Page 38 of Brutal Heir

I shrugged it off as I rose, determined not to appear cowed.

Unfortunately, the champagne I’d drunk also rose…straight to my head.

I swayed, my hand instinctively pressing against his chest for balance. His hand came down over mine, trapping it against the hard plane of his chest. His skin, tan and calloused, surprised me—a stark contrast to the polished businessmen I usually encountered.

I focused on his signet ring, its thick gold band bearing a black diamond at its center. The motion steadied me as I fought against the waves of dizziness.

Sebastian reached past me, snatching the nearly empty champagne bottle off the table. “How much of this did you drink?”

I leaned forward, narrowing my gaze to concentrate on the gold filigree label before answering with a small giggle. “Enough.”

More than enough, really, considering I’d barely slept or eaten in over twenty-four hours.

He slammed the bottle onto the table. “That’s it. Get your coat. We’re leaving.”

I shook off his grip and stepped back—or rather stumbled, colliding into the table behind me. It shook, sending glasses toppling. The champagne bottle tipped and rolled toward the edge.

With a cry, I lunged for it, knocking a plate of mushroom tartines onto the floor. The bottle slipped, shattering on the black-and-white marble tile.

Before I could kneel to pick up the shards, Sebastian’s hands clamped around my hips, pulling me back.

The unmistakable hardness of his body pressed against me.

My head snapped upright as I silently glowered at him, but he didn’t release me.

The café’s silent patrons fixed their gazes on the spectacle unfolding before them. I felt their judgment, their curiosity, their fear—but I couldn’t meet their eyes.

“The glass,” I murmured, still trying to lean forward.

“Leave it,” he growled into my ear, his arm tightening around my waist.

His hand slid higher, brushing just below my breast.

I froze, acutely aware of every inch of his body against mine.

“Where is your coat?”

I balled my hands into fists at my sides.

I’d hoped he’d forgotten. He hadn’t.

Every instinct in me screamed that Sebastian Diamanti was not a man to cross.

And I had just pissed him off by not obeying his summons.

Leaving my friends to venture into an unfamiliar city in the middle of the night with him was out of the question.

They would never find my body.

I forced the words out through clenched teeth. “I’m not leaving with you.”

His response was swift and brutal. “That’s what you think.”

The alcohol coursing through my veins gave me a false bravado as I turned to face him. “How did you even find me?”

One dark eyebrow arched. “Nothing is off limits to a man with my power and resources. You’d do well to remember that, Sabrina.”

The way he said my name sent a shiver down my spine.