“And Grice?” Sebastian added. “Always keep in mind the good work Get Living is doing. This isn’t about my love life, my past, or about Helen. It’s about the campaign. Understood?”
“Yes. You won’t regret this.” Grice thanked him and dashed out of the hotel like he half expected Sebastian to change his mind.
“You were quick to make friends with him.” Helen followed Sebastian to the stairs.
“I had no choice. The more we keep people like him sweet, the more chance they’ll work with us.”
Helen pulled a face. “I’d rather tellpeople like himto go do one.”
“Don’t you dare. You suck it up, Hobbs.” He swiped his room card and pushed the door open.
Helen stepped inside, her gaze immediately drawn to the large, neatly made bed. She quickly scanned the floor for discarded socks and underpants, but the only signs of occupancy were his black suitcase, closed as if he’d just arrived, a pair of blue slippers, placed side by side next to the bed, and what looked like a tuxedo hooked over the bathroom door.
“Let me see what you bought,” he said, pulling out the dress from the bag.
In his large hand, it looked barely bigger than a face towel, and—too late—she noticed the price tag still on.
Sebastian raised an eyebrow, then opened his other hand. “Unless the shoes cost a hundred and ninety-twopounds, I’ll take the change now.”
“I bought makeup, too.” Helen reached into her back pocket and slapped a fistful of notes and some coins into his palm. “I was going to give it back to you.”
Yeah, right,his expression said as he stuffed the money into his wallet. “Give me a minute to freshen up then I’ll get changed out here.”
“Yes, sir.” Her sarcasm earned her a raised brow, which she duly ignored. Helen took the dress from him and waited by the window for her turn in the bathroom.
It was a bright evening, and the waterfront below was bustling. She opened the window as far as the safety catch allowed. Music and laughter, and the enticing aromas from the restaurants below wafted in. Her stomach rumbled. The dinner part of this dinner party was the only thing she was looking forward to tonight. Knowing celebrities would be attending made her nervous, as did the pressure of clause 7.1, termination of contract with immediate effect.
Regardless of the bizarre circumstances, Helen needed this job.
The bathroom door opened behind her. Sebastian stepped out, shirt untucked, collar undone. “You’ve got exactly twenty-three minutes to get ready. Fresh towels are in there. I’ve got some calls to make so I’ll see you in the lobby.”
Grateful for twenty-three minutes alone, Helen nipped into the bathroom and dumped her belongings on the pristine tile floor. She stripped and stepped into the shower, then wasted precious time fumbling with dials, knobs and buttons. Why did these fancy taps have to be so bloody complicated? Nothing she did made the water come hot. She shut the ice-cold jets down.
“Hey.” Wrapped in a towel, Helen peered around the bathroom door. “How do you work this—?”
Wow!
Sebastian Clarke had his shirt off—completely off!
Aware she was gawping, Helen didn’t care, because really, how could anyone pretend they hadn’t seenthat? “Your body is amazing! How often do you work out? You look like one of those plastic action figures, only bigger.”
Sebastian merely scowled at her as he pushed his arms through the sleeves of his shirt and blocked the view to his phenomenal pecs.
“Do you stand in front of a mirror all day eyeing yourself up?” she said. “I know I would if I—”
“Cut it out, Hobbs, and go wash that muck off your neck.”
Helen stifled a giggle. “I can’t get any hot water.” She returned Sebastian’s eyeroll with one of her own. “I’m serious, how do you work this thing?”
Buttoning up his shirt—a bloody shame—he followed her back into the bathroom, proceeding to press buttons and turn knobs. With a puff of steam, the shower hissed into life.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” And then he grimaced, actually grimaced, at the small tattoo on her left shoulder. “Byte me?”
“It’s a computing joke. As in—”
“Yeah, I get it.” His cheeks turned pink and he frowned, his gaze lingering on her bare skin.
