“Look, Freckles, I need some time to wrap up some business over here. Being away for almost a week has really set me back.”
“Oh. Right. I’m sorry. I didn’t-”
“I’ll see you tomorrow.”
The line clicked and I stood there feeling totally dejected. Damn it. Why didn’t I say something when I had the chance earlier? All this confusion could have been avoided if I’d just told him that I wanted him too. Just a few days ago, we’d stood here and he asked me to talk about our future and for some reason, I couldn’t do it. I was such a coward.
✯✯✯✯✯
The dress Sebastian sent to me was absolutely beautiful. It was a form-fitting, sleeveless, black dress that hit just below the knees with a cowl scoop neck. He also sent me a simple pair of black heels and a black jacket since it was turning cooler. Even more surprising was the second box I opened that had black, lacy lingerie with garters and silk stockings. He definitely had good taste, and based on the brand, it came with a hefty price tag, too.
What did this mean? Was he sending me this because he was thinking of me or did he just ask someone to pick something out for me? I didn’t really have time to sit and think about what had run through Sebastian’s mind. We had to leave for the funeral in a little under two hours and I hadn’t yet showered.
However, once I got in the shower, all I could do was think about him running his hands up my silk stockings and taking off the garters. That thought alone had me pulling out my razor and doing a very thorough job shaving.
After my hair was dried, I pulled it back in a twist and made sure it looked nice. I lathered myself in lotion and then went to the bedroom to slip into the lingerie. I looked at myself in the mirror when I was dressed and decided I looked quite nice, but then felt bad when I remembered why I was wearing this.
The hour drive back to Reed Security left me too much time to think about all that had happened over the past week. It made me sad to think of the friendship that I had started to build with Cal that was cruelly torn away and the relationship that I had with Sebastian that seemed to fizzle. Perhaps I was doomed to be alone in life. At least I still had Harry and Aggie, for now.
“So, why aren’t we going right to the cemetery, Derek?”
“Security reasons.”
“Is there a threat that I don’t know about? I thought the funeral was private.”
“We’re just taking precautions.”
It didn’t seem like I was going to get anymore answers out of Derek, so I let it drop. We pulled into the garage several minutes later where all the members of Reed Security stood waiting. I had hoped that Sebastian would get in the SUV with me, but he just signaled to Derek and then got in another vehicle.
We arrived at the cemetery about fifteen minutes later where the hearse was pulling in with the casket. Derek got out first and opened the back door for me to step out. I grabbed the roses off the seat that I had asked Derek to pick up for me and stepped out into the bright sun. Lola, who had been sitting in front, came around and took up my other side. The other members of Reed Security got out of their vehicles and some of the men approached the back of the hearse.
Sebastian, Sam, Hunter, John, Chris, Blake, Julius, and Mark all took up positions around the casket. There was no doubt in my mind that it didn’t actually take that many men to carry the casket, but it seemed that they all wanted to do their part in laying their brother to rest.
Derek and Lola guided me behind the casket as we walked over to the gravesite. There were some men already standing by the grave that I didn’t recognize.
“Derek, who are all those men?”
“Those are men that Cal served with in the Army.”
“I thought that this was going to be a private funeral?”
“Those are his brothers, also. Sebastian thought they should be here.”
“Like his real brothers?” I didn’t think that was possible. There were ten men standing over there.
“No, but when you serve with someone and put your life in their hands, ask them to do the same, it forms a bond that can’t be broken. That’s why this has all been so difficult on all of us. No matter what he’s done, he’s still our brother.”
I didn’t want to think about what Cal had done. Not today. Today was for remembering the man I knew, that gave his life to save mine. He was a good man and I would be damn sure he got the respect he deserved today. I had prepared a speech for the ceremony, though I hadn’t yet told anyone. If they didn’t like it, they could stuff it.
The minister stood in front of the casket and spoke of Cal’s life of service and about the family he’d lost. A few of his brothers from the Army stepped forward and spoke about their time together serving. I found myself laughing at some of the stories they told, realizing that Cal had once been a happy man, full of life and energy. It made me sad that the last year of his life had been so different.
When the minister asked if anyone else would like to say anything, I stepped forward only to feel Derek wrap his hand around my arm.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
“I’m paying my respects.”
“Now’s not the time.”
“Now is the only time I have.”
I ripped my arm from his grip and stepped forward. When I turned to face everyone, I saw Sebastian’s stony face glaring at me. Obviously he wasn’t too happy with me either.
“I only knew Cal for a few days, but in that time I saw a tortured man that had lost his way in life. He felt he had nothing left to give, but I saw something different. I saw a man that would have given anything to go back in time and make one different choice. A choice that would have changed the course of his life and that of his family’s. You don’t always get a second chance in life. Sometimes the decisions you make are final and there is no going back.
“The day Cal died, he made the decision to step in front of a bullet to save me. That was the man I knew. He was a protector at heart and didn’t think twice about jumping in front of me when he saw the shooter. It cost him his life, but I like to think that he’s happy now and at peace with his family.”
