A few minutes later, they sat at the decorative patio table. The fading sun bounced off the beveled glass, casting it into iridescent prisms. Propping her bare feet on one of the cast iron rungs, she cut into her steak and slid another bite past her lips. Unable to help herself, she hummed with obvious bliss. The gesture drew a quiet chuckle from her lover. Tracing the beads of water off the side of his glass, he studied her with pensive curiosity.
“Good?” he asked.
“It’s heavenly,” she said, dabbing her face with a napkin. “I think you missed your true calling in life. You should have been a chef.”
Sebastian tipped his head back and laughed. His sage eyes sparkled with humor and denial. “I don’t think so, darling. That’s not enough action and excitement for a man like me.”
“Hmm. You may be right. A professional gigolo then.”
She pondered the wisdom in her teasing when Sebastian sat back. Seconds ticked by, stretching into a full-blown minute, as his stare narrowed and he regarded her with a questioning tilt of his head. Her heart sank when he forced a stiff nod.
“Would you like to rethink that assessment?” he asked.
“Maybe?”
It came out sounding far too much like a question. Lowering her head, Taylor speared a piece of cucumber. It didn’t provide the distraction she’d hoped for, and she glanced up again to find Sebastian’s expression remained stoic.
“I don’t know if I should correct that way of thinking or be flattered.”
“I opt for the second,” she said, trying her best to force a hopeful smile.
His lips twitched in response. “I am sure you do, darling.”
He held her gaze until her breath caught. The smoldering look in his eyes was every bit as heated as it was unforgiving. It scorched without borders, burning clear down to the depths of her soul. A slight tremble wormed through her and she wrung her hands.
“I assure you there isn’t a woman out there who would pay for my services, Taylor. They wouldn’t find me nearly as generous or kind—inside the bedroom or out. That part of me is reserved for you and you alone.”
She stilled a shiver, not missing the menacing implication in his words. “Yes, Sebastian.”
He assessed her while tracing the rim of his glass. “Do you doubt me?” he asked, his voice a silken whisper. “Would you like to experience what it would be like for someone who meant nothing to me, Taylor? Or perhaps you are suggesting I take my affections elsewhere?”
Her eyes darted back to his. Taylor’s glossy hair whipped back and forth as she shook her head. “No! Not at all.”
“Is this unpleasantness a byproduct of you spending time with Irene?”
“No, sir.”
He cocked his head and regarded her for another long moment. His mouth hardened with displeasure. “It would be in your best interest to see that we never have this discussion again. Neither one of us will enjoy it if we do. Is that clear?”
“Yes, sir,” she whispered.
“Good. Come here.”
She was certain her reluctance stamped itself clearly across her face. Setting her fork down, she drew a deep breath, praying for courage. Fear wound a treacherous path through her body, making her legs feel like they were forged from warm rubber as she rounded the table and approached his side. Sebastian tilted his head back, his eyes locking with hers. They still burned with something dark and unnamable as he ran a palm up the back of her thigh. She bit back a whimper as he jerked her forward and hauled her into his lap without warning.
A heavy fist wound in her hair, forcing her head back. Heat spiraled through her as his lips brushed across the exposed arch of her throat.
“Do you still want me?” he asked, capturing her earlobe between his teeth, his voice coming in a raspy growl that stabbed straight through her.
“Always,” she breathed.
He shifted, turning her so she straddled him. The air left her in a shallow pant as she felt the growing ridge of his erection strain against her and he lifted her with a firm rock of his hips.
“Good girl,” he whispered, grinding her down into him as he rose beneath her with another languid buck.
Taylor sighed, her body aching with need and the sweet promise of release as he used his hold on her hair to pull her down until his lips brushed hers in a feather light tease. Her fingers sank into the corded muscles in his shoulders as Sebastian rocked against her again, the pressure and friction driving her closer to the edge. His stubble scraped her skin leaving fiery red patches in its wake. A soft moan tumbled from her lips and she ground against him. Sebastian’s lean body stiffened beneath her. His hand left her hair and settled across her throat in warning. The other gripped her hipbone, pushing her down as he stilled her efforts and broke the kiss.
