Bound by Vengeance (10 page)

“Such a good girl,” he breathed. “
My
good girl.”

He slid one hand between her thighs. The air left her in a pleading whimper as his f
ingers rubbed her damp slit. She almost came right there. Her nails scraped against the bedroom door when he thrust a digit deep inside her. The world spun, and the space around them swirled in a delicious array of colors.

“Go
for it, baby,” Sebastian whispered. “I’ll bring you there again. I promise.”

His knuckle grazed her clit and the universe shattered. Bucking against the drive of his fingers, Taylor bit back a scream. Her legs threatened to fold with the force of her pleas
ure. Holding her up, Sebastian continued to ply her body as she writhed helplessly in his grasp. She pressed her face against the cool wooden door, moaning as he eked every bit of bliss from her boneless form. Without a word, he scooped her up, opened the doors, and carried her to the bed. Dazed, she watched him through the shadows as he stripped out of his sweats and pounced on the end of the mattress. His lean body swayed, desire blazing in his eyes as he prowled up the bed after her.

His lips claimed her
s in a feather light kiss. Moaning, she strained against him, her arms winding around his neck in a desperate attempt to deepen the contact. The pressure of his mouth grew hungry, demanding, as he splayed on top of her. She was beyond ready. Her body ached, and her cheeks flamed as she felt evidence of her arousal pool beneath her on the comforter. Groaning, Sebastian hooked her knees over his shoulders. She jerked helplessly as he dragged the hot spear of his tongue over her sex. Fisting the thick blankets, she tried to ignore the painful throb of desire, but the quiet noises of enjoyment he made drove her to the brink of madness.

“Seb…I need you now. Please.”

Reluctance stamped his handsome face as he rocked back onto his heels. He gripped her hips and tugged them toward his. His eyes locked with hers. Taylor cried out as he impaled her slowly, his gaze never leaving her face. The fingers spanning her hipbones tightened and she held her breath as he stilled with a tremble. Sebastian pulled back and eased into her again. Longing and need etched his handsome features while he drove into her and watched her body sway with each hard, slow thrust. His efforts proved tireless. A fine sheen covered them both, slicking the hard swell of his chest and the rippled valleys of his abdomen as he slowly staked his claim. Urgency strained the husky notes of his voice as he whispered words of forever and coaxed her over the edge. Taylor cried out, sobbing, as the world imploded and a powerful surge of pleasure wrested her sanity away. Feeling her body lock and spasm around his, Sebastian picked up the pace and threw his head back with a breathless roar.

A few seconds later, he collapsed beside her. Drawing her against his side, he stroked her face, gently bringing her back
down. Taylor blinked, trying to find her way back home. She felt weightless, as if she were floating along aimlessly through some warm, grey haze. Beads of sweat still shimmered along his brow as he peered over at her. His expression was pensive as he slowly twisted the ring on her finger.

“Tell me what this means,” he whispered.

Craning her head, Taylor studied the sculpted angles of his face. “It means I’m going to be your wife someday.”

“What else?”

Her forehead knitted. She was too tired to think and unsure what sort of answers he was looking for. He kissed the top of her head and rubbed a gentle circle over her back as the heat from their lovemaking started to wear off and goose bumps threatened.

“It’s not just a pretty trinket, Taylor,” he said softly.
“It’s a promise that you will always be mine and you’ll always be with me. You belong to me completely, just as I am and will always be yours. It’s a symbol of love and faithfulness between us—a promise we made for our future.”

She sighed contentedly and
snuggled closer. “I’m already yours.”

“I know, baby. But now it’s official.” His eyes sparkled as he smiled and lifted her hand to his lips to kiss her ring finger. “My beautiful fiancée.”

She shielded her blush by pressing her face against his chest. “I love the way that sounds.”

