Sebastian lowered his lips within an inch of her ear. “I miss you.”
Even though they weren’t touching, he felt tension exit her muscles.
“I miss you, too,” she whispered. “But if it lands on red, you don’t ask me again.”
“Double zero,” the dealer called.
They’d both lost.
Missy began to laugh. “Maybe that’s fate’s way of telling us we should leave well enough alone.”
Sebastian didn’t care for the sound of that. Not one bit.
Ten
Between Missy’s good luck and Sebastian’s bad, the height of the chip pile remained constant until a man in his mid-fifties approached, keen on getting Sebastian’s opinion on the current political climate in Austin. The conversation held no interest for Missy so she excused herself and headed for the ladies’ room.
When she emerged from the bathroom stall, a brunette with long silky hair stood at the sinks, reapplying her lipstick. Missy felt the woman’s gaze on her as she washed her hands.
“Are you Sebastian’s date?” the woman asked.
“No. Heavens, no.” Missy’s laugh sounded hysterical to her ears. “I’m the director of communications for Case Consolidated Holdings.”
“Oh.” The woman’s sunny smile could have cut through the thickest fog. “I’m Kaitlyn Murray.”
The woman Sebastian had been seeing casually for six months before the Vegas trip. The one his mother thought Sebastian should propose to.
“Nice to meet you. We’ve spoken on the phone. I’m Missy Ward, Sebastian’s former assistant.”
“You’ve been out for a while. Sebastian said your father had been in an accident.”
Okay, so Kaitlyn was genuinely nice, a delightful change from the other people she’d met that evening. And she and Sebastian had been in contact since he’d returned from Las Vegas. Missy wasn’t surprised.
“If you call being stabbed an accident, then yes.”
“Stabbed?” Kaitlyn looked shocked. Undoubtedly she couldn’t fathom that sort of violence entering her gilded world. “How awful. What happened?”
“My father’s a minister. He went to the aid of one of his parishioners and got between her and the boyfriend who was trying to hurt her. He’s fine now,” Missy assured her, seeing that her bald summary of the facts had shaken the woman. “The guy’s in jail.”
“I should hope so.” Kaitlyn dropped her lipstick into her clutch. “Are you enjoying yourself tonight?”
“I’m afraid I’m a little out of my element.”
“Oh? Why is that?”
“I’m from a small town in west Texas. Events like this are so intimidating. Half the time I have no idea what people are talking about.”
A mischievous smile broke out on Kaitlyn’s beautiful face. “I’ll give you a little insider’s tip. Most of the time they don’t know what they’re talking about, either.”
As Missy laughed, some of her insecurities faded. She really liked Kaitlyn. No wonder Susan hoped her son would ask the socialite to marry him. “How long have you and Sebastian known each other?”
“Oh, forever. My daddy and his went to college together and remain the best of friends. I practically grew up with Sebastian, Max and Nathan. Of course, I’m a lot younger than them. They treated me like a pesky little sister.”
“I know that feeling exactly,” she said, liking the woman more and more even as her heart grew heavy at how perfectly Kaitlyn fit into Sebastian’s world. Same background. Same lifestyle. “I have four older brothers that I used to tag after like a lost puppy.”
“Exactly.” Kaitlyn’s laugh rolled from her throat in a melodious ripple. “I thought one day they might see me as something else.” She shrugged. “But all any of us will ever be is friends. It was nice to meet you.”
“Nice meeting you,” Missy echoed.