Rivals Redemption

chapter 47 : Surrender

Tina Diaz

The warmth of the shower cascaded over us, but all I could focus on was Rowan-his presence, his touch, the way he made me feel safe yet entirely overwhelmed at the same time. My heart was still racing from the chaos of the night. Everything with Liam, the fear and confusion, had evaporated the moment Rowan pulled me into his arms. Now, as his lips moved against mine with a hunger that matched my own, all of it felt like a distant memory.

Rowan's hands gripped my waist, his fingers pressing into my skin as though he needed to anchor himself to me. I felt the same. Every kiss, every touch was filled with an urgency we had both been holding back for too long. My fingers slid up his chest, tracing the hard lines of his muscles, reveling in the feeling of him under my fingertips. He was so solid, so real, and I couldn't get enough.

The steam blurred the edges of the bathroom, making it feel like we were in our own little world. Everything outside of this-my fears, my past, Liam-faded away. There was only Rowan, the way his hands moved across my body, the way his lips found the sensitive spot on my neck, sending shivers down my spine. I gasped, the sound escaping me before I could stop it, but instead of feeling vulnerable, I felt empowered. Rowan made me feel like I could let go, trust him, and just be in this moment.

"Tina," he murmured, his voice a low rumble against my skin, sending heat coursing through me. "Are you sure this is what you want?"

His question made me pause, but only for a heartbeat. I looked into his eyes, dark and intense, filled with a need that mirrored my own. He wasn't just asking if I wanted this moment. He was asking if I wanted him-if I was ready to let him in. And I was. I had been for longer than I cared to admit.

I nodded, my hands moving to cup his face as I pulled him into another kiss, deeper and more desperate than before. I could feel the tension between us building, every touch, every brush of his lips making it harder to think, harder to breathe. There was no hesitation anymore. No doubt. I wanted this. I wanted him.

His hands roamed over my body, exploring every inch of me, and it wasn't long before I felt my back pressed against the cool tile. My legs wrapped instinctively around his waist as he lifted me, the contact sending a shock of pleasure through me. His lips left a trail of fire down my neck, across my collarbone, and lower still, making my breath catch in my throat.

It was overwhelming-how much I felt for him, how much I needed him right then. I hadn't expected to feel this way with Rowan. He'd always been...complicated. Infuriating. But now, all I could think was how much I trusted him, how much I needed him to be the one to pull me through this.

"Rowan..." I breathed, my voice shaky but certain.

Hearing his name on my lips seemed to drive him wild. His hands tightened on my hips, his mouth pressing harder against mine, his desire for me palpable. Yet, in every movement, I felt his restraint. He was holding back, making sure I knew he was there for me, that I was in control. It was more than just passion-it was safety. It was comfort. It was everything I hadn't realized I needed until this moment.

And I wanted more.

My hands tangled in his wet hair, pulling him closer as his lips found mine again. The water, the steam, the heat between us-it all blurred together, making it impossible to tell where one ended and the other began. His hands gripped me tighter, his lips exploring my skin, and I was lost in him, in the intensity of it all.

But as the moment grew more heated, as the need for him became undeniable, there was something else. Beneath the passion, beneath the desperation, there was an understanding-unspoken but felt. Rowan wasn't just with me in this moment. He was here for me, truly *here*. And somehow, that made everything feel more real, more important.

I hadn't expected this night to change things between us, but it had. Rowan wasn't just the guy I fought with or the one who frustrated me to no end. He was the person who had been there when I needed someone the most. And as we stood there, wrapped in each other, I knew this wasn't just a fleeting moment. This was the beginning of something that scared me, excited me, and made me feel more alive than I had in a long time.

I didn't know what would happen next, but for the first time, I didn't feel like I had to have all the answers. Because Rowan was there, and for now, that was enough.