Strength In Release (The Charistown Series Book 5)

by Lisa N. Paul

  Sebastian’s eyes widened with interest. “You gonna give me the info or leave me guessing?”

  Max snorted. “Show up, man. That’s all the details I’m giving.”

  “Dick.”

  Max draped his arm around his wife. “Yeah, I’ve heard some pretty spectacular things about my dick.”

  When Janie elbowed Max in the ribs, Lyla burst out laughing.

  “But seriously, you’re gonna want your hands all over this classic,” Max added.

  “Mmm, his hands, huh?” Lyla murmured. “I may just get jealous over an automobile.”

  Sebastian chuckled as he swiped Lyla’s hair aside then nibbled on her earlobe. “I’ll work on the car’s body so my hands are all warmed up for yours.”

  “Dude, if I wasn’t so happy for you two, I’d gag.” Max sipped his beer.

  “Shut it, big guy,” Janie teased, “or I’ll share the things you say to me. While I find them sweet as hell, Gage would never let you live them down.” Janie beamed before she gulped her margarita.

  Janie’s students and their adolescent drama, Lyla’s new book, and plans for the upcoming Sunday night dinner that Lyla was hosting were discussed in a way that felt as if the four of them had been doing it for years. And when dinner was over, they made plans to meet up again the following week. It was the first time in Lyla’s life she felt normal… happy… complete.

  ***

  SEBASTIAN PULLED INTO Lyla’s driveway and shifted his car into park. “Let’s run in and you can pack some stuff. You’ll stay at my place again tonight.” The thought of her naked, writhing, and begging for release had his cock pulsing.

  Pulling her bottom lip between her teeth, Lyla’s eyes met his. “I think I should stay at my place tonight. No, Bastian, don’t look at me that way. I’m not asking for space, I’m not pulling away. I promise. It’s just… Max made a great not-so-subtle point tonight. Neither of us has worked in days, and both of us have obligations.”

  “Ly—”

  “Call me. Text me. Sext me. I’m not going anywhere. But you need to be at the garage early, and I have got to get my columns written. Tomorrow night, you will have to drag me away from you.”

  They hadn’t left each other’s side since the night he found her on the floor in her basement, and while he believed her each time she expressed her feelings, gave him her body, or let him into her mind, he felt a sense of unease when he wondered if she would try to reerect the walls they had torn down together. But the sincerity in her eyes and in her words made the tension that had spiked at Lyla’s request for the night alone all but evaporate.

  “The only place I’ll drag you is to bed, sweetheart.”

  Cupping her jaw, he leaned in and crushed his lips to hers. Brown sugar and winter warmth filled his nostrils as her scent consumed him. When Lyla moaned, he deepened their kiss, tangling his tongue with hers. Sighs, so fucking sweet, left her throat as Sebastian inched his hand down her neck, the pads of his fingers gliding along the exposed skin of her chest. Not quite touching her breasts, but teasing the area above them, Sebastian roused Lyla’s passion as his own grew stronger.

  “Go inside, baby, before I fuck you right here in front seat of my truck.”

  “Mmm, can’t say that’s much of a threat, handsome.” The delicate hand that had been resting on Sebastian’s knee slithered up his thigh and rotated in until it met his dick—already hard, throbbing, and aching for her touch.

  Sebastian lifted Lyla’s chin bringing her blue eyes to his and said, in a hoarse voice he barely recognized as his own, “Don’t start something you aren’t gonna finish, gorgeous.”

  Dark hair cascaded around her shoulders, framing enticing cleavage, as her gaze turned molten. “Oh, don’t you remember? I’m a greedy girl.” Never breaking their stare, she had his jeans unbuttoned and the zipper down inside of a breath. “I’m gonna make sure we’re both gonna finish.”

  “Fuck.”

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  One of Those Girly Girls

  UP BEFORE THE alarm clock sounded, Lyla laced up her sneakers, snagged a protein bar, a bottle of water, her phone, and drove to the gym. Slices of early morning sun reflected off her dashboard, making her realize it had been ages since she’d seen the yellow ball. Or maybe she’d just finally noticed it.

