Inferno (26 page)

He kissed her softly, his lips lingering in gentle promise. Meeting her eyes, he captured her face between his hands. “I want to, baby. So much, but I don’t trust myself. Let me get some work done. Give me a chance to gather my thoughts and cool down. After that, I’m all yours. ”

“Sebastian…”

“Shh,” he soothed, laying a finger against her lips. “It’s only an hour or two. You will live.”

She pouted, her shoulders dropping with her heavy sigh. There was no point in arguing. The only thing she would accomplish by pushing the matter was provoking his temper. When Sebastian set his mind to something that was it. No amount of begging or pleading would sway his decision. Frowning, she reached down and toyed with the front of his zipper.

“At least let me do something for you,” she suggested, tugging him forward by the seam. “I’d be more than happy to take off the edge.”

“Mmm, baby, as tempting as that is, I told you I have some things I need to do. I’ll tell you what,” he said, scooping her into his arms and lifting her with ease. “I’m going to take you upstairs and get you settled. Relax a little. Take a nice long bath and do what you need to do. When I’m finished working, I expect to find you naked and waiting in our bed. No excuses. Is that clear?”

Smiling, she nodded happily against the side of his neck. “Yes, sir. Your wishes are my command.”

Chuckling, he gave her ass a playful swat as he carried her up the stairs. “Good girl. That is exactly the kind of response I like to hear.”

CHAPTER 10 ~

Sebastian slammed his laptop shut. A full week had passed since his conversation with Jack Gill, but he was no closer to getting what either of them needed. Seven whole days of scouring one end of the country to the next. Seven days of watching and waiting for the other shoe to drop and living on constant edge. When not consumed with wondering when their plans would fall into action, files, memos, and agendas filled his days. Every hour, more of them poured in, littering the surface of his desk. The workload was starting to feel like an insurmountable mountain. One he couldn’t scale.

It took effort to force his attention back to his reports. The outline for Operation Blackout wasn’t pretty, and it made the light breakfast he’d scarfed down before leaving the house sour in his gut. The whiskey he kept tossing back didn’t help matters any, but it was the only way he could dull the dim voices of conscience and protest screaming in the back of his mind.

Weakness, compassion, and mercy weren’t an option here. They were things that got a man killed or tossed in a reconditioning cell for weeks on end. Still, he couldn’t help but feel a brief twinge of terror and disgust. The civilians living outside the black site had no idea what was coming. They were mere lambs heading to their slaughter.

Polishing off his drink, he lowered his glass with a grimace.

They would cut all forms of communication with a single push of the button and set up perimeter. Nothing would be able to get in or out of the target area. Once the lines and signals were down, the units would descend and cordon the people off like sheep. From there, they were to round the tiny population up and transport them to various black sites where they would undergo rigorous evaluation.

Letting his head fall back to rest against the top of his chair, Sebastian scrubbed his hands roughly over his face. Marx could dress it up any way he wanted. They both knew it was just a nice way of saying brainwashing or torture that would either mold the group or break them. Marx would spare the ones he found useful and exterminate the rest. Sebastian frowned. That was their agenda. That was the mission he was facing, yet he’d been forced to deliver a slightly different version with a prettier spin to his team.

A stiff knock on the door drew his attention. Glancing up, he watched the guard stationed outside his office keep Josh at bay until he offered a slight nod of consent. Rolling his eyes at the man as if he should have known better, Josh pushed past the security detail and shut the door with a little more force than was necessary. Fighting to keep his amusement veiled, Sebastian poured another drink and watched his partner drop into his usual seat.

“TGIF. I can’t wait to get the fuck out of here tonight,” Josh said. “I swear to Christ Marx is riding my ass worse than a bad pair of jeans.”

Sebastian offered a dismissive shrug. “That’s his right. Did you turn in your reports?”

“Yeah. It’s handled Baas. You might want to check in with young blood though. Our guppy’s been looking a little green under the gills lately.”

“Are we referring to Jackson or is someone else’s competence in question?”

