Raelynn flinched as if slapped. " Excuse me?" she choked. He completely blindsided her with that comment.
" There is no way you're going back to that job," Sebastian said, his face serious - his tone even more so.
" That ‘Job’ is my career, Sebastian. It's what I do," Raelynn said, completely dumbfounded.
" Not anymore," Sebastian snapped.
Raelynn gaped at him for a moment. Just who the hell did he think he was?! " You can't tell me what to do, Sebastian! I plan on working until I can't physically do the job. Then I'll go back to work after my maternity leave."
Sebastian scoffed incredulously. " Oh no you fucking won't."
Raelynn stood, fists balled at her sides. Oh, she was beyond angry now. " Screw you, Sebastian! That’s not your decision!" she yelled at him.
" You will not put your life and the life of our baby in danger because you want to chase after bad guys, Raelynn. Not fucking happening," Sebastian bit out, his eyes flashing angrily.
" Hey! I didn't give you shit when you went back to work after all that stuff happened to you!" Raelynn argued.
" That is not even close to the same thing and you know it!" Sebastian laughed bitterly.
" Whatever! Doesn't matter! You can't tell me what to do! I'm going back to work and there is nothing you can do about it! It's not your decision!" Raelynn shouted at him.
They were both standing on either side of the coffee table, glaring daggers at each other. It would have been comical with their height difference if Raelynn wasn’t so angry. Sebastian’s muscled 6’4 frame towering over Raelynn’s tiny 5’3 frame. She could only imagine what someone would think if they saw them right now. This little girl infuriating a giant would probably make people worry.
Sebastian made an aggravated noise as he shoved his hands into his hair and paced away from the table. When he turned back around, the tortured expression on his face was almost unbearable to look at. " Raelynn...it's one thing to put yourself back out there, I didn't like it and I didn't want you to do it but I understood. Now, we're talking about you and our baby. I can't...you can't do that to me. What if you get shot again? Not only could I loose you, but our baby too? I couldn't handle that," he croaked, his eyes pleading with her.
" Sebastian, do you realize what you're asking me to give up? I love my job," Raelynn frowned.
" And I love you! So much it fucking hurts!" Sebastian bellowed, clutching a fistful of his t-shirt over his heart with one hand. Then having realized what he said, his mouth snapped shut. His eyes widened and his face paled.
Raelynn's eyes widened too. Holy shit! He just told her that he loved her. And it was so much better then how she had ever imagined he would say it. She pictured him being sweet about it, possibly saying it after making love or something. But this, this was so much better. She knew for a fact that he truly meant it because he just blurted it out without thinking. She knew it was for real. There is no way he could have just said it to make her change her mind because he was just as shocked as she was that he said it.
Sebastian swallowed hard. " Did I just say what I think I said?" he asked tightly.
Raelynn fought not to smile. She rolled her lips in and nodded. Jesus, he looked like he was going to pass out.
Sebastian nodded jerkily and rubbed his chest. " That's what I thought," he wheezed and reached for the recliner. " I gotta sit," he muttered, and dropped onto the recliner. He continued to rub his chest with the heel of his palm.
Raelynn walked over and climbed onto his lap. She sat facing him. Sebastian was staring off into space. Poor guy. Raelynn cupped his face and lifted it so he had to look at her. Sebastian's green eyes were hesitant and wary. Raelynn realized he was afraid of her reaction. Raelynn leaned forward and kissed him tenderly on the lips.
" I love you too, Sebastian," she whispered against his lips.
" You do?" he breathed, his eyes sliding closed.
" So much it fucking hurts,” she said, using his own words.
Sebastian sucked in a sharp breath before his arms came around her and he crushed his mouth against hers. Raelynn moaned, kissing him back with everything she had and felt. Sebastian tangled his fingers in her hair and tilted her head, giving himself a better angle to kiss her more deeply.
Raelynn pulled back, giving him a few smaller kisses before leaning back to look at him.
Sebastian brushed her hair back from her face. " Does this mean you won't go back to work?" he asked hopefully.