Edge of Obsession (SKALS #3) (15 page)

“
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, h
e 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.”

T
urning 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.”

Seb
astian 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 dat
e 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.

“This is going to sound stupid, but is there something I can do
to help?”

He
peeked over at her, his expression tired and strained. “Thank you but no. There’s not much anyone can do with this,” he said, tossing his workload to the far end of the couch. “Not even me. It’s a goose chase. I got nothing.”

A brief stab of panic lanced
Taylor’s chest. She tried not to think about the possible implications if he went back to work empty handed. Words like reconditioning and torture flickered through her mind, making her stomach churn. Resisting the urge to chew her bottom lip, she reached over and covered his hand with a reassuring squeeze.

“You’ll find something, Sebby.”

Turning on the couch, he leaned over and plucked the bowl of popcorn from the cushion beside her. After setting it on the rustic storage chest that doubled as a table, he pinned her against the back of the couch and trailed his fingers over her cheekbone as his eyes searched hers.

“
Such confidence,” he murmured. “You never stop believing in me, Taylor. You never stop loving me, even when everybody else does. I don’t know what I ever did to deserve someone like you.”

“I don’t know either,” she teased, cracking a small smile. “You should count yourself lucky though.”

The sorrow in his eyes lessened and his hoarse laugh rang through the room. “I might not say it often, but believe me, sweetheart, I do.” Twining his fingers through hers, he lifted her hand and kissed the top of her ring. “You don’t just see the best in people, Taylor. You do the impossible every single day. You bring out the best in
me
.”

Tears stung her eyes and she lowered her head with
an embarrassed shake. “Stop it. You’re going to make me cry.”

She shivered as
he wrapped a hand around her throat and pulled her closer. His breath fanned her ear as he nosed her hair out of the way. “I could make you scream my name instead,” he whispered.

“
I don’t recall agreeing to those terms either, Special Agent Baas,” she said, fighting to keep the telltale tremble of desire out of her voice.

He gave a low chuckle as he snared her hips and
dragged her into his lap. “I’m afraid you are all out of options, darling.”

Raw
intensity and hunger fueled his pale gaze, leaving her numb. She shifted against the hard ridge of his arousal, drawing a tortured groan from his throat. Spearing his hands through her hair, he fisted the sable locks and wrenched with a sharp tug. Her startled gasp filled the room. Smirking, Sebastian ground against her, a hint of challenge rising in his eyes. Using the hold on her hair, he pulled until her body splayed against his.

“
You’re going to pay for that,” he promised in a raspy whisper. “By the time I’m done with you, you won’t even have a voice left to scream with. I’m going to ravage you in ways that will make you forget who you are, but I guarantee you’ll remember me. Say it, Taylor. Say my name…”

The air left her in a shallow exhale and
her heart thundered in her chest. Still, there was no denying the thrill of excitement his words elicited.

“Sebby,” she breathed.

The sound of rending fabric filled her ears, and her eyes flared as he wrenched the tattered remnants of her tank top away and tossed it across the room. The smooth, firm expanse of his palms slid beneath her bra and cupped the full mounds beneath. Kneading them, he strummed his thumbs over her nipples until they hardened. His piercing green stare locked with hers as he twisted the stiff peaks until she whimpered and arched her back, bowing into his touch.

“Mmm. That’s my girl,” he murmured. “
You are so damn beautiful. I’m warning you, I’m not stopping until I’ve finally had my fill. Say it again.”

Her insides responded with a
warm rush of desire. The ache winding through her was beyond unbearable. It was a desperate, aching pulse. Her nails sank into his shoulders in a silent plea. “Seb, please. I need you. I can’t take anymore teasing tonight.”

“You have no idea how hot it
makes me to hear you beg.”

Before she could respond, he
stripped her bra and sealed his mouth against her breast in a possessive clamp. The swift dart of his tongue pantomimed his hips as he ground against her and sucked her nipple with painful zeal. Release danced just out of reach, the delicious torment driving her mad.

“
Oh God. Please, Sebastian…please. I’ll do anything.”

“
Not yet. Say it again,” he breathed.

The firm bulge behind his zipper
rocked upwards, sending a wicked jolt of pleasure through her starving system. She bit her lip. Her body trembled with strain, wanting so much to please him. Sebastian continued his ruthless assault, each powerful plunge grazing the sweet spot that threatened to explode. Her fingers tightened, a surprised cry breaking from her lips when he seized her hair with a forceful tug.

“No coming. Say my name, Taylor,” he growled.

“Sebby, p
leeeassee
.”

She didn’t know how much longer she could hold on. Her entire body
tensed with the desperate need for release. Her nerve endings were on fire, scorched by unfulfilled promises. Taylor searched for something, anything to distract her, but she was all too aware of him grinding and stroking against her, the sear of his lips on her skin. The death-grip she had on his shoulders tightened as she clung to the fragile threads of self-control. The world threatened to shatter and give way beneath her. Holding on for dear life, his name fell from her lips in a keening cry. Sebastian stilled, his eyes tracking her expression intently. She loved the man and cursed him in the same breath, knowing in that moment, he would make good on every single one of his promises before the night was through.

Sebastian eyed the cold cup of coffee in front of him. Loose grounds floated along the top, sticking to the side of the mug. His fists balled, and steeling his jaw, he made a mental note to track down whoever was responsible for making the disaster later. It was the wrong morning to cross him, let alone try to serve up grainy, disgusting swill. His gaze drifted across the table and narrowed on the new guy with more than a shred of suspicion. Even Josh pushed his mug away, his face screwing into a disgusted grimace after taking a sip. If Marx noticed, the big man showed little care. He remained stationed at the front of the head of the conference table, ham-sized fists balled and pressing against the dark wood, his ebony stare drilling into them from across the room. Vince shifted his weight uncomfortably. The discordant creak of his chair was he only sound to shatter the sickening tension flooding the atmosphere.

Wes hung his head, refusing to look up from the table. His left cheek was swollen and already starting to mottle with an angry bruise.
Casting him a curious glance, Sebastian wondered what had happened there. His patience wavered. No longer willing to play games and wait, he met their director’s glower head on.

One side of Marx’s wide mouth jumped in a venomous twitch. “Do you
finally have something useful you wish to contribute this morning, or is this just another blatant display of your testicular fortitude, Agent Baas?”

“
With all due respect, even I can’t work miracles, Marx,” he bit out evenly. “The reports you gave me were inconclusive at best.”