Page 30 of Collide (The Rhapsody of Heartbeats #1)

“I got Filipino barbecue skewers, rice wrapped in banana leaves…The lady at the store threw in a bunch of stuff.”

“Alex…” My voice falters, thick with emotion. My heart soars, full and fragile all at once.

We eat cross-legged on the rug, trading bites and stories, laughter curling between us like steam.

He’s obsessed with the adobo—rightfully so—and tells me facts about the Weedy Seadragons in the tank in front of us, how they’re native to Australia, and perform intricate courtship dances. I smile at the thought.

Even seadragons date.

“I wanted to bring you a little bit of everything,” he says with tenderness. “Australia. Philippines. Here. With me.”

“You’re so thoughtful.” My voice is sincere. “Thank you.”

“I wish we had more time.” He sighs.

“Work’s crazy.” I shrug, hoping he’ll offer something more. “You’re here for work too, right?”

He hesitates. “You could say that.”

Still holding back.

“Can I ask you something?” I venture.

He nods once.

“Are you embarrassed by your job or something? I mean…it just feels like a normal thing people talk about.”

He opens his mouth, then closes it. “Elena, I…”

But whatever he’s trying to say, it stays lodged somewhere behind his eyes.

I shift closer, nestling into him. Letting it go. For now.

The silence stretches between us, not uncomfortable, just full. The light from the tank glows against the walls, the kelp swaying in slow motion. It feels like we’re underwater too, suspended in something soft and private.

“I hope one day you can trust me enough to tell me,” I whisper.

“I think we’ll get there,” he murmurs, brushing his lips against my temple. “I just want you to know me for me.”

“Okay.”

He pulls me down with him, and we lie there together, surrounded by glowing water and the flicker of electric candles. I tuck myself into him. He turns to kiss me, slow and certain, one hand on the small of my back.

He shifts slightly, hovering over me now. The kiss deepens, his tongue caressing mine in slow circular motions. My fingers thread into his hair, pulling him closer. I lose myself in the warmth of his mouth, in the weight of him above me.

Then he breaks the kiss, breath grazing my cheek.

“Can I make you feel good?” he asks, voice ragged, eyes locked on mine.

“You want to touch me again?”

“Please.”

I tilt my head, teasing. “Why haven’t you asked me to have sex with you?”

He lets out a low laugh, as if I’ve knocked the wind out of him. “Do you want me to?”

“Not tonight,” I say, biting my lip. “But eventually…maybe.”

He smiles, that slow, disarming smile that always seems to reach his eyes. “When you’re ready, Elena.”

His mouth finds mine again, softer this time.

“There are so many things we can do before then,” he murmurs against my lips.

“Is there?”

“Oh, yeah.” He kisses the corner of my mouth, the line of my jaw. “I want to take my time with you.”

His hand trails down my neck, across my collarbone, and lower still, until he’s cupping me through my top, his palm warm and claiming. A soft moan escapes me, unbidden.

“I want to savor every minute of your innocence.”

He drifts lower, fingertips brushing down my stomach, swirling his warmth, seeping through the fabric. My breath catches. Every inch of me is alive, humming in anticipation.

“You’re a rare beauty,” he murmurs.

His hand slides to the button of my jeans, popping it open with ease.

Oh, there it goes.

Then comes the slow drag of my zipper—a hushed, metallic note that plays straight down my spine.

“I want to own all your pleasure.” His voice is low, the kind of promise that makes my thighs clench involuntarily.

Then he pauses, gaze flicking to mine, waiting.

“Do you like touching yourself?” he asks.

My cheeks flush. I nod. “Yes.”

And I do. Often. Especially lately. Especially when I think about him.

His eyes darken. “How about inside?”

I shake my head.

He shifts above me, the softness in his expression grounding me.

“I am going to savor every quiver as I feel you unravel around my knuckles,” he growls into my ear, his breath a teasing brush of warmth against my skin, igniting sparks that race down my spine.

