MAGGIE
I heard his fast intake of air and felt Sebastian shift in his seat, his hand holding mine tighter. It took everything in me to remain still and pretend I was sleeping. I wanted to talk to him and tell him he was wrong. To beg him to see he could come to Riverstoke with me and find a life there. We could figure it out together. Neither of us had to face the future alone—without the other. He didn’t have to give up his music, and I didn’t have to continue my lonely life. But he’d been honest with me and told me it, us, wouldn’t happen, so all I could do was get through this flight and then say goodbye.
I would hate it, but I would do it.
His body pressed into mine, his warm breath drifting over my skin. “Maggie,” he whispered. “Open your eyes for me, my angel. I know you’re not asleep.”
I did as he asked, surprised to see how close he was. His face was inches from mine, his warm green eyes staring at me. My heart raced faster with his closeness.
“What?” I whispered back, hoping he wasn’t going to apologize for not wanting me the same way I wanted him again.
“How did it feel?”
I frowned at him. “How did what feel?”
“When I kissed you. How did it feel?”
I stared at him, unsure how to answer. “I don’t know if I can answer that.”
“Can I try to help you figure that out?”
“Yes.”
He buried his hand into my hair, drawing my face to his. His mouth covered mine, and he kissed me—in a way I’d never been kissed before. Long, deep, sensuous passes of his tongue. Playful nips of his teeth as he pulled my bottom lip between his. Low-pitched groans that let me know how he felt. He possessed me totally. Tenderness, passion, want, desire, and longing were in that kiss. Deeper and deeper we sank into the emotion he stirred up between us. I held him tight, my fingers digging into his skin, never wanting to let him go. He held my face snug to his with one hand, while he had me locked against him with his other arm. It was only the clearing of someone’s throat that pulled us apart, and even then, he refused to let me go. He pressed his forehead to mine.
“Do you know what it felt like to me?”
I shook my head, my heartbeat thundering in my ears.
“Like I was home. Like it was the start of forever.”
I gasped.
Why was he saying this?
“Did it feel like that to you?”
“Yes,” I breathed out.
He buried his head into my shoulder. “I can’t let you go. Even though I should, I can’t.”
“I don’t want you to.”
He raised his head, his gaze intense. “I want to go with you.”
“Then come.”
“I don’t have anything to offer you. I’m broke, and once he finds out I’m not showing up, my father will disown me.”
“All I need is you. You’re more than enough. The rest, we’ll figure out together.”
“I’ve never been enough before—for anyone.”
“You are. You are to me.”
He leaned forward, clutching my hands. “I don’t know what this is between us, Maggie. All I know is that I don’t want it to be over.” He stared at me pleadingly. “I don’t want you to leave me. I don’t want to go and sell insurance.”
“What do you want to do?”
“I want to go with you. Help you fix up your little house. Make it ours. Get to know you better. Find a job packing groceries or pouring drinks in the bar. I don’t care. As long as I get to come home and see you there, it won’t matter.”
“Sebastian…”
“We can make a life together, Maggie. You want roots, I want to belong to someone. We can be there for each other.” He paused and searched my eyes. “Each other’s home.”
I nodded eagerly. I wanted that. I wanted him.
“Are we crazy?”
He grinned. “Yes.”
“I’m good with that.”
He kissed me again—soft, gentle kisses of adoration. “I found an angel in the airport.”
“I think I found you.”
“Yeah, you did.”
My eyes filled with tears.
“Are those good tears?” he questioned quietly. “Or are those ‘God, why did I ever go near that weirdo in the airport’ tears?”
“Good tears.”
He smiled widely. “Yeah?”
I nodded, beaming at him. “I want you to come home with me. We’ll figure it all out together, Sebastian. Each step. Neither of us has to be alone anymore.”
He lifted my hand and kissed it. “I’m going to love you hard, Maggie Andrews—I already know that. I’ll love you until you don’t remember what your life was like before I showed up. Are you prepared for that?”
“I can’t wait. I’m going to love you back just as much.”
He pressed his lips to mine once again.
“Then let’s go start our future.”
I smiled at him.