Out of the Shadows // Sebastian Sallow

Chapter Eighty-One****

****Warning: This chapter contains sexually explicit adult content.****

"Sebastian!" I called while I leaned into the mirror smearing a light pink lip balm onto my lips and smacking them together. I stood back and took a cursory glance at myself.

My dark blue dress fell to just below my knees and the cap sleeves made my now full breasts look even bigger! It was kind of embarrassing. But it would have to do. I did look nice, I thought.

"We're going to be late!" I called out the window and then walked over to poke my head out at him.

He was down below hammering a post into the ground, repairing the fence that the storm had taken out last week. He was shirtless and sweaty. And hot!

His sweaty hair fell over his forehead in a sexy way and his rippling muscles glistened with a light sheen from his exertion. Although I was loving the view, I still asked him, "Why didn't you just use magic?"

"The muggles, darling. They need to see me working on it. They already came by and asked if we needed help with repairs. That was a bad storm...." He said, flippantly.

I remembered. I still had trouble dealing with thunderstorms and I shook all night in his arms as our cottage rumbled around us.

I shook my head to dispel the memory. "Well, come on, now. You don't even have time to bathe and we can't be late. It's YOUR birthday party after all." I smirked at him.

And then he picked up the bucket of water he had next to him and dumped it all over his head, shaking his hair like a dog. An extremely sexy dog. Wow.

He threw me a smirk and went to come inside.

I went back to the mirror to adjust my dress and do some last-minute touches on my hair. He came bustling into the room, wrapped his arms around my expanded waist and snuggled his wet head all over my neck!

"Ew! Seb, you're soaked!" I beat on his arms and tried to get away. He was chuckling and kissing my neck. Then he looked up into the mirror at the two of us. His arms wrapped around me, hands pressed to my large tummy, the light in his eyes unmistakable.

"You look fantastic! I love this color on you, darling." He smiled and kissed my cheek, leaving a wet smear that I wiped away.

"Well, now that you've got water all over me, I may have to change."

He reached into the wardrobe and tossed me a towel. "Don't." He said, smirking at me and returning to the wardrobe. He reappeared with clothes in hand, "I just need five minutes." And he bustled into the washroom.

"You're in a good mood!" I called to him.

"It's my birthday, love. Why wouldn't I be?" His rhetorical question hung in the air. My last few birthdays were pretty good, I had to admit, but in general my birthday was never anything to celebrate. And this year... I could have celebrated with... my brother...

I sat down on the chair by the window, feeling the guilt wash over me again. Sometimes, it hit hard, the realization that I no longer had a brother. We never celebrated a birthday together. And now we never would. And it was my fault. I killed him.

I heard the washroom door open. "Ready." He called. But I didn't look up. I was doing my breathing exercise and trying to dispel my depressive thoughts.

"Hey. Love. Are you ok?" Suddenly, warm hands were cradling my face and pulling it up to look at him. His deep, warm eyes were filled with care and devotion. It made my heart ache further and tears started to build in my eyes.

"Shit. I can't cry! I'll mess up my face!" I wailed.

He chuckled and pulled me up into a hug, rubbing circles on my back.