Page 128 of Hold Me Tight

The sound that rips from him is filled with pent-up desire and longing.

“Jesus, Callie,” he groans, fingers threading through my hair. The way he holds me doesn’t feel forceful, it’s almost as if he needs to ground himself in this moment.

I take my time, worshiping him with the same level of attention he did to me. Every flick of my tongue, every pass of my lips tells him what I haven’t stopped feeling since the moment his mouth touched mine.

All the emotions I was too afraid to admit even to myself.

I love you.

I love you.

I love you.

His muscles tense beneath my hands, his breath turning ragged as I push him closer to the edge. His other hand trembles against my jaw, and when he finally comes, it’s with my name a hoarse cry on his lips.

River stares at me like I’m everything.

And when I rise, his mouth settles on mine in a deep kiss that consumes me. One that feels like a thank-you and a promise all rolled into one before he scoops me into his arms and carries me to the pool. The second my skin hits the water, a shiver racks my body. It’s not from the temperature but from the weight of his gaze. The heat in his eyes makes me feel exposed even though I’m submerged.

He settles me on his lap in the center of the pool, his hands bracketing my hips as he slowly sinks inside me. Needing to be even closer, I wrap my arms around his shoulders and hold on tight. I just want to singe everything about this moment into my memory. The weight of his body, the depth of his love, the way we move together like we were always meant to be this.

Months ago, I couldn’t have imagined a future with River.

Now I can’t imagine one without him.

His mouth finds my neck, my jaw, the place just beneath my ear that makes me tremble. “I love you,” he confesses. “I’ve loved you for so long.”

“I love you too.”

His arms tighten around me as we keep moving. Surrounded by the water, fairy lights, and stars, this sliver of time feels almost magical.

We make love like two people who’ve finally found what they never thought they’d have. Every touch is sure, every kiss is steady, because he’s always known I was his, and I’m finally ready to admit he’s mine. And when he pulls me close afterward, it doesn’t feel like an ending. It feels like the beginning of everything.

47

River

The flood of people hasn’t slowed since the first bottle of champagne popped hours ago. Every time I take a sip of beer, someone else shows up, arms loaded with housewarming gifts.

“I gotta say, domestication looks good on you, Thompson.” Laiken grins, clapping a hand on my shoulder. “The place looks awfully cozy for a guy who used to be more of a minimalist.”

With a smirk, my gaze slowly sweeps across the room.

It’s not just my penthouse anymore.

It’s ours.

The three of us.

A neroli and white jasmine candle glows on the counter. Nora’s sparkly sneakers sit askew on the mat, one tipped sideways like she darted out of them mid-step. And Callie’s favorite cookbook is open beside a mixing bowl.

The air smells like sugar and citrus and something that feels distinctly like home.

“I like it better this way,” I tell him, meaning every word.

The place is packed wall-to-wall with people I’ve fought beside, bled beside, and trusted with everything short of my heart, because that’s always belonged to the woman who’s chatting on the other side of the room.

Steele’s in the kitchen, locked in a heated debate with Knox over whose bourbon reigns supreme. They’re each gripping a bottle like it’s a trophy, neither willing to back down.