Holly
My man had to be hurting. Not only because of his actions but because of mine as well. I kicked him out.
I’d messaged him not even an hour after he left and told him that I’d made a mistake and to please come home. But he decided it’d be best if he stayed at the hotel for a few days. To get his head together and give me some space, too. And then I went and drank a bottle of wine.
And the next night, I’d cried into my glass of whiskey.
I hated fighting with him. And this felt like a huge fight. But I really was hormonal.
Two nights without him, knowing he was choosing to be away, and it wasn’t for work, had me going stir crazy.
And God, sitting through a board meeting yesterday at work had been HELL. I’d stared at my husband’s empty black leather chair, all the while fighting back tears.
Sean kept kicking me under the table like we were teenagers picking on each other during Ma’s Sunday family dinners.
And now, I was standing outside the hotel, frozen in place as I stared up at the building, clutching my keys like they were a lifeline. The valet probably thought I’d lost my mind.
I’d dropped Siobhan off with Anna and Adam before heading to the hotel to get my man back. Sean and Cole hadn’t seen him since he’d returned from Italy, and normally my husband buried himself in League matters to relieve his stress. Well, sex was often his preferred stress reliever, but that wasn’t an option right now.
I finally handed the valet my keys, pulled in a deep breath of air, then walked through the lobby as if I owned the place. Okay, so I kind of did own it since Sebastian was my husband.
I greeted the familiar staff and hurried to the lift, not bothering to ask if he was upstairs because I was his wife, and shouldn’t I know where my husband was?
The ride to the penthouse went way too fast, just like my pulse.
In his original text, he’d said he was in “his penthouse,” the one he lived in before moving in with me. I didn’t want it to be “his” anymore, damn it. Not ever again. His place was next to me.
Did I approve of him taking a life? No. I believed that decision rested on the shoulders of law enforcement and the military.
I loved him, though. Until death do us part. I wanted to die before him—gray and old with lots of wrinkles from decades of laughter. Sebastian would never let that happen, though. No, the man was a deal maker, and he’d arrange with fate to take him first. He’d make a deal.
I knocked on the door and took one giant, nervous step back as I waited.
Please be here.
A few seconds later, the door swung inward, and I blinked in surprise to see a pretty brunette standing there.
Little fluttery wings worked up a storm in my abdomen as I stared at her in the hotel robe, her hair wet from a shower.
“Can I help you?” she asked, her accent French from the sounds of it.
“Is Sebastian here?” I asked around the knot in my throat.
“Renaud?” She arched a brow before a man came up behind her and circled his arms around her waist possessively. Not my man.
And how could I ever think such a horrible thought?
“He checked out an hour ago when I called to let him know my husband and I were coming into town. This is my favorite room in the place.” She scrunched her brow. “And you are?”
“His wife,” I blurted.
“Ah.” She grinned and offered her hand. “Enchanté. I work out of the Renaud Industries office in Paris. Pretty much run it since he’s in Dublin all of the time. That man hates being away from you.”
Oh. You’re Cecilia. Of course.
“Why was he staying here?” she asked, taking me by surprise.
“Oh. I had a bit of a cold, and I didn’t want him getting sick,” I lied through my teeth, and the woman and her husband backed up as if I had the plague. “He must have decided to surprise me and went home when I told him I wasn’t contagious anymore.” They took another step back.
Please have surprised me and be home now.
I quickly said goodbye, then made my way home as fast as possible, only breaking the speed limit a tiny bit.
When I arrived, the house was dark, and my shoulders fell in disappointment.
I went to the door but . . . it was unlocked.
I was certain I’d locked it when I left, and Sebastian would never leave it unlocked unless he was home.
I pulled myself together and went inside.
My heart sank at the sight of him sitting on the floor next to the fireplace. One leg stretched out, the other bent, a glass resting on top of his knee.
His gaze swiveled my way, and his lips parted, but he didn’t speak.
“I was at the hotel looking for you.” I dropped my purse and hurried to him.
He raised the glass to his lips and finished what was left of his drink. “I missed you.”
