Kneeling for a Second Chance Novel

---- Chapter 368 Valeria steadied her breath, choosing her words carefully. "It may have been impulsive to marry you, but I knew what I was getting into." "Mrs. Grant, is this your way of confessing to me?" Sebastian teased. He leaned back into the lounge chair on the balcony, catching her fingers and tugging her closer until she tipped toward him. Valeria braced a hand against his chest to steady herself, glancing toward the bedroom where Margaret was resting . "Who's confessing anything?" Her cheeks burned in the stifling summer air. Then, Sebastian spoke.

"I don't care why you married me- whether it's revenge or some hidden agenda. If there's anything you want from me, take it. I'll give it to you without a fight." All he cared about was keeping Valeria by his side, for good. "Thave no hidden agenda," Valeria said, looking away. "What exactly would I be after? The fact that you barely made it out alive? That you spent a month in the ICU and still haven't recovered? Or that your leg acts up every time it rains?" Her lashes trembled as she looked down. ---- "What could I possibly be after?

You're a year older, and the only things you've got are your looks and the fact that you're tall." "There's one more thing," Sebastian said as he leaned back into the wicker chair. 'The motion pulled Valeria onto his lap, leaving her a little unsteady . For a moment, she couldn't help wondering if the chair would hold both of them. It was the same chair she had bought Margaret during last year's Black Friday sale. Playing along, Valeria asked, "And what's that?" "My stamina," Sebastian said. She let out an exasperated laugh, pushing against his chest to get up.

He could twist any conversation, no matter how innocent, into something dirty. "Stamina, my ass," she muttered, her cheeks flushed. Still perched on his lap, she suddenly felt something pressing against her. The rocker creaked as he leaned back, swaying with a sharp squeak. The view in front of her blurred with the motion. Her hair spilled down as she collapsed against his chest. ---- It was broad daylight, right in Margaret's house, and Valeria's cheeks burned.

She pushed against his chest, giving him a sharp look that clearly said, "Don't you dare." But Sebastian only slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her back, his lips brushing against her ear. "valeria, let's make a promise. Whatever comes our way, let's never be quick to give up. If there's something you can't handle, I'll take care of it. "You don't have to take the heat. I will. Secrets don't stay hidden forever. When this one breaks, let it." His eyes burned with intensity, though his smile stayed easy. Valeria met his gaze, and after a long moment, nodded firmly.

Moments like this had a way of pulling people in, making it impossible not to feel too much. Their lips touched lightly, and the kiss lasted only a heartbeat.