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“That um, that’s surprising.”
“Why’s that?” He lifts a single eyebrow, almost teasingly.
“You don’t seem like a Sebastian.”
“Oh, no? And what exactly do I seem like?” There’s something in his tone, it’s different than it was a moment ago. Not quite angry, but not exactly teasing still either.
“I guess Hunter just suits you.” He nods once but doesn’t turn away from me.
“I’m not Sebastian.” I’m used to his curt sentences and non-conversations, but now I’m officially confused.
“What?” His lips lift in a slight smirk.
“The name Sebastian. I don’t go by it, not anymore. It’s not who I am.”
“So you just go by Hunter?” He nods. So, does that mean I can’t call you Sebastian?” I inflect a level of teasing in my tone, surprised by Hunter’s easy reaction to it all.
“Do you want to?” I consider his question for a moment. I let my eyes roam over him, taking in his hulking form. The severely shaved head and nestle trimmed beard do not give off the vibe of someone named Sebastian.
I shake my head. “No. You’re not a Sebastian.” The amusement on his face is back. I keep eyeing him in hopes that a name will come to me. I don’t know why I feel so desperate to come up with one right now, but he seems to be giving me the opportunity, so I’m taking it.
“What about Bash?”
“Bash?”
“It’s short for Sebastian. Plus, you look like you could bash someone into the ground without even trying.” Another bark of laughter falls from his lips, and I suck in another breath.
“Okay.”
“Okay?”
He nods. “You can call me Bash.” I know I probably look like a complete moron the way my chest puffs out. I don’t know why this simple thing makes me feel so damn special, but it really does. Instead of saying anything else and risking ruining this moment, I just smile and turn back to the TV.
After a few minutes of total silence between us, I chance another look at him. He’s looking directly at the TV, his mouth in a firm straight line and his features completely unreadable. Even though he’s leaning back against the couch, his arms are folded, and his body seems stiff.
“You’re always so serious.” His head turns slightly, just enough for his eyes to lock with mine.
“It’s part of my job.” There’s something about his answer that feels like a cover, like there’s more to the story.
“Do you ever let go of control and just… be.”
I watch his throat as he swallows hard and shakes his head once. “No. I can’t.”
“You can with me.” His head turns so he’s looking directly at me and all the air in my lungs escapes on a heavy exhale simply from the force of his stare. His eyes are dark, and his jaw is tight. The muscles in his arms flex as he clenches and unclenches his fists.
“Especially not with you.”
I open my mouth to argue, but something stops me. The weight of his words, the intensity of his gaze. It’s all just so much and even though a part of me wants to argue with him, I’m not sure it would do any good.
“You could,” I whisper softly. “Just once.” His gaze continues to bore into mine, the air between us heavy and electrified. I wait for him to speak, to say something. Anything. But he doesn’t.
CHAPTER TEN
Sebastian
Tonight was a fucking mistake.I should have continued to keep my distance instead of trying to make this shit easier on her. Hell, I should have kept my damn mouth shut and just kept her wondering about my name. It’s as if that simple conversation opened a fucking floodgate.
At first, when I thought she was dismissing Sebastian as my name I started having fucking flashbacks to when I never felt good enough. To when my name felt like a damn hindrance in my fucking life. Then she came up with the name Bash and for some reason, I liked it. I liked the idea of having a name only she calls me. Something I’ve never heard from anyone else before.
