Bait for a Gentleman novel Chapter 26

It was just a man's bruised ego acting up.

Nothing more.

Sebastian didn't answer her question. He merely said, "So, Ms. Monroe, was going to such great lengths to secure today's interview just your way of baiting a hook?"

He exposed her without an ounce of mercy.

Audrina reached out, looping her arms around his neck and letting her body weight rest against him.

Sebastian's expression didn't change. The light from behind cast a soft shadow over his face, obscuring half of his features.

She leaned in two inches closer. "Wasn't Mr. Hawthorne a willing catch?"

She truly believed she had been slowly letting out the line, feeding him the bait, and patiently waiting for the fish to bite.

But now she realized that this fish knew there was a hook from the very beginning.

He just wanted to bite anyway.

Sebastian kept one hand wrapped securely around her waist, not answering immediately.

She was incredibly sharp. Ever since that night, she had caught onto his deliberate moves.

Instead, Sebastian countered, "What if I told you that Zachary's reasons for marrying you aren't what they seem? Still planning to marry him?"

Audrina met his piercing gaze.

Thinking back to what Willow had said on the drive home to the Lakewood Villa that day, she quickly caught on. "What are you trying to say?"

"Want to know?" The man leaned closer. "I can look into it for you."

Audrina's body gradually softened against him. She tilted her chin up slightly. "And what does Mr. Hawthorne want in return?"

"You." The single word landed both softly and with immense weight.

Audrina smiled sweetly. "But I can investigate this myself. It's only a matter of time. Trading that for this... aren't you getting the short end of the stick?"

"Then what do you want to trade?" Sebastian looked down at her.

Audrina thought for a second, then pushed him away by half an inch.

As his words fell, Audrina reined in her playful expression, stayed silent for a moment, and then slipped out of his embrace.

She took a couple of steps back, leaned against the desk, and crossed her arms, looking down at him.

He had finally shown his true colors.

"What condition?" she asked.

Sebastian stood up and walked toward her with slow, measured steps.

He planted his hands on either side of Audrina. She leaned back slightly, her spine almost pressing against the surface of the desk.

The man pinned her against the edge of the desk and kissed her.

For the first time, Audrina felt an incredibly strange sensation, instinctively curling her fingers tight.

Outside the window, the neon lights bled into the night. The sound of the wind was sealed out, making the silence inside the room feel profoundly intimate.

When the kiss ended, Sebastian looked up. "Don't let yourself suffer any more grievances. If you need anything, come to me."