CHAPTER 28

The sights and sounds of the Cape hit Sebastian as soon as he crossed the bridge over Buzzard’s Bay. In the dimming evening light he could see the steep-roofed Cape Cod–style houses and the scrubby pine trees that lined the quiet roads. It was all just as he’d remembered. The clang of steel rigging, the creak of the shipyards, and the whistling of wind through the dunes would get louder as he came closer to Star Harbor.

But when he reached the ocean, it was the smell that would bring him home. That unmistakable tang of the salt water, the damp spray of the sea air intermingled with the aromas of fish, peeling paint, and dried shells. Day or night, the smell stayed the same.

Every time he came home he was hit right in the gut with the realization that even though he’d left, even though he’d escaped—to London, Paris, New York—he’d always belonged to Star Harbor, and always would. But returning had never felt as poignant to him as it did now. Because he wasn’t simply returning for himself. He was returning for Lexie Meyers.

The woman he simply could not live without.

When he’d woken up to an empty bed that morning, he’d been furious. Furious that she’d thought so little of him, and of herself. He’d bared his soul to her—something he’d never done before with any woman—and in return?

She’d run from him.

With any other woman, he would have tamped down his anger, let it go. Or simply found someone else.

Briefly, Seb laughed aloud.

With any other woman, it wouldn’t have happened. It had never happened before.

But with this one?

Thinking about that morning fanned the flames of his anger. Seb had wanted to immediately track her down and confront her. But he’d had to wait until he could get free from the restaurant. He had responsibilities to his investors, to his staff. People depended on him. He couldn’t just up and run without clearing his schedule first, but he’d taken off as soon as possible. And he knew exactly what he was going to do and say to Lexie Meyers when he saw her.

He’d hold her against him, crush his lips to hers and kiss her senseless. When she was calm, he’d stroke her body the way he knew she liked until she was mindless with pleasure. Until she admitted that she loved him.

Because she did. He knew it deep within the fibers of his being. Except she was too scared, too deeply scarred, to acknowledge it as love.

Seb gripped the handlebars of his bike more tightly as he rode toward Star Harbor. A chill wind lashed his body, but he barely felt it, heated as much by his anger as he was by his cold-weather motorcycle gear.

Sebastian was still high on adrenaline when he reached the outskirts of Star Harbor. He was still just as riled up when he parked his bike outside the LMK and pounded on the front door. After a few brief moments, he checked his watch. It was nine-thirty. The lights were on inside the restaurant, and he could see a dim light in the doorway to the kitchen, but no one was answering.

He walked around to the back alley, the dark street nearly pitch-black save for a small light outside the kitchen door. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he walked directly to the door and pounded on it.

And got no response.

Surely someone was still there. Why else would all the lights be on?

Just then, he heard something. A muffled grunt and a small shriek. But where was it coming from? Sebastian quickly glanced around the alley, and his eyes were drawn to the open doors of the underground cellar. A crash sounded into the night, and the tinkle of breaking glass preceded another small shriek.

“Lexie?” he called.

His heart pounded in his chest, and the adrenaline rush he’d been nursing kicked into even higher gear. Was Lexie down there? And was she in trouble?

As fast as he could, he ran to the open door of the cellar.

“Lexie?” he roared into the dark hole.

“Seb?” a small voice answered. “Help me!”

Needing no further encouragement, he vaulted down the small wooden staircase leading to the cellar floor. It was even darker down here than it had been in the alley. He blinked, trying to adjust to the near-blackness. But as soon as he turned around, he was met with a sharp punch to the face.

“Damn!” he yelled, grabbing his nose as he felt blood begin to trickle down. “What the—”

“It’s Frank!” Lexie screamed from a dark corner. “He’s here.”

“Lexie, get out of here!” Seb yelled, blinking his eyes furiously. He needed to see to be able to help.

“No, you get out of here,” a nasty voice said. “Alexandra and I have some unfinished business.”

“You’re disgusting,” Lexie said.

“I mean it, Lexie. If you can see, get out. Call Cole. Let me deal with this scumbag.”

“I’m not leaving you down here,” Lexie vowed. “He came prepared—he’s wearing night-vision goggles. He’ll kill you!”

“ ‘I’m not leaving you down here,’ ” Frank mimicked in a singsong voice. “I give you two good years and this is how you repay me?”

“By ‘two good years’ do you mean abusing her? ’Cause that’s what you did,” Sebastian said. He was rewarded with a punch to his stomach. “Oof,” he cried, doubling over in pain. Damn. He needed some light.