“No.”
The simple word hung between them. Dazed, she stared back at him, her body bordering on betrayal as she struggled to comply. His fingers tightened ever so slightly on her neck, his eyes boring into hers. Unspoken challenge brewed in their pale depths, daring her to disobey and tumble over the edge. Slowly, deliberately, he rolled his hips beneath her with an upward surge. All control threatened to flee. Desperate to escape the maddening torment, she planted her hands against his shoulders and tried to twist away.
Sebastian locked his arms around her waist, the sinewy muscles constricting and forcing her harder into his lap.
“Where do you think you are going, Taylor?”
The low growl vibrated through her and she responded with a distressed whimper.
“Seb…please…I can’t hold it.”
“What did I tell you?” he asked, leaning up to trace the shell of her ear with his tongue.
She tensed as a forceful throb wound through her. An evil voice urged her to go ahead and go for it, insisting he wasn’t inside her. He would never even know as long as she kept her face passive and her mouth quiet. The other pleaded with her to use reason. Sebastian would know. He would always know. His low chuckle set her insides on fire.
“You wouldn’t be thinking about disobeying me would you?” he whispered against her ear. “Do it, darling. See how that works out for you.”
His warm, sweet breath fanned her skin, caressing her until she swore she would go mad. Using his unyielding hold, Sebastian ground against her again, his hard, hot length rubbing against her with skilled precision. Inch by torturous inch he slid along her cleft, making her entire body shudder.
His grip slowly lessened, and Taylor cursed his cruelty as he smiled into her hair.
“Finish your dinner,” he ordered, urging her up with a stinging swat to her thigh.
Aching and miserable from pent up frustration, Taylor slid from his lap with a sullen pout. Still, she couldn’t help but feel a small rush of relief. At least she wouldn’t fail. She didn’t think. The first step toward her chair almost unhinged her. Freezing in place, she shook her head and held her breath, too afraid to exhale lest it send her spiraling over the edge. When she finally managed to sit, Sebastian stared back at her with an unrepentant smirk. Her jaw dropped when he winked.
His head fell back and the rich, husky sound of his laughter rolled through the grounds, drawing the attention of Rupert and the other guards. They glanced up at the spacious wooden deck, their expressions questioning and stunned.
Blushing, Taylor turned her attention back to the man seated across from her. “You were messing with me?”
“Only partially,” he admitted. “I love you, baby, but choose your battles wisely. You aren’t the only one who can tease, and judging from your reaction, I would definitely say I win.”
“You are beyond brutish, Sebastian!” She crumpled up her napkin and tossed it at him with an indignant huff. “That was just mean!”
He shrugged. “There are worse things I could have done. Stop throwing a tantrum and eat.”
A few bites later, she found herself watching him push a piece of steak around with disinterest. The silent burdens he carried weigh
ed his expression down beneath their strain.
“I’m sorry your dinner got cold,” she said, frowning. “Do you want me to heat it up?”
Sebastian glanced up from his plate with a shake of his head. “No. Don’t be sorry. I enjoy every second I spend with you. A cold dinner is worth it.”
“I imagine you’ve had much worse.”
“That I have. I ate Josh’s cooking once. I’ll never make that mistake again.”
“That bad, huh?”
A bewildered grin carved his face, affording her a glimpse of the deep dimples she loved so much.
“I thought I was going to die. The sad thing is, I’m pretty sure it was just a boxed pizza. Don’t ask me how he managed to screw that up, but he did. He got the bright idea to add his own seasonings. It’s a wonder that man didn’t kill himself off before my sister came along. I still have no clue how Aiden managed to survive.”
Taylor laughed and cocked a brow. “I think you’re exaggerating a bit, Agent Baas.”
“Am I? Ask my sister,” he said with a soft chortle. “He’s not allowed in the kitchen.”
