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The moment she opens the door, my chest cracks wide open, and the guilt that’s been eating me alive surges to the surface.

Her eyes are puffy, swollen from crying—crying because of me. I’m the reason for her pain, and seeing her like this nearly brings me to my knees. I want to touch her so badly, to pull her into my arms and never let her go, but I don’t deserve that. Not yet.

She stares at me, her lips parted like she wants to say something, but no words come out. Her breath catches, and I can see the wheels turning in her head. God, I’ve missed her so much. I’ve missed her smile, her laugh, the way she makes everything in my life feel right. And now? Now all I see is the pain I’ve caused her, it’s written all over her face.

I take a deep breath, forcing myself to speak. “Natalie,” I say, my voice hoarse, barely above a whisper. “I’m sorry. I’m so fucking sorry.”

Her eyes glisten with unshed tears, and it shatters me all over again. I’m raw, my broken, jagged pieces exposed, and I lay it all out for her. Every ounce of guilt, regret, and love I’ve been carrying since the moment I walked away.

Her tears spill over, and before I can stop myself, I reach out, cupping her face gently in my hands. She doesn’t pull away. Instead, she leans into my touch, and it’s like a lifeline for my broken soul.

When her lips finally touch mine, it’s like a jolt of electricity shoots through my entire body. In that instant, I’m alive again. I kiss her with everything I have, all the passion, all the desperation, and every ounce of love I’ve been holding back. My hands roam her arms, her back, pulling her as close as I can. She melts into me, her body fitting against mine like it was always meant to be this way.

How could I have been so stupid? How could I have let her go?

When we finally break apart, both of us breathing heavily, I rest my forehead against hers. “Spend the week with me,” I murmur, my voice low but full of intent. “Let me fix this. Let me show you I can fix this.”

Her eyes meet mine, searching, hesitant. “What about work?”

“Screw work,” I reply without hesitation. “This is more important. You’re more important. I took the whole week off. Please, baby, let me show you how important you are to me. Give me the chance to make this right.”

She blinks, her lips trembling. “Okay,” she whispers.“I’ll spend the week with you.”

Relief washes over me like a tidal wave, and I can’t help but kiss her again, slower this time, savoring every second. She’s everything. She’s my home.

We pack fast, neither of us willing to waste another second apart. Clothes, essentials—it doesn’t matter. All that matters is getting away. By the time we hit the road, the sun is dipping low, painting the sky in shades of gold and deep violet. The world blurs past in streaks of headlights and palm trees, but all I can focus on is her.

I’ve rented a place in Key West—a secluded little house on the water, far from the chaos of the city and UXW. No cameras. No interruptions. No distractions. Just her. Just us.

The hum of the engine is steady, but the silence between us is thick, filled with everything we’ve been through. Unspoken apologies. Lingering pain. The weight of time lost. Then, out of nowhere, her hand slips into mine, fingers threading together like she’s afraid I’ll slip away again. Like she needs the contact as much as I do.

“I missed you,” she says softly, her voice barely above a whisper, but thick with emotion. The kind that guts me. The kind that makes me realize just how badly I hurt her.

I squeeze her hand, holding on tighter, my heart twisting in my chest. “Oh, baby… I missed you too. More than you’ll ever know.” I swallow hard, stealing a glance at her tear-filled gaze. “And I’m so fucking sorry. This should have never happened.” My grip tightens like I can somehow anchor her to me, make her believe this. Make her believe in us again. “I swear to you, Natalie, just like you belong to me, I belong to you.”

Her breath hitches, her fingers tightening around mine. Her eyes shine in the dim glow of the dashboard, but this time, it’s not just pain staring back at me. It’s hope.

For the rest of the drive, we don’t need words. The silence isn’t heavy anymore—it’s warm, filled with quiet understanding. My thumb brushes over her knuckles, memorizing the feel of her skin, grounding myself in the one thing that has ever truly mattered.

She’s here. In my truck. By my side.

And this time, I’m never letting her go.

The house is even better than I imagined. A sprawling green lawn, palm trees swaying in the night breeze, and an uninterrupted view of the ocean stretching beyond the horizon. It’s paradise—secluded, private, ours . But the real view?

She’s standing beside me.

Natalie’s lips part as she takes it all in, her wide eyes reflecting the moonlight, her breath hitching. The way she clutches her bag, her fingers flexing, tells me everything I need to know—she feels it too. The weight of this moment. Of us finally being here.

And fuck, I need her.

I push the door open, letting her step inside first, and the moment it closes, something snaps.

I can’t hold back anymore.

I press her against the door, my body crowding hers, caging her in, but there’s no fear—only raw, pulsing need . Her breath comes fast, her chest rising and falling in quick, shallow gasps as she stares up at me, her lips slightly parted, flushed from the heat already building between us.

“Ryan…” Her voice is barely a whisper, but it’s drenched in want, in us .

I cup her face, my thumbs tracing the high points of her cheeks, feeling the warmth beneath them. My gaze drops to her mouth, lingering, waiting, giving her a moment to pull away.

