Page 144 of Rivals

“So pretty for me,” he grunts with each thrust.

“More,” I gasp. He grips onto my thigh and flips us so I’m on top. The new position makes me shudder and every nerve ending sparks within me.

“Move, Revna,” Lachlan grunts. His hands on my hips, helping me move against him. My hands spread for balance against his chest, and he looks between us drawing a passionate groan from his lips. I do the same and moan at the sight.

I lean down and kiss him while I keep swiveling my hips. “Make me feel your love, Lach,” I say breathlessly.

“Hold on to the headboard, muse,” he commands. I listen and grip on to the fabric-covered wood. He bends his knees behind me and thrusts up. My head tilts back, and my back arches as he grunts with exertion. The pressure is building and I almost break as he hits that elusive spot only he can reach. Then he rips my hands from the fabric and throws me back on the bed. He pulls my back to his chest, and wraps himself around me before grabbing my breast with his other hand, squeezing and kneading the flesh. He slams his hips against me and I rest my head on his shoulder as his breath fans my hair.

“Good girl,” he grunts against me. I lift my hand to his neck and hold on as we reach the peak. “Revna, baby, let go. Let me have it. I can’t—“ he grunts, unable to finish his sentence. I look at him over my shoulder. My rhythm falters and his focused expression drops.

“I love you,” I whisper with my palm to his cheek. He groans as he loses himself in me, throwing me over the edge with him. We pitch forward into the ocean of our love, and a shrill scream flies from my mouth as Lachlan makes a strangled noise, louder than I’ve ever heard him, and the light pours in.

“Revna,” he chants over and over again. His hips slow, and we both go still. A thin sheet of sweat covers us and my muscles are frozen in their current position. I can’t let go. Lachlan’s other hand comes around my waist and holds me there. He kisses my temple and my cheek over and over again. “I love you,” he says again.

“I love you, too,” I murmur. He moves my arm and directs my limbs where he wants them since I’ve lost control of my body. He pulls the covers over us and sighs. My head is on his chest, and I listen to his rapidly beating heart. “I don’t want it to end,” I say against his chest as the darkness creeps back in around me.

“Me either,” he says quietly.

Chapter 84

Revna

Three Weeks Until the Final Round

“Whileyou’reatwork,I’ll go to the store and get all the paint we discussed. I have some of it, but it won’t be enough.” I look at him and then close my eyes again. They’re too heavy. Yesterday wasn’t a bad day. Lachlan and I reconnected a little, but I know some things are keeping us apart. It’s like trying to reach through a brick wall. He won’t share what it is, and I can’t do anything about that.

My head feels too heavy, and my limbs can’t move. “Revna?” His hand comes to my cheek. I would lean into his touch but can’t lift my head. Sometime in the night, I woke up with my heart racing, and he was out cold on the other side. So, I took some more OBA, which helped me chill enough to fall back asleep. I don’t know what time it was, but all I remember is it was still dark, and now it’s light out. The heaviness is new, but maybe I overdosed? My heart speeds up, and adrenaline feels like a soft injection into my bloodstream. I can finally open my eyes.

“Baby, what’s wrong,” he asks.

I shrug slowly. “Nothing.”

He leans over and kisses me. “I don’t want to get out of bed, either,” he says against my temple. I love the way his lips feel against my skin. I wonder why he’s being so chill about this. I took too much, but I’m sure I’ll be fine.

“Revna, love, open your eyes.” I slowly peel them open to find his beautiful jade ones staring back at me. I think it’s my new favorite color. That’s one thing we didn’t see in Italy— the ocean. I bet it’s the same color.

“I just want to sleep a little longer,” I whisper. A tear drips from my nose, startling me a bit. I didn’t know I was crying.

“I think that’s a good idea,” he says softly. I don’t open my eyes again as Lachlan gathers me to him and sighs. I get pulled under the waves of tears and let myself go. I’m sure I’ll be fine. They just have to work themselves out of my system.

***

I wake up to an empty bed with no idea what time it is. My eyes don’t feel as heavy, but exhaustion still weighs me down. I need to make sure I count the pills I have. Either I took too many, or it combined with the depression to make everything more drowsy.

I sit up, and Lachlan has a small smile on his face, a paintbrush in his hand, and a streak of paint on his bare chest. “Hey, sleepy head,” he says lightly.

A smile builds on my face. “Hey, sorry,” I say.

He tilts his head, studying me. “It’s ok, love. You were tired, I am, too, but I couldn’t sleep.”

“I’m sorry.”

He shrugs and slides a hand through his hair. “Looks like my problem is I can’t sleep, and yours is you want to sleep all the time.”

“The best of both worlds,” I mumble. The corner of his mouth tips up, and he drops his brush into the jar of water. I watch him walk into the kitchen and pour coffee into a mug.

“Come on, we still have five panels to sketch and paint,” he says, walking over to me with the cup of coffee. I sit up, throwing my legs over the side to face the window. I take the cup from him and lift the rim to my lips, ignoring the heat. He sits on the bed and kisses my temple. I lean into him without noticing it. My body just angles for his, wherever we are.