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“This souvenir will stick with you for a few days,” he stated softly. “Consider it a warning. The next time I think you are trying to cast me aside I will give you a much more permanent reminder. You are mine, Taylor. There is no escaping that.”
“I di-didn’t w-want to,” she cried.
“But you do now,” he whispered. “Don’t you?”
She shook her head frantically. “Nooo. I love you.”
His hand ran over the burning globes of her ass and up her back. She choked down a cry as the fire blazing beneath her skin reignited in his wake.
“Do you?” he asked. “Prove it to me. Make me believe it.”
Desperation closed around her heart like a fist. Peeling herself off the tear-soaked bed, Taylor turned and started to sink to her knees. Sebastian’s hands closed around her upper arms, keeping her standing.
“Oh no, no, sweetheart,” he chided softly.
She whimpered, tensing as he cupped the back of her thighs and lifted her. His fingers grazed the tender welts before sinking into them. Taylor stiffened as he eased her onto the bed and sprawled over top of her. The pressure and friction of the comforter against her stinging flesh was almost too much to bear. She writhed, seeking a more comfortable position beneath him as Sebastian’s eyes locked with hers.
He caressed the ridge of her cheek with his knuckle before leaning down to claim her mouth in a passionate stake. His knee roughly parted her thighs as he shifted his weight to one hand and tore the damp towel away with the other. Their hungry kiss smothered her scream as Sebastian snared her hips and drove inside her. One arm locked around her shoulders. His other hand slid beneath the welted globes of her ass, tilting her up into his powerful thrusts. Crying out, she held on for dear life as the tempo picked up. He drove into her deep and hard, his hold assuring her body had little give.
Pleasure and pain battered her in merciless waves. Breathless and dazed, she lost track of time. Sebastian was tireless. He continued to pound into her, grunts and growls of pleasure reverberating from his chest. The thrusts came harder, faster, stabbing with brute force until she cried out with each forward snap of his hips. Just when she thought she could take no more, he shifted his angle. The tingling throb of release grew, carrying her higher. Her body clamped around his and Taylor screamed, twisting, her sweat-slicked form snapping off the mattress to arch against his.
Colors swirled behind her closed lids. She clung to him, every nerve ending tingling. Her heart and lungs pounded as she struggled to regain her breath. Sebastian stiffened and shuddered above her with a ragged groan. Collapsing against her, his chest rose and fell in steady heaves. A quiet moan tumbled from his lips as he rolled onto his back and dragged her against his side. Taylor trembled, cautiously sliding her hand across his navel. She felt his head turn and the smoldering heat of his stare as he studied her face.
“I love you,” she whispered, kissing his damp pectoral. “Please believe me.”
He brushed the long wisps of bangs from her eyes and nuzzled her forehead. His fingers traced the outside of her arms, gently coaxing her back down. “I love you too, Taylor. That’s why I correct you. Keeping you on course is what’s best—for both of us.”
“I’m sorry. I never meant to hurt or upset you.”
“I know,” he said, shifting his weight with a grimace to tug the blankets down. Once they eased between them, he drew the comforter up over their rapidly cooling bodies and kissed her head. “I love you, but it’s been a long night. Let me get some sleep.”
Taylor murmured in exhausted compliance. Lying there, she tried to ignore the sting and focus instead on the even beat of his heart. The sound brought her a sense of comfort and peace she’d not felt for weeks. She’d missed him so much. It wasn’t the homecoming she’d envisioned by any stretch of the imagination. But, despite it all, she felt safer, more complete with him there. The empty ache inside her was gone. She watched the shadows lengthen and stretch across the vast room until the pull of her lids became too much. Sighing, she closed her eyes and sent up a silent prayer with the hope that tomorrow would be better.
II.