“Me too,” he said. Brushing the damp hair off her face, he stifled a yawn and winked. “But not nearly as much as I love you.” He yawned again and tugged her head closer to kiss her rapidly drying brow. “As much as I hate to, we ne
ed to get some sleep, darling. I have to work in the morning and you have a future to plan.”

Even the dimly lit corridors couldn’t dampen his spirits. Ignoring the false cheer of the florescent lights overhead, Sebastian clung to the memories of the night before and the promise of a future with the woman he loved. For once, all was right in the world. At least in his and that was truly all that mattered. Pushing open the doors to the waiting room that led to Marx’s office, he was hard pressed to contain his smile. His grin deepened upon seeing his partner. Crossing the room, he enveloped Josh in a brotherly hug. He clung to the other man, his eyes drifting shut briefly as a strange mix of emotions washed over him. Things like happiness and contentment were so rare anymore they felt foreign. He realized this more than ever as Josh stiffened in his grip.

Sebastian released him with a pat to the shoulder. Still smiling, he crossed the room and lifted the decanter of whiskey Marx kept stashed on a table to pour
a drink. Confusion haunted his partner’s blue gaze. Keeping one tumbler for himself, Sebastian handed over the other.

“To new beginnings,” he said, lifting the glass in a salute.

“Ah.” Josh downed his drink. His face contorted in a brief grimace when the whiskey hit. Swiping his mouth with the back of one hand, he set his glass down. “She must have said yes.”

“She did.” Sebastian’s celebratory mood faltered as he eyed the heavy door leading into Marx’s office. “Maybe we should toss back another. Seeing as w
e are the only two people here, I’m guessing this is about my visit to the Duprees and not an update on Laychee.”

His partner nodded, his expression turning grim. Tension lined the broad angles of his face.

“Listen to me,” Sebastian stated quietly. His gaze dropped to the floor as he perched on the edge of the table. “Whatever happens in there, you let me take the fall. It was my idea—my doing.”

“Baas, no. You did that for me and Monique.”

“And I don’t regret it. I take care of my family, Josh. This was my arrangement. I will deal with the consequences.” His eyes flickered to his partner’s, and for a moment blue clashed with green. Standing, Sebastian walked over to the decorative globe adorning the corner and gave the antique sphere a spin. “Don’t go against me on this. If I don’t make it out today, check in on Taylor and tell her I will be home soon.”

Scrubbing his palms over his dark hair, Josh nodded and hung his head. “I will, Baas. I swear.”

They both turned as the door swung open behind them and a hulking shadow fell across the room. Marx stood in the doorway, his dark ebony eyes glittering beneath the lights. Giving the wide berth of his shoulders a roll, he gestured them into his office with a sweep of his brawny arm. Sebastian watched the buttons strain on the big man’s dress shirt and wondered if one of them would pop free. The thought amused him and he smirked as he pushed past their director. Josh sighed and followed close behind.

“Gentlemen,” Marx greeted. The deep boom of his voice rolled through
the smaller room like a peal of thunder. He indicated toward the metal chairs stationed in front of his desk.

Easing into one, Sebastian glanced up as Marx’s padded seat creaked beneath his girth.
His chin lifted when he met their director’s stare. The eyes boring into him were as dark and unyielding as coal, and every bit as ruthless as a shark’s. Sensing both challenge and confrontation, he fought a smirk. It was the little things that helped keep life interesting.

Marx scratched the back of his neck. His generous lips pursed with displeasure as he shifted his attention to Josh and back to Sebastian.

“Are we having a misunderstanding about the chain of command, boys?”

Sebastian shook his head. “A
misunderstanding? No.”

Marx grunted and leaned back in his chair. His bratwurst-sized fingers tented beneath his strong, square chin. “I see. So you understood you weren’t authorized to run off on some vigilante mission. You just didn’t care.”

“I cared,” Sebastian, stated slowly. “It just wasn’t enough to stop me.”

