Page 49 of Worth Every Moment

“No. I didn’t. I—”

“You need to look at it.” He scrolls and passes his phone to me without another word.

I’ve deliberately avoided looking at any of this stuff. Most of the time, social media is nothing but a distraction. But when you’re in the public eye, it can also be vicious. I’ve been in the game long enough not to let it get to me. But if I’m honest, it was the fact that it was me and Seb, together, in the public eye, that had me avoiding it.

The first comment I see reads,‘Who is the hottie? That man is absolute fire. He makes Erica Lefroy look ugly’.And then the reply beneath,‘How do you not know who Seb Hawkston is? Only like the hottest billionaire in the WORLD’.

“Is this an ego boost for you?” I hand him back the phone, and he stares down at what I’ve just read.

He scrolls away. “Ignore that one. Here, look.” He forces the phone back into my hand.

May love like this find me ASAP.

Where do I find a man like this?

I wish someone would look at me like that.

I bet they’re having amazing sex.

Something twangs in my chest, like the snap of a guitar string.

“You’re tagged,” Seb says. “They’ve tagged you so many times, and you never responded. You didn’t acknowledge itat all.”

“Why should I? It was nothing. I can’t go around acknowledging every insignificant little thing that pops up on social media.”

A flash ofsomethingcrosses his face; a slight tightening of the jaw, a pressing together of his full lips.Did I just hurt his feelings?

He tips his head, his tone almost bored as he says, “I get it, Lefroy. Trust me, you’ve made it very clear you’re notactuallyinterested in me. But I’m offering you a solution. As afriend.” Despite his casual tone, the word crackles with tension. He gestures to his phone. “People love this shit, and they would love you too if you’d acknowledge it.”

“I don’t think this is something I should engage in.”

“It’s already in motion. This train has left the fucking station and you don’t need to be on it, because it’ll take you with it either way.” I pull a face, which he ignores. “They’re desperate for this to be a thing. For you and me to confirm it.”

There’s a hint of longing in his words, and I know it’s only because he sees this as a problem he can fix, and he wants to help, to beuseful, but suddenly, I’m mentally back in the gallery, Seb’s face between my legs, and an erotic pulse shoots through me. The ghost of his tongue isright therelike it never left. I force myself to concentrate. “I don’t see why I should volunteer details about my private life just to satisfy—”

“It wouldn’t bereal. That’s the whole point. It would be completely fake. But people would eat it up. Look at the comments again, and tell me I’m wrong.”

Something writhes in my stomach. Maybe I’m just hungry. Or maybe having Seb lying next to me while I’m reading comments written by strangers that say things like, ‘She must love him because, otherwise, why would she be looking at him like that?’ is making me feel weird. My gaze snags on one comment.

Everyone wants to get into her panties.

Beneath it there’s a response that reads,No one’s getting in Lefroy’s panties, because she’s mine. All mine.

“Listen to this,” I say to Seb, and I repeat the comments. I dare a glance at him, but he’s not looking at me. His mouth, and that damn dimple, are a dead giveaway though. “And you know who the user is?” I taunt him.

Seb arches an eyebrow, inviting my response.

“SeblovesBJs.”

His expression doesn’t flicker. “Good username.”

“Is it you?”

“Hmmm. I do love BJs.”

I playfully slap his arm. “You are such a dick. So this isn’t you?”

“Of course it’s not me. SeblovesBJs, indeed. That sounds like a teenager. A horny one at that. I am a mature man of sophistication,” he says with mock sincerity. “I only use the termfellatio.”