He sighed and turned his head away. I couldn’t understand why he was making such a big deal. Two dozen other girls had been there yesterday, and they looked great. Why me?
But instead of accepting my rejection, he stepped toward me and took my activity bag from my shoulder. “Come with me.”
He didn’t ask. It was more like a plea, but he didn’t wait for my reply. Instead, he took off across the street and entered a dive bar I’d never dared to enter alone.
“Damn it,” I muttered under my breath. Then I went after him, darting around traffic while praying for my life.
He was waiting for me inside the door with a shit-eating grin on his face.
“Are you insane?” I screamed and smacked him in the chest before ripping my bag from him. “Why did you bring me here?”
He nodded toward the bar behind him. “Have a drink with me. And before you accuse me of trying to date you again, I’m going to sit at that bar with or without you. But I’d prefer your company. I’ll even let you pay for it if it makes you feel betta.”
Sebastian Chase was such an ass in the worst possible way. He was smooth and sexy, and for some damn reason, I couldn’t tell him no again. “The last thing I want to do right now is sit at a bar after I’ve been dancing all day. I need a shower, a fresh set of clothes, and then maybe I’ll feel like coming back over here and having a drink.”
The door to the bar swung open, and he caught it in his hand while his grin widened. A couple of girls in short skirts and tight tops walked out. One of them pulled out a carton of smokes from her purse while Sebastian’s eyes followed their every move.
“Perfect,” he said, his eyes still on them. “Don’t keep me waiting too long, yeah?”
Chapter 6
Sebastian
A giggle slipped into my ear, curving my lips into a smile. Lindsey was her name. Soft hands planted themselves on the inside of my thigh and squeezed just hard enough to make me jump. “My place is just across the street. You should walk me there. Maybe I’ll even invite you inside,” the cute blonde purred, her words vibrating against my skin and encouraging the hard-on raging between my legs.
Lindsey was everything I loved in a hookup, and I hadn’t had one in a while. She was short with big boobs, easy on the eyes, great with the innuendos, and eager to please. But she wasn’t the reason I was there. Even after waiting for two hours and downing four full pints of lager, I held out hope that the fiery, caramel-skinned brunette with the ballerina build would walk her ass into this bar so that I could begin the negotiations.
“No can do, love. I’m meeting someone.”
I gestured to the bartender to pour me another, and he acknowledged me with a shallow nod.
Lindsey laughed. “No one’s coming for you, honey.” She moved in closer and bit down on my ear. “But I could be.”
Someone snorted on my other side, and I jerked my head left just in time to see Kai sinking onto the stool next to me.
“I’d say I’m sorry to interrupt,” she said, “but I don’t actually care.”
I pinned her with a glare and eased the blonde off my lap. Suddenly, my insides were dancing around in pink tights and a tutu, and I didn’t think that had to do with the alcohol. I’d never been so happy to see a woman in my life. Getting her here was the first step. The second was convincing her to take the role before Dirk got any crazy ideas and invited Claudette to join the show.
“Have a nice shower?”
“I did. And a nap too.” Kai’s eyes lit up with her smile, and that was the first time I really took them in. They were a brilliant amber color, gripping my attention with a jolt.
“I didn’t think you’d still be here,” she said with a subtle wave to the bartender. He didn’t see her.
“But you came.” I winked, suddenly wishing my words had an entirely different meaning. She looked hot in an oversized white sweater that hung off her shoulders and shredded black jeans. I held up two fingers to let the bartender know to double my order, then I passed her the unfinished drink on the bar. “Now, you need to catch up.”
Kai took one glance at the drink, picked it up, and chugged the remaining dark liquid. When she slammed the empty mug back down, she winked while wiping her chin with the back of her hand. “You Australian boys sure do love your beer. At least that’s a plus.”
I wouldn’t have taken Kai to be a beer girl, but then again, everything she’d done since I’d met her seemed to surprise me.
“Okay.” She said, turning her stool to face me. “What gives? Why are you here, Bash?”
I twisted my face and shook my head. “Don’t call me that. It makes me sound like I’m a toddler.”
She smirked. “I know. Besides, isn’t that what everyone calls you?”
“No. That’s what one prick called me one time, and it broke the fucking internet. That’s like me calling you…” I looked at her, waiting for her to hand over any equivalent, but instead, she laughed.
“Nice try. Not much you can do with Kai.” She slipped a twenty across the bar and reached for one of the beers placed in front of us.
I hadn’t even noticed as I was too busy watching Kai’s smart mouth.
I smacked the counter, covering the money, and slid it back in her direction. “On me.”
“So… what, you’re going to buy my affection now? First, you were a complete prick to me yesterday, then you tried to molest me in the parking lot of my apartment today—which, I have no clue how you found, by the way—and now you’re buying me unsolicited drinks?”
“Would you rather solicit them? Because I’m more than willing to let you.”
She let out a growl, making me laugh.
“Look, as for the puddle incident. I didn’t see you standing there, and I apologized.”
She straightened her back, her eyes wide, and I could hear the protest even before it slipped from her throat. “Sorry, love.” She was mocking my accent and doing a fairly shitty job of it. “You’ll be right.”
I cringed because when she put it that way, I had been a little bit of a bastard. “So what—I’m a prick, then. I still want you on this show.”
“Why me?”
I shrugged.
She shook her head and leaned in with a laugh. “Oh, no, Sebastian. You stalked me all the way to my apartment and demanded I meet you at this bar. The least you owe me is an explanation of why you’re here. And don’t cut any corners.”
Damn, this woman was infuriating. “Fine. You were the best one in the room, you also seem like the type who won’t put up with any bullshit.”
She squinted as if trying to read between the lines. “Why do I get the feeling you know exactly what type of bullshit you’re referring to? Does this have anything to do with you and Dirk?”
My eyes snapped toward hers. “What do you know?”
A smile tugged at her lips. “Nothing, except for the fact that you just admitted you’re here because of Dirk. I would love to know why.”
I swirled my mug before taking another sip and putting it down. “It’s a long story and not important.”