Bait for a Gentleman novel Chapter 10

She didn't reply, simply placing her phone face-down on the table and lowering her head to take a bite of the thinly sliced filet mignon.

Sebastian sat across from her, watching her openly, making zero effort to hide his gaze.

Her phone rang again. The name flashed across the screen: Zachary Sutton.

Sebastian took a sip of his coffee, acting as if he hadn't seen a thing.

But Audrina knew he had. She stared at the incoming call and didn't answer it. Eventually, a missed call notification joined the screen.

She flipped the phone over again, resting the screen flat against the table.

"Not going to reply?" he asked. "Or answer the call?"

"No need."

Audrina found Willow Sinclair's profile, and hit the voice call button.

It connected almost instantly, though the voice on the other end was raspy with sleep. "Hello?"

"Willow."

"Hmm?"

"If you're free, come pick me up."

Silence hung on the line for three solid seconds. Then Willow's voice practically shrieked. "Holy shit! When did you get back in the country?!"

Audrina pulled the phone slightly away from her ear. "Yesterday."

"Yesterday?!" A flurry of rustling noises came through the speaker, as if Willow had bolted upright in bed. "Audrina Monroe, what is this? You come back and don't even tell me? Where are you right now?"

"I'll send you my location."

The wind gently fluttered the curtains, and she turned her head to look out the window. Kingshire's morning was still a hazy gray, but the sunlight was starting to cut through the clouds, inch by inch.

Audrina hung up the phone. She opened their chat and sent the location pin for the hotel.

When she looked back up, Sebastian had already set down his coffee cup and stood up. He walked over to the bed, picked up the dress shirt he had tossed on the chair last night, and put it on with his back to her.

Audrina watched him, her eyes tracing the lines from his broad shoulders down to his waist, finally stopping where he began tucking the hem into his slacks.

"No."

"Then with who?"

Audrina twirled the spoon in her gourmet breakfast bowl. "A guy."

She paused for a second before adding, "If Zachary asks, just tell him I stayed at your place last night."

Dead silence from the other end.

"...Wait, let me process this." Willow took a massive breath. "You secretly flew back, slept with some guy, and now you want me to cover for you so you can lie to Zachary—is that it?"

"That's exactly it."

Willow blurted out, "Is the guy at least hot?"

Audrina flashed back to the way he had just leaned over, trapping her in the chair, and the rhythmic bite to the way he said 'See you around'. His looks were honestly the least of Sebastian's impressive assets.

Without a second of hesitation, she summarized, "Gorgeous."