Toying with the end of her fork, she sniggered beneath her breath. “I can’t imagine telling either of you that you weren’t allowed to do something.”
He met her eyes with a knowing smile. “I wouldn’t advise it, darling. Not if you ever want to sit.”
“Do you think they will get married someday, too?” She watched conflict and a brief spark of sorrow flash across his chiseled features.
Sighing, Sebastian shrugged. “I would imagine so. If Marx allows it.”
“Would that be a bad thing?”
“No,” he stated softly. “Josh is good for her. It’s just the other things that come with it. This wasn’t the life I wanted for Monique. It’s too late for that now, though. Had I known the way things would go for us…” He trailed off, his lips flattening into a frustrated press. “Had I known a lot of things, I might have chosen a different path.”
“It’s never too late, Sebby.”
“Yes, Taylor. It is. Marx will never let me go. All I can do now is try to make the best of things. At the end of the day, that’s really all any of us can hope to do.”
Finishing the last bite of cucumber from her plate, she reclined against the back of the padded wrought iron seat and drew her knees up to her chest. Deep purples, pinks, and oranges already painted the sky in haphazard strokes. The vibrant colors kissed the woods and distant mountain peaks as the dying sun bathed the yard in a soft golden glow. Sighing, Taylor tried to savor the moment, but no matter how hard she tried to cling to the beauty in life, the somber pall of SKALS and all it entailed kept ripping it all away.
“If Marx allows it,” she repeated. Her chest seemed to collapse and still her heart as she pondered those words. Sebastian’s jaw twitched and he refused to meet her gaze. “These things have to…” Taylor shook her head, still trying to wrap her mind around it, afraid if she said the words, they might become true. “Marx has to approve of someone getting married?”
“He seems to think so lately, yes.”
Her mouth opened and closed. Forcing it shut she searched his face while her own grew numb. “He doesn’t approve of us, does he?” she asked, picking at the corner of her napkin.
“That doesn’t matter, Taylor.”
“Of course it matters, Sebastian!”
He plowed a hand through his hair. The other quickly followed suit and he tugged his curls in aggravation. Sebastian tipped his face skyward for a brief moment before he returned his attention to her.
“Marx has always had an issue with anyone being in my life. From day one, he’s strived to distance me from my own blood and he’s succeeded. Deep down, the bastard doesn’t even like my partnership with Josh. If he had his way, I would be completely alone, isolated from everything and everyone. SKALS would be my only focus in life.” His sage eyes hardened, steeling with ire and resolution. “I don’t give a damn what I have to do, I’m not giving you up. We are getting married, and someday we will have those kids you wanted. Nothing is going to keep me from having that life with you, Taylor. Nothing.”
She twisted the diamond and platinum band on her finger, wanting so much to believe those words. “I want that too,” she whispered. “I want us to be a family so bad. A real family. The kind I never had growing up.”
“We’re already a family, baby,” he said softly.
“I know. It’s just—I can’t help but think about my dad sometimes. Maybe he’s happy since he left, but he ruined everything. I didn’t just lose him. I lost my mother, too.”
“Listen to me. I will never leave you, Taylor. I swear to you, no matter what happens I will never abandon you. I will never give up and walk away. My life means nothing without you.”
“Til’ death do us part?”
His handsome face softened beneath a warm smile. “Even then, I will find a way to be with you, darling. It’s always going to be you and me, Taylor. Always.”
“I love you so much.”
“I love you too, baby. Never doubt that.”
They cleared the table together. Once inside, she started rinsing the dishes while Sebastian put the food away. Despite the vast space, he kept finding reasons to brush against her, and it wasn’t long before he stationed himself behind her. Her eyes drifted shut with a brief bid of pleasure as he swept her hair to the side and wrapped his arms around her waist, drawing her body against his. Searing kisses branded her nape as she started the dishwasher and its quiet whir hummed through the kitchen.
Sebastian reached down and stroked the ring on her finger.
