Page 102 of Taken Off Camera
Sebastian’s grip tightens in response. “That’s it. Let me hear you.”
Our bodies move together with increasing desperation, finding a rhythm that builds and builds until I gasp with each downward thrust. Sebastian’s hands roam my body, touching every part of me he can reach as though memorizing my contours through his fingertips.
The pressure coils tighter at the base of my spine, a spring wound to its breaking point. Sebastian must sense how close I am because his hand moves between us, wrapping around my length with enough pressure to push me toward the edge.
“Sebastian,” I pant, my fingers digging into his shoulders through his shirt.
“I love you, Micah,” Sebastian says, the words tumbling out on a broken exhale. His eyes lock with mine, raw emotion spilling across his scarred face. “I love you.”
The confession cracks open the lonely space in my chest, the part of me convinced I’d never be good enough to have a family of my own.
“I love you, too,” I gasp back, the words breaking free from a place I never realized existed. “So, so much.”
Sebastian thrusts up as I rock down, our bodies locked together as pleasure crashes through me in waves. He clutches me close as he follows, his face buried against my neck, teeth grazing the Mark he left there.
For long moments, we stay joined, our breathing slowing in tandem. I rest my forehead on his, our sweat-slick skin sticking. The chair creaks beneath us, protesting our combined weight and recent activity.
“We should move,” I murmur once my breathing steadies, though my body remains boneless and unwilling to separate from his.
“Not yet.” Sebastian’s arms tighten around me. “Stay here for a minute.”
I settle in his lap, our bodies still connected, though the urgency has faded. The monitors continue their silent surveillance, tracking Travis somewhere out in the city while we remain cocooned in our temporary sanctuary.
“I’ve been thinking,” Sebastian says after a comfortable silence. His hand traces patterns on my back, fingertips following the ridges of my spine. “About what happens after.”
Curious, I pull back to see his face. “After Travis?”
“Yes.” Sebastian’s expression turns serious despite our intimate position. “I want you to move here. To the manor. Permanently.”
The request catches me off guard, and I shift in his lap, causing us both to hiss as our still-sensitive bodies respond.
“If you still want to cam, I’ll have one of the empty suites converted for your studio,” he continues, his eyes intent on mine. “We can set it up however you want. But I… I don’t want to go back to living in separate spaces when this is over.”
The practicality of his offer and planning for my work should reassure me. Instead, a knot forms in my stomach, tightening with each word. Our bodies are still joined, yet a new distance opens between us.
“I worked hard for my apartment.” I ease off his lap, the separation leaving me empty and cold. “My independence.”
Sebastian straightens, dealing with the condom before he tucks himself away and refastens his pants. “I know, and I’m not asking you to give up your independence. Just your address.”
“That’s not how it works.” I pull my boxers and jeans up, fastening them with unsteady fingers. “Living here, surrounded by your family, your security, your wealth— It changes things.”
Sebastian stands, and I tilt my head back to maintain eye contact. “Changes what? My feelings for you? Your feelings for me?”
“No, it changesme.” I run a hand through my hair, frustration building. “This place isn’t neutral ground, Sebastian. It’s Rockford territory. Everything here operates by rules your family established generations ago.”
“Rules that will protect you,” he counters, his voice rising. “You’ve seen what we can do. How fast we can mobilize when one of our own is threatened.”
“And that’s just it.” I snatch up my sweatshirt and step back, needing physical space to think. “I’d be protected because I’m ‘one of yours.’ Not because of who I am, but because ofthis.” My fingers touch the Mark on my neck, still sensitive from Sebastian’s attention.
Sebastian’s jaw tightens. “So were you never planning for this to be permanent between us?”
“What?” My mouth drops open, before I snap it closed. “That’s not what I’m saying at all!”
“Then do you want me to move in with you?” he asks.
The thought of Sebastian slumming it in my crappy apartment is so ridiculous, I can’t even imagine it. He deserves so much better than the life I’ve managed to scrape together. But if it’s not good enough for him, and I’m not good enough for Rockford Manor, then where does that leave us?
“That’s what I thought,” Sebastian says, seeing my answer on my face. He reaches for my hand. “I’m not asking you to surrender your independence to my family, Micah. I’m asking you to join it. To be my partner as well as my mate. There’s a difference.”
