Unhinged by Timberlyn Scott Page B

me.
My mouth fell open as I stared up into those glistening gold eyes that had
haunted my every thought since meeting him yesterday.
    Sebastian didn’t say
anything, but he didn’t look away either. I could tell he was thinking about
something, and I suddenly hoped he wasn’t thinking about giving me a gentle
nudge down the stairs. But then he grinned and every thought in my brain leaked
right out.
    Without saying a word,
he urged me closer to the stairs, his hand sliding down around my waist as he
held me close to him. With his reassuring grip on me, I managed to make it down
the stairs without an ungraceful face plant and the next thing I knew, he was
leading me out through a door at the back of the house, right onto a dimly lit
veranda.
    I was pretty sure just
the patio area was bigger than my parents’ entire backyard.
    I kept my thoughts to
myself as we continued to walk to a shadowy corner, away from a few people who
were milling about.
    “Thank you,” I mumbled,
unable to look at him when we stopped walking. I took deep, steadying breaths,
willing myself under control. I was no longer queasy, but I was hot. The cool
breeze did little to ease the heat that coursed just beneath my skin, but I
shivered anyway.
    “What are you thanking
me for?” Sebastian chuckled, the deep baritone of his voice sending a chill
dancing down my spine.
    “For not letting me
fall to my death down the stairs.”
    I placed my hands on
the concrete railing that wrapped around the veranda, breathing slowly as I
stared out into the darkness. The moon was out, casting a white glow on the
trees, the moonbeam bouncing off a pond in the distance. My head was spinning,
but I think it had more to do with the incredible scent of Sebastian’s cologne
than the alcohol.
    Just as I had earlier,
I felt his presence more than I saw him. He was standing just to my right, a
step behind me which offered me a small measure of comfort. If he got too
close, I feared what I might do. My body had taken on a mind of its own,
ignoring all logical instruction from my brain. Being alone with Sebastian
wasn’t a good thing, at least not where my common sense was concerned.
    I don’t know how long
we stood there, but I didn’t move, didn’t look at him. For some reason, I was
scared to make a sound, not wanting him to leave. I knew he was still there
beside me because I could smell him, hear his steady breathing.
    I shivered when a gust
of wind whipped behind the house, wrapping my arms around myself. But even if I
froze to death, I didn’t want to walk away. I don’t know what it was about
Sebastian, but I was drawn to him. Ever since we met yesterday, I’d thought
about him endlessly. And now he was standing here, the silence between us
surprisingly comforting, but at the same time unnerving.
    He shifted, and I
thought for a second that he was going to walk away, but then his jacket was
resting on my shoulders, my senses overwhelmed by him. I closed my eyes as I
inhaled, letting the rich, musky scent of his cologne seep into me while the
residual warmth from his body heat enveloped me. I suddenly wished his arms
were around me.
    But I knew that was
crazy talking.
    Several minutes passed.
I could hear a few people talking, a woman laughing. The music was muted
outside, but I could still make out the slow, jazzy tune.
    “Feeling better yet?”
Sebastian’s arm brushed against me as he moved closer to the rail, setting his
empty beer bottle on the top.
    “Much,” I said a little
too quickly, turning to face him.
    Whether it was the
alcohol or my own desire, I wanted to question him, to find out what that
niggling was in the back of my mind. “Are you really a mechanic?” I asked
bluntly, gripping his jacket closer to my body.
    Sebastian took one step
toward me. I took one step back, but my butt hit the concrete railing,
effectively halting my getaway.
    “I’m a mechanic,” he
stated, his voice low, seductive. He was looking into my eyes as though