“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 the 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 rest 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 menacing 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 muscl
es 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?”