Page 25 of Bid For Me
The city seems to blur into a dreamlike haze around us, the vibrant energy of Paris pulsating through every fibre of my being.
Sebastian leans closer to me, his voice barely audible above the roar of the wind. “Hold on tight, Elle!” he shouts, his eyes sparkling with a wild gleam that mirrors my own sense of exhilaration. As we hurtle through the heart of the city on an impromptu adventure neither of us could have anticipated,I feel a newfound sense of freedom and connection blossoming between us.
When we finally screech to a halt in front of a quaint all-night café nestled in a secluded corner of Montmartre, we stumble out onto the cobblestones, breathless and flushed with excitement. The driver grins at us, his eyes twinkling with mischief as he accepts our fare and generous tip with a nod of approval.
Sebastian turns to me, his smile radiant in the soft glow of the street lamps. “Well, that was certainly a date to remember, was it not?”
“The best I’ve ever been on,” I tell him with a beaming smile, even though my cheeks hurt from laughing and smiling so much, and the wind must have whipped my hair into a bird’s nest. I sigh wistfully. “Is it wrong that I don’t want it to end?”
Sebastian’s eyes soften as he gazes at me, his expression tender and – I hope – genuine. “Who said anything about it ending?” he says softly, reaching out to tuck a loose strand of hair behind my ear.
A sense of warmth blooms in my chest, spreading like tendrils of ivy weaving their way around my heart. I meet Sebastian’s gaze with unwavering certainty, despite the flutter of butterflies in my stomach.
His touch lingers on my cheek, and I lean forwards, rising onto my tiptoes a little to encourage him.
Sebastian’s lips meet mine in a gentle, hesitant kiss at first, as if testing the waters of our newfound connection. But as the seconds stretch into eternity, the kiss deepens, igniting a spark between us that blazes into a fiery passion. The world around us fades away, leaving only the sensation of his warm embrace and the taste of his lips on mine.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Seb
As I walk alonein the chill of the early London morning, I replay every moment of last night with Elle, dissecting my mistakes in painful clarity. I thought I had it all planned, but it turns out I’m as clueless as they come. My intentions, as noble as they might’ve felt in my head, only seem to leave a trail of confusion and, if I’m being honest, hurt.
That dinner was supposed to be special. A celebration of all she’s achieved, not an impromptu auction win. Elle, sitting across from me with her usual scepticism, her confidence, and that quiet softness, had me thinking maybe, just maybe, I’d have the guts to ask her to be mine for more than just the night. The thought of anyone else sweeping her off her feet had twisted me into knots. I wanted to act first. I wanted to be the one she turned to.
But when I held the ring in my pocket, something felt wrong. A part of me still wonders if it’s some lack in me, something Elle deserves that I can’t quite give her. She deserves clarity, no half-hearted overtures from a man still figuring out his own life.
She knows we need to wed, it’s part of the deal, but last night, I almost wanted it to be real. And when the time came, I couldn’t do it.
When I look at her…the soft curve of her smile, that spark in her eyes, and the way she carries herself with that quiet confidence – it makes me want her more fiercely than I can justify. And perhaps that’s what unsettled me most: the fear that she saw right through me. That she’d know I was proposing out of more than just obligation to our deal.
I’m not ready. That’s the truth, isn’t it? I wanted to lay out my intentions, maybe catch her off guard with a proposal, but the truth is, I’m terrified. I felt the weight of our history, of the expectations I know her family has for her. And beneath it all, there’s that nagging question of whether she feels the same. Whether all this trouble I put myself through would even matter in the end.
Whether a marriage of convenience, acquired by shady means, could ever be something more.
Elle and I go back too far for me to risk throwing it all out on a gamble. But at the same time, I can’t deny what’s between us.
The potential.
I thought the solution was as simple as making a grand gesture. But as the night went on, I realised she needed more than words. She needed time, patience – qualities I don’t possess, as the urge to make her see things my way pressed down on me.
Maybe that’s where I went wrong. I pushed too hard, expecting her to follow along, assuming she’d want what I wanted because…well, because I want it so desperately.
A laugh escapes me, a bitter one, laced with regret. How typical. Me, the one who prides himself on reading people, blind to the fact that Elle might have her own dreams – dreams that don’t include a rushed proposal or a controlling hand.
My fingers close around the small box in my coat pocket, a reminder of my impulsive mistake. I could’ve waited. Planned a date that suited her instead of ambushing her with expectations. And yet, when I saw the barely concealed disappointment on her face, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was losing her to some unknown future, one that didn’t involve me.
A reality that feels entirely unbearable.
And now, here I am, pacing like an idiot in the cold, wishing I’d had the nerve to be honest instead of putting on some grand performance. Maybe next time, if she even gives me a next time, I’ll get it right. I’ll find the courage to show her what she means to me without forcing her into a corner.
That is, if she hasn’t already written me off as the insufferable, self-centred prick I’ve proven to be.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Elle
As the blaringringtone jolts me awake, I fumble for my phone with a groan, my heart racing with each consecutive missed call from my brother.