“Abuse her?” Frank laughed. “Is that what she told you? I gave this woman everything. Everything!” he screamed. “And what does she do? She runs away.”

Sebastian ignored him. “Lights, Lexie,” he yelled. “I need to see.”

Another punishing blow hit him, this time right on his chin. In the blackness, he saw stars. Sebastian was about to call out to Lexie again when the lights suddenly switched on.

Standing about four feet away was a well-built man a few inches shorter than himself. Seb took in no other aspect of his appearance besides the fact that he was, indeed, wearing night-vision goggles. Frank whipped out a knife, but Seb charged him anyway, knocking him down with one powerful blow. Trying to fight back, the man stabbed at him, but Sebastian’s skills as a fighter had been honed by his work with a professional trainer and years of practice with his brothers. Before the blow could fall, he grabbed Frank’s arm and forced it to the ground, pinning it with his leg. Frank dropped the knife. Then, methodically, Seb began to beat him senseless.

The man’s goggles cracked, then fell off entirely. Though Seb’s hands grew bruised and sore from the blows, he didn’t care. Blood swam before his eyes. It was satisfying in a way he never could have imagined to hurt the man who’d caused Lexie so much pain. Over and over again, he hit him, barely noticing that the man wasn’t even responding anymore.

Dimly he heard someone calling his name. It took several moments for him to realize that it was Lexie.

“Seb! Seb! Stop! Please, Seb! Oh, please stop. Please—” Her voice choked away on a sob.

Slowly, Seb became present in his own body again. He stopped punching the now unconscious man and focused his gaze on Lexie. She was standing at the bottom of the staircase, looking utterly disheveled. Soot covered her clothes and dirt was smeared on her face. Her hair had been pulled free of its pins and was hanging limply around her shoulders. She was clutching something in her fist so hard that her knuckles had turned white.

But the worst was the haunted, hollow look on her face.

Immediately, Sebastian leapt up and stood, hands by his side. He took a step toward her. “Lexie,” he said, imploring her to come to him.

Her eyes were glazed with fear. “No. D-don’t touch me.”

“Lexie.” His voice was almost a groan. “I’m sorry, but I just lost it.” When Lexie didn’t respond, Seb pressed. “He was hurting you. I couldn’t just let it stand. Lexie? Lexie, come on. Look at me.”

Lexie gave him a searching look. Though the fear didn’t quite leave her eyes, it abated enough to give Sebastian the opening he needed. Slowly, carefully, he walked toward her, still holding his hands by his side. When he reached her, he simply enveloped her in his arms. She felt so small, so vulnerable.

She was trembling, and he squeezed her gently to let her know that he was there, that he knew what she was going through, and that he wasn’t going to press her. Not now.

“Lexie. I would never hurt you. Understand?”

He felt her nod jerkily into his chest.

“I’m going to call Cole, all right?”

She nodded again, and he took his phone out of the pocket of his jeans and dialed Cole’s cell phone number. Seb’s nose and cheek stung from where Frank had clocked him, so he held the phone a few centimeters away from his face. He thanked his workout regime for the hard stomach muscles that had protected him from at least one of Frank’s sucker punches.

“And where the hell is Buster, anyway?” he asked as the phone rang.

“He left after work to go to Boston.” Her voice was muffled in his chest. “I asked Cole to pick me up at ten to take me home.”

“Jeez. So you were here all alone.” The line on the other end picked up. “Cole? Cole it’s me. Get down to the LMK right away. Lexie’s been attacked.” Cole swore so violently that even Seb, who’d heard it all before, cringed. “She’s scraped up, but no major damage. But send an ambulance anyway.” He clicked the phone shut. “Cole’s on his way.”

Lexie didn’t move or speak, and she made no acknowledgment that he had spoken. In fact, she was suspiciously quiet. “Lexie?” Sebastian pulled away from her, tucked his finger under her chin to lift her head, and quickly realized his mistake when he saw the tears that were flowing down her face in small rivulets.

Immediately, he embraced her. The hot wetness from her tears seeped into his shirt. At that moment, Sebastian didn’t care about anything but erasing her fears, erasing her horrible memories. He had no idea how much time had passed when he felt her pull his arm down and press something cold, hard, and metallic into his hand. He curled it in his fingers, but didn’t even glance at the object. Instead, he simply wrapped his arm back around her and held her tightly.

Sooner than he’d have thought, he heard the far-off sounds of ambulance and police sirens piercing the night air. As they grew louder he pressed her closer, knowing they’d soon be parted.

