Rose In Bloom Read online

  Silence fills the line, and for a moment, I wonder if he has hung up the phone.

  “Tomorrow morning, 8 a.m. sharp.”

  “Yes, sir. I will see you then.”

  Hanging up the phone, I know I am going to confront the devil himself, but it’s high time that the demon comes into the light. This is the only way I can make sure that I can keep my angel safe.

  Skylar

  Fate is a funny thing for most. One minute, it’s bringing someone into your life, and then, in an instant, it’s ripping you apart from them and pushing you into someone else’s arms. But I believe that when you are meant to be with someone, you will always find your way back to one another. And when you do, you’ve got to be ready to fight for that love every single day. At all costs… even if it involves hurting someone you love.

  Almost losing Sebastian had been my fate. It had been the one thing I needed to open my eyes and see what I tried so hard to ignore. He completes me. He is truly the other half of my soul. Forgiveness isn’t easy, but when you truly love someone, you come to realize that there is nothing you can’t forgive him for.

  I hurt Lucas, and I hate myself for it. Things in life shouldn’t be this difficult, but nothing in my life has ever proven to be easy. As I watch Sebastian sleep, I know, without a shadow of a doubt, I’d made the right choice.

  Lucas had wanted me to answer his question truthfully, and I had. I can’t tell him or anyone else about the reason I’d left Sebastian in the first place. I just got him back, and I can’t lose him. We have a baby and a future to look towards. It is time we both stop dwindling in the past and finally start living our future together. The scary thing is that I know Lucas won’t let this one go. He’s worried about me, and as much as I appreciate that, he needs to let the past go and not dig the skeletons of our life back up. Nothing good can ever come from that.

  “Hey, baby,” Sebastian says sleepily.

  “Go back to sleep.” I urge him. I know he needs to rest as much as possible so he can get well enough to come home.

  “I can’t sleep without my girl. You know that,” he teases, patting the side of the bed next to him.

  Carefully, I crawl beside him and gently lay my head against his chest. I feel it rise and fall beneath me. His loud heartbeat is music to my ears. It scares the hell out of me to think that I’d almost lost him. Placing a kiss on his chest, I snuggle into him.

  He senses the tension in my body and tenderly moves my shoulders, turning me to look at him.

  “What’s wrong, Skylar?”

  Releasing a deep breath, I know I can never hide how I feel around this man. It’s as though he has some direct radar to my soul.

  “I’m just scared a bit. I don’t want to lose you.”

  “I’m going to be all right, baby. Don’t be scared about me. I’m not going anywhere.”

  “I know, babe. It’s just that Lucas said something to me today, and it got me to thinking.”

  His body tenses beneath me, his heartbeat increases against my palm.

  “What did the fucker say to you? I swear to God I’m going to beat the shit out of him when I get out of here.”

  Ignoring his words, I get straight to the point.

  “He asked me what I’d forgiven you for. He accused me of keeping secrets. When I wouldn’t tell him, he said he wouldn’t stop searching until he found out.”

  “Lucas is not going to find anything, Skylar. You and I are the only two people who know about what happened that night. He’s just trying to mess with your head. He came in here earlier today and threatened me if I didn’t tell him what he wanted to know.”

  “Are you sure, Sebastian? I can’t lose you again. If he ever links you to the accident, you’ll end up in jail. I just want us to be a family. I just want us to be happy.”

  “And, we will be, I promise. So, let him look. He won’t find a damn thing.”

  Laying my head back against his chest, I try to swallow the fear inside of me. His words should comfort me, but something inside of me remains terrified. I know when people get desperate, they don’t think rationally. The fate of my life and happiness lies in the hands of Lucas Drake. I pray he doesn’t destroy me in the process of trying to bring the love of my life down.

  I will never survive losing Sebastian again.

  The next several days in the hospital go by quickly, and Sebastian finally gets the okay to be released from the hospital. We spend another week at Kylie’s place, just to make sure he’s strong enough to travel. I try like hell to make sure he doesn’t push himself too much, but nothing is keeping this man down.

