Inferno (11 page)

“That is good to know, Taylor,” he stated. Unbuttoning the top of his shirt, he headed toward the bathroom and shot a look over his shoulder that clearly indicated she should follow.

The stone slabs felt cold and jarring beneath the bare soles of her feet. Confused, Taylor watched him peel his shirt free. Ignoring her for the moment, Sebastian reached in to turn on the shower. The forceful blast of the water hitting the walls roared in her ears. She took an uncertain step as he rounded on her, his eyes blazing and intense.

His laughter was dry and humorless as he pinned her against the wall and raked a hand through the matted curls on his head. “Okay, Taylor. That’s enough. I am going to ask you something and I want the truth. Believe me when I say I will know if you are lying to me,” he said, trailing a finger along the underside of her jaw. “And I don’t think either one of us wants that.”

“No, Sebastian,” she agreed in a hoarse whisper. Resisting the urge to hold onto him, she tried to still the anxious jitter in her knees.

“Why are you so nervous?” he asked. “Did you do something wrong?”

“No.” She shivered as his forefinger traced an idle path between the heavy mounds of her breasts. Taylor froze when she found herself suddenly trapped between the unyielding lines of his body and the cold, stone-tiled 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 desire. It was a sick and twisted game he played, but she doubted she would ever get enough of the way he plied her with just the right words, just the right touch. His voice alone was enough to send a shockwave beneath her skin and she felt herself begin to cave.

“Seb, please…” she moaned, arching her hips against his.

He responded by pressing into her with a slow, sensual grind. “Please what, Taylor?”

“Please touch me. Make me yours again,” she begged.

His laugh was soft and menacing against her ear. “You are already mine, darling,” he whispered, capturing the sensitive lobe between his teeth. “Maybe you have forgotten it, but that’s never changed. Every single part of you belongs to me. It always has and always will.”

“Yes. I know,” she panted in impatience. “Can we just skip the foreplay, please? My parts are already missing yours something fierce.”

“Mmm. No.” He traced the hollow of her collarbone with his lips. “That’s the least you should get for trying to hit me. Besides, I don’t just want you preheated. I want you piping hot and needing me so badly that your entire body aches.”

“I should hit you again,” she groaned.

This time his mouth clamped down against the junction of her neck in a possessive claim. He nipped and sucked with a force that made her knees buckle and drew a pained whimper.

“Try it,” Sebastian whispered once he finally let up. He traced the reddened outline of his handiwork with a smirk. “I guarantee it will end with you face down over our bed learning that one way or another, you will always submit to me. Is that what you want, Taylor? Are you craving a reminder of your place?”

She shivered. The raspy promise in his voice threatened to unravel her and another low throb of desire pulsed inside her. She lowered her eyes, unable to lend voice to the conflicting battle of her thoughts. Sebastian studied her for a long moment then stepped back with a nod.

“Strip and go wait for me on our bed.”

It took effort, but she managed to hide her smile and find enough good grace to hang her head. The cool brush of his fingers along her chin was startling.

“I would be very careful what games you decide to play with me, sweetheart. Sooner or later, that kid is going to come out,” he warned, “and there will be no buffer between us then. If I were you, I would spend my time thinking about what you asked for and praying my water doesn’t turn cold.”

Her eyes darted to his in uncertainty. Ignoring her panic, he directed her toward the bedroom with a stern point. She trudged past him, her heart starting to pound as she pondered the wisdom in her actions. She craved the firmness and control only Sebastian could give. He needed that release just as much as she did, but prodding the man was as dangerous as jabbing a tiger with a stick. She could only pray the pounce would be worse than his bite. Swallowing, she climbed onto the middle of their bed and smoothed a hand over the black and silver comforter.

The minutes seemed to turn to hours as she waited. Her ears strained as she tracked his movements. The forceful jets of the shower switched off, only to be replaced by the more gentle flow of the sink as he brushed his teeth. She listened to the soft click of his deodorant cap, certain that the suspense of his brief grooming was going to drive her insane. That, too, had always been a part of his game.

Her breath was coming in shallow pants by the time Sebastian entered the bedroom. She started to edge closer to the headboard as he approached the side of the bed, the sleek muscles in his body rippling with his graceful prowl.

“Stop moving,” he warned.

She froze, not missing the predatory gleam in his eyes. They trailed over every inch of her, caressing her skin in a languid assessment. Taylor bit the inside of her cheeks as he stared down at her in silent contemplation. She could almost hear the wheels in that intelligent mind of his churning.

