words left him in a frustrated roar. Whirling, he cleared the desktop with a furious sweep of his arm. Taylor cried out. Terror branded her face as she stumbled away, her hands raised in entreaty. His heart ached at the sight of her, but he had no words of comfort to give. He was too empty and consumed with rage. When she finally spoke, her voice was so quiet he had to strain to hear it.
“ Seb…you’re scaring me. Please talk to me. I need to know that we’re okay.”
He flung his arms open in hopeless exasperation. “Nothing is okay, Taylor. Nothing . Everything is so screwed up right now, and I don’t see a way out of any of it. Not for you, and not for me. Is that what you wanted to hear? Does that make you feel better?”
“ What do you mean?”
He refused to answer. He couldn’t. The reality of it all hurt too much . He’d already dragged her too far into the cesspool surrounding his life as it was.
“ Do you still love me?” she asked, her voice breaking.
His eyes snapped to hers and flared with disbelief. How the hell could she even ask that? Rage clouded his vision, drenching the room in a dim, red haze. Then, her words sank in. Crossing the room, he reached for her only to have her inch away, doubt and accusations contorting her face. His instincts threatened to get the better of him, the desperate, innate need to capture and subdue anything that tried to escape. Before those impulses could strengthen, he lunged and caught Taylor in his arms. She stiffened, twisting in her efforts to break free.
“Stop it,” he growled, crushing her against his chest. Her fists balled. Sensing her intentions, he tightened his grip. Her struggling was bad enough. Hitting him was a surefire way to trigger every vile instinct SKALS had ever installed. “I said stop!”
She froze , snapping to rigid attention upon hearing the forceful boom in his voice. A small shudder wound through her body, making it tremble against his. Stroking the back of her head, Sebastian buried his nose in her hair.
“ Stop fighting me, ” he warned. “I love you, Taylor. You are my entire world. Nothing is ever going to change that and nothing is ever going to tear me away from you. I promise.”
Much to his relief , she relaxed some in his arms.
“Then what is it? Why won’t you tell me?”
“I can’t . Josh doesn’t even know the full extent of things right now. You have to trust me, Taylor. You have to believe everything I’m doing is to protect you and make a better life for us. I swear to you, I will do that with my dying breath if that’s what it takes.”
She paled. “Sebby…”
“Shh. I shouldn’t have blown up like that. Work is just starting to get under my skin. We’re fine, baby. Everything is going to be fine,” he soothed, planting a tender kiss against her head. “Go back to bed. I will be up to join you in a minute.”
“ I don’t feel good.”
“All the more reason for you to get some sleep,” he murmured.
He brushed his lips across her brow in gentle search. If anything, her skin felt co ol and clammy. Concern washed away the final remnants of his anger, and Sebastian’s eyes drifted shut. She tried to hide it, but she’d been tiring easily since they’d been home. He felt a twinge of guilt knowing the evening had probably been too much for her.
“ Don’t worry about anything tomorrow. I’ll bring dinner home. You just stay in bed and take it easy. You’ve been pushing yourself too hard and too fast.”
“ It’s just nerves. I’ll be okay.”
“ What did I just say?” he asked, the hard edge creeping back into his voice. “It’s not worth you running yourself into the ground. This isn’t up for discussion. Get your butt in bed and keep it there or I will make you wish you had. Is that clear?”
“Crystal,” she grumbled.
Fisting her hair, he wrenched her closer. Using her startled gasp to his benefit, he crushed his mouth against her parted lips. Taylor slackened in his
“ Seb…you’re scaring me. Please talk to me. I need to know that we’re okay.”
He flung his arms open in hopeless exasperation. “Nothing is okay, Taylor. Nothing . Everything is so screwed up right now, and I don’t see a way out of any of it. Not for you, and not for me. Is that what you wanted to hear? Does that make you feel better?”
“ What do you mean?”
He refused to answer. He couldn’t. The reality of it all hurt too much . He’d already dragged her too far into the cesspool surrounding his life as it was.
“ Do you still love me?” she asked, her voice breaking.
His eyes snapped to hers and flared with disbelief. How the hell could she even ask that? Rage clouded his vision, drenching the room in a dim, red haze. Then, her words sank in. Crossing the room, he reached for her only to have her inch away, doubt and accusations contorting her face. His instincts threatened to get the better of him, the desperate, innate need to capture and subdue anything that tried to escape. Before those impulses could strengthen, he lunged and caught Taylor in his arms. She stiffened, twisting in her efforts to break free.
“Stop it,” he growled, crushing her against his chest. Her fists balled. Sensing her intentions, he tightened his grip. Her struggling was bad enough. Hitting him was a surefire way to trigger every vile instinct SKALS had ever installed. “I said stop!”
She froze , snapping to rigid attention upon hearing the forceful boom in his voice. A small shudder wound through her body, making it tremble against his. Stroking the back of her head, Sebastian buried his nose in her hair.
“ Stop fighting me, ” he warned. “I love you, Taylor. You are my entire world. Nothing is ever going to change that and nothing is ever going to tear me away from you. I promise.”
Much to his relief , she relaxed some in his arms.
“Then what is it? Why won’t you tell me?”
“I can’t . Josh doesn’t even know the full extent of things right now. You have to trust me, Taylor. You have to believe everything I’m doing is to protect you and make a better life for us. I swear to you, I will do that with my dying breath if that’s what it takes.”
She paled. “Sebby…”
“Shh. I shouldn’t have blown up like that. Work is just starting to get under my skin. We’re fine, baby. Everything is going to be fine,” he soothed, planting a tender kiss against her head. “Go back to bed. I will be up to join you in a minute.”
“ I don’t feel good.”
“All the more reason for you to get some sleep,” he murmured.
He brushed his lips across her brow in gentle search. If anything, her skin felt co ol and clammy. Concern washed away the final remnants of his anger, and Sebastian’s eyes drifted shut. She tried to hide it, but she’d been tiring easily since they’d been home. He felt a twinge of guilt knowing the evening had probably been too much for her.
“ Don’t worry about anything tomorrow. I’ll bring dinner home. You just stay in bed and take it easy. You’ve been pushing yourself too hard and too fast.”
“ It’s just nerves. I’ll be okay.”
“ What did I just say?” he asked, the hard edge creeping back into his voice. “It’s not worth you running yourself into the ground. This isn’t up for discussion. Get your butt in bed and keep it there or I will make you wish you had. Is that clear?”
“Crystal,” she grumbled.
Fisting her hair, he wrenched her closer. Using her startled gasp to his benefit, he crushed his mouth against her parted lips. Taylor slackened in his
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