Chapter 7
ISABELLA
A s the long driveway curves around what I assume is the Clubhouse, I’m surprised to see a basketball court, what looks like a sand volleyball court, and an area with covered picnic tables. “Is that an ice rink?”
“In the winter, yeah. We remove the ice for the rest of the year, so anyone can use rollerblades there. We’ve even done some fun races with puppies that the guys have really enjoyed.”
“How do you race with puppies?” I ask, intrigued.
Sebastian looks over at me and winks, and my stomach does a somersault. “With food, obviously. One person holds the puppy at the starting line, then another is at the finish line with a treat. They’re puppies, so they have short attention spans. It’s pretty comical to watch the chaos.”
“And this is done just for fun?”
“Keeping up good morale, and showing how fun life can be, are important to guys struggling to find a place in civilian life. I’ll do just about anything to ensure that my guys know they have all the support they need. I refuse to lose —” he stops abruptly.
“Lose what?” I ask.
He sighs, scrubbing a hand over his beard. “I don’t want someone else to think they don’t have anyone. I can’t lose another friend that way. ”
It takes me a moment to realize what he’s saying, and I gasp. “You lost someone? To suicide?”
He nods as he turns around another corner, but doesn’t elaborate. I look out the windshield as a home comes into view, and I immediately forget the conversation. What stands before me is quite possibly the most beautiful home I’ve ever seen.
It’s not massive, ostentatious, or elaborate.
But it is spectacular. Cream stucco meets stone accents with large windows around a bright blue door.
One room has a bay window, and a large chandelier is centered above the front door.
The home faces east, and as the sun begins to set behind the Rockies, I can only imagine the breathtaking views from the back of the home.
When Sebastian pulls into a four-car garage off to the side of the home, lights immediately flicker to life inside the space.
The walls are lined with shelves, meticulously organized.
Besides his truck, there’s another car and his motorcycle, plus an extra space he appears to be using as a construction area.
He has sports memorabilia hanging along one wall, including Denver Wolves items from Luca, and the Colorado Coyotes, our football team in Denver.
As soon as the engine is turned off, I open my door, but Sebastian puts a hand on my arm. “Wait until the garage door is closed.”
“Why?”
“In case we were followed. I highly doubt someone would be dumb enough to follow past my Clubhouse, but you never know. Better safe than sorry, mi Cielo . I won’t play with your safety.”
Why does my heart skip a beat each time he calls me his sky?
Once the door is closed, we both exit the car. Sebastian retrieves my things from the trunk and motions for me to follow him into the house. He stops at a security panel, quickly punching in a code to turn off the system. “The code is one-one-zero-nine-nine-four. ”
Holy shit.
“Is that —” I stop, swallowing roughly. “That’s my birthday.”
Sebastian looks over his shoulder, a soft smile on his face. “I know.”
What the fuck?
“That’s — but — Sebastian!” I sputter, audibly panting as my heart rate increases.
“Come on. Let me show you to the guest room.”
“Wait! I — just wait. Why the hell is my birthday your security code?”
He steps closer to me, so close I have to tilt my head to look up at him. He cups my cheek tenderly as he smiles. “You’re not ready for that yet.”
“What the hell does that mean?” I ask exasperatedly.
Sebastian chuckles. “You’re getting there. I’m pretty patient, so I’m cool with waiting you out.”
“This is ridiculous. Just tell me why.”
“In due time.”
“When will that time be, exactly?”
“That is all up to you.”
“What is?”
“When you see.”
“What am I supposed to see?” I snap.
“What I see.”
I throw my head back in frustration. “You’re talking in riddles.”
He smiles goofily at me. “I’m not. You aren’t ready. But you will be.”
“I am so pissed at you right now,” I mutter, stepping back from him, immediately missing the warmth that emanated from his nearness.
“No, you’re not,” he says with a chuckle. Another wink as he continues, “I’m not the one in control here. You are. So you’re actually pissed at yourself.”
He’s not completely wrong, as I’m definitely irritated that I can’t figure out his stupid riddle.
For some time, my entire family has said that he’s got a thing for me.
He’s flirted with me here and there, but also said some really stupid things in my presence that have made me think he doesn’t have the highest opinion of me.
