Page 40 of Inferno (SKALS 4)


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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.

“You are going to pay for that,” he warned. “Dearly.”

Seizing the back of her head, he crushed his mouth against hers in a bruising kiss. The forceful claim

assured he meant every word he said. The heat licking her insides climbed even higher. She could feel the flush crawl over her breasts and settle into her cheeks. Her shame deepened when she realized how all of this was going to look.

Peering down at her, Sebastian offered an unrepentant smirk. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. It’s a very becoming look on you.”

“You are beyond warped,” she muttered, pulling open the door.

A light summer breeze washed over her skin, but it was seeing the woman standing in front of her that cooled Taylor’s blood. More than a decade had passed, and her mother had aged and acquired the lines brought on by time and the worries of life, but there were still traces of the face she had dreamed of and remembered. Her heart ached with pangs of uncertainty and pain. She didn’t know what to say. Did she call her Mom or Elaine? Her humiliation only deepened when the silence lingered and her shoulders slumped beneath a wave of defeat.

People should never have to wonder those things when it came to their own mother. She shouldn’t have to wonder if it was okay to hug her own parent or what to call them, yet here she was, conflicted and torn, and wishing she had pockets just so she had something to do with her hands.

Frowning, Sebastian stepped around her and put an end to the awkward standoff. “You must be Elaine,” he said, extending his hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. Please, come inside.”

He gestured her inside and Taylor’s brow knitted as her mother’s gaze flickered her way. It didn’t take long for Elaine’s attention to shift elsewhere once she stepped inside the foyer. Hanging back, Taylor watched her scan her new surroundings.

“You have a beautiful home, Sebastian. Thank you for allowing me to visit.”

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