with tears.
So not like him, but before he had time to wonder at his sudden rush of emotion, she quickly stepped back, took his arm in both hands, and led him down a broad hallway. “Would you care for a drink? We just got home, and Anton and I were going to have a glass of cognac. Come. Join us.”
Cheval’s soft voice, surprisingly humorous, filled Sebastian’s mind. My mate is a force of nature, Sebastian. I suggest you just go with the flow.
As if he had any choice. With a quick glance over his shoulder and a raised eyebrow at the man’s barely controlled smile, Sebastian allowed Lily’s mother to guide him toward a large, oddly shaped den. With five rather than four walls, richly paneled in wood inlay, it was filled comfortably with dark oak and leather furniture. Colorful rugs overlay floors of natural stone. A flat video screen covered most of one wall and a massive oak desk filled the corner.
A mottled green and black granite bar ran the full length of the wall opposite the screen. Anton stepped behind the bar and set out three heavy crystal goblets without stems, then reached beneath for an expensive-looking bottle of cognac. He glanced at Sebastian, who nodded. As Anton poured, he gestured toward one of the leather bar stools.
Sebastian sat. Keisha patted his shoulder, leaned across the bar, and kissed her husband. “I’ll see you later, my love.” Then she winked. “Be kind.”
As she turned to go, she brushed her fingers along the side of Sebastian’s face. The gentle, loving gesture was so much like one his mother had made when she still lived, that he felt the sting of tears once again. What the hell was going on?
And what were Lily’s parents up to? No one was this nice, not to a guy who’d had sex with their daughter and then bailed out like a damned coward before she woke up.
Of course, they wouldn’t know that. He watched intently as Keisha took a half-filled glass from her husband. She gave Sebastian one last smile as she left the room. He wanted to follow her, wanted to spend more time near her, absorbing the sense of peace that seemed so much a part of Lily’s beautiful mother.
He realized he was still staring at the empty doorway. Damn, what an idiot. Lily’s father was going to think he was nuts. He turned. Cheval had remained behind the bar, but the affable smile was gone. Sebastian had a feeling he was getting a glimpse of the real man behind the handsome face.
Cheval’s voice had an edge to it as he held his glass without actually taking a drink. “Actually, Sebastian, I do know that you left our daughter’s bed without telling her why. I also know another young woman died shortly after you left, but if I believed you were the killer, you wouldn’t be sitting in my home, drinking my best spirits, or accepting kindness and hugs from my beloved wife. I do, however, have grave misgivings about your dealings with my daughter.”
This was more along the lines of what he’d expected. Sebastian thought of taking a sip of the cognac for courage, but decided there wasn’t enough alcohol in the world to give him the courage he needed. He cupped the glass in his hands and faced Lily’s father. “First of all, Mr. Cheval, I would never harm Lily. I understand and respect your misgivings.” He took a deep breath and searched for an elusive sense of balance. “The reason I’m looking for Lily is that I want to apologize.”
“For sneaking away in the middle of the night?”
Sebastian stared at the amber liquid in his glass. “That, and for frightening her today on the astral. I didn’t mean to. I had no idea she was there.”
Cheval went dead still. Sebastian felt the tiny hairs on the back of his neck stand up. He really didn’t want to meet the man’s gaze, but he raised his head and looked directly into narrowed eyes and the face of a feral creature barely under control.
There was an edge as fine as sharpened steel to his voice. “You were on the astral? Why? And how? How did you gain access?”
Slowly, Sebastian shook his head. Hell, even he wasn’t quite sure how he’d gotten there or if that was where he’d actually gone. He took a sip of the cognac. Smooth as silk and yet it still burned going down. He’d never been much