“Ready,” she said, not bothering to look away.
He led her toward the French doors she’d never seen opened before, his hand finding the small of her back—a touch that sent warmth spreading through her despite its innocence.
“Oh,” Harper breathed as they stepped onto the terrace.
String lights were draped overhead like captured stars, while candles flickered on a small table set for two. The city sprawled below them, but up here it felt private, intimate. A soft breeze carried the scent of roses from somewhere below.
“Sebastian.” She turned to him, surprised. “This is beautiful.”
“Don’t sound so shocked,” he said, though he looked pleased. “I’m capable of romance when properly motivated.”
“And what’s your motivation tonight?”
“Impressing a certain journalist who’s too good for me.”
Harper felt warmth spread through her chest. “Well, it’s working.”
He gave a small shrug, but the pleased flush in his cheeks betrayed him. “I wanted to give us something that was ours. No scandal. No interruptions. Just… this.”
Her smile was slow, real. “You did.”
Sebastian pulled out her chair with a slight bow. “Excellent. Phase one ofOperation: Don’t Screw This Up is complete.”
“There are phases?” Harper asked, settling into her seat. She was hyperaware of how close he was as he pushed in her chair, how his breath briefly stirred her hair.
“Oh yes. Very detailed planning. Phase two involves not poisoning you with dinner.”
“How confident are you about phase two?”
Sebastian disappeared into the kitchen and returned with two plates, moving with the kind of focused efficiency that Harper found oddly attractive. “Moderately confident. I may have outsourced the actual cooking.”
Harper took a bite and her eyebrows shot up. “Sebastian. This is incredible.”
“Thank you. I’ll pass your compliments along to the chef at Le Jardin.”
Harper stared at him. “You got takeaway from a Michelin-starred restaurant?”
“I prefer ‘consulting with culinary professionals,’” Sebastian said, settling into his chair across from her. “I wanted tonight to be special, and I was going to cook, but then I remembered I want you to come back.”
“This is either very sweet or completely insane.”
“Can’t it be both?”
Harper laughed despite herself. “Only you would think ordering takeaway from one of the most expensive restaurants in the city counts as a casual dinner.”
“In my defense, I also lit candles. That’s very domestic of me.”
“Your domestic skills are noted and appreciated,” Harper said, taking another bite. “Though I’m starting to understand why you needed an entire inheritance to survive.”
They settled into easy conversation, the wine loosening their usual careful boundaries. Harper found herself watching Sebastian’s hands as he gestured, the way his eyes crinkled when he laughed, how he leaned forward when she spoke as if her words were the most important thing in the world.
“I have a confession,” Harper said, stealing one of his vegetables. “I mayhave googled ‘how to date someone who used to be your adversary’ this afternoon.”
Sebastian nearly choked on his wine. “And what did the internet tell you?”
“That it’s either a recipe for disaster or the beginning of a very entertaining rom-com.”
“Which one are we betting on?”