Page 24

24

Being with her feels different—raw and unfiltered. Lying in the back of my truck under the wide-open sky, listening to the waves and the sound of her voice, something shifted. She’s unlike anyone I’ve ever known. It’s not just the way she looks at me, her big aqua eyes full of trust and curiosity, but the way she listens—like what I say matters. Like I matter.

It’s been years since I’ve allowed myself to feel like this, to let anyone get close. But Natalie... she’s in, and there’s no going back. Watching her talk about her life, hearing her open up in ways I know aren’t easy for her, something inside me snapped. I want to be the one she can depend on. I need her to know she’ll never have to face anything alone again—not as long as I’m around.

As I pull into the parking spot outside her apartment, I glance over at her. She’s quiet, staring out the window, her hair a little windblown from the beach. There’s a softness to her now, a peace I hadn’t seen before. It’s as if the walls she’s so carefully built around herself have started to crumble.

When she turns to look at me, that small smile on her lips—shy, yet filled with something deeper—it damn near levels me.

“Thank you for today,” she says softly, her voice carrying a weight I know has nothing to do with the ocean or the sunshine.

I reach over, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “You don’t have to thank me. I told you, baby, you’re mine now. I’m here. For whatever you need. Always.”

Her eyes glisten, and she leans into my hand, her cheek pressing against my palm. It’s such a simple thing, but it feels like she’s letting me in a little more.

The moment stretches between us, heavy with something I can’t quite name but know I don’t ever want to lose.

“Come on,” I say, breaking the tension before it swallows us whole. “Let’s go inside.

We walk into her apartment, and Annika is curled up on the couch, a blanket tossed over her legs, a bowl of popcorn in her lap as she watches a movie. Her eyes flick to us, a smirk forming on her lips. She doesn’t even try to hide her amusement.

“Have fun?” Annika asks, her voice teasing, her gaze bouncing between us.

“Yeah,” I answer with a wink, barely stopping as I follow Natalie straight into her room. There’s no more waiting. I’m too far gone for that.

Natalie closes the door behind us, and that’s it. My control snaps. I turn and press her against the door, caging her in with my arms. The sound of her sharp inhale fuels the fire in me. I lean down and claim her mouth, my tongue sweeping across hers with raw, unchecked need. She whimpers, soft and needy, and my already hard cock twitches in my sweats.

Fuck, I could lose myself in her all day. This is going to be bad.

I tear my mouth from hers just long enough to kiss down her neck, my hands roaming freely over her curves, feeling the heat of her skin through her clothes. I pull my shirt over my head and toss it to the floor, not caring where it lands, and then I yank her tiny sundress right off her body. Her bra is gone in seconds, revealing those perfect tits, nipples already hard and begging for my mouth.

I groan as I take one into my mouth, sucking and biting just enough to make her gasp while my hand palms the other, squeezing and teasing. Her hands are on my back, her nails digging into my skin, pushing me further into the madness. My fingers trail down her waist, finding her panties, I slide them down her toned legs, leaving her standing there completely naked before me. She is a fucking vision.

“Fuck,” I mutter, my mouth going dry at the sight of her. She’s perfect.

I drop to my knees, my hands gripping her hips, my fingers trail down her thighs teasing her just enough to hear her breath hitch. She lets out a soft moan, her hands sliding across my abs and dipping under the waistband of my pants, stroking my already aching cock.

“Baby…” she breathes, and the sound has me ready to explode.

I growl low in my throat. “Tell me you want my cock.”

Her eyes flutter closed, her lips parting. “I need your cock, Ryan.”

And that’s all I fucking need. I pick her up easily, her legs wrapping around me as I carry her to the bed, laying her down so her body is stretched out sideways. Her bed is the perfect height. I step back just long enough to kick off my pants before positioning myself between her legs. I can’t wait. I’m too far gone. I need to be inside of her, now.

I grip her thighs, lining my cock up with her entrance, and plunge inside her with a deep thrust. The heat, the tightness— fuck, she feels too good. I thrust into her again, harder, and her tits bounce with the force, making me groan. I reach for them, palming her breasts as I pick up the pace, my cock driving into her over and over.

“Fuck, Ryan, you feel so good,” she moans, her voice shaky and full of need.

I lean down, licking her nipples while I keep thrusting, never breaking the rhythm. “You’re fucking mine,” I growl, my lips brushing her ear. “Do you understand that baby?” I place soft kisses along her neck. “You’re such a good girl. You like it when my cock’s inside you, don’t you?”

She gasps, her back arching as I hammer into her harder, deeper. “Yes… yes…”

“Fuck, baby,” I groan, my lips finding her neck again as I worship every inch of her body, sucking, licking, nibbling her skin like I can’t get enough. And I can’t. I never will.

I lift her legs, placing them on my broad shoulders, giving me even deeper access. Her face is flushed, her lips parted in a soft ‘O,’ her eyes hazy with pleasure. She’s never looked more beautiful. And when she starts to come, her body trembling, her back arching off the bed—I fucking lose it.

Watching her come apart under me sends me over the edge. With a low growl, I bury myself inside her one last time and come hard, my body shaking as I spill inside her. My vision blurs for a second from the intensity of it all, and then I collapse beside her, pulling her into my chest, her skin still warm and damp from our shared heat.

For a moment, we just lay there, the sound of her soft breaths filling the room. She looks so peaceful, a small smile tugging at her lips as her eyes start to close. I pull her tighter against me, my chin resting on the top of her head.

I don’t want this moment to end. But I know it will.

I feel her breathing even out, her body going limp against me as sleep takes her. And fuck, it takes everything in me not to wake her up and fuck her again. But she needs her sleep.

Instead, I just lay there, holding her, listening to the steady rhythm of her breathing, my mind spinning. I knew I’d fall for her. There’s no going back now. She’s under my skin, in my veins, and I know I’m fucked.

I just hope this doesn’t break me.