Bait for a Gentleman novel Chapter 24

Was he talking about her?

She curved her lips into a faint, imperceptible smile. The man certainly had nerve.

Flirting with her openly in front of millions of live viewers?

Meeting his gaze, she asked, "Then what kind of woman does Mr. Hawthorne like?"

A specific image flashed through Sebastian's mind.

He didn't hesitate. "Beautiful."

Then he added, "But she only has eyes for others. She walked right past me without a second glance."

The chat exploded once again.

[What kind of man could possibly outshine Sebastian Hawthorne?!]

[What kind of woman has him this obsessed?!]

[...]

His words made Audrina second-guess herself. It sounded like he wasn't talking about her after all.

Whatever. It had nothing to do with her.

Her professional instincts kicked in immediately. "It seems even Mr. Hawthorne has moments of unrequited affection."

The director signaled that their time was up.

Audrina turned back to the camera. "Thank you, Mr. Hawthorne, for sharing with us today, and thank you to all our viewers for tuning in. We'll see you next time."

The broadcast concluded.

This interview was an absolute triumph for Kingshire Financial News, bringing in both massive ratings and prestige.

Everyone on the team threw admiring glances at Audrina.

The cameramen were wrapping cables, the assistants checking footage, and the director flashed Audrina a confident "ratings secured" hand gesture.

She smiled and nodded, watching the last person wheel the equipment cart out the door.

The door was left slightly ajar, the sound of footsteps fading down the hallway.

Sebastian remained seated on the sofa, looking down at his phone as if dealing with an urgent matter.

Layne pushed the door open and stepped in.

"Mr. Hawthorne, the car is ready. Mr. Garrison is still waiting—"

"Let's go." Sebastian stood up, slipping his phone into his suit trousers.

From start to finish, he hadn't spared Audrina a single glance.

He walked toward the door, Layne trailing closely behind. As he passed her, his footsteps didn't slow, and his gaze didn't shift. It was as if she were just another chair in the room.

Watching him walk past, Audrina suddenly felt the urge to laugh.

The hickey she had left on him last time was completely gone.

Regardless of who he liked, or who was ignoring him.

Right now, at this very moment, he was interested in her.

Audrina leaned down, looping her arms around his neck from behind.

She rested her chin in the crook of his shoulder, turning her face so her lips hovered right against his ear.

"Why are you ignoring me?" she purred softly.

The man's body stiffened for a split second before relaxing just as quickly.

He leaned back into the sofa, making no move to pull away. "Didn't you ignore me first?"

Sebastian's voice was deep and magnetic, but Audrina swore she caught a faint trace of grievance suppressed in his tone.

She freed one hand and gently turned his face toward her.

Sebastian's gaze collided with hers.

In that brief moment of eye contact, she pressed her lips against his.

She parted his lips, slipping in deeper, inch by inch, slowly shattering the restrained facade he was trying to uphold.

Only when she found herself short of breath did she pull back. "Are you still mad?"