Page 76 of The Sebastian Guarantee
He shifted his stance and raked his gaze over her body. “Well, first of all, you look amazing.”
She glanced at the outfit and couldn’t deny that there was something empowering about being put together. “Thanks, it’s new. The boots, too,” she added and kicked up her heel.
He glanced toward her feet, and his eyes widened. “I saw the guy go by with a stack of LETIS letters. They must have been for you.”
The LETIS letters.
She crouched and gathered them. “They just arrived. Have you gotten any?”
“No,” he said with a touch too much gusto. “But that’s not what’s important. You’re important,Pheebs.”
She bristled. He needed to stop with the Pheebsoverkill.
“That’s why I’m here,” Jeremy continued. “I wanted to check on you. I didn’t see you at breakfast or lunch.”
“I slept late.”
“She was exhausted—wiped out fromexertion,” Sebastian purred.
He was laying it on thick.
She mustered a grin. “I was exhausted from all the excitement at the boathouse cocktail hour, and I didn’t get much sleep.”
Jeremy frowned. “Why couldn’t you sleep?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Sebastian shot back.
She threw Sebastian a pointed knock-it-off glance, then met Jeremy’s gaze. “The cot broke.” Again, it wasn’t a complete lie, nor was it the complete truth, but she didn’t have much to work with.
“I see,” Jeremy answered, then stuffed his hands into his pockets.
“Don’t you need to get back to your man-bunettes or blog about hipster eyewear?” Sebastian tossed out.
“No. Like I said, I’m here for Pheebs,” Jeremy crooned like a used car salesman. “I’d be honored if you would allow me to escort you to the main hall.”
Escort her? Where did he think they were? Downton Abbey? Why was he talking like they’d been cast in a historical romance? And what was this crazy energy between these two men? Sure, they didn’t like each other—anyone with two brain cells could discern that—but there was something deeper, something she was missing.
“Perhaps we could take a walk,” Jeremy continued, cutting into her thoughts. “It’s overcast, and it looks like it might rain later, but I bet we could get in a stroll. It would be great if people saw us together.”
Now she was the one frowning. Even when they’d been together, they’d rarely gone out. “You want to take a stroll with me so people can look at us?” she asked, needing some clarification.
“Absolutely! I overheard people talking about a hike they’d gone on this morning. They mentioned seeing a sanctuary or some stone building in the woods. It’s just up the main walking trail, not too far from here.”
Sebastian moved around behind her, then returned with his backpack. “A walk sounds great, Jeremy. Nothing like crisp fall mountain air. You don’t mind if Pheebs’ best friend since she was six years old tags along, do you, drooler?”
Jeremy pegged Sebastian with his gaze. “It’sDrew-ler.”
“Yeah, sure, that’s what I said,” Sebastian answered as if he could give a flying fuck, which he clearly didn’t, then proceeded to sling his arm over her shoulder.
She flashed him eyeball-speak forwhat the hell are you doing?
“What the hell are you doing, Pheebs?” Jeremy asked.
That better have been a coincidence. She couldn’t have both Sebastian and Jeremy in her head.
Sebastian’s shit-eating grin spread across his face. “We’re talking with our eyeballs. We also talk with our feet. For example, Jeremy Drewler, I believe it’s safe to say that you are a . . .” He tapped five times.
Of course he would.
