Chapter 168 Only for Tonight
POV Dominic:
“It’s fine. It was better that way. I lost my virginity with someone I loved, in a way, so things happened the way they had to,” she says. And she’s right—everything happened the way it was supposed to.
“I think I’ll do like Luca and go to bed,” Mikhail says, barely looking at us before going inside. Adrian follows him, leaving only Sebastian, Maya, and me.
“I think I told a story no one liked hearing,” she says. “I knew I should never have thought about that night.”
“That’s not why we’re shocked,” Sebastian says, and I look at him, silently begging him not to say anything. “I think it’s the coincidence.”
“Yes,” I agree.
“We were meant to meet,” she says with a smile, but she still doesn’t understand the irony of the situation.
She was meant to be ours from the beginning, but we’re not going to enter a relationship that already hurt us before. It’s not fair to any of us. If I hadn’t wanted to leave so badly, maybe things would have been different and we would have shared her that night. Sebastian wouldn’t have met Scarlett, and nothing would have happened the way it did. Maybe what didn’t work out with Scarlett would have worked with Maya. Unfortunately, we’ll never know.
“You’re right. Four years later, and here we are,” I say, making her smile. “Well, I’m going to bed too. Tomorrow I need to settle some things about the sale…” I stop myself. This isn’t the moment to talk about something I know will make her sad.
“It’s okay, you can say it. That way I know how much time I have to say goodbye to Salazar.”
“He’s leaving a day after you,” I say, and she nods. What I still haven’t told her is that the Burts are the ones buying him. And since she’s friends with David, maybe she’ll be able to see him whenever she wants. Even with jealousy eating me alive inside, I’m glad it was them who bought him. “Good night.”
I say goodbye and turn my back on the only woman I’ve ever wanted. I’ve never had time for relationships—my only concern has always been the farm and nothing else. But since that sharp-mouthed bitch walked into my life and my brothers’, I want her. I want her every fucking second. I want her every goddamn minute of my day. And what kills me is knowing I’ll never have her, because I don’t have my brothers’ maturity to have her in my bed for just one night. That’s why I won’t take her there—because if I even considered doing such shit, I’d never let her leave again.
That’s me—the possessive, rough caveman she’s always talking about. The only one without the courage to have her and then let her go. And that’s fine. After she distances herself from us, things will go back to their axis. That’s what I hope happens, because otherwise I won’t know how to deal with the departure of the only woman I’ve ever fallen in love with.
(...)
POV Sebastian:
I watch the fire crackle in the wood and think about all the revelations of this night. About how Maya was so close and yet so far from us all this time. Would everything have been different if we hadn’t gone back to the hotel that night? She would have been my first woman—and who knows, maybe the only one. From her extroverted, joyful, provocative way of being, I know deep in my heart that we would have kept her. That once we had taken her virginity, we would have made her ours, and no one else would ever touch her.
A bitter taste fills my mouth because she said that after that night she met her ex-fiancé, and hearing that made nothing better—on the contrary, it only let jealousy and possessiveness seep into my veins. It’s no wonder Luca was the first to leave; I know this shit is going to haunt him for a long time. I’m not certain, but I believe he was her first kiss.
“I’m sitting here thinking about how funny things are,” she says, and I turn toward Maya. Her eyes are fixed on me.
“What do you mean?” I ask.
“About how our story took so many turns to put us exactly where we should have been four years ago. But things are different now.”
“Yes, they are.”
We fall silent, and I think about her words. She’s right—we’re exactly where we should be. But unlike that night, we won’t share her. My heart beats faster in my chest. If I want to have her, it has to be today. Tomorrow is her last night in our house, and if Dominic happens to change his mind—and I hope he does—I need to have her today. Just for today.
“Do you want to go see Salazar and naughty?” I ask, my heart beating for her like it never has for anyone else.
“I do. I need to say goodbye to my stubborn one. Tomorrow I’m spending the day with him.”
“Are you talking about Salazar or Dominic?” I joke, making her smile.
“You got me. Maybe I’m talking about both.” I stand and offer her my hand; she takes it. “Why do I feel like you’re up to something, Sebastian Moretti?”
“Maybe because I am.” I feel my face heat up, and that makes her rest her palm against my cheek.
“I love seeing them rosy.”
“I know.” And before I can think too much, I pull her against my body, slip my hand into her loose hair, and hold her, making her look at me. “I want you. For today, I want you to be mine, pepper. Just mine.” I take her mouth, quickly losing myself in the sweet taste of her lips, not caring how long it will take me to find myself again after today—because I don’t care about anything except the woman in front of me.
I feel her nails rake the back of my neck while her tongue teases mine. Maya has always melted my mind, making me think and imagine everything I’d like to do to her. I’ve waited patiently, and tonight I’m going to take her, kiss her, and adore her the way I want. With my mouth, my fingers, and my cock, I’ll make this night unforgettable for both of us.
“Come with me.”
I don’t wait for an answer; I simply lead her toward the barn. If I’m going to make her mine for one night, it will be in the place that matters most to me. It will be in the barn that I love her with everything I have.