Page 70 of Arianna

“Whatever you say, darling.” He drawls, his mouth spreading into a grin.

I feel a tingle in my stomach when he grins.

That half smile of his is perfect, just like him.

As in, he’s a perfect ten, emphasis on perfect.

I narrow my eyes at him, not liking the way he is making me feel right at this instant. Not one bit.

He looks at me with one perfect eyebrow arched.

It boggles my mind that I haven’t looked away yet. There is something about a person looking at me too closely that is unnerving. Why is that not the case here? The longer this continues, the more my raving pulse seems to carry down to the juncture of my thighs. To…everywhere.

“Thank you.” He breaks the silence first, stunning me. Those are two words I never expected to hear from him.

“You are thanking me?” I put the half-eaten pizza down and wipe my mouth with a clean napkin. “For?”

His jaw pops as if to say he would rather be doing anything but this. “For taking care of my child when I wasn’t there to do so.”

There are a million and one sarcastic things I could say right now that would make that vein in the middle of his forehead pop, but I decide to save them for a rainy day. Joking when it comes to the little girl feels wrong, even when messing with him, would bring me great satisfaction.

We found common ground, he and I.

His daughter.

I take a sip of my coke. “You are welcome,” I reply awkwardly, not used to this.

“Huh.”

My eyes find his. “What?” I ask.

“I didn’t expect that reaction, that is all.” he shrugs, unbothered.

“What did you expect?” For me to throw some sass, no doubt.

“Your special brand of annoying sarcasm,” Sebastian murmurs while twirling his glass of wine between his fingers.

Shrugging, I say, “Tomorrow is another day.”

He laughs.

A genuine laugh.

The same one that makes me feel weak on the knees.

A smile so different from the one that is captured by the tabloids and newspapers.

This one doesn’t seem forced.

What is happening?

I stare at him in wonder because that is exactly what Sebastian Kenton is to me.

Wonder.

A mystery I can’t quite decipher.

And he burns so bright that it makes me jealous at times.

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