By the time they left an hour later, Sabrina had a buzz and a smile as she and Sebastian waved good-bye to Jimmy and Brian, then folded themselves into a taxi for the ride back to the hotel.
“Now you’re smiling.” Sebastian touched a finger to her cheek. “Glad to finally see it.”
She let her smile widen, grabbing his hand and lacing their fingers together. She had the fleeting thought that she was crossing a line but, other than the first night they’d met, Sebastian had treated her like a friend.
“Guess I needed a night out.”
“You’ve been working a lot of hours and not doing much of anything else. That’ll fry you faster than a microwave. Hicks giving you problems?”
Sighing, Sabrina shook her head. “We haven’t seen each other enough to have problems. I’ve spent more time with you in the past two weeks than I have with him.”
Which was totally true. It had started with that first night in the music room. Since then, Sebastian had asked her to join him there a couple nights a week. He’d said it was because he wanted someone who didn’t know his music to give him an honest opinion but, in the past several nights, it’d become more about two friends talking. With Annabelle and Kate so wrapped up in their men’s lives and careers of their own, Sabrina had started to feel like a fifth wheel.
She knew it wasn’t a conscious decision on their parts. It was just the way things worked. It still sucked but it forced her to widen her circle of friends.
She’d never expected her new best friend to be male. Or a rock god. Of course, with her, Sebastian didn’t play the part of the hard-partying, trash-talking womanizer he appeared to be on the Internet.
He was just Sebastian, who made her laugh with his stupid-ass jokes and made her feel comfortable enough to tell him anything. Yes, the guy was totally hot but she didn’t want to climb all over him like she wanted to do to Greg whenever she saw him. Which hadn’t been a lot lately.
“I hate to go to bat for the guy but I heard he’s having some trouble with a couple of his actors. It’s tough to have all that money and expectation riding on your shoulders.”
She squeezed his hand before releasing it. And, if he didn’t release her immediately, well, she chose to ignore that.
“I know.” She shrugged. “And I know it’s stupid to be jealous when I knew going in that this . . . whatever it is we’re doing was going to burn out soon enough. Sure, it’s been fun but maybe it’s time to tell him so long and move on?”
She realized as soon as she’d stopped talking that she wanted Sebastian to tell her what to do. Wanted him to tell her she was right, that she should cut and run.
Sebastian just looked at her with raised eyebrows.
So she stuck out her tongue. “You suck, you know that, right?”
He huffed out a wry laugh. “Hey, babe, I’m not gonna tell you what you should do. If it was me, I woulda been long gone. But then I’ve been told I’m a real prick by most of the women I’ve dated. Usually as I’m walking out the door. Guess it comes down to how you feel about him.”
Good question. How did she feel about Greg?
She thought about that in silence the rest of the way to the hotel. She still hadn’t come up with an answer when the taxi came to a stop.
Sebastian reached for her hand to help her out and, when her ankle turned just enough to throw her off balance as she stepped out of the car, he put his arm around her shoulder to steady her.
She let him hold her against his side for a few seconds and rested her head on his shoulder.
“You know someone could get ideas here.”
His low growl held a hint of humor, and she turned her head to smile up at him. That’s when she noticed the look in his eyes didn’t match his tone.
Stepping to the side, she shook her head. “Then I’m sorry—”
Sebastian sighed and rolled his eyes dramatically. “Yeah, yeah. I know. Tell me again how you really don’t know how you feel about Hicks.”
Scowling at him, she smacked him on the shoulder. “Not fair, Valenti.”
“Life’s not fair. Blah, blah, blah. Sing me another ballad. Oh, wait. Please don’t. I’ve heard you sing.”
She was still laughing when they walked into the lobby—until she saw Greg and stopped cold.
He stood in the shadows near the now-darkened atrium with his back to the door. She had no idea how she’d known it was him, considering she couldn’t see his face. Then she realized she’d be able to pick him out of a dark room blindfolded.
Her entire body seemed to know he was there, like he sent out a frequency she picked up subconsciously.
He, however, didn’t seem to have the same problem.
He and a woman Sabrina didn’t immediately recognize were having an intense conversation. Her gaze shifted to the glass walls of the atrium, where she could see his reflection. See the intensity she’d only ever seen him display with her in bed. That he was showing it now with another woman made all the air leave her lungs in a rush.
The tiny blonde looked like a fairy princess—all big tits, wide eyes, shiny white teeth, and bright smile. Amanda Patton, she realized. That’s who stared up at Greg like he was a god and she was his willing sacrifice. Or she was an actress and he was her director.
She stumbled and Sebastian reached for her shoulder. “Whoa. Didn’t think you had that much to drink. You’re a lightweight.”
Forcing a smile, she tore her gaze away from Greg to look at Sebastian. “I think it’s time for me to go up. Thanks for taking me out tonight . . .”
Sebastian had started to frown as she’d spoken and his head shot up. She knew exactly when he saw Greg and Amanda. His eyes narrowed and his mouth flattened into a tight line.
And all she wanted to do was retreat to her room. When the hell had her life become such a damn drama?
“Baz, I really just want to go to bed.”
