Sinister Kisses (SKALS #1) (6 page)

Taylor came up out of the tub
with a start. Her heart pounded—the sound deafening in her ears as she glanced around. The water had shifted from unbearably hot to cold, and she wondered how long she had been dozing. She startled as the pounding grew louder, and as the translucent cobwebs of sleep fell away, she realized it wasn’t her heart thudding so adamantly, but her front door.

Muttering, she pulled the plug and struggled to rise to her feet. After being submerged for so long, her body felt like it was made of lead. She snagged her robe off the back of the door and threw it on, wrapping it around herself as she stumbled to the front door. A quick
look through the peephole revealed a very agitated looking Sebastian. She thudded her forehead lightly against the barrier.

Taylor barely managed to crack the
open the door before he pushed his way inside. His eyes were wide, almost wild, as he glanced around and plowed a hand through his curls. By the looks of the tousled things, he’d been at it for hours.

“Where have you been?” he asked. “I’ve been trying to get a hold of you
all night. Are you okay?”

Shutting the door, she nodded and crossed the room to drop onto the couch. “I fell asleep in the tub,” she admitted sheepishly.

He blew out a deep breath and scrubbed his hand over his face several times before pinching his sinuses. Casting the ceiling a frustrated look, he sighed and took a seat beside her. “I was worried sick. I didn’t know what happened to you.”

Taylor winced as he lifted her
chin and ran a thumb over her raw cheek.

“Have you been crying?”

Shame suffused her. She tried to lower her head, but he gingerly cupped her face between his palms. His expression was one of genuine concern, his intense green eyes gentle, but probing.

“Taylor, talk to me. What happened? Did someone hurt you?”

She shivered at the sudden cold glint in his stare. Pulling back, she played with the end of her robe sash, twirling it in her lap.

“I hurt myself,” she mumbled. “I screwed up today, and somehow, I ended up hurting a
good friend in the process and pissing yours off. I don’t know what to do, Sebastian. I’m so hurt and frustrated, and I don’t want to lie to you.”

He straightened, his lean form becoming visibly stiffer as he stroked the stubbly traces of the light golden goatee on his chin.

“What did you do?” he asked in a quiet rasp.

Taylor pressed her lips together so hard they hurt. Her body trembled as she remembered Josh’s fury. She didn’t think she could bear that kind of reaction from th
e man sitting across from her. The muscles along his jaw knotted with impatience as he waited for an answer.

“Daryl and I grew up together
. For most of my life, he was my best friend. We were practically joined at the hip, but I haven’t seen him since last fall when he left for college. We bumped into each other today when I was shopping downtown. All he did was ask if I wanted to grab some lunch and catch up. I was hungry and I did, so I said yes.”

She dared a quick peek at Sebastian, but the slight flare of his nostrils made her reassess the benefits of confession.

“You said yes,” he repeated softly. His jaw worked as long fingers wrapped around her chin. Sebastian stared at her for a long moment. His right eye twitched ever so slightly, the muscle flexing beneath the surface. “Do you have feelings for this man?”

“No
! Daryl was like the brother I never had. I could never look at him that way, but it doesn’t matter because your friend came out of nowhere, jumped the curb, and pointed a gun in his face when he tried to defend me.”

His
eyes narrowed. “Defend you from what?”

“Josh. He was so angry, so cold…he just grabbed my arm and
started dragging me to the car. Daryl was scared. I was scared. Neither one of us had any idea what was going on. I’ve never been more petrified or humiliated in my entire life.”

Sebastian’s lips flattened in a grim press. His chest rumbled with a growl
as he reached up to rub the space above his eyebrows. “Let me see your arm.”

“It’s nothing.”

“Let me see it.”

She winced at the harsh insistence in his voice. Pushing up the loose terrycloth sleeve, Taylor refused to look his way. His touch was
surprisingly light and his fingers cool as they trailed over her skin, assessing the red marks circling her bicep. A dark frown tightened his features before Sebastian eased her sleeve back down.

“I will have a talk with him.”

Taylor grimaced at the displeasure riding the smooth notes of his voice. “Please don’t. After I explained what was going on, he said he believed me. He was just trying to look after you. He said just this once we could keep what happened between ourselves, and I…” she faltered upon seeing a humorless smirk stretch his lips.

“Is that so?” he asked.

Taylor swallowed. He was anything but amused. “I don’t want to get Josh in trouble or cause any problems. Please, that’s not why I said anything.”

“Then why did you?” Sebastian asked, lifting his eyebrows in question.

She licked her lips and hung her head. Her tongue felt thick and swollen against the roof of her mouth. She would have killed for a drink of water, or a break from the rigorous cross-examination. Taking a deep breath, she shrugged.

“I
don’t want to lie or keep things from you. That’s not the way I want to start our relationship. I really like you, Sebastian, but I’m not okay with what happened today. I just wanted you to know what was going on and get some kind of reassurance that it won’t happen again. I can’t…I won’t live like that.”

Sebastian shifted to re
st against the back of the couch. Reaching up, he rubbed at one shoulder, his face contorting with discomfort before he turned his head to look at her. Taylor studied him, searching his expression for some clue as to where his thoughts lie, but his face was an unreadable mask. She held her breath as she waited for him to speak. The tension and suspense were unbearable.

“
I am not without blame.” His jaw tensed. “I asked Josh to look in on you. He’s a loyal man, sometimes to a fault. I’m sure his heart was in the right place, even if his actions fell short.”

“
What does that mean?”

The pale depths of Sebastian’s stare took on a menaci
ng glint that sent a cold shock down her spine.

