Sinister Kisses (SKALS #1) (2 page)

Sebastian sighed and shrugged. “
Men with no regard for innocent lives. We tried doing things the nice way. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work out that way.”

“I’m sorry,” she muttered, unsure of what else to say. 

“It’s a job.” His face lit with a tired smile. “What about you? Can I help you find your cousin or walk you back to your car?”

“No. No thanks. I think I’v
e caused enough problems for one day,” she said with a nervous laugh. “Thank you for what you did for me, though. I really thought I was a dead woman.”

“You would have been.”

Taylor shuddered and wrapped her arms around her slender body, hugging herself in an attempt to shake the sobering chill of his words.

“I’m not always such a bad
guy, you know.”

She glanced up again, her mouth falling open in protest. Taylor nibbled her lip in confusion when Sebastian gave a quiet chuckle and a boyish grin split his face
, highlighting the deep creases and dimples on either side of his smile.

“You don’t believe me?” he asked, lifting a tawny brow. “I’ll prove it to you then. Let me take you to dinner.”

Was he serious? Frowning, Taylor took an uncertain step back. She prayed her usual grace didn’t come into play. The last thing she needed was to trip on some upturned stick or jutting root. Her mind was still reeling, and her body trembled from the raw jolt of adrenaline and fear that had ravaged her for the past fifteen minutes. Was that how they intended to watch? Was this some good cop bad cop routine, or a prelude to another shock and awe? Her eyes darted to the gleaming silver pistol holstered at his hip.

“I—I don’t think that’s such a good idea,” she stammered.

His head cocked to the side and she squirmed in place as he studied her, a small smile still dangling from the corner of his lips.

“Come on,” he urged. “It’s the least I can do to make some of this up to you. I won’t bite. Tell you
what; you can even name the time and the place. I’ll be there.”

Taylor blew out a long breath and raked her fingers though her tangled brown hair. She had to give him credit. The man was nothing if not persistent…and persuasive. His stare was numbing
, hypnotic. Even though her hands still shook, and she was certain she still had blood splattered on her cheek, Taylor felt herself cave.

“Fine. Seven o’clock Friday at Cervillo’s.”

His face spread into a slow smile, and he winked. “Make it five and it’s a date.”

Twisting, Taylor turned in front of the mirror and inspected her profile. Her shoulders slumped with a small sigh and she tugged the decorative pin from her hair. Behind her, Bryce laughed, dropping against her pillows. A mound of discarded and rumpled clothes lay piled around him on the bed in a testament of her indecision. Their gazes met briefly in the glass as she shook out her long locks and attempted to finger comb her chestnut hair back into place. What the hell did one wear to dinner with an uber scary sexy Special Forces type with killer eyes and an even deadlier partner? She sighed, struggling to remember why she’d said yes.

“Because you really didn’t have a choice,” she muttered to herself.

“Jesus, Tay! You look fine. Just pick something and go already. You’re gonna be late.”

She stuck her tongue out at her cousin.

“Who is this guy anyway?”

“I don’t know, silly. That’s kind of the purpose of hanging out with someone isn’t it?”

“Hanging out? It’s dinner, Tay. Sounds like a date to me.”

She ducked as
Bryce chucked a pillow her way.

“You met him in the woods, didn’t you?”

A small frown creased her face. Pouting, she shook her head and tucked her hair behind her ears. This time, she avoided meeting her cousin’s reflection.

“What happened back there anyhow? It’s been a week and you still won’t say shit.”

“Nothing happened,” she insisted. “I told you, I was running and I tripped. I must have cut my cheek or something.”

“Yeah.
Kind of funny how that worked. You took a shower and the blood was gone, but there was no cut. Fess up, you were back there skinning rabbits or something, weren’t ya?”

Taylor smiled and shook her head. After shooing Bryce from the room, her thoughts returned to that day once again. Sebastian’s
pale shamrock eyes had been an amazing combination of cajoling and commanding. There was a raw power that rolled off the guy. Everything about him had been terrifying and mesmerizing in the same breath.

Sh
e peeled out of the mini-skirt and added it to the cast-off pile. Somehow, under his greasepaint and body armor, she’d gotten a hint of sophistication. Her brow furrowed and she flipped through her clothes, yanking a black tank dress from the recesses of the closet. She pulled it over her head and smoothed it down over her curves. The dress stopped just short of her knees. It was sexy, safe, and comfortable. Her stiletto boots would give it a chic look. Throwing on a couple long necklaces and a bangle, she grabbed her purse and headed for the door before she changed her mind.

Cranking her
battered Dakota into the parking lot at Cervillo’s, she wheeled around back where the beast wouldn’t roll away and take out anything valuable. Both the park and the emergency brake were suspect. She’d get around to having them fixed one day, but until then, it was better to play it safe than sorry. Flipping down the visor, she checked her makeup and her teeth one last time. It was as good as it was going to get. Her stomach lurched as she took a deep breath and slid out of the truck. There was no point in locking the doors. Smoothing the form hugging knit over her curves, she scanned the parking lot and headed for the restaurant.

A small scream bubbled from her lips as a hand s
hot out of nowhere and covered her eyes. Hard, lean muscles pressed against her back and she shuddered as warm breath fell against her ear.

“Shh. It’s all right.
It’s just me.”

The soft, silken voice ra
ng a bell, as did the low chuckle. Taylor slumped with relief and then glared as Sebastian released her and approached her side.

“You almost scared me to death!” she scolded, her eyes wide.

His smile was endearing, but unrepentant. “I’m sorry, Miss McAvay, but I was only trying to prove a point.”

“What
point would that be?” Taylor asked. “That you can materialize out of thin air?”

