Ruined (Barnes Brothers #4)(43)

“Hmm.” He brushed her hair back gently. “Think you can stand up?”

She wasn’t sure, but she was damn tired of being on bathroom floors. “Sure.”

“What the hell is going on?”

The new voice had her stiffening.

Slowly, she raised her head and met the eyes of Sebastien Barnes across the expanse of the bathroom. It was the smaller one tucked off of the main hall in her house, but there was still plenty of room. Marin liked having room. Lots of it. There wasn’t a single place in her home that wasn’t large enough to hold a small meeting inside it and that included the bathrooms. Not that she had meetings inside any of her bathrooms . . . normally.

But just then, as Sebastien crowded inside, things seemed to shrink in around her. As Dash eased upright, helping her up as well, she closed her hands into fists.

“What are you doing in here?”

He shot Dash a dark look. “I heard yelling—sounded like somebody was in trouble.” He scraped his nails down the five o’clock shadow on his face before adding, “The front door was unlocked, so I came in.”

Marin blinked, shaking her head. “Why . . . Sebastien, why did you think somebody was in trouble?”

The look on Sebastien’s face was one she knew quite well. It was a typical Barnes look—stubborn, resolute, defiant. Folding his arms over his chest, he lifted his chin. “I heard you yelling. Then somebody shouted—like I told you.”

“Oh, for the love of . . .” Too disgusted and tired to finish her sentence, she eased away from Dash. Her knees wobbled at first, but they held.

“Are you okay?” he asked softly, still standing close and keeping his voice down.

She didn’t know why he bothered. The smell in the air made it obvious what had happened. As they moved away from the toilet, it flushed automatically and she took a few steps toward the sink, desperate to wash away the foulness in her mouth. “I’m good, Dash. Thank you.” She glanced up at the mirror and without thinking, she added, “It’s still your fault.”

Sebastien’s frown deepened, while Dash pressed a hand to his heart and bowed his head. “Darling, if it will make you feel better, I’ll take full blame.”

“Sure you will.” Ignoring them both, she turned on the water and picked up a cup from the lip of the sink, taking a sip and swishing it in her mouth. She spat it out and did it three more times before she was satisfied. After washing her hands, she turned around and the wall of testosterone standing in front of her was enough to make her want to pull her hair.

Instead, she pushed between Sebastien and Dash and made her way into the kitchen. The pills.

Damn it. Where was that bottle at?

“Are you sick?” Sebastien asked from behind her.

Seizing the plausible excuse, she nodded. “Yes. You should probably go before you end up catching it.”

“I never catch anything,” he said, shrugging. “You know that.”

Scowling at him, she busied herself with refilling her ginger ale, all the while searching for the bottle that had started the whole thing. She had snapped at Dash and told him to mind his own business.

He’d laughed and told her she should learn to be less obvious.

She’d grabbed the bottle. He’d asked if he could get a drink.

She’d told him to go ahead and he’d popped open a bottle of the beer she had in the fridge—it was a local brew and strong.

The smell of it.

That was what had done her in.

She’d almost puked right there and had dropped the pills. Dash rushed after her, calling her name.

Where had she been standing—

Something rattled, rolled.

With dread, she looked down and realized Dash had just found the bottle—with his foot. The large bottle of vitamins went rolling across the floor and stopped only when Sebastien caught it with his boot.

She closed her eyes and covered her face with her hand as he stooped down and picked up the bottle, eying it narrowly before looking up at her. After a moment, he looked over at Dash.

“I guess congratulations are in order.” His voice was low and pleasant, his gaze unreadable.

Marin pressed her lips together and when he came to stand in front of her, she didn’t let herself back away.

He extended his hand and she reached out, slowly taking the bottle of prenatal vitamins from him.

“I guess you two were more serious than you let on, huh?” Sebastien gave her a tight smile and then nodded at Dash. “I assume this is what you’re blaming on him, right?”

Dash opened his mouth, sputtering, but Sebastien was already striding down the hall.

She went after him.

He was already at the door.

“Sebastien, wait.”

She caught his arm as he went to open the door. Heat arced between them. “Did you hear me?” she demanded.

“I heard you.” He looked down at her, eyes flat. “I need to get going. Didn’t plan on staying. I just came by to tell you something anyway.”

“But . . .” She searched for something to say, unsure where to start. Things were moving way too fast. Two months ago, she’d been trying to fight the tug she felt toward Sebastien. Then she was suddenly naked with him and before she could even figure out how that had happened, he was calling her another woman’s name in his sleep.