Tinley runs over to join in the intimate family moment, and Aiylin steps out of the room to give them some time.
Walking down the hall, she wipes away a stray tear as she steps to the window in the foyer.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen so much snow,” she says to herself.
“You didn’t have to leave, Aiylin,” Sebastian says from behind her.
She turns to look at him, and her eyes startle him, not because of the beautiful color but because of the emotion radiating from them. “Yes, I did, Sebastian.”
He walks forward and dares to touch her face. When she doesn’t back away, he steps closer. Close enough that she can feel the heat radiating from his body.
“Are you real?” he whispers.
“Very,” she smiles up at him.
“How is it that you aren’t taken?” he demands.
“Who says I’m not?” she jokes and tries to back away but bumps into the windowsill.
“Nowhere to run, Aiylin,” he wraps a hand around her neck, drawing her towards him until his body is touching hers. “I'm going to kiss you now,” he whispers just before his mouth closes over hers and stars explode behind her eyes. She gasps, opening her mouth to him and Sebastian tastes.
Aiylin slips a hand into his hair, gripping him fiercely as if afraid he will disappear. When his tongue touches hers, Aiylin’s knees buckle, and he drags her closer to his body. He should stop, but all rational thought escapes him the moment his mouth takes hers.
Until this moment, Aiylin had thought that kissing was overrated. The few men she allowed close enough to kiss her were bumbling oafs. Sebastian claims her mouth and marks her for life. Never again will she think of a kiss without remembering this moment. Hot, heat, desperation, and desire erupt inside her as if dormant. A fire waiting for a spark.
Softly she pushes him back to stare up at him in surprise.
“Again,” he demands and pulls her back in.
Sebastian whirls her around and backs her towards the side of the staircase, away from any chance of being seen. This time she tastes, mimicking his movements and smiling against his mouth when he gasps and forces himself to step away from her.
Bereft, that is the only way to describe how she feels when he moves away from her. Aiylin’s eyes once filled with sadness, have now intensified with desire. She covers her swollen lips with one hand and stares at him.
“Sebastian?”
The sound of her husky voice speaking his name has him stepping into her and pulling her back against his chest.
“Tell me you aren’t spoken for, Aiylin. Is there a man waiting for you at home?” She stares at him and smiles.
“No. I’m not spoken for,” she replies and touches his face reverently. I was waiting for this, she realizes. Surprise rippled through her body and soul, causing her to step back from him. “I should go,” she stops speaking when he smiles at her.
“Yes, you probably should,” he waits until she turns and rushes away to walk to his office and sit heavily in a chair.
Chapter 14
Aiylin walks back into the room and finds Tinley with Elizabeth looking at treasures from Christmas’s past.
“What are you looking for Oma?” Tinley asks excitedly.
“One of these boxes has our advent calendar,” Elizabeth is breathing heavy and chewing her lip in concern. “My grandmother quilted it when I was a child. I remember sitting and watching her work. I even added some of the stitches.”
Aiylin frowns as she watches Elizabeth grow more and more agitated.
“I’ll look Elizabeth, you sit and have some tea,” Aiylin says softly and guides her to a chair near the fire.
“Yes, thank you. It needs to go up today. Tomorrow is the first day of December. The box is labeled.”
“Of course. Don’t worry. I will find it.” Aiylin nods and begins reading boxes, moving the ones she can lift until she’s buried behind them.
“Do you see it?” Elizabeth asks, leaning forward with her hot tea.
“See what?” Sebastian calls as he walks in.
Aiylin pops up behind a box, “Found it!” she shouts, startling him.
Sebastian shouts and clutches his heart dramatically.
Tinley laughs, pointing at him, “Daddy! You look funny!”
Aiylin covers her mouth and ducks back down, so they don’t see her laugh. Her musical laughter has him popping over the boxes to look down at her. She’s wiping tears away and struggling to contain herself.
“That was unexpected,” he says with a grin. “Do you need help?”
“Yes, please,” she replies.
Sebastian ducks around and her heart pounds when he backs her up to the boxes. “This feels familiar,” he teases. His dark eyes grow dark as her mouth parts in surprise.
“Do you see it, Sebastian?” his Mother calls.
“Yes,” he says, and she points to the box on the ground.
“That one.”
“Are you sure it isn’t this one?” he points to the stacks behind her stepping closer to her.
Her eyes drop to his mouth, and her smile fades. “Perhaps,” she murmurs.
Tinley chooses that moment to pop around the corner and startle them both. She giggles and points at them. “Gotcha!”
“Tinley Becker!” Sebastian shouts clutching his heart.
“You should know better than to scare an old man, Tinley!” Aiylin laughs ducking around him.
“But it’s so easy,” Tinley giggles and runs from her father. Aiylin’s laughter has his eyes narrowing.
“I would think that you would know better than to encourage such naughtiness,” Sebastian snaps.
“It’s one of my faults,” Aiylin reaches up and touches his face gently. “I’m sorry, do you need a nap to refresh you?” He grips her waist and pulls her against his body, enjoying the gasp that escapes.
“Don’t tease me, Aiylin. I fear I could become addicted to the taste
