Inferno (SKALS) Read online

“Believe me, sweetheart, that is the last place in this world I would want to be.”

  “I know that,” she said, peeking up at him to meet his steady gaze. “But do they?”

  Frowning, he shrugged. Probably not, but taking Marx out seemed to be the only option left anymore and that task wouldn’t be easy. The commander seldom left headquarters, and there wasn’t a moment that passed anymore when the pompous prick didn’t have security close by his side. He knew he was pushing buttons and testing boundaries. He knew other agencies were looking on, watching, just waiting for him to make a mistake so they could take him down and skewer his head on a stick.

  The mere visual of which made him smile.

  Blowing out a heavy breath, Sebastian wondered how many of his teammates would back him. With new recruits streaming in almost daily now, the odds were no longer tipped in his favor. Or were they?

  He thought about the man who’d tried to recruit him so many years ago. Life could have been so different, so much easier and less complicated if he had taken that path and stayed planted in the FBI. It was a stretch, but he might have even turned out to be a semi-decent human being. He shook his head, scattering the wistful notions. No. Like it or not, something inside him needed the violence and release SKALS offered. Despite what Taylor wanted to believe that seething darkness was a large part of who he was. He would never be ‘normal’ or fit into the neat little boxes and perimeters of society. He’d never be considered socially acceptable or sane—just an ugly little necessity that was best kept secret.

  It was too late to turn back. But maybe it wasn’t too late to move forward. Jack had been looking for assurances last night. He was fishing, hoping for some confirmation on where they might stand. Perhaps it was time to give the Feds what they were looking for. His hands were tied, but theirs were free. It was a risky maneuver, a shaky gamble at best, but it was all he had. With any luck at all, they would play along. He needed Marx out of the picture. He needed the bastard dead.

  He turned his attention back to Taylor. Her eyes met his and a renewed wave of determination swept through him as he covered her stomach with his hand.

  “Thank you for standing up to him tonight,” she said. “For keeping us safe.”

  His lips curled into a pensive smile before he kissed the top of her head. “You don’t have to thank me, baby. I will always do whatever it takes to be with you and keep you safe. Always. I’ve spent a lifetime waiting for this,” he said, stroking reverent fingertips across her belly, “and I refuse to let anything take it away.”

  “So with love comes the death of duty?” she asked, quoting the most recent show they’d seen.

  Smiling into her hair, Sebastian shook his head. “No. Duty never dies, Taylor. It’s only a man’s perspective that changes.”

  Cuddling closer, she trailed a finger over the hard swell of his chest. Her attention seemed glued on the tarnished silver skull and crossbones pin secured on his lapel. “Wise words, but I doubt Marx will see it that way.”

  He shrugged and let his head fall back to rest against the couch again. “I don’t care what he thinks. I’ve warned him to steer clear of my family. I’m loyal to my country, my organization, and my men. That is where my duty and service lie. Not with him.”

  She winced at the harshness overtaking his voice, but he couldn’t help it. Just thinking about the man and the hell he was putting them through was enough to make his blood boil. One day, he was going to take great pleasure in hearing Marx scream, but not today.

  Glancing down, he watched Taylor’s fingers dance across his belt buckle. Though her head was lowered, there was no missing the mischievous smile playing on her lips.

  “What are you doing?” he asked.

  “Reminding you of your other duties, Special Agent Baas.”

  “I see,” he stated slowly. “And just what would those be?”

  “Using that incredible body of yours to pleasure me.”

  He blinked, thrown a bit by her forwardness. It wasn’t like her to be so outright and bold. Unable to help it, he laughed, shaking his head as her words had their desired effect and his cock twitched beneath the seam of his pants.

  “Is that so?” he asked, hooking a finger beneath her chin.

  “Mmmhmm. You have a new assignment tonight and you, sir, are already slacking. I might just have to start this mission without you.”

  A low growl rumbled through him. “Don’t you dare,” he warned, dragging her up over him to straddle his lap. “I accept the challenge. Now lose the clothes. I’m going in.”

