MASTER SEBASTIAN

Chapter 15

The jet rumbled to life and it rode down the stretching lawn at full speed, then the nose of the plane rose up and soon we were going higher and higher and higher....

And through all this, my hands gripped the edges of my seat until my knuckles turned white.

When we'd attained some sort of balance in the air, I released an uneven breath, making a point not to look out the window next to me.

The tinkling sound of glasses was the first thing I heard before Sebastian's voice. "Take this. It might help."

I looked up. He held out a glass containing what I thought was white wine, his face expressionless.

With a murmured thank you, I took it and nursed it in my palm. I grew surprised when he sat opposite me, dwarfing the seat. Lightly he sipped from his glass, reclining, like it was perfectly normal to be in close proximity to me. If it was anything I noticed, he liked to keep his distance.

Only the sound of the airplane filled the silence. I looked down at my glass and held it an inch forward. "For a thorn in your side, you make sure to keep me hydrated. Careful, I might sprout more spines."

"Good thing I've developed a fine resistance to pain," he said.

Did Sebastian just make a joke? I drank my wine to cover my surprise. My eyes bounced around the room for a fleeting second before curiosity dug into me. Carefully I said, "One might wonder what kind of pain you went through to become almost immune."

He intoned drily, "I would appreciate it if they kept wondering."

I couldn't stop a giggle.

Like last night, his eyes found my lips. Only this time he didn't look away, leisurely sipping his drink. I suddenly felt warm inside and immediately attributed it to the drink.

Clearing my throat, I asked, "So, um, what do you do for a living?" Good question, Elle!

If he noticed my flaming cheeks, he gave no indication. A brow rose, what looked like amusement slipping into his eyes. "An odd question, considering my species."

It took me a full second to grasp what he was implying at. A sharp snort tore out of me. He was practically dead and I'd asked what he did for a living! Another laugh escaped and his eyes grew rapt on me, like he was commiting the sound of my laughter to memory. Reigning in my laughter, I looked away, my face growing hot.

Placing one long leg over a knee, he relaxed deeper, taking up space in a way that screamed male. His silky voice washed over me, "And what about you?"

What?

Oh.

For a moment, I hesitated. He was making conversation. I didn't know what to think of that. "Before the Invasion," I started. "I wanted to be...an actress."

"An actress? I didn't think you enjoyed the... excitement of Hollywood."

"I didn't either. I mean, I don't. There's just"--I swirled my drink distractedly, searching for the words--"something about being in someone else's shoes, living a life so different from yours..."

He watched me. "Acting was your way of dissociating, from your reality."

"When you put it that way..." I chuckled. He lifted his glass to his lips.