Nacho Figueras Presents (23 page)

K
at was lying on her living room couch with her eyes shut when the doorbell rang.

She ignored it. It had to be Sebastian, and she had zero interest in seeing him.

The doorbell went off again. Then someone knocked. Loud.

“Go to hell!” she yelled without opening her eyes.

“Kat?” It wasn't Sebastian. Kat opened her eyes. “Kat, open this goddamned door or I'm going to come in there and put my foot up your ass.”

It was Honey.

“I don't want to talk, Honey,” Kat said. “I'll call you later.”

“Not an option. Need to talk to you right now. Open the door before I break a window.”

Kat exhaled and got up. She heard Honey violently rattle the knob. “Fine!” Kat shouted, flinging open the door. “What the hell is so important?”

“Liberty is in the hospital. She OD'd.”

Kat felt the whole room sway. She grasped Honey's arm. “Oh no,” she whispered. “God, no. Let's go right now.”

Sebastian was in the waiting room when she and Honey arrived. He had his head in his hands, but he looked up as they came in.

“Katarina,” he said, and quickly stood, crossing over to them. “I'm so sorry. I couldn't reach you on your phone.”

Kat took a step back. She couldn't look at him, and she certainly didn't want him to touch her. “Where is she?” she said hoarsely. “Where's Liberty?”

“She's with
la doctora
. They pumped her stomach. She took a handful of Prozac, apparently. Chased it with vodka.”

Kat flinched. “Why?”

“It's a long story,” he said. “But you should see her first. She needs someone, but I was stupid and told them I am not related.”

Kat strode over to the front desk. “I'm Liberty Smith's sister,” she said to the male nurse behind the counter.

He looked at her and shook his head. “Nice try. Everyone knows that Liberty Smith doesn't have any family.”

“I'm her director then,” said Kat. “That's almost the same thing.”

He pursed his lips and looked at her. “You're Kat Parker?”

She whipped out her wallet. “Here's my ID.”

He looked at it and smiled. “I loved
Red Hawk
.”

She blinked. “You did?”

He nodded. “You need any extras for the film you're doing now?”

She shook her head. “Only in frigging Hollywood.” She turned around. “Honey, hook this guy up with a part, okay? No more than one line.” She looked at him. “All right?”

He buzzed open the door. “Room two thirty-seven.”

As she walked through the door, she heard Honey say, “You, sir, are an extremely shitty nurse.”

Liberty was alone when Kat walked in. She looked terrible, washed out and fragile, which Kat found almost as shocking as anything else that had happened this day.

Her amethyst eyes fluttered open.
Oh yeah
, thought Kat,
there she is
.

“Kat?” Her voice was hoarse and ragged.

Kat sat down next to the bed and took Liberty's hand. She glanced down at it. It was ice cold, but still soft and perfect. “How are you doing, Libby?” she said softly.

Liberty's eyes filled with tears. “Oh, I'm great,” she said, attempting to smile. “Just awesome. And I'm so sorry. Did Sebastian tell you about the movie?”

Kat shook her head. “Don't worry about the movie right now, Libby. You take all the time you need. It will still be there when you're better.”

Liberty laughed. She sounded miserable. “No. No, it won't. David cut off the money.”

Kat felt her stomach drop, but she kept her face still. “Why?”

“He saw the pictures of me and Sebastian.”

Kat clenched her fists and looked away, desperately fighting her absolute rage, resisting the urge to just get up and leave this woman alone in her own mess.

“Hey,” said Liberty. “Oh wow, listen, Kat. Seb didn't do anything, okay? That was all me. I wanted to make David jealous. I totally set Sebastian up. I just kissed him for the cameras, okay? Nothing else.”

Kat looked at her. Suddenly she felt like she could breathe again. “Really?” she said.

“Absolutely. He was totally grossed out. It's like he was kissing Hitler. He couldn't get out of there fast enough. He almost mowed me over.”

Kat couldn't help it. She smiled.

Liberty snorted. “Nice, Kat. Glad I could make you feel better.”

Kat bit her lip. “Sorry.”

Liberty closed her eyes. “I told you. I don't ever bother with a guy whose heart is elsewhere. And goddamn, is Sebastian's heart elsewhere.”

Kat smiled again.

“Quit smiling,” said Liberty without opening her eyes.

K
at insisted on staying with Liberty at the hospital that night so Sebastian went back out to pick up some necessities for them both. He went to Kat's house first, finding a change of clothes and grabbing her toothbrush and a comb from her bathroom.

