by Maren Smith
“A realization. That’s all. My work is done here.”
“I don’t understand.”
He gave her a half smile. “And I don’t expect you to. If my warning was heeded, perhaps no one will die. At this point, there is nothing else I can do.”
“You’re giving up?”
Sebastian dropped the cloth on the side of the sink, his eyes searching hers. “I’m sure at times, when you were hunting whatever criminal you were searching for, that you knew the end game. You may not have liked the understanding, but there was little you could do.”
“But I never stopped trying, searching. That’s not in my nature,” Cassandra whispered, swallowing the bile in her throat.
“That is very much what I’ve come to expect from you, but I have no recourse. Not for my position or my profession.”
She realized he wasn’t going to give her any additional information, but she was determined to find out what had been said to terrify the man she’d… Blinking, she was forced to look away. The word ‘love’ had actually entered her mind. “I’m going to take a shower.”
“A good idea.” He brushed his fingers across her jaw, the action so loving and so tender. “I’ll be in the next room.”
She wanted nothing more than to ask him to stay, to share a shower with her, to hold each other, but he wasn’t that kind of man. After he left, his shoulders slumping, she turned on the water in the shower, her heart heavy. Trinity. The name was pinned in the back of her mind, her emotions raw.
As she climbed into the shower, pulling the glass enclosure, she grumbled given her entire body ached, muscles and tendons. The experience with Carmen had left her in despair, but for all the wrong reasons. As the water pulsed over her head, she planted her hands on the cool tile, allowing the water to drip down, watching as the beads splashed into the drain. Everything was muddled, confusing the hell out of her. If she followed her heart, then… A series of tears formed, and she allowed them to fall, sliding down her face, choking on the lump in her throat.
Cool air slid across her backside and as strong arms wrapped around her, hands clasped as they pulled her back against a man she had only begun to understand, she closed her eyes. There was no need to speak, no words that would alleviate the agony in her heart.
Sebastian rubbed his groin against her ass, his hold more of a caress. “I want you more than any woman I’ve ever had, including Trinity.”
She gulped back a cry as she rested her head on his shoulder, the water cascading down the front of her chest.
He cupped and kneaded her breasts, every move tender, loving. Lowering his head, he nipped her earlobe before darting his tongue inside her ear. “You are so beautiful.”
Lifting and placing her arms around his neck, she arched her back as he fingered her nipples, swirling the tips in a lazy circle until they were rock hard. Her breath sounds ragged as she panted, her desire building, she opened her legs in a blatant invitation. The sensations as he pinched her nipples between his fingers, a delicious moment of pain washing into pure ecstasy forced a moan from her mouth.
His fingers twisted and pulled as he breathed against her neck, licking the tip of her earlobe. “Do you want me?”
“Yes, oh God, yes.”
Turning her around, he fisted her hair, tugging as he crushed his mouth over hers, sliding his hips back and forth in a slow and easy fashion. The kiss was powerful, his head pushing against hers, his tongue plunging deep inside her mouth.
She clung to him, wrapping one leg around his, holding on as he explored the dark recesses of her mouth. Every cell was so alive, her hunger off the charts, the water unable to squelch the heat shared between them. Whimpering into the kiss, she had never wanted a man as much as Sebastian.
He rubbed his lips up and down the side of her neck, crowding up to her jawline, shifting to her lips, his hunger evident by his throbbing cock pressing against her stomach.
White light showered over her field of vision as he raked his hand down her arm to her hip, gripping and squeezing before forcing her legs apart. He slid his hand between them, cupping her pussy.
Panting, she nipped his lower lip, taking the sweet and delicious flesh into her mouth, sucking.
He fingered her clit, swirling first a single finger then two around in circles before pulling it between them, plucking.
“God,” she whispered, her eyelids fluttering open. She was unable to breathe as he thrust his fingers inside, moving past her swollen folds, shoving deep inside her cunt. With every hard plunge, his fingers flexed open and she was jolted by a wave of heat thrashing her entire system.
