Page 43 of Innocent Salvation

“Yeah.”

Val laughed. “If that smile is anything to go by, then that’s a hell yes. So why so glum?”

“Watchdog said he thinks Seb is in love with me.”

“And? Would that be so bad?”

“Yes, no. I don’t know.”

Val ushered her into a chair. She was slightly older than Snow at thirty-four to Snow’s twenty-eight, but she was a good friend and would probably give better advice than anyone else she knew there, except maybe Aoife. But she was in Birmingham at her University placement.

“You know who my mother is and what she did to my father. What if she tries to take them from me too?”

Val frowned and reached a hand to her arm, patting gently. “Snow, do you think she killed Henri to hurt you or because of something he did?”

“I don’t know but obviously she hates me. She gave me away, walked away without a backward glance. How unlovable must someone be for their own mother to do that?”

“Snow, that wasn’t about how lovable you were. I hope you don’t believe that.”

“My mother left. My father spent his life running from one con to the next using me as his bait before he left me. And I know that’s not his fault before you say it. My dog ran away when I was eight, my best friend from high school left for college and never even bothered to keep in touch. Everyone leaves. That can’t be a coincidence, it must be me. I’m the commonality in this equation.”

“Bella, no. That’s not true. People leave or die, that’s part of life. You’re not unlovable or to blame for other people. You’re kind and beautiful and smart and you love hard. That’s why you hurt when they leave but you can’t close your heart because of that. If you love him, then let yourself do it freely. Don’t go forward with the baggage created by others who aren’t worthy of you.”

Snow felt the tears burn her eyes as she tried to swallow them down, daring to hope that Val was right and yet frightened to do so.

“Hey, you okay?”

Snow looked up to see Sebastian’s concerned gaze as he walked toward them looking like he was ready to slay dragons for her. He was so handsome, and she was so totally screwed because there was no doubt she was hopelessly in love with him.

Forcing a smile and wiping the tears, she stood and went to him, feeling Val watching them.

She slid her arms around his neck, and he wrapped his arms around her waist hugging her to him so she could feel his heat all around her. “I am now.”

His lips found hers in a soft kiss before he pulled back and really looked at her, his strong jaw shrouded with a soft beard, which felt amazing on her skin. He’d gone to shave last night, and she’d stopped him, telling him how much she loved it, which was how the shower sex had happened. “You busy?”

“Not now. Why, what do you need?”

An animalistic glint in his eye made her shiver as his eyes dropped to her lips again. “Um, I want that too, but unfortunately Fleur wants to show you what Lotus taught her in self-defence class today.”

This time the smile was genuine. “Then let’s put the first dirty thoughts you had on hold until later and go see our girl.”

As he held her hand as they walked down the corridor toward the gym, he leaned in, his lips brushing her neck making her throat dry with need. “How do you know my thoughts were dirty?”

“Oh, I know, because I’m a very good judge of character and you, Judge Alexander, have a filthy mind.”

Sebastian pulled her closer and kissed her neck, a playful side to him she hadn’t expected emerging since the walls had come down between them. “And you, Ms Goubert, love it.”

Her breath hitched at his words, and he stopped suddenly as if realising what he’d said before he laughed it off and pulled her through the door of the gym. Fleur instantly pounced, running toward them full speed, and landing in her uncle’s arms.

“Snow, I can do an X-block. Watch.”

She wriggled until Seb put her down and grabbed their hands to drag them closer to the ring where Lotus and Reaper were waiting. Lotus bent and helped Fleur into the ring, where she proceeded to show off her blocking skills as well as a few kicks that Reaper had taught her.

Snow whooped and hollered like a pro, proud of the child who took on life with such courage and enthusiasm. She was like that or at least she had been until the looming threat of Dominique had begun to weigh so heavy.

With every piece of information they dug up on the French President and her family, and most especially that sick son of bitch she called a son, the fear had grown. Now it hung like a putrid un-lanced boil in her life, stealing her joy.

As she watched the smile spread across Sebastian’s face at Fleur’s antics, she felt her heart squeeze with love for them both. This man who was so stoic and staid on the outside, only showing his soft underbelly to such a few, had let her into his life and shown her what she was missing out on.