Josh spread his hands with a disgruntled snort. “Does it really matter? They’re all floundering. Half of them won’t make it six months here and that’s being fucking generous. It reminds me of when I was a kid. I begged my old man constantly for a puppy. It was a cycle. He’d cave and give in, but the first time the mutt chewed something it wasn’t supposed to, he’d boot it right out the door. That shit happened three times. Eventually I learned not to get attached.”

“Charming,” Sebastian quipped. “Why didn’t you just stop asking?”

“I don’t know. Sheer tenacity I guess. Sometimes we’re so blinded by what we want that we can’t see the bigger picture.”

The comment struck far too close to home. Mouth pursed into a firm line of displeasure and jaw set, Sebastian studied his partner. Josh’s face revealed nothing. Per usual, the man exuded a carefree and laid-back attitude that he’d come to envy all too often as of late. He almost resented it at times, especially when it felt as if the world itself was bearing down on his shoulders. Josh glanced away, seeking distraction from the scrutiny. Sebastian let a few more seconds pass before returning his focus to the files stacked on his desk.

“Is there a reason for this visit?” he asked without looking up.

“Yeah. Actually, there is. This past week or so has been rough. I don’t like all the tension and distance between us. I know a lot of that is my fault, but I get the feeling you’re keeping something from me. Something big. I know I screwed up. I’m sorry I broke your trust. Hell, I deserve the cold shoulder, but I don’t deserve to be shut out. This shit between you and Vince is really starting to rub me the wrong way. He’s not your partner, Baas. I am.”

He deliberated that for a long moment. “I appreciate your apology, but you aren’t being replaced.”

“Damn straight, pal. I know I never put that shit on my application, but I’m a selfish, monogamous prick. I don’t do threesomes. It’s either him or me.”

His lips quirked in a brief bid of amusement. “Are you jealous, Joshua?”

“Piss off, Baas,” he shot back before shrugging. “Maybe a bit.”

“Relax. I have no intentions of letting you go. Even if I wanted to, no one else would be able to put up with me.”

Josh snorted in agreement. “You got that right.” His broad shoulders relaxed a little and he slouched into a more comfortable position. “Now that that’s out of the way, do you want to tell me what is going on around here?”

“Meaning?” he asked, raising a brow.

“I mean Marx is on a warpath this morning. You would know this if you ever left your office, but that’s not the point. I don’t know what got up his ass, but he yanked half the new recruits out of formation and sent them outside with Bradley. The rest, he disappeared with. I haven’t seen him since, and there’s supposed to be a new batch of meat coming in by eleven.”

Frowning, he glanced up. “What?”

Josh scrubbed a hand through his hair, his laugh shaky. “Yeah, I know. Crazy, huh? From what I hear, it’s a decent sized group, too. Upwards of twenty or more.”

Lowering his face into his hand, Sebastian pinched the bridge of his nose. This wasn’t good. Things were moving too fast. They were expanding too quickly. There wasn’t enough time to get to know the men, let alone decipher where they stood. He was losing ground, cornered on the ledge of some vast precipice where the earth kept eroding and falling away beneath his feet. Every time he tried to make a move, more kept crumbling.

“I will be there to greet them,” he stated, trying to keep his voice even. “Since Marx is tied up, you and the rest of Sector One can assist me in welcoming our new arrivals.”

“Sure thing. What do you want us to do until then?”

“Promoted or not, Vince is still the best surveillance technician we have. Grab him and see what you can round up on the facial scans. Maybe a new hit on Patrick James came in overnight.”

“Are you sure you don’t want some more alone time together?” Josh asked, making no effort to mask his derisive smirk. “The two of you have been awful cozy lately and I don’t want to step on any toes.”

Eyes narrowing, he cocked his head. Taking cue, Josh cleared his throat and stood.

“Right. I’ll get on that.”

All he managed was a mute nod in return. He waited until Josh left and shut the door behind him before slumping lower in his seat. Grimacing with a combination of annoyance and pain, he tented his fingers and squeezed, rubbing at the building ache behind his sinuses. The dull, persistent throb that had been plaguing him for the past few days was starting to return with a vengeance. His thoughts were a collision course too decimated and scattered to piece back together. What was he going to do now? How was he supposed to handle the steady influx of people he knew nothing about and, furthermore, could SKALS even handle that kind of abrupt strain?

