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Sweat covers my skin, and my heart pounds against my ribcage, echoing in my ears. My feet ache from how hard they meet the ground as I sprint through the darkened forest that surrounds Paige and Declan’s home.

I make the mistake of glancing over the shoulder and find Rhys right on my heels. I shriek then chuckle when he reaches out to grab me, missing by an inch.

When I mentioned that I wanted to dabble in primal play, Rhys was more than happy to participate.

Since then, he’s chased me in the park in the middle of the night and fucked me in the dirt so rough, my knees had been bruised. He chased me in the penthouse and fucked me against the glass door leading to the balcony until I couldn’t take it anymore.

“I’m taking your ass when I catch you,” Rhys announces, and a thrill shoots up my spine.

“ If you catch me!” I tease, weaving in between the trees, avoiding the roots as best as I can.

It’s well into the night but Rhys made sure there were no guards stationed in this area of the forest for this specific reason.

I trip and fall to the ground. Rhys is on me before I have a chance to scramble to my feet. He roughly rips my clothes off my body. The night air is warm for this time of year, but my pussy is soaked enough that the air actually feels cold.

I try to pull away and escape his hold, but he’s too strong. He shoves his pants down, releasing his cock, which stands at full attention.

A moan falls from my lips.

“Want me to fuck your cunt first, baby? Make you squirt all over my cock before I take your ass?” he growls in my ear.

I nod, presenting myself to him. He fists my hair tightly. The sting is everything.

The head of his cock presses at my entrance. We moan in unison when he sinks inside, stretching me until it burns.

He slaps my ass cheek. With my hair still wrapped around his hand, he fucks me hard and deep right there on the forest floor. My screams echo into the night.

I’m sure there are guards somewhere on the property that likely hear me, but I’m too far gone to give a fuck.

Just when I think this couldn’t get any better, Rhys presses his thumb into my ass.

“Fuckfuckfuckfuck!” I chant. I’m thrown into orbit and come so hard I damn near see stars.

I don’t have a chance to catch my breath before Rhys is working his way into my asshole. The burn borders painful but quickly changes when he starts to move his hips. I instinctively reach down and rub my swollen clit.

He shoves my face down into the dirt and fucks me hard. My eyes roll back. My fingers alternate between sinking into my core and stroking my clit.

“Come for me, Sarah,” he commands through gritted teeth.

My hand rubs my clit faster and faster until my orgasm rips through me. “Oh fuck, yes!”

Rhys pistons his cock in and out of me, chasing his own release. He quickly pulls out and I feel the warmth of his cum splatter on my ass and lower back.

He helps me stand after tucking himself back into his pants. His hands cradle my face. The adoration in his eyes heat my blood and butterflies flutter inside my stomach.

“You’re amazing,” he whispers, planting a soft kiss to my lips then reaching down to lift my clothes from the ground.

He helps me dress and I grimace when I feel the fabric of my shirt stick to his cum.

“We’ll clean you off when we get home,” he promises.

Home.

That’s what it is though, isn’t it?

I’ve created a home with Rhys.

I’m creating a life with him.

Taking my hand in his, Rhys leads us through the forest and back to where he parked the SUV.

* * *

I wake to the sound of the fire alarm blaring loudly. I freeze when I smell something burning.

Fear causes my throat to tighten, and I struggle to breathe. I struggle to think about anything other than the need to escape.

“Rhys.” I reach over only to be met by a cold and empty bed. “Rhys?!” I scream, shoving the blankets off me and running to the door.

I come to a halt, my hand centimeters from the handle.

What if it’s hot?

What is there are flames on the other side?

What if Rhys is already dead?

Panic fills my blood at the mere thought of losing Rhys.

Nononono.

Not Rhys.

The memory of me using a shirt to open the door when I lost my brothers flashes. I glance around and find a discarded one at the end of the bed.

My hand shakes uncontrollably as I wrap it around the handle and open the door.

Something crashes in the distance followed by Rhys’ loud curse.

I’m darting through the penthouse before I realize what is happening. “Rhys!”

I skid to a stop when I come to the kitchen. Smoke billows from the skillet on the stovetop. A shirtless Rhys stands using a dishrag to try and air out the rising cloud.

“I forgot to —.” His words are cut off when he turns to face me.

Tears run down my face. Relief swirls inside my heart.

He’s okay.

Rhys is okay.

“What’s wrong?” he asks, striding toward me and cupping my face.

I open my mouth to reply but words refuse to come out.

This is why you can’t let him in.

Despite not being in any danger, just the thought of something happening to Rhys sent me spiraling. What will happen when he inevitably leaves me?

“The smoke,” I finally say.

His brows furrow slightly then rise to his hairline. Realization fills his eyes.

“Fuck, baby. I’m sorry.” He wraps his arms around me and tugs me against his chest. “I was making breakfast when I got distracted by a call from Liam.”

My entire body trembles with the releasing adrenaline. Unlike the adrenaline I search for, this makes me sick to my stomach.

“Everything is okay. I’m okay. You’re okay,” he mutters against my temple.

His words do nothing to the raging storm of pain wreaking havoc inside my mind.

“I need to go,” I murmur, stepping out of his embrace.

“What? Go where?”

Refusing to meet his eyes, I turn toward the hallway leading back to the room. “I just need to go. I need some space to think.”

The fire alarm starts to blare again and Rhys curses again. The sound of his phone ringing adds to the chaos in the kitchen. But I refuse to turn around. I refuse to do anything but run.

I need to run away from whatever this is.