him angry all over again. How dare that man toss her around like a rag doll when she was with him? And how dare that man take out his frustration on a woman? There was no reason for it. Men settled their differences like men. Reacting with violence toward a woman was contemptible.
He looked back toward Pasternak, now standing behind the cash register counter. The man’s beady eyes raked them up and down. Sébastien felt his hands curl into fists as he took a step towards the counter.
“Sébastien, no,” Ella said. “He’s not worth it.” She pulled him towards the door of the shop and led him back to the car.
The cold night air hit his face with the force of a slap, clearing away some of the adrenaline-induced anger. He looked at Ella, whose cheeks and nose were red with cold. “Are you all right?” he asked.
“I’m fine. He didn’t hurt me.”
“Are you sure?”
She nodded. “I fell, that’s all. Let’s just get in the car and get out of here, okay?”
He unlocked her door and opened it for her, tucking the too-large leather coat in beside her before he slammed the door shut. “Stupid,” he said to himself as he rounded the car and came back to the driver’s side.
He had no new information about the stolen jewels, no clue what to do next and a sinking sensation that Ella was somehow responsible for the strange way his brain was making him react to each new situation. He’d already established that she was beautiful and stubborn—and possibly a thief. But now he could see she was also brave, practical, merciful and in far better control of herself than he was.
The more he thought about her, the more he wanted to keep thinking about her. He shook his head to clear it. She might be a thief and a liar. She’s probably after your money. Does the name Amanda ring a bell? No one likes you for who you are, remember? “ How could I forget? ” he said to himself , hanging his head as he reached for the door handle.
Chapter Six
Ella sank down in her seat as Sébastien sped away from Hunter’s Point. She wrapped her arms around herself to stay warm as she watched the scenery fly by. The gritty industrial warehouses gave way to commercial storefronts as they neared Market Street. Sébastien, noticing her gesture, turned on the heater. “Thank you,” she said.
“Don’t thank me . You could have been hurt and it would have been my fault.”
“But I’m not,” she said. “You can’t possibly feel responsible, can you?”
“Can’t I?” he ground out through gritted teeth.
“You wanted me to stay in the car and I wouldn’t.” She shrugged and felt a twinge of pain in her shoulder—she’d landed heavily on the floor. Her shoulder and hip would be sore for a few days. Still, it had been worth it to see him fly over the countertop and attack Pasternak in her defense.
No one had ever done anything like that for her before. She knew it was ridiculous, but it made her feel wanted, as if Sébastien actually cared about what happened to her. Get a hold of yourself , she commanded. He’d probably attack a valet like that just for scratching his car. It doesn’t have anything to do with you. How could it? You barely know him. Get your head back in the game. He probably still thinks you stole the jewels, remember?
“So what’s our next move?” she asked. “Should we call the cops?”
“Not yet,” he said, concentrating intensely on the road in front of him.
“Why not? Granted, they’ll probably think I’m suspect number one, but still…don’t you think we need some help? We tried and we failed. Let someone else take a crack at this.”
He shook his head, still focusing on some point in the distance she couldn’t see. “The Cherbourgs and the police don’t always get along . ”
“But your family…you’re so important to the community. Why wouldn’t the police be
He looked back toward Pasternak, now standing behind the cash register counter. The man’s beady eyes raked them up and down. Sébastien felt his hands curl into fists as he took a step towards the counter.
“Sébastien, no,” Ella said. “He’s not worth it.” She pulled him towards the door of the shop and led him back to the car.
The cold night air hit his face with the force of a slap, clearing away some of the adrenaline-induced anger. He looked at Ella, whose cheeks and nose were red with cold. “Are you all right?” he asked.
“I’m fine. He didn’t hurt me.”
“Are you sure?”
She nodded. “I fell, that’s all. Let’s just get in the car and get out of here, okay?”
He unlocked her door and opened it for her, tucking the too-large leather coat in beside her before he slammed the door shut. “Stupid,” he said to himself as he rounded the car and came back to the driver’s side.
He had no new information about the stolen jewels, no clue what to do next and a sinking sensation that Ella was somehow responsible for the strange way his brain was making him react to each new situation. He’d already established that she was beautiful and stubborn—and possibly a thief. But now he could see she was also brave, practical, merciful and in far better control of herself than he was.
The more he thought about her, the more he wanted to keep thinking about her. He shook his head to clear it. She might be a thief and a liar. She’s probably after your money. Does the name Amanda ring a bell? No one likes you for who you are, remember? “ How could I forget? ” he said to himself , hanging his head as he reached for the door handle.
Chapter Six
Ella sank down in her seat as Sébastien sped away from Hunter’s Point. She wrapped her arms around herself to stay warm as she watched the scenery fly by. The gritty industrial warehouses gave way to commercial storefronts as they neared Market Street. Sébastien, noticing her gesture, turned on the heater. “Thank you,” she said.
“Don’t thank me . You could have been hurt and it would have been my fault.”
“But I’m not,” she said. “You can’t possibly feel responsible, can you?”
“Can’t I?” he ground out through gritted teeth.
“You wanted me to stay in the car and I wouldn’t.” She shrugged and felt a twinge of pain in her shoulder—she’d landed heavily on the floor. Her shoulder and hip would be sore for a few days. Still, it had been worth it to see him fly over the countertop and attack Pasternak in her defense.
No one had ever done anything like that for her before. She knew it was ridiculous, but it made her feel wanted, as if Sébastien actually cared about what happened to her. Get a hold of yourself , she commanded. He’d probably attack a valet like that just for scratching his car. It doesn’t have anything to do with you. How could it? You barely know him. Get your head back in the game. He probably still thinks you stole the jewels, remember?
“So what’s our next move?” she asked. “Should we call the cops?”
“Not yet,” he said, concentrating intensely on the road in front of him.
“Why not? Granted, they’ll probably think I’m suspect number one, but still…don’t you think we need some help? We tried and we failed. Let someone else take a crack at this.”
He shook his head, still focusing on some point in the distance she couldn’t see. “The Cherbourgs and the police don’t always get along . ”
“But your family…you’re so important to the community. Why wouldn’t the police be
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