Page 38 of Hollywood Undercover
“He just spoke to me,” he toldher.
That got her attention. Alexandra leaned toward him with enthusiasm. Her smile rose up, and her eyes got as wide as lakes. He noticed her eye color then. They were a dark and mysterious indigoblue.
Sexy ashell.
He was surprised when in her excitement, she placed her tiny hand on his thigh. He put in a serious effort to keep his hands to himself. He didn’t dare move, not even to give her some space on thecouch.
“What did he say?” sheasked.
“He asked if you were okay. I told him youwere.”
“Awww. That’ssweet.”
“You didn’t look too great when I first walked through the door, though. What’s going on,bud?”
“Just one of those days. Youknow?”
“Girlfriend trouble?” he asked, trying to keep a straight face. He couldn’t help himself. He was born to be provocative, and Alexandra walked right in on that one, with this act she was hell bent on keeping up. “If you need to vent about it, I’ve been there. I know what it’slike.”
“Nah. I’m done venting,” she answered. “I’ve had my share of seriously screwed up relationships. I think I’ve been going about that all wrong. For now, I’m staying away altogether. I’m taking a break. How about you, Bash? Is that why you’ve been so busy lately? You’ve got a girlfriend or something, don’tyou?”
“Nope. Nogirlfriend.”
She looked relieved, and also like she expected that answer. Hegrinned.
“While we’re on the topic of being busy, I was planning on coming by today, even before I got your message. Some friends of mine want to take me to this speed dating thing on Friday night. I told them you’d probably want to get out of the house,too.”
Alexandra leaned away from him and doubled over laughing. It started off as a very feminine giggle, but as she caught herself mid-laughter, she deepened the tone to keep up the act. He couldn’t believe she thought she could fool him after that laugh, but she pressedon.
“Speed dating?” she asked. “Why don’t you just go online like normalpeople?”
It was only then that Alexandra noticed her hand was still pressed down on his thigh. She quickly leaned back and shifted away, moving over to the end of the sofa. He raised a playful brow and looked over ather.
“I’m not serious about it. I’m doing it to get those guys at work off my back about meeting someone. The way I see it, you should come. You’ll get a break from taking care of your uncle, and I can show you some of the city. If you’re going to be in town for a while, you might as well meet some new people. So, how aboutit?”
She hesitated before replying, “I can’t. No really, it sounds like a blast, but I don’t want to leave my unclealone.”
“Don’t you have nurses taking care of him around theclock?”
Sebastian noticed everything, including the different vehicles in Max’s driveway, and the women in scrubs coming and going at different hours since Max had returnedhome.
“I do. Joanne is here. She’s in the kitchen preparing hisdinner.”
“So then you’recovered.”
“Yeah…true.” She paused again, and for a minute she seemed to give it some serious thought. “You know what? It’s not for me. Thanks for the invite, but I’ll have to bowout.”
“Okay. Well that’s the second time you’ve turned me down,” he teased, and gave it one more concerted try. “Come on. Max is doing so much better. He would want you to get out. You can’t stay cooped up in here this long and not feel it. I’m sure the nurses are used to taking care of their patients all by themselves. They probably won’t even notice if you’re out for awhile.”
She dropped her head, and looked over at him from beneath hooded eyes. Fuck. That alluring expression had him rock hard almost immediately. He shifted so she wouldn’tnotice.
“I’ll think about it,” shesaid.
It wasn’t a ‘no’, so Sebastian was stoked. “That’s thespirit.”
The borderline flirtation between them was odd and confusing. Looking at Alexandra, who was trying to pull off ‘Alex’ with style, Sebastian’s gaze automatically stopped on her lips whenever she spoke. When they made eye contact, it sparked his need for her. He began to feel he had to have her. He smelled the faint scent of her fruity shampoo, and looked at her hair. It was longer than when she first arrived, and tumbled across her forehead. He resisted the urge to run his hand through it, cradle her neck and kiss her fiercely. She was a forbidden temptation at the moment, and that made Sebastian want her that much more. He wasn’t allowed to have her. Not now—not while she was playing ‘Alex’. She couldn’t continue her hoax forever, but while she was still at it, he treadedlightly.
Clearing his throat, he gestured back toward the front door. “Oh yeah, I brought over some food. I figured you were tired of those TV dinners you make. That crap is bad for you. You know that,right?”
