Ten years after I began at Hogwarts, Sebastian Sallow is back. And he's Professor Sallow now. He disappeared after the fall of Ranrok and Rookwood, after I lost Professor Fig, and after Ominis and I couldn't keep him from losing himself. But I never...
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The moment Sebastian and I are finally alone in the hallway outside Thiago's living space – because that's a fucking thing now – his arms are immediately around my waist and he has me backed up to the railing. He dips his head down to mine and draws me into a long-anticipated, deep kiss. I can feel us both smiling beneath the movement of our lips as my whole body becomes more attentive to his touch.
"Don't get me wrong," Sebastian says as he pulls away, tipping his head towards the door behind us, "he's great. But I'm very glad to finally be alone with you." I smile as his breath approaches my neck, sending somersaults of warmth down my spine, and he delivers sweet, gnawing kisses down my neck that make my joints go weak. His low voice buzzes into my skin between his nibbles as he says,
"After all..."
My stomach flutters.
"...I made you a promise..."
My head rushes with chills.
"...that I fully intend to keep."
My whole body ignites.
I can feel my heart beating louder and faster and I can hardly breathe enough air to keep up with the pace of the thrill he's caused within me. Slowly, he pulls his body away from me, never taking his wicked eyes from mine. His increasing distance strains the magnetism between us to the point of aching in my ribs as he takes steps back and away from me, down the hall to descend to the main atrium.
The swagger of his walk that makes me feel all sorts of things in the light of day causes a veritable wrenching between my legs to observe here and now with my savage gaze. As he turns back to look at me from some feet away, the devilish glint in his eyes sparkles as he casually offers, "care to join me?"
I have to practically peel my jelly-legs from their stance to walk to meet him, but once I do, I wrap an arm around Sebastian's waist and tuck my head into his warm, firm chest as we descend into the main atrium. He rests his hand on my back and kisses my head as we walk.
Near the center of the room he stops to turn to me. I love the view of him looking at me from above. Sometimes the extra inches he gained over the years catch me off guard because I, on the other hand, haven't gained an inch since approximately 1889.
He maintains a low, alluring tone of voice as he takes my hands sweetly to say, "one thing first – are you sure about me staying here? I don't want you to feel pressured..." he says. "If it's too fast, or too soon–"
I accidentally cut him off with some laughter and say, "oh it's definitely too fast," but before he can get too worried I add, "but something about it doesn't feel too soon."
"That actually makes complete sense to me," he says as he brings my fingers to his lips to leave small, tingling kisses.
"You're welcome here, if it's what you want, Bash. I'm sure it's been an adjustment to be thrown back into life here, so if it makes things easier for this to be your home base, it's more than fine by me. But if there are times you don't want to, that's fine, too. You're your own person."