I looked up and saw a look of panic on Sebastian’s face as he started a flat out run toward me. Several of the other members of the team were running to me also, while others had their guns raised and were looking around.
Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion. I watched as Sebastian’s feet slowly propelled toward me and his arms slowly reached out for me. His mouth was moving as he yelled something, but I couldn’t understand him. My eyelids slowly drifted closed as I turned my head and opened them once again to see guns raised toward an unknown target.
Then suddenly everything sped up and happened all at once. I felt his body crash into mine and then we toppled over the casket and fell roughly to the ground before sliding into the hole that had been dug for the casket. Sebastian landed on top of me, covering my whole body. He was so heavy that I couldn’t breathe.
“Sebastian.” I croaked.
“Shh.”
He put a hand to his ear as if listening and lifted himself slightly from my body. I had no idea what was going on and wanted to ask questions, but I knew better than to bother him while he was working. If this were the first day we met, I would have yelled at him for tackling me like he had, but after what happened with Cal, I understood the importance of shutting up and following his orders. I heard movement up above, but it was only the sounds of feet shuffling along the grass.
Lying down here in a grave with no idea what was going on was not my idea of how a funeral was supposed to go, nor how I wanted to spend my day. Since I couldn’t ask Sebastian what was going on, I decided that I needed a distraction. I thought about the last time that Sebastian had been on top of me and how close we would be to screwing if only we weren’t fully clothed. And in a grave. With all his men around.
Okay, there were a few things that I would change that could make this situation a little more ideal, but we wer
e pretty deep in the ground. Perhaps no one would see us. I was very aware of how well our body parts were lining up right now and shifted slightly feeling the bulge that was currently inflating beneath his pants.
“Would you stop moving?” He bit out through clenched teeth. I loved growly Sebastian. There was something about his commanding presence that turned me on. Yes, it could be annoying, but I found I liked to push his buttons. Best not to push them right now, though.
After what seemed like an hour, Sebastian lifted himself from my body and pulled me to a standing position. His gun was raised as he scanned the area, but dropped his arm when his team converged on the grave. He grabbed me around the waist and hauled me up into the arms of Sam, who was flanked by Lola and Hunter. Once I was steady on my feet, I looked around and saw that the rest of the guys from the teams were standing facing outward in a circle around us. Even Cal’s old Army brothers were holding weapons and scanning for potential danger.
I was so confused. What had caused Sebastian to tackle me to the ground? Was someone here? Sebastian took up my left side and grabbed my arm, dragging me to the waiting SUV, while Lola was on my right and Hunter behind me. Sam was leading us at a quick pace.
Sebastian practically shoved me inside and only stopped when I grabbed onto his jacket.
“Sebastian, wait. Tell me what’s going on.”
“I’ll fill you in back at the office.”
“No!” I had to be forceful. I needed to know what the hell was going on and why no one would talk to me. This may seem like a bad time to have this discussion, but damn it, this was my life and I deserved to know what was happening.
“I’m not waiting until we get back. You can ride with me and explain on the way or I’m getting out and I’ll find my own way back to Pittsburgh.”
I knew I had him because his jaw clenched and he turned to Sam, murmuring something to him before climbing into the SUV with me.
“Are you happy now?” The SUV took off, but I barely noticed as I waited for Sebastian to finish laying into me. “I have a business to run and I don’t have time for a client to throw a temper tantrum when I’m trying to provide protection.”
“A client? Is that all I am to you?”
It wasn’t hurt in my voice, just pure bitch. I knew that I was something more to him, but for some reason, he felt compelled to push me away.
“That’s not what I meant. Freckles, you don’t know how close that was.”
“No shit, because you won’t tell me anything. I waited while we were in that grave because I knew you were trying to concentrate on your job, but now you need to tell me what’s going on.”
He looked out the window for a moment, then turned to me and his gaze dropped to my chest. I looked down wondering what he was looking at. Surely he wasn’t checking me out. There wasn’t much to see with my jacket covering my chest.
“Someone was there to kill you.”
“What? How do you know?”
“There were wind markers in the trees.”
“What does that mean?”
“When a sniper is preparing for long range shooting, he needs the wind speed and direction to have a precise shot. There were wind markers positioned in the trees and on sticks near the graves.”
The blood drained from my face. “Someone was going to shoot me?”
“And they would have if I hadn’t seen the markers. Even if I had seen the red dot from the laser sight, there’s no way I would have gotten to you in time.”
I took a big gulp, trying to get some moisture back in my throat.
“The team searched the area and came up with a few footprints, but that doesn’t mean a whole lot in the middle of a cemetery. As soon as he saw us run to you, he was gone. Considering that the cemetery is surrounded by woods, they could have easily blended into the trees and we would never find them.”
A chill ran over me and the goosebumps were almost painful. I felt a little dizzy at this new revelation, but I willed myself to hold it together. I had put myself in more dangerous situations already and now was not the time to get cold feet.
“Okay. So what do we do now?” I asked with more confidence than I really had.
