The Billionaire’s Betrothed(11)

She straightened, clapping her hands together, "If we do the pink walls, these blush drapes would look so dainty."

"Whatever you think is best, Alissa." Sebastian answered before I had a chance.

I once again resumed glaring at him from across the tiny table, the interior decorator’s breasts forgotten.

"Wonderful decision, Bast." She said cheerily, whipping out her iPhone and hastily clicking away at the keyboard, "We'll have the men in tonight."

"That means you can't sleep here." Sebastian continued, frowning at me as though I were doing something wrong.

"Well where will I go then?" I asked glumly, "I can't afford a hotel."

"You'll come home with me." My fiancée replied with a shrug, "We've got plenty of space."

Alissa clicked her tongue, frowning at the both of us.

"What is it?" I asked, crossing my arms. Was she going to judge us for living in sin or something?

"Sebastian, your parents will be furious if you start living together without introducing her..." She said quietly, whispering as though I couldn't hear them.

"Who said anything about living together?" I replied, before I could think too much about it, "It's just, like, a night, right?"

"Of course not." Sebastian quipped, "I'm not letting you live in your bakery. You'll start staying with me. Alissa, arrange a dinner for this evening."

I opened my mouth to speak but no words would come out, just which part of this discussion should I begin picking apart first?

Meeting the parents sounded absolutely dreadful, but so did moving in together. I didn't even know Sebastian that well.

"I'll have my own room, right?" I asked quietly. It was my turn to pretend Alissa was partly deaf.

"Perhaps." Sebastian responded with a wolfish smirk, "Or perhaps I'll have you all to myself this evening."

When I paled at his words, he chuckled under his breath, "Don’t worry, love." He mused, "You’ll have your space."

"Dinner is set for five thirty." Alissa interrupted primly as though we were misbehaving school children, "Though you will have to find something... decent to wear."

I didn’t miss the way her eyes skimmed my outfit with an arched, disapproving brow.

"Is this not good enough?" I asked, and when I pointed to my ancient, holed jeans, I realized that it was most definitely not good enough.

"Why don't you two go out on the town? The construction crew will be here soon enough and you won't want to breathe in the fumes. I'll handle it from here." She turned back to the colorful fabrics, holding them against the windows in the light.

"Of course you will, Alissa." Sebastian sighed, standing up as he straightened the thin black tie around his tan neck, "Come with me then, Macy."

He held out an arm, waiting expectantly for me to take it before guiding me out of the bakery.

I blinked in the brightness of the sun, sure that I looked like a pale little ghost. I rarely left the bakery anymore, there wasn't anywhere for me to go. I had no money to spend anywhere and no time to take soothing walks.

It didn't help that I seemed to have forgotten how to breathe with the way Sebastian held my arm in his warm grasp, leading me down the hot pavement of the sidewalk. Surely people were staring at us, the dingy girl with a sexy god of a man.

I cringed inwardly, wishing I'd put on even a bit of makeup. Did I even have any?

"Are you nervous about meeting my parents?" Sebastian asked, tilting his head towards me as he observed my grimace, "They’re pleasant enough, nothing to worry about."

"Oh, no." I replied, startled.

I'd momentarily forgotten about that torture. As pleasant as they were, no doubt they would not be welcoming of a girl like me. Especially not if they found out just what Sebastian was doing for me.

Then again, I suppose he wasn't completely innocent in this affair.

Behind us, several large vans pulled up against the road before the shop. Men began swiftly unloading boxes upon boxes of paints, tools, and fabrics.

"She’ll do a good job, won't she?" I whispered to Sebastian, desperation coloring my voice. I hadn't had much of a say at all in what decor was chosen.

"Alissa is an adept decorator. She's rather renowned in our circle of friends." Sebastian replied, patting my hand in a way that sent sparks trickling down my arm.

His circle of friends included the rich and famous, no doubt. Hopefully that would be enough to quell the worry stewing inside of me.

"She’s practically a mind reader when it comes to these things. She knows just how to present your bakery to attract more people." He continued, nodding his head.