Ruined (Barnes Brothers #4)(73)

It had just hit her not that long ago, but it was right. All around her, people had gone quiet and she realized some of those standing close might be able to hear. But that didn’t stop her. “Then this awful thing happened . . . and well. We won’t get into that. I started spending more time around him, though, and that tug got stronger and stronger, but I still didn’t tell Abby . . . or Zach. It just didn’t occur to me. They’re still my friends, but I’ve got another friend—he’s probably the best friend I’ve got. And yes . . . I did know what you were thinking outside.”

Grinning at him, she said, “Don’t worry. I won’t tell the director what you were thinking.”

“Marin . . .” Sebastien said, his voice a low growl.

“Hush . . . I’m getting to the point of the story.”

“Get to it already!” Abby said, her voice bubbly with excitement. “I’m kinda dying here.”

“It’s not your story,” Marin retorted. But she didn’t look away from Sebastien. “It’s ours.”

Sebastien gripped her hair in his fist and tugged her close, lips to her ear. “You’re trying to drive me nuts. Again.”

“No . . . I’m trying to tell you I love you,” she whispered, so quietly only he heard. “And I wanted you to be the first one to know.”

The hand in her hair tightened almost painfully while the arm he’d wrapped around her waist spasmed. Marin felt her feet leave the floor as he straightened, her body weight supported against his.

“Marin . . .” The word came out of him in a choked whisper.

Turning her face into his neck, she kissed him. “I love you.”

He lifted his face and she reached up, tracing her fingers over his brows, the scar, then his mouth. “I love every beautiful, battered inch of you. You’re mine, Sebastien Barnes.”

Everybody heard that.

While some of them broke out into applause, Marin wiggled and pushed at his shoulders. “Now that I’ve said that . . . one more thing . . .”

Sebastien just clung tighter. “No. Not one more thing. You’re making my head spin.”

“And I’m not done doing it, either. Put me down. Then you . . . Hell, just put me down. I’ve got to finish the scene, baby.”

He did put her down, but first, he kissed her, hard and fast.

That had Keelie whistling and Javi howled.

Sebastien flipped him off.

“That will end up on Twitter,” Abby said, shaking her head.

“Like I care,” Sebastien muttered.

“No, I’ve got something better for him to post on Twitter.” Marin picked up the bag she’d put down with her purse and turned back to Sebastien. “I don’t want there to be any doubts here. I know you love me and I love you and I’m keeping you.” Narrowing her eyes, she asked, “Got that?”

“Think you’re going to hear any arguments?” Sebastien reached out and caught her wrist, tugging her toward him, but Marin resisted.

She suspected some of their audience had already figured it out, but Sebastien hadn’t.

That was fine. Spoiled, sexy Sebastien . . . so set in his ways, he’d probably already started thinking about how he would do this. But Marin was just as stubborn as he was and she’d made up her mind.

She pulled the box out and held it out to him.

He glanced at it, then at her.

That was when it started to hit him.

“What . . .”

“Will you marry me, Sebastien?”

She opened it. “I figure by the time we’re done wrapping up production here in a few weeks, a really good wedding planner could have a wedding mostly arranged, especially if a really good friend of mine steps up to the plate and runs interference.”

Sebastien was still staring at the ring. For a second, he didn’t react much at all. Then, slowly, he lifted his face toward hers and their eyes met, the beautiful blue-green and the scarred imperfection of his bad eye. “You think, huh?”

“Yes. How do you feel about that?”

Sebastien pretended to mull it over—for about two seconds.

His answer was spoken against her lips as he grabbed her against him and hauled her in for another kiss, this one deeper . . . and sweeter.





Chapter Nineteen




The bed next to her was empty.

That wasn’t right.

Just eighteen hours earlier, she’d said her vows—she was now Marin Lassiter Barnes—and oh, how the press had had a field day with the fact that she was changing her name. She was tempted to post something to her Facebook page, something along the lines of Bite me—and she might, if they were still at it when she got back from her honeymoon.

But she intended to spend the next two weeks just enjoying Sebastien.

And that would have been easier if he were in the bed with her.

Getting up, she walked through the suite and out on the balcony where the sun was slowly rising.

She found him leaning against the railing, wide shoulder rounded forward, muscles clenched.

Sliding her arms around his waist, she pressed her lips to his back. “You had another nightmare, didn’t you?”

“Yeah.”

He turned, then, pulling her up against him and tucking her head under his chin. She held him tighter, smoothing a hand up and down his back. “Are you okay?” she asked.