She doesn’t.

Instead, her hands fist in my shirt, pulling me down, and the second our lips meet, it’s fire.

I kiss her like I’ve been starving for her—because I have .

My hands slide down her sides, molding to her curves, feeling the way she trembles under my touch. Her nails scrape up my back, dragging over my skin through my shirt, and the sensation sends a bolt of heat straight through me.

I groan against her lips, deepening the kiss, my tongue sweeping into her mouth, tasting her, claiming her. Her moan is soft, needy, and fuck, it wrecks me. I want more. I need more.

I break away only long enough to yank her shirt over her head, tossing it aside. My hands roam over her bare skin, trailing fire in their wake. Her bra is delicate lace, barely containing her, and I let my fingers trace the curve of her breast, watching her reaction.

Her eyes are heavy-lidded, her lips swollen, and when I brush my thumb over her nipple, she lets out the sweetest little gasp.

“God, baby…” I murmur, ducking my head to kiss along the column of her throat, tasting the salt of her skin. “You have no idea what you do to me.”

Her fingers tangle in my hair, holding me close, and when I nip at the sensitive spot just below her ear, her body jerks against mine.

I smirk. There it is.

I unclasp her bra, letting the straps slide down her arms, and when she’s bare before me, I pause. Just for a second. Just to look .

She’s fucking stunning .

The soft curves of her breasts, the way her nipples tighten under my gaze, the way she shivers, her thighs pressing together like she’s trying to contain the ache between them.

I won’t let her.

I drop to my knees in front of her, my hands sliding up the smooth expanse of her thighs, feeling the heat radiating from her. I hook my fingers into the waistband of her leggings and panties, dragging them down slowly, watching as every inch of her is revealed to me.

She’s already glistening. Already so fucking ready for me.

I press a kiss to the inside of her knee, then another, moving higher, savoring the way she trembles, her fingers threading into my hair.

“Ryan…” Her voice is breathless, pleading.

I smirk against her skin, gripping her thighs and spreading them wider. “Patience, baby.”

I lean in, my mouth finding her, and the second my tongue flicks over her clit, she gasps . Her whole body jerks, her grip tightening in my hair, pulling me closer, like she doesn’t want me to stop. Like she needs this just as badly as I do.

I groan against her, the taste of her sending a fresh wave of desire through me. I work her slowly, teasing, dragging it out, savoring every reaction. I slide a finger inside her, feeling the way her walls tighten around me, and then add another, curling them just right.

Her moans grow louder, her hips rocking against my face, and fuck, I love this. I love her like this—uninhibited, lost in the pleasure I’m giving her.

“Ryan, I—” Her voice breaks as her body tenses, her thighs trembling.

I don’t stop. I don’t slow down. I flick my tongue over her clit again, pressing my fingers deeper, and with a strangled cry, she comes undone.

I feel it—the way she pulses around me, the way her body melts into the door behind her, the way her breath comes in ragged gasps.

I stand, lifting her effortlessly, her legs wrapping around my waist, and I carry her straight to the bed.

She looks up at me, eyes heavy, lips parted, and there’s something deeper there now.

Something that makes my chest tighten.

I strip off my shirt, then my pants, and when I’m finally bare, her gaze drops, her breath hitching.

I climb onto the bed, positioning myself between her thighs, letting our bodies align, letting her feel exactly how badly I need her.

I grind against her, dragging the thick length of my cock over her slick folds, teasing us both.

She gasps, her fingers digging into my biceps. “Ryan, please.”

I smirk, dipping down to kiss her, slow and deep. “Patience, baby,” I murmur against her lips. “I told you, I’m taking my time.”

I drag the tip of my cock over her entrance again, teasing her, feeling her body tense, the anticipation tightening around us like a live wire.

And then, finally, finally , I push inside.

She gasps, her nails biting into my skin, her body arching as I stretch her.

I groan, pressing my forehead against hers, fighting to keep my control. “Fuck… you feel so good, baby.”

She’s so tight , so warm, and when she shifts her hips, taking me deeper, my restraint shatters.

I start to move, slow and deep, savoring every second.

“Mine,” I rasp against her mouth. “You hear me, baby? Mine. ”

“Yes,” she gasps, her legs tightening around me. “Only you.”

Her words push me closer to the edge. I reach between us, finding her clit, rubbing tight circles, determined to bring her with me.

“Come for me,” I murmur, my voice thick with need. “Let me feel you.”

Her body tightens, her breath catching, and when she finally falls apart beneath me, moaning my name, I lose it.

I thrust deep, groaning as I bury myself inside her, our bodies moving in perfect rhythm.

When it’s over, I roll, pulling her into my arms, holding her close as our breathing evens out.

“I love you,” I whisper against her forehead. “And I’ll never stop proving it.”

She smiles, her fingers tracing lazy circles on my chest. “I love you too, Ryan.”

And for the first time in my life, I know—this is home .