Josh groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose beside him. Marx quirked a bushy brow. His light chocolate skin shone with a combination of aftershave lotion and sweat. The crispness of expensive
cologne lingered in the air between them. After several moments, Marx gave a slow nod of his head. The corners of his mouth twitched.

“You do enjoy pushing the boundaries with me, don’t you, Sebastian?”

Shrugging, he fought to keep the smile that threatened at bay. “There are days.”

All traces of humor fled Marx’s wide face. “You’re sadly mistaken if you think today is one of them. Now, you spit out an explanation for your actions or you can kiss the outside world goodbye for a very, very long time.”

“Don’t do that, sir. Baas was only acting to protect his partner and his family.”

“Shut up, Josh,” Sebastian warned, fixating him with a murderous glare. His jaw corded before he swung his attention to their director. “Regardless of the chain of command, I was
acting in the best interest of the organization and the men who serve it. That is my job both as a team leader and an employee.”

“That’s a far cry from your partner’s assessment,” Marx said, his gaze shifting between the two men. “I’m intrigued. Go on.”

“The Duprees were threatening to sue for custody of Mia. Rather than risk the situation escalating and going to court, I worked out a beneficial arrangement between them and my sister. It’s not your problem, Marx, nor is it any of your concern. I handled the situation and it’s taken care of.”

Marx leaned forward, bracing his thick forearms against his desk. “Your ass belongs to SKALS. Every breath you take is
my fucking concern
. Your life belongs to this organization, Baas, and we can just as easily strip it all away. I suggest you fall back into line and remember where you belong. Don’t overstep your bounds again.”

Sebastian’s eyes narrowed in response, but he said nothing. Josh shifted uncomfortably. From the corner of his eye, he could see the beads of swea
t erupting along his partner’s brow. Biting back a hostile retort, he glowered at their director. Someday, the smug son-of-a-bitch would pay. He would see to it himself, if it was the last thing he ever did. Splaying his hands against his thighs, he studied the nondescript walls. Aside from a university degree and a small display of combat metals, nothing interrupted the sterile scheme. Marx didn’t have any family that he knew of, or even friends so to speak. His mind mulled that last observation over for a minute. Perhaps it was time for a change.

“What brought this situation on?”

The deep gravel of the director’s voice drew him back in and forced him to focus on the present. Shrugging, he reclined against the back of the chair. Tension rolled through Sebastian’s lean frame. His muscles knotted and quivered beneath his skin. He regretted not having that second drink. He forced his gaze to Marx’s so the other man would see the hatred flaring in their depths.

“It wasn’t my sister’s doing, if that’s what you’r
e implying. Half of my family just perished in an unfortunate
accident
, including my nephew. Given how unhappy Dane was before his demise, the Duprees only assumed the worst. I handled the situation. They won’t be a problem.”

“I sincerely hope not, Baas. I
would say you’re running out of options here.”

His jaw tightened at the warning. Josh’s knee bounced beside him. He glared, half tempted to reach out and stop it. Marx rocked slightly in his chair, his dark eyes boring into them.

“I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you were acting out of the best interest of this organization and not some momentary weakness of the heart. There’s no room for that here, Sebastian. We’ve had this discussion before. I’m starting to wonder if this little living arrangement of yours is making you weak. Use the girl as an outlet for your body, not your emotions. You go soft on me and this game of house will end. Don’t
ever
act on your own accord again, especially during company time. Dismissed.”

He levered o
ut of his seat. The discordant screech of metal reverberated through the room as he shoved the chair toward the director’s desk. Without looking back, he strode out of the office, slamming the door behind him. He winced when he heard it swing back open and Josh’s footfalls thudded behind him as his partner jogged to catch up. Sebastian’s fists balled at his sides, pumping in time with the furious hammer of his heart. Growling, he threw open the outer doors and stormed into the corridor. Halfway down the hall, Josh caught up and fell into stride beside him.

“Baas…wait up. Talk to me.”

“Not now.”

“What the hell was that?”