Page 104 of Dangerous Men

“Thanks,” I say quietly after a moment.

Silence descends between the two of us. It should feel awkward. I’m basically holding his hand, even if it is just to keep the bag of peas in place. But it feels… comforting. Nice.

“I can’t believe you did that,” I tell him after a while, chuckling as I say it. “You just…punchedhim. Out of nowhere!”

“He deserved it,” Sebastian says.

“For touching me?” I ask. When his only answer is to give me a scathing look over the rim of his glasses, I laugh. “Wow, you guys really are crazy, you know that?”

Sebastian’s head tips back against the couch, and to my shock, he laughs too, a huge smile forming on his face.

“You really have no idea, Sydney,” he says, shaking his head and grinning.

I’m so stunned, it takes me a moment to process what is happening. But when I do, I let out an animalistic squeal, scrambling closer to him to see it more clearly.

The smile on his face vanishes.

“Oh no, don’t hide it! I saw it!” I say excitedly. “That was a smile. And alaugh!”

“I didn’t smile,” Sebastian lies.

“Bullshit,” I say. “You can’t lie to me. And I already texted everyone to let them know. Your reputation will never recover.”

I let out an exaggerated gasp when he smiles again. Not a little smirk. Not the faintest twitch of his lips. A full, uninhibited smile that curves up both sides of his face.

“I knew it!” My laugh is a little too loud, bordering on manic. I scramble over him, climbing over his leg to grin down at him. “Oh my god, ladies and gentlemen, he’s not a robot! Wait until I telleveryone.”

“Sydney.” Sebastian’s voice is a warning. Something flickers over his face. An emotion I don’t recognize.

His uninjured hand flexes on the couch next to me. For a wild moment, I think he might touch me.

And I suddenly realize what I’m doing. Where I am. With my leg thrown over his, I’m practically sitting in his lap.

We’re close enough to kiss.

“Sorry,” I mumble, scrambling away from him. My cheeks are burning hot, my heart beating so fast I’m almost dizzy from it.

Sebastian is so still next to me, I’m not sure if he’s breathing. He doesn’t look at me. The quickly thawing bag of peas has fallen to the ground. I clear my throat awkwardly, and pick it back up, taking his injured hand again and laying the bag over his knuckles.

He really does have gorgeous hands. I try my best not to notice.

Sebastian is quiet for a long time before he speaks again.

“Are you really okay?” he asks. When he turns to look at me, his face is just as blank as always. “You can be honest with me.”

“Yeah, I’m okay. Thank you for… for intervening,” I say. “I wasn’t sure what he was going to do, and… I’m glad you were there.”

“He said he was trying to reach you,” Sebastian says, fingers of his uninjured hand drumming nervously against the couch.

I blow out a long breath.

“Jade blocked his number on my phone,” I tell him. “So he probably has been. It’s not like I would know. I’m not interested in hearing any of his shitty apologies anymore.”

“Sterling will want to file a restraining order,” Sebastian says. “I can get the paperwork started, but if you have any?—”

I tense, accidentally squeezing Sebastian’s injured hand. He turns to frown at me but makes no other complaint. He doesn’t even wince.

“Don’t tell Alec,” I plead. “Please, Seb.”