Bound by Vengeance (9 page)

He rested a hip against the island. His jaw jutted with the harsh purse of his lips as he trailed a finger over the granite countertop. “Monique, I need a moment alone with you in my study.”

His sister paled, her wide green eyes darting to Josh. He wrapped his arm around the blonde and murmured something into her ear before pressing a kiss against her temple. Whatever he said eased some of her worry and she nodded. Taylor frowned. The weight of the world seemed to fall over Sebastian as he turned to lead the way. Swallowing, she looked to his partner, hoping for reassurance or answers.

Josh shrugged. “Family stuff,” he muttered. “You might want to do everyone a favor though and pour a round of d
rinks, kid.”

Sebastian shut the door behind him and plowed his hands through his hair. His sister lingered hesitantly in the corner. Her slender hands twisted nervously in front of her in a gesture that reminded him of Taylor whenever she was scared. Blowing out a deep breath, he hung his head and rubbed at the tension creeping into the back of his neck. There was no easy way to do this. Despite doing everything he could, in some small way, he still felt like he was letting his sister down. It was a bitter pill to swallow after he’d spent his entire life trying to protect her from everything from their ill-tempered father to the perils of his job. One of those he’d succeeded quite well at, the other not so much.

He sat, draping a thigh over the corner of hi
s mahogany desk. With a sweep of his arm, he gestured to the leather office chair. “Please,” he said, “have a seat.”

Her teeth sank into the swell of her lower lip. Monique’s eyes flew up to his, pleading, as she eased into the chair. “I’m sorry I didn’t a
sk Josh about coming over first. It won’t happen again.”

“Shh, Monique. No. This has nothing to do with that. I told you I forgive you.” Letting his head fall back, he studied the rich crown molding spanning the ceiling and sighed. “Dane’s parents aren’t l
etting this go. If you fight them, they will take the issue to court and use whatever ammunition they have to win custody of Mia. If they talk about us, about Josh, about Dane and what he used to do—about SKALS, the outcome will be very bad for a lot of people. Very bad. You know this.”

She clamped her eyes shut and covered her mouth, her head shaking in a slow entreaty. Tears rolled over the high slopes of her cheeks. “Please don’t…Sebastian. Oh, God, please don’t say it.”

“You know this is for the best. If this goes any further and Marx catches wind of a custody battle, we are all in for a world of hurt. Protecting our division comes first. You know that. You knew it before you got involved with Dane. I didn’t want this life for you, Monique. I tried to keep you out of it as best as I could, but you made your decisions, and here we are.”

“But that’s my baby,” she cried. “I can’t just let her go.
Please
. I can’t. Do something, Sebastian,
please
.”

Her head thrashed faster, and when
she buried her face in her hands, his heart shattered. Reaching out, he stroked his sister’s hair. “I have, and I promise I did everything I could. You will still see her.”

Her head snapped up and her eyes locked with his. “When?”

“The Duprees have graciously agreed to allow visitation on holidays and every other weekend. However, you and Josh will have to spend the holidays somewhere else together, not here.”

Monique reached for him. Tears slid down her cheeks as she curled her fingers around his. “What?
Why?”

He shrugged and stood, pulling away. Clasping his hands behind his back, he prowled the length of his study. “That was the agreement we came to. They would let you have your daughter, and I would stay away from her.”

“Why would you do that? That’s not gracious, Sebastian. It’s cruel. We’re a family. We always spend holidays together.
Always
, and you’re all I have left.” Her chin trembled, and her face fell beneath a wave of pain.

“No, Monique. You have Josh and Aiden now, too. This is what is best—saf
est for you and your daughter.”

Her shoulders jerked with a sorrowful sob. “What about you?”

He shook his head. “This isn’t about me. You and I will still see each other. Do what’s right for your little girl.” Raking a hand through his hair, he cast a sidelong glance, hating the defeated slump of her body. “I’m sorry it’s not more. Given the situation, this was the best I could do.”