He came back into her bedroom and picked up a pillow from her bed. He put his face to it, inhaling the scent that made him think of both sex and…home, he realized.

He'd been so relieved when she had come back out after seeing Liberty. She had strode right over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him tight. It had been obvious that Liberty had kept her promise and explained herself. For the first time since Liberty had kissed him, he had felt his heart stop furiously beating in a panic and slow back down to its normal rate.

They talked briefly about the movie. Kat thought they might be able to have one of the studios step in, but that would probably mean losing creative power. She had assured him that they would figure it out somehow, in any case.

He put the pillow back and patted the bed, certain that he would be back here later.

Sebastian drove back to the hotel and had the concierge let him into Liberty's bungalow to gather a few of her things. Afterward, he considered going to Alejandro and Georgia's bungalow, but it was late, and he didn't want to chance waking the baby. So he went into the main hotel to find his mother's room and let her know what had happened. He realized he had been unreachable all day, and that she was probably worried.

He knocked on the door to his mother's suite and Alejandro answered. He looked both relieved and pissed when he saw Sebastian. “
Idiota
,” he said, “why have you not picked up your phone all day?”

“
Hijo?
” came his mother's voice. “Sebastian?”

“
Sí, Mamá.
It's him.” Alejandro stood back to let him in.

Pilar rose from the couch, clutching her green silk dressing gown to her chest. Sebastian was shocked when she flew at him and shoved his shoulder with enough force that he was almost knocked backward.

“
Ay
, boy, you told me you were not seeing that married woman!” she hissed. “We saw
las fotos
on the computer! How could you? How could you do something like that after watching what your father did to me?”

Sebastian blinked. “Liberty is in the hospital,” he told her.

From the shocked looks they gave him, he could see that this, at least, was not common knowledge yet.

Good, maybe they could keep it that way.

“But those pictures,” his mother stammered weakly. “That's why we were worried—you told me you weren't—”

He sank down onto the couch and closed his eyes for a moment. “We're not,
Mamá
, but it's a long story.”

They listened as he spilled out all that had happened with Liberty that day, and with Kat from the beginning of their time together. The way it had begun, the way it had ended, and then the way it had started again.

His mother looked at him with a smile of satisfaction. “I knew there was something
especial
between you two,” she said.

Sebastian wryly raised a brow. “As I recall, you told me I was not allowed to date the housekeeper's daughter.”

“No, no. I told you that were not allowed to break her heart,” she said. “Which I now know you will not do.”

He nodded. “You're right. I won't,” he said simply.

“But,” said Alejandro, “the movie? David Ansley cut you off?” He scowled. “
Hijo de puta.
I never liked that guy.”

“Yes,” said Sebastian, rubbing his temple, “halfway through. We'll have to stop production tomorrow until we can figure it out.”

“No,” said Pilar, “over my dead body.”

Alejandro and Sebastian turned their eyes to her, surprised.

She drew herself up, her green eyes glittering. “Carlos was a terrible husband,” she said. “A complete
cabrón
.”

“
Mamá.
” Sebastian laughed in protest.

“
Lo siento, hijos
, but he was. He was, perhaps, a better father—”

“Slightly,” muttered Alejandro.

“But
Dios mio
,
cabrón
or not, I loved him. And everything I loved about him—all his good—he got directly from Victoria. She was everything kind, everything fun, everything brave, everything tender about Carlito. And I loved her like she was my own
mamá
.” She lifted her chin in defiance. “Perhaps more.” She looked at her boys. “I miss her every day.”

They nodded.

“Me, too,” Sebastian said softly.

“Victoria's story will be told,” said Pilar. “I want it told.” She looked at Sebastian. “How much money do you need to finish the movie?”

Sebastian blinked. “Well, since we're halfway through, probably about twenty-five million.”

Pilar looked at her elder son. “Jandro?”

Alejandro looked thoughtful, running his hands through his hair.

Sebastian felt his heart beat faster. “It would be an investment, Jandro,” he said. “You've seen how good it already is. I have no doubt it will make all its money back and more.”

“Well, Sebastian, we do not have thirty-eight billion dollars like Ansley,” said Alejandro slowly.

Sebastian's hopes plunged. “No, you're right,” he said. “Of course. It would be foolish to—”

“But we have enough,” Alejandro interrupted. “More than enough.” He looked at his brother. “From what I have seen, it will be a very good investment. The movie is going to be great,” he said. “
Your
movie is going to be great, Seb.”

