Marrying Mr. Darcy (Love Manor #2) - Kate O'Keeffe Page 0,76
kindly.
I smile at him. “Thanks, Chris.”
“You’re welcome. Chasing after pretty girls is my specialty, you know.”
I shake my head. “I bet it is.”
“I like you, Texas. You’re all right.”
I smile at him, warmed by the camaraderie—and the champagne. And then, before I even realize what’s quite happening, he cups my face in his hands and brushes his lips across mine. Immediately, I recoil from him, shocked that he would step over the line in this way, not only in taking advantage of me in my emotional, vulnerable state, but knowing I’m engaged to Sebastian.
“Chris, why—”
“What’s going on here?”
I snap my attention to the location of the voice, only to see Sebastian, his hands on his hips, scowling at us, with Jilly lurking behind. His anger is almost visible in jagged edges around him.
“Sebastian,” I say breathlessly. Immediately, I free myself from Chris’s embrace and leap to my feet, my champagne flute smashing on the hardwood floor.
But I’m too late. He’s already turned on his heel and stormed off, leaving me, Chris, and Jilly in the hallway.
“Emma, how could you?” she says.
“Looks like you’re in the bad books with another Huntington-Ross tonight, Texas,” Chris says as he looks up at me from his spot on the floor, his eyes bright.
“Well, I’m not sticking around to see you two together,” Jilly sniffs before rushing after Sebastian. “Sebby, wait!” she calls.
I round on Chris and snap, “Why did you do that?”
He pushes himself up off the floor until he’s standing right in front of me. He has the audacity to place his hands on my shoulders. I shrug them angrily off, and he takes a step back from me, his hands up in surrender.
“I’ve tried to get you out of my mind. I know you’re engaged to Sebastian. But you’ve got to know how I feel about you.”
“How you feel about me?” I sputter. “Chris, what are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about you and me, Texas. We’re the same. We’re not like these people. You know you feel it, too.” He reaches out to touch me once more, and I shrink away from him.
I suck in air, the shock of the last few moments beginning to dissipate as I regain my composure. I stand tall, squaring my shoulders and reply forcefully, “I’m in love with Sebastian. You’ve been kind to me tonight, and I appreciate that, but you’re so wrong. You’re not the man for me. Sebastian is, and I need to go find him and tell him that.”
The look on his face morphs from smug confidence to fear.
Ha! That told him.
But it’s not me that’s caused the change. I turn to see Sebastian behind me, seething with anger, his eyes trained like tractor beams on Chris.
“It’s time you left,” he growls through gritted teeth.
“I think you’ll find this isn’t your house.”
“I don’t care. You need to leave. Now.”
Chris shakes his head and forces a smile. “Dude. She’s not even a good kisser.”
Uh-oh.
Sebastian’s features harden. “What did you say?”
“I said, she just sat there like a freaking statue, all frigid and cold.”
In one fluid movement, Sebastian takes one step closer to him, and pow! he punches him right in the face. In a flash Chris is hurtled against the wall, his hands flying to his nose as blood oozes down over his mouth.
Sebastian stands over him and says, “I should have done that a long time ago.” As he turns to leave, his eyes meet mine briefly before he strides away down the hall, leaving me openmouthed, trying to process what’s just happened.
Chapter 21
I’ve got to find him. I’ve got to find Sebastian.
I rush down the grand hall as fast as my heels will take me, leaving Chris to his broken nose and damaged ego—although knowing him as I do, I suspect one of those will heal a whole load faster than the other.
“Seb?” I call out into the first room I find. It’s dark and empty, and there’s no sign of life. I rush to the next, and then the next.
How many freaking rooms are there off this oversized hallway?
Then I see him.
He’s rounding the corner, Jilly following close behind.
“Seb, stop! Please,” I call out.
They pass through a door, and I follow them into a darkened room. I fumble for the light switch, locate it, and flick it on, the room instantly bathed in a warm glow. When my eyes adjust, I see Sebastian, his back to me, Jilly with her hand on his shoulder, trying to comfort him.