  “Oh, no.” A large grin eased over her face. “I’m so turning in to one of those girly girls. Have a new man and poof, everything’s sunshine and rainbows.”

  Her next thought turned her grin into a giggle. It wasn’t that she had a new man; she had the man. Memories of the night before filled her head. Dinner with close friends while Sebastian held her close. His hungry eyes and soft lips, his whiskey voice and muscular body. The way she softened under his affection and melted under his command. He unknowingly commandeered her thoughts, yet he wanted nothing more than for her to be happy in her own skin.

  She loved him. The realization hit her as she pulled into the gym’s parking lot. No, she didn’t love him. She was totally and completely in love with him. The night they first met, when he got into her car uninvited and kissed her as she had never been kissed, before slipping off into the darkness like a dream, she had a feeling. When he swore he would be the man to worship her body and soul, a voice inside her whispered there was more to him than a sexy body and lickable dimples. At that time, she’d chose to run, to hide, to pretend she didn’t feel. She wasn’t ready.

  Now she was. She needed to tell him how she felt. She just didn’t know if he was ready to hear it. Heart pounding as if she’d already run miles even though her ass was still planted in her car, she tapped out a text.

  Lyla: Morning. Thinking about you.

  Sebastian: Back attcha sweetheart.

  Lyla: Heading into the gym. Then working for the rest of the day.

  Sebastian: Already at the garage. Got my hands on the second sexiest girl I’ve ever seen.

  Lyla: :/

  Sebastian: LOL! She’s a 1967 Shelby GT500.

  Lyla: Just as long as she knows your hands belong to me.

  Sebastian: Jealous?

  Lyla: Not ashamed to admit it ;)

  Sebastian: You have no reason to be.

  Lyla read his text. The words, like the perfect marinade, sank into her soul.

  Sebastian: Not kidding, Ly, you’re all I see.

  Lyla: Back attcha, handsome. Call me later. XX

  She tucked the cell into her bag and went about her workout with a goofy-girly grin. Her declaration would wait until she could tell him face to face.

  ***

  PLACING HIS CELL on the counter, Sebastian eased under the Shelby. Jealous. He smiled as he went to work repairing the car. “As if there could ever be anyone else.”

  “Bro, you and the car need some time alone?” Max chuckled.

  Sebastian laughed. “Suck it, DeLucca. Do you ever work, or do ya just stand around poking fun at me?”

  The garage bay door began to slide up. “That’s a Harley Sportster coming in now. I’ll try to keep all declarations of love to myself.” Max chuckled before meeting the client at the front desk.

  “Funny guy,” Sebastian muttered from under the car.

  He eased the remote control from his pocket and flipped on the music. It would be at least an hour before the rest of the crew arrived and took control of the tunes, which left sixty minutes for him and Max to jam to the songs they preferred. Hello rock, it’s time to play.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  You’re Here

  LIKE OLIVE OIL, words dripped from Lyla’s fingers onto the blank pages she needed to fill. She had written her columns in record time and sent them in, laughing out loud when the editor questioned her early submission. From there, Lyla had opened a manuscript that had been nothing but dead-ends and road blocks for weeks, and for some reason, the story now seemed clear.

  “Ha, a six-foot-four reason.” Regardless, she dove headfirst into the story, and the hours passed unnoticed.

  Until her cel
l phone rang. Normally she’d let the call go to voice mail since she was writing, but the ring tone not only made her pause, it sent a shiver down her spine.

  “Hello?” her voice shook.

  “Ms. Dalton, this is Shirley from David Wells’s office. Please hold so I can connect you.”

  With everything that had gone on over the past days, Lyla had put her father’s parole hearing out of her head. But with her lawyer calling, the hearing was once again front and center with no escape.

  “Lyla?” David said. “David here. Any way you can come by my office?”

  Her hands trembled, making the phone shake against her ear. “Just tell me, David.”

  There was a beat of silence that felt more like an eternity before her lawyer spoke. “I need you to come in. Can you come over now? It shouldn’t take that long, but this is something we should talk about in person.”