  Almost two and half weeks after the accident, I say goodbye to my best friend and we board Sebastian’s jet, heading home to Austin.

  Home

  Home is a word I didn’t understand, until now. Any place I am with Sebastian is home. Whether that is in Austin or Siberia, I don’t care just as long as I am with him. Before our departure, I had grown more and more anxious about returning to the penthouse. I don’t think I can handle going back in that building without a wave of hurtful memories hitting me square in the face. I guess I will deal with that when the time comes.

  When the plane lands, we make our way to a car that is waiting for us. Sebastian holds off getting in, allowing me to settle first in the back seat. Once I am in, he eases in beside me. Even in his soreness, he still pulls me tight against him. We haven’t made love yet, although I can admit to some heavy petting this past week. Both of us are constantly touching one another as a reassurance that the other is truly here.

  He laces his fingers through mine and squeezes. I look down at my ring finger and smile. I am so grateful to have my engagement ring back on my finger. Never again will it ever leave my hand. Pulling my face towards him, Sebastian brushes my loose waves back and kisses me on the mouth. Damn, I want him so freaking much, but the doctors say he needs to wait at least another few weeks. I honestly don’t know if I can make it that long. When I finally do have him inside of me, I know I am in for one hell of an orgasm. Hell, I could damn near have one right now, just thinking about it.

  Noticing that our driver misses the normal turnoff, I become confused. At first, I think maybe he’s just trying to avoid traffic, but then he also misses the next two turnoffs before taking the next exit.

  “Where are we going?” I ask, now curious. Sebastian scoots up a bit in the seat, looks out the window, and smiles.

  “We’re heading home.”

  “But the driver just missed our exit.”

  “No, he didn’t.”

  We approach a large iron gate and pause for a few moments while the driver pushes a code into the keypad. The gates open immediately, and we begin the journey down the long shaded drive. When we make it past the long row of tall trees, my mouth drops open at the massive, brown stone house that is coming into sight. Luscious green trees and vibrant, colorful flowers perfectly line the outside of the property. The yard is enormous and appears to have several attached buildings. Around back, I see a large red horse stable and gorgeous rolling green pastures that seem to go on for miles. This place looks and feels just like home.

  Our driver comes to a stop and moves to open our back door. Sebastian carefully steps out first and then takes my trembling hand into his.

  When I look at Sebastian, he is grinning from ear to ear.

  “Welcome home, baby,” he whispers, wrapping his arms around my waist, and settling his hands on my stomach.

  “I hope it’s all right, and you’re not upset with me for going ahead and doing this. I want us to have a fresh start where only happy memories can be made.”

  Turning around, I can’t help but stand there and look at his handsome face. Tears suddenly flood my eyes and my throat is so full of emotion that I can barely manage to speak.

  “It’s really ours?” I ask, still stunned.

  “Yes, it’s ours, baby. We’re finally home.”

  I throw myself into his chest, and tightly squeeze him, befor
e remembering that he is still recovering from surgery. Immediately, I release him and worry I’ve hurt him. Laughing, he pulls me back to him.

  “Never let go of me, Skylar. Promise me, you’ll always hold on tight and never let go.”

  “I promise,” I reply softly, standing on my tiptoes to kiss him.

  Neither of us seems to want to end the kiss. When we break apart, he rests his forehead against mine, and his eyes glow with love.

  “Come on, Ms. Rose, let’s go inside and have a look,” he says. Wrapping his hand around my waist, he leads me up the steps to the huge wrap around porch. This place is beyond enormous, but it’s so inviting. It’s not just a big fancy house. This place feels as if it is meant to hold a family.

  Our family.

  When we reach the large wooden front door, he stops and smiles, putting his hand on the back of what looks to be his leather office chair. I can’t for the life of me figure out why this is out here on the front porch. Perhaps the movers haven’t gotten everything put inside where it belongs just yet.

  “I can’t carry you across the threshold like I would like to do, but I’ve got the next best thing.” He points to the chair. After sitting down in it, he takes my hand and pulls me onto his lap before rolling us across the threshold of the entrance.

