Page 153 of Mine Again
There’s desperation in the way his tongue finds mine, like he needs to prove I still belong to him.
And I want to. God, part of me wants to.
I sink into it. Into him.
For the first time in what seems like forever, my mind goes still.
No fear. No doubt.
Just heat, want, and the steady thrum of his body against mine.
The taste of him, the way his arms cage around me, it soothes something sharp and aching inside. It makes me feel like I’m home.
We haven’t kissed like this in years, maybe ever.
Years.
The word slams into my brain like cold water.
Years of being apart.
Of being used.
Of believing I had choices when I didn’t.
Loss. Pain… Luca’s, mine. Sebastian. The Jackal.
Promises. Lies. Everything twisted.
I gasp against his mouth. The panic comes fast.
I press both hands to his chest and shove gently, breaking the kiss.
My breath is ragged, my skin too hot.
“I can’t,” I whisper. “I can’t do this right now.”
He looks at me, eyes stunned, lips parted like he’s trying tounderstand what just happened.
My voice is unsteady and barely more than a breath. Tears burn again. My throat closes.
“I don’t know anymore what’smychoice and what isn’t.”
I climb off his lap, my legs unsteady as I stand.
“Even falling in love with you… was that real? Or something we were conditioned to want?”
I reluctantly meet his gaze.
“Our fathers told us we’d marry from the time we were kids. What choice did we ever have?”
Luca’s jaw tightens, but his voice is soft when he speaks.
“Isa, falling in love isn’t something you decide or choose with your head. It’s something you feel in your heart. And we felt it. Don’t pretend we didn’t.”
I want to believe him. God, I do.
But there’s a shadow over everything now.
