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Chapter Fifteen

TUCKER

I sat there like a dope for a full five seconds, the sight of him wiping every coherent thought from my mind. I loved him more than I ever thought I could love anyone, and it hit me all at once, almost like I was seeing him for the first time.

I’d always thought falling in love would be a slow process, something gradual and almost planned, like the flight itinerary for one of my trips. This felt more like a free-fall, a sudden drop where the only thing you can do is enjoy the ride. And God, I was loving the ride.

“Are you coming?” His voice was teasing, that playful grin taunting me. I had no words. I didn’t need any. My smile said it all. The towel slid a little lower on his hips as he stood.

My eyes took in every inch of him, an all-you-can-eat buffet of Bryson Kelly that left me starving for more. His light brown hair, usually so carefully arranged, was in wild disarray, messy and adorable. His skin was still flushed from the heat of the shower, a slight sheen left behind like it hadn’t quite decided to let him dry off yet.

A thin line of hair traveled down his chest, trailing all the way to where it disappeared under the edge of the towel. And his muscles—God, the muscles—tight and hard, giving him the look of a Greek statue. If Greek statues had dimples and knew how to make a guy lose his damn mind.

The scent of soap hung in the air, mingling with something else I couldn’t quite place. Clean and inviting, with an undertone that was pure Bryson.

I felt like I was vibrating, the tension coiling inside me so tightly that it was ready to snap. I wanted him more than I ever wanted anything, but it was more than just desire. It was a need that ran so deep it was almost physical, something that lived in my bones and wouldn’t rest until he was with me in every way.

The air between us felt charged, like we were walking through a storm, and the lightning could strike at any second. Each second seemed to stretch, every little movement drawn out. It was electric, that moment of calm before everything went wild.

“Hey, are you okay?” he asked softly, his voice a mix of confidence and vulnerability. My heart did a somersault, not sure which side of him it loved more.

“Yeah, it’s just... You’re beautiful,” I managed, my voice a little rough around the edges. I was amazed I even got a sound out.

His grin widened, eyes sparkling with warmth and mischief. It was the perfect mix of everything he was, everything I wanted. A lifetime of moments just like this flashed before me, the possibility so close I could almost reach out and touch it.

He gave me a look that sent a jolt of desire through my body, my pulse quickening with the unspoken promise in his eyes. The silence that followed felt full, bursting with all the words that we didn’t need to say. He knew exactly what he was doing to me. Knew that he had me under his spell, and he was savoring every second of it.

With a turn of his head and a slight tilt of his hips, he started moving toward the stairs. I followed him, more than ready for what came next. It was the longest walk of my life, from the living room to the bedroom, but the anticipation was almost as sweet as the promise of what we were about to share. I let myself imagine it in exquisite detail, knowing full well that the reality would be even better.

As we moved down the hall, I was so aware of him, so attuned to every detail that it was like seeing in high definition. We stepped into the bedroom, and with every heartbeat, I was falling harder and faster, but for the first time, I wasn’t afraid to land.

He stood close, so close that every heartbeat thudded loud between us. I couldn’t remember ever wanting anything as much as I wanted this, wanted him. The bedroom was dim, our own private cocoon, and his eyes never left mine as he reached for me.

The rest of the world seemed to melt away, and I let it, gladly. Every brush of his fingertips sent a spark up my spine, the anticipation almost more than I could take. My voice was rough, full of everything I felt, when I told him I loved him. He was trembling, and I was, too. I don’t think I’ve ever been happier.

It was like we were seeing each other for the first time, and everything about it felt new. The heat of his body, the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed, the look in his eyes that told me he felt exactly the same way.

I didn’t want to miss a thing. I couldn’t, not when the feeling was this intense, this all-consuming. My skin buzzed with every touch, and he couldn’t get close enough, fast enough.

Bryson’s hands were sure as they found my waist, his fingers pressing into me just the way I liked. The love in his eyes was almost more than I could handle, a weight that wrapped around my chest and filled it to bursting.

I quickly stripped and began folding my clothes neatly, setting them on top of the dresser. “You don’t have to do that,” he whispered.

“I want to. I want all of your focus on us tonight,” I answered softly.

Bryson’s eyes shone with love as he stepped closer and pulled me in for a fiery kiss. My hands found the knot at his waist and yanked on it, pulling the towel away and revealing every delicious inch of him.

We made it to the bed, falling against the mattress in a tumble of limbs and laughter that was almost a moan. He kissed me like he needed it to breathe, and maybe he did, because it was exactly how I felt. A rush of affection swelled in my chest, overflowing into every touch, every sound.

“I love you,” he whispered, the words a promise, a vow, an exhalation of all the air in his lungs. I watched his lips as he said it, committing the moment to memory like a writer does a favorite scene. I wanted to keep it forever, bottle it up and carry it with me wherever I went.

