31. Sebastion #2
“The more time I waste, the fewer state secrets you can give away!” She attempts to pull me back.
To dig her heels into the ground and slow us down.
So I turn and sweep her up instead. I thrill in her yelped squeal, and I enjoy the fear in a soldier’s eyes when he inevitably looks this way, gets caught, and turns so fuckin’ fast, he’s gonna spend his weekend with a chiropractor.
“Sebastion!” Scarlett pounds heavy fists against my back and kicks her legs in the space in front of my head. “Put me down!”
I time my steps and slap her ass with a resounding crack the instant we’re not within camera range, then I drag her down and meet her glassy eyes.
Not crying anymore. Now she just wants to fuck.
“I need you to stop screeching.” I stop inside the medical wing and send men scrambling.
Because they know they don’t get to see this.
“We’re in a sacred space right now. People are trying to rest. And I wanna introduce you to someone. ”
“Sebastion—”
“Shush.” I set her back on her feet and pinch her lips closed, then I lead her through another doorway, then a third. Finally, I bring her to Uncle Bas’ door and enjoy the heady thump of my heart when I find him sitting up and watching.
Waiting.
He has access to the big red button and security cameras, too.
“You look like a million bucks, Unc.” I take Scarlett’s hand and drag her around the bed.
If I let her go, I risk the scorch marks she’ll leave on the carpet on her way out.
Instead, I hold on tight, and when we’re close enough, I fold at my hips and rest my forehead on his.
One beat. Two. Three. Pulling back, I search his clear eyes and peek at the IV tube snaking into his port.
“They put cocaine in your bag today? Found a cure? You gonna clock back in on shift soon, or what?”
“Might take the weekend first,” he chuckles. But then his chuckle turns to a cough that shatters the early bloom of hope inside my chest. He tilts a little to the side and glances past me to a shaking Scarlett.
He always was the flirt. Always punched higher than his face warranted.
“Hey there.” His lips curl into his patented ‘I’m the cool uncle with a long roster of enthusiastic babes constantly blowing up my phone’ smile.
I’m pretty sure he had someone special once upon a time… until he didn’t. He never said what happened to her, and I’m not brave enough to force the subject. These days, he prefers to flirt with everyone else’s girl. Which, I suppose, is where the rest of us get it.
Bas’ eyes sparkle with playfulness. “You gonna introduce your friend, boy? Or will you make me pull out my expert-level moves? You unlock that door, I can’t guarantee it’ll be your hand she’s holding in the end.”
“Jesus.” Shaking my head, I gently tug her forward and drape my arm across her back, anchoring my hand on her hip to keep her here with me.
“Scarlett Castro, this is Bastion Conroy. Uncle Bas. My mom and daddy named me after him, since we’re both really fuckin’ cool.
” Grinning, I look to Bas. “Uncle Bas, this is Scarlett. She’s a little skittish around overly enthusiastic dudes whose main personality traits are arrogance and ego. ”
“Odd.” He looks her up and down, smirking. “Since that would surely exclude you.”
“It does, I promise. She hates me.” Swallowing, I look down at Scarlett and hope for a miracle. Please don’t be rude. Please don’t run away. Please don’t hurt his feelings. “Princess. I’d like you to meet my favorite uncle in the entire world.”
Shaky and unsure, she stumbles forward and trades my hand for his. “Hello. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Aw, he lies,” he chuckles. “You walk straight toward the arrogant egotists, don’t you, Ms. Castro?
Bodes well for my boy.” He doesn’t pull her in, though he would have not so long ago.
He doesn’t press a kiss to her hand, though I know it’s his thing when he wants to charm a lady.
Instead, he studies her, just as she studies him.
“Scarlett. Forgive me for being so forward, but you are very beautiful.”
“Oh, well…” Her cheeks blaze a dark, embarrassed red. “The lighting in here isn’t great, so perhaps the shadows are playing tricks on you.”
“And humble, too.” Tired, he carefully extracts his hand from hers and lays back against the pillows, then he tips his chin toward the single visitor’s chair.
“Visit with me for a while? It gets lonely in this place, especially for a man accustomed to twenty-four-hour shift rotations where smelling another man’s flatulence was as good as a day got. ”
“Really, Unc?” I lead Scarlett around the bed and take the chair for myself.
But then I pull her down and place her on my thigh.
When she attempts to bound up again, I pin her close and force her to stay put.
It’s not about overpowering or abusing, it’s about telling her it’s okay to be normal people in front of this man.
“You met her twenty seconds ago and you’re already talking about farts?
You’re not nearly as sexy as you think you are. ”
He coughs out a surprised laugh and tilts his head to keep Scarlett in sight.