“I’m going to make love to you.”
Just hearing the words sent another quiver deep inside, captivating her heart. “Yes. Please.” Whether she was acknowledging or begging, she simply no longer cared.
Wrapping his hand around the base of his cock, he stroked as her hand fluttered down, landing on top of his, her fingers moving with him, pumping as he grunted. He pushed the tip past her labia, sliding just inside. He picked her up, gathering her legs around his upper thighs, pushing her savagely against the tile.
As he thrust in and out, she planted her feet against the cool glass, slapping first one then the other in her struggle to remain in position. A moan escaped her lips as he continued driving in a wild and crazed fashion, his cock filling her, stiff and thick, throbbing. She clamped her pussy muscles, delighting in his guttural sounds, growls permeating the dense space.
“Fuck, baby. You’re so wet. So tight.” His actions brutal, moving to the level of being savage, he thrust hard and fast, slapping her back against the shower wall.
Water washed over them, as if cleansing their sin, trickling down, peppering against her tingling skin. She gripped his shoulders, angling until she was able to lick across his lips, dragging her tongue down to his chin. There were no words that would matter, that would change the course between them. She’d fallen desperately in love, longing to fulfill his every desire, as well as her own.
Sebastian’s breath sounds were almost inaudible as he pumped, fingers finding her asshole, sliding all the way inside.
“Oh!” The scream was filtered, yet echoing, and she could no longer focus, her pulse racing. Nothing had ever felt this right, this perfect. There was no holding back as the climax raced up from her toes, tickling along the insides of her legs. “Oh… I can’t…”
“Come for me. Come with me,” he commanded, the husky tone of his voice nothing but authoritative. His body shaking, his muscles straining, he slapped his hands on the tile, pinning her against the wall, the look on his face nothing but carnal. “Come!”
There was no need to instruct, no reason to deny her own pleasure. The orgasm ripped through her, sending shock waves into her heart. Then she said the words she thought she’d never say.
“I love you.”
Chapter 7
“What do you wish most for?” Cassandra asked as she scooted forward on the bed, her fingers tracing a circle on the sheets. She gave him a coy smile as her robe fell open, revealing her cleavage.
“In life?” Sebastian asked, laughing as he polished off his drink.
She rubbed her hand along his forearm, her gaze concentrated on the colorful ink covering his arm and shoulder. “Life. Love. The pursuit of happiness.”
“Mmm… Well, the pursuit of happiness is easy. I want a submissive who will bend to my every need, surrendering to me at any time of day or night.”
The playful side of him was unexpected, his tone light and easy, almost carefree. “Do you think you’ll ever find that woman?”
“Let me think. Possibly, but she has to learn to obey me at all times. Without question.”
“And what will you give in return for such a glorious gift?” The fact she was giggling surprised the hell out of her. The shared lightheartedness was unexpected. The laugh created a slight ache in her jaw and she pressed two fingers across what had turned into a bruise.
He exhaled, hi
s eyes turning into darkened pools. “I will fucking kill that man for what he did to you.”
“Don’t think about Carmen right now. We’re enjoying our evening.” She kept her fingers brushing up and down his arm, trying her best not to think about the plan she’d formed in her mind.
“I would love nothing more than to let this go.”
“Then do. We won’t be able to solve anything stuck in the Castle and you know that.”
Sebastian rolled his eyes, pulling her hand against his mouth and kissing her fingers. “You may be right.”
She knew he hadn’t shoved the incident aside nor would he. The deed would be completed at some point, the murder of Carmen necessary in order for Sebastian to move on. “I’m always right and finish answering my question.”
“What question was that?” he whispered as he crowded closer, leaning forward and dragging the material of her robe away from her breasts.
The feel of his mouth on her nipple created such an intense clenching deep in her pussy that she could no longer think clearly. “You have to stop.”
