Page 14 of Reactant

“Not that I know of, but honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised. She’s a wild child.”

“You mean she was?”

Peyton snorted quietly. “No, I mean sheis. She kept six boys in line; were you expecting her to be someone quiet?”

Sebastian hadn’t really put a lot of thought into it. He didn’t think much about mothers in general, really, but he knew that was his hang-up and not anything to do with anyone’s mother but his own. And the last mothers he’d met had been Quinn’s mother and grandmother. He preferred not to dwell on it, because that loss sat just as heavy as losing Quinn had.

He coaxed Peyton back a step, careful to keep him balanced, and moved his head under the water, rinsing the shampoo out. He lingered, playing with the strands even after the last of the shampoo was gone.

“Feels nice,” Peyton said quietly, opening his eyes. Pearls of water formed at the end of his lashes.

He had beautiful eyes. They both had dark blue eyes, but there was something about Peyton’s that captured a soul. The sadness, maybe. A watery midnight grave of loss and pain.

Sebastian cupped Peyton’s cheek and leaned down, their lips sliding gently together. Peyton swayed against him. Sebastian’s tongue slid inside, seeking. He tightened his hold on Peyton’s cheek as they explored each other, easy and soft, without the kind of urgency that Sebastian was used to.

He was careful to avoid Peyton’s left arm as he ran his hand down Peyton’s side to rest on his hip. His dick was taking notice of the fact he had a gorgeous, naked body against his, but he had no desire to take things further. This wasn’t about sex. It was about grounding, reassurance,touch.

“I’m sorry,” Peyton whispered against his lips. “I’m so sorry.”

Sebastian’s throat seized, and he rested their foreheads together, keeping his eyes closed. “You have nothing to apologise for.”

“You told me to stop, and I…” Peyton cut off with a broken sound.

Sebastian captured his lips again, trying to pour his feelings into the kiss. Peyton made a sound and pressed harder, his fingers digging into Sebastian’s arm.

He kissed Peyton’s jaw, the curve of his neck, and his shoulder. There was a light bruise that made Sebastian pause. He swallowed hard as he kissed it, wishing he could remove it with a single touch.

“We were in that situation because of me.” Though it was less than he’d expected at the time he’d signed on the dotted line, he’d always known getting into bed with Hunter—figuratively—would mean putting himself in front of a firing line that wasn’t normal even for his line of work. He’d never imagined it would put someone he cared about in danger as well. His family had always kept their distance from his job, and before and after Quinn, he’d neverhadanyone else he cared enough for to worry about any impact it could have on them. He’d thought he’d buried his heart when he and Quinn had buried their relationship.

“Did you ask them to come into your house and try to kill you?” Peyton asked.

That felt like a trick question. “No?”

Sebastian reached for the conditioner, and this time he poured it directly onto Peyton’s head before carding the thick substance through the strands.

“Then it wasn’t because of you. They were obviously unhinged.”

“It was about a case I worked.” He understood where Peyton was coming from, but the logic was still on his side. They’d been there forhim, not Peyton.

“I know,” Peyton said. “That still doesn’t give anyone the right to assault you. To come into your home with guns.”

“I should still be the one saying sorry to you, not the other way around.”

“Jesus, no,” Peyton said, twisting until they were facing each other. “Your sense of self-preservation sucks ass, and maybe you need to learn how to keep your mouth shut in tense situations, but you don’t owe me an apology. Ever. I’m the monster here, not you.” His lips thinned, and he looked away, a muscle in his jaw twitching. “I mean—”

“I know what you mean,” Sebastian said. “And you’re wrong.”

Peyton wasn’t a monster. He’d saved Sebastian’s life. Monsters didn’t save lives. They didn’t care about the world around them. They didn’tlove. Peyton was kind and caring, and he loved fiercely. Sebastian hadn’t known him long, but he knew all of those things with absolute certainty.

He kissed Peyton again, tasting the inhaled breath as he cradled Peyton’s face in his hands. “It’s not what I see when I look at you.”

“But—”

“Not even after that. I’m a criminal lawyer, Peyton. Do you think my hands are clean? You think all of my clients are innocent?”

“It’s different.”

“It isn’t.” He kissed Peyton’s temple. “It isn’t,” he repeated. “Time for your sponge bath.”

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