Chapter Sixteen

Alina POV

Not too long after Sebastian had left for his room, I decided to call it a night myself. I was completely spent and I needed to relax.

I found his aunt by one of the tables talking with her daughters. I excused myself, telling them I was extremely tired and needed some rest.

“Oh that’s understandable. Come, I’ll walk you up to your room,” Sebastian's aunt offered.

I was inclined to decline but she was already getting on her feet and coming around the table to meet me. I sighed as I took her hand which she surprisingly offered me again and allowed her to lead me up the staircase.

While we walked, she peppered me with some personal questions. Then she started asking me about her nephew and what I thought about him. It confused me at first but I told her the only honest thing that I could. He was quite honest with his dealings and very straight to the point.

‘Oh that’s my Seb. He’s always been that way. Too uptight, doesn’t let himself relax”

We were now in front of a bedroom that clearly did not look like mine. I was not yet used to the house but at least, I’d remembered the wing which my bedroom had been in. I was about to question the older woman but she was still talking.

“Anyways, now that you are here, perhaps things can finally change with him. Maybe you would be the one to help him relax”

I nodded, not sure what she was trying to say but not wanting to find out either. “Ma’am, this is not my bedroom though. I think we missed a turn”

“Oh nonsense, quit calling me ma’am! I know this estate quite well. This is your bedroom. The one you share with Sebastian” She raised her brows at me like she expected me to understand and I did, eventually.

Sebastian’s aunt believed him and I shared the same bedroom. I scratched the back of my neck nervously. I did not know how I was going to get out of this situation now. So, I decided I would just wait for her to disappear then find my way back to the room.

“Goodnight ma’am”

She nodded, turned around and walked away. I waited for a beat before attempting to move away from the nook where the door was seated. As soon as I poked my head out, I noticed her shadow cast against the wall opposite the staircase and sighed. Turning around, I lifted my hand and knocked against the door. I would just have to wait a little longer.

There was no response two minutes after I had knocked. Assuming Sebastian to already asleep, I tried the door handle. It came open and I walked into the bedroom. There were no lights on and several steps into the room, I could not make out any object or person. Finally, I caught a dim glow coming from beneath a door I guessed was the bathroom.

I shook my head and started to move again. I was so focused on the door and trying to bump into anything that I did not hear the footsteps behind me until I’d rammed into something hard and damp. Then large, strong fingers wrapped around my neck and squeezed.

I smacked my hands against his hands as life slowly left my lungs. I tried to get sounds out but his grip was strong. I watched his eyes flash as he realized it was me then let go of my neck.

Doubled over, I coughed as I massaged my neck which now felt extremely sore. Slowly, I looked up ready to give Sebastian a good talking when my eyes met with the waistband of his shorts. I coughed harder. The effect of his chokehold had ebbed. I was coughing for a different reason now.

Sebastian’s groin was out in the open. The place where his waist descended to a V to his private part was exposed. And I could clearly see the outline of his phallus. Oh. God. I forced my head up so hard that I lost my footing and stumbled backward. His hands shot out and caught me around my waist, pulling me up against his chest.

I let out a gasp as my body struck his. For a minute, everything went still. The space between us had vanished and beneath my fingers, Sebastian’s heart pulsed. My mouth hung open, dazed by the scent of his body wash and the feel of his warmth. I could hear his breathing, heavy and uneven as his face lowered to mine. Instinctively, I angled my hand up to his as if welcoming his lips on mine.

He surprisingly broke out of the spell first. He gently stepped back from me. He sighed shakily as he ran a hand through his hair, the other hand propped against his waist.

“Uh, I am sorry about that, I thought it was someone else” He shook his head then turned around and walked away.

I stood confused until an overhead lamp came on, filling the room with a yellow glow. It was just bright enough to illuminate the space around me. It was then I saw that the bedroom was separated into various parts. I now stood in what was the dressing area. The bathroom door was ahead of me and to my right a walk in closet of which I could not see the end. Opposite, there was a mirror flanked by a shelf filled with different bottles of perfumes and male cosmetics.

Behind me, the bedroom remained in the starkness of darkness, the yellow lights only revealing as far as the position of the king-sized bed. As I scanned the room, I realized that the reason I had not hit anything was because everything had been arranged. There seemed to be a clear path from the bedroom door to the bathroom.

When Sebastian returned, he was now fully dressed and held a towel against his hair. His shoulder-length hair. I had not noticed that before. He always kept it neatly tucked behind his collar so that it appeared as though his hair was short.

“How’s your neck?”

My fingers sprung to the part in question and I gently massaged it. It felt better.

I blushed as I explained to him. “Your aunt is currently at the staircase as we speak, waiting to see if I would sneak out”

Sebastian lifted his head. Something about his posture told me he was not surprised at all but he made no further comments concerning the matter.

“She’d leave eventually. Would you like to shower and get changed before then? I’m sure you could find something in my closet that would fit.”

I nodded.

He pointed the bathroom for me then walked out, closing the partition that separated this side of the bedroom from the sleeping area.

I tried to spend as little time in his bathroom, everywhere I looked I saw him. I smelled him. His presence was intoxicating and I hated that I was was beginning to lose control. I found fresh towels folded in a cabinet beside the sink and picked out one of them.

Although this was not my usual nighttime routine, I had to work with what I had. His clothes were clearly oversized but I picked out a shirt and boxer briefs. It felt personal going through his things.

Sebastian was carting pillows from the bed and tucking them beneath his arm. When he looked up at me, his face registered something dark before he looked away.

“I’ll stay on the couch. At midnight, we’d be sure the coast is clear and you can return to your bedroom” He did not say anymore as he turned around and walked away. It felt like he didn't want me there and I was suddenly bothered, but why? No Alina, you can't be bothered about irrelevant things like Sebastian Wolfe even if he's your “husband”

The partition shut behind him as he crossed over to the lounge area. I sighed, releasing a breath I had not realized I was holding. The bed was now two pillows less but still had enough for me to build my forte the way I liked. They were large and soft and as soon as my head hit them, I was out like a flame.