  “O-okay. Be right there.”

  As if in a trance, Lyla left her house and drove the short distance to the law offices near the courthouse.

  HER LAWYER WAS correct—the meeting didn’t take long. Lyla managed to hold her tears at bay until she left the office, but once she stepped foot into the elevator, she could hold them back no longer. Uncontrollable fear and sadness cloaked her body.

  The cold air, just like the information her lawyer had given her, slapped her in the face as she left the building. What would she do? What should she do? The weight of the future sat square on her shoulders as possible decisions shuffled through her fuzzy brain. She stood unseeing and dazed, wishing she’d had more time in Sebastian’s blissful bubble before her father once again popped her happiness.

  ***

  THERE SHE WAS. His warrior. She’d gone into battle without backup and clawed her way out. Sebastian didn’t understand why she’d chosen to go to the meeting alone, but judging by the rivers of tears streaming down her cheeks, her reasoning didn’t matter. For now. Her beautiful face was shadowed in panic, and her body cowered in fear. The thought that her father was a free man made Sebastian growl, but that was something he’d deal with at a different time. For now, Lyla was the main concern. His only concern.

  Legs straddling his Harley, Sebastian revved the engine. When that didn’t grab her attention, he did it again, louder and longer until her bright blue eyes met his. Quickly, he got off his bike and stepped to its side. Emotions played across Lyla’s face like a picture show. Fear. Doubt. Anxiety. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, as if trying to decide which way to run. As if I’d let her go. Yeah, right.

  Pain lanced through him as he watched her struggle, not because of her doubt but because of her pain. He wanted to end her suffering. He needed to. But she needed to want that. She had to come to him. Standing beside his bike, Sebastian slowly opened his arms—a silent invitation.

  One that took mere seconds for her to accept. When she was tucked tightly against his chest, he wrapped his arms around her, pressed his lips to the crown of her head, and breathed for what felt like the first time in hours.

  “Y-you’re here,” Lyla said, rubbing her eyes with the palm of her hand.

  “Of course.” He’d have to send a bottle of Gran Patron Tequila to his lawyer for the off-the-record phone call telling him to come down.

  “But—”

  Hugging her, Sebastian said, “Get on, sweetheart. We’re going for a ride.”

  “A ride?” She looked at the cycle as if it made no sense, and maybe after receiving the blow she just got, nothing did make sense.

  “On the bike, babe. Get on.”

  “Okay.” Her response seemed almost automatic, as if in that moment, her body appreciated being given a direction.

  With utmost care, Sebastian buckled a helmet on Lyla’s head and placed a chaste kiss on her lips before attending to his own headwear. He made certain her leather jacket was zipped and her hands were tucked in their gloves, then he revved the engine and took off.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  You’re Mine, I’m Yours

  LYLA’S BODY WAS frozen, but somehow her head felt clearer. God, had she known life’s troubles could be eased by spending time on a motorcycle, she’d have bought one years ago. Then again, the man in front of her was most likely the one with the calming powers. With her thighs spread, her knees on either side of Sebastian’s ass, and the cycle’s engine thrumming, the very core of her felt warm and needy. Stop, how can you be thinking of sex at a time like this?

  “Off you go, sweetheart.”

  Christ, she hadn’t noticed they came to a stop. Not just a stop. He had taken her to his favorite place, his comfort zone—JP’s Diner. Penny greeted them inside, pulling Lyla into a friendly embrace, but whatever Sebastian whispered into the owner’s ear during their quick hug had her showing them to a secluded booth without further discussion.

  Chilled from the inside out, Lyla pulled off her gloves but left her jacket zipped up. Dizzy with thoughts, she stared at Sebastian, wondering where to begin. Before she could speak, Penny dropped off two mugs of hot chocolate and made a quick retreat.

  “Amazing,” Lyla whispered, staring at her drink.

  “What?”

  “It’s amazing that you knew to order me this instead of coffee. It’s amazing that you were there today, waiting, at a time when I needed you most.” She could barely get the words out around the lump in her throat, let alone wrap her head around it. “How did you know, Bastian? How did you know I needed you?”