  ~*~*~*~

  Taylor had just finished stacking the last of the breakfast dishes and swiping her hands dry on her hips by the time Sebastian descended from his morning shower. He looked as dapper as ever dressed in his uniform fatigues, his golden curls still damp and a dark glistening auburn in the sun. Adjusting his pins, his gaze tracked her movements as he regarded her with a bemused expression.

  “We have towels for that you know.”

  “I know.”

  Nodding, he prowled closer. His hands spanned her waist and tugged her forward until her body pressed flush against his. “If you want to be wet, baby, all you have to do is ask. I can think of much better ways to accomplish that.”

  “I’m sure you can, but I’m still reeling from two rounds last night. Have I mentioned you are impossibly horny lately?” she asked, biting back a moan as he ground against her with a tantalizing roll of his hips.

  “Not that I recall, but I’m inclined to agree. This constant ache has been making me quite miserable.”

  His hold tightened and Taylor squirmed as his lips worked their magic against the side of her neck. “I swear to God, Sebastian. If you don’t let up our kid is going to come out with a dented forehead.”

  He laughed, his body shaking against hers in quiet amusement. “I find that highly unlikely.”

  “Is that really a chance you’re willing to take?”

  “When it comes to you?” he asked, plying her skin once again with hungry kisses. “Absolutely.”

  Her eyes drifted shut as he slid a hand between them to cradle the tender swell of her breast. The other eased beneath the hem of her nightshirt. Surging forward, Sebastian claimed her mouth in a hungry press, his long fingers cupping and stroking her mound. The thin fabric did little to shield her body from his skillful coaxing. Winding her arms around his neck, she returned his kiss with equal fervor. Groaning low in his throat, Sebastian pinned her against the counter, his tongue teasing hers in a light sweep. He still tasted like syrup and the deliciously intoxicating flavor that was his and his alone.

  Unable to help herself, she fumbled desperately with the button on his pants. The instant it popped it free, Sebastian caught her hands and rapidly backed her into the hall between the half bath and laundry room. Shielded from the view of their security team, he let his pants fall. Undoing the buttons on his shirt, he shrugged out of it, making the corded muscles in his arms ripple and play.

  Holding his gaze, Taylor hitched her thumbs in the elastic band of his black briefs and eased them down the corded muscles of his thighs. His breathing faltered when she sank to her knees and wrapped her hand around the base of his cock. Long and powerful, it jumped in her grasp, jutting in a proud line up past his navel. The momentary sense of control, seeing, feeling the effect she had on him was as powerful an aphrodisiac as any.

  Leaning forward, she trailed her tongue up the underside of his shaft before tracing the velvety ridge. Sebastian fisted her hair, the lean lines of his body trembling with anticipation and need. His fingers sank deeper as she slowly drew him into her mouth. His free hand slapped against the wall behind him in a bid for support. The other remained locked in her tresses, guiding her efforts and setting the pace. Closing her eyes, she hollowed her cheeks and focused on taking him deeper. Her own body ached in response, the throb between her legs nearly unbearable, as his touch and the familiar scent of his skin wove through her senses. Each slow plunge felt
like a ghostly torment inside her.

  Unable to help herself, she reached down between her thighs, hoping to pantomime the glide of her tongue along his shaft. A low growl rumbled through Sebastian and she gasped as he wrenched her head back so hard he slid from her mouth with an audible.

  “No,” he warned, the word coming in ragged pant. “Don’t. No one gets to make you come but me.”

  She stared at him, trying to comprehend the words while mourning the loss of his body.

  “Get up here, Taylor. Now.”

  She wasn’t sure how to respond. She didn’t need to. Sebastian hauled her up and drove her against the wall. Pinned, she struggled to catch her breath but only managed a winded cry as he drove his thick length inside her with a powerful lunge of his hips. Her nails bit into his back as he ground deeper, impaling her until her body bordered on delicious pain. He dragged her thighs up higher, opening her up even more. His piercing sage eyes locked with hers as he pulled back, nearly withdrawing. A frantic plea fell from her lips, and she tightened her grip. Smirking, he eased his cock back in with a teasing swirl. In and out. Slow. Steady, he managed t0 keep release just out of reach.

