Ruined (Barnes Brothers #4)

Hell, he couldn’t even sound stupid yet because he hadn’t voiced the questions, but that didn’t matter. He’d be stupid for Marin Lassiter. He’d been that way his whole life anyway. Why change now?

Mind racing at a hundred miles an hour, he followed her into her room and stood there as she dropped her purse and turned to look at him. Arms folded across her chest, she stared at him and it hit him that he’d never seen her look vulnerable.

It made him want to pull her against him and protect her from the whole damn world.

It also made any lingering anger he felt drain away.

He’d been stupid drunk. She’d been there for him—again.

And things had . . . happened.

Now they were going to have a baby. Maybe if he was lucky she even felt something for him.

He took a step toward her.

Marin lifted her chin.

It made him smile and that made her narrow her eyes. She had the most stubborn chin. Coming to a stop in front of her, he reached up, fisting his hand around her braid and tugging. When her head went back, he pressed his lips to her chin, then skimmed down lower.

Marin held herself still.

Since she wasn’t arguing, he decided to move lower still.

She’d pulled on an oversized men’s dress shirt over a tank top and he curled an arm around her waist, steadying her as he went lower, his lips tracing the lacy edge of the tank.

Her hands went to his hair. “Sebastien, what are you . . .”

The words trailed away when he cupped her breast in his hands. “You’re already getting bigger.”

“I know.”

Lifting his head, he stared into her flushed face. “I want to see you.”

“I was half-naked in front of you and the crew for most of the day,” she pointed out.

“That’s work. This is . . .” His gaze dropped lower and he gripped the hem of her shirt. “I want to see you.”

After a few seconds, she shrugged out of the dress shirt. But when she went to pull the tank top off, he took over. All day, she’d worn that sexy, alluring underwear, designed to tempt a man to insanity. Now she was basic black and Sebastien didn’t think he’d ever seen anything quite so enticing.

And she was bigger, her breasts so full, they were straining the cups of the bra.

When he freed the front clasp, she made a soft noise in the back of her throat.

His eyes shot to hers. “Okay?”

“Ah . . . yeah.” She licked her lips and he leaned in, rubbing his mouth against hers. “I just . . . Why aren’t we talking?”

“We are talking.”

“You’re working on getting me naked. That’s a different kind of talking and we both know it.” Her hands gripped his shoulders, tightening as he went to his knees and pressed a kiss to her belly.

“True. I just . . .” Sebastien pressed his mouth to her belly again. Marin was slim. Hollywood pretty much dictated it, but she’d been blessed with a long, slender frame anyway. Her belly was still flat, but under his mouth, he was almost positive that there was a firmness that hadn’t been there before. “You’re pregnant. My baby is growing inside you.”

Slowly, he lifted his eyes upward and stared at her.

Marin’s lips parted on a shaky sigh and she nodded. “I guess . . . well, you don’t look mad about it.”

“Mad . . .” Sebastien stood up and pulled her against him. Her lower body tucked in tight against his cock. “Well, I guess it would all depend on your definition of the word. Mad, desperate, insane . . . if that’s the usage you’re going with? Maybe I am mad.”

He rubbed his cheek against hers, breathing in the scent of her.

Her fingers curled into his shirt, drawing him closer, although there just wasn’t any way he could get as close as he wanted to be, as he needed to be. Not unless she was naked and he was inside her and she was clinging to him, as desperate and driven as he felt.

“But angry . . . no.” He caught her lower lip, tugged. “I’m not angry. I’m a lot of things but that’s not what I am now. Maybe earlier, but not now.”

“What are you?” Her voice shuddered, trembling.

“I don’t think it’s possible to explain that in words.” He picked her up then and carried her over to the table—it was the nearest flat surface. Her breasts lifted for him, the cups of the bra falling to the side. He caught the straps and smoothed them down, out of the way. There were faint red marks under her breasts from the band and he kissed them. At the same time, he splayed his hand over her belly. “I can’t really explain how I’m feeling. I know I’m excited. Happy. And I know what I want.”

“And what is that?” Her voice broke into a whisper and she stared at him, almost afraid to ask.

“This . . .” He rubbed a slow circle over her belly. “I want this.” He pressed a kiss to her chest, just above her heart. “And this.”

He came back up over her and kissed her mouth. “This. All of you . . . the baby. Everything. Can I have you, Marin?”

Her response was to reach for him.

It wasn’t the yes he’d been hoping for, but for now, he’d take it.

Her skin felt almost feverish against his, shockingly hot. Her eyes burned hot, bright. “Are we really doing this?” she asked.

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