“Right. You do that. I’m gonna hit the music room for a little while.”
He looked pissed and she knew that was because she felt threatened. Which was stupid. She knew the woman was an actress. She was too adorable not to be. And Greg was making a movie. She was being stupid.
“Thank you.” She leaned in and brushed a kiss on his cheek. “I had a good time tonight. I needed to get out.”
“Yeah, me too.” He refocused his attention on her with a smile she recognized from a couple of his videos. Total smart-ass.
She took a step back before he could do something crazy to piss off Greg. Who didn’t even seem to notice she was there.
She was well aware that Laney was watching from behind the desk. The other receptionist had asked her earlier tonight if there was anything going on between her and Sebastian, and Sabrina had honestly answered no, they were just friends.
She enjoyed his company but the man she wanted more than she wanted to breathe was currently engrossed in what looked to be an intimate conversation with another woman.
Get a grip. Go upstairs and if he calls, you don’t have to answer. Better yet, turn off your phone.
Because she knew she’d never be able to say no to him.
* *
Out of the corner of his eye, Greg saw Sebastian stalk by, probably on his way to the music room.
Still listening to Amanda babble on about her inspiration for her character, he caught the musician’s eye and nodded at him. Sebastian glared back and kept moving.
What the fuck?
“Greg? Are you sure you wouldn’t like to come up to my room and talk in private?”
No, he didn’t want to go to Amanda’s room. He’d texted Sabrina about a half hour ago to see if she was up but he hadn’t heard back from her. She was the only woman whose room he wanted to be in tonight.
He hadn’t seen her since Wednesday, and tonight he’d realized why he’d been biting off everyone’s head if they so much as
looked at him.
He missed Sabrina. Plain and simple. He wanted to see her tonight and then maybe tomorrow he wouldn’t want to kill anyone.
“No, but you go up. I’ve got to track someone down.”
Amanda pouted . . . gorgeously, of course. There wasn’t anything Amanda did that wasn’t gorgeous. Act, sing, dance. Broadway loved her and he’d courted the hell out of her to get her to take this role. It was her first film and she was killing it. But she’d taken a distinct liking to him, and apparently what Amanda wanted, Amanda was used to getting.
He was having a hard time getting her to understand that he wasn’t going to take her to bed. He was obviously out of practice handling actors.
“Okay, fine. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Sighing, she leaned in then dragged a finger across his chest and smiled up at him. “Sweet dreams.”
He gave her a nod in return but managed not to pat her on the back like a child and steer her in the direction of the elevators.
Having his actors at the same hotel was proving to be a pain in the ass. But Daisy and Neal needed the space from everyone else and New York City–native Amanda had taken one look at the woods surrounding the farmhouse where she was supposed to be staying and freaked.
The rest of the cast and crew had bonded over their separation, and Greg almost wished he’d planned to stay at the farmhouse himself.
But then he wouldn’t get to track down a certain hotel employee.
He fucking missed seeing her, especially at night. He’d give up sleeping until this film was completed if he could spend a few hours with Sabrina.
But he hadn’t even had a few minutes to spend with her. And yes, it was way too late to text her again.
So maybe he’d just go to her room and knock on her door. Quite frankly, he didn’t give a shit if anyone saw him. Let them talk.
But . . . that wasn’t what Sabrina wanted.
So he’d go find out what the hell was up Sebastian’s ass.
He’d been able to spend a little time alone with the musician, listening to some of the guy’s new music and what he’d heard convinced him Sebastian was the perfect choice to score this film.
Trudeau had been hounding his ass to choose a composer. He couldn’t wait to see her face when he told her who he’d picked. Trudeau and Sabrina had pretty much the same taste musically and, even though he’d tried to expand her musical horizons, Trudeau rolled her eyes at him and changed the subject.
Without waiting to see if Amanda went upstairs, he headed through the atrium to the music room.
He didn’t bother to knock. Sebastian would know it was him.
A wall of sound assaulted him as he opened the door.
Okay, wow. The guy was definitely pissed off.
Shutting the door behind him, Greg leaned against it as Sebastian pounded the keys.
When Sebastian finally took his hands off the keys several minutes later, Greg heard him suck in a deep breath then release it on a sigh.
“Bad night?”
Sebastian didn’t answer Greg’s question immediately. He seemed to need to catch his breath. Or maybe control his temper.
When he finally swung his legs over the bench to face Greg, it didn’t take a rocket scientist to realize Sebastian was pissed at him. And yeah, Greg knew what had set Sebastian off. He’d seen the way Sebastian looked at Sabrina. But there was no fucking way Sebastian was going to have her.
That didn’t mean he didn’t like Sebastian. He did. A lot.
“Wanna talk about it?”
Sebastian crossed his arms over his chest as he leaned back against the piano. “I’m not sure you want to talk to me right now. You’re not gonna like what I have to say.”
“Jesus, Baz, did I forget your birthday? What the hell’s going on?”
“Who’s the hot blonde piece you were talking to in the lobby?”
Greg’s gaze narrowed. “Amanda. She’s one of my actors. Why—”
“Are you fucking her?”