  Her body tightened. Need became so intense it hurt. She fought, but he gave her no quarter.

  “Sebastian. Please. I can’t take this.”

  A lazy swirl ground against her sweet spot, bringing her closer, but left her aching on the brink of madness.

  “Suffer,” he breathed, biting down gently on her earlobe. “I want you to feel what you do to me. I want you to know the same ache I feel whenever I think about you.”

  Switching gears, he began pumping into with slow, shallow thrusts that left her even more bereft. Moaning into the warm juncture where his shoulder met his neck, she fought the urge to rake furrows into his skin or pull his hair in an effort to gain more. Wrapping her legs tighter, she rocked against him as best as she could.

  “Mmm,” he groaned, picking up the pace. “You feel so good, baby. So hot, so tight it makes me crazy.”

  His mouth sealed against hers in a bruising claim. Sharp stubble pierced her skin like a thousand fiery needles, but she didn’t care. She sucked the soft swell of his lower lip between her teeth, nipping it gently as Sebastian pumped deeper. His hold tightened and she almost wept with relief as his thrusts became faster and almost frantic. Something rattled on the other side of them in the bathroom. The sound of splintering glass filled the air. One knee buckled slightly beneath him as he shifted position and his damp palm skidded against the wall.

  “Hold on to me,” he snarled.

  Taylor cried out as he pounded into her, his heavy cock pistoning without mercy. Pleasure and pain melded into one. Her entire body contracted around him, squeezing, as the devastating explosion of her orgasm hit. Her fingers bit deep enough to bruise as the exquisite bliss ripped through her, rendering her helpless. Sebastian’s husky roar echoed through the house as he drove into her again and stilled with a violent shudder.

  Chest heaving, he slowly slid down to the floor, pulling her with him. With their bodies still joined, he rested his forehead against hers as they tried to slow their hearts and catch their breath. Reaching up, he trailed his fingers over her cheeks and brushed the sweaty strands of hair away from her face.

  “Why do you do this to me?” he asked quietly. “I’m going to be late.”

  “That’s not my fault. You started this.”

  “Yes it is,” he argued. “You turn me inside out, Taylor. It doesn’t matter what I say or what I do. I can never get enough. Every minute I spend away from you drives me crazy.”

  “I don’t know if that’s a bad thing. I feel the same way. Whenever you are gone, a huge part of me is missing. I count the minutes, the hours…but the times when I have to count the days…those are the worst. I don’t think I could bear it if he locks you down today.”

  Wresting his eyes from hers, he lowered his head and nodded. “I won’t let that happen. I don’t know if Marx will ever come around, but I am tired of waiting, Taylor. I want to do right by you and the baby. I want us to get married before our child is born. You deserve that much and I want it…so bad.”

  “Seb, listen,” she said, twining her fingers through his. “I know you love me. I know you aren’t going anywhere, and there is nothing in this world that could ever drag me away from you. As nice as it would be, we don’t need a piece of paper to promise each other those things. Not if it’s going to cause trouble for you or your family. You have my heart, Sebby. You’re always going to have it.”

  Closing his eyes, he sighed and settled his forehead against hers again. “I know, baby, but that’s not the point.”

  “You’re worrying about nothing,” she reassured him, stroking her hands over the top of his damp curls. “We’ll have our wedding when the time is right. It’s not a problem and you aren’t disappointing me. We still have each other, and you have much bigger things to contend with right now. Focus on those.”

  Sebastian shrugged. “I want to take care of my family, Taylor. That is what’s most important to me.”

  “You already do, Seb. You do whatever it takes.”

  “How the hell do you always manage to have so much faith?” he asked.

  She kissed the hollow of his throat before lifting her gaze to meet his. “What else is there? Life is scary enough without convincing yourself that nothing is ever going to go your way. Besides, if we sit around always expecting the worst to happen, who’s to say we don’t manifest that?”

