Never Gonna Happen - Cynthia Eden Page 0,54

I lost you.”

“You’d be fine.” An instant response. “I mean, you slept with me once, it hardly—”

He kissed her again. Rougher this time. Deeper. Harder. “Fine,” he growled against her lips, “doesn’t even begin to describe what I’d be. I can’t risk you.”

“Doctor’s coming!” Antony called out.

Sebastian slowly backed away.

A moment later, the doctor entered, and he was tailed by a watchful Antony. The doctor went over a few instructions—mostly about trying to keep her stitches dry and not doing any heavy lifting—and she listened to him, she did, but her attention also kept slipping to Sebastian.

He stood near the doorway. His arms were crossed over his chest. He appeared tense and hard, and his gaze was still as dangerous as before.

Only now, she knew he wasn’t just pissed.

“I want to fuck you, not intimidate you.” His words played through her mind once more. Her body ached, and she realized that as soon as they were alone…

The control that he was holding onto—the control she could see now—would vanish.

“Any questions?” the doctor asked.

She shook her head. She just wanted to leave.

“I’m assuming you’ll have someone to take you home?” the doctor pushed. He glanced over at Antony. “Your brother?”

“I’ll be taking her home,” Sebastian responded.

Antony threw him a hard glance. “I think we need to talk. Outside.”

The doctor’s brow furrowed. “Is there a transportation issue?”

“Oh, there’s an issue.” Antony’s smile was grim. “But we’ll work it out, don’t you worry.” He inclined his head toward Sebastian. “I gave you time to talk with her alone, but now, you’ll want to talk with me. You owe me that.”

She held her breath as the two men filed out.

The doctor frowned at them.

“It’s okay,” she assured him. “Like my brother said, they’ll work this out.”

He nodded. Went back to studying her file.

And Alyssa tried to ignore the sinking in her stomach, the rough feeling that told her…no, they might not work things out.

***

“You think I’m just going to let you take my sister home?” Antony stared at him as if Sebastian had gone crazy. “After what has already happened between the two of you—”

“I’m keeping her safe.”

“Yeah, well, you’re also trying to get her into your bed!”

Not trying. I already had her there. But he did want her in his bed again. And again. “I get that I owe you some hits, but that shit is going to have to wait.”

“This isn’t a joke!”

“That’s why I’m not laughing.” He stared solemnly at his friend. “I understand you’re furious. She’s your sister, you want what’s best for her, and we damn well know that I’m not it.”

“Look, that’s—”

“On most days,” Sebastian corrected, “I’m not it. On this freaking day, with this mess that’s going down, I’m exactly what she needs. I can keep her safe.”

“So can I! You think I wouldn’t risk everything for her?”

He surged forward. “And you think I wouldn’t?”

Antony blinked. “She’s my family. I love her.”

“She certainly proved she loved you when she jumped in front of you and that bullet.”

Antony’s nostrils flared. “She’d do the same to save you. That’s who Alyssa is. You get that, don’t you? Her heart has always been too big. She wants to help everyone. Thinks everyone deserves a chance, that good is just out there waiting in the world. She’s a freaking Mary Poppins. I spent my teenage years shielding her because while Alyssa might think the world is sunshine and roses, it’s not.”

“She knows that.” Anger hummed in his voice. “She’s not a kid any longer. Stop treating her like one.”

“I love her,” Antony said again, voice thickening. “Can you say the same?”

Just over Antony’s shoulder, Sebastian caught a flash of movement. His head cocked a little as he strained to get a better look at the fellow who’d just entered the corridor.

A nurse moved to the side, and Sebastian saw Winston hurrying forward. The detective didn’t look happy.

Yeah, buddy, join the club.

“That’s what I thought,” Antony snapped. “And if you don’t love her, then you need to stop this crap before she gets hurt. Hell, hurt more than she already has been.”

The hospital exam door opened.

Sebastian’s head immediately whipped toward the door—and Alyssa. Her eyes seemed extra dark. Extra deep.

And…sad?

Shit. What the hell had Antony been saying?

Sebastian had been distracted by Winston’s appearance, but he did a quick mental replay of the conversation with Antony. He’d heard the words even if he hadn’t processed them at the time, so it was mostly a matter of hitting a mental replay button in his