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Britt lay on his back, his chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath. His skin was damp with sweat, his muscles pleasantly sore. Beside him, Julia was equally breathless as she turned onto her side, her flushed cheek resting against the pillow.

“Wow.” He raised his eyebrows in approval. “That last move you did was…” He searched for the right words, couldn’t find them, and settled on, “It was really something.”

Her kiss-swollen lips curved into a mischievous smile. “You’ll find I’m full of promises.” She wiggled her eyebrows.

He chuckled, feeling lighter than he had in years. “Luke? The Empire Strikes Back , right?”

Her expression shifted to amused intrigue as she propped herself up on an elbow, gazing down at him. “You’ve really brushed up on your Star Wars trivia.”

He reached out to gently run his thumb over her bottom lip, marveling at how soft it was. How it fit perfectly against his when they kissed. “I wanted to impress you.”

Her eyes sparkled as she lifted the covers, glancing down his body. “It’s not Star Wars quotes that impress me.”

“Oh, yeah?” he teased, his grin widening as he tackled her onto the mattress.

She let out a squeal, her laughter lighting up the room as he pinned her beneath him. She didn’t fight back—instead, her arms wrapped around his shoulders, and her body molded to his. He couldn’t help but take a moment just to feel—her warmth, her softness, the sheer rightness of being here with her. The thought that he might get to feel this way for the rest of his life filled him with something dangerously close to happiness.

“So.” He brushed a strand of hair from her face. “When do we get to start trading Marvel movie quotes?”

She scrunched her nose. “I have to admit. I’ve never gotten into the Marvel universe.”

He blinked, utterly baffled. “Why? Superheroes are just star-fighters with better costumes.”

She laughed, the sound like music to his ears, and reached up to smooth down his perpetually unruly cowlick. Her fingers lingered in his hair, and he closed his eyes, luxuriating in her touch. “Maybe because nobody ever took the time to introduce me to the finer attributes of the franchise.”

“Well…” He wiggled his eyebrows. “We’re going to have to remedy that immediately.”

Her smile softened. “So you’re planning to stick around?”

The question made his heart stutter. There was still so much to consider. He’d have to tell her the truth about BKI. If they were really going to do this, he refused to keep secrets from her. But that would come later.

For now, he gave her the simple truth, “I want to. I’m scared of the thought of loving you and losing you. But now I think not letting myself love you is even more terrifying.”

“Good answer,” she whispered, tilting her head to kiss him. Her lips were soft, her tongue eager. “Right answer,” she added before crossing her ankles behind his back and wiggling her hips against him in a way that made his body surge with renewed desire.

As he moved with her in that age-old rhythm, his thoughts slipped away from fear and into something else entirely.

Boss was right all along. So was Taylor Swift.

From the beginning, some invisible string had been pulling him and Julia together. He’d tried to fight it, tried to stretch it until it broke, but it was stronger than him. Stronger than her.

It was the strength of them . Together. And that was the biggest adrenaline rush he’d ever known.