“We found mold,” he said, gesturing toward the ceiling beams. “When they pulled out the damaged insulation from that corner, the whole section behind it was soaked. They’ll have to treat the mold and bring in a licensed roofing contractor.”
I stared at the spot he pointed to, feeling the walls close in.
He touched my forearm. “Don’t worry. I’ll handle it. As the structural lead, I sign on the permit update, and I’ll see that the fix is done right. I’ll also ensure it’s within budget.”
I curbed the urge to throw my arms around his neck and thank him. The spike of panic I’d felt a moment ago ebbed under his steady voice and the way he took charge without being asked.
If he weren’t here and it had been Dave delivering that news, I might’ve launched myself out the nearest window.
“Okay. I’ll contact the insurance adjuster and start the new vendor paperwork. Let’s talk in my office?” I said, instead of hugging him. “Thanks so much, Sebastian.”
He just smiled and nodded once before turning back to Dave.
On my way downstairs, I realized—Sebastian wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
He was fixing my inn, but in the process, cracking my armor.
The first thing I did after closing the office door behind me was text Rio.“S.O.S. Need to talk to you.”
She replied almost immediately.“I’ll be there. Where and when?”
I took a deep breath.“Seven. Coral Bay beach. The usual.”
“If you need me before, I can come by sooner.”
“No. Seven’s ok.”
By the time Sebastian knocked on the door, I was back in control. I had a draft contract for the roofing vendor, and I’d already contacted the insurance adjuster.
I was in my chair behind the desk when he took the seat across from me.
“Dave’s reaching out to a couple of roofing companies for quotes,” he said.
I nodded, then gave him a rundown of what I’d prepped and opened the budget file based on his earlier estimates.
But before we got into the numbers, I paused and looked at him. “Aren’t you expected back in Houston? I really appreciate everything, but I don’t want you getting into trouble on my account.”
“It’s already handled,” he said. “My project’s at a phase that lets me stretch my remote work. Ames might pull me in for a failure load consult sometime, but other than that, I can stay. And my mother will be thrilled I’m sticking around a little longer.”
“Thank you. For everything,” I said, my voice shaky. “For jumping in like this without being asked. Again. Seriously, I ...” My mouth went dry. “I appreciate this. To have someone ... you ...” I was rarely at a loss for words, but since last night, I needed a damn search party to find mine.
Sebastian nodded. He didn’t wave it off, just nodded—calm, grounded, like he understood what I was really saying even when it was all a jumble in my head.
I cleared my throat and reopened the budget. “Okay. Let’s see what the numbers are saying.”
At some point, Sebastian came to stand next to my chair so we could look together at the Excel file. The last time we’d been alone in this office, he’d taken over, stepped into me, pressed me between him and the desk in a haze of adrenalineand need. Now, the air between us was professional. Or trying to be. He hadn’t even glanced at my mouth.
And somehow, that made it worse.
It made me feelmore. Because now it wasn’t about physical tension release. This was who he was—someone solid, dependable, someone who showed up regardless. Someone I trusted and needed frighteningly more than I wanted to admit.
I looked at him longer than I should have—took in the way his big hands flipped the contract pages, the width of his shoulders, the angle of his jaw, the quiet focus in his expression. I wanted to reach and wrap my arms around him and disappear in his embrace. Just for a second. Just to feel that steadiness pressed against me.
But I didn’t.
Because touch—that thing we’d made so easy and automatic between us—had taken on a whole new meaning. It wasn’t a given anymore. It wasn’t easy. And it wasn’t a right I still had, not after he told me he wanted more than I could give. The undercurrent between us ran deeper than I’d ever imagined or was willing to accept, dragging us to unfamiliar depths, deeper than I could swim.
At the door, just before leaving my office, Sebastian rested his hand on my shoulder. “Get some rest, okay?”
