Bait for a Gentleman novel Chapter 41

Sebastian hauled Zachary back to the suite, not saying a single word the entire way.

After walking through the door, he tossed the man directly onto the mattress.

Zachary crashed into the bed with a muffled groan, his stomach churning as he hung over the edge, dry-heaving for a good while without actually throwing up.

Sebastian stood by the bed, glancing down at Zachary's paralyzed form, and raised a hand to loosen his tie.

Zachary mumbled something incoherent, burrowing his face into the blankets, and within ten seconds, his breathing grew heavy.

The snoring started.

Audrina leaned against the doorframe. "Thanks," she said.

Only a single bedside lamp was on, its dim yellow glow falling across Sebastian's face, highlighting the dark, brooding look in his eyes.

She took it all in.

Sebastian didn't look at her, leaving only the words, "Get some rest." He walked right past her, carrying a faint, cool scent of cedar as he headed straight for the door.

Audrina's gaze slid from his profile to his Adam's apple, then back to his shoulders.

She could tell he was incredibly irritated.

Sebastian didn't look back, but just as he was about to leave the suite, a soft click echoed behind him.

The inner bedroom door had closed.

He stopped in his tracks.

Then he heard the click of heels rounding past him from behind.

Audrina stood by the window with her back to him, slowly twirling a loose strand of hair around her finger.

Her gaze rested on the pitch-black ocean, where a distant lighthouse offered a tiny glimmer of light swallowed by the dark. The sea breeze pushed the waves, gently tapping against the glass.

The night was deep, masking whatever hidden currents churned beneath the calm surface.

Audrina had quite a bit to drink tonight as well, leaving her a little lightheaded.

She forced herself not to spare Sebastian a single glance.

Sebastian stood rooted to the spot, his hand still resting on the doorknob.

He should turn this lock, walk out, and leave this entire night's mess behind him.

Out of sight, out of mind.

But his feet refused to move, and he closed his eyes.

His mind was flooded with the image from the bar, where Audrina had practically been nestled in Zachary's arms.

Was he jealous?

But he had no right to be jealous. He had no standing here.

Neither did she.

Theirs was purely a transactional relationship.

That was something Audrina hoped he would always remember.

The man's restrained voice came from behind her. "I've been holding back on him for a long time."

It was true—it hadn't just been tonight.

It started the moment he saw Zachary blatantly bringing Vera to various events after the engagement, completely disregarding the optics.

He had gathered plenty of evidence.

Before hitting send on that email, he had sat alone in his office for a very long time.

He hadn't known if Audrina would actually come back.

He hadn't known if she would compromise herself just for the sake of her family.