18. Maxine
CHAPTER 18
maxine
I smoothed my sundress for the tenth time, my heart racing as I peeked out my bedroom window. Sebastian's truck was already waiting at the end of the driveway, far enough from the house to avoid suspicion. Brooklyn stood in my doorway, keeping watch.
"Mom is in her study with David," she whispered. "Coast is clear. But remember?—"
"Back by eleven, say I was with Maria if anyone asks." I grabbed my purse and double checked that my locket was secured around my neck. "Thank you, Brook."
She caught my arm and grinned. "Have fun. But not too much fun."
The evening air was sweet with the scent of jasmine as I slipped out the side door and walked toward the truck, my sandals quiet on the gravel path. Sebastian stepped out of his truck when he saw me, and my breath caught. He was wearing dark jeans and a white button-down with the sleeves rolled up. He looked nothing like the suited executive from the morning meetings.
"Hi," I whispered as I reached him.
His fingers brushed my cheek. "You look beautiful." The simple words made me shiver.
We drove in comfortable silence, his hand finding mine across the console. It was still new, this freedom to touch, to want. The guilt and confusion were still there, but they were overshadowed by how right it felt.
"Where are we going?" I asked as we passed the town limits.
Sebastian smirked. "You trust me?"
"You know I do."
Twenty minutes later, he turned onto a dirt road I didn't recognize. Trees gave way to an open field, and I gasped. Hundreds of fireflies danced in the twilight, and in the center of the field sat a checkered blanket with a picnic basket.
"Sebastian..."
"I may have had some help," he admitted as he parked. "Brooklyn packed the food. Said if I was going to be sneaking around with her sister, I better do it properly."
Laughing, I let him lead me to the blanket. He'd thought of everything—wine, my favorite foods, even a small speaker that was playing soft music. The sunset painted the sky in shades of pink and gold.
"Dance with me?" he asked as he pulled me to my feet.
"Here?" I asked, but I was already melting into his arms.
"Here." His hand spanned my lower back, holding me close as we swayed. "Where no one can tell us we're wrong."
I looked away, guilt and uncertainty warring in my chest. "But what if they're right? What if this ruins everything? The company, our families?—"
"Hey"—he tilted my chin up—“tonight is not about any of that. Tonight is just about us."
His kiss was gentle, unhurried. No rushed moments in empty offices or stolen glances across the dinner table. Just us, under an endless Texas sky, being honest about what we wanted.
"I've wanted to do this for so long," he murmured against my lips. "Take you on a real date. Show you how special you are to me."
"How long?" I needed to know.
"Remember last Fourth of July? You were wearing that red dress and laughing at something Jace said. The fireworks were going off, and all I could think about was how much I wanted to kiss you."
"That long?" My fingers traced his jaw. "Why didn't you say anything?"
"Because I was terrified." His honesty made my heart ache. "Of ruining our family, of losing you completely. But watching you fight for Carlos's legacy, seeing your strength... I couldn't pretend anymore."
We danced until the stars came out, and traded secrets and soft kisses. The fireflies swirled around us like earthbound stars, and for those few precious hours, the world beyond this field didn’t exist.
The music faded as Sebastian guided me back to the blanket. His touch ignited sparks across my skin as he drew me close, one hand tangling in my hair while the other traced the curve of my spine. My breath caught at the intensity in his eyes.
“Max,” he said, his voice husky with desire. “Please tell me now if you want to stop because I am holding on by a thread.”
My name on his lips lit a fire inside me. A desperate need to seal our lips together. “Sebastian, please, I need you,” I whispered, my voice not sounding like my own.
Our lips met in a searing kiss that stole my breath. His hands roamed reverently over my sundress as I arched into his touch. I tugged at his shirt buttons, needing to feel his skin against mine. He trailed heated kisses down my neck and across my collarbone, making me gasp his name into the cool night air.
We wasted no time ridding each other of clothes and exploring one another beneath the stars. Each caress, each whispered endearment, brought us closer until we were lost in each other completely. His touch set my body aflame as we moved together, the rest of the world falling away until there was nothing left but us and the endless Texas sky.
Later, wrapped in the spare blanket and the warmth of afterglow, I traced the firm planes of his chest while his fingers drew lazy patterns on my bare shoulder. Every brush of skin against skin felt electric, precious.