Sebastian threw his head back with a quiet laugh. His
sage eyes sparkled beneath the hazy, yellow glow of the parking lot lights. “I’m no Houdini. But you…” he lifted her hand and pressed the back against his lips. “You are stunning. You really need to stop putting yourself in dangerous situations. I might not always be there to protect you,” he teased.

“Meaning?” she asked.

“Meaning you really should at least carry mace. And next time, throw an elbow.”

Taylor stare
d at him for a long moment and gave a small shake of her head. “I’m not as unarmed as you might think.”

Sebastian smirked, one of his dark golden brows lif
ting in question. “Is that so?”

“Yes, sir. You were about two seconds away from
getting your toes crushed by my killer heels,” she said, lifting a booted foot and turning it slightly for his appraisal.

She didn’t miss the gleam of approval in his gaze, or the lopsided tilt of his mouth. Both made her chest swell with a sense of accomplishment and pride. Turning her head, she studied him. He seemed even younger and almost innocent beneath the sulfuric lights and silver slant of the moon. Gone was the cold, hard look she’d remembered, and even his
dark sandy curls had been tamed into submission. It was hard to believe this was the same man she’d encountered in the woods. A casual black hoodie and snug Henley shirt had replaced the menacing body armor. Whatever cologne he was wearing smelled wonderful. It was sensual and delicious with an undercurrent of warm chocolate and fire.

She
almost sighed with pleasure when he pressed closer and the heat from his hand settled against her back. Taylor mumbled quiet thanks and ducked her head to hide her blush as he pulled the restaurant doors open and ushered her inside. She tried to think back to the last time one of her dates had held open any doors and fell miserably short. The gesture was so simple and sweet, yet completely foreign. Taylor bit back a giggle. She supposed that was what you got when you hung around people who thought chugging beer and belching their names was a form of art.

They sat tucked away in a cozy corner booth a few minutes later, waiting for their drinks to arrive.
Sebastian studied the menu, his expression studious and intent. Taylor watched him flip back through the pages and squirmed in her seat.

“If you don’t like it, we can go somewhere else,” she offered.

He glanced up with a startled look. “No, it’s fine. I like downhome cooking.”

She nodded and picked at the edge of her napkin. “I just picked here because it’s local. It might be a mom and pop establishment, but their food is pretty good and it’s cheap.”

He smiled and closed his menu. Laying it on the table, his intense stare locked with hers. “I wasn’t worried about the price.”

“Right,” she mumbled awkwardly. “You must make pretty good money with your job.” Pausing, she turned her attention to the cardboard coasters on the table. “What is it that you do? Are you like SWAT or BATF?”

“Not exactly,” he said. He leaned back in the booth beside her, his head lolling back to rest against the padded leather as he looked her way. “For all intents and purposes, I work for the FBI.”

“A Fed, huh?” she asked with a grin.

“More covert,” Sebastian said, returning her smile with a lazy one of his own. “It’s more like a special tactical force, and that’s all I can say.”

Taylor sighed, fighting to cover the small frown of disappointment that threatened her features. It wasn’t exactly the answer she’d expected, let alone been hoping for. If anything, it left her feeling even more curious and subdued.
What kind of special tactical force? Images of the bloodied and broken bodies in the woods flashed though her mind unbidden. She tamped down a shiver. Her gaze darted to his hip, then back to the plush shield of his coat. Was he packing now? The thought chilled her. Cramped together in the tiny booth, he could pull out a gun, press it against her side, and no one would be any the wiser.

She
slumped with relief when the waitress interrupted by showing up with their drinks. Sebastian’s head jerked up as the busty redhead leaned across the table with a loud snap of her gum. He forced a cool smile when she straightened and asked for their orders. Taylor bit the inside of her cheek to keep from giggling. The poor guy was so far out of his element that even Gina was a culture shock. It was a good thing she hadn’t suggested Chubby’s. The run down bar and grill had the best cheeseburgers around, but the dilapidated interior and surly crowd probably would have given him a nervous rash. That was if the menu didn’t get to him first.

“You don’t venture to this side of town too often, do you?” she asked after they’d placed their orders.

He took a drink of his sweet tea and shrugged. “I don’t venture anywhere too often. Why, is it that obvious?”

“I’m afraid so,” she admitted with a laugh. Leaning against the table, she peered over her shoulder at him. “So what are you doing here with a girl like me?”

“A girl like you,” Sebastian repeated. “The better question would be what a girl like you is doing here, Taylor.”

“I was born here.”

Her breath caught as his eyes bore into hers for a long moment. She wondered if he could hear the forceful hammer of her heart.

“That may be so, but this isn’t you,” he said softly.

Taylor’s brow twisted with confusion. “You don’t know anything about me.”

“I know that you graduated at the top of your class, but you’re stuck putting in long hours in some sleazy truck stop dive. You love cats. That battered truck out back is your third vehicle since you turned sixteen because you can’t drive worth a shit in the snow and you like to speed. Your best friend, Page, died two years ago from leukemia. You moved out of your Uncle Roy’s house last spring and have
supported yourself ever since. No felonies, and despite the company you keep, you are not a heavy drinker. In fact, you’re a bit of a lightweight.” He winked. “Should I keep going?”

She blinked several times, trying to shake the numbness. When she finally did, all she could do was laugh and
hang her head. “Okay, maybe you do know a little. But that hardly seems fair. You seem to know everything about me, and I don’t know anything about you.”

Sebastian brushed a wayward strand of hair off her cheek. His gaze was probing, but his expression was gentle and sincere. “Ask me anything. What do you want to know?”

“Well, you can’t talk about work…”

“No, Taylor. I can’t. I’m sorry. Ask me anything else and the answer is yours.”

“Will you ever tell me?”

“Maybe someday,”
he said, “but not tonight.”