked him to share the joke. “They’re pretty pointed.Pride and Prejudice.The Great Gatsby. They really want me to think about my circumstances.”

“Hmm.” Sebastian checked on Abby, who was now chasing a butterfly in circles. “They do that to me too. But it’s usually Gothic romances.The Castle of Otranto.The Italian.The Mysteries of Udolpho.”

“They have a thing for Radcliffe, huh?”

“Where I’m concerned, yes.” He laughed, and it felt good. To open up and let the laughter out. “They tend toward heroes who seem like villains but aren’t.”

Colton tilted his head again, as if hearing a whistle or a whisper. He always had thought that way in the moment. Then he grinned hugely. “Well, maybe I should be flattered.”

Sebastian leveled a finger at him. “Don’t you even.”

“Daddy, why are you pointing the be-good finger at Mr. Colton?”

“Because he’s being a little sarcastic, baby girl.”

“Oh.” She really had no concept of that, so she just skipped up to Colton. “Do you have a dog?”

“Uh. No.” Colton gazed down at her with this expression that was bemused and amazed, and it made his heart try to soften. Which was bad, right?

“Somes people with canes? They haff dogs to help them balance. It’s so cool!”

“Now, that’s a neat thought,” Colton told her. “I had dogs when I was a kid. I spent a lot of time outside with them.”

She took Colton’s hand. “I needs ice cream.”

“Abby!” Sebastian felt his cheeks heat.

“I just bet you do, Missy. I saw a cart at the other end of the park.” Colton looked at him. And he would be the bad guy if he said no.

“That’s Mrs. Lopez and her little boy. Come on, Abby. Let’s go see Damian.”

“Dami!” She bounced along with Colton, and Sebastian had no idea how he was going to do this. Because he wanted to be happy. He really did.

He was just scared to death of it.

Colton had gottento spend all afternoon with Abby and Sebastian. They’d finally headed back up to the hotel at about four so Abby could have supper and a bath and then go to hang out with Xavi, who had agreed to watch silly TV with her and put her to bed so he and Sebastian could have dinner together.

Colton had taken a shower, changed into pants that didn’t have ice cream all over them, and had arranged the suite so that it wasn’t so obvious that the bed was right there being obvious. He’d moved the table and the two little chairs to a place by the door, then moved the little settee into place between that and the bed.

The armchair was perpendicular to the settee, and they could sit there and chat while they waited for room service.

No bed required.

Even if that was all Colton could think of.

Exactly on time, there was a knock on the door, Sebastian standing there in a clean, white button-down. “I brought wine. I hope that’s okay.”

“That’s perfect, ho-Bastian. Thank you.” He smiled, stepping back so Bastian could come inside. God, he was as nervous as a teenager right now.

Bastian kind of grinned at him, wrinkling his nose. “So. This isn’t weird.”

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