Ruined (Barnes Brothers #4)(47)

It startled a laugh out of her. As they stopped by his car, she glanced over at him.

He was staring at her.

Her heart skipped a few beats and she hurriedly looked away. He had the door open for her and she ducked inside but instead of closing the door, he knelt down, staring in at her. “Are you feeling okay now?”

His voice was soft and the darkness wrapped around them, creating the illusion of intimacy where there was none.

She managed to hide the shiver, but if she kept looking at him, she was going to lean toward him. Touch him. Kiss him. Her body was humming now that he was near again. Acting out scenes when she was wearing little more than a pair of underwear was never what she could call intimate, even with Sebastien.

At least before.

Now, though . . .

Today had been an exercise in erotic torture and patience. She’d had to think about things like nursing bras and whether she’d like a girl or a boy and whether she’d keep working once the baby was born—while still keeping her brain on the task at hand. Enough to keep tuned in, yet not enough to let her body get too into it. It was a fine line to walk but she’d managed to keep all the need trapped down inside her body.

Now that he was here . . .

Averting her gaze, she focused on the darkness spreading out in front of the window. “I’m fine, Sebastien. I’m just tired. It’s hard to sleep sometimes and it’s catching up to me, that’s all.”

His hand brushed hers.

“You ever going to look at me in the eye again, Marin? Ever going to talk to me?”

The emotion throbbing in his voice had a knot swelling in her throat.

Talk to him . . . look at him . . .

She needed to talk to him. She had to tell him.

She opened her mouth to do just that when he continued. “I mean, I get that it’s not going to happen. I know you don’t . . . Hell, we’re not going to happen. You’re with Dash, you’re carrying his baby, but we used to be friends. You’re probably the best friend I’ve got. Did I totally destroy that?”

“Sebastien . . .” Closing her eyes, she floundered for how to tell him what she needed to say.

He took the silence the wrong way.

“Fine. Okay. I get it. I . . . yeah. I’m sorry I was such a bastard, Marin. Really.” He shut the door with a little more force than needed and she groaned, covering her face with her hand. She went to say something when he climbed in, but again, he was already talking. “At least send Dash a message. Let him know so he doesn’t hear about it from somebody else.”

Irritated all over again, she snapped, “I don’t have to check in with Dash or anybody else. I’m fine.”

A taut silence hung between them, shattered only when Sebastien started the car. The powerful engine roared to life before settling into a purr as he threw it into reverse.

The entire drive was made in silence and Marin kept her face turned from his.

Mentally, she walked through what she needed to do.

This had gone on too long and she had to put an end to it.

Her heart ached every time she saw him and if she didn’t so something soon, it was only going to make it worse.

He thought he had put some giant wedge between them, but in reality, she was creating one, just by not finding a way to tell him. The longer she waited the harder it would get, too.

As the lights of the hotel came into view, she looked over at him. “Sebastien, would you—”

The music blaring from his phone interrupted her. Sebastien picked the phone up from the console, eyed it before dropping it. She thought for a moment, he wasn’t going to answer and she breathed out a sigh of relief.

But then she mentally started to swear up and down as he tapped a button on the steering wheel.

The soft, throaty voice that rolled out made Marin see red.

Evie Taylor wasn’t exactly a woman Marin didn’t like.

Generally, Marin was an easy-going woman so while. Evie might be considered a prima donna, the two women got along well. But Evie was also a determined predator in Prada and everybody knew she’d set her sights on Sebastien. She was playing the sister in the movie and she had a lot of scenes with Marin. Every so often, Evie would ask about him . . . or one of the other brothers.

Marin had gotten tired of the questions about the brothers. She was as protective of them—and their wives—as if she were part of the family. She’d told Evie she was wasting her time on Sebastien’s brothers. They were stupid in love with their wives and when she’d mentioned Travis, Marin had just laughed. You won’t ever see him.

So that had just made her that much more focused on Sebastien.

“I was wondering if you might be interested in grabbing a bite to eat.”

Say no. Marin stared at the console, thinking so loud it was a miracle Sebastien didn’t hear her.

Or maybe he did. Maybe he laughed and chuckled and chatted with Evie just to piss Marin off.

She had no idea.

But by the time the call ended, Sebastien had made plans for Evie to meet him out in front of the hotel.

So much for you taking me up to my room, staying with me. She was tempted to sulk and point out that he was supposed to be taking care of her, hello!

But she was feeling fine and she’d sound like a whiny brat if she went and did a one-eighty after telling him she was okay.

“You sure you’re feeling okay?” he asked, checking his mirror before pulling into the valet area in front of the hotel. It was crowded but he managed to work his way straight up to the front. And what a surprise . . . Evie was already out there.