And then she was gone, whisked into the back of an ambulance despite her protests that she just wanted to go home. The last he saw of her, she was sitting on a gurney, Julie Kensington’s arm around her slim shoulders. She was leaning on Julie out of exhaustion or for support—Sebastian didn’t know which. He only knew it wasn’t him riding with her.

Frank had been handcuffed to the gurney, being personally escorted to the hospital by Cole. Seb had waved off the EMTs who’d tried to help him, preferring to let his body sting than to have someone other than Lexie touching him. At some point—Sebastian couldn’t say when—Val had shown up.

“C’mon bro,” Val said gently. “There’s nothing more you can do here tonight. Let’s go back to the boat, and I’ll take care of everything else.”

Seb nodded his assent.

“Leave your bike here,” Val said. “You’re in no shape to ride.” Val looked down at Seb’s hand. “What have you got there?” he asked.

Seb lifted his hand and uncurled his fist. There, in the center of his palm, lay an old metal key. It was covered in Frank’s blood.

Val’s eyes widened. “Is that—”

“Not my blood,” Seb said tersely. “And I think it’s evidence. I’ll get it to Cole tomorrow.”

They walked back to Val’s boat in silence. Once on board, Sebastian went to the guest cabin he shared with Cole. His mind a riot of images, he rolled into his small berth and waited in vain to be rocked to sleep by the roll and pitch of the boat.

* * *

Sebastian groaned as he woke up from yet another dreamless sleep. Though it had been three days since Frank’s attack, his head still pounded, his cheek still smarted, and his nose was still sore. He’d finally sucked it up and gone to see Julie, who had told him that he’d feel worse before he felt better. This morning was particularly bad. Even his eye sockets ached. The sharp cries of the seagulls chasing their morning meal did nothing to quell his pain. Their screams echoed in his skull, rattling around his head like pinballs in a machine.

Rolling over as best he could in the snug berth, he pressed his palms to his eyes. The pressure was relieved for a moment, but as soon as he took his hands away, the throbbing returned.

Opening his eyes, he saw that Val had moved a bottle of aspirin from the commode to the small shelf near his berth. Gratefully, he grabbed a bottle of water and downed a few pills before lying back to wait for the drugs to kick in.

The day after the attack, he’d wanted to see her. Wanted to hold her, kiss her, confirm that she was healing. And that she was his. But before he could even step off the boat, Cole had swung by on one of his breaks.

“Don’t go. She’s not ready,” he had said. “She doesn’t want to see anyone.”

So Sebastian had stayed put. Restaurant on hold. Life on hold. Woman on hold. He couldn’t see her, but he could talk to her, right? As soon as Cole had left, Seb had called Lexie’s cell phone. When she didn’t pick up, he’d called her home phone number.

“Hello?” she’d answered, her voice sounding tired and terribly sad.

“Lexie, it’s me. Are you okay?”

“Sebastian. Yes, I’m … I’m all right. I suppose.”

He’d been holding his breath while she spoke. He wanted to hear her, to assure himself that she was really all right. But while her words said one thing, her tone said another.

“Lexie, you don’t sound all right. I’d like to come by to see you.”

“Please, Seb. I just need some time.”

“How much time?”

“I … I don’t know. I can’t—”

“It’s all right, Lexie,” he interrupted. “Take all the time you need.” And he’d hung up.

He’d waited for her call for three rainy days. Waited for her to let him know it was okay for him to come over. That she needed to see him. Wanted to see him. Three days, and he’d heard nothing.

Now that his headache had subsided, he knew two things. One, it had stopped raining. And two?

He was done waiting.

Without telling anyone what he was doing, he climbed off the boat and onto his motorcycle, which Val had retrieved from the LMK.

Sebastian was going to see Lexie Meyers and no one, not even the lady herself, was going to stop him.

Within ten minutes he was driving down Harper’s Pond Road. Avoiding the pockets of slippery dirt and slick mud that had accumulated over the past few days, he made his way to her doorstep. He knocked on her cottage door for a long time.

“Please open the door, Lexie.”

After what seemed like an eternity, he heard the click of the lock and the twist of the door handle. Sebastian thought she’d look angry, perhaps even defiant. After all she’d been through she was bound to have bricked up her protective walls, just like she always did when she felt threatened. But instead, what he saw was a look of pure misery.

Lexie’s eyes were rimmed with red and telltale blotches of color stained her cheeks. Her mouth, typically curled up at the edges with mirth, was flat. Her hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail, hiding the bouncy curls from his sight. She looked so unlike herself that Sebastian nearly stepped back.

