Waking Sebastian by Melinda Barron Page B

telling yourself to listen.”
    “You know what, Charles. Right now I hate your guts. Get away from me.”
    “You hate the fact I’m right. The more you think about it the more you’ll realize that.” His laughter was deep.
    “Charles?”
    She waited for his murmured, “Yes?” before she said, “Go to hell.”

Chapter Seven
     
     
    Michelle tried to sleep, but every time she closed her eyes she could see Sebastian’s face: the crooked tilt of his mouth when he smiled, and the look of pain in his deep blue eyes as he described coming to the cove for one hundred and eighty six years to watch the sunrise every morning.
    She tried to imagine what that would be like, to return to the same area day after day, knowing nothing would ever change, and then suddenly having a woman notice you where no one else ever had. No wonder he’d been so eager to touch her the first night, and the second and third. Who could blame him?
    Not that she was complaining. His touch had been magical, and she’d loved every second of it. Right up until the time the word love had spilled out of Marta’s mouth.
    She lay in bed now, staring up at the gathering of mosquito netting. It met in the center and moved outward, covering the entire bed, caging her in. Much like Sebastian is caged in, only he can’t leave his prison. She recognized Charles’ voice in her mind but she ignored it.
    He didn’t need to be giving her advice. She had created him, hadn’t she? She’s the one who thought for him. He didn’t need to do the same for her.
    “Maybe he does,” she thought, sitting up in the center of the bed and looking out over the room. The sun was still up, which meant she’d gotten very little sleep. She needed to lie back down, try and drift off. She had work to do tonight, pages that needed to be written or Sandra would come after her, stand over her shoulder with a bat and make sure Michelle pounded out the words to get her story done in time to make her deadline.
    She mulled over her options. She could sleep, she could write, or she could go on her own little treasure hunt, see if she could find Sebastian’s lair. It couldn’t be anywhere in the house, since Mark had totally redone it. He’d told her they’d gutted the place and started from scratch, adding new plumbing and electricity before putting up new walls and redoing rooms to add bathrooms and turn massive rooms into only slightly huge rooms.
    “Kate, I wish you were here right now. I need someone to talk to.”
    “You have me,” Charles said. He lounged at the end of the bed, his feet hanging over the edge, swinging back and forth to move the net. “And as much as I sympathize with Sebastian’s plight, I must say my cock needs attention. I suggest you write.”
    “Your cock always needs attention, Charles. You’re the horniest hero I’ve created in quite some time.”
    “Thank you.” The note of arrogance in his voice made her smile. “Perhaps a hand job? I do love those when they’re done right, with her sweet hand putting just the right amount of pressure on my staff. And of course, I would return the favor. Hannah is so soft and willing now. She’s waiting patiently.”
    “I’m sure she is.” Michelle walked to her computer. It reawakened and she checked the time. A little after six. That meant she had a few more hours until the sun set. But she had no idea where to begin searching for Sebastian. Maybe she should try in the morning, when Sebastian disappeared. He had to walk to his lair, didn’t he? He couldn’t fly there, or just magically appear and reappear.
    Of course she knew that he could, though, because that is exactly what he’d done—poofed in and out. But if he had to come to the cove every morning, his hiding place must be close by. Maybe it was underground, or located in some sort of…cave. Was there a cave near the cove?
    Could be, but putting it that close to the shore could be dangerous if a hurricane visited the area. Unless the