“Not until I say, kitten. You forget who you belong to.”
“Does that mean there will be more between us? I mean, after we leave?” The question obviously caught him off guard. She could tell by his waning expression the answer. “That’s okay. This was just a fantasy.”
“This isn’t just a fantasy, at least not for me, but the life I lead isn’t one that…”
“That I fit into?”
Sebastian inhaled, swirling the ice in his glass as he eased back. “I want you to fit into my world, Cassandra, but you’re an officer of the law and I’m a criminal. That is never going to change. We can’t live the fantasy outside of these walls. You know that as well as I do. There is no scenario in which you can remain an agent and I remain a killer.”
“What if I’m no longer an FBI agent?”
He laughed for a few seconds then cocked his head. “You’re not serious.”
“I don’t know what I want to do any longer. I’m not happy with my career, at least not in the way I once was. I’m no longer fulfilled.”
“I’m not your answer, as much as I’d like to be. I adore you and that’s not easy for me to say. But I refuse to fuck up your life. What we’ve shared has been the best few hours of my life, but I came here to do a job and being unable to fulfill this assignment could force me to run, or into early retirement.” His voice was husky, breathless. “And that’s something I have to face alone.”
“I understand.” Cassandra looked down at his hand, his long fingers. Everything about this trip had altered her meaning of life.
“Time for another drink.” Sitting up, he swung his legs off the bed.
“I’ll get it. Lie back. I’m still your submissive for a few more hours.” Her heart ached as she climbed off the bed. There was no way to make this any easier for either of them. As she walked toward the dresser, the glance in the mirror was a clear reminder of what she needed to do.
And love wasn’t in the picture.
“If anything happens to me, she will die.”
Sebastian’s entire body was sweating, the volume creating a chill covering his naked body. He clenched his jaw, blinking away the vision of the bastard’s face, the man’s ugly words. Yeah, the asshole thought he’d managed to lord Sebastian’s past over him, he would lie in wait, resisting following his natural instinct.
But the fucker would pay, his scrawny body tortured in every horrific method he’d been trained to use.
At least the thought gave him a measure of comfort. He rubbed his jaw, shaking away the bitter demons, his mind shifting to Cassandra. Making love with her had been incredible, yet out of his comfort zone. The way she’d nuzzled against him afterwards had been almost too much, but soothing. Satisfying. Sighing, he allowed his eyes to become accustomed to the shadowed morning light streaming past the edge of the drapes before reaching for her, longing to touch her arm, her face. Feeling nothing, he jerked up, glancing around the entire room.
She wasn’t in bed, nor was she anywhere in sight. There were no lights, no sign that she was anywhere close. Throwing back the covers, he clambered out of bed, taking long strides into the bathroom, flipping on the light. The robe she’d been wearing had been dumped on the floor in the corner, as if discarded in a hurry.
Hissing, he rushed back into the bedroom area, finding the switch to the closest light then throwing open the thick, velvet drapes. His gaze homed in on her suitcase, a single piece of clothing falling just outside the case. “Fuck!” There was nothing else indicating where she’d gone. He paced the floor until he noticed the top dresser drawer was cracked. Seeing a laptop inside, the warm glow of the Apple indentation indicating she’d used the computer recently.
And she hadn’t bothered to click off on the internet display. Cassandra had performed a Google search sometime after he’d gone to sleep. What had she found? Trinity Massino.
“Goddammit!” The article was one he hadn’t read, but clearly indicated she was the infamous sister of a crime boss, a man who’d been touted as responsible for several unrelated murders. There was enough information that an intelligent and creative FBI agent could use in a ploy. Or in an effort to destroy an enemy.
Cassandra was taking matters into her own hands.
He searched the drawers, her suitcase and every hidden area in the room. There was no gun, including the one she’d confiscated from Carmen. And the worst part? He was unable to locate his knife. “What the hell are you doing, my very bad kitty?”