“Will it hurt?” I gasp, nerves twisting sweetly into desire, my voice barely a whisper caught between caution and craving.

“No, Darling, not the way I’ll do it,” he murmurs, brushing a kiss across my lips.

He hooks his fingers into the waistband of my jeans and panties, easing them down just to my knees. The cool air hits my skin, and I shiver.

His lips find my neck again, kissing the spot just below my ear.

“I love having easy access to your neck,” he says against my skin, and I melt.

His mouth travels along my collarbone, soft kisses trailing fire. “Prop yourself up, Darling,” he murmurs.

I push up onto my elbows, my breath shallow. He reaches behind me, expertly unhooking my strapless bra. It slips free, and he tosses it into the shadows without a glance. I laugh, biting my lip.

Bye, I guess .

He gently pushes me back down onto the cushions, tugging my top down until my breasts spill free. His hands slide over them, warm and sure, followed by his mouth.

The second his lips close around my nipple, I gasp.

Oh my God.

He licks at each peak, flicking with his tongue, then blowing cool air over the sensitive tips until I shudder.

His hand trails lower, fingers ghosting down my body, over my hips, until he reaches the place I ache the most. His touch is featherlight at first, a teasing slide through the lips of my pussy. I gasp at the contact.

“You’re so wet,” he murmurs, pressing kisses between his words.

He parts me gently, finding the sweet spot I always go to first when I’m alone. He circles it slowly, then dips to collect more slick and spreads it back up over my clit, rubbing in lazy, perfect circles. My body arches toward him.

“Alex,” I whimper, grasping at his bicep, trying to stay grounded.

Touching myself is one thing— this is something else. This is surrender.

His fingers drift lower. My legs falling open on instinct.

He presses one finger into me, slow and patient, stretching me in a way that makes my mouth fall open.

“How does that feel?”

“So good,” I breathe.

“Think you can take another?”

I nod, breathless. “Yes.”

“Good girl.” His grin turns wicked as he bends again, mouth finding my breast while he slides the second finger in beside the first.

I feel it—the fullness, the pressure. I tighten around him, and he groans against my skin.

“So fucking tight.”

He presses his thumb to my center and begins to move in a rhythm that feels divinely orchestrated, precise, and devastating. His fingers curl inside me, and I cry out.

One of my hands claws his bicep, the other the blanket below.

His lips never stop. He kisses, sucks, and grazes my breasts with his teeth, keeping me spiraling under the weight of every perfectly placed touch.

It’s overwhelming.

It’s everywhere.

It’s him.

The pressure builds. My thighs tense, my legs begin to tingle and stiffen.

“Alex,” I gasp, eyes rolling to the back of my head, body trembling. “I—oh, fuck, I?—”

My climax hits in a slow-burning wave that turns molten at the center, detonating outward. I scream his name as I squirm and fall apart under him, hips jerking, toes curling, body vibrating from the inside out.

“Fuck—oh, fuck, fuck—Alex!”

I’m wrecked. Shattered and trembling.

He holds me through it, not stopping until I gasp for breath, chest heaving, limbs limp and loose.

He finally eases his fingers out, slow and careful, and rolls to his side to face me.

“How was that?” he asks, brushing hair from my damp forehead.

“I’m speechless,” I pant, laughing softly.

A wicked smile tugs at the corner of his mouth. “You know you just squirted, right?”

I did what?

He grins and holds up his glistening fingers. “Look how wet you were, your pussy shot all over me,” he says, like it’s something to be proud of. Then he brings them to his mouth and licks them clean, his gaze firmly fixed on mine.

I catch my breath. I don’t know whether to be mortified or turned on. I settle on the latter, basking in the afterglow.

“Hmm…like fucking honey,” he groans, voice dripping with hunger. “I can’t wait to bury my face between your thighs and devour every last drop.”

I giggle, flushed and floating.

God, neither can I.