Jack need to make his move, and he needed to make it quick.

~*~*~*~

Taylor stroked a hand over her belly and peeled the curtains back for what felt like the hundredth time that evening. The late afternoon sun was fading, but summer was approaching and long patches of shade still stretched across the grounds. She watched Sebastian approach in the reflective glare of the windowpane. His rich golden curls were still damp from his shower and his repeated attempts to tame them into submission with gel. A soft smile threatened as she watched him adjust his shirt collar. If she didn’t know any better, she would have guessed him to be just as nervous as she was.

His eyes locked with hers briefly in the window before he stole up behind her and wound his arms around her waist. Pressing against her back, he kissed her nape and smiled. “You’re glowing.”

“That’s a small plus in my favor. I’m so anxious right now I’m shaking,” she admitted.

“Relax, sweetheart. Dinner smells wonderful and you are beyond stunning. Your mother will be proud to see you have grown into such a beautiful and capable young woman.” Pulling her deeper into the cradle of his hips, he swayed lightly against her and kissed her neck again. “I know I certainly appreciate your talents.”

Laughing, she turned in his arms and tilted her head. “It’s not that difficult to cook and clean, Sebastian.”

“Perhaps not,” he agreed. “Yet it is still something many people fail to do on a consistent basis. Don’t demean yourself or the things you do for me, Taylor. You make me happy and we both know I am a difficult man to please.”

“There is that,” she conceded with a small smile. “Still, I think it’d be best if we avoided discussing my talents or the ways I make you happy while my mother is here.”

Sebastian winked and tapped the end of her nose. “That’s your call, but that silence is going to cost you later, sweetheart. As is your refusal to join me in the shower.” Brushing a wayward wisp of bangs out of his way, he leaned over to whisper in her ear. “By the time I am done with you tonight, the whole neighborhood is going to know my name.”

A warm, throbbing heat spiraled low in her belly where it blossomed until her insides ached. The husky rasp of his voice matched the promise lurking in his eyes. Sinking her teeth into her bottom lip, she tried to ignore the hungry pulse between her thighs. It was no use. Her body knew all too well the pleasure that waited around the bend and it reacted in eager accord. Her cheeks flamed as he pressed closer. Backing her against the wall beside the window, Sebastian flashed a wicked grin and slid his hand under the hem of her dress. A low groan rolled through him as he rubbed the dampening scrap of lace between her legs.

“Remember this while you are eating,” he whispered, his short stubble grazing the side of her neck. “Remember the way I touched you and what I am going to make you feel.”

A whimper rose in the back of her throat and she clutched his arms as her knees trembled. She could feel the raw pleading in her eyes as she tried to clamp her thighs together. Thrusting his knee between her legs, Sebastian kept them parted. A knowing smile plied his lips as he cupped her mound. A shudder of pleasure wound through her as he ground the heel of his palm against her. Capturing her earlobe, he tugged it between his teeth as he gave a slow shake of his head.

“Don’t you cum.”

His voice came in a soft growl. Splaying her hands against the wall, Taylor fought to elude the tormenting gyrations between her legs. Her breath left her in a shallow pant. Closing her eyes only added to her euphoria and made the room spin. Her mind cursed his cruelty while her body hummed with a song of enthusiastic praise. She almost sobbed with relief when Rupert’s voice carried through the intercom and put an end to their delicious game.

Sebastian pulled away from her and adjusted the heavy bulge of his erection with a pained grimace. She didn’t bother masking her amusement. Running a finger down the hard swell of his chest, she let it glide lower until it danced over the strained ridge of his zipper.

“How many times have you told me things play both ways, handsome?”

His piercing stare snapped to hers. Reproach mingled with the suffering in his pale green eyes.

“I am going to remember this and the perverse pleasure you are taking from it,” he warned.

“Promises,” she teased. “It looks like you need a minute. Go put your pistol away, shooter. I’ll get the door.”

Smoothing her dress back into place, she shivered as Sebastian followed on her heels. His breath fell against her back as his low, menacing laugh rolled across her nape. She reached the door but faltered as he cupped her chin.