Total pages in book: 106
Estimated words: 101399 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 507(@200wpm)___ 406(@250wpm)___ 338(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 101399 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 507(@200wpm)___ 406(@250wpm)___ 338(@300wpm)
He pulled me into a small alcove in between the lobby and the ballroom. “I’m sorry about that. Are you all right?” He ran a hand down my cheek.
“I’m fine.” I pulled at my hem again, wishing it fell to my knees instead of mid-thigh. “He was drunk.”
“He was an ass.” He swept my light brown hair off my shoulder. “I’ll have a word with him at the office on Monday.”
I shook my head. “Don’t worry about it.”
He smiled and kissed my forehead. “It’s my job to worry about you. Because I lo—”
“Link.” A cold voice cut between us.
Link stepped back and straightened. “Mr. Lindstrom.”
I stared up into dark green eyes flecked with hazel. This had to be the younger Lindstrom. Sebastian. His father owned the company, and Sebastian served as the CEO. Based on what little Link had told me about him, I’d expected a man in his forties, but Sebastian looked early thirties. Tall and dark, he had an air of command. I wanted to drop my gaze, but something in his eyes held me.
His nostrils flared for a moment, his dark eyebrows lifting, but then he gave a polite smile and shook Link’s hand. “Link, glad you could make it. And this is?”
“Camille Briarlane.” Link beamed. “My girlfriend.”
“Very nice to meet you, Mr. Lindstrom.” I held out my hand to shake.
“Please call me Sebastian.” He took my hand and dropped a kiss on my knuckles, though he kept his eyes on mine. His touch was soft, intimate, and my skin warmed where his lips grazed against me. Unlike Hal’s kiss, I was fine with leaving this one right where he’d placed it.
“Looks like it’s going to be a great party.” Link gave his all-American smile and pulled me to his side.
Sebastian kept his eyes on me and did nothing to return Link’s small talk. The sound of the party faded as his cold eyes kept me captive. Link’s fingers dug into my waist, and the hackles rose on the back of my neck as Sebastian’s stare veered into awkward territory. It was too direct, as if he was trying to see my thoughts.
Link cleared his throat. “So, are you going to give some sort of speech, Mr. Lindstrom?”
He blinked. “Not a chance.”
I dropped my gaze and tried to play off my discomfort by accepting a flute of champagne from a passing server. I sipped it and examined my shoes.
“Sebastian.” An older man walked up beside him and put a hand on his shoulder. “Did I just hear something about you giving a speech?” His hair was a steely gray, and he was almost as tall as Sebastian, though his eyes were a light blue instead of emerald.
“Absolutely not.” Sebastian crossed his arms over his broad chest, his fitted tux no match to his will.
The older man turned to us. “Link, good to see you.”
“Thank you, Mr. Lindstrom. This is my girlfriend, Camille.”
He smiled warmly and took my hand in both of his. “So good to meet you. I think some of the VPs were beginning to take bets on whether Link here was just making you up.”
His smile appeared genuine, and he seemed far more friendly than his son.
“Teaching takes up so much of my time, especially now that the fall semester is in full swing. I haven’t been able to get to the city as much as I’d like.” I preferred the quiet life at the prep school to the constant sound and fury of New York City, though I’d never tell Link that. He wanted me to look for a job at one of the schools in town and move into his penthouse apartment.
“You teach?” Sebastian’s cool voice cut through the friendly conversation.
Link answered for me again. “Yes, she teaches biology at Trenton Prep.”
Sebastian’s gaze flickered, and a slight frown pulled at the corner of his lips, as if irritated that Link had spoken instead of me. “So you don’t live in town?”
“No.” I responded before Link could.
“Not yet.” Link squeezed my upper arm, pressing me into his side. “I hope I can convince her to move after fall term is over.”
I clenched my teeth shut. Link knew I wanted to go on a research trip during the holidays. Moving to the city wasn’t included in those plans. Besides, I couldn’t leave my students in the middle of the year. I thought I’d made all that clear, but he was still trying to get his way. One of his most endearing traits could sometimes be the most annoying.
“Are you going to move, then?” Sebastian asked the question with a sharpness in his tone that almost made me wince.
“I, um…” I was on the spot, both men looking at me for an answer. “Well, I intend to do some traveling over the Christmas break. Maybe I can decide while I’m up to my elbows in research. Sort of clear my head.”