Chapter 5

Sebastian Lockwood booked a luxury suite at The Lancaster Hotel and tasked the hotel staff with helping Eleanor Whitfield clean up, while he retreated to an adjacent room to wash away the mess from the evening.

He couldn't help but smile wryly under the shower. It seemed this little woman really had him wrapped around her finger. Anyone else who had left him in such an embarrassing, disheveled state would have been tossed straight out onto the street. Yet, when it came to her, he found himself utterly helpless.

After rinsing off, Bash stepped out into the room wearing a fine dressing gown.

Over on the bed, Nell had already been cleaned up and was sleeping soundly, curled tightly around the duvet. Her long dark hair was splayed messily across the white sheets, framing a beautiful striking face. She was clearly a terribly restless sleeper, yet there was something incredibly sweet and endearing about her features in repose.

Bash looked down at her, then unconsciously sat on the edge of the mattress. Reaching out, he gently brushed his fingers against Nell's cheek. Her skin felt soft and smooth beneath his fingertips.

"Mummy, don't wake me... let me sleep a bit longer..." she knitted her brows and mumbled incoherently, batting Bash's hand away before rolling over to continue her slumber.

As she shifted, the loose hotel robe slipped further out of place. The gaping collar exposed her collarbone and a glimpse of soft, porcelain skin.

Bash's gaze darkened.

This woman really had a death wish. Getting completely sloshed at Nocturne, letting herself be carried away, and now sleeping here entirely defenseless. It was fortunate he was the one here tonight; any other man would have jumped at the chance to take advantage of her.

"Eleanor Whitfield, you absolute idiot," Bash murmured, as frustration gnawed in his voice as he gave her cheek a pinch.

Taking a deep breath, he forced his eyes away from the bare skin of her neck. It was a test of willpower, but Bash suppressed the sudden pounding in his chest and took a steadying breath. He had no intention of taking advantage of a drunk woman. Even though he thought Nell would make an excellent stepmother for Theo, he wasn't about to act like an animal while she was incapacitated. The noble Sebastian Lockwood completely forgot that sometimes, playing the gentleman is its own kind of madness.

"James Thornton, you bloody bastard..." she mumbled again, shifting restlessly as a stray tear glistened at the corner of her eye.

Bash fixed his eyes on that tear. After a moment's hesitation, he reached down to brush it away.

Nell's eyes fluttered open in a daze. Seeing a silhouette sitting beside her against the dim light, she couldn't quite make out his features. She could only see his eyes… dark and intense, with a dangerous glint.

Suddenly, she bolted upright. Without a single word, she lunged forward and threw Bash flat onto the bed.

Her weight pressed directly against him. She jabbed a finger into his chest, her wide, beautiful eyes looking surprisingly fierce despite being completely out of focus.

"James Thornton, you absolute bastard! Did you run after Cassandra just because she let you into her bed?! Don't think I don't know you only hooked up with her because she slept with you! You prick, we were together for three whole years, and you run off the moment someone else offers it up on a silver platter?! Well, fine! I am sleeping with you tonight and draining you dry, let's see you try to cheat after that!"

Nell was utterly plastered, raving completely out of her mind. To make matters worse, her hands aggressively grabbed the lapels of Bash's dressing gown and ripped it open with surprising force.

Under the soft lamplight, his broad chest was fully exposed—sculpted, lean, and tapering down to a defined set of abs.

Nell sat up straighter, straddling him as she dragged her hands lower.

"One, two, three... eight... bloody hell, you actually have an eight-pack? You absolute god!"

As she counted, her palms traced the hard ridges. She never expected James to be built like this, and frankly, she couldn't bring herself to let go.

Sebastian Lockwood was thoroughly aroused by those troublesome wandering hands, his gaze growing heavy and dark. With a swift movement, he flipped over, pinning the intoxicated little wildcat beneath him. He stared down at her, a fierce fire burning in his eyes.

"Little Nell..."

The nickname made Eleanor freeze. She tilted her head in confusion, her brow furrowing as if trying to grasp a fleeting, distant thought. A moment later, her face flushed with sudden displeasure.

"Who gave you permission to call me Little Nell? You're not allowed to use that name. Little Nell was the special name the boy from my childhood used for me. Even if I can't find him now, you don't get to call me that, you bastard."

Bash's eyes instantly lit up, as a spark of recognition flashing before settling. He stared down at her flushed, intoxicated face, a massive wave of ecstasy surging through his chest.

"Little Nell, you still remember me. You actually remember..."

"Remember you? Who even are you? Stop spinning, let me look at you." As she mumbled, she grabbed Bash by the cheeks, forcing her glazed eyes wide to study him intensely. Then, she raised a hand and slapped him squarely across the cheek. "I told you to stop spinning! You're still moving. You've got three heads—how am I supposed to see clearly?"

This maddening little drunkard instantly shattered the tender mood. Bash was still clinging to the sweet nostalgia of his childhood sweetheart, but the slap effectively sobered his runaway thoughts.

He raised a hand and gave Nell's nose a gentle pinch. "You absolute menace. I'll let you off the hook this time, but the next time you dare get drunk and seduce me, I won't hold back."

With that, Bash tried to roll out of bed. He desperately needed another freezing shower; otherwise, he was going to spontaneously combust.

But the moment his foot touched the floor, Nell grabbed his arm. With strength, the drunken wildcat yanked him straight back onto the mattress. Emboldened by her own audacity, she swung a leg over and directly straddled his waist.

She tipped her chin up arrogantly, poking Bash in the shoulder. "You're not allowed to leave. You haven't told me who you are yet! Tell me, who are you, and why are you calling me Little Nell?"

Bash stared deeply into her eyes, as a faint, affectionate smile played on his lips. He reached up, gently tracing the line of her cheek.

"Remember this, darling. My name is Sebastian Lockwood."

"Sebastian Lockwood..." Nell murmured. The alcohol gave her usually voice a husky drawl that was entirely too alluring.

Hearing his name slip from her lips made Bash's heart soften entirely. He wanted nothing more than to pull her into his arms and thoroughly spoil her. His large hands moved upward, settling on Nell's slender waist. The firm, soft warmth beneath his fingertips sent a tremor straight to Bash's core, rekindling the surging heat inside of him.

"Little Nell..." he whispered hoarsely as his gaze darkened once more.

Nell smiled coquettishly, lowering her body until she was hovering just inches from his face. "Sebastian... hehe, Sebastian..."

Thud.

Her head dropped heavily against his shoulder. Nell had passed out in seconds.

Bash blinked, turning his head to look at her. He was utterly speechless to find that the very woman who had just set his blood on fire was out cold.

Exhaling a deeply frustrated breath, Bash carefully rolled her off him and tucked her onto the mattress, gently patting her cheek with his hand.

"Little Nell?"

Silence.

"Little Nell!"

Nothing.

"Bloody hell."

After a breath, Bash realized that a freezing shower was now a necessity.

"You're a prick..." Nell suddenly mumbled. She tossed her leg over him, pinning him in place. Before he could react, she clamped onto him like an octopus, tangling her arms and legs completely around the thoroughly overheated man.

Bash felt the searing heat pooling in his veins, trapped beneath her dead weight and warmth. Defeated, he squeezed his eyes shut in pure agony.

"I swear to... fuck!"