Page 7 of Born Chaos

And I practically startle, because I kind of forgot she was there. I feel myself blush, but Sebastian just smiles that vampiric smile, cupping a hand around my waist. “I think we need to have a new photoshoot, every year, on the anniversary of this one.”

“I call it a blush book,” Rachel says as she brings her camera up to her eye again, snapping another candid picture. “Because anyone who accidentally opens it is going to blush, and either stare like a perv, or immediately snap it closed.”

“I like this idea,” Sebastian chuckles as he pulls me toward the couch.

“Perv,” I tease him with a grin.

The photoshoot lasts thirty minutes. We pose all over the place. In the living room. The dining room. The kitchen. Sebastian’s bedroom. Blush book worthy indeed.

I know they’re going to be epic. And I cannot wait to see them.

But there’s that little niggling part of my brain that’s bothered by the fact that these pictures will forever have taken place in Sebastian’s penthouse.

I still feel like I’m not on level ground with him. This is stillhisplace. I still work athishospital. I’m still new inhistown.

When am I going to feel like I’ve regained any kind of true control over my life?

But I shove the thought aside and smile for the camera.

CHAPTERTHREE

Sebastian crawls up my body,wrapping his hands around my wrists, pinning them up above my head. A frantic gasp rips from my throat as he kisses his way down one side of my neck, across the front of my throat, and then up the other side of my neck. I’m panting by the time he nips at my earlobe.

“You’re notthatold-fashioned,” I breathe hard as his weight settles on top of me.

“It is the twenty-first century now,” Sebastian says, his breath hot on my skin.

“But some things are off-limits,” I state.

“For now,” he says, and I can feel the wicked smile curling on his lips.

“For now,” I echo as he backs away, looking down at me.

“I have to get going,” he says as his tone drops.

“How much longer is this going to take?” I groan. He releases my wrists and rights himself.

“We’re almost done,” he answers with a coy smile. He grabs my hand and pulls me to my feet. He wraps his hands around my waist. “And when I am done, you’re going to get so sick of me. Wedding planning. Honeymoon planning…”

“A honeymoon!” I gape. “I hadn’t even thought about that part! Maybe all this wedding business will be worth it after all.”

“As the groom, I find that very offensive, thank you very much,” he chuckles with his brows furrowed.

“Oh, you know I love you,” I tease with a sigh, settling my arms around his neck.

Gently, he presses his lips to mine, and I feel it. He really does need to leave now. “I love you too.”

I hold on to his hand for as long as I can, until our connection separates, and he walks to the door with one last backward glance.

I should probably work on some wedding things. We met with Elena’s wedding planner, Jamie. She gave us an entire list of things we need to start thinking about or start working on. So far, all Sebastian and I have done is send in the wording for our engagement announcement. Elena is all over this engagement party, and I know it’s going to be so over the top, I’ll have a hard time not letting my eyes roll.

But it just sounds… overwhelming. And the weddingisseven months away.

So I ignore that massive event, only to have my brain immediately turn to a different one.

I wander over to the desk in the corner of my living room, and pull open the drawer. At the very back, I remove the little wooden box. I reach inside, and clasp my fingers around the cold metal surface.

I stare at the glowing crystal hanging there. Once, it was just plain white—a trinket from Malcolm’s store. Now, it glows brilliant red, bound with my mother’s gift retrieved from Archer King.

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