“Marx doesn’t know you talked to them.” Her whisper was a statement, not a question.

Sebastian pinned her with a look of soft reproach. “Let’s be realistic, Monique. He knows. It just wasn’t done with his approval.”

Fear illuminated her bright green eyes. Wetting her lips, she dashed the tears off her face and stood. She reached for him, but he stepped out of range, his head tilt
ing slightly in warning. His sister faltered and wrung her hands again.

“He’s not going to like this. He’s not going to like you going behind his back, Sebastian. He’ll hurt you.”

He shrugged and adjusted the lush fern spilling across the mantle. “Perhaps, but he may see the wisdom in it as well. It doesn’t matter. I take care of my family. Not him.”

Monique dried her cheeks. Smoothing her hands over her shirt, she regarded him with a baffling mixture of love and pity. Not caring much for the second, his ey
es narrowed. Sniffling, she lowered her gaze. Sebastian stepped around her and opened the door, showing his sister out. She faltered in the doorway, her fingers curling around his forearm in a gentle squeeze. Closing his eyes, he allowed her that much. Despite his efforts to distance himself, she was still his family. Sometimes, a small bit of comfort and reassurance was needed. Not just for her sake, but for his.

“Thank you, Sebastian…for everything. You’ve always gone out of your way for me. I know this
wasn’t easy,” she whispered. Leaning up, she kissed his cheek. “You’re a wonderful brother.”

Frowning, he patted her head and nudged his way past. He wished more than anything he could believe those words were true.

Chapter 5 ~

Taylor tugged the blue si
lk wrap of her robe tighter. Glancing over the railing into the open sprawl of the great room, she smiled. Sebastian was stretched out on one of the leather couches looking relaxed in a pair of light grey sweats and nothing else. She licked her lips, watching the light from the fireplace play across his abs. He had such an incredible body—sleek, powerful, and well defined. She could admire him for hours and, sometimes, when she couldn’t sleep, she did. The sweet, subtle smell of the candles he’d bought wafted through the house and added to the soft golden glow spilling through the room. Two glasses of deep red wine sat on the coffee table, and he idly traced a fragile stem with his finger as he waited.

“Are you going to stand up there all night?” he asked wi
thout turning.

Blinking, Taylor wondered how he did that. He always seemed to sense whenever she was around, no matter how still or quiet she was. It was as if he had special senses.
Sebby senses
. The thought made her giggle.

“I don’t know,” she admitted c
oyly. “I have the most amazing view.”

Sebastian’s shoulders shook with a quiet laugh. Swinging his legs over the edge of the couch, he sat up and turned to regard her in one fluid sweep. “Come down here and enjoy it in person.”

She bounded down the steps off the kitchen and dropped onto the couch beside him. Sebastian shook his head and dragged her onto his lap, turning her so she straddled him. His lips sought hers, and Taylor moaned, running her fingers through the thick curls at his nape.

“Mm,”
he protested, pulling back. “Baby, not yet. I want to talk to you for a minute and we need to get the new coffee maker figured out before morning.”

She bit her lip and peered up at him from beneath the thick sweep of her lashes. “Am I in trouble?”

Sebastian shook his head, his expression tender and sincere. “No, sweetheart, not at all.” He tried to smile as he took her hands in his and held them both against his chest. “You know that I love you, right?”

Taylor nodded. Her forehead tightened, knitting with w
orry. She searched his eyes, but he kept his emotions shielded. The lean muscles beneath her were tensing, and he seemed troubled, worried. Holding her breath, she waited. He tugged one hand free and plowed it through his curls. Patting the outside of her thigh, Sebastian urged her off him.

“I can’t do this now. Let’s just figure the coffee out and head to bed.”

