Sebastian didn’t answer. He couldn’t, because he was too ashamed to admit that he had disappeared because he was about to have a mental breakdown. He’d disappeared because he’d been too weak to stand up to Vladimir and running away was his only option. So he’d flown to Alaska, to the most northern part that was habitable by man and simply lived there, in a village, and learned to fend for himself.
But it hadn’t helped, not really.
Suddenly, it dawned on Sebastian the real reason why his brother was here. The pictures. Christian needed Sebastian to take the heat again. “I’ve informed James to have the video taken down from YouTube. No one will dispute the bloody pictures. ”
His brother paused, rubbing a hand over the back of his neck. “I don’t care about the pictures. I should own up to them anyway. It’s me in them.”
“But your career. All you’ve worked for thrown away just like,” Sebastian snapped his fingers, “that. Are you mad?”
Christian pointed at him. “You I recognize.” He plopped down in the nearest chair. “For a moment, you had me going. Flew all this way for nothing.”
“Don’t let me keep you from flying back.” Sebastian nodded in the direction of the foyer. “I have plans with Daisy tonight.”
Christian raised his brows and smirked. “Going over profit margins for her catering business?”
“Something like that,” he said lightly, unable to confide his fear to his brother.
“Some things never change and they never should, I guess. Might make the world stop spinning.” Christian grabbed several biscuits, wrapped them up in a napkin, and stood. “Cheers, Bastian.”
“Have a safe flight home, and tell Zoe I said hello,” Sebastian said, walking with Christian to the foyer.
Christian nodded. “I know the way out.”
Just as his brother closed the front door, the French doors in the kitchen swung open, and Ivan burst inside, dripping wet. “I lost her.”
“You lost who?” Panic swelled inside of him, threatening to explode.
Ivan flicked water off his hands. “The little countess disappeared.”
“How in the hell did that happen?” The worst possible situations flashed through Sebastian’s mind. She’d left him, without a note of goodbye. Someone had kidnapped her and he’d soon get a note asking for money. A member of his family had kidnapped her and he’d soon receive a package with her finger or hand in it, if he didn’t come back into the family fold.
Grabbing his phone and shoving it into his pocket, he strode to a large picture on the far wall and swung it open. The safe had been installed the day after he closed on it. He punched in the code, opened it, and reached inside to pull out a Glock similar to the one Ivan carried.
He examined it. All three safety features remained activated, until he pulled the trigger. Smiling grimly, he shoved it in the waistband of his jeans and pulled his t-shirt over it.
Starting for the door, he pivoted and headed to the bathroom. Without hesitation, he barged inside, read the instructions she’d left on the counter, and then studied the sticks.
His heart careened wildly for a moment, relief palpable at finally having an answer.
“Mr. Romanov?” Ivan called from the back.
Sebastian left the bathroom, determined strides matching his mood. “Let’s go.”
They exited the house through the French doors. The wet grass was slick beneath his boots as the sun sank below the horizon. Fog had begun to roll in—naturally. “Tell Boris to bring flashlights.”
Ivan followed. “I’ve secured the perimeter around Hawkfell Hall. No Romanovs, besides your brother and mother, have been spotted in the area.”
Of course his mother had been there. She’d probably been doing her weekly dancing on Vladimir’s grave routine.
He and Ivan walked the property for an hour, finding no sign of her. No amount of texts or voice mails made her return his calls. He could only hope she was still too mad and hurt to answer him.
“Security cameras show her dashing off in the direction of the lake,” Ivan said as he hung up his phone.
“Shit.” Pulling out his phone, he texted Daisy one last time. Where are you?
She didn’t answer him and his body became cold. Numb. He’d never forgive himself if something had happened to her, whether by accident or on purpose.
He ran for the lake.
Fifteen minutes later, he stood at the edge of the water and shielded his eyes with his hand.
He found Daisy, sitting at the boat launch with her feet in the water.
Relief shot through him so quickly that his knees went weak. She was safe. She’d been safe the entire time. Relief gave way to righteous anger.
He handed Ivan his gun. “Give us some privacy.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Small fish nibbled at her feet, tickling her, but Daisy didn’t have the strength to smile or laugh.
When she’d first found this spot a couple of hours ago, she’d still been mad. Still had been hurt and unwilling to think Sebastian was anything but heartless. Was anything but a man worth knowing.
But the longer she sat, the more she began to think that she could have been wrong to have let her temper fly so hot. She could have been a little hasty in writing him off. After all, he was still Jules. He was still the man who’d been there for her through the never-ending bills, through her breakup with Glen, through selling her house…everything.
He was also the man who’d used his knowledge of her to do nothing but good things. Thoughtful things, like showing up when she needed someone. Buying her cupcakes for outrageous sums of money. Telling off Glen and Nina. Remembering everything she liked and didn’t, had offered to pay for her bills by purchasing a billion cupcakes…and a whole host of things that people who cared about each other did.
But he’d lied to her.
Only—what made her so pure and good?
She’d been willing to lie for him for money. He lied to her for no other reason than to get to know her, to let her get to know him. The side, he’d confessed, that he was terrified to share with anyone else.
“Why in the hell haven’t you answered my calls?”
Turning, she was stunned to see Sebastian standing beside her, his face harsh and his blue eyes like hot flames.
Her heart stuttered.
Despite everything he still made her heart beat fast, he still made her sigh, and…he was still her Jules. He was still her Sebastian, and had become everything to her.
“Did you actually fly to my house the night Glen broke up with me?”
“Yes.”
So her mind hadn’t been playing tricks on her. “And when you sent me the celebrity look-alike picture?”
“It was actually me at a bachelor party for Prince Damien. Christian has the exact same suit.”
