Sweet Love of Mine

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Fifteen

“Just how,” he hissed dangerously, “do things stand between us, Em?”

Her fingertips, Emily realised with a breathless tremor, were scalded.

She eyed them distantly as they rested against the bronzed muscle of Sebastian’s solid torso, his skin hot and silken beneath them, and then the subtle pulsation of his beating heart: even and steady. She was not dealing with a man overcome with raging waves of lust. Here stood a completely naked yet rational specimen before her and that was even more frightening than the former.

Swallowing against her trepidation and that curious little burst of heat in the pit of her belly, she forced her eyes to meet his. Lord, the man was burning with intensity. His eyes, molten blue, sent shivers down her spine. Therein lay such inherent need, warmth, and sensual promise she nearly swooned.

But that was not why she came here into his room this night. Even though the promiscuous sight of Sebastian in all his male glory was enough to send her to palpitating heights of delicious lust, Emily remained stoic. She needed to resolve issues between them once and for all. She simply could not abide him as he was another day. With that in mind, she squared her shoulders and mentally braced her body to withstand the onslaught of Sebastian’s furious sensuality.

“Sebastian,” she began in a firm voice, “I realise how inappropriate this is-”

“Convenient, more like,” he growled with a seductive lilt in his voice.

It earned him a stern glare. “I don’t like the way things stand between us,” she went on firmly.

With a devilish smile, Sebastian glanced down at his member standing attention between them. “I rather like the way things stand between us,” he remarked.

“That is not what I mean! Oh, you devil! How am I ever to explain my presence when you keep referring to utterly inappropriate points of conversation that detract from my initial course in the first place?”

“You knew of the dangers before tonight,” he said flatly. “I’ll not be held accountable for my body’s reaction to your presence in my chambers when you knew of my condition from previous experience.”

“That is neither here nor there.” Her fingers pressed harder against his chest as he took another step towards her. “Sebastian, why are you being like this?” she demanded desperately, fearful of her comportment shattering at any moment now. There was only so much one could take with a man like Sebastian, unclothed and muscled, in the same room and so close.

“Enough talking,” he murmured roughly, pushing against her resisting arms. She almost relented, his head dipping close to hers.

“No.” She shook her head. “I want to know why. Why this persistence to make me your wife? It’s so sudden you can’t truly expect me to believe the notion just took your fancy one moment. I can’t believe that. And now your behaviour… it’s inexplicable and very confusing, Sebastian. Tell me why.”

His hand, large and warm, settled heavily against her hip and slowly, inexorably, he bunched the sheer fabric of her gown and robe. Emily stiffened imperceptibly, attempting to ignore the flaming burn of her skin where he touched. “Sebastian, please, I need to know. Why are you being like this? Please tell me.”

His other hand settled over her other hip and he began to pull her towards him. She resisted, her arms trembling with the effort to remain stoic against his blatant ardour. “You’ve been positively cold towards me before a few weeks ago,” she told him breathlessly, ignoring his passionate silence. “And now, suddenly, I find myself constantly warding off your advances, your proposals, and now you are so inhospitable, entirely possessive when you have no right for it-”