Bait for a Gentleman novel Chapter 80

Audrina pulled her hand free and grabbed Willow's arm. "Just listen to me for a second."

Willow peeked through her fingers. "Listen to what? Are you going to explain when this started? Why you kept it a secret? Why you literally just sat there and let me talk endless trash about him?!"

Sebastian chimed in from the sidelines, his tone perfectly even. "Ms. Sinclair, what exactly did you say about me?"

Audrina completely lost it, doubling over with laughter. "You're so dead..."

Willow glared. "Would it kill you to back me up here?"

"No, but I really don't want to." Audrina wiped away a tear of amusement.

"Mr. Hawthorne," Willow said, taking a deep, steadying breath. "I'm borrowing her for two minutes."

Without another word, she dragged Audrina straight out of the room and slammed the door shut behind them.

She practically hauled Audrina down the hall, constantly checking over her shoulder until they were at the very end of the corridor before she unleashed her panic:

"Audrina Monroe, you better tell me the truth right now! When did this happen?!"

"It was... the night I got back."

"That night?!" Willow's voice cracked, bordering on a shriek. "The guy you slept with was him?!"

Audrina slapped a hand over her mouth. "Keep your voice down!"

Willow mumbled through her fingers. "Then why didn't you warn me he'd be at dinner today?"

Audrina replied calmly, "Didn't I tell you I invited some friends?"

Willow eventually followed Audrina back to the private dining room, having regained a tiny shred of her composure.

Audrina had officially brought this man to meet her. Whatever complicated mess this was, Willow would always be completely on her best friend's side.

She just never realized Audrina had this kind of terrifying nerve.

She had hooked up with someone on her very first night back in town. And it wasn't just anybody—it was Sebastian Hawthorne, the most notoriously untouchable man in all of Kingshire.

Willow's mind ran through endless chaotic scenarios before she slowly forced a calm expression onto her face.

The man offered a cryptic half-smile, his gaze falling squarely on the side of Audrina's face.

It was the first time he had ever seen her look genuinely flustered, the tips of her ears flushing a soft, delicate pink.

Feeling the intense heat of Sebastian's stare, Audrina gulped down a massive mouthful of water.

She set the glass down, forced herself to meet his eyes, and pointed a retaliatory thumb back at Willow. "She said you were incredibly boring, lacking in personality, and totally weird."

Willow's smug smile froze instantly.

"I... um..." Willow's face flushed crimson, entirely out of words. "That's because I had no idea it was you! If I knew it was you, I definitely would have said you were insanely fun, super gentle, completely—"

Sebastian cut her off smoothly. "No need to panic, Ms. Sinclair. I am, in fact, quite boring."

Willow shook her head frantically. "No, no, no! You're incredibly fun! I could tell the second I walked in!"

"Is that right?" Sebastian remarked smoothly. "Then why weren't you interested in me when you first saw me?"

Sebastian was clearly deciding to let her off the hook. He smirked, turning back to Audrina. "And as for whether I'm totally weird... Don't you know the answer to that better than anyone?"