  As I giggle at his cleverness, he quickly spins us around to face the inside of our new home. One look and I am in love. Standing, I begin walking around, taking in every single thing. The foyer opens up to a beautiful, twisted wrought iron staircase that spirals up on both sides. At the top of the stairs, there is a large platform overhead, overlooking most of the downstairs. An enormous crystal chandelier twinkles above, sending prisms dancing on the dark wooden floors beneath. Every inch of the place glows with sunshine, which pours in from all of the tall windows surrounding the house.

  “Sebastian, this is spectacular!” I pay close attention to all the extra details in the design.

  “I’ve had this place for a while now and redesigned some of the rooms to better fit us. I was going to surprise you on our wedding day. When you kept asking me about where we were getting married, I could barely hold the surprise in.”

  “You mean you’ve had this place for that long?”

  “Yes, sweetheart. I wanted us to have a real home, not an apartment in the city. Now that there is a baby on the way, this makes this place perfect.”

  “Can we still have the wedding here?” I ask.

  “Of course. We can have it wherever you want. I don’t care if it is at the courthouse or at Vegas with Elvis, I’ll marry you anywhere.”

  Pulling him closer, I kiss him sweetly on the lips. My beautiful man did this all for me.

  “Want me to give you the grand tour now?” he asks seductively against my neck.

  “Yes, please.” I reply, trying to keep moving. If he keeps this up, he is going to have a horny, pregnant woman jumping his bones, regardless of what the doctor warned him against.

  Sebastian seems most anxious about me seeing the upstairs, so he quickly leads me up the staircase to the second floor. Moving behind me, he covers my eyes with his hands and urges me forward, pausing to open the door in front of me.

  “You ready?” The excitement in his voice is contagious.

  “Yes,” I softly reply.

  Kissing me on the top of the head, he removes his hands and reveals his surprise. Warm sunshine hits my face as I take in the space around me. My eyes instantly land on a white padded rocker in the middle of the room. Sitting in the rocker is a large honey-colored teddy bear with a white ribbon tied around its neck. As I touch the soft fur, my eyes instantly begin watering. Turning around, I look at my beautiful Sebastian and see he is studying my reaction intently.

  “Oh, Sebastian!” I throw my arms around his neck.

  “So you like it? I am thinking this can be the baby’s room.”

  “It’s absolutely perfect.” I reply, still overwhelmed.

  Taking my hand again, he leads me over to the double doors on the left. When he opens them, I spot our bed and furniture already set up.

  “This is our room, so we will be right next to the baby.” His eyes sparkle with excitement as he explains the layout.

  “What do those doors lead to?” I point at the double doors on the opposite side of the nursery.

  “Oh, um… it leads to another bedroom.” He moves to block the door.

  Laughing at his reaction, I step back and cross my arms.

  “Why can’t I see?” I ask, unsure of why he is acting so nervously. I’ve never seen him this evasive about anything.

  “There are just boxes in there. I had the movers put the extra stuff in there for storage. Don’t worry, I’ll take care of everything later.”

  “I think you are hiding something, Mr. Thorne.”

  “And what if I am, Ms. Rose?” He nudges me back away from the door.

  I let him push me forward a few steps before I run around him and grab the handle. His arms catch me around the waist just as I open the door. Our laughter echoes in the room.

  “You little sneak!” He laughs. “Go have a look for yourself then, Ms. Impatient. I wanted it to be a surprise.”

  When I step in, it looks like a baby and toy store has exploded in the room. Strollers, car seats, high chair, bouncy seats, boxes of diapers, and every kind of baby furniture fill the space. I can’t believe all of the stuff he has bought.

  “Holy Shit! Did you rob a baby store?” I joke.

  “I might have possibly bought one out, yes,” he replies, chuckling.

  “When did you do all of this?” I walk around, looking at everything. I trip on a box, and he grabs my arm to steady me.

  “Out! It is dangerous for you in here. I was going to have everything set up to surprise you. That is why I didn’t want you in here.”

