Chapter 7 - The Contract of the Heart
I stared at Sebastian, my heart pounding so loudly against my ribs I was certain he could hear it.
"Stay here?" I managed to ask. "As what? Your... guests?"
Sebastian smiled—a real, unreserved, breathtaking smile that transformed his sharp, intimidating face into something boyishly handsome.
"As my family," he said simply.
He pulled back slightly, sitting on the plush leather ottoman opposite my chair, though he didn't let go of my hand. His fingers remained intertwined with mine, warm and solid.
"I am not proposing a quick fling, Maya," Sebastian explained, his tone serious and sincere. "I know you've been hurt. I know Marcus Sterling treated you like a secret and his family treated you like an enemy. I am not Marcus."
"I know you aren't," I said softly, squeezing his fingers.
"I want to set up an independent educational and life trust for Lily immediately," Sebastian continued. "Completely separate from the Sterling trust, managed by an independent board, so no one can ever question her security or your independence. And for you... I want to fund the culinary management degree you told Mrs. Gable you had to drop out of when you got pregnant."
I gasped, tears filling my eyes again. "Mrs. Gable told you about that?"
"She did," Sebastian smiled gently. "And once you complete your degree, I want you to step into the corporate management team at Calder Restaurant Group. Not as a waitress. As a partner."
I looked down at our joined hands, then over at Lily, who had crawled over to Sebastian’s discarded suit jacket and was currently trying to chew on one of his horn buttons.
"And us?" I asked, looking back into his gray eyes. "What about us, Sebastian?"
"Us," Sebastian said, leaning forward and pressing a soft, lingering kiss against the back of my hand, "will go as slow or as fast as you want. We will go on real dates. Without courtrooms, without security tapes, without Sterling lawyers. I will court you properly, Maya. If you'll let me."
A tear slipped down my cheek, but for the first time in my life, it was a tear of pure, unadulterated happiness.
"I think," I whispered, reaching up with my free hand to touch his cheek, feeling the light scratch of his afternoon stubble, "that I would really like to be courted by my billionaire boss."
May you like
Sebastian let out a soft laugh, pulling me forward off the chair and into his arms.
His lips met mine in a kiss that was warm, deep, and filled with a gentle reverence that made the world outside the library window disappear completely.
