Page 88 of Begin Again

“He wasn’t a bad guy,” I admit. “But he made me feel… unwanted.I was always the one initiating any type of intimacy. After a while, I started to feel like maybe I was asking for too much.”

Theo’s jaw tightens, his expression unreadable. “Too much?”

I huff out a dry laugh. “Yeah. Like… wanting my partner towant me.To show me they want me. To be adventurous, try new things, take control sometimes.” I glance at him. “I told myself that next time, I wouldn’t settle. I want a partner who makes me feel desired. One who doesn’t make me feel like I have to beg for attention.”

Theo is quiet for a long beat. When he finally speaks, his voice is lower, rougher. “And what did you think ofourfirst time?”

A slow, knowing smile curls my lips. “It was okay I guess.”

His lips part slightly, waiting.

I tilt my head, watching him. “I mean, you got me there.” I lower my voice, letting it drip with teasing. “I actually had an orgasm, which hasneverhappened with another man.”

Theo swears under his breath, his grip on Valkyrie’s leash tightening.

I smirk. “But—”

His head snaps to me, eyes wide. “But?”

I bite my lip, dragging the moment out, enjoying the way his gaze darkens, the way tension thickens in the space between us.

“But I know you can domuchbetter.”

A muscle ticks in his jaw. His hand flexes. And just like that, I see it—the shift in him.

Something deep. Almost primal.

23

Selene

We’re at my front door now, and before I can react, Theo steps into my space, crowding me against the wood.

“Damn right I can,” he murmurs.

Then, in one swift motion, he grabs me, hoisting me over his shoulder like I weigh nothing.

I squeal, my hands smacking against his back. “Theo!”

He smacks my ass—hard enough to make me gasp.

Heat floods me, sharp and sudden, my stomach flipping as I squirm in his grip.

He doesn’t waver. Doesn’t hesitate.

Theo carries me through the doorway like he’s done it a hundred times before, his steps slow and deliberate. There’s an ease to the way he holds me, like I belong here like he has every right to touch me like this.

My breath comes fast, my heart hammering in my chest as I grip his shoulders, unsure whether I want to fight my way free or stay right where I am. The warmth of his skin, the firm press of his fingers against my thighs—it’s dizzying, intoxicating.

The front door clicks shut behind us, sealing us inside. The space feels smaller, the air heavier, thick with an emotion I can’t name.

I should say something. Break the moment. Remind him—and myself—that this is just Theo being Theo.

But words fail me.

Instead, I’m hyper-aware of everything. The steady rise and fall of his breath beneath my fingertips. The way his grip tightens just slightly when I shift. The heat radiating from his skin, searing through the thin fabric of my clothes.

He’s moving deeper into the house now, the warmth of the entryway light casting golden shadows over his sharp jawline and his mussed hair. I don’t know if I’m holding my breath or if I just can’t breathe at all.