“
You are mine, Taylor, and I protect what is mine. I am the only one that should ever touch you. Josh was out of line, and I will handle it.”

She shivered as much from the steely determination in his
voice as the intensity of his words. Hugging herself, Taylor studied the worn patch of carpet beneath her feet. Maybe she had been wrong to say something. It was obvious Sebastian was not about to let things go. Her stomach twisted at the thought. She already topped the list of Josh’s least favorite people. This wasn’t going to help matters any, and that man’s bad side was one place she really didn’t want to be.

She glanced up as Sebastian leaned over her. His face softened as he ran his fingers through the damp tangles of her hair.

“I will take care of you,” he murmured. “I will give you everything, be everything you need. Don’t walk away because of a stupid mistake.”

“
Don’t you trust me? It’s not fair to me, and it’s not fair to my friends to have random people breaking up our talks and threatening to shoot them.”

The muscles beneath his jaw knotted for a brief second, but he nodded. His palm smoothed the side of her head.

“I trust you, Taylor. It’s the rest of the world that has me concerned. I should have checked in on you myself, but I was busy and just wanted to make sure you were okay.”

“Have you ever heard of a phone?”

One corner of his mouth lifted with a dry smile. “Why do that and miss out on a chance to see your beautiful face?”

“I don’t like it. I don’t need you checking in on me like that.”

Sebastian sighed. The hard lines of his body strained against the leather coat he wore as he sat up. “Then maybe it is time to reassess our relationship. There are many drawbacks to my profession. I do things that paint a target on my back. If my cover were to get blown, or if someone were to discover who I was or my involvement in certain things, there is a strong possibility they would come after me or what means the most. It’s selfish to put you in that position, Taylor, but I want what I want, and I am willing to take that risk. That means I may need to check in on you from time to time for my own peace of mind. Desperation robs people of sanity. It also makes them do stupid things. I can protect you. I
will
protect you. The question here isn’t if I trust you—it’s if you trust me.”

Taylor flinched. Her
stomach sank. As terrifying as the possibilities were, she believed him when he said he would keep her safe. His eyes promised as much as they bore into her waiting for an answer. She sighed. There were a lot of risks, but he was worth it. She couldn’t imagine losing him now. The last few weeks had been heaven. Albeit an exhausting one, but she craved everything about this man from his smile to his touch. When they were apart, she counted the hours until she would see him again. She hung her head with a sorrowful shake.

“I trust you, Sebastian. I’m sorry.”

“Then don’t question my actions again.” He lifted her head, his face questioning when a tear slid over her cheek to splash against the back of her hand. “Why are you crying?”

“I don’t want to lose you.”

Sebastian pulled her into his arms and held her against his chest. Grateful for the reassuring warmth of his body, Taylor rested her head in the hollow of his shoulder and listened to the slow but steady beat of his heart. He rubbed small circles along her spine with one hand while the other cupped her cheek. Her eyes drifted shut as he dropped a kiss on the top of her head.

“You aren’t going to lose me,” he murmured into her hair. “I’m not going anywhere. I promise.”

“Josh is going to hate me even more than he already does,” she whispered miserably.

His husky laugh filled the room, making his chest vibrate beneath her ear. “He doesn’
t hate you.” Sebastian tapped her chin. Craning her head, she peered up at him. “You did the right thing by coming to me and telling the truth, Taylor. As for Josh, I will tell him I saw the marks on your arm and backed you into a corner. You won’t take the blame, and I’ll make sure Josh understands he is to bring any future concerns to my attention. I will be the one to address them, not him.”

“Thank you.”

Sebastian kissed her forehead. Taylor’s heart melted as a tender smile lit his face. His light sage eyes danced and had once again taken on that playful sparkle she loved so much. Settling back into the crook of his shoulder, she traced the rugged planes of his face with her fingers. She was fascinated by the slight indents framing his mouth between his cheekbones and the curve of his jaw. They turned into broad lines whenever Sebastian smiled and cavernous dimples when he laughed. Her lips curled with contentment as she pressed her nose against his shirt and breathed in the warm, subtle smell of his cologne and the more alluring scent that was his and his alone. Never in her life had she felt more cherished or safe.

“A girl could
definitely fall in love you, Mr. Baas,” she whispered, closing her eyes.

She could almost feel his smile as he hugged her a little tighter.

“Enough to move in with me?”

T
aylor giggled into his chest. “We’ll see.”

Taylor stretched and groaned in protest as a beam of sunlight filtered through the slatted blinds to pierce her lids. Bit by bit, she felt the tantalizing world of her dreams slip away. Feeling the familiar cradle of her mattress beneath her, she flung her arm out and patted the bed in confusion. Where was Sebastian? The last thing she remembered was drifting to sleep in the warm security of his arms. Paper rustled beneath her fingers as they fluttered across the spare pillow beside her, searching for the man she loved. A frown threatened as she lifted the note, still squinting against the blinding effects of the sun. Sweet mother of Jesus, her eyes felt like someone had spent the entire night scouring them with sandpaper.

That’s what you get for crying, her mind scolded.

Taylor wrinkled her nose. Biting her lip, she tried to silence that annoying inner voice and focus on the bold, sturdy words etched across the page.

Good morning, darling. I wish I was there to greet you, but the team is working on a big project and duty calls. I’m sorry for not saying good-bye, but you looked so beautiful and content. I couldn’t bear to wake you. It was a challenge getting you into bed without disturbing you when all I wanted to do was climb in there beside you. As for my self-restraint…your virtue remains intact. You can thank me later.

Taylor giggled and rolled her eyes. Sighing happily, she continued reading.

I will talk to you soon. Try to have a better day, and stay out of trouble.