Edge of Obsession (SKALS #3) (11 page)

“Dear God,” he murmured. “Are you trying to kill me, Taylor?”

She stifled a laugh. “No, Sebby. Far from.”

He trailed his fingers across the silky strips spanning her back. “I don’t believe you,” he whispered.
“You have no idea the things I am going to do to you later.”

The throb building between her legs became unbearable. She wriggled in place, trying to alleviate some of her discomfort. Sebastian straightened, pulling away from her
with a hard look. His eyes locked with hers as he rounded the table.

“Sit,” he ordered.

“Am I in trouble?” she asked, taking her seat.

One corner of his mouth twitched. “I would say so, darling.”

“Does that mean you don’t like it?” She relaxed upon hearing his quiet laugh.

“Quite the opposite, Taylor. If you weren’t so hungry, I would show you just how much the sight of you appeals to me.”

“I wouldn’t complain,” she teased.

“Mmm. No you wouldn’t, darling. But
you would be eating your dinner quite sore and naked. Is that what you would prefer?”

S
he tried to hide her smile and shook her head. “No, sir.”

He nodded with a knowing wink. “Eat.”

Sebastian didn’t bother waiting until she’d cleared the table. He’d eaten a light dinner, much more content to sip his wine and watch her than anything else. The moment her fork hit her plate, he was out of his chair. She marveled at his lightning quick reflexes as he hauled her out of her seat and spun her around. Her chest and cheek collided with the wall in a forceful press. Pinning her with his weight, he grabbed one of her arms and pulled it behind her back. A slight tremble of apprehension raced down her spine as his breath fell against her skin. The heat served as a subtle reminder of what could happen when someone played with fire.

Long, powerful
fingers splayed across her back, sliding all the way up to the base of her neck to spear through her sable locks. His hand closed without warning. Using his newfound hold, Sebastian hauled her head back, wringing a gasp from her lips as he forced the slender column of her neck to bow.

His body flattened against hers, his
erection hard and unyielding as he rocked against her. Gooseflesh erupted as his hand settled across her throat and his deep growl wound through her.

“
You are mine. Every inch of you belongs to me, and tonight I am going to remind you of that in ways you never imagined. Do you give yourself to me, Taylor? Do you want to submit?”

“
Oh yes, Sebastian…please.” Her words came in a breathless pant.

“Mmm. Go
od girl,” he whispered.

He moved behind her and t
he soft rustle of clothing filled her ears, but it wasn’t his naked body that followed. It was the unexpectedly cool touch of silk as it wound around her wrist and cinched tight. Reaching around, he jerked her other hand back and bound it as well. There was a roughness and determination in his actions that scared her.

“Seb?”

“No talking. You claim you want me to take you, Taylor. Now you’re going to give yourself to me completely and without question.”

The hard muscle
of his thigh wedged between hers, keeping her pinned in place as he rummaged once again. This time, she dared a peek. Fear mingled with curiosity as he drew another silk tie from his pocket. Wordlessly, he wrapped it around her head and covered her eyes, casting her into blindness. She stumbled as he used the ties to pull her off the wall. His strong hands steadied her, guiding her as he led the way out of the dining room. Smooth wood gave way to the rougher stone floor of the foyer beneath her bare feet. Then plush carpeting sank beneath her toes, letting her know they were in the living room.

Pressing
on her shoulders, Sebastian forced her onto the edge of a couch cushion. Every little sound seemed amplified a million times over as her ears strained in an attempt to track his movements. Excitement rushed through her listening to him shed his clothes with a grunt of impatience. She frowned in confusion as the whisper of his feet against the carpet retreated, signaling his departure. Music drifted through the room and the sensual, haunting notes of
Sigur Rós’ Untitled 7
washed over her. The CD was a favorite of his and often played in their bedroom. Seconds stretched into an endless eternity as she held her breath and waited for a sign from her lover.

An unexpected shift of movement to her left startled her, wringing a surprised cry from her lips. Sebastian’s slow
chuckle was music to her ears.

“
Looking for someone?”

Any answer she had died as his fingers locked in her hair and drew her forward with a sharp jerk. The woodsy smell of his soap filled her nose, along with the
dark, sensual aroma that was his and his alone. Desire lanced her as the velvety tip of his cock traced her lips, demanding entrance.

“Open,” he ordered.

Obeying, she drew him in deep, wringing a sharp inhale from her lover. The experience was completely different with her hands bound. Any semblance of control she had was gone. She was entirely at Sebastian’s mercy as he used the hold on her hair to guide her. She braced herself, fully expecting to gag, but he kept the pace slow and the drive of his hips steady.

“Good girl,” he
whispered, his blunt fingertips rubbing her scalp in praise.

Warm bliss spiraled through her
. Relaxing completely, she surrendered herself to the experience. There was love and there was trust. His uneven breaths and groans of pleasure were a soothing balm to her soul. All she could hear, all she could smell, all she could feel was Sebastian and the power he held. He was the only thing that existed. Pleasing him was all that mattered. She almost wept with frustration when he pulled free of her mouth with an audible plop.

A firm grip hauled her
to her feet. Her senses spun, and her body still mourned the loss of his as Sebastian led her to the far end of the room. A small quiver of anticipation wracked her as he lifted her up. She felt for him, but he stayed out of reach, the warm fan of his breath the only touch he gave. Frowning, Taylor shifted against the cool press of wood beneath her butt. She explored her surroundings, her curiosity heightening as her fingers danced over the soft stretch of felt behind her.

