Driven by Jayne Rylon

the truth in your eyes. Your fear for him is as deep as mine. I believe you are special and I would not have you hurt. That would cause my son pain.”
    Maria hugged her then turned to go. “Sleep well, Lynn. Sebastian says he dreams with you still.”
    Lynn sagged onto the comforting flannel sheets. She sighed as she burrowed into Sebastian’s bed, deluding herself into thinking she caught the scent of him on the pillow.
    That must have been why visions of him surrounded her all night long.

Chapter Eight
    Lynn tipped her chin to catch rays of the mid-afternoon sun on her face. With her eyes closed, she savored the breeze fluffing her hair, making her gauzy sarong dance around her legs. She curled her toes in the damp sand, at peace for the first time in many months.
    She’d decided.
    Today she would read Sebastian’s emails—she hadn’t yet emptied her recycle bin—with an open mind before sending him a note in return. Maybe she’d get his number from Maria so she could hear his voice again. Just for a minute.
    She could admit to herself that she’d overreacted now. Yes, he’d gone too far but she’d worried so much about her precious freedom that she’d overlooked the difference between a leash and an invitation.
    Regret had her sighing as she considered the time she’d wasted. Unwilling to exacerbate her mistake, she pivoted, heading for the netbook she’d stowed in her room. Sebastian’s room.
    Her foot froze mid-step when she caught sight of the man ambling toward her.
    He hesitated, as though unsure of his welcome, but she couldn’t deny the thrill that raced through her at the sight of him. His unbuttoned shirt rippled in the gentle wind, revealing the perfection of his sculpted torso above low-slung cargo shorts. Olive skin shone, making her fingers tingle with the need to explore.
    But his piercing blue eyes, shadowed with uncertainty, had her bolting across the distance between them until she molded to his solid chest.
    He wrapped her in a bear hug then whispered in her hair, “ Come, mi sei mancata! ”
    “Did you just call me pasta?” She separated the scant inch necessary to peek up at him.
    “Definitely not,” he laughed. “Though you look good enough to eat. Dio , I missed you.”
    “Same here,” she sighed. Before she could think better of it, her fingertips traced the gash on his bold cheekbone. “You scared me half to death last night.”
    “Sorry ’bout that, tesoro .” His head dipped, his lips nearing hers. “But I’m glad to hear you still care. I thought I might have ruined everything. Ruined this…”
    Lynn’s breath caught in her lungs when Sebastian kissed her. Their lips brushed then melded as they both took and received in turn. The sparks she’d thought she’d amplified in her memory flared between them, setting her on fire.
    Sebastian scooped her into his arms, her ass resting in his broad palms as she wrapped her legs around his trim waist. She practically climbed him in her desperation to get closer. He walked them to the water’s edge, slipping behind an outcropping of rock, shielding them from anyone who might be watching from inside.
    He laid her in the soft sand, following her down. “Lynn, wait—”
    “Talk later.” She yanked the hem of his shirt over his head, stripping the well-worn fabric off his shoulders. “Please, Bastian, show me you still feel it too. Nothing else matters.”
    For long minutes they lost themselves in the simple pleasure of kissing—tasting, nipping and licking—until the bliss overwhelmed reason. She had to have him again, had to fuse them until separation became impossible.
    “Wait, tesoro .” Sebastian groaned as he lifted off her. “I need you to know this is not meaningless to me. Far from it.”
    “Shh.” Lynn gathered him close once more, peppering his face, neck and shoulders with kisses. “Not for me either.”
    “Thank God.” Waves lapped at their toes where their legs tangled on the beach. He bracketed