Her haunted, wretched look instantly wiped out whatever anger he himself was feeling. A pang of guilt, of abject sadness that the woman he loved felt so terrible, lanced through his chest.

“I don’t want you to see me like this,” she said in a whisper. “Go away.”

No way was he going. Not after that last terrible week in New York, when he’d been so desperate to be with her. Not after Frank had hurt her. Not after he’d spent the past few days sick with worry.

Sebastian shook his head. “No. I won’t leave until I’m convinced that you’re all right.” And I say what I need to say.

“I’m fine.”

“You’re the furthest thing from ‘fine’ I’ve ever seen.”

“I said I’m fine,” she repeated, this time more forcefully. “Just go.”

“You’re not, and you’re wrong if you think you are. You need to hear me out. I have a question for you. Something I didn’t get to ask you the night I returned to Star Harbor.” The night Frank Doherty was attacking you. “Why did you leave me in New York?” he asked, forcing himself to keep his voice neutral.

“I … I—” Lexie stammered. She looked away.

Though he was dying to touch her, he held himself back, not wanting to spook her. His hands clenched by his sides in frustration. “Lexie,” he said gently, “I was worried that something had happened to you when I woke up and you weren’t there. And when you didn’t pick up my calls or return my messages, I thought you might have been hurt.” Lexie continued to look down, but didn’t say anything. Sebastian continued. “I had to call Cole to make sure you’d gotten back to Star Harbor safely. And it turns out that you weren’t safe, after all.”

Though Lexie didn’t speak, she didn’t move, either. Sebastian took a half step closer to the door and put his hand on the frame. She stiffened, but didn’t try to flee.

“Lexie, there are people—good people—who genuinely care about you and would never, ever, want to see you get hurt.”

“I’m sorry,” she finally said, still looking down. “It was wrong of me to leave like that.”

Sebastian raised his eyebrows. This was encouraging. “Yes, it was,” he said. “But I think I understand why you left.”

“You … you do?” She peered up at him.

“Yes. I do,” he said. “You’re scared of yourself more than you’re scared of me.”

Lexie looked doubtful. “I am?”

“Absolutely. You see, I already know you love me.”

Lexie jerked her chin up at him, her eyes wide. That had gotten a response. “How could you know that?” she said defiantly. “I didn’t tell you.”

Sebastian chuckled at her feisty response. “Lexie, you don’t have to say the words for me to know how you feel. It’s in the way you look at me, the way you respond to my touch, the way you lie in my arms after we’ve made love. It’s in your glance, your smile.”

“I didn’t … I don’t—” she sputtered.

“Why are you trying to deny it? Loving someone isn’t shameful, and it’s not something to hide. Not if your partner feels like I do.”

“You don’t understand,” Lexie said bitterly. “You don’t know what he put me through.”

Seb kept his voice even. “I know that you’ve been through a lot and that you’re worried that what you feel for me is going to hurt you.”

“Yes,” Lexie said after a pause, so softly he almost didn’t hear her voice over the wind.

“And you’re scared, so scared that if you let me in, if you acknowledge that what you feel for me is real, I’ll hurt you the way he did.”

“Yes,” she whispered again.

“Let me tell you something, Lexie,” he said, his voice fierce. “I am nothing like Frank Doherty. You understand? Nothing.” He nearly growled the word. “I don’t need to keep a woman down to boost myself up. Not to toot my own horn, but I’m rich, powerful, and good-looking. I could have any woman I want, but I want you.”

“B-but why me?” Lexie said. “If you could have anyone? Why?”

Seb shook his head. Leave it to him to fall for the one woman who didn’t know her own worth. “Lexie,” he said, moving yet another step closer, “you’re the most challenging, unique woman I’ve ever met. You keep me guessing, keep me on my toes. I don’t want to change you or control you or harm you. I just want to be with you. Can you understand that?”

A long time passed. Seb couldn’t be sure how long, but a crow called out from a pine tree high above—an ugly, guttural cry. Sebastian was about to lose faith that Lexie would respond to him. But then, just as he was about to turn away, she nodded jerkily, her ponytailed curls bouncing. “I think so,” she said quietly, “but I can’t help but be scared.” Sebastian was just a hairbreadth away from her. He could reach out, touch her, pull her to him, but he kept himself in check. He needed her approval. Needed her to say yes.

“Lexie, look at me, darling.”

