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me while sick would’ve meant one meal less, so she had no choice. I miss her. I wanted to take care of her, like you do with your family, but she died before I got the chance. You’re very lucky, you know. To have all of them.”

“I know,” he says. “They are great.”

“So are you. No guy I’ve dated treated me like you do.”

“That’s because they were all idiots. You deserve to be taken care of and spoiled every day.”

“Shhh, stop,” I mumble. “You’re going to make me fall in love with you.”

I’m not sure if I imagine the next words, but I think I hear, “That wouldn’t be so bad.”

I fall into a deep sleep within minutes.

Chapter Twenty-One

Ava

The worst of my cold goes away after two days, but I work from home, afraid I’ll make everyone at work sick. I only go to the office on Friday. I’ve barely settled onto my chair when Sebastian bursts into my office.

“What are you doing here?”

I swear this man wears a suit like no one else. Trouble is, now I know what hides beneath his designer clothing. I know exactly how defined his muscles are, because I caressed every single one of them, and I can’t wait to do it again.

“Working.”

“I thought we’d agreed you wouldn’t come in this week.”

“No.” I barely contain my smile. “You said that. I never agreed.”

Sebastian eyes me, stepping past the table and stopping in front of my chair. Leaning in over me, he tilts my chin up. And there goes my breath. “There was definitely a yes there somewhere.”

“I was referring to something else.” I lick my lips, reminiscing about the naughty things we’d done. In the tangle of limbs and kisses, he said I shouldn’t come to the office the whole week. Then he asked me if I liked what he was doing to me. He was dragging his thumb across the slick spot between my legs, so of course the answer was a resounding yes. Maybe too resounding.

“Really? And what was that?” He’s so close to me now that his intoxicating scent fills me, making me squirm.

“You know what.”

“I want to hear you say it.”

Before he can muddle my thoughts any further, I push him away. “Stop teasing me. We’re at the office.”

“We established that already.” He rests on the edge of the desk, peering straight at me. “I want to take you to dinner tonight.”

“Mmm, what’s the occasion?”

“I don’t need one. I can take my girlfriend to dinner if I want to.”

“I’m your girlfriend?” I ask, stunned.

Sebastian’s brow furrows. “What did you think you are? Wait, a better question is what am I to you?”

My head’s spinning. There are so many things going through my mind right now. Sebastian saw a part of me I thought was long gone. When Tylenol clouded my thoughts, that little girl hungry for security and love surfaced. It was as if he was holding up a mirror, and in it, I could see myself bare. He was the mirror, and even after witnessing everything, he didn’t run away. Because Sebastian Bennett is a real man.

I go for the one thing I know for sure. “You’re the most wonderful man I’ve dated.”

“Charmer.” He caresses my cheeks, his fingers igniting my skin. “You’re trying to distract me with compliments.”

“Maybe.”


Tags: Layla Hagen The Bennett Family Romance