All along, he’d been giving her clues but she hadn’t bothered to investigate them, mostly because it seemed outrageous. Heck, becoming his fiancée was outrageous, yet she had done it anyway.
“Does your time still belong to me, Jules?” she asked softly, not moving. Sebastian looked dark, dangerous, like he’d pounce on her at any moment if she breathed too deeply.
His face softened, just a little, and then he held out his hand. “Come with me, love.”
Time seemed to stand still.
Slowly, she got to her feet and put her hand in his. He jerked her to him, his fingers going to her hair and taking out the chopsticks. They fell on the cement dock with a small thud.
“I’ll buy you more.” He started in the direction of The Hall, his long legs eating up the distance. She had to jog to keep up with him.
“Well, I did want the private tour,” she said as they entered the family entrance.
Sebastian came to a sudden halt, backing her into a nearby corner. “Don’t. I’m barely holding on by a thread. The things I want to do to you right now aren’t civilized.”
Desire arched between them. She ran a finger down the front of his shirt, and then slipped her hand underneath. His stomach contracted and he drew in a sharp breath.
“What name should I scream when you’re inside of me—Jules or Bastian?”
He was on her in an instant, fingers digging into her shoulders. “Don’t care as long as you know it’s me. As long as you know I’m the one making you scream in the first place.” Then his mouth came down on hers, his tongue breaching her lips easily.
“Which you—Jules or Bastian?” she asked as his teeth caught the lobe of her ear. She gasped in pleasure. His hand found its way under her skirt and ripped off her panties.
“Spread your legs.”
Closing her eyes, she did as he asked. He slipped a long finger inside of her sex, finding her shamelessly wet. “If you don’t want this, tell me now.”
“I want this. You,” she said, her voice trembling. She trembled, but not in fear. This was how she always wanted to Glen to be with her. Demanding, yet concerned for her pleasure. Sebastian’s thumb pressed against her swollen clit and she moaned. His finger left her and she began to protest, until she heard the rough slide of his zipper, then the silken nudge of his cock as he bent his knees.
“Took my piercing out earlier, so…” The head of him entered her and he flexed his hips, driving deep. She cried out in pleasure.
“Wait…we don’t have—”
“Don’t need it.”
She gasped. “I’m—”
“Yes.” He dragged his lips across her throat and slid the smallest of distances inside of her. She grew wetter and groaned. He nipped at her chin. “Yes, you are. Two results, same answer.”
“Are you hap—”
“I’m bloody terrified.” He cupped a breast, thumb brushing a hard nipple. “You?”
She arched her throat and he nibbled his way up, finding the sensitive spot just below her ear. “I’m happy and scared…and you’re making it impossible for me to think straight right now.”
“Talk. Later.”
No further words were needed. He grasped her hips, digging his fingers in. If anyone came down this hallway, they would get an eyeful, but she didn’t care.
A delicious friction built up with every thrust. Her entire being centered on where they were joined. Flesh to flesh, their clothes separating them. Tension built. Desire flamed high. She wrapped her arms around him, holding on for dear life.
Her body burst into flames, tension snapped inside of her, giving way to wave after wave of pleasure. He surged against her, his body growing taut as he growled her name.
“I love you, Bastian,” she whispered as the tension left him and the room. “Now tell me your real name.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Sebastian could barely drag in enough air, he was panting so hard. Anger and desire had merged together, taking over his body and—
“I love you, Bastian,” Daisy whispered. “Now tell me your real name.”
“You love me?” he asked, leaning back slightly to look at her. She gave him a tremulous smile. “Yes.”
This required his entire brain, not just the one he’d been thinking with when he’d ripped off her panties. He let himself slip out of her and readjusted his clothes. “Even after all the lies and what I said earlier about conquer—”
She placed a finger against his lips. “Even after all of that.”
He kissed the tip of her finger before she gently pushed it away. “Tell me your real name.”
“Sebastian Julian Westmoreland Romanov. Jules is short for Julian. I’m named for my mother’s father, the Duke of Everham.” He gave her a wry smile.
“So you gave me part of the truth.”
“Yes.” Brushing back her dark hair, he took her hand, lacing their fingers together. “But I meant every word of every email, every text, every chat…those were me, Daisy.”
Truth colored his words, bright and bold.
She smiled. “Let’s go home, Sebastian.”
“You haven’t any shoes on,” he pointed out.
“Oh. Can we stay here or will you get Ivan to pick us up?” she asked.
Taking her hand in his, he steered her down the hallway and to the right, stopping at a bathroom along the way. “I’d rather not stay here. My memories of this place growing up weren’t the best,” he said through the cracked open door while she cleaned up.
Opening the door, she stepped out and gazed at him, happiness radiating from her.
The color in her face was nearly back to normal, though he knew the blush in her cheeks and the sparkle in her eyes had been put there by him. She’d fixed her hair, piling it into a large bun on top of her head, streams of multi-colored tips sticking out every which way.
She was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.
“What about now?” she asked, her head tilting to one side.
“Now?”
“After…” She glanced down the hall, in the direction they had traveled only seconds ago.
“Oh? Yes, well, that certainly—” He flushed and bit his lip, running a hand through his hair.
She stared at him in bemusement.
Yes, he, the Earl of Spenserfield, the former president of Romanov Industries, was actually blushing over sex. But it wasn’t over sex. It was over the connection that flowed between them, the love in her eyes, and his baby inside of her. Dipping his head, his peered at her through his lashes, unable to quite meet her eyes.
Gently taking his chin in her hand, she tipped it up. “Never be embarrassed with me, Sebastian.”
“I lo—not here,” he quickly amended. No way he’d tell her here. They needed to be at home, at The Rectory. Safe, dry, and warm while tucked into bed.