“Now we get you back to the safe house and have you finish your story and gather all the evidence for the police. The sooner the Mayor is behind bars, the sooner we can breathe easier.”
“Will you be coming with me?”
“No. I have work to do. Why? Did you need something?”
I blushed as I remembered that I was wearing the lingerie he’d bought me. I couldn’t help that my libido had chosen now to show itself.
“I thought maybe you could come stay with me for a few hours or even the night.”
He narrowed his eyes at me and lowered his voice so that hopefully only I could hear. “You want to fuck? Now? After you were almost killed?”
“Technically, I wasn’t almost killed. You said yourself that the guy never intended to kill me. Besides, you were laying on top of me for a really long time. I had to distract myself from what was going on and you seemed like an awfully good distraction.”
His eyes grew dark as he stared at me. Not looking at the front seat, he spoke to Derek, who was driving. “Derek, we’re heading back to the safe house.”
“Sure thing, Cap.”
Sebastian whipped out his phone and dialed Sam, relaying that he would be at the safe house for at least a few hours and that Sam was to take over back at the office.
“I have a few calls to make before we get to the safe house.”
He placed his calls while I pretended not to care or think about what was going to happen when we got to the safe house. I clenched my legs together several times when he glanced my way and his eyes strayed down to my legs. I decided to put on a little show for him as he talked on the phone.
I bent my right leg a little more, pushing it higher than the other leg and pulling my dress up my thigh. I ran my hand along the outside of my thigh and pulled my dress up just a little more so he could get a good look at the garters that were holding up my stockings. The stockings were a little torn from our tumble, but I figured that it would just mean that he wouldn’t have to be as gentle when we got to the bedroom.
I spread my legs slightly and ran my hand along my inner thigh, moving it back to my knee and again down a little further. I heard him fumble several times on the phone and gave a little chuckle. It wasn’t until I glanced up and saw Lola smirking at me that I slammed my knees together and adjusted my dress. I had almost forgotten that there were other people in the SUV with us.
✯✯✯✯✯
Sebastian stalked me up the stairs after he barked out a few orders. By the time I reached the bedroom, he was on my heels and spinning me into the bedroom door. My back hit the door as he shoved me against it and pulled my leg up. His hands ran up my thigh, his fingers finding the small clasp that held the stockings to the garters. His low growl sent shivers down my spine. His lips crashed into mine and he kissed me with an intensity that left me weak in the knees.
“Bed, now.”
I nodded against his lips as my fingers fumbled with the door knob. I finally got the door open and was about to turn, but he pushed himself into my body and wrapped his arms around me, lifting me up. My legs automatically wrapped around his waist and I felt his hard length pushing against my hot core. I barely heard the door slam shut over the pounding of my heart.
“Sebastian, I need you.”
“I’ve got you, Freckles.”
We flopped down on the bed and his hands once again drifted up my leg. His fingers brushed along the top of the stockings before sliding up to the lace panties he bought for me. I could almost feel his thick fingers on my pussy when he suddenly pulled back.
“What are you doing?”
“Unwrapping my gift.”
He slid my jacket off and then pulled me up to stand in front of him. He grabbed the hem of my dress and slowly pulled it up, his eyes blazing a trail over my body.
My arms lifted as he pulled the dress over my head. His eyes were roaming over my body, taking in the lingerie he had purchased.
“Beautiful. Absolutely fucking gorgeous.”
I blushed slightly at his compliment. I knew that I was a pretty woman, but I had never thought of myself as gorgeous. Then again, the way Sebastian looked at me, I couldn’t possibly feel anything but gorgeous.
He leaned in and brushed his lips along my neck and across my collarbone, then down to my breasts. My eyes drifted shut as I took in the feel of his lips on my heated skin. I felt his teeth nip at my breasts through the bra and then his tongue ran down my stomach. I ached to feel his mouth on me, licking and sucking and driving me wild.
The heat of his tongue trailed over my panties, making me whimper when his tongue swiped across my inner thigh instead of my pussy. I felt dizzy as he worked his way down my body to my heels and then moved to the other leg. His hands caressed me and made me feel like the most cherished woman in the world.
He pulled my heel up onto his thigh as he knelt in front of me. “These are come fuck me shoes.” He placed a few wet kisses to my inner thigh. “I want to feel these heels digging into my back as I bury my cock in your sweet pussy.”
Another kiss, only this one was just over my mound. His hands ran up the back of my legs until each one was cupping my ass. His fingers ran along the edges of the panties and then inside over my cheeks.
“God, I love your ass. Your ass was made for fucking. One of these days, I’m going to fuck you there.” I started panting as his fingers slipped into my wet folds, teasing me and rubbing up to my clit. My breath caught when he started rubbing slow circles with one finger and the other hand pulled the front of the panties to the side. I felt his hot breath moments before I felt the first swipe of his tongue.
“Ahh!” The sensations were overwhelming as he assaulted my aching pussy with his tongue and fingers. It took only a few minutes before I was clenching around his fingers and screaming his name. My legs trembled and threatened to collapse, but Sebastian wrapped his arm around me, holding me close.
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