Sexy Love (Sexy Series Book 4) (25 page)

“Interesting…” Seb says, sarcastically. “But this is all I’ll have, anyway. I’m driving tonight.”

“Okay, fair enough. You’re looking just smashing standing there together, darlings, doesn’t she look lush tonight, Seb?

“She looks beautiful,” he says immediately in agreement, “she never looks anything but.”

“I know; I can’t stand her.”

“Gee, thanks, Til. But you can hardly speak, you’re always so fresh and pretty – and you have a baby to wake up to all night long, I don’t know how you do it.”

“You just do it, Lex, when you have a baby – you just adapt. But if you saw me first thing, you’d realise I’m a dog in real life.”

Seb and I both laugh, knowing she’s talking absolute nonsense. “So, Seb – what exactly are your intentions with the sexier Alexia?”

“Oh, Tilly!” I scold, laughing, and Sebastian laughs with me.

“Pff! Well, I had to give it a try, didn’t I? Got to
love
a good old
love
story, hey, Mr
Love
?”

“Only the best when there’s a ‘Love’ involved.”

Tilly continues in a whisper, “So, did Cole bring the stripper as entertainment or does he usually date women like that?”

Sebastian’s laugh is so real, so rich, it’s a shame that it’s at the expense of that poor girl but it really is fair to say that she ought to reconsider her wardrobe for dates where members of the public will be present. “No, he definitely does not date women like that so I’m really not sure what it’s all about, but now that you’ve offered that option, I’d like to think that’s a possibility.”

“We’ll see if she starts writhing by the pool, later, then.”

“Hihi!” Bea says, as she and Daniel join us. Sebastian and I move around to the side to welcome them into the conversation and I’m surprised to feel so comforted when he slides his hand around my back to rest on my hip, holding me into his side subtly.

This would definitely be a first in front of friends and sober, we haven’t even made our dating that public so to have him hold me in a crowd is different; but good. I would like to just tell everyone we’re dating and be able to hold hands and touch all night long, but we should really discuss our status privately first.

“I feel like we haven’t spoken for so long, how are the wedding plans coming along?”

“Really good, thank you – it’s all coming together now.”

“Oh my God, my arse is making buttons, I’m so fucking excited!” Tilly cries.

“So how long is it, exactly?” Seb asks.

“It’s just under three and a half months now, July the eighteenth.”

“Wow, not long.”

“And you’ve got everything pretty much bought and booked up?” I ask.

“Yep, we have to choose between two photographers, get the wedding rings which is our last job, do the final fittings for all of the dresses as you know,” she says, nodding towards me and Tilly; her bridesmaids. “We have to make a few final decisions with the venue about layouts, table plans and all that jazz, but we’re pretty much there.”

“It really is exciting. My little brother is getting himself all married!” I joke, reaching up to tap his cheek.

“You’re so organised, Bea,” Tilly says, seriously, almost awed.

“Well – you know how it’s been, it’s hard to do much from home in the UK so when I come back for the two weeks with Daniel, I don’t have to work, so I spend all of my time with wedding plans. And you’ve been helping me, anyway.”

“I’ve loved every minute of it.”

“So Alexia was telling me that you’re in London for six weeks at a time and then back in California for two, is that right?”

“Yes,” Daniel responds, “but we’ve changed that up a little recently with the wedding coming up, staying longer and coming back sooner where possible. We’ll go back to six/two after the wedding I’m sure.”

“Yeah, we will – it’s just so great that we can do that, that you can work here or there, Daniel, isn’t it?”

“Yes, baby, it’s good. And we do like to travel.”

“You two love an aeroplane!” Tilly says. “I’m surprised you didn’t choose to get married on one!”

“Now that would have been fun!” Bea laughs.

“Just make sure baby Berkeley is at least made on one. Do you still remember your seat number, Bea, when you met?”

“Yep, I still have my boarding pass, I use it as a bookmark. Daniel tries to book those same seats for all of the Virgin Atlantic flights to LAX.”

“Aww…” Tilly says, one hand on her chest, the other clutching her wine glass. “Stop it, you know what I’m like these days. I’m bored of crying now.”

“Anyway, we don’t need to keep talking about the wedding, I’m sure it must get boring for everybody else, and besides, it’s your anniversary Til! Where’s the husbo?”

“Hmm,” she mumbles, looking around and failing to see him, so in true Tilly Summers style, she simply yells at the top of her lungs. “Luke!”

Within about fourteen seconds, her husband is outside, barefoot and casually gorgeous in his smart, belted shorts and white, linen shirt, tucked in, showing off his small waist and toned body.

As much as I can appreciate his fabulous body, it’s never been something I’m attracted to. He’s my little bother’s best friend and I can’t see him as anything other than that. Seeing him with Tilly is as delightful as watching my brother with Bea. I couldn’t be happier for them, that they have found their matches.

It does make me wonder, if I have met mine. It’s a bit too soon to be thinking like that, but I feel like I could be as happy with Seb, as they are together. Sometimes I feel like there would be a huge, aching, void in my life, if Sebastian and I stopped seeing each other, which is crazy considering we haven’t even been seeing each other that long, not to mention the fact that I used to find him a lecherous reprobate.