Sebastian sat up and squinted in confusion. Relief flooded through him upon seeing the familiar shapes and shades of his bedroom. Sagging against the pillows, he let out a deep breath and studied the light streaming between the parted curtains. The sun was too high outside the window to be morning. He patted the empty bed beside him with a frown. He’d known Taylor would be up, most likely making sure he had coffee and food waiting, but that didn’t stop him for reaching for her or feeling disappointment upon finding her gone. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he fought against the all too familiar surge of anger. It wasn’t her fault, he reminded himself. None of it was her fault. Not the nightmares, not the pain, not the rage.
After several minutes, he pried himself out of bed and wandered into the bathroom. A small throb of protest radiated through his back as he drained his bladder. Wincing, he ran an experimental finger over his side. Most of the bruising was gone, but hints of the painful reminder still lay buried beneath his skin. He washed up, popped a handful of aspirin, and attempted to finger comb his hair into some semblance of order. It was hopeless. Giving up, he tugged on a loose grey shirt and a dark pair of relaxed jeans.
His gaze darted to the belt still lying on the bedroom floor. The sight of it pulled another frown from his tense features. Maybe it had been a bit much. Maybe, but he was never one to back down from his decisions. What was done was done.
Taylor had tried her best to make him happy from the second he walked through the door. He’d known that—felt it with every particle of his being, but it still hadn’t been enough. Being away from her had nearly driven him insane. Throughout the torture and the beatings, he’d dreamed of holding her—touching her again, but in the end, he couldn’t let himself go. Feeling that level of love again, to know the kind of peace only she brought had been shattering. After being helpless for so long, he’d fought for some sense of control, but surrender was what he needed most. More than anything, he wanted to be home. If the past two weeks continued to assault and smother him, he would never find his way there again.
He padded through the house on bare feet, relishing the cool press of wood and stone beneath his soles. It helped him feel more awake, more alive somehow. The rich aroma of coffee wafted through the air along with an undercurrent of bacon. His mouth watered. Glancing around, he found Taylor standing before the fire. Her eyes were distant, faraway, as she absentmindedly stroked the smooth surface of her mug and stared into the flames. He watched her for a moment before stealing up behind her. Wrapping his arms around her, he pressed his lips against the warm silk of her neck.
“Good morning, lover,” he murmured.
Taylor startled, the hot liquid in her cup sloshing dangerously. She tensed, stiffening in his embrace. Sebastian stepped back, releasing her. Displeasure tightened his brow.
“I’m sorry,” she blurted, her cheeks flushing a light pink. “I didn’t know you were up yet.” She set her cup down on the coffee table and gifted him with a bright smile before winding her arms around his neck. “Good morning, handsome. Did you sleep well?”
He rubbed his nose against hers. “Considering it’s after noon, I’d say a little too well. Why didn’t you wake me up?”
“You were so exhausted last night,” she said, running her fingers through the thick curls at his nape. “You needed to rest.”
He frowned and searched her eyes for the truth. He’d discovered people could lie with ease, but their eyes were not always as quick to follow suit. They truly were the windows to a person’s soul, and often betrayed the secrets their lips would not.
“So that wasn’t your subtle way of avoiding me?” he asked, holding her gaze.
A small smile rose on her lips. “That wicked leather companion of yours, maybe…but never you, Sebastian.”
“Taylor, Taylor,” he stated softly, resting his forehead against hers with
a slow shake. “I love that you were honest with me, sweetheart, but that’s still not the smartest move. If I want to punish you, I will. Avoiding me will only make it worse.”
He kissed the tip of her nose to soften his words, but the warning was clear. Her face paled and a strained swallow echoed between them. Lowering her eyes, Taylor gave a fearful nod and stroked his chest.
“Can I get you something to eat?”
“That would be wonderful. Whatever you made earlier will be fine.”
A few minutes he sat in the morning room with a warm bacon and egg croissant, a cup of Greek yogurt, and a piping mug of coffee. He watched Taylor putter around the kitchen for a while before beckoning her with his finger. She drew her bottom lip between her teeth, but obediently approached his side. Smiling up at her, he patted his thigh. The tension on her beautiful face eased as she draped her arm around his shoulders and gingerly settled onto his lap. Chuckling, he plucked a piece of bacon from his sandwich.