Her mouth fell open in a brief bid of confusion and hurt. Taylor stared at him as he pushed off the couch and headed for the kitchen leaving her to wonder what she’d done wrong. He switched on the recessed lights under the cabinets and leaned a hip against the counter, waiting. Lowering her head, she joined him and grabbed the box. Sebastian stepped in and helped her tug the heavy appliance free when the Styrofoam packing proved to be a tight fit. They looked it over for a few minutes, using the instructions as reference. It seemed a bit complicated to her, but he assured her she’d get the hang of it in no time. Stepping over to the butler’s pantry, he told her to open it up while he grabbed the coffee.

Taylor opened the top compartment and gasped. Sitting in the basket was the most beautiful ring she’d ever seen. Three rounded diamonds glinted back at her from a shimmering platinum band. Her eyes dart
ed to Sebastian as he popped his head around the corner of the door. For one agonizing moment, she was certain there’d been some kind of mistake until she was the sparkle in his green eyes as he stared back at her. Forcing a hard swallow, she lifted the ring with trembling fingers.

She cried out when she dropped it. Irish grace be damned. Sebastian’s laughter flooded through the kitchen, washing over her as her cheeks flamed and she fought against the burn of tears. Shaking his head, he retrieved it off the
floor.

“Careful, darling,” he said softly. “Give me some hope here. Tell me that wasn’t an indication of what your answer is going to be.”

Covering her mouth, she tried to hold the tears at bay. Sebastian approached. Giving a soft smile, he brushed the damp trails from her cheeks and threaded his fingers through her hair as he kissed the top of her head. His swallow echoed between them and he drew a deep breath.

“I know I’m not an easy man to love. I can be heartless and cruel, and my life is a virtual hur
ricane, but you are everything to me. You are my anchor, Taylor. My heart, my haven—my home. None of this means anything without you. Life means nothing without you.”

She bit back a sob as he held her hands and sank onto his knees.

“Shh, darling, it’s all right. Stop crying and look at me….please. I swear to you, I will always love you and protect you with everything I have. You’re my entire world. I could never imagine living without you. I want to start building the rest of my life around you. You make me want to do better, Taylor. You make me want to be a better person, and not many people inspire that in me.” His dimples deepened as he peered up at her with beseeching eyes. “Marry me, baby. Please?”

“Who could say no to that?” she choked.

“Hopefully, not you.”

Laughing through her tears, she nodded. “Yes, Sebastian. Yes.”

He nodded, a bright smile lighting his features. “Yeah?”

“Yes!”

Joy lit his face, highlighting his dimples. Lowering his head, he slid the ring on her finger and surged to his feet. Taylor clung to him as his hands roamed over her face and he kissed her so deeply her head spun.

“You have no idea how happy you just made me,” he murmured, still smiling against her lips.

“You could try to show me,” she suggested.

She shivered at the low, si
nister groan vibrating through his chest.

“Oh, darling, believe me when I say I will. I’m going to blow the candles out. Get upstairs and wait for me. I expect you on our bed with nothing but that ring on.” His eyes locked with hers and a slow grin spread
across his face as he leaned over to whisper in her ear: “Just this once…run.”

The husky rasp of his voice combined with his orders ignited a fuse in her core. Desire swept through her body. Eager to resume their play, Taylor bounded up the steps leaving a
trail of discarded clothing in her wake. She barely hit the hall before Sebastian’s footfalls thundered behind her. His speed was startling, and she felt her heartbeat hitch in anticipation. Squealing, she tried to get the doors to the master suite open before he caught her. Strong arms locked around her waist, and she laughed at the silky garments dangling from his fingers. His erection felt like unyielding steel as he ground against her, kissing the side of her neck with a slow shake of his head. His deep groan lit her insides on fire.

“I gave you a head start,” he mused in a low murmur. “And you still couldn’t beat me through the door. That doesn’t bode well for you, does it?”

She shivered, squirming in his grasp. His breath fell hot against her neck, and Taylor moaned in the base of her throat as his stubble scraped against her sensitive skin. Her back arched, bowing against his chest as Sebastian slid his hands upwards to knead her breasts. A low rumble of appreciation rolled through him as he pinched her nipples and twisted them between his fingers. Panting with a combination of pain and desire, Taylor ground against him.