  “I’m fine, silly,” I reply, patting him on the chest. I grab a little pair of socks and gently rub my finger over the soft, fuzzy material. Pulling me against him, Sebastian settles his hands on my stomach and grins against my neck.

  “I can’t wait, baby.”

  “I know. Me either.”

  Taking the socks from my hand, he studies them for a while. His expression goes dark for a second. I know where his mind is going, and I won’t let him go there alone. Grabbing his hand, I thread my fingers through his. “You promised me, Sebastian. Look at me.” I remind him.

  “I want to be a good father, Skylar, but I’m scared as hell. I don’t want to be like my father. I’m afraid I can’t be what I need to be.”

  “Hey, listen to me.” I reach for his face. I rarely see him completely vulnerable, but this is one of those times. I never want him to be embarrassed to admit his fears. I will never laugh or disregard them. “You are going to be a wonderful father. Look at what you’ve already done for it?” I point at the room full of stuff.

  “It’s just stuff, Skylar. It doesn’t make me a good father.” He tosses the socks back in the basket.

  “Yes, it does. You did this out of love for me and the baby. You are a good man, Sebastian Thorne. Don’t you ever doubt that for a second. I won’t let you.”

  “What if it’s not enough?”

  “You will always be more than enough. I love you so much, Sebastian. I wish you could see in you what I do, what I’ve always seen.”

  Brushing a loose curl away, he cups my face. “I don’t deserve you. I don’t deserve this.” He motions between us.

  “Well, I happen to think that, after everything we’ve been through, we both deserve happiness. And my happiness is right here with you.” I rest my hand on his heart. He pulls me against him and crashes his lips to mine while forcing me backwards out of the room. The intensity of our kiss continues to grow, and the hunger I have for him is unbearable. When he breaks the kiss, l look around and see we are in our new room.

  Tenderly, he trails his finger down my lip towards the opening of my shirt. When he looks back up me, his amber eyes are full of hunger, and
I instantly recognize that expression. Flashing me a mischievous grin, the hand that had just tenderly eased down my face, now firmly grips the material of my shirt. Yanking it open, he sends buttons flying everywhere across the room. That’s all it takes for me to lose what little control I had in me to hold back. Immediately, I drop to my knees, taking his shorts down with me. His thick cock springs free and I catch a glimpse of the glistening pre-cum on its head. Taking my thumb, I gently massage it into his tip, earning a loud groan from his throat. Not breaking my stare, I stroke him a few more times before I lick my tongue slowly up his shaft.

  “Fuck!” He throws his head back.

  Raking my teeth across his skin, I blow on the damp trail I’d left on him.

  He hisses, lifts my long hair off my shoulders, and urges me to take him all in my mouth. I smile and bat my long eyelashes at him as I ease my mouth around him. Immediately, I suck hard, creating a tight seal around the base of his cock and my mouth.

  “Oh God! I’m not going to last, baby.”

  I grin to myself. I always love it when he can’t hold back. Working his dick up and down, I lightly begin squeezing on his balls. His firm grip on my hair tightens, and I look back up to see him biting his bottom lip. He is trying his best to hold back and not come.

  “Yes, suck that cock,” he demands and I increase my movements. He thrusts into my mouth a few times, and I grab hold of his bare ass, dig my nails into his skin, and suck even harder.

  “Fuck yes! Arghhhh!” He shoots his release into my mouth. I swallow every bit of his salty deliciousness down and then slowly lick my lips. When I look back into his eyes, he is hungrily eyeing my bare tits. Urging me to stand, he forces me back onto the bed and climbs over my body. Propping himself up with one hand, he uses his other to move up my inner thigh. When he reaches my panties, he finds them soaking in my pleasure. Moving the fabric to one side, he eases two fingers into me, making my body surge with pleasure. In and out, he works his fingers while he feasts on my breasts.

  “I need in you now,” he whispers.

  “No, the doctors told you it’s too soon,” I warn, trying not to rock my hips in contradiction.