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"Like that?"

"Gods, yes."

"See?" He kisses me deep. "Not so hard. We'll practice until you can tell me exactly what you need."

The orgasm takes me by surprise.

It's been so long since my body responded like this, since pleasure was anything but a distant memory.

I shake apart in his arms, and he holds me through it, murmuring praise I can barely process.

"Beautiful," he breathes. "Fucking perfect."

When I come back to myself, he's watching me with something like awe.

"What?"

"Just thinking how lucky I am," he says. "Getting to see you like this."

"Regnor—"

"I mean it." He brushes hair from my face. "You have no idea how long I've wanted this. Wanted you."

"How long?"

"Years," he admits. "Since you started working at the station. But you were off-limits. Kraken's daughter. Too young. Too good for me."

"I'm not good," I protest.

"You are. You save lives, Everly. You help people. What do I do? Break heads for the club?"

I slide my hand down his stomach, finding him hard and straining against his jeans. "You protect people. You protected me."

His breath hisses out when I stroke him through the denim. "Everly?—"

"I want to see you," I say, surprising myself with the boldness. "All of you."

He shucks his jeans quickly, and I take a moment to appreciate him.

He's beautiful in a rough way—all hard muscle and scars, nothing pretty or polished about him.

Real.

That's what he is.

Real and solid and here.

"Come here," I whisper, pulling him down for a kiss.

We move together, relearning what skin on skin feels like when it's wanted.

His weight on me doesn't make me feel trapped—it feels safe.

His hands don't take—they worship.

When he slides inside me, we both freeze.

The connection is overwhelming—not just physical but emotional.