I have never slept in a bed this comfortable, or with a blanket this perfectly warm.
But wait.
There’s a brush of movement.
The blanket is Sebastian’s arm and his chest behind me. Sebastian is kissing my neck, his arm around my waist. Everything from yesterday rushes back.
I’m not alone anymore.
He promised forever last night, and this morning he still wants me. He’s whispering words about how beautiful I am. How I’m his, and he’s mine, and he can’t wait for us to have babies together. There’re smutty words too, about how much he wants me, how every perfect part of my body was made for him.
By the time I’m wild and wailing with need, he allows me to turn in his arms. Then he’s cupping my bottom and sliding me onto his cock as we both moan with the rightness of it. Impossibly, this feels even better than last night. Without the twinge of discomfort there’s just the pleasure of him stretching me out.
And Sebastian is both rougher, more impatient, and more tender this time. He pulls me close, our fronts touching all the way down and never lets up his kiss except to murmur filthy words of love and need. But at the same time, he’s not holding back, thrusting into me hard, holding me tightly. And I love it. I cling to him and take everything he gives.
“You better come quickly,” he growls when I’m mindless with the feel of him inside me. “Your tight pussy is going to tip me over. But I won’t come until you do.”
“I…” I’m nothing but his to do with as he likes, and to do as he says. And since he tells me to come and shifts the angle to press onto my clit as he pounds into me, I do.
“Good girl.”
Those words make a fresh wave of orgasm engulf me and Sebastian gives one last hard thrust and then is shaking as he comes too. Inside me, filling me up. In that moment and the long minutes afterwards when he doesn’t let me go, softly kissing and nipping my lips, I think we might have permanently fused together. I’ve never felt so loved and cared for in my life.
“Right.” Sebastian rolls onto his back and takes me with him, and gets to his feet.
I squeak.
“I’ve got you.”
And it’s only when we’re standing under the shower that he finally slides out of me. I give an unwitting noise of dissent and Sebastian chuckles.
“Yes, again, soon.”
I pout as he piles my hair on top of my head and brings one of my hands to hold it while he washes my back in indulgent sweeps of his palms.
“I miss you.”
“I’m right here.” He kisses the sensitive spot where my hair meets my neck.
“I miss you down there.” And I feel oh-so-daring.
“My greedy girl.” His hand lingers lower, over my arse, then traces around and cups my pussy.
Somewhere, far away, a phone rings.
“Ignore it,” Sebastian directs as he slides his fingers into my folds.
Sebastian has fresh coffee and pastries ready in the kitchen by the time I finish in the shower. He smiles when he sees me wearing his shirt.
“All those clothes I bought you, and you prefer this?” He takes advantage of the gaping hem to stroke the backs of my thighs as he kisses me.
I’m boosted onto the stool of the kitchen island and he watches like a panther as I choose a pain au chocolat. A low growl and he piles a cinnamon roll and a croissant onto my plate.
“Need to keep your energy up even more now you might be pregnant,” he replies when I shoot him a look.
The trill of a phone cuts into the cosy domesticity of our breakfast and Sebastian scowls as he checks the screen.
“It’s alright. Answer it.” He’s put his life on hold for me, but I know he has responsibilities. “I need to check in with my boss anyway.”
“We’ll talk about that.” A kiss to my cheek, then he snaps into a ruthless mafia kingpin rather than my Sebastian. “This better be important.”
I try not to listen as he speaks, but my stomach drops. There’s something wrong. He sighs and when he returns he’s rubbing his forehead. Bumping my knees apart, he takes my chin in his finger and thumb and tilts my face until I’m looking into his eyes.
“If I leave to manage a problem, will you promise to stay here, and still be my sweet happy girl when I return?” He’s staring at me with hope and fear. “Ross is causing chaos, wrecking shops and throwing out all sorts of claims, challenging me to a duel. He won’t go without me turning up to deal with it, or so he says. My people need me, but I need you safe. Don’t leave.” He says it as an order, but I don’t mind. Maybe I even quite like it…
“Be careful.” There’s a tickle in my mind that this is a trap they’re laying for him.
“Angel, I will always come home to you.”
“Yes.” Every day I’ll choose him.
He strokes my cheek. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
The apartment is quiet without him. I watch a bit of TV, but can’t help being distracted by what could have been serious enough to drag him away.
