by Zoe Ann Wood
Sebastian had been standing by the reception desk, conversing quietly with the young clerk who had a phone receiver pressed to his ear—likely calling her room to let her know her date had arrived. He turned to face her as if he could sense her presence, and she got her first good look at him in his evening attire.
The man was lethally handsome. His black tuxedo had to be custom-tailored, because it fit his broad shoulders to perfection, and he’d shaved, so his strong jaw was even more accentuated. But it was his eyes that held her attention. His gaze turned molten-hot as he watched her descend, taking in every single detail from her upswept hair and the classy single-strand diamond necklace at her throat to her long gown.
He stepped forward, offering her his hand—and Lori took it without a second thought.
He kissed her fingers and muttered, “You’re beautiful.”
She trembled under his intense scrutiny and blurted out the first thing that came to mind. “The necklace is on loan. I didn’t—I know you offered to pay, but it’s not… I didn’t go that crazy.” She trailed off, dropping her gaze to the floor because surely, she should have complimented him, not babbled about money of all things.
But he just smiled that heart-stopping smile of his and leaned down to kiss her cheek. “I wasn’t talking about the necklace.”
Oh. Oh, wow. Lori’s cheeks heated, but she forced herself to meet his gaze. “Thank you.”
He led her out to the car, where the driver opened the door for them. Lori slid into the backseat, making room for Sebastian. His presence alone left her short of breath, and she wondered how she would fare after an entire evening spent in his company.
Her connection to him was going well beyond initial attraction. She wanted to touch him, yes, so much her fingertips prickled with anticipation, but she also wanted to tell him things—explain about her family, the challenge she had to complete to secure her inheritance, and her hopes for the future.
But she didn’t want to appear too eager. She wasn’t a sophisticated socialite who could keep up with the life Sebastian likely led back home. For him, the time they were spending together in Vienna had to be an anomaly.
“I was thinking,” he said when the car joined the traffic, “of going to the Schönbrunn Palace tomorrow afternoon. The gardens will be spectacular at this time of year.”
Lori raised her eyebrows. “Are you inviting me to go with you?”
He grinned at her. “Why, yes, I am. Do you have anything planned for the afternoon?”
“Not yet. I’d love to come.”
The grand palace wasn’t on her grandmother’s list, but Lori had marked it in her tourist guide as one of the top attractions in the city. She would have accepted Sebastian’s invitation anyway—she couldn’t imagine saying no to him. Their time together was slowly running out. The day after tomorrow, she would attend her grandmother’s funeral, then fly out in the evening.
The thought sobered her mood, so she turned her head to watch the city streets flash by while they headed toward the restaurant.
“When are you leaving?” Sebastian’s voice was quiet, pitched barely above a murmur.
Lori glanced at him, wondering how he could be so attuned to her emotions. “On Friday evening. I have a flight to New York and then another to Philly.” She clamped her hand over her mouth, then lowered it slowly. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t supposed to tell you my destination. No details and all that.”
But Sebastian shook his head. “That was a stupid rule. It would have worked if this was the last night we’d be spending together, but we both know that’s not true, right?”
Lori stared at him, hope kindling inside her. She tried to temper it with reason: surely he didn’t mean they’d continue seeing each other after they both returned to the States? She didn’t even know his last name.
He simply gave her a crooked smile. “Come on, you were about to tell me that you’re flying to Philadelphia. Is that where you’re from?”
Lori swallowed. “Will you tell me about yourself? Or is this a one-sided deal?”
Sebastian was silent for a moment, staring into the distance. “I’ll try. Is that enough?”
It would have to be, so she nodded and said, “Well, I’ve lived in Philadelphia most of my life. But I was actually born in LA.” She shrugged. “My mother’s an actress, and she kept me with her for the first couple of years, but it was hard for her to, um, keep up with her social functions with a six-year-old in tow, so I went to live with my grandma in Philly.”
