Page 22 of Exquisite Temptation

Exhaling, I trudge to the kitchen in a search of coffee and food. The sound of the espresso machine whirling into life startles me. Allie opens the cupboard, taking a mug.

"Hey, Allie, you're back early." She wheels around, curving her mouth into a smile that doesn’t reach her red-rimmed eyes.

I study her pale skin and weary expression on her face, wondering what has happened. Has she been crying? Did she have an argument with Sebastian? Since Nathan’s death, she has been staying with him, only coming home for a night or two. I don’t mind living on my own, my work and photography business keeps me busy, but there are times when I miss hanging around with my bestie.

"Uh-huh. Coffee?" She raises her brow, waiting for me to answer.

I give her a thumbs up. "Sure. There is plenty of left-over pizza from last night we can tuck into."

The memory of Christopher and I sitting snuggled together on the couch inconveniently pops into my mind, sending my pulse racing. All I could think of was jumping his bones. He is sex on legs. I avert my gaze to hide my embarrassment. I put Spotify on my phone to distract myself from the dirty thoughts and visuals.

"Did you test drive your Ferrari last night?" Her eyes light up with mirth as she chuckles like a goofball.

I shake my head. "Nope! But not for lack of trying. He was a perfect gentleman, as always, which tells me, either, he isn't into me or he's testing me to see how far I'll go before I jump him."

What I don’t tell her is the mini meltdown I had. Allie doesn’t open up easily, and while she appears to have bounced back to her old self, I still don’t want to make her worry about me. I bob my head to "You Write the Rules"by the Young Parisians, reflecting on the fact that I break my rules and play along with his like a lovesick pup.

"I think he's definitely testing you, Heids. Just keep reminding yourself that all good things come to those who wait." She brings our coffee to the banquette, leaving me to get the pizza. Putting the plates on the table, I park myself on the chair and follow her gaze to the small package.

"So, you remember when we got drunk and bought a bunch of stuff? Well, it turns out I ordered one of those ancestry DNA tests."

She bunches her eyebrows together, staring at me with confusion. "DNA test?"

"Mm. Carter started working on our family tree, and he got one a few weeks ago. Plus, I have always wanted to discover my family history. My mother's grandmother was proud of her Sioux lineage, but her father's family is a mixture of European and South American roots. Don't you want to know where you come from?" I cock my head, shoving the slice of pizza into my mouth. There is nothing better than eating a cold pizza for breakfast. Yummy!

She shoots glances at the package as if it is a homemade bomb. "Of course, I do. But I don't trust these companies because, despite the claim that you can ask for your sample to be destroyed after receiving your results, legally, there is nothing to stop them from selling your DNA to pharmaceutical companies, even the government."

Allie has always been more suspicious and cautious than me. It’s not that I don’t see her point, but in the grand scheme of things, what are the chances of the government using my DNA to clone me or track me? My life is boring.

"I mean, don't get me wrong, I've thought about it. Also, I've seen many video clips of people being elated while swabbing their cheeks and falling apart while analyzing their results. It's heart-breaking to watch quite a few of them discover their parents were unfaithful or misled them about their heritage. I don’t know what I'd do if the results reveal my mother had been unfaithful."

She drags in a deep breath, sighing it out. "I honestly don’t think it's possible, Heids. Even a blind person can see how much your parents love each other. I've always wished for a man to look at me the way your father still looks at your mother."

Nodding, I quirk the corners of my lips into a cheeky smile. "I know, Allie. Anyway, your ride or die here has a feeling something happened between you and Sebastian. Did you guys have an argument or something? Come on, spill, sister."

"We can talk about it later. Let's finish our breakfast first, okay?" Bobbing my head reluctantly, I draw my brows together and continue eating in silence.

As promised, she tells me about the background report papers she discovered at Sebastian's office. I fold my hands on my stomach and bend forward, gawking at her with disbelief. He must have had a reason. Still, you don't go snooping on people, especially your romantic interest.

"Seriously? What was he thinking? Just because he's a rich Dom, he can go around doing background checks on people? Okay, he can, but he shouldn't. Someone needs to slap some sense into him."

She huffs, cheeks growing scarlet. "I'm furious. What gave him the right to check on me as if I'm a common criminal? He betrayed my trust. He should have come clean, especially since he knows I've trouble trusting men."

Someone’s fist pounding frantically against the door's frame makes me jerk. My heart beats fast with apprehension, catching my breath in my throat. I hope it’s Sebastian and not someone trying to break in.

Allie jumps to her feet, her eyes darting around. "Oh, dear Lord, I can't face him right now, Heids. Please, go talk to him and tell him to leave. Please! I can't-" She fidgets with her ring with trembling hands, backing away as if to hide.

"Of course, babe. But are you sure you don’t want to talk to him and give him a chance to explain?" She shakes her head vigorously. God, if she doesn’t stop, she might give herself a concussion.

"No, I need time to calm down and think. Tell him I'll text him." Flattening my mouth into a tight smile, I drag my feet to the entryway. Blowing out a sharp breath, I pull the door open and meet Sebastian’s grim expression.

"Hey, Heidi." He swallows thickly, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down. "Sorry about banging on your door. I need to talk to her."

I give him an understanding nod. "I'm sorry, Sebastian. She is upset and needs time to process things. You understand, right?"

He rubs the back of his neck, releasing a drawn-out breath. "God, I fucked up." He peeks his head through the door. "Alexandra, we need to talk. Please, let me explain."

Damn it, I shouldn’t feel sympathy for the man who betrayed my bestie’s trust, yet, here I'm having an urge to give this fool a hug.

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