wall behind her.
“You have nothing to be afraid of. I’m not going to hurt you, Taylor,” he murmured, stroking the side of her cheek. “Everyone else may be a different story, but I have no desire to hurt you. After all, you would never do anything to hurt or betray me. Isn’t that right?”
Lifting her hands, she braced her palms against the rigid bulge of his pecs. “Right. You know that, Sebastian. Just calm down. Please.”
“I am calm. I’m perfectly calm, Taylor. You are the one who seems on edge here. Not me.”
Icy terror crawled through her veins and her bladder throbbed. Nothing in his assurances matched the cold calculation gleaming in his eyes.
“S-Seb…”
“Look at me,” he growled. His fingers bit into her chin and she silenced a frightened yelp. “Look me in the eye and tell me that you don’t regret the choices you have made. Tell me you don’t regret being with me. I don’t know how, but that is what you need to make me believe.”
She clung to his wrist, unable to help the beginnings of the heartbroken sob. For the first time she not only saw, but truly understood, what motivated him. It wasn’t crazed anger flashing in his eyes. There was jealousy, yes, but for the most part, it was fear and pain.
“How?” she asked once his grip lessened. “How can I do that when all you ever do is doubt me? Why is it always one step forward with you and three steps back? We just spent the last few days spilling our hearts out to each other. We shared it all, Sebastian. The good, the bad, and everything in between. Do you really want to hear the truth?”
Releasing her, he took a step back. A brief glimmer of hesitation crossed his face as he sniffed and tilted his head. Lifting his chin a prideful notch, he cast his arms open.
“Let’s hear it.”
“Fine,” Taylor said. “I’m not sorry, okay? I’m not sorry that I met you. I’m not sorry that being with you has made me question everything about myself, including who I am. You can be cruel and violent. You’ve done some really horrible things, Sebastian, and you’ve made some really bad choices along the way but, even at your worst, you are the only thing that makes me feel alive. I regret knowing that people like Marx exist, and I hate the constant havoc SKALS causes in our lives, but I am not sorry that I am in love with you. You are it for me, Sebby. Wrong or right you always will be.”
His cheeks hollowed for a long second. Shrugging, he dropped his arms to his sides. “Okay.”
Taylor’s mouth opened and closed as her brow knitted in frustration. “Okay? Really? That’s all you have to say?”
A small sparkle ignited in his eyes and the corners of his mouth twitched. “No. I guess I could add that it’s probably a good thing I didn’t shoot Rupert in the face.”
Rolling her eyes, she gave a disgusted shake of her head and snatched one of the clean towels off the rack. “I don’t know why I bother sometimes.”
He caught the pirouetting end before it made contact with the top of his thigh. With a quick jerk of his arm, he reversed the motion and wound the thick towel around Taylor’s wrist. His chuckle was low and sinister as he slowly reeled her toward him.
“Did you really think that was a good idea?” he asked, pinning her arms behind her back.
“It was worth a shot. You deserved it,” she muttered.
“Is that so?”
“Yes! I stood there and poured my heart and soul out to you and all I get in return is a measly ‘okay’ and some twisted wisecrack?”
Keeping her pinned, he surged against her, pressing her body back against the wall. His lips sought purchase against her neck, leaving a prickling trail of fire in their wake. He paused behind her ear.
“I had no idea you were so greedy or impatient, Taylor,” he murmured, letting his breath fall hot against her skin. “Who says that is all you were going to get?”
Her eyes drifted shut as fear and frustration gave way to a fierce throb of
“You have nothing to be afraid of. I’m not going to hurt you, Taylor,” he murmured, stroking the side of her cheek. “Everyone else may be a different story, but I have no desire to hurt you. After all, you would never do anything to hurt or betray me. Isn’t that right?”
Lifting her hands, she braced her palms against the rigid bulge of his pecs. “Right. You know that, Sebastian. Just calm down. Please.”
“I am calm. I’m perfectly calm, Taylor. You are the one who seems on edge here. Not me.”
Icy terror crawled through her veins and her bladder throbbed. Nothing in his assurances matched the cold calculation gleaming in his eyes.
“S-Seb…”
“Look at me,” he growled. His fingers bit into her chin and she silenced a frightened yelp. “Look me in the eye and tell me that you don’t regret the choices you have made. Tell me you don’t regret being with me. I don’t know how, but that is what you need to make me believe.”
She clung to his wrist, unable to help the beginnings of the heartbroken sob. For the first time she not only saw, but truly understood, what motivated him. It wasn’t crazed anger flashing in his eyes. There was jealousy, yes, but for the most part, it was fear and pain.
“How?” she asked once his grip lessened. “How can I do that when all you ever do is doubt me? Why is it always one step forward with you and three steps back? We just spent the last few days spilling our hearts out to each other. We shared it all, Sebastian. The good, the bad, and everything in between. Do you really want to hear the truth?”
Releasing her, he took a step back. A brief glimmer of hesitation crossed his face as he sniffed and tilted his head. Lifting his chin a prideful notch, he cast his arms open.
“Let’s hear it.”
“Fine,” Taylor said. “I’m not sorry, okay? I’m not sorry that I met you. I’m not sorry that being with you has made me question everything about myself, including who I am. You can be cruel and violent. You’ve done some really horrible things, Sebastian, and you’ve made some really bad choices along the way but, even at your worst, you are the only thing that makes me feel alive. I regret knowing that people like Marx exist, and I hate the constant havoc SKALS causes in our lives, but I am not sorry that I am in love with you. You are it for me, Sebby. Wrong or right you always will be.”
His cheeks hollowed for a long second. Shrugging, he dropped his arms to his sides. “Okay.”
Taylor’s mouth opened and closed as her brow knitted in frustration. “Okay? Really? That’s all you have to say?”
A small sparkle ignited in his eyes and the corners of his mouth twitched. “No. I guess I could add that it’s probably a good thing I didn’t shoot Rupert in the face.”
Rolling her eyes, she gave a disgusted shake of her head and snatched one of the clean towels off the rack. “I don’t know why I bother sometimes.”
He caught the pirouetting end before it made contact with the top of his thigh. With a quick jerk of his arm, he reversed the motion and wound the thick towel around Taylor’s wrist. His chuckle was low and sinister as he slowly reeled her toward him.
“Did you really think that was a good idea?” he asked, pinning her arms behind her back.
“It was worth a shot. You deserved it,” she muttered.
“Is that so?”
“Yes! I stood there and poured my heart and soul out to you and all I get in return is a measly ‘okay’ and some twisted wisecrack?”
Keeping her pinned, he surged against her, pressing her body back against the wall. His lips sought purchase against her neck, leaving a prickling trail of fire in their wake. He paused behind her ear.
“I had no idea you were so greedy or impatient, Taylor,” he murmured, letting his breath fall hot against her skin. “Who says that is all you were going to get?”
Her eyes drifted shut as fear and frustration gave way to a fierce throb of
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