Page 9 of Modern Romance September 2025 1-4
Sebastian nodded reflectively as he pushed the empty plate away, not enjoying what he was learning about his current self. Arrogant, rude, hurtful to a subordinate and all the things he had sworn never to be once he grew up.
‘And was I right?’ he prompted softly.
Bunny compressed her lips and tried to be the bigger, better person, who didn’t lie. ‘Yes, you were right, but nothing would have happened between us anyway because I’m not that kind of person.’
‘And what kind of person is that?’ he pressed. ‘Considering that most of us have sex in our lives.’
‘I wasn’t being judgemental. I was just saying that I wouldn’t sleep with someone only on the boat for a week’s break!’ Bunny fielded more sharply, her colour high, her exasperation with him extreme because he had no tact whatsoever. She rose and piled the plates and moved away from the table.
‘Why?’
As she settled the plates into the sink, she was ready to scream. ‘I’m not interested in one-night stands and I wouldn’t embarrass Reggie, who is a good friend of my father’s—’
‘So, you wouldn’t want word of your sex life travelling home? Is this Reggie that indiscreet?’
Bunny whirled round in a fury. ‘Drop the subject, Sebastian, before I explode! We did not share anything on the boat but mutual antipathy, I assure you!’
‘I appreciate that you find this discussion trying but I had to know how we interacted prior to coming here because I’mveryattracted to you and I have to know where I stand with you.’
And with that, Sebastian sprang up with infuriating calm and walked out of the kitchen.
I’mveryattracted to you.
Bunny was astonished.Thathadn’t occurred to her as a possibility on the boat or since. All of a sudden, he was forgiven for being so blunt and mortifying her. She understood now. That was why he had asked if they had had sex. He didn’t remember the boat. But was being very attracted to her why he had been rude in the first place? No, that made no sense. He must’ve realisedafterhe boarded. Bunny smiled. Well, fancy that!
Not that anything was likely to happen between them, of course. She and Sebastian were ships that passed and she didn’t do casual. And wasn’t that unfortunate? Bunny had only one man in her past and she had been in what she’d believed was a monogamous relationship with Tristram for most of the time they had been at university together. And then it had fallen apart once she’d discovered that he had been cheating on her all along. Even worse, she had learned that most of her friends andallof his had known that he was cheating. People didn’t want to get involved these days but even though she understood that her friends had been afraid of telling her the truth, she still thought they could have hinted in any number of ways that Tristram led a double life. After all, her health could have been compromised by his infidelity.
Sebastian’s sheer honesty was remarkably appealing to her at that moment as she relived that past. After what her family called the ‘Tristram treachery’, Bunny had been well warned not to get too involved with anyone she met fleetingly on her travels. And even though she was twenty-three and no longer an innocent, she had stuck to that rule to protect herself from further hurt. Not quite, though, how an adult woman should behave, she found herself thinking, dissatisfied with that fresh view of herself. Tristram had been a lying, cheating creep but she knew that not all men were the same.
She walked out of the kitchen and eventually walked round the whole house to establish that Sebastian had gone.
But he couldn’t go far, she reminded herself as she made her way down to the beach. There was no sign of him and she set off along the shore, bare feet crunching on white sparkly sand in the sunlight. The island was divine from the lush green vegetation to the colourful birds and the empty beach of a dream holiday destination. But because she was stuck there against her will, it somehow felt like a prison. A prison with…Sebastian?
That was a whole other story, she conceded with a helpless grin. Few women would complain about being marooned with Sebastian. She would never have dared break into a stranger’s house. He’d got them off the beach, he’d got the bathroom working and the power on. Even without his striking resemblance to a screen-star fantasy male, he would deserve an accolade for those accomplishments alone.
She was taken aback by the sight of Sebastian feeding a small bonfire at the bottom end of the island, near where they had arrived the day before. Only thedaybefore, she reminded herself, and it was already shocking her that she felt so relaxed with him, as if he were a close friend, rather than a near stranger. Really, Bunny, she castigated herself, is this how you react to a very hot guy who admits that he finds you very attractive?
‘So, this is what you’ve been at…you could’ve told me,’ she remarked, striving not to be affected by the image of Sebastian in sunlight. He stood there so very tall and broad, luxuriant black hair tousled, dark eyes golden enticement in daylight and so handsome he made her teeth clench. ‘I could’ve helped gather wood.’
‘There are snakes in the undergrowth.’
And she couldn’t help it, she shivered, not being a snake kind of girl. ‘Why a bonfire? Hoping for passing shipping to notice?’
‘I haven’t seen a single boat since we arrived. No, the house obviously has a caretaker and presumably he’s not that far away.’
‘How do you know it has a caretaker and not just an owner?’
‘There’s no dust and nothing personal left in the house aside from that collection of his and the paintings. The pool in the foyer has been emptied because, whoever he is, he’s not been visiting much, but I believe the house is still being checked on at least a monthly basis,’ he contended. ‘If the caretaker sees smoke and we’re even distantly in view of him, he will visit.’
‘He might ask the police to visit.’
‘Even better,’ Sebastian contended with blazing confidence.
‘I can’t speak Indonesian beyond hello, goodbye and thanks,’ she admitted.
‘I speak enough to get by,’ Sebastian said carelessly as she drew level. ‘I spent a lot of time here sailing and exploring when I was a teenager.’
‘With your parents?’
