“No boyfriend today?”
The leather of the chair creaked as I leaned back. “No. We don’t see each other every day.” I tried to keep it vague. For his sake.
“Sebastian, the relationship guy,” he said, widening his eyes. “Who would’ve thought?”
Another laugh escaped me. “The relationship guyseems a little extreme. I’ve had a couple.”
He pinned me with those icy eyes. “You don’t do the casual thing anymore?”
I shook my head.
“Why?”
“Something you said stuck with me.”
The ice in his glass clinked softly as it stopped halfway to his lips. “Me?”
“Yes, you,” I said, grinning at his shock. “Why does that surprise you?”
“It just does.” He shrugged. “What life-altering comment did I make to change your wild ways?”
“You told me I should get to know the person before I decide if it’s worth fucking with their head.”
A raspy chuckle drifted through the room, and he downed the rest of his drink. “That does sound like me.”
“You don’t remember? We were fighting on the boat ride before we even really started fooling around.”
He nodded, cheeks faintly flushed.
“Anyway, I moved here, and after many months of self-imposed celibacy, I decided I’d actually get to know people first.” I lowered my glass, studying the amber liquid for a moment. “That turned into dating. Then relationships. I’ve had a few boyfriends. Luca isn’t the first.”
“Really? How many have you had?”
“Over these four years?” I rubbed my hand over my beard, thinking. “Two semi-serious ones.”
He leaned forward in his seat. “Is he one of the serious ones?”
“I don’t know, darling.” I finished my drink and set the glass down. “We’ve been together less than three months. It’s new, and you know my workload has been… excessive lately. Three months with me is like three weeks of an actual relationship.”
Those perfect lips curved into a smirk I was becoming too familiar with. “Are you downplaying it for my benefit?”
I laughed. “Maybe a little. Why do you want to know that?”
He bit his lip, a shoulder lifting in a coy shrug. “I want to know if he’s the love of your life. If that’s what I’m dealing with.”
A breath punched out of me before I could stop it. I couldn’t pretend I didn’t find this blunt side of him exhilarating.
Still, I narrowed my eyes. “Why do you ask questions you don’t want the answer to?”
He grinned. “You’re being cagey. Fine. I’ll allow the subject change.” He looked entirely too pleased for some reason.
“What about you?”
“What about me?”
“Now who’s being cagey?”
Ethan tried to hide his smile by rolling his lips. “Haven’t dated.”