The words escaped me, rough and honest and thick with need. “I love you too.” I watched the effect it had on him, the small tremble of his hands and the brightness in his eyes. It made me want to say it a hundred times, a thousand, until we were both old and gray and couldn’t say it anymore.

He pressed against me, and I felt the hard line of him, so real, so wanting. I had never been happier. Our touches grew urgent, the press of skin on skin, our breaths mingling as we shifted and found new ways to get even closer. The soft slide of our bodies, the way we seemed to fit together so perfectly, like it was always meant to be.

He couldn’t keep his hands still, and I loved it, loved the feel of him, the weight of his affection and the clear, desperate want that moved between us. It was everything. Bryson sat up just long enough to grab the lube and condoms he’d left ready on the side table, his thoughtfulness sending a wave of gratitude through me. Of course he had it all arranged, as meticulous in his lovemaking as he was in every other aspect of his life. The gesture made my heart swell.

I took the supplies from him, smiling at the small details he’d attended to. It made me love him even more. He shivered as I touched him, both of us fighting for air, for control, for more of everything. We weren’t in any rush, not really, but we were equally anxious to get there together, to feel me moving deep inside him, to become one.

My hands were a little unsteady as I applied lube to my fingers and began circling his hole with them, the sensation heightening everything to a point I almost couldn’t take. His breath hitched, and it was the most beautiful sound. Our eyes stayed locked as I slowly worked him open, even as the world slipped away and the intensity of what we were doing hit us full force.

With deliberate care, I opened the condom wrapper and handed it to him. We were ready, more than ready, and the thought of what came next sent a pulse of want through me that was almost too much.

I bit my lips as Bryson sat up and slid the latex down my length with quick, sure movements. He stared down at my cock intently as he slicked it up with lube and I watched the tension in his face give way to pure desire. Then I was above him, the warmth of him making me dizzy, drunk on him, on us, on what we were sharing.

I moved inside him slowly at first, letting us both feel every inch of it, every shift, every movement. My heart pounded in my ears, and I closed my eyes for a second, overwhelmed by how much I loved him, how right this all felt.

The world outside dissolved, nothing but us and the moment and the deep, throbbing connection that bound us together. I held onto him, never wanting to let go. He was mine, and I was his, and the certainty of it filled me with a joy that spilled over and out in soft whispers.

“I love you, Tucker,” he said again, his voice a tremor, a plea, a declaration, and I caught his mouth with mine, feeling the words as much as hearing them.

“You are my world,” I replied easily, losing myself in him, in us, in everything.

We moved together, finding a rhythm that was both familiar and entirely new, a choreography that only the two of us understood.

His body was hot beneath mine, slick with sweat and desire. Every thrust sent waves of pleasure coursing through me, building and building until I thought I might shatter from the intensity. Bryson's legs wrapped tightly around my waist, pulling me deeper, urging me on with breathless moans and whispered encouragement.

I could feel him trembling, his muscles clenching around me as he got close. His hands roamed my back, leaving trails of fire in their wake. I captured his lips in a searing kiss, swallowing his cries of pleasure as I increased my pace.

“Tucker,” he gasped, breaking the kiss. “I'm so close...”

“Me too, baby,” I panted. “Come for me. I want to feel you.”

His body went taut, back arching off the bed as he came with a strangled cry of my name. The sight of him coming undone beneath me, combined with the rhythmic pulsing around my cock, pushed me over the edge. I buried my face in his neck, muffling my own cry of ecstasy as I came hard, my hips jerking erratically.

For several long moments, we lay there, tangled together, struggling to catch our breath. I could feel Bryson's heart racing against my chest, matching the frantic beat of my own. Slowly, carefully, I eased out of him, both of us groaning softly at the loss of connection.

I discarded the condom and grabbed some tissues to clean up before collapsing back onto the bed. Bryson immediately curled into my side, his head resting on my chest. I wrapped my arms around him, holding him close as our breathing gradually returned to normal.

We lay in comfortable silence for a while, my fingers tracing lazy patterns on his back. The room was quiet except for the sound of our breathing and the occasional rustle of sheets as we shifted closer to each other.

“I've never felt like this before,” I admitted softly, pressing a kiss to the top of his head.

Bryson lifted his head to look at me, his hazel eyes searching mine. “Me neither,” he whispered. “It's... scary, but in a good way. You know?”

I nodded my understanding. This thing between us was powerful, all-consuming. It made me want things I’d never given much thought to before. A future. A home. A family. With him. “Yeah, I know exactly what you mean,” I whispered, tightening my arms around him.

As we lay there, basking in the afterglow, I couldn't help but marvel at how much my life had changed in such a short time. Just a few weeks ago, I was a wanderer, content with my nomadic lifestyle and fleeting connections. Now, here I was, wrapped up in the arms of a man who made me want to put down roots.