She looked up, obviously forcing herself to meet his gaze.

“Lexie. I love you. I’m not going to hurt you. In fact, it’s more than likely that you’re the one who’s going to hurt me. Rip out my heart and stomp on it. Make me a broken-heart fricassee. Perhaps with some wilted greens on the side. Maybe some potatoes au gratin instead?”

The corners of Lexie’s mouth curved up ever so slightly.

Sebastian stepped forward, erasing the space between them. Gently, he pushed the door all the way open, stepped inside, and wrapped his arms around her. “That’s right, Spice. Smile. This is the way it’s supposed to feel. Pleasure and pain. But mostly pleasure.”

“Oh, Sebastian,” she sobbed into his chest. “I’m so sorry.”

“I know, Lexie, I know,” he said, smoothing her hair with one hand. “I’m sorry, too. Sorry I ever let it go this far without getting this out in the open.” He pulled her even closer. “I’m staying with you.”

“Don’t leave me.”

“Never.”

* * *

Nothing ever in her life had felt as good as being wrapped in Sebastian’s strong, capable arms. She was as overwhelmed by the amazing feeling of his strong chest as she was by the fact that she was clinging to it as if her life depended on it.

And he didn’t seem to mind.

It was only natural, then, that he gently lifted her and carried her to her bedroom. Trust, intermingled with sensual excitement, was the only thing she felt as he laid her tenderly on the large bed. The bed she knew would fit his body just as perfectly as he fit hers.

When he looked down at her and smiled, a swell of emotion rose in her chest. It was so strong, so powerful, that it blew her away. She watched him watching her, his green eyes hot with tempered passion as he waited for her to give him a sign, any sign, that he could continue.

Real love. This was what it felt like.

It sang in her veins, coursed through her, filled her with a mix of happiness and need. All she needed to do was smile at him and he’d cover her with his big body, kiss her the way she craved, and make her body sing. For him. With him.

But there was one more thing she needed to ask. Lexie moistened her lips before she spoke. “That night you came back to Star Harbor,” she said, “what made you come back right then?”

Sebastian looked startled for a moment. Then he gave her a half smile. “I’d been trying to get up here for the better part of a week. Since you left, in fact.” Lexie had the grace to look chagrined and he smiled again before he continued. “But I couldn’t. I had too many obligations to my restaurant, to my agent, and to my projects. I took one thing off my plate, though—I cancelled my final meeting in Boston with the Realtor.”

“What? Why?”

“Because I realized something. Something I’ve been thinking about for a while. Boston is all wrong for what I’m envisioning. I’ve decided to choose a different place for my new venture.”

“Really? I thought Boston was all but a done deal.”

“No. It’s too cosmopolitan. I already have New York City. I’m looking for something a little more rustic, with some New England charm.”

“You’re not seriously considering—”

“Star Harbor. Yes, I am. I don’t know why I didn’t see it before, given that it’s been in the back of my mind ever since I decided to open up a new place.”

“But Star Harbor is so, so …”

“Provincial? Slow?”

Lexie laughed. “I was going to say ‘sleepy,’ at least for most of the year, but you about covered it. Won’t this hurt your reputation?”

“Hardly. So many of Helena’s core clientele leave New York for the summer and head to resort destinations. That got me thinking about how to tap into that client base for the one season I don’t have them. I decided that I want to have my new restaurant fill that niche—to be a seasonal restaurant, only open during the summertime.

“When autumn comes, I’ll close the place and concentrate on Helena for the other three seasons of the year. Also, it’ll fit nicely with my television filming schedule, which will run from January through April. It’ll be the perfect balance between national exposure, which my agent wants, and working with local, sustainable, and seasonal cuisine, which is what I want.”

“You sound like you’ve thought this through very carefully.”

“I have,” he said, a bit smugly. “And I’m very happy with the direction I’m going to choose to take my name and my business.” He tipped his head slightly. “But I left out the most important reason why I chose Star Harbor.”

All of a sudden, Lexie couldn’t breathe.

“What’s that?” she managed to get out.

“You’re here.”

“I am?” Then he grinned at her, and more firmly, she said, “I am.”

“You are. And I don’t want to live without you.” He cupped her cheek in a large, warm hand. “Marry me, sweet Lexie.”

She reached out to draw him closer. “Yes. Yes, I will.”

“Lexie, I swear I’ll do everything in my power to make you happy.”

“I know you will.”

Then he bent his head to kiss her. And spent the rest of the day showing her exactly how happy he was going to make her for the rest of their lives.