Page 82 of Mine Again
But the warmth in his eyes has deepened, the playful edge fading into something far more dangerous, far more real.
His nearness unleashes a kaleidoscope of butterflies, like I’m teetering on the edge of something I can’t escape.
How is this all happening so fast?
His head lowers and his voice drops, his words a breath between us.
“I want to kiss you.”
Chapter Thirty
Isabella
“Iwant to kiss you.”
The words echo in my head. Sebastian said them so low, so close, it feels like a secret meant only for me.
My heart stumbles over itself, the pull to him impossible to ignore.
My mind is mush.
I nod once before I can overthink it.
He steps closer, his hand rising to my cheek, warm and sure. His thumb brushes my skin, and the softness of it steals my breath. God, how I’ve missed tender touches like this.
With blue eyes fixed on me, his mouth finds mine. The kiss is slow and deliberate, meant to be savored rather than rushed.
This is only the second man to ever kiss me.
And it’s good.
Confident. No surprise there.
He knows exactly what he’s doing. And for a moment, I let myself sink into it, let myself enjoy the heat of his closeness and the press of his mouth on mine.
Oh, I’ve forgotten how nice it is to be kissed.
But then… something shifts.
A small voice inside me whispers I’m betraying Luca.
He’s not here. He’s dead. He’s never coming for me.
I need to be here, now.
Still, Luca’s memory lingers. His kisses had an overwhelming pull, a sense of falling so fast it felt like flying. This is simpler. The heat is there, but it doesn’t set my soul alight the way it once did.
Sebastian deepens the kiss, and his hand moves to the back of my neck. His mouth is firmer now, his body close enough I sense the steady rise and fall of his chest against mine. My fingers clutch his shirt without thinking, holding on because my balance seems off.
I push thoughts of Luca to the back of my mind, trying to let the world narrow down to Sebastian’s warmth, his mouth, the way his thumb strokes my jaw as if he’s memorizing it.
I’m on the verge of losing myself in his touch, but when his other hand slides to my waist, fingertips brushing the bare skin above my waistband and traveling higher, the spell breaks.
I pull back, breathless but certain.
“No.”
He blinks, surprised, but there’s no offense in his eyes. Just curiosity.
