Page 165 of When We Ignite

Sebastian paused, then nodded.

I smiled at Aria before following him toward the back of the plane.

The private room was small but luxurious, complete with a bed and bathroom. He sat heavily on the edge of the bed, rubbing his face with both hands. I closed the door behind us and moved closer, gently pulling his hands away.

He smiled up at me, tired but affectionate. “Sorry for the bad company.”

“You’re never bad company, Ash,” I said softly, biting my cheek. I hesitated for a moment, then climbed into his lap, wrapping my arms around his neck.

Sebastian hummed, pleased, his hands settling on my hips.

“Anything I can do to make it better?”

His lips stretched into a soft, devastatingly attractive smile as he tilted his head. “I’m really tired, pet. Otherwise, you know I’d jump at the chance to let you try.” He pulled me closer, his lips grazing my neck gently.

“I know you are,” I murmured, threading my fingers through his hair and tugging lightly. “So why don’t you just lay back—” I tilted us backward until he was lying on the bed, “—and teach me how to ride you. I’ll do most of the work.”

His eyes darkened instantly, a flicker of desire breaking through the fatigue. His lips parted, and he watched me carefully, almost as if deciding whether I was bluffing. Then he let out a low, raspy laugh, his eyes gleaming.

“I’d marvel at the view.” His voice was rough, before he pulled me into a kiss.

He let me do it, his big warm hands guiding me to a pace we both enjoyed after I had settled over him. Sebastian didn’t take his eyes off me—not for a second. Whether he was holding my gaze or watching the movement of my body, his focus was unwavering. It finally clicked that the way to make Sebastian lose control wasn’t to go faster, but to keep it excruciatingly slow, letting him see how much I enjoyed it. So, that’s exactly what I did.

I predictably finished before him, with his hand wrapped around me, and Sebastian asked if we could keep going. I agreed and set out to give him what he wanted.

I pulled his wrists from my hips and pinned them by his head. He chuckled, breathless. He asked me to let him go and I grinned, shaking my head and keeping him there. Sebastian just smiled and groaned, so he couldn’t have hated it.

When his moans started becoming more frequent, and his hips lifted more urgently off the bed, chasing me, he asked again.

As soon as I let go, he sat up on the bed, crossing his arms over my back and holding me down by my shoulders. He panted over my jaw, warming my skin in the best way. I was hard again, rubbing against his abdomen, slick with sweat and more than ready to come again.

Sebastian urged me to quicken my pace, and I followed his lead, making the quiet noises I knew he loved—some deliberate, others escaping without my control. His grip on me turned almost bruising, perfectly balancing that edge he always seemed to navigate so well. His breath hitched, his body tensed, and then he stilled, releasing with a sharp inhale.

The tension melted from his body, and he slumped against me, our heavy breathing blending with the steady hum of the plane’s engine. His hands began to move over my back soothingly, and I smiled, leaning into his affectionate side.

“I adore you, my darling,” he whispered so softly it could have been a dream.

I froze, wanting to melt into his touch but terrified of saying or doing the wrong thing.

“This is so fucking unfair,” he added, his voice tinged with something deeper—something that made my chest ache.

I tightened my hold around his neck. “I do too, Ash.”

It was true, but it was also so much more than that.

Ilovedhim.

The words burned in my throat, desperate to be said, but I swallowed them down, afraid of shattering whatever fragile balance we had. The last thing we needed was for me to say it and make him realize what a big mistake this had been. That he should never have trusted me to be part of an adult relationship. It was too soon and too much, but I knew it was true. At least for me, it was the realest thing I had ever felt.

“I could never have enough of you, pet,” Sebastian murmured, his hands still caressing me.

Closing my eyes tighter, I pushed everything down.

I would never stop wanting to give him everything in order to keep him this close to me. I wanted to belong to him and have him be mine—solely focused on me—like he was right at this moment. I wanted the world to melt away and, with it, all of our problems and moral objections.

He just had to want it too.

We had two more weeks. Two more weeks to change his mind, to make him break his word. If I could, maybe this wouldn’t have to end.Even if we had to hide it for a while longer.