She said all this very quickly—she’d learned over the years that people didn’t really want to listen to her sob story about a mother who probably crossed the line between ‘career-oriented’ and ‘irresponsibly selfish.’
“My father’s not really in the picture, so it was just grandma and me.” She smiled sadly. “Now she’s passed away.” Shrugging to get over the discomfort of telling all this to a man she’d only met yesterday, she added, “That’s the CliffsNotes version, anyway.”
Sebastian was quiet for so long Lori thought she’d scared him away completely. Then he took her hand and squeezed it tight. “I’m sorry about your grandmother.”
Lori’s throat tightened, and she coughed to clear it. She would not be crying tonight—her makeup was way too pretty to be ruined by tears. “Thank you,” she said. “It’s been a couple of months, so I’m doing fine.”
Apart from the fact that she might lose the house she grew up in if she didn’t complete her tasks. For some reason, telling Sebastian about her grandma’s crazy plan was too much for this moment. She didn’t want to add ‘possible financial ruin’ to her list of troubles, since he was already looking angry after what she’d told him about her mother.
“You said your father’s not in the picture…”
Sebastian didn’t phrase it as a question, but Lori answered anyway. “My mom was eighteen when she had me. She had a short relationship with one of the stunt doubles on a B movie. He paid child support until I finished high school but never really visited. He wasn’t the family type.” She chuckled at the expression on Sebastian’s face. “Stop glaring at me like that. It’s fine. It’s all in the past, and I’ve learned to live with it.”
His fingers were a vise around her hand. “No child should be abandoned by their parents.” He groaned. “And to think I let you pity me because I’d never been to an amusement park.”
“Sebastian, I spent a very happy childhood with my grandma. She was everything I needed in terms of parenting, and she loved me so much.” Now tears were prickling in her eyes, and she blinked to keep them at bay. “I never lacked for anything. So what if my parents are self-centered bubbleheads. Grandma made up for everything they missed.”
And in the last years, Lori had tended to her grandma once her health had deteriorated and her dementia had taken a turn for the worse.
“Hmm.” Sebastian lifted their hands and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. “You’re a better person than I.”
Lori didn’t get a chance to enquire after his cryptic statement because their car stopped in front of an old four-story building that had been renovated recently. Its façade gleamed in the golden evening light, the stucco ornaments around the windows giving it a timeless, opulent elegance.
Stepping out of the car, she realized they’d arrived at the riverfront. “Is that the Danube?” she asked.
“A part of it,” Sebastian answered. “It’s a canal, actually. The largest part of the river is farther up ahead.” He offered her his arm. “But our dinner lies this way.”
He led her to the beautiful building she’d admired. The large wooden door bore a small plaque that said: RESTAURANT LETO – reservations only, and it swung open at their approach. Lori couldn’t see a camera or an attendant, but someone had apparently been expecting them.
“What is this place?” she whispered. They passed a staircase and walked toward the elevator, her heels clicking on the tiled floor. She shivered; the interior was significantly cooler tha
n the street outside.
“You’ll see. It’s best if I don’t spoil your surprise.”
Lori would have worried, but his lips turned up in a small smile. They stepped into the elevator, where Sebastian pressed the button for the fifth floor.
At the top, they emerged into a dark room where a uniformed woman greeted them and took Sebastian’s jacket. “Welcome back, Mr. Lynch,” she said.
Lori glanced at Sebastian, who shrugged. “Now you know my name.”
She could excuse herself to go to the toilet, whip out her phone and Google him right then. But Lori knew she wouldn’t be doing that. She wanted him to trust her enough to tell her everything on his own. Maybe he had a good reason to be so secretive. Or maybe he just needed a while longer to get to know her before he would open himself up.
She did wonder why he was giving up his jacket, though. It surely wasn’t customary for men at fancy restaurants to be sitting in their shirts.