He’s asked me out, said it would be a privilege to take me on a date …
but I’ve been burned so many times that I don’t know who I can trust anymore.
“Come on. Let’s get you settled in the guest room,” he says, grabbing my hand, being careful to avoid jostling Butterscotch in my arms, and walks through the house.
With no lights on, I can’t make out any room specifics, but I can tell there’s a large kitchen, and a living room that seems to have a two-story ceiling.
We quickly coast up a curved staircase, and Sebastian points to a double-door entry.
“That’s my room. Just in case you need anything. ”
I cough to cover a snort. I may not truly understand his intentions, but even I got the undertones on that comment.
We cross a hallway overlooking the first floor, then Sebastian enters the first room on the left.
Turning on the light, I see a large four-poster bed with mounds of fluffy bedding covering it.
Beautiful hand-painted mountain images bracket the bed, and dark wood nightstands sit on each side.
He pulls me across the room to another doorway, swatting a light switch that illuminates the en suite bathroom.
“I texted ahead and had someone put a litter box in here for Butterscotch. I hope that’s okay.
There are some toiletry items in here if you need anything.
Unused, of course. I mean new. New things.
But anything you can’t find I probably have in my bathroom.
I keep everything I can think of on hand. You know, for emergencies.”
“You bring a lot of women here after their apartments are trashed?” I ask, a sharpness to my voice I didn’t expect. I have no reason to be jealous of anything Sebastian does, yet I am.
His face pales, and he looks remarkably horrified.
“Fucking hell, no . I have sisters. And a mom. And a grandmother. She’s the worst, because she asks for the oddest things.
So I just started grabbing anything that seemed even remotely female.
Now her requests are getting even more outlandish.
Last week she asked for a purple wet brush. ”
“Okay?” I ask. A wet brush isn’t that out of the ordinary. My sister Gianna has incredibly curly hair, and I know she uses a wet brush.
“She doesn’t have curly hair, Isabella. She barely has any hair at all.
The hair she does have gets done by a professional every week.
The fuck does she need a wet brush for?” he asks, deadpan.
I can’t help the laughter that bursts from my mouth, causing Sebastian’s gaze to snap to my lips.
He grins, but doesn’t say anything as he reaches up, ghosting his thumb over my bottom lip.
I inhale sharply as he presses down in the center of my lip, my mouth opening slightly. My breath quickens as I imagine what it would feel like if his thumb slid between my lips. How his skin would feel. Taste.
“One day,” he murmurs. “You’ll be ready one day.”
Removing his thumb, he leans in to kiss my forehead, then turns and walks toward the door. When I call out his name, he stops. “What will I be ready for?”
Sebastian stands still for a moment before giving me his one-word answer.
“Me.”
Four hours later, I’m wide awake. I have to be up in a few hours to be at the bakery, and I can’t calm my mind down. I just keep reliving what that man — Devon — did. What he told me he was going to do to me.
I wish I had a therapist. I’ve never been one to think about my emotional health too much, but right now, I could use the help of a professional.
I debate on texting Arianna, but I just can’t .
It would freak her out, and then she’d tell Stone.
I know he would immediately tell Sebastian or my brothers, and they’d stop at nothing until Devon was dealt with.
I can’t have that on my conscience. Even with the lewd and appalling things Devon claimed he’d do, I won’t tell anyone.
“Gonna fuck your ass first,” he’d grunted as he attempted to rip my pants off. “Then this pussy. I was only supposed to rough you up a bit, get you to work with us and tell us where the drugs are.”
“I don’t know anything about drugs!” I’d wailed as he’d jammed his hand down my pants, roughly cupping my sex.
That was when Sebastian roared into the room.
He literally roared, like a lion protecting his mate.
I’d never seen Sebastian so angry and fired up.
And now, sleeping in his guest room, I can’t settle down because the only place that has felt even halfway peaceful over the past couple of weeks was in his arms.
I’m up and opening the door before I truly even realize what I’m doing.
Tiptoeing down the hallway toward Sebastian’s room, I make it all the way to his doorway before noticing it’s wide open. He left the door open for me.