  “I’ve told you before.” He smirked as if trying to lighten the mood. “I have my ways.”

  Lyla nodded as she wrapped her hands around the mug, allowing its warmth to seep into her skin.

  “You went to that meeting alone.” While the words were said as a statement, she saw the question in his eyes.

  “I was working, and my lawyer called. He said he needed to see me as soon as possible. I dropped everything and drove over.” The whole event was a blur, as if it happened years ago instead of a couple of hours.

  Sebastian took her hand and rubbed her palm with his thumb. “His office is more than ten minutes from your house, Ly. You chose to go alone. Which means our talks, while definitely breaking through some of your walls, didn’t smash them all.”

  Her heart stopped. What was he trying to say? “No, that’s not it at all. You have to understand, I’ve handled all of this stuff on my own for most of my life. I wasn’t trying to keep you out. It never even crossed my mind to contact anyone. Ask Janie, I—”

  Sebastian’s sapphire eyes softened. “Janie’s your sister, sweetheart. I’m your man. Do you understand that?”

  Did she? “I… uh…”

  “Janie’s gonna give you everything you want. I’m going to give you everything you need. You aren’t on your own. You will never be alone because I’m your man and I will always have your back.”

  “What if… what if it gets to be too much? What if I get to be too much? I don’t want you to stick around because you have to.”

  “That won’t happen.” He sounded so certain.

  “But my father—”

  “Yes, let’s talk about that son of a bitch.” Sebastian snarled, “What day does he get out?”

  Lyla realized that she hadn’t told him what happened during the meeting at the attorney’s office. “He didn’t make parole.”

  Sebastian’s face lit up like a Christmas tree. “Good. Wait… tell me why you’re so unhappy?”

  Dread once again slid through her body. “I’m freaking out because it isn’t over. I wouldn’t expect you, or anyone for that matter, to understand, but even incarcerated, he haunts me. I know he’s watching me, and that scares the hell out of me. This hold he has? So what, he didn’t get out this time? So what! I’ve been looking over my shoulder for years. Do you know what that’s like? How that feels? I’m trapped.” Cold weaved through her veins as she spoke. “He’ll be up for parole again, and I’ll have to go through all of this again. And again, until he’s served his time and
leaves that place a free man. Then what? What happens to me then?”

  Sebastian stared at her, his face filled with an emotion she couldn’t recognize. “Nothing will happen to you. Do you understand me? He will never harm you again.”

  “I appreciate the sentiment, but you don’t know that.”

  “Yes, I do. That’s a promise I’m making to you.”

  She shrugged. His words were thoughtful, his promise kind, but life taught her that good people were temporary and bad ones stuck around forever.

  “Look at me.”

  The command was gentle but left no room for argument. God, his eyes were incredible. They told stories, showed heartbreak, and held love.

  He said, “I know I can be a selfish bastard—”

  “Are you kidding? You’re the most selfless person I know.”

  “I need you to listen to me and listen good.” He slid out of his side of the booth and sat next to her. He placed his hand over her heart. “You feel that? That’s your life burden, your strength, everything you are, you were, you will ever be pounding right here beneath my hand, and it’s strong, Lyla. It’s strength far beyond anything I’ve ever known.”

  Her eyes stayed fixed on his as if she were afraid to hear what he’d say next but needed the words in order to breathe.

  He continued. “For years you’ve held on to your secrets. You’ve braved life not just as a devoted friend but as an amazing person. Feeding your heart just enough to keep it beating but not nearly enough to truly heal. I see you, baby. I feel you. Solid, strong. You were strong enough to survive your past. Now use that strength to release it.”

  God, that man. He saw her—he really did. It should scare the shit out of her, but it only made her want him more.

  “Let me share your burden, Lyla.”

  “Why?”

  “You know why. In your heart, you know exactly why. Because when you love someone, their pain becomes your own. And I’ve fallen so completely in love with you that even when you try to hide, I feel you. I’m not looking to change your past—fuck knows I can’t. But if you give me the chance, I will make you feel safe and loved for the rest of your life.”