She had her answer a moment later when they stepped through the door and entered a vast greenhouse. They were on top of the building, just high enough to see over the tops of the neighboring buildings, all the way to the St. Stephen’s Cathedral. The greenhouse had to be at least a hundred years old; it had that dreamy charm of old Victorian gardens she’d only ever seen in pictures.
At Sebastian’s chuckle, Lori realized she’d been slowly revolving in a circle, her mouth open, staring at the variety of plants surrounding them.
“This way, please,” the woman said, a kind smile lighting up her face. Lori likely wasn’t the first visitor to gape at the wonderful structure.
The woman led them to a table near the windows that offered them the view of the Danube Canal, and Lori stood looking down for a moment before she took her seat. Sebastian let her explore in silence, and she found his gaze on her, rather than on the view outside.
“This is amazing,” she said, keeping her voice low. She’d noticed several other tables among the greenery—people were conversing quietly, almost entirely hidden from each other by tall ferns, palm trees, and creepers with gorgeous, multicolored blooms.
“I’m glad you like it.” Sebastian paused for a moment while their waiter arrived to pour water and offer menus. “I discovered it several years ago. I thought you’d enjoy it.”
“I do,” Lori said. “But I understand now why you had to leave your jacket at the door.”
Already, she was slightly flushed from the thick warmth of the greenhouse. It suited her, since her dress didn’t cover her shoulders, but Sebastian would have melted in his tux.
“They lower the temperature during dinner hours,” he told her, “and crank the heat at all other times to allow the plants to thrive.”
It was a magical place for a date. Their food was excellent, and the waiter didn’t even blink an eye when Lori ordered a lemonade instead of wine. She was afraid she’d be too drowsy to enjoy the ballet if she drank alcohol. Sebastian followed her example and ordered sparkling water, then waved away her protest that he needn’t have held back on her account.
The sky outside turned orange with the sunset, then faded to a beautiful, star-studded indigo by the time their dessert arrived. Small lights kindled among the greenhouse paths, creating an ethereal atmosphere.
All the while, they talked. Sebastian told her he was from DC, had gone to Brown University, and now owned an advertising company. He had a younger sister named Sophie—he claimed she was a thorn in his side but spoke of her with such obvious affection, Lori couldn’t help but fall for him more.
There was no denying it. Her heart had gone rebel on her and developed feelings she should not be having after spending so little time in this man’s company. But he was smart, kind, and funny, not to mention so handsome her stomach did a flip every time she looked at him. She hadn’t felt this way for years, and never so quickly.
So she found herself trusting him with more of herself. She told him about her grandmother’s funeral and her plans for opening a honeymoon-oriented travel agency with her best friend, Hannah.
When the time came to leave for the opera, Lori half wanted to demand they stay at the enchanted restaurant. But she wanted more. She wanted everything Sebastian could show her, so she placed her hand in his and let him lead her away.
Ten
Sebastian
He would never get enough of her. Talking to Lorelei was effortless, something he hadn’t experienced in recent memory, and he’d told her more about himself than he’d told anyone apart from Evan—and even then it had been over a shared bottle of Scotch back in their college days. But Lorelei’s bright-eyed curiosity and genuine concern for his well-being were so disarming, he couldn’t hold back.
She was currently bouncing at the edge of her seat, peering over the driver’s shoulder toward the brightly lit Wiener Staatsoper while they waited their turn to disembark. The line of luxury cars in front of the entrance was slowly inching forward, each vehicle disgorging immaculately dressed patrons onto the red carpet.
He hadn’t known the premiere would be this highly publicized, but he’d missed the fact that the opera house was celebrating its one hundred and fiftieth anniversary. The city was likely throwing thousands of euro into making a spectacle that would make a splash in the cultural world.
Sebastian glanced at Lorelei, worried how she might react to the cameras pointed at each visitor, but she merely seemed excited, glancing back at him with a grin so wide slight dimples showed in her cheeks. She was incredibly beautiful and she’d chosen to spend the evening with him. And she’d agreed to another date for tomorrow, even though they’d spent most of today together already. Sebastian couldn’t believe his luck.
