Chapter 5 SEBASTIAN

I stand in the foyer with my fists folded so tightly in my pockets that my hands ache. Everything feels like a cage tonight.

Less than twenty four hours after spending a night in a fucking cell, my parents have decided the best solution is to parade me around like a show pony with the random pool boy they bought.

Mother checks her watch again. "He should be down any moment."

I say nothing. The humiliation still burns raw. A minute later, footsteps echo on the stairs. I look up and immediately wish I hadn't.

He descends looking like he just stepped through a transformation portal. The cheap casual clothes and messy hair are gone. In their place is a perfectly tailored dark suit that fits him disturbingly well. His shoulders look broader, his jaw sharper. He looks like he could actually belong here and that thought pisses me off.

"You clean up well," mother says, approving with a smile.

Kai flashes that infuriating grin. "Just trying not to embarrass the family name."

I almost roll my eyes at his demeanor, but I refuse to give him that satisfaction. "You know the rules," I say instead. "Speak only when spoken to, smile when I smile. No improvising. This isn't your playground."

"Got it, babe," he says lightly. The ease of it irritates me more and it's just the beginning.

The car ride is torture. He sits too close, inches even closer when the car changes direction. Every brush of his leg against mine feels amplified. I keep my eyes fixed on the window and try to ignore him.

At the gala, cameras swarm us the second we step out. I offer him my arm. His hand slides into the crook of my elbow too naturally.

The questions start almost immediately.

"Sebastian, care to comment on last night's incident?"

I force that wide Whitlock smile, the script flowing in my head. "It was nothing more than a misunderstanding that got blown out of proportion. I'm fine." I glance at Kai and soften my expression. "Better than fine, actually. Having the right person in your corner makes all the difference."

The reporter's eyes light up. "So this must be the mysterious boyfriend we have heard whispers about?"

I feel myself tense. Before I can respond, Kai jumps in with that easy, confident grin.

"Guilty. Though I prefer Kai over mysterious boyfriend."

A few laughs ripple through the growing crowd and more cameras flash. I catch mother giving him a subtle approving nod from a few feet away and my stomach twists.

Another question comes fast. "How long have you two been together?"

Kai leans into my side like it's the most natural thing in the world. "Long enough to know he is stuck with me."

I feel him press closer. My body goes rigid, but I don't pull away. I can't. Instead, I rest my hand on his lower back, playing the part even as my jaw clenches.

Then someone calls out, "How about a kiss for the cameras?"

This is the part I hoped would somehow never come. As if that isn't annoying enough, his smug smirk falls into place, his eyes tinged with a look like he is daring me to say no. Can't he at least pretend not to like this so much and act like he was forced into it?

I start to lean in for the quick, controlled kiss we need. I expect him to follow my lead. Instead, he slides a hand up to the back of my neck with shocking confidence, and pulls me in. The kiss is deep. Too deep. His mouth is warm and sure against mine. For one terrifying second, my brain whites out and heat shoots straight down my spine.

My hand moves to his waist, gripping harder than I intend. I can feel the solid line of his body, the faint taste of mint on his tongue, the way he kisses like he actually means it.

I kiss him back. Not because I want to-- I'd rather throw him against the wall and give him a concussion that snaps him back to who is really in charge here. But I have to with everyone watching.

I'm not prepared for the way my body reacts. My pulse hammers, my skin feels too hot, and a sudden electric jolt shoots through my leg. His lips are soft, too soft that the contact induces light butterflies in my stomach.

When we finally break apart, I’m breathing harder than I should be. His eyes meet mine, bright and far too pleased with himself. He leans close while the cameras are still flashing and whispers, "Try to smile, babe. You don't want them to think you don't like kissing me."

The audacity makes my blood boil. I dig my fingers into his side in warning, forcing a smile for the crowd while imagining dragging him somewhere private and telling him exactly what I think of his little stunt.

The rest of the night is pure hell. His hand on my arm, his laugh too close, the casual way he leans into me like we have been doing this for months... every point of contact burns. I'm hyper aware of his warmth, his scent, the way that kiss is still imprinted in my head.

By the time we are back in the car and the partition is up, I'm ready to explode.

"What the fuck was that?" I snap, turning on him. "I told you no improvising. I told you to follow my lead."

Kai doesn't lean back in submission like I expect. Instead, he shifts closer, turning fully toward me in the dim light of the backseat. The space between us shrinks dangerously.

"I was doing my job," he says, his voice low. "You are welcome."

"You went way over the line."

"Did I?" He meets my glare without flinching. His eyes drop to my mouth for a second before coming back up. "Because it felt like you kissed me back, Sebastian."

My face grows warm. Before I can respond, he moves fast and bold crowding me against the door. One of his hands braces on the seat beside my head, the other resting on my thigh. The suit suddenly feels too tight it could burst.

"Tell me you didn't feel anything," he challenges, his voice dropping even lower. "Go on. Say it."

I should push him away. I should tell him exactly where he can shove his arrogance, but the words don't come. Instead, my pulse is hammering in my throat as he leans in closer, our faces inches apart. His breath brushes my lips, then he kisses me again-- not for the cameras, not for anyone else. This is just us.

This one is rougher and hungrier. His hand slides up my thigh as his mouth moves against mine, demanding. My body reacts before my brain can catch up, heat flooding through me, my hand fisting his jacket, pulling him closer instead of pushing him away. A low sound escapes me that I immediately hate.

Kai pulls back just enough to look at me, his eyes dark. "Yeah," he murmurs, his voice rough. "That's what I thought."

I shove him back hard, my chest heaving. My lips feel swollen. My body is traitorously warm and I'm half hard in my slacks. The realization makes me furious.

"We are not doing this ever again," I growl, my voice shaking with anger. "That was for the cameras, nothing more. Don't you dare get any fucking ideas."

Kai sits back in his seat, still wearing that infuriating half smirk. "Sure, Sebastian. Whatever you say."

I straighten my jacket with shaky hands, shifting uncomfortably in my seat as I try to will my body back under control. This was supposed to be simple. Play the part, keep my parents happy long enough to avoid being shipped off to whatever controlled "facility" they had waiting for me, smile for the cameras. Nothing real, nothing complicated.

But Kai Lawson is already turning out to be far more trouble than I ever expected.