Oh how times change. I look up at his handsome face as he laughs and converses with my friends, and that pang in my stomach hits me with force. It’s something I’d like to feel a lot, lot more of.

~~~~~~~

The evening was lovely for Luke and Tilly. Everybody mingled well and it stayed fun, but calm and easy at the same time. Perfect for a Monday evening.

Sebastian and I did separate as we talked with others and I was conscious of the urge to return to him at any opportunity, but I realised that it was an unhealthy feeling that I had to resist in order to remain
me
.

I wanted him to find me on a couple of occasions, but whenever I looked over at him, he was deep in conversation with somebody, so he was clearly preoccupied.

By the time people started to leave, I was just about ready, too. It was late and I have work tomorrow, so decided to find Sebastian to see what he’d like to do. When I found him, he was with Cole and Dawn, saying goodbye, so I joined him, hugging Cole, and I watched as they left.

“Hi, stranger,” I said to Sebastian with a smile.

“Hey, it was a nice party, wasn’t it?”

“Yes, it was lovely. Did you get to speak to Cole?”

“Hmm? What about?” I found that odd, knowing we had laughed about him needing to ask about Dawn, but I just put it down to a short memory having spoken to a few people this evening.

“Cotton candy – Dawn.”

“Oh right, yes – apparently a first time date with a girl he met online. Her pictures were a lot more natural, apparently.”

“Oh,” I laughed. “Funny. So, er… what did you want to do? Do you want to leave now, too? I’m pretty tired and have work tomorrow so can’t stay too late.”

“Sure, did you want a ride home?”

I frowned; did he think we’d be leaving separately? “Well as you came as my date, I had assumed we’d arrive and leave together, didn’t you?”

“I wasn’t sure, I’ll gladly drop you home, it’s not a problem.” I was perturbed by his sudden coolness, he clearly wasn’t planning on staying over and I was not going back to his place…
had something happened?

“Is everything okay, Sebastian?”

“Sure, should we say goodbye then? I should probably leave soon. I have an early start tomorrow.”

“Well, yes, of course – I just said that to you,” I said, utterly confused.

“Great.”

He walked towards the house, slowing only when it would be unacceptable not to, to turn and prompt me to follow him. I did so, quietly, my stomach knotting, wondering if I had done something. Had something about Cole and Cotton Candy upset him? Had someone badgered him about me and scared him off? What was happening?

We said our goodbyes to the remaining guests and the happy couple, before leaving through the side gate and heading towards the car.

As we stepped in, Sebastian checked his watch and turned the engine on, in silence. “So, you had a good evening?” I ask, trying to make conversation to make everything better.

“It was fun.”

“It really was. They seem so happy, don’t they?”

“Well you’d hope so, they’ve only been married for one year!”

I didn’t respond to that. He was being an ass. “Sebastian, what is wrong?”

“Nothing! Stop asking me that!”

“Well something is clearly not right.”

“Maybe because you keep asking me what’s wrong! Nothing is wrong, can’t we have a good night and leave it at that?”

“Of course we can, I did have a good night, but you seem to be very hostile at the moment and I don’t know if I’ve done something or what.”

“What? Back off Alexia, please? I’m good, there’s nothing wrong.”

I sat back, stunned. I couldn’t understand how he could be so Jekyll and Hyde. I felt pretty dumb having said all of those things to Tilly about him, and have admitted those feelings to myself, earlier, only for him to suddenly turn on me, as cold as ice.

Again, it didn’t take long to arrive at my apartment, having rode silently since those last words. He pulled up and simply looked over to me as if he was too busy for chit-chat. “Well, I’m flying early tomorrow and for the next few days, so I’ll call you when I get back.”

“Okay, where are you off to? Anywhere nice?” I asked, attempting to be nice in the hope that it’d remind him that I’m a good cop.

“Just here and there, domestic flights mainly. It’s work so…”

“Oh, okay. Do you know when you’re back?”

“No, not yet.”

“Okay, well I hope you have enjoyed the past few days, I know I have – so thank you for that. Safe journey for the next few days.”

“Thanks, have a good week.”

I leant towards him after I unbuckled my seatbelt and he had no choice but to kiss me. It was nice, and he did linger a little, which totally contradicted his mood, but I allowed it, needing him to be a little less static.

I touched his face with my fingers and opened my eyes to see his closed firmly, a frown on his face, troubled, somewhat. I continued to kiss him until he was ready to part, which was a few moments later, comforting me slightly.

He opened his eyes to look at me and blinked, slowly returning to his driving position. “I’ll be in touch.”

“I’ll look forward to it.”

I took my cue and left the car, closing the door and walking around to the pathway to the main reception. I looked back once, but he was looking at his cell, not me. I heard his car pull away after I stepped inside, so at least I know he was gentlemanly enough to at least make sure I had gotten inside, and not driven off like a total asshole.

But now, here I lie in bed, wondering what happened. The entire night runs through my mind in slow motion, over and over again, trying desperately to understand why he turned so suddenly.

At the start of the night, everything was good, he held me next to him when we talked, we arrived together, laughing and conversing… I talked to Tilly in the kitchen and came straight back outside to him – there was nothing untoward at that point… so what else?

Did Cole say something? I don’t see what he’d have said, Cole and I get along just fine… maybe he reminded Sebastian about single life and he suddenly felt trapped. Maybe seeing Cotton Candy Dawn made him want to go out there and meet other girls, not that I could see him finding her attractive for one minute.

Maybe it’s something else… maybe he knew Dawn personally and didn’t want to tell me, although I would find that highly unlikely, also.

He must have had a phone call or a text message that disturbed him in some way. Maybe he had a work issue stress him out, but if he did – it wouldn’t warrant that type of cool frigidity.

Maybe there was somebody else at the party who played a part in his fluctuating behaviour that he spoke to during the time that we were apart. Is it because I didn’t go over to him for all that time? That would be crazy – I could easily come back with exactly the same issue because he didn’t come to find me either.

I roll over and sigh, loudly. I can’t sleep and I don’t see how I’m going to, and I’m utterly shocked that I’ve let this happen to me. I say time and time again that I don’t question myself for anybody, but yet again, here I am, questioning myself because of Sebastian.

The only solace is that maybe he was tired and in a strange mood because of a work problem or private argument, and that he’ll be back to himself tomorrow.