“So when do we make this official?” he murmured. “You haven’t even come up with a date. I don’t know much about weddings, but after watching my sister go through one, I believe there is a lot of planning and extravagance involved. It seems to me like you should have at least pinpointed something by now.”
Turning in his arms, she traced the slight indents in his cheeks. “None of that matters to me, Sebastian. I don’t need anything big and fancy.”
“I can afford to give you whatever you want. You might as well make it the wedding of your dreams. You’re only going to do this once. There will be no one else after me.”
“I know, but I don’t need it to be the affair of the century. I just want to be with you.”
Sebastian’s countenance darkened with his frown. “Are you trying to procrastinate and drag your feet?”
“No. I love you, and I can’t wait until the day we say I do. I swear.”
Lifting her hand, he pressed her fingertips against his lips for a long moment. His pale sage eyes probed hers as if searching for some deeply veiled truth she tried to keep hidden. They narrowed with a twitch. “What is it then? Something is bothering you, Taylor. What aren’t you telling me?”
A dull fire crawled across her cheeks in a silent testament of her shame. She tried to pull free, only to find his fingers locked around her jaw in an unrelenting grip.
“Answer me.”
Given no other choice, she met his stare head on and tried to force the words past the tightening lump in her throat. “I don’t have anyone left, Sebastian. I don’t have any family to invite. I…I don’t even have anyone to give me away.”
A pained wince flickered across his face as if he’d been struck. Pulling her closer, he kissed her forehead. “I know it’s not the same as having your father there, but I’m sure Josh would be more than happy to escort you down the aisle.”
“I figured he would be a little busy being your best man.”
Sebastian shrugged and tucked her hair behind her ears. “I don’t mind sharing. He’s versatile. I am sure he could do both with no problem.”
Taylor’s shoulders sagged. Shrugging, she nodded. “Yeah. Okay. I guess anything beats having to ask Marx to do it.”
Sebastian snorted but his handsome face was bereft of humor.
“Maybe I could ask Daryl,” she suggested. “He’s like a
brother and I know he wouldn’t mind as long as you were okay with it.”
“Whatever makes you happy, Taylor. Just pick a date and make it soon. I’m getting tired of waiting.”
“Yes, Sebastian.”
He released her and scowled at the file on the counter, his expression hardening in an instant. She stared at the manila folder with more than a twinge of annoyance. Part of her wanted to peek inside and see what had him so agitated, but she knew that kind of stupidity would get her hurt, if not killed. Once again, his mood and the distance brewing between them festered. Seeking distraction, she started furiously scrubbing the smooth, black granite counters.
“Stop,” Sebastian warned, snagging the dishtowel from her hands. “The house looks fine. Go relax and watch TV or something.”
“I’m tired of relaxing. That’s all I’ve done all day. I was looking forward to spending some time with you.”
One side of his mouth slanted in understanding as he tucked her hair behind her ears. “I know, baby. I want to spend time with you, too.” Nabbing the file off the counter, he cast a hesitant glance toward his study before raking his free hand through the unruly tumbles on his head. “Come on. We’ll order that horror movie you’ve been wanting to see.”
“What about work?” she asked, shooting a skeptical look at the folder in his hand. “It looks like a pretty big case load.”
Sebastian kissed her temple. “I can handle it, darling.”
A short while later, she sat nestled beneath his arm as they shared a blanket and a bowl of warm kettle corn. Every once in a while, he would reach over and idly thumb through a few pages of the documents sitting beside him. It wasn’t the ideal evening, but she had to give him credit for trying, even if his mind was a million miles away. It broke her heart to watch him struggle to process whatever he was reading.
Her frown deepened with his. It wasn’t like Sebastian to have to grapple with anything. He was usually so self-assured and confident, especially when it came to work. His mind was as sharp and lethal as a well-honed razor. That level of intelligence was something she’d always found as sexy as it was terrifying. Setting the bowl aside, she ran a questioning finger down his chest.
Edge of Obsession (SKALS #3) Page 10