The Coldest Man in the Room Melted Only for Me novel Chapter 412

"But Sebastian clearly isn't interested in her. If she annoys him, it's going to blow up in our faces."

Pierce's eyes gleamed with cold calculation. "I'll find a way to get Serena living inside the St. John Manor. As long as she doesn't do anything completely brain-dead, even if she doesn't win Sebastian over, she can keep Eleanor company and win her favor."

"That's not a bad angle. If Serena can get into Eleanor's good graces, it will bridge the gap between the Landon and St. John families."

"Exactly. Tell her to pack her bags. I want her here immediately."

Aegis General Hospital Cafeteria.

Holly noticed Riley staring blankly at her food. "Dr. Vance, is something on your mind?"

Riley forcefully yanked her thoughts away from the impending hotel rendezvous with Sebastian. "No."

"Then why do you keep zoning out?"

Riley lowered her eyes guiltily. "I just didn't sleep well last night. I'm a little out of it."

"No wonder those dark circles are so heavy. Hurry up and finish eating so you can catch a nap in the breakroom."

"I actually have an errand to run. I have to step out for a bit."

"Are you going to survive the afternoon?"

"I'll be fine."

After lunch, Holly headed back to the department, and Riley drove straight to the hotel Sebastian had booked.

Winter had fully set in, and the temperature in Statenbury had plummeted below freezing over the last two days.

As Riley walked through the revolving doors, a blast of central heating washed over her, instantly melting away the winter chill.

As she made her way down the plush hallway to his suite, she started feeling uncomfortably hot. She wasn't sure if the hotel had the heat cranked up too high, or if her nerves were just frying her system. When she finally reached his door, she stopped. Her fingers curled tightly into her palms. She let out a long, shaky exhale before pressing the doorbell.

A few seconds later, Sebastian opened the door. His hair was impeccably styled back, and he was wearing a charcoal gray dress shirt buttoned all the way to his throat. His perfectly tailored slacks hugged his ridiculously long legs. The shirt was tucked cleanly under a black leather belt at his narrow waist. He radiated a suffocating, untouchable aura of strict discipline and raw masculine power.

Riley stepped inside.

Sebastian closed the door behind her and took her hand. "Are you cold?"

"No."

"The heating in here is pretty strong. You can take your coat off."

The moment his hand enveloped hers, Riley's entire body tensed. And hearing him tell her to take her clothes off—even just a coat—made her heart slam against her ribs. "Okay," she whispered.

"Go ahead and get into bed. I have a few urgent emails I need to reply to. Once I'm done, I'll join you."

Riley looked at him in sheer surprise. The man was perfectly calm, utterly devoid of any romantic or predatory tension, and talking about work. Riley suddenly felt incredibly foolish for having a mental breakdown all morning over this.

He literally just wanted to take a nap with her.

And here she was thinking...

She wanted to die of embarrassment. Knowing he couldn't sleep for too long anyway, him working for a bit was actually a good thing. "Okay."

Sebastian walked her to the bedroom door before turning back to the desk in the living area to handle his emails.

"No. Just let me hold you."

Riley's heart instantly kicked into overdrive. But reminding herself that he literally just needed to sleep, she forced the dirty thoughts out of her head. She scooted closer and buried herself in his arms. "Go to sleep."

With her soft, fragrant body pressed flush against his, the primal hunger Sebastian had been violently suppressing instantly roared to life. His eyes darkened dangerously as he stared down at the innocent, clear-eyed woman in his arms. His voice dropped to a low, gravelly whisper, heavy with frustration. "Am I really that unappealing to you?"

Riley was completely confused. "Huh?"

"We are literally sharing a bed, and your heart rate hasn't even spiked."

Riley: "..."

Hasn't spiked?

She had been in a state of absolute, panic-inducing terror all morning just thinking about this!

It was only because he had acted so totally unbothered that she realized she was overreacting and forced herself to calm down.

She had crushed her own panic so he could get some rest, and now he was complaining that she was too calm?!

What exactly did he want from her?

Sebastian's massive hand gripped her narrow waist, pressing her soft curves flush against his rigid frame. He lowered his head and crushed his mouth against hers.

He wanted to prove he affected her. He wanted to see her lose her mind over him. So, the kiss didn't start gentle. It was explosive, aggressive, and entirely devoid of restraint.

He forced her lips apart, his tongue sweeping into her mouth, catching hers, sucking, biting, and dominating her completely.