Their turn came to exit the car, so he opened the door and offered her his hand. A camera flashed, and Lorelei blinked, her luminous brown eyes going wide.
“I thought those people were celebrities,” she whispered urgently. “Why are they taking photos of us?” Then she gasped. “Ohhh, are you a celebrity?”
Sebastian laughed. “No. I’ve been in the society pages before, but I think these guys are mostly admiring your dress.”
It was a spectacular dress. He would have to send Mira Haas a bonus for helping Lorelei pick such a stunning gown—she would be the envy of every woman attending tonight. It was more than just the dress, however. She wore it as confidently as she had her cotton sundresses, and her smile was brilliant.
They escaped the photographers by entering the grand foyer. Sebastian had meant to arrive earlier to have a chance to chat with Mr. Klug and see whether the man was still inclined to give all his company’s advertising money to Lynch & Munroe. But he’d enjoyed himself so much at dinner, he’d completely lost track of time. If Evan could see him now, he’d never let him hear the end of it.
They ascended the carpeted staircase to the second floor where an opulent foyer was lit by several enormous crystal chandeliers. Lori stared up, so Sebastian kept a firm grip on her hand and guided her through the champagne-sipping crowd. He understood her awe; he’d gawked, too, on his first visit to the opera with his mother.
It was a fond memory. He’d been sixteen—and his sister had been a gangly twelve-year-old—when they’d attended the Nutcracker premiere the week before Christmas. That had been almost twenty years ago. So much had changed since then. He hadn’t been to the opera with his mother in years. Maybe they could all go together now his father was gone and no longer causing a rift between them.
Sebastian had confronted his father, just once, after he’d learned of the stolen painting. The resulting argument had Sebastian storming out of his parents’ house, vowing never to return, and it had taken his father being on his deathbed for him to break that vow. He’d seen his mother in those years, of course, but their relationship had become strained because she continued to believe the best of the man who’d been lying to everyone.
It was hard to reconcile the images of the kind, if slightly absent, father and the crooked, cutthroat businessman.
Sophie still didn’t know the full extent of their father’s sins, but Sebastian promised himself he’d mend that mistake the moment he returned to DC. He couldn’t have a good relationship with her if he kept such monumental secrets. Building a relationship with Lorelei would mean opening up, and he could start with his family.
But now he had a client to charm and a beautiful date to entertain, so he shook the gloomy thoughts from his head and focused back on the present.
“Wait until you see the main hall,” he whispered in Lorelei’s ear.
Her expression conveyed pure wonder and delight. “I love it here. Thank you for bringing me.”
“My pleasure,” he replied sincerely. He kept an eye out for the Klugs, but in the sea of faces, he couldn’t find the older gentleman or his wife. “We should move to our box.”
“We’re sitting in a box?” Lorelei asked. “I’ve always wanted to do that. It sounds so posh.”
“Our hosts have it booked for the season,” Sebastian said, “but they aren’t the best seats in the house. After a two-hour performance, you’ll likely have a crick in your neck from staring to the side.”
She laughed, and a man in his twenties turned to gawk at her. His gaze dipped from her face to her cleavage and lower, and Sebastian saw the appreciative gleam in his eyes. When the man inevitably noticed that she was holding Sebastian’s arm, Sebastian glowered at him until the younger man looked away.
The jealous impulse surprised him; he was fully aware that no understanding had passed between him and Lorelei. She wasn’t his girlfriend—and suddenly, he had the urge to claim her, if only to reassure himself.
Luckily, they entered a back corridor where a series of narrow doors led to boxes on the second tier. They had to concentrate on finding the right number, and Sebastian could no longer entertain such thoughts. He needed to focus on his business; just like Evan said, they needed it. It would be the next stepping stone in their careers.
