I just want to say Thank You to everyone for the amazing reviews. I'm so glad you enjoy the story, and I'll keep updating as much as I can. -Arya

The need behind her request, punctuated with his name—his name—on her lips was more than he could stand. Any reservation he had, disappeared with the brief silence that followed.
He fiercely captured her mouth with his own, completely blinded by her unrelenting eagerness.
Her arms wrapped around his neck as her knees gave way. His hands braced her sides, pulling her whole body against him.
Their lack of balance led them toward the closest wall, his jacket falling to the floor in the process . His arm braced their impact as her fingers tangled in his hair. His hands framed her face as he traced her bottom lip with his tongue. She quietly moaned, hoping to convey her permission. Another jolt of electricity coursed through her, accompanied by one of her legs wrapping instinctively around him. He immediately grabbed her knee, roughly sliding her dress up her thigh as he went. They pulled apart for a moment catching their breath, eyes fixed on each other.

"Rachel," he managed with some effort. "We..."

"Yes," she whispered. Her fingers brushed across her lips, trying to memorize the feeling of his kiss.

"Maybe we should have another drink," he asked hesitantly.

Rachel nodded quickly, straightening her dress. He refilled their glasses and took them from the table. He thought he felt her fingers brush against his hand as she took the glass from him. There was no doubt when she raised the glass unsteadily to her lips.

The crackle of burning wood pierced the silence, providing them with a distraction. "Would you like to go sit by the fire?"

Rachel smiled with another quick nod. Sebastian gestured toward the fireplace, allowing her to go first. He knelt down to retrieve his jacket from the floor before joining her on the rug. He sat with his knees up in front of him and elbows resting comfortably across them. Her legs were tucked to one side and she propped herself up with one arm. He drank from his glass, listening to the sound of his heartbeat in his ears. Rachel stared into the flames, sipping absent-mindedly from her glass.

A few minutes passed, and when he spoke, his voice was hoarse. "Are you cold?"

"A little," she admitted.

He wrapped his jacket around her shoulders, letting his touch linger for just a moment. The oil lamps around the room began to burn out, leaving only the firelight to cast flickering shadows across the walls.

Rachel felt the quiet begin to smother her, and finished her glass of wine for enough courage to break the silence. "Honestly...why didn't you kiss me?"

Sebastian choked on his drink; coughing and sputtering awkwardly. Rachel laughed loudly, glad to not be alone in her awkwardness. "No. I just meant-That came out wrong. Why did you make me ask?"

"I didn't think you wanted me to," he answered truthfully, regaining his composure. He looked down at his boots, not ready to face the rejection her eyes might hold. "Rachel, you can't tell me you haven't known."

"I knew," she replied. "But you always take whatever you want Bass. I was afraid it would be the same with me."

He didn't move and his gaze was now glued to the floor. She swallowed hard, willing her heart to stop catching in her throat. The silence started to pull at them again, but she wouldn't be the one to break this time.

He cleared his throat, "No. Not you... Never you. You were the one line I would never cross, Rachel."

She instinctively pulled his jacket tighter around herself, not knowing what else to do. He turned to her, brushing her hair back over her shoulder. "If you didn't want me—if you don't want me—then I know I can never have you."

"Bass. I didn't mean..." Her words trailed of as she searched the hurt in his eyes.

"You did, but I haven't given you much reason to think anything else," he breathed. He finished his drink andturned to look back toward the fire when he felt her hand on his face.

"I'm sorry."

The words were lost in her kiss; much softer than what they had shared before. He moved even closer to her, sliding a hand around the back of her neck. Her tongue slipped past his lips, searching desperately for his. He happily surrendered to her advance, wrapping an arm around her waist. She slipped his jacket off, letting it fall to the floor with a soft crumble of fabric. He began trailing kisses up her neck, eliciting small sounds of pleasure from her.

"Rachel. I don't want to stop... Ever. But are you sure this is what you want?"

His lips had found hers again, making chivalry nearly impossible. He unwillingly pulled away enough to look into her eyes. She had always hidden her feelings so well, and right now seemed no different. She was an intoxicating mystery to him, and some part of him loved that unknown. Every part of his life, every waking moment was ruled by him and him alone. She was the only part he could not harness. The only part that held him so captive. She would never see which of them was the prisoner.

She kept her lips just barely off of his as she spoke. "Like you said...here, tonight. Just...us."

He stood up, extending a hand to help her to her feet, "Come with me."

She allowed herself to be led out of the room, her heart beating faster with each step. The hallway was pitch black and cold; his calloused hand holding her own more tightly as they went. The sound of their steps on the floor echoed in the darkness. Her nerves buzzed with excitement and uncertainty.

They turned a corner and came to a stop; keys turned in a lock. Sebastian pulled her against him again, kissing her roughly once more. Her hands found his shoulders, pushing him through the door behind them. The only light in the room came from another fireplace, even warmer than the one in the dinning room.

The lock to the door clicked again. She felt his hands on her ass, lifting her up against the wall as his lips reluctantly left her own. Her legs wrapped around his hips, causing her dress to ride up dangerously high. He used one hand on the wall for support, and the other moved slowly up her side. His fingers traced along the edge of her cleavage; his touch was like fire. Her breath caught sharply as he kneaded her breast. She captured his mouth again, urging him to continue. His arms wrapped around her, pulling her tightly against him. The wall was gone and only his body was supporting her now. Her nails dug into his shoulders as he laid her back across the bed. He pulled away to look at her one more time, cupping her face in his hand. The light from the fire danced in her eyes. He stood up straight taking a step backwards and ran a hand through his hair.

A look of confusion and fear crossed her face as she stood up too, "What's wrong? What is it?"

"Nothing's wrong. God. No, you're perfect. It's just...Rachel, I want you so badly. But we don't hav—"

She stepped toward him and placed a hand over his mouth, "Stop it. Bass, I want this... I want you."

He watched as she turned away from him, pulling her hair over one shoulder and stepping out of her heels. She glanced back at him with a knowing look. Her look was more invitation than he'd ever needed, and his smirk did more to her than she'd ever admit. The release of a dress unzipping down her back was something Rachel hadn't felt in a lifetime. He placed kisses down her neck and along her shoulder before slipping the straps off.

The dark blue satin pooled on the floor around her ankles softly, but it was still loud enough to mask the last of her defenses collapsing.