After dressing quickly, he glanced at the clock. How in the hell had he slept until almost eleven? His thoughts drifted to the bottle of scotch she’d brought out, sharing more than one drink together. She’d slipped a drug into his drink.
“Clever girl.” Almost impressed with her tenacity, he left the room, heading for his. Once inside, he secured his second weapon, sliding the hunter’s knife into his pocket. How appropriate. Locating his prey. He pushed aside the thought as he moved out into the hallway, heading toward the stairway. Where in the hell did she think she was going to corner Carmen? The entire Castle was teeming with activity, guests milling in the hallway, the sound of people talking, laughing all around him.
There was a bus leaving in an hour and the entranceway, as well as the drawbridge, was filled with people waiting to leave, bags stacked along the wall. He weaved through them, moving from room to room, searching. There was no sign of her anywhere.
He stood in the foyer and his skin began to prickle as he turned his head. Standing only twenty feet away was Carmen, a smile plastered on his face. The way his eyes bore into Sebastian’s slowed time around him, every motion almost ceasing. Whatever was going to occur would happen at any time. When Carmen pantomimed a bomb, he was floored. There was no way the asshole would stoop to this level. Then again, seeing the vile expression on The Butcher’s face, he realized his assumption was wrong.
Anxiety remained high as he raced back to the second floor, heading in the direction of the nursery. Had Carmen locked her away, directly in the path of the bomb? Oh, God. This couldn’t be happening. He took off jogging until a hand reached out, snagging his arm.
“Hey. I hoped I’d run into you.”
Hearing Eric’s voice, he stopped, but he continued to scan the various groups of people. “I’m sorry about the warning. I was mistaken.”
“Mistaken? Are you okay, buddy? You’re flushing,” Master Eric chortled. “There is someone being protected in the Castle. I wasn’t free to provide any details.”
“That’s all right. I have to go.” He debated telling Eric about his suspicions. Perhaps Carmen was using another ploy in order to have complete access to Grace’s location. Yeah, he wouldn’t put it past the bastard. He decided against saying anything to Eric. There was no sense in creating panic.
“Master Marshall did listen to me, and I think has taken steps to make certain this particular guest is safe and away from the rest of the famil
y.” Master Eric kept his voice low.
He shrank back, his mind processing what Eric was telling him. “She’s on the third floor.” His words weren’t a question.
“That I won’t tell you.”
Sebastian’s instinct kicked in again. “Eric, I’m going to strongly suggest you remove the witness from the castle.”
He knew exactly where Cassandra had gone—to the source itself. He took off running, shoving his way past several men and women. All he could think about was getting to her, to the woman he loved.
“Wait. Sebastian!”
He swung his head from side to side. She had to be here. Time ticked away as he headed down the second-floor hall, the area leading to another. At this point, all he could do was pound on doors. No. Think. She was nowhere to be seen and if a bomb had been planted, the device would be hidden. He had to get her out of here. “Where are you?”
He glared at his watch. Almost noon. Damn. Damn! This was getting out of hand. Exasperated, he turned in a full circle until a flash caught his eyes. Cassandra. “Jesus Christ.”
“Sebastian. Don’t try and stop me.” Cassandra stood near the end of the hall, her hand firmly wrapped around a gun. Dressed in jeans, her hair pulled back in a ponytail, she bore the look of an agent on duty.
“We have to get out of here. There’s no time to explain.” He remained in place, trying to calm his breathing. He knew enough about her to realize that pushing her wasn’t the answer. She’d only run away.
Holding out her hand, she took two decided steps backward. “No. I’m going to take care of the situation right now.”
“Listen to what I’m saying. We need to get out of here. Come with me.”
“This is something I have to do.” She lowered her arm several inches.
One additional glance and he knew what Carmen was planning. There was less than two minutes. “Absolutely not. You are coming with me.”
“We need to find Grace.” She shoved the gun into the waistband of her jeans, crossing her arms, her eyes wild with concern.