Sebastian smiled and blinked back the sudden tears in his eyes. “
Hermano
,” he choked out.

Alejandro pulled him into a hug. Sebastian gripped his big brother and did his best not to cry.

“
Mis hijos
,” said Pilar. “This makes me so happy.”

Alejandro stepped back but kept his hands on Sebastian's shoulders. He cleared his throat. “But after the film is done,” he said, “you'll come back to the team? And we will trade off on number three?”

It was a question. Not a command.

Sebastian smiled. “
Sí
,” he said. “You and
Abuelita
were right. I need the ponies. Just as long as we keep playing
el picador
, okay?”

Alejandro clapped him on the back. “
Claro que si, hermanito.
Of course.”

T
hey brought Liberty back to the hotel and walked her to her bungalow in the dark.

Kat took her hand. “Are you sure you don't want to come stay with me?” she said. “You're more than welcome.”

Liberty smiled and shook her head. “I'm okay,” she said, “really. I'm done with all the drama. Now I just want revenge. I'm going to go to bed, get a good night's sleep, and then, when I wake up, I'm going to call my lawyer and make sure I take that asshole for every red cent he owes me.”

Kat smiled. “Let us know if there's anything we can do to help make that happen.”

Liberty hugged her and then Seb. “Thank you,” she said, “for everything. I don't know what I would have done without you guys.” She looked at Sebastian and grinned devilishly. “I know I should probably say sorry again that I kissed you, but I'm actually not so sure I am. You're still pretty much the best-looking guy I've ever seen, Sebastian.”

“Hey,” protested Kat, laughing.

Liberty shrugged and smiled at them both. “If only his heart wasn't already taken, eh?”

Sebastian smiled back at Liberty and then looked at Kat and pulled her close, resting his head against hers. “Indeed.”

Kat drove them back to her house, and they went straight to her bedroom. It had been a long couple of days at the hospital, and they were both exhausted.

She sat on the bed and hazily watched Sebastian undress. Even through her fatigue, she couldn't help admiring his sleek, muscular body, the way his muscles clenched and shifted as he stripped off his clothes.

She loved him and the thought sent a tendril of warmth throughout her body. She loved the dark fall of hair over his brow, the way his skin seemed to glow in the soft light of the room, the spark that came into his eyes when they looked up and met hers.

He smiled fondly. “You look so tired,
linda
. I'm going to draw you a bath.”

She didn't protest. Nor did she protest, a few moments later, when he came back into the room, smelling faintly of lavender bath salts, and gently pressed her back onto the bed so he could undress her like a sleepy child.

He tenderly lifted her shirt over her head and helped her out of it, then he unhooked her bra and pulled that off. Next, he pulled off her socks, and then he helped her raise her hips and unzipped her jeans so he could tug them down, along with her panties.

She had never felt quite so completely naked before. The usual zinging sexual undercurrent that accompanied this kind of nudity was strangely absent. It was just her and him, and this warm, safe feeling of absolute trust.

He scooped her into his arms.

She laughed. “I can walk, you know.”

“I know,” he said huskily as he carried her into the bathroom and gently deposited her into the steaming, foamy, sweet-smelling water.

She took his hand, inviting him in.

The water sloshed out of the copper slipper tub and onto the dark blue tile floor as he lowered himself in behind her, straddling his legs on either side of her and bringing her back to rest against his chest. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her even closer, and kissed the top of her head. “
Mi amor
,” he whispered.

She closed her eyes and sighed. A long, sweet shudder of release.

They stayed like that for a while, skin to skin, drifting in the soft, warm water.

And then Kat slipped around, pressing her cheek to his neck, holding him close. “I think I finally understand what Victoria meant when she talked about destiny,” she whispered.

She looked up to see that Sebastian's eyes glimmered with tears. He smiled at her—that slow, sweet, impish smile she knew and loved so well—and he reached out and touched her cheek, tracing a path on her skin. “I was outside of Eden before I met you,
mi amor
. I was a man who did not know his true place in this world. And now?” He reached over and softly kissed her lips. She felt a deep, electrifying thrill ricochet through her body. “And now I find myself at home.”

They made love slowly and tenderly in the water, their bodies melding into each other, their hearts and souls following. They tangled and entwined together in a way that, both of them were certain, would never fully come undone.

Afterward, they padded through the darkness and climbed into the welcoming bed, burrowing under the covers, barely touching their fingers together, and then her arms crept around his neck, and his hands intertwined in her hair, and they curled up against each other, soul to soul, heart to heart, destiny fulfilled.