Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 66387 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 332(@200wpm)___ 266(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66387 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 332(@200wpm)___ 266(@250wpm)___ 221(@300wpm)
Chapter Twenty-One
Sebastian
I DON’T THINK I’ll ever stop shaking.
Seeing Nina in that water, not knowing where Ellie was…all of it was a horror I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy.
“I don’t know,” I begin once I’ve led my wife into our bedroom and shut the door, “if I’ll ever get the image of you holding onto the boat in the pouring rain out of my head. You were reckless, Nina.”
“I’m sorry,” she whispers and wipes a tear from her cheek. Her hair is still wet, her face still pale. “I thought I’d lost you. I’m still afraid I’m going to lose you.”
“What were you thinking?”
“Ellie wanted to go out on the boat, and we really did love the idea of being alone for just a little while. But I was stupid and didn’t check the weather before I got swept up into the fun of it all, and we snuck off.”
“You can’t go without security.”
“I know.”
“Nick may never recover.”
She swallows hard. “I’ll apologize again. I swear to you, Sebastian, this will never happen again. It was foolish.”
“It was selfish.”
She nods. “So, is it over, then?”
I narrow my eyes on her. “Is what over?”
“This. Us.” Her lower lip quivers. “I know I fucked up big time, and I almost killed your sister today, so if you need to call this quits, I understand.”
I push my hand through my wet hair and pace away from her, then back again.
“Why does your mind always go to this? You messed up, but we’ll get past it, Nina.”
“Oh, thank God.”
I pull her to me, and she clings as if I’m the lifeline to everything good in her life.
“You said on the boat that I swore I wouldn’t leave, that I can’t leave. But damn it, Nina, you can’t leave either. You can’t go off like you did today and not tell anyone where you are. I was scared shitless. Liam immediately called out search and rescue, I called Brad and Christian, and then we were in the boat, racing to where the sonar said your boat was. But then the storm hit.”
“That storm was ridiculous,” she whispers. “It happened so fast. One minute, it was sunny and warm, and we were talking about boys and laughing. And then the next, it was a downpour, and we were in the water. I don’t even know how it happened. I would never put your sister at risk, Sebastian. You have to know that.”
“I know.” I rub her back in large, slow circles, trying to calm us both down.
“And now Liam’s quit. And he’s so good, Sebastian.”
“I’ll make sure he stays,” I assure her, but I have no idea how I’ll manage it. He was livid. Terrified. As if he were reliving something from his past. A nightmare.
“Just don’t send me away.”
I’ve never heard her voice quiver with so much emotion before. I carry her to the bed and unwrap the blanket she’s folded up in. Christian was right, she’s practically naked in just a small bikini. It’s a wonder she didn’t die from hypothermia.
“So cold,” she mutters, and I quickly strip out of my wet things and join her on the bed, pulling the covers over us and tugging her close to me.
“The only way I’ll send you away is if I go with you.” Her lips are cold against mine. She wraps one leg up around my hip, and my hand glides down her stomach to her core, to her clit. “I’m so in love with you, I can’t see straight. Don’t ever scare me like that again.”
I push her onto her back and when I’m sure she’s ready for me, I push inside her, needing to be as close to her as possible. To know that we’re both alive and whole. As I thrust in and out of her, blood rushes into her cheeks, her eyes brighten, and I know she’s back and that everything’s going to be okay.
Her hips buck, meeting me thrust for thrust. Finally, we cry out as the wave of climax rushes over us, pulling us under.
***
“I need a word.”
I’m standing in the guest house on the threshold of Liam’s bedroom where he’s currently packing his things.
“My decision is final.”
I walk in and sit on the edge of his bed, bracing my elbows on my legs so I can watch him.
“I’m asking you to reconsider.”
He shakes his dark head, moving faster to fill his suitcase.
“Liam, you’re the best man I have, and that’s saying a lot.”
“You almost fucking died today because those women can’t follow simple instructions. Because they thought it would be cute to try and get away with something. I refuse to have any more deaths on my watch. I won’t do it.”
“Liam, you did everything right today. And you saved my life, which is exactly your job. You saved my sister. I’m grateful. And I think everyone learned a valuable lesson today. It won’t happen again.”