Page 98 of Back to You
Sebastian’s jaw clenches, like he’s trying to keep himself together.
I grab his face, my fingers trembling, my thumbs brushing against the faint stubble on his jaw. “I don’t want to be scared anymore,” I whisper. “I want to be brave.” The words pour out of me, raw and desperate, carried by the storm raging around us. Rain soaks through my clothes, clings to my skin, drips from my lashes, but I don’t care. I have one chance to get this right.
I step closer, my pulse hammering, my hands shaking at my sides. His expression is unreadable, stunned, wary, guarded in a way that guts me, but I don’t stop. I can’t stop.
“I choose you,” I tell him, my voice breaking, my breath unsteady. “Every damn day.” My fingers curl into fists. “No matter how scary it gets. No matter how much it hurts. No matter how much my brain tries to tell me to run, to protect myself, to keep my heart safe.” I exhale sharply, shaking my head. “I don’t want to be safe anymore, Seb. I want you.”
Thunder rumbles overhead, a deep, vibrating pulse that shakes the ground beneath us, but it’s nothing compared to the way my world tilts, the way everything inside me cracks wide open. “You are it for me, Sebastian Antonio Garcia,” I whisper, my voice fierce, unwavering now. “It’s always been you. It’s only ever been you.” My throat tightens, tears mixing with the rain as I take another step toward him, bridging the distance, reaching for him even though I don’t know if he’ll let me.
His chest rises and falls unevenly, his eyes dark and unreadable beneath the dim glow of the streetlights. He hasn’t moved, hasn’t spoken, hasn’t given me any indication of what he’s thinking, or whether I’m too late. Fear creeps in, but I shove it down.
“I am never leaving you again,” I swear, my voice thick, fierce with the weight of the promise. “Not because I need you to fix me, not because I don’t know how to be without you, but because I love you. I will fight for you. I will fight for us. Every single day, for the rest of my life.”
Silence stretches between us, thick and charged, the rain pounding against the pavement, our breaths the only thing cutting through the storm. And then…something breaks, his control, his hesitation, the last of the walls between us. Because suddenly, he’s moving—a sharp, desperate pull forward.
A crash of bodies, heat and cold colliding as his hands grip my soaked clothes, his fingers curling into the fabric like he’s afraid I’ll disappear if he lets go. His mouth is on mine—fierce, claiming, aching. It’s not soft or careful, it’s raw, it’s wrecked, it’s everything. I gasp against him, but I don’t pull away, I press closer.
I let him feel every inch of my promise. Every breath, every heartbeat, every ounce of certainty. I fist my hands in his shirt, pulling him closer, anchoring myself to him, to this moment, to the only thing that has ever felt this real.
This time, I’m the one who’s sure. This time, I’m the one who’s fighting. This time, I’m never letting him go.
CHAPTER 46
Mariana
We sprint toward the car, laughter tumbling between us, breathless and wild. Rain clings to our skin, drips from our hair, and soaks through every layer, but none of it matters.
Our hands stay locked, fingers tangled, as we stumble through puddles, shoes splashing, hearts pounding. The cold is there, biting at the edges, but it never quite reaches us—not with this, not with us.
The car door slams shut, sealing us in, muting the storm’s fury outside. Rain streaks down the windows, distorting the world into a blur of lights and motion, like something out of a dream. Inside, the air hums, charged and heavy, every drop of water, every ragged breath amplifying the energy crackling between us.
I barely have time to catch my breath before his hands are on me, warm and desperate, threading into my soaked hair, pulling me closer.
Our mouths crash together, feverish and unrestrained, the taste of rain still fresh on our lips. There’s no hesitation, no second-guessing—only need, raw and overwhelming, surging between us like a live wire.
His hands are everywhere at once, leaving trails of fire across my skin as he peels away my rain-soaked clothes. I fumble with his shirt buttons, desperate to feel his bare chest against mine. Our lips clash again, hungry and insistent, as we tumble into the backseat.
The leather is cool against my back, a stark contrast to the heat of his body pressing me down. He hovers above me, eyes dark with desire, chest heaving.
For a moment, time stands still. Then, like a dam breaking, we're a tangle of limbs and gasps and fevered touches. His mouth blazes a path down my neck, across my collarbone and along the curve of my breast.
I arch into him shamelessly as he takes one hardened nipple between his teeth and sucks hard enough to make me moan. His hands roam over my body, leaving trails of heat in their wake as he explores every inch of me.
I can feel his hardness pressing against me, a delicious friction that makes my stomach clench with need. He groans as I grind against him, his hands gripping my hips tightly. I roll us over so that I'm on top, straddling him. His eyes are dark with desire as he runs his hands up my thighs, under my shirt, and finally cupping my breasts.
I lean down to kiss him again, but he pulls away slightly, a teasing smile playing on his lips. "Slow down," he whispers breathlessly.
I pause for a moment, looking into his deep brown eyes. I see the same longing and passion mirrored in them that I feel in my own heart.
We both want this—each other—more than anything else in this world. With that thought in mind, I lean down to capture his lips in another searing kiss. Our bodies move together with a primal urgency, our breaths mingling and hearts racing.
He flips us back over so that he's on top again. His lips leave mine to trail hot kisses down my neck and along my collarbone. Goosebumps break out all over my skin as he moves lower and lower.
When he reaches the waistband of my jeans, he pauses and looks up at me for permission. I nod eagerly and help him remove the jeans along with my underwear. His gaze roams over my exposed body hungrily before settling between my legs.
"I want to taste you," he growls before dipping his head between my thighs.
His tongue flicks and teases, driving me closer to the edge with every skillful stroke. I'm panting and moaning, completely lost in the moment as he brings me to the brink of ecstasy. I can feel his lips curve into a satisfied smile against my skin as he pulls away from me.