I fell to my knees at his side, ignoring the pain that quick movement caused on wooden floors. “I missed you, too.” I reached for him and palmed his cheek. “Don’t ever leave me again.”
“You sure?” he asked, his voice husky and deep. “I don’t want you to hate me for—”
I silenced him with my finger. “I could never hate you.” I chewed on my lip. “But I would love to have make-up sex with my husband. A lot of it.” I wanted to be wrapped in his arms. To feel our bodies joined as they should be. He was mine forever and always. “I love you so much.”
He set down his drink, relaxed his bent leg, and urged me to straddle him. “You forgive me for breaking my promise?”
I nodded, my emotions stealing my voice.
He raced the pad of his thumb along my bottom lip and pulled it down. “I’ll do better. For you. For our family,” he said before crushing his mouth over mine.
Sebastian - December 2021 (2 months later)
“Well, just no punching anyone for looking at your wife the wrong way, okay?” Holly’s mother said while focusing her gaze on Adam, and then she plopped more food onto his plate.
“I’ve only done that once. Or twice,” Adam said with a sheepish grin.
Ethan mumbled, “Bullshite.”
“I wasn’t referring to you.” Holly’s mother sent Adam a stern but loving look.
Oh, she was talking about me, wasn’t she? Shite.
“He’ll be on his best behavior.” Holly pinned me with a hard stare, demanding I behave for the 12 Pubs of Christmas.
“I don’t make promises I can’t keep.” And feck if that was the wrong thing for me to say. Holly had forgiven me for my broken promise in October, and she’d even laughed a little at some of the SEAL humor I’d told her about when it came to Roman and the others.
But the daggers she was shooting me now . . . did she forget how sorry I’d been?
“If you’ll excuse me.” Holly set her red linen napkin on her plate and stood in a hurry. Even the legs of her chair sounded angry with me as they scraped across the floors.
I abruptly rose and ran after her, my jaw clenched with worry.
Frantically sorting through my mind for different ways to apologize, I hurriedly followed Holly up the stairs, down the hall, and to her childhood bedroom.
As soon as I crossed the threshold, she announced, “We need to have sex. Now.”
Reaching behind me, I shut the door, then scratched the back of my head, wondering if this was some big joke.
“Babe.” I approached her slowly, like I was confronting a wild animal, as she began stripping out of her clothes.
Okay, so we’re doing this now? I turned around and locked the door.
“Aren’t you mad at me?” Why wasn’t I just going with it? Yeah, her hormones were still a bit off now that she’d stopped breastfeeding, but . . . I doubted pissing her off made her horny.
But before I knew it, my wife was standing before me in nothing but a very tiny thong.
“I am mad, but I don’t want you sleeping at the hotel ever again,” she quickly rushed out. �
��So, I need you to screw the anger out of me. I-I don’t want to be upset with you for only doing your, um, job, for protecting people.”
Oh damn. I was such a bloody idiot for putting her through this. Especially when I didn’t know if I’d be able to keep myself from killing once we reached the final takedown of The Alliance.
She didn’t need to worry about me, though. I could handle the consequences of my actions as long as I had her and Siobhan in my life. What I couldn’t handle was losing them.
“Sebastian, this isn’t a request,” she demanded, her spine straightening, and her eyes intently focused on mine. “I want it hard, rough, and dirty. Now. Here, in my old bedroom.”
I searched her face, needing to be confident this was what she truly wanted. And what I saw was anguish, not because I’d killed against her wishes, but because she was frightened of losing me. I needed to ease that pain, release that anger, and show her by taking her fast and hard, just like she wanted, that she was mine forever.
So, I did it. I hoisted her into my arms, and she hooked her ankles around my back as I walked us to the bed.
God, did I love my wife.
And like hell would I lose her.
But thoughts of Luca crowded my mind and it had me biting down on my back teeth like some blood-thirsty beast.
“Hey, get out of your head. I need you to be here with me,” she said, placing my hand on her chest just above her heart. She cupped my cheeks and locked her focus on my eyes, bringing me back to her. Back to the bright light of her world. The world I couldn’t live without.
