Seb wrapped his arms around me and pulled me toward him in a tight embrace. I buried my head into his chest and let his warmth wash over me as I nuzzled into him.
“Have you told your brothers any of this?” His voice was still strained from his restraint.
“No.” I shook my head as best as I could pressed as I was against his chest. “Luke knows that I was in a bad relationship, but that’s it. I’ve never told anyone.”
He nodded, his large palm caressing my hair as I felt him choke down a rough swallow. We sat like that for a while, neither of us willing to pull apart. I had no idea who was comforting whom at this point; all I knew was that we needed each other. After a long while, Seb spoke. “You have a knack for telling me big, important things right after we sleep together. First, you tell me you were a virginafterwe have sex. Now, you tell me all the shit you’ve been through in the last year. What’s it going to be next, little wild?”
I laughed, and it was exactly what I needed. “Just keeping you on your toes.”
“I’ll say,” he chuckled.
As much as it hurt to relive the poor decisions I’d made, it felt good to put it out there. And it felt even better to be wrapped up in Sebastian Devereux when I was done with my story, holding me tight and telling me I was worthy.
21
Sebastian
After spending all day in bed with Lydia, and all night, I was dragging ass at work on Monday. Lydia’s story was at the forefront of my mind. I had never felt the level of rage that pulsed through me as she was describing the incidents, the abuse she’d dealt with at the hands of her ex.
But at least the rage made sense. It was the other emotions that she stirred up that had me baffled.
I was into Lydia. I had been when I was twenty, and then again every time I ran into her on one of her rare trips home. But it wasn’t just attraction or lust that settled in my chest. I was falling for her. Wholly and deeply.
I wanted to take things slow, which was damn near impossible, considering we were already living together. But I didn’t want my feelings for her to pressure her into thinking she needed to feel the same. I also didn’t want anything to come between us or my friendship with Luke. It wasn’t necessarily his business, but I had this urge to confess to him, like if I said it out loud that would make it real. I didn’t stop to think through my reasons, just shooting a text off to him instead.
Me: If you have time today, stop by the shop. I want to talk to you.
Luke responded a minute later that he could come by after work, which wouldn’t be until about 5:00 p.m.
All day, my moods alternated between jittery, pissed, and bliss like the worst game of emotional tug-of-war.
Lydia strolled in around 4:00 p.m., her pearl-like hair twisted into a knot on her head, her roots recently re-dyed to match the rest of her silvery locks. Black leggings molded to her delicate legs, and the crop top she wore showed off her toned torso and feminine curves. The memory of the taste of her skin raced through my mind, and straight to my dick.
“What are you doing here?” I smiled. My next client was sitting in my tattoo chair while I worked on adjusting her design, changing the text into a different script. I put my pen down and greeted her with a kiss.
Damn, that felt good. I should have started kissing Lydia months ago, not that she would have let me. Not that she should have. I needed to earn that right after what she had been through. Bliss changed to pissed in an instant.
“You alright?” she asked. “You look mad.”
I fixed my face, trying to clear my mind of my swirling thoughts. I had Lydia with me right now. I couldn’t change the past. Stop her from ever meeting that asshole. I could only show her that that wasn’t what love looked like. I wasn’t stupid enough to say those words yet—slow, remember—but I could show her.
With two fingers under her jaw, I tipped her chin up, and I kissed her again. She tried to take the kiss dirty, and it took all of my control to pull back.
“Not mad,” I whispered against her lips. “But I do have toget back to work.” I gestured my head to my tattoo station, where a woman sat scrolling through her phone.
“I just came by to show you the newest analytics for your accounts. They look really good.” She beamed.
“I don’t doubt it. Business hasn’t been this good for long time. I might need to hire someone to help out during the summer if it stays like this.”
“Wow. Have things really been that good?”
“Better than good. I might even be able to give you a raise soon,” I smirked.
“Maybe I’ll give you a raise soon,” she said, looking pointedly at my crotch with a devious heat in her eye. I was already starting to rise down there when she looked at me like that.
“Later,” I promised.
Lydia hung around during the entire ninety-minute session, taking pictures and chatting with my client, Caitlyn. Every time I heard the tinkling of her laugh or caught her amused green gaze, I could feel myself falling further and further for her.
