Page 22 of The Husband Contract
“No way.” I gape at him. “I’m kind of into astrology myself. I’m more just into star signs because I’m positive that I’m only compatible with Scorpios, Tauruses, and Capricorns. What sign are you?” I ask him.
“I’m a Scorpio. The most sexual of all the signs.” He winks, and my body feels like it’s on fire. Is this man flirting with me? But no, he couldn’t beflirtingwith me. Could he?
“You’re Willow, right?” he continues, staring into my eyes like he could drown in them.
I nod slowly. “Yeah, Willow. It’s really nice to see you again—or meet you again—or I don’t know…” I stumble over my words, feeling tongue-tied, which is slightly unusual for me. “What was your name again?” I ask because, for the life of me, I can’t remember.
His eyes narrow for a few moments, and he looks me up and down. He bites down on his lip, and I watch as he stares at me, not saying anything. Is he upset that I can’t remember his name?
“You really don’t know?” I watch as the tip of his tongue darts out of his mouth and licks his lips, and then he runs his fingers through his dark, silky hair. I stare at his broad shoulders and the way his shirt fits his muscular torso.
“I am sorry,” I say, feeling horrible. “It was a long night and?—”
“It’s Sebastian,” he says, stepping even closer towards the counter. “Sebastian Laurence.” He pronounces his last name loudly and distinctly, and I blush because I suddenly remember him introducing himself to me at the Magnolia Club and how he’d thought I’d known who he was. I remember thinking that he was full of himself. But now all I can think about is how hot he is and that he’s here in my lobby, and he’s flirting with me, and I’m not going to say no. Maybe this is the universe’s way of rewarding me because I’ve gone on so many shitty dates with so many shitty guys, and I’ve had a pretty shitty last couple of months. Maybe this is the universe’s way of saying, “Hey, Willow, don’t give up. We’ve got someone great for you.”
“Oh, yes,” I say, beaming at him. “Sebastian Laurence.” I grin. “It’s a really strong name.”
“It is, isn’t it?” he says, nodding slowly. His eyes are like liquid lava. They’re brown, but I can see flecks of gold in them. His skin is an olive tan, and his teeth are so white. It’s crazy to me how good-looking he is. He’d been attractive at the Magnolia Club—in fact, he’d been the most attractive out of all the men I’d seen that night—but in the light of the day, he is the most gorgeous man I’ve ever seen in my life. He could be a model or an actor. He could be anything he wanted to be.
“Get it together,”I mumble to myself, because I know I’m spiraling out of control. I’m excited by the way that he’s staring at me.
“What’s your sign? Wait, let me guess.” His eyes take in my face, and then they move down towards my breasts and then back up to my eyes. He tilts his head to the side as if he’s thinking hard. “Are you a—” He pauses, and I watch as he plays with his watch. It looks very much like a Rolex—not that that surprises me. It’s obvious to me that he’s loaded. He wouldn’t be a member of the Magnolia Club if he weren’t.
“I bet you can’t guess,” I say, laughing slightly, because if he wants to flirt, I’m more than happy to flirt with him.
“Well, can I ask you one question?” he says, resting his elbow on the counter and leaning forward.
“Sure,” I say. “Go ahead.”
“Are you a fire sign?”
“I feel like if I answer that, I would be narrowing down your pool.”
“I bet that you are a Virgo.” He grins. “You’re confident, you’re smart, you’re beautiful, but there’s an innocence to you.” He licks his lips. “A sweetness. You’re someone who—” He pauses and chuckles. “Well, maybe I’ll tell you that later.”
“I, umm, sure,” I say. “If you want to. But you’re not right.” I shake my head. “You’re close. I’m actually on the cusp between Virgo and Libra.”
“Oh.” He looks surprised. “I never would’ve guessed that.”
“Why?” I say. “Because Libras are more argumentative?”
He grins. “One of my best friends is a Libra.”
“And I’m nothing like him?” I ask, flirting back, running my fingers through my blonde hair, and wishing I had on a bit more makeup.
“Oh, you’re nothing like him. You’re much more beautiful. I am really happy that I checked into this B&B. And Ido want to know if you can forgive me for my poor behavior at the Magnolia Club when we first met.”
“Of course,” I say. “You just wanted to get your coat hung up, and I was just a little slow. There’s nothing to forgive.”
“You seemed to be taken aback when you saw me.”
“Oh, I was just nervous. It was my first day, and I was trying to make sure that your coat didn’t fall on the ground, and I felt like something was falling out of your pocket, and then you thought I was taking something, and… well, it was just a lot going on.”
“Yes,” he says, his eyes knowing. “There was definitely a lot going on.” He looks around the lobby and then turns back to me. “It’s a nice place you have here.”
“Thank you.”
“You like it?” He taps his fingers against his thigh. “It’s different from what I thought it would be.”
