Rivals Redemption

Chapter 23 : Relax Rowan

Tina Diaz

Rowan’s hand tightened around mine, his grip firm and possessive, the tension between us sharp as a blade. My heart raced, still caught between the kiss we had shared earlier and the electric charge that now crackled between us. Jack had barely walked away, but Rowan was still watching him, his jaw clenched and his eyes darker than I’d ever seen them. I could feel the jealousy rolling off him in waves, and I knew he wasn’t going to let this go easily.

I opened my mouth to say something, to tell Rowan to relax, but before I could get a word out, he pulled me sharply toward him, his body pressing against mine in a way that left no space between us. The air around us felt thick, almost suffocating with the weight of whatever was about to happen.

“Rowan—” I began, but he silenced me with his lips. The kiss was hard, urgent, nothing like the soft, tentative one we had shared earlier. This was rougher, fueled by whatever mix of emotions had been bubbling inside him since Jack showed up. I felt his hands sliding up my back, pulling me tighter against him, as if he couldn’t stand the idea of anyone else getting close to me.

A low, shocked sound escaped me, but I didn’t pull away. Instead, I kissed him back, just as fiercely, my fingers tangling in his hair as I gave in to the heat that was building between us. His lips moved against mine with a kind of desperation, and I could feel how much he needed to prove something—not just to me, but to anyone watching.

I vaguely registered that we were still standing in the middle of the party, people milling around us, but I didn’t care. I didn’t care that Jack might still be watching, that anyone could see us. All I cared about was the way Rowan’s mouth moved against mine, claiming me in a way that made my head spin. His hands slid down to my hips, gripping them hard as he pressed me against the counter, his breath hot and ragged against my lips.

My skin burned where he touched me, the jealousy radiating from him only fueling the intensity between us. His lips left mine, trailing down the side of my neck, his teeth grazing my skin as he kissed and nipped, sending shivers down my spine.

I gasped, gripping his shoulders as my pulse pounded in my ears. "Rowan…"

He pulled back just enough to look at me, his eyes blazing with something raw and unrestrained. "You’re mine, Tina," he murmured, his voice rough, barely more than a whisper, but it sent a thrill through me all the same.

I didn’t know what to say. Part of me wanted to push him away, tell him he didn’t own me, that he couldn’t just act out of jealousy like this. But another part of me—the part that had been craving this, craving him—wanted nothing more than to lose myself in the intensity of the moment. I could feel his possessiveness, and maybe it should have scared me, but instead, it ignited something deep inside me.

Before I could respond, his mouth was on mine again, this time softer but no less intense. His hands slid under my shirt, his fingers trailing over my skin, making me tremble beneath his touch. The kiss deepened, his tongue teasing mine in a way that made my knees weak, and I couldn’t help but let out a quiet moan against his lips.

We were lost in the moment, oblivious to everything around us. Rowan's jealousy had set something in motion, something neither of us could stop now. But even as his lips claimed mine, I couldn’t help but wonder where this would leave us when the night was over—because whatever this was, it was more than just jealousy. It was something deeper, something neither of us were ready to face yet.

But right now, all that mattered was the way he made me feel, and I wasn’t ready to let that go.