It’s only after he’s been gone an hour that I realise there’s a landline. I could call my boss on my mobile phone and explain.
“Darling!” She picks up within one ring. “Are you feeling better?”
Ooop. I’d forgotten I was supposed to be ill.
“Yeah,” I cough. “Much better, thanks.” Multiple orgasms will do that to a person. As will finding the love of my life.
“Are you well enough to see me?” she says hopefully. “I desperately need your help getting a new chart reading onto Face-thingy.”
“Of course!” I say before I can stop myself. I want this job, but I promised Sebastian… “Can it wait until tomorrow?”
“It must be today. You know how time sensitive these readings are. And my audience has already missed out for a whole day. We’ll lose momentum. Isn’t that what you said?”
It is. But I can’t… I really mustn’t…
But neither can I allow myself to lose this job. Whatever Sebastian said about me running my own business, I’ve worked hard to get Priscilla to where she is, and I can’t ditch her. I haven’t quit just because I took one sick day.
“Can you come here?” Because while I want to keep my job, I’m not a complete idiot. Sebastian told me to stay, I agreed, and I meant it. I won’t cross London looking for trouble.
There’s a pause before she agrees, and I wonder what it means. Probably that she doesn’t want to pack up her charts. I give her the address I find on junk mail and she says she’ll be twenty minutes.
Just enough time to put on some proper clothes. After a bit of dithering, I choose a pale blue skater dress amongst the clothing Sebastian bought for me and smile at the way it echoes the dress I loved a couple of summers ago, but has expensive details that make it grown up. The fabric is light and silky and it floats over my body like a dream.
The phone ringing jerks me out of a fantasy about what Sebastian will do when he sees me wearing the dress. It’s Priscilla.
“Jeanette, I can get this lift to work. Can you come down to the basement car park?”
I sigh internally. This is peak Priscilla. She really is terrible with technology. I’m not the best, but even I can post on social media and use an elevator. I think about telling her to take the stairs, but honestly that’s a bit mean. We must be forty floors up.
“Sure. I’ll be right down.” I’m not leaving the building, so I’m hardly breaking my word to Sebastian.
A trickle of unease goes down my back as I step into the lift. I am technically Sebastian’s captive. Maybe he has done something so I can’t escape?
But the buttons respond to my touch and though I should feel relief, the apprehension remains. It’s just that it’s a fast drop, I tell myself as the doors slide open and reveal a silent car park. Nothing more than that.
“Hello!” I emerge and look to right and left, but Priscilla is nowhere to be seen.
Huh.
A car door opens and Priscilla gets out. “Oh thank god you’re here. Come and do this for me. I’m lost without you.” She smiles but it’s a bit… Sickly.
“Are you alright?” Something is odd, like a spot the difference image. I can’t see what isn’t as it should be.
I take a step towards Priscilla.
“Oh yes, I’m fine.” She doesn’t sound fine. “Just typical Pisces problems.”
My heart stops.
Because Priscilla isn’t a Pisces. She’s a Sagittarius sun sign with moon in Taurus.
“Priscilla, what’s going on?”
“I’ve come for you, princess.” Ross Fletcher’s voice comes from right behind me and I’m shaking with fear, real terror utterly unlike what I ever felt when practising with Sebastian.
No. This is fear of endless cold black holes and hissing red eyes. It’s dread of ancient evil like the freezing space between stars.
When he grabs me by the wrist, I act instinctively, all the work with Sebastian paying off. My head jerks back and cracks on his chin with a sickening bang that shoots pain through my skull too.
“Fuck!” But he doesn’t let me go. He tightens his grip even as I twist… the wrong way. “You are coming with me,” he hisses. “I’m having what you denied me, wife.”
“No!” I’m not being taken by that monster.
I kick out in panic and hit his leg. The force of my kick unbalances me. I crumple to the floor and something clatters as he swears again. Pain flares on my hip where I hit the concrete.
He’s still got me though, and as I look up. I know it’s useless.
There’s a roar in my ears, in my head. Grey noise I can’t decipher.
I’m going to be right back to where I was at thirteen. In this evil man’s power, helpless, and alone. Deserted by all my friends and family. And this time, Sebastian won’t be able to save me, because he’s across the city helping others, assuming I’m snug and secure.