Greg felt like Sebastian had taken a swing at him. “Why the fuck would that be any business of yours and hell no. And—shit!”
Sebastian jumped off the bench and took a swing at him. A wild roundhouse that glanced off his jaw. An inch higher and he would’ve done some damage. Reacting out of instinct, Greg jabbed out with his right and popped Sebastian in the nose. He managed to rein in the strength of his punch just before he hit the guy. He smelled the alcohol coming off Sebastian and knew it had to be messing with his judgment.
As Sebastian stumbled back, cursing and holding his nose, Greg shook out his right hand and rubbed at his jaw with the left.
“Alright, now do you want to tell me what the fuck that was all about?”
“Damn, what’s your jaw made of?” Sebastian cradled his hand against his chest and scowled at him. “Granite? And yeah, I’ll tell you as soon as my nose stops bleeding.”
Looking around, Greg saw a box of tissues on a table in the corner. He snagged the box then threw it at Sebastian. “Now spill it.”
“You don’t deserve her.”
Greg stilled, watching Sebastian stuff tissues up his nose like a champ. Obviously he’d done it a few times before. “Are you gonna tell me what that means exactly or are you just going to—”
“You’re treating her like some piece of ass you’re gonna toss aside when you’re done, and that makes you a prick.”
Greg felt anger burn like lava in his gut but he wasn’t going to give in to it. “You don’t have any idea what you’re talking about so you better—”
“She saw you in the lobby. With the blonde who was all over you.”
Shit. Just . . . shit. He hadn’t seen her. And obviously, she’d been out with Sebastian. “Amanda wasn’t all over me and I certainly wasn’t coming on to her. And I don’t know why the fuck I have to explain anything to you.”
“Because I like her, you prick. And for some dumbass reason, she’s hung up on you.”
Jealousy rose up like bile, and Greg had the urge to take another shot at Sebastian’s nose.
“So you two were out tonight.” He didn’t make it a question.
Sebastian smirked at him, though the effect was muted by the tissues hanging from his nose. “Yeah, we were. But don’t go getting all pissy, especially not at her. She was sick of waiting for you to call and she’s been working extra shifts because the hotel’s fucking busy. She needed a little down time. So yeah, we went to a bar, had a few drinks and, when we got back here, she saw you huddled up with the flavor of the month.”
Crossing his arms over his chest, Greg took a deep breath. It was late. He was tired. And this conversation was only going to get worse.
And so was his guilt level. The words “I’ve been busy” were on the tip of his tongue, but he knew them for the excuse they were.
Not that it wasn’t true. But that didn’t mean he shouldn’t have made more of an effort. Should’ve texted or called or—
“Shit. I need a drink. And I don’t want to drink alone. Come on, Baz.”
The younger man looked at him with wary surprise. “Where are we going?”
“My room. I’ve got the liquor. You’re gonna be the sounding board.”
* *
Sabrina woke Sunday morning with a throbbing headache.
Correction. It was a hangover and it was Sunday afternoon, close to one, according to the clock on the bedside table.
With a sigh, she reached for her water bottle next to the clock and drank half of it before she took another breath. Then she waited for it to hit her stomach. And for her stomach to accept it.
When it did, she drank the rest and reached for her phone. She had five texts.
One from her mom, telling her to call when she had a few moments. One from Kate, inviting her to lunch Monday. Two from Sebastian, asking her how she was feeli
ng and did she want to get dinner tonight.
The last was from Greg.
Call me when you’re awake.
That last one made her heart kick into a higher gear.
And she wanted to kick herself for it.
Damn him. He didn’t contact her for several days and, when he did, her first instinct was to jump to do his bidding.
“Bastard.”
No, that wasn’t fair. She’d known what she was getting into when she’d agreed to see him. She’d known he wasn’t going to have much time for her.
So if you don’t want to continue with whatever it is you’re doing, tell him.
The problem was, she didn’t know what she wanted.
And that was bullshit.
She wanted Greg.
Then you’ve got to be willing to put up with the rest of the shit, don’t you?
How much was she willing to bend?
She grabbed her phone then debated what to text for at least a minute. Such a dweeb.
Hi. I’m awake.
Then she put it aside and headed for the shower, figuring he was probably sleeping.
Emerging from the bathroom after a twenty-minute shower, the pounding in her head had eased and all the muscles in her body had relaxed.
She’d just reached for underwear when her phone signaled a text.
I’ve got a few hours free. Let me take you out for brunch.
Did he mean out out? In public?
Was he going to break up with her and wanted to do it somewhere publically so she wouldn’t make a scene?
Which was totally stupid because why would he bother to expose their . . . whatever this was . . . when he could continue on the way they were going and never see her again?
Did he actually want to take her out? Like on a date?
Longing made her suck in a deep breath. And right on its heels was trepidation.
Was he asking her for more than a date?
And if he is?
If she asked to make him breakfast in his suite, he’d agree. But if he’d wanted to stay in, he’d have said that. He’d specifically asked to take her out.
OK. Just got out of the shower. How about half an hour?
Over Exposed Page 21