She cried out with a combination of shock and pain as
Sebastian tugged the lacy scrap between her thighs and gave it a sharp wrench. The thin fabric abraded her skin, before giving way. The sound of rending fabric filled her ears as the matching demi cups followed suit and her breasts spilled free. Sebastian tore the rest away with equal impatience, the onslaught as frightening as it was frustrating.

“
Dammit, Sebby!”

Taylor
could almost feel his gaze fly up from the tattered remains of his handiwork to bore into her. The weight was inescapable. Though unseen, it was heavy enough to steal her breath. Her heartbeat drummed a little faster as she realized her mistake. Both of them.

“You
are treading a very fine line, darling,” he whispered against her ear, making her jump. “You belong to me, and I will do as I please. That includes ripping away whatever obstacles you chose to place before me. The decision is yours, but I would much rather it be cries of pleasure I wring from your lips tonight.”

A low moan escaped her as he kissed a path across her jaw. One hand settled over her throat
in a reminder of his control. The other pinched a nipple into a stiff peak and twisted as he claimed her lips with a maddening tenderness. She found herself rocking helplessly against the pool table in an attempt to find friction until his strong hands snared her hips and tugged them to the edge. She struggled to keep her balance. Madness threatened as he rubbed his cock along her slit, slicking the way. His finger traced the rim of her clit, but never touched the desperate nub.

She thrashed her head in pleading, her lips following suit. Sebastian paused above her. Gripping her thighs, he opened her to him even more, and h
er lofty cry filled the room when he finally thrust inside her. He plunged slowly at first, only teasing her with the promise of things to come.

He kept her bordering on the brink forever.
Just when she thought she couldn’t take any more of the deep, languid tempo, his hands spanned her hipbones, his grip bruising as he picked up the pace. The sharp slap of flesh echoed around them along with Sebastian’s menacing growls of satisfaction as he drove into her. He claimed her with wild, animalistic hunger, his long, thick length stabbing fast and true. Pleasure mingled with the most delicious pain, both driving her closer and closer to the edge.

She wanted nothing more than to see the bliss carving his handsome face
. To be robbed of it was torture. She tried to imagine it, but a sharp yank to her hair wrested her from her fantasies and jerked her back to the present. His voice came in a guttural command against her ear.

“Come for me.
”

One hand left her hip and
he ground the pad of his thumb against her clit in a forceful swirl. Taylor tumbled against the table, her back arching as she pressed into the rhythmic roll of his thumb and the heavy drive of his cock. The urgent plea in her throat turned into one of keening desperation. Her body stiffened, snapping off the table as wave after wave of pleasure battered her. She was drowning. Drowning in herself and drowning in him. Colors exploded behind her eyes and all traces of air fled her lungs as Sebastian fucked her even harder. His thumb never stopped its merciless administrations and her shell-shocked system refused to switch off. Release kept coming, throb after throb, until her voice was hoarse from her sobs.

Slamming into her a final time,
Sebastian stilled and shuddered with a triumphant roar. He kissed the side of her face as his nimble fingers worked to pull the blindfold free. It took a few seconds for her vision to adjust. By the time she could decipher shapes, Sebastian had already untied her hands. She winced as he rubbed them between his and the blood came rushing back in a surge of pins and needles.

Still sweaty and flushed,
he donned a lopsided grin. “You weren’t supposed to lay on them, baby.”

“I didn’t know. I cou--I couldn’t help it.” Blinking, she tried to get the room to stop spinning and some of the
cloudy haze still blanketing the room.

Sebastian scooped her off the ledge of the pool table and eased her onto the plush cushions of the chaise lounge. She glanced up, searching his face
, as he smoothed the damp hair off her forehead.

“I’
ll clear the dining room and put things away. Stay here. You’re going to need all the energy you can get. I’m far from finished with you,” he warned.

She couldn’t contain her tired smile.
“You have an insatiable appetite, Sebby. It’s a wonder I can still walk most days.”

His husky laughter rolled through the room. “That I do, baby. You have no one to blame but yourself though,” he mused, tracing the
ridge of her bottom lip. “I was never like this until I met you. I could always take women or leave them. But you I can never get enough of. I can never get my fill.”

“
You fill me plenty, Special Agent Baas. Plenty and then some.”

He
chortled under his breath and rocked to his feet. “Silly girl. Enjoy the break. I expect you ready again and waiting for me when I return.”

CHAPTER
6 ~

Moonlight spilled through the windows, bathing the study in a soft, silvery glow. Reluctance
lined his forehead as Sebastian turned the flash drive in his fingers. He’d worn himself out earlier, but even the exhausting extent of their lovemaking had not been enough to lure him to sleep. Rest remained elusive. A taunting beast. His heart felt heavy as the cycle of the past continued to plague him. There had been a time when he’d believed the years of service and dedication he’d poured into SKALS had counted for something in Marx’s eyes. Now, he was no longer sure.

Growling beneath his breath, he flipped his laptop open and downed the rest of his
scotch as he waited for the system to fire. A few seconds later, he jammed the key into the USB slot and braced himself. Josh was right. Some things he didn’t need to see, but as true as that was, he needed answers. Answers only the flash drive could give.

His stomach
knotted as he watched the first of the blinding explosions detonate in his yard and Laychee’s men descend on his former security team in a shadowy horde. Gunfire ensued—most of it one sided due to the staggering effects of the flash bangs and, within a matter of seconds, the bastards engulfed his home. Bile rose, scalding his throat as the footage cut to the inside of the house and he watched Taylor try to scramble for safety. The only comfort he had was the pride he felt watching her fight back.

Even that dimmed beneath the crippling bite of anguish
. As brave as she’d been, as hard as she’d tried, it hadn’t been enough. None of it had. Not his promises. Not the security. Not her fighting with every ounce of strength she had.