  His eyebrows lifted, making his forehead crease and he snorted in amusement. “Is this some New Age life sunshine and rainbows regime? Have you been conspiring with Monique?”

  Sighing, she gave an exasperated roll of her eyes and shifted into a more comfortable position. “No. It’s just a different school of thought. It couldn’t hurt anything, right?”

  “Besides my reputation? Maybe not,” he countered with a humored smirk. “But you are sadly mistaken if you think our son is going to have some frou-frou Earth child name.”

  Laughing, she batted his chest and leveled him with a playful look. “Who says it’s going to be a boy?”

  “I do,” he said bumping his forehead against hers. He grinned as he traced the outline of her navel. “I can feel it,” he murmured, “We’re going to have a son, Taylor. A beautiful, healthy, vibrant little boy and he is going to be the center of our entire world.”

  She smiled and kissed the tip of his nose. “I see. And what if this baby comes out with missing parts and ends up being a girl?”

  “I suggest you keep it inside you until it’s done.”

  Bursting into laughter at his deadpan expression, she nudged him hard enough to make them both tilt. “Sebastian!”

  “I’m kidding,” he said, laughing as he righted their position. “I will love it regardless, baby. I would be just as thrilled with a little girl to dote on and spoil. All that matters is that we are together and our child is healthy and happy. They will never go through the things we did, Taylor. Our little one will grow up feeling loved and safe. They will never have to know the pain or fears we did growing up,” he said, twining his fingers through hers and kissing the top of her hand. “They’re going to have a great life.”

  “I’m so glad to hear you say that, Sebastian,” she whispered. “I love you, but I would never let you hurt them.”

  He mulled that over for a long moment. His expression hardened some, but he lowered his head with a conceding nod. “I remember all too well what it was like to have my father towering over me. I respected him, Taylor, but I feared and hated him more than I ever loved him. I don’t want our kids to feel that.” Sighing, he glanced up at the ceiling and let his head fall back to rest against the wall. “I see no reason why a timeout or a stern lecture wouldn’t set them on the right path should they ever stray. It seemed to work well with the boys and Mia. I never once had to raise my voice no matter what the circumstances.”

  Relieved, she buried her nose
against the fragrant warmth of his skin and did her best to contain her smile. “I’ve always found the pain of disappointing someone you love is worse than any punishment.”

  “Is it now?” he asked, raising a brow.

  “For the most part,” she admitted. “But if time outs and lectures didn’t work, you could always give them your thousand-yard death glare. That would definitely do the trick. That look alone is enough to put the fear of God into anyone.”

  Giving a quiet laugh, he squeezed her against his side and kissed the top of her head. “Thanks. I think.” His grin faded. Frowning, he tilted his head and seemed to contemplate her words. “Do you trust me, Taylor? Do you believe I will do right by our kids?”

  “Of course I do. I needed to hear it, but I see the love and sincerity in your eyes whenever you think about them, Seb. I’ve seen how you were with Christian and Mia. I know you would have died to protect them.”

  He lowered his head, but not before she saw a staggering amount of shame and grief lance across his handsome face. His swallow sounded harsh and strained in the continued silence of their room. “I would have done anything to take Christian’s place.”

  “I know, baby. I know,” she whispered, wrapping her arms around his neck. Letting her lids drift shut, she begged whoever might be listening to help ease his inner turmoil, to smother the painful whispers of the past that continually echoed in his head, even if only for one night. He’d been through so much torment, so much pain. Kissing his temple, she prayed he would be able to find a mere moment’s peace.

  “I love you,” he murmured. “So much, Taylor. So damn much.”

  “I love you, too, Sebby. You’re going to make a wonderful father.”

  A sad smile plied the corners of his mouth as he threaded his fingers through her hair. It was filled with doubt, reservations that cut and wounded her soul. It was a lofty expectation, but one he wanted so badly to live up to and own. The desire to overcome the inner darkness was there, the need so deep and volatile it burned in his eyes. He closed them, shutting her out from seeing the emotions that wound through him. She wondered if their love would be enough to save them, if they would ever be able to escape the damning echoes of SKALS and their past.