Page 23 of Secret Pleasure (Bound Hearts 13)

Marissa had overheard the confrontation, moving to Gregory as Alyssa had spat her rage at Shane. And Marissa would indeed call Lucien if she felt it was warranted.

“Don’t worry, Marissa,” Sebastian assured her, the snap in his tone drawing her gaze. “It’s going to be hard for Shane to ever speak again after I push his teeth down his throat.”

“That little shit flirts with every woman he sees.…” Shane threw his hand toward Gregory furiously.

“Not anymore he doesn’t,” Marissa came to her boyfriend’s aid as the boy in question smirked at Shane. “Not since vowing to love me he doesn’t flirt with others. Alyssa is our neighbor, Shane.” Her curvy body vibrating with anger, she clenched her fists and glared at Shane. “It is not flirting to be nice. To say hello or to be introduced to friends. You are the little shit, not my Gregory.” She linked her arm with the boy and tugged at it demandingly. “Come, Gregory, I too cannot bear to speak to him. I will check on her later and agree with her when she calls him the ass he is.”

As Marissa pulled him away Gregory threw Shane one last smug-assed grin that just irritated the fuck out of Sebastian as well.

Shane stood silent, his expression implacable as he stared back at the walk Alyssa had disappeared down.

“She is crying,” Sebastian stated, fury vibrating in his low voice. “She will not let us comfort her, and I cannot blame her. If you cannot trust her to be a woman, to smile and grow in who she is, then you cannot be trusted with any part of her.”

Shane turned to him, brooding fury building in his expression.

“I won’t leave her crying,” he bit out.

“But you will!” Sebastian snapped, all but throwing the keys to the car at him. “Leave now. Perhaps, without your ignorance to remind her of how she’s been hurt, she will at least allow me to ease her tears. Leave now.”

“Go to hell, Cousin!” Shane snapped. “I’ll sit on that fucking porch until she does come out. Then I’ll fix it.”

Sebastian followed him as he stalked to the back of the apartment. It looked like it would be a very, very long day. Because even Sebastian had gotten to know Alyssa well enough to know she was not opening that door.

But he went to the back of the apartment and onto the porch, where Shane took a place on one end of the long picnic table and Sebastian sat on the other.

When his cousin stood to move to the door he stood as well.

“Touch that door and I’ll throw you over the fucking rail,” he bit out. “Let her calm down first. Then we’ll attempt to see if she’ll forgive you enough to at least speak with me.”

Shane sat back down slowly, not because he was in the least worried about how much such a fall would hurt. No doubt it had more to do with the fact that he wasn’t pissed enough yet to push Sebastian.

They sat there silently, for more than an hour before Marissa stomped up the steps to face them once again.

“She’s gone.” Her arms crossed over her breasts as she faced them, contempt shining in her eyes. “She stopped only long enough to tell Gregory and me she had a girlfriend in Madrid and would be there for a while. I came to tell you because I don’t like you lurking out here. She did not mention telling you anything.”

Sebastian rose to his feet when Marissa turned and left the way she had come.

“She’s been climbing again,” Shane said, almost too soft to hear. “She would have had to climb from the window.”

“Find your own fucking way home,” Sebastian bit out. “I don’t even want you in my car now.”

Shane sat where he was as Sebastian left. When he heard the car roar away, he sighed heavily and stared out at the ocean

.

He would have apologized to the little turd, he thought heavily, if she’d given him a chance.

Now it appeared she wouldn’t even give him a chance to beg for her forgiveness.

He frowned.

He’d never begged a woman for anything. Nothing. Shane Connor did not beg.

But he would have begged Alyssa, he realized. On his knees, his hands lifted in supplication, if she’d given him a chance. Now he was going to have to call Aunt Landra for advice. And that wasn’t going to be pleasant at all. She’d already warned him and Sebastian about hurting Alyssa and about the hell she’d rain down on them. And Aunt Landra could rain hell with no more than a look.

Fuck. Sebastian was right. He was a fucking moron.

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