Page 40 of Prognosis Temporary

Callie nodded. The light turned green and she removed her hand, watching as Sebastian returned to his silent vigil out the window. She wanted to pull over, crawl into his lap and just hold him. She wanted to wrap him up until the events of the day drifted away. He looked so untouchable at the moment, so distant, she just wanted to bring him back.

To her.

Use her body to ground him in the here and now, snatch him back from wherever it was he’d gone to.

But at the moment he looked too far away, too far gone. He certainly didn’t look like he needed anyone and the one drawback of being in a relationship where the two people in it completely avoided defining it as such was that she wasn’t sure how much she could push.

They were in it for better after all, not worse. And she couldn’t bear for him to reject her.

So she drove on and it wasn’t until she shut off the engine that Sebastian even acknowledged that they’d arrived at Jambalyn. Callie undid her seat belt and groped for the door handle.

‘No.’ He placed a stilling hand on hers. ‘Go home. I’ll do the paperwork and follow you.’

A hot jab to Callie’s chest stole her breath. He was dismissing her and it hurt. ‘Sebastian, I don’t mind hanging around. I could — ’

‘No, really,’ he interrupted, giving her hand a squeeze she assumed was meant to reassure her. ‘I think I need to...It’s been a long day and I really want to get things straight in my head.’ He smiled at her. ‘I can never think straight around you. I think I need to just be alone for a bit.’

Callie smiled at his little joke, even though tears scalded the backs of her eyes and she felt as if a huge fist had been rammed into her heart. He was pushing her away. She knew she had no claim on him or any right to expect anything but, still, she wanted to be there, wanted him to want her to be there.

To reach for her, not push her away.

‘Of course,’ she said, forcing a note of professional courtesy into her voice. He would know better than her what she needed and she had to give him the space he was asking for like she would any other professional.

She buckled up her seat belt again. ‘No problems. I’ll see you when you get home.’

He nodded, unbuckled his belt and exited the car.

––––––––

Sebastian insertedhis key into Callie’s door. He felt old and weary and he wanted her. Needed her. He knew he’d disappointed her by pushing her away earlier but he needed her now. After a harrowing afternoon he needed to get lost in her, to take him away from the memories that had dogged him since their call out to Frank’s place.

His father. His childhood. Afghanistan.

He needed to look forward, not back. To affirm that life was good and right and decent.

‘Callie?’ he called as he threw his keys on the hallstand. He didn’t get an answer so he called again as he walked into the empty lounge. Hearing water running, he headed towards the bedroom. ‘Callie?’

Her, ‘In the shower,’ drifted towards him and his pulse quickened.

Toeing his shoes off he stopped only to strip off his socks before walking past her bed towards the en suite and then through the open doorway that connected the two rooms to find her, as she had already said, in the shower.

She was gloriously wet and naked, her head tipped back, her eyes shut as she washed shampoo out of her hair. Soapy water sluiced down her long, strong body, over her breasts and the curve of her belly and down her thighs.

Bubbles clung to her nipples.

He hardened instantly and reached for his top button. She opened her eyes and stared directly at him with soft eyes that seem to see right inside him, and he got harder. Their gazes locked as he stripped off his shirt, undid his belt, pushed off his trousers and underwear.

Sebastian didn’t ask permission, just opened the shower door, stepped inside and reached for her. She came to him eagerly, plastering her wet body against him and he devoured her mouth, needing it, needing her more than he needed air, his pulse pounding through his head.

Pushing her back against the wall, he trapped her body against the cold tiles and she met his ardour with startling ferocity. Her nipples were two hard points against his chest as he ground his erection against the hot slick heart of her.

He needed more though. So much more.

Tearing his mouth from hers Sebastian moved lower, capturing a nipple as his hand moved to her other breast, his thumb circling and flicking. He sucked hard and she cried out as his teeth grazed the tight bud in his mouth and Sebastian wanted to roar his satisfaction.

But he wasn’t the only one exploring lower as her hand clamped around his erection. He groaned as sparks of electricity spread to his balls and the base of his spine. She angled him to her entrance and Sebastian slid his hands under her buttocks, lifted her feet off the floor and anchored her against the wall with his hips and chest.

‘God...I want you so bad,’ he muttered as her legs automatically circled his waist and his rampant, aching cock nudged at her centre.

---