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Because his proximity has crossed the wires in my brain, bringing about an endless string of misfires that leave me incoherent.
“There’s nothing complicated about the way you make me feel.” He arches into a titillating gyrate against my ass, hips in perfect unison with mine, and I shiver as his mouth grazes my ear. “You’re an indecent little tease in this scrap of lace. I’m tempted to take my hand to your ass, to hell with the consequences.”
“You wouldn’t.”
“Oh, I would, and you’d deserve every second.”
As my heart palpitates in time to the beat, the dancers around us blur into slow-moving shadows.
His possessive hold tightens on my hips, bordering on painful. “I’d have you begging for my cock in your tight little ass. God, princess,” he groans. “What I’d give to fuck it right now in front of all of these uptight assholes. What I’d give to make you cry.”
“You have every right to be upset with me.” Unrealized tears burn my eyes, but deep down, I know he wouldn’t hurt me like that.
Like Pax forced Liam to.
“Novalee,” he rasps, “I’m not upset. I’m fucking wrecked.”
“You’re the last person I ever wanted to hurt.”
“Did Castle take your ass?” he asks, tone dripping in scorn as he barrels right past my attempted apology. “I bet he did, and I bet you loved every second of it.”
Pushing out of his arms, I turn to face him, my pulse jackknifing, eyes stinging. “Every second of it hurt.” Blinking in rapid succession, I try to staunch the memory of my time in the dungeon with Liam and Pax, but the pain of what we did hangs on my lashes, no matter how hard I try to tamp it down.
Sebastian goes stock-still, assessing all I left unsaid through the fracture in my expression. “He hurt you?”
“N-no.” The denial shakes off my lips, disguising the horrific truth in it. “That’s…that isn’t what I meant.”
“I don’t believe you.” The storm is back, transforming his features, and his attention lands on Liam, who’s standing with Landon, Vance, and Tatum near the buffet. The four of them must be deep in conversation, because the chancellor doesn’t glance my way at all, when he usually can’t take his eyes off of me.
“I’ll fucking kill him,” Sebastian growls, on the move before I can stop him.
“Sebastian, wait!”
But he’s already barreling through the crowd toward the target of his rage, and by the time I catch up, he’s sent Liam crashing into the buffet table.
“You sick bastard.” Sebastian yanks him up by the lapels before slamming him into a wall. “You forced her, didn’t you?” Eyes alight with murder, he grips Liam by the throat.
“Sebastian,” I shriek, tugging on his arm. “Stop!”
My shouted plea falls on deaf ears. Sebastian refuses to budge, and it takes Vance and Landon’s help before he backs down.
Liam gulps in air, wheezing through every breath. “You’re out of your mind,” he chokes, one hand massaging his neck.
“I’ve never been more clear-headed.” Sebastian sneers at the chancellor. “You might have fooled her and everyone else, but you don’t fool me. You made sure she was defenseless on that island.”
I brush my fingers over Sebastian’s arm to get his attention. “Please…let me explain.”
Training his pain-filled eyes on me, he shakes off Landon’s hold. “I know all of your expressions, princess, and I know he fucking hurt you. What I don’t understand is why you’re protecting him.”
The music cuts out, leaving dead silence in its wake as masquerade guests crowd around us. Mortification spreads over my skin, from my chest to my cheeks.
Landon clears his throat. “You two should finish this conversation in the hall.”
“Sounds like a good idea to me.” Sebastian drags me out of the ballroom, and my heels click across the marble floor behind him in a desperate, linear tap dance as I try to keep up with his furious strides. To slow him down, I clutch the back of his jacket.
“Where are you taking me?”
“You heard Landon. We need privacy for this conversation.” Whirling around, he stops in the deserted hallway, his icy blue gaze pinning me from behind a silver mask. “Tell me what happened with Castle.” The cross of his muscular arms contradicts his even tone.