“Roll over, Taylor. Get on your hands and knees. Now.”

Her breath came in a shallow exhale. Numb with a combination of desire and anticipation, she did as instructed. Confusion flooded her as he knelt behind her. Sebastian grabbed one of the pillows situated above her head and tucked it beneath her ribs. Snaring another, he lifted her and shoved a second pillow under her hips. The plump mound thrust her forward so that only her forehead and knees touched the mattress. Taylor’s cheeks colored with shame as he parted her thighs and she realized the position not only gave her body added support, but left her spread open, exposed and vulnerable before him.

“Mm. Now isn’t this a beautiful sight?” he asked, both hands spanning her ass. His fingers clamped down in a forceful squeeze. “Have you thought about what I said?”

Her cheeks burned hotter as she nodded her head. “Yes, Sebastian.”

“Is this still what you want, Taylor? Once I start, there’ll be no turning back.”

“I know,” she whispered.

His husky laugh rolled through the room and he splayed a hand against the small of her back, roughly holding her in place. “I sincerely hope for your sake that is true.”

She jerked with an unexpected jolt of pleasure as his fingers probed along her sex. Pressing down, he ground the sensitive bud against her pelvic bone. Her eyes drifted shut. It had been so long since she’d had his body. His touch was a soothing balm to her soul. She craved it, needed it as desperately as the desert yearned for the cooling kiss of rain. Within seconds, her breathing hitched and the promise of release loomed just out of reach. Unable to help herself, she rocked against his ministrations with a throaty moan, no longer caring how brazen or forward it seemed.

Sebastian’s hand stilled. Trailing up, he pushed two fingers deep inside her with a low growl. Her head spun as he pumped the long digits into her body, rocking it with a series of slow, forceful thrusts. Moaning, she buried her face in the mattress and twisted the sheets. Time and again, he brought her to the brink, only to hold back in the most cruel and delicious of ways. The world hung suspended. All that existed was the ragged sound of their breath and the all-consuming fever of his touch. She shivered as he leaned over, his desire voiced in a sinister rumble. His fist anchored in her hair and jerked her head back. His breath came scorching hot against her ear.

“Do you still want me to rein you back in?”

Fire exploded across her skin as he cracked his hand down on her upturned ass. Startled, she jerked in his grasp with a pleading yelp.

“Answer me, Taylor,” he warned.

Another stinging blow followed. The heat spiraled through her skin and flooded her body with a tingling warmth that rendered her speechless. Her insides throbbed, aching with unfulfilled need. She arched her back and swayed, begging him in a silent plea.

“So defiant,” Sebastian whispered. “Since you don’t want to listen, maybe these will remind you how to behave.”

Her short, staccato cries filled the room as he brought his hand down again and again. It hurt. It burned. The brand of his palm sank deep but, somehow, it was what she needed. There was comfort in the pain. It offered distraction from what felt like insurmountable stress and worry, but more importantly, it offered release. Letting go, she let the heat wind through her senses and sobbed against the mattress.

“Have you had enough, Taylor? Do we have an understanding now?”

“Yes,” she whimpered, trying to catch her breath between sniffles.

Sebastian leaned closer, his fingertips kneading and caressing her stinging skin. “Remember this, darling. No matter what, I will always give you what you need.”

Oblivious to her muffled whimpers, he angled her hips up with a sharp yank. The thick length of his cock probed between her thighs, slicking the way. She stiffened as he pulled back. Bracing herself, she waited for him to enter her in a brutal claim. Instead, he impaled her slowly. The sinewy muscles in his body trembled and strained against her and his groan filled her ears as Sebastian eased himself inside her. Taylor’s eyes drifted shut. The heat, the incredible feel of his body stretching hers and filling her beyond capacity was pure bliss. She tried to rock into him, but he stilled her efforts with growl and held tight. Another stinging blow from his hand brought her upright on her knees.

“You asked for me to take control, sunshine,” he rasped, winding a fist in her hair. “Now you’re trying to take it back. Which is it?”

He eased back then stabbed deep. The unyielding hold on her hair forced her body to arch even harder onto his. Once again, he pushed as far as he could go and held position. The pressure drew a low rumble from his throat. She whimpered as he buried himself to the hilt and ground forward. Her breath came in a ragged pant.

“Seb…please…”

“You’re still trying. Quit trying to manipulate the situation and let it go,” he warned. “Stop begging me.”

She squirmed, cursing his cruelty under her breath. Sebastian caressed the raised pink lines spanning her ass with a chiding
tsk
.