Crossover Information & More
Visit my website to download a free bonus scene starring Harper and Roman, A Stealth Ops Holiday.
Roman, Harper, and the rest of Echo Team can be found in the Stealth Ops Navy SEAL Series. Roman and Harper’s book, Chasing Shadows, releases March 25, 2021.
Learn more about the other Dublin Nights books and/or the Stealth Ops Navy SEALs.
Continue for the music playlist, link to the Pinterest muse board, Dublin Nights Spoiler Room, and more information about my other books.
Playlist
Be Kind (with Halsey) - Marshmallo, Halsey
Love Looks Better - Alicia Keys
Too Much To Ask - Niall Horan
Wonder - Shawn Mendes
Ask Me How I Know - Garth Brooks
What Ifs (feat. Lauren Alaina) - Kane Brown
Take You Dancing - Jason Derulo
Without You (feat. Usher) - David Guetta, Usher
Dynamite - BTS
Blinding Lights - The Weekend
Levitating (feat. DeBaby) - Dua Lipa, DaBaby
Relation, Remix - Sech, Daddy Yankee
Spotify: The Final Hour
Reading Guide
Get the latest news from my newsletter/website and/or Brittney’s Book Babes / the Stealth Ops Spoiler Room /Dublin Nights Spoiler Room.
A Stealth Ops World Guide is available on my website, which features more information about the team, character muses, and SEAL lingo.
Publication Order
Pinterest Muse/Inspiration Board
Bonus Scenes
Stealth Ops Series: Bravo Team
Finding His Mark - Book 1 - Luke & Eva
Finding Justice - Book 2 - Owen & Samantha
Finding the Fight - Book 3 - Asher & Jessica
Finding Her Chance - Book 4 - Liam & Emily
Finding the Way Back - Book 5 -Knox & Adriana
Stealth Ops Series: Echo Team
Chasing the Knight - Book 6 -Wyatt & Natasha
Chasing Daylight - Book 7 - A.J. & Ana
Chasing Fortune - Book 8 - Chris & Rory
Chasing Shadows - Book 9 -Harper & Roman (3/25/21)
Book 10 - Finn (2021)
Becoming Us: connection to the Stealth Ops Series (books take place between the prologue and chapter 1 of Finding His Mark)
Someone Like You - A former Navy SEAL. A father. And off-limits. (Noah Dalton)
My Every Breath - A sizzling and suspenseful romance. Businessman Cade King has fallen for the wrong woman. She’s the daughter of a hitman - and he’s the target.
Dublin Nights
On the Edge - Travel to Dublin and get swept up in this romantic suspense starring an Irish businessman by day…and fighter by night.
On the Line - novella
The Real Deal - This mysterious billionaire businessman has finally met his match.
The Inside Man - Cole McGregor & Alessia Romano
The Final Hour - Sean and Emilia
Stand-alone (with a connection to On the Edge):
The Story of Us– Sports columnist Maggie Lane has 1 rule: never fall for a player. One mistaken kiss with Italian soccer star Marco Valenti changes everything…
Hidden Truths
The Safe Bet – Begin the series with the Man-of-Steel lookalike Michael Maddox.
Beyond the Chase - Fall for the sexy Irishman, Aiden O’Connor, in this romantic suspense.
The Hard Truth – Read Connor Matthews’ story in this second-chance romantic suspense novel.
Surviving the Fall – Jake Summers loses the last 12 years of his life in this action-packed romantic thriller.
The Final Goodbye - Friends-to-lovers romantic mystery
Where Else To Find Me
Thank you for reading Sean and Emilia’s story. If you don’t mind taking a minute to leave a short review, I would greatly appreciate it. Reviews are incredibly helpful to keeping the series going. Thank you!
www.brittneysahin.com
[email protected]
FB Reader Group - Brittney’s Book Babes / Dublin Nights Spoiler Room
/ Stealth Ops Spoiler Room
Pinterest Muse/Inspiration Board
The Final Hour (Dublin Nights Book 5) Page 36