“No you don’t,” Fletcher snaps and leans down, reaching for my hair. And I see it. His gun, that’s what clattered to the ground with me. Not even thinking I throw myself across and snatch it up. My thumb finds the safety—as Sebastian taught me—and I press the trigger without aiming or considering, just at him. Because I cannot go with him.
Ross screams and releases my wrist and hair as he falls to the floor beside me, clutching his thigh. It’s spurting red.
I shot him. My mind is blunt with shock. He was going to hurt me, and instead I shot him.
“Jeanette!”
I can’t look away from what I’ve done. I’m stone. Unable to move. There’s blood everywhere, a veritable fountain that Fletcher uselessly has his palm over.
“Angel.” Strong arms lift me and I’m brittle, cracking as I curl into Sebastian’s embrace.
“You came.” The relief to be back with Sebastian is like the clouds parting on a dark night to reveal the moon. He doesn’t negate everything bad, but he guilds it all in pretty silver, making it impossible to be scared anymore. There’s not the harsh light of day. There’s enough.
“Always. Always.” He strokes my hair and I hide my face in his shirt and breathe in the sandalwood and citrus scent of him. “I knew something was wrong as soon as I arrived, and after I …”
“Did you…” I find the ground with my feet and grab Sebastian’s arm as I look into his face. And I see the truth in the hard set of his jaw. He killed my father because he deserved it. And because he wanted to protect me.
“Jeanette, I’m sorry. I had to make the choice for you.”
I should feel regret, but I don’t. I only feel glad. Did my father die quickly or slowly and quietly like Fletcher? For all I have longed for family love, it doesn’t matter now.
Because I have Sebastian, and he is everything I didn’t know I needed.
There’s a gurgle from the floor. I made a choice too and I glance down. The fountain is already a little stream. Sebastian follows my gaze and I feel him tense.
“Is it safe?” my boss pipes up. It takes me a moment to see her, crouched behind a car.
“For now,” Sebastian all but snarls, his temper flicking like a switch. “Leave before I change my mind. And find a new administrative assistant.”
“It wasn’t her fault—” I start to protest, but Sebastian slaps my arse, hard. I suppress a yelp and glare at him.
“You liked it,” he murmurs into my hair, and I can’t deny that. The sting of his hand on my buttocks has sent an inappropriate bolt of need between my legs.
Moments later, there’s the clip of Priscilla’s shoes as she runs from the car park.
“Good luck!” I call after her, then turn to chide Sebastian softly. “Was it necessary to scare her?”
“I’m letting her go, aren’t I?” He shrugs. “No one gets to be around you but those who would lay down their lives for you. That’s my rule. She led him here.”
We both look down at Fletcher. He’s still.
“Sorry,” I whisper with a twinge of guilt, though I know he can’t hear me anymore.
“That bullet hit an artery; it wasn’t your fault. But from the moment he touched you, he was a dead man.” Sebastian squeezes my waist possessively and leads me to the elevator. “He’s lucky you got to him before I did. My way would have been far more painful.”
And I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that Sebastian will always care for me. He doesn’t care about anyone but me. His only regret is that I killed that bastard and he didn’t. I’m certain as he lifts me by the rump and presses me against the glass, kissing me hungrily, that he’d do anything. Great and terrible things to look after me. No longer the lost princess, I am his Queen. When the doors open, he doesn’t put me down, striding straight through to his blue bedroom and laying me on the bed, covering me with his body.
We line up perfectly, his cock nestled in the gap between my thighs and I have to look up just a bit for our mouths to touch.
“Angel.” He grabs my chin between his thumb and forefinger. “There are consequences for everyone who put you in danger.”
“Oh?” That thrill down my spine has nothing to do with the adrenaline of what just happened and everything to do with the dark promise in Sebastian’s stormy eyes.
“You deserve a thorough spanking for risking the love of my life like that.”
“I’ll have to take it, then, won’t I?” And my smile is naughty. I want everything from Sebastian. The pleasure and the pain, whatever he gives me I’ll ask for more.
This. Him and me. It’s a messy sort of family, but it’s real. He’s the one constant in my life. My north star that I couldn’t see because the clouds covered him. But he was always there, shining over me. And now he’s mine.
“Think you can?” He sucks my bottom lip into his mouth and drags up the hem of my dress. I wriggle to give him access and reach one hand for his hair, tangling and grabbing, and the other for his belt. He wants inside me, and I will give him everything.
“Every day,” I promise, and he growls in satisfaction.
