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I stare at him. “Or what?”

His eyes narrow right back at me. “If you’re not ready in ten minutes, you’ll find out, princess,” he warns darkly, crossing his arms over his chest.

He’s not wearing his usual uniform of black cargos or chinos and a black T-shirt, I realize. He’s wearing a pair of dark jeans with a soft-looking charcoal heathered T-shirt, and he looks more casual somehow, even though the clothes aren’t allthat different. He dressed for me—for this night out. My chest tightens, and I look at him for a long moment, our gazes meeting as Sebastian stands there with his arms crossed, as stubborn as I am.

Something heats in the air, crackling and snapping with that same electricity that I’ve felt before. A part of me wants to dig in my heels, just to find out whatwouldhappen next.

But instead, I shove myself up out of my chair, stalking to the bed and grabbing the clothes. “Fine,” I bite out, and stride to the bathroom, closing the door hard behind me as I quickly change.

I yank the dress off, standing there in nothing but my strapless bra and a pair of silky panties, and it hits me that Sebastian is right there, on the other side of the door. That’s all that’s separating him from me right now, standing here half-naked, and a strange, forbidden thrill runs through me.

I could open the door right now, and see how he reacts. I could let him see me the way I saw him that morning when he got out of the pool wearing almost nothing, and see what his reaction is. If he feels the same way I do.

And then what?If I’m worried about getting caught sneaking out, the punishment for that would be much worse—for Sebastian, anyway. I swallow hard, grabbing the pair of jeans. Anything between Sebastian and me is a fantasy, nothing more. That’s all it can be.

And yet, I feel a sense of danger at the knowledge that we’re going to be alone together tonight, far away from the boundaries of the mansion. A sense that if I’m not careful, this night could turn into something else altogether.

Quickly, I pull on the silky blue top—a flowy blouse that stops just above the waist of my jeans, showing a thin strip of my pale, flat stomach, with fluttery sleeves that drape off my shoulders and down the sides of my arms. I take my hair out of the bun, letting it fall down in thick waves instead, and quickly swipe onsome mascara and lip gloss, grabbing both to throw in my clutch as I head back out to find a pair of shoes.

The minute I step out of the bathroom, Sebastian looks at me, and I see the expression on his face.

For a brief moment, it’s as if he can’t look away. I’d thought about letting him see me in my underwear, but it doesn’t seem to matter how much clothing I have on. His gaze sweeps over me, his jaw tightening, and there’s something so hungry that flickers in his eyes that it brings me to a stop for that one moment.

And then it passes, his expression clearing, and he jerks his head toward the door.

“We need to go if we’re going to, princess,” he says, and I nod, grabbing a pair of black flats and shoving them on before I snatch my leather clutch and drop my things into it.

“Okay, let’s go.”

The house is quiet when we sneak downstairs. By now, my father is in his study with a stiff drink and a book, and no one will see him again until the morning. We walk down the stairs to the back entrance, slipping through the kitchen, and none of the staff pay any attention to us. They’re too busy cleaning up from dinner, and no one really cares what I do, anyway.

No one other than Sebastian—and now my father, now that it benefits him.

“Follow me,” Sebastian says, leading me past the gardens to a side path. “This leads out to the road. I’ve got my motorcycle parked there, we’ll take the side gate out. Brick is watching it for me.” He pauses. “We do have to be back by two a.m., princess. Brick is going to let us back in before he changes shifts. If someone else is there, I’ll have to figure out how to make sure they don’t say anything to the boss.”

“Wait.” I balk slightly. “Motorcycle? I thought you said you were driving.”

Sebastian winces. “You’re right. I did. Last time I went back to my other place, though, I rode my motorcycle back. Didn’t have time today to swap it for the car.” He gives me an encouraging look. “You’ll be fine, princess. It’s fun. You might even get addicted.”

I think I already might be.I look at Sebastian in the dim light coming from the backyard lighting around the house, his chiseled face and strong jaw thrown into silhouette, and that unfamiliar, clenching sensation ofneedruns through me again, sharp as if I touched a live wire. Every time I feel it, I want more. And I can’t imagine anyone else making me feel like this.

Especially not someone I barely know—someone who will be mostly chosen for me, someone who I’ll marry before I can even decide if I really like them or not.

I swallow hard. “I don’t know if I can,” I admit, and Sebastian gives me a crooked smile.

“Come on, princess,” he chides gently. “Be brave.”

That rebellion flickers to life in me again, and I glare at him. “I am brave.”

“So prove it.” He holds out his hand. “Let’s go, before you miss your chance.”

I bite my lip, but nod, taking his hand. It curls around mine, strong and broad and warm, and we hurry toward the side gate where his motorcycle is waiting.

I see Brick at the guard station as we approach. Sebastian unclips a helmet from the side of the sleek black motorcycle, handing it to me. “Here,” he says when he sees me start to struggle with the straps. “I’ll help.”

His fingers graze my chin as he buckles it, and that wave of warmth passes through me again, my skin tingling where he touched me. He lingers for just a moment, then pulls back, fishing his keys out of his pocket as he walks toward the bike.

“Just hop on behind me,” he says. “Like riding a horse. You’ve done that before, right?”