Page 68 of The Hollowed

Luci smiled. “Maybe,” she said, rinsing the shampoo from his hair. “But I’m not pretending now.”

For a moment, Alex just looked up at her. Something shifted in his expression, making his eyes darken as his gaze swept over her face and then lower.

Without a word, his hands found her hips, and he guided her a step closer.

Luci didn’t resist.

Alex leaned forward and pressed a kiss just beneath her ribs and then another to the valley between her breasts. His lips felt warm against her skin, and his touch felt reverent, like she was something sacred to hold.

Luci felt her breath catch in her throat.

She didn’t speak or move.

She just let herself feel that unspoken reverence in the way he held her, in the way he loved her just as she loved him.

Luci’s head rolled back and a heavy breath escaped her the moment Alex’s tongue licked over the stiff peak of her right breast. He sucked and bit gently at her skin until she couldn’t help but moan.

This hadn’t been her intention by any means, but now that they were here, she didn’t want to step away from this.

He released her nipple from his mouth before moving to the other, all while his gaze burned into her, watching every shift in her expression and taking in every whimper as motivation to keep going until she felt her legs wobble beneath her.

Luci didn’t know if Alex knew just how much power he held over her or how every nerve in her body imploded at his touch,but if he felt between her legs, he would know for certain that she wanted him more than she’d ever wanted anything before.

She buried a hand in his hair, anchoring herself as his mouth moved lower with aching precision. But just as heat began to build deep in her core, he paused, pulling back only to catch her by the waist and guide her gently into his lap.

The air between them was thick from the steam and silence. Droplets of water trailed down their faces, catching on lashes and lips, but neither moved to wipe them away. They simply stared. His chest rose and fell against hers, catching her breath somewhere between awe and want. The pain from his injury seemed to have vanished now that he was holding her.

Luci’s gaze dropped to his mouth, parted and waiting.

And then Alex kissed her with a hunger that felt like a promise.

A promise that no matter what came next, they would hold on to each other. That this, them here, together, this was the only thing either of them still believed in with any amount of certainty.

When they finally pulled apart, Luci’s forehead rested against his while their breaths mingled in the space between them. The moment was quiet but filled with desire.

Alex reached up to brush a wet strand of hair behind her ear. His hand lingered at her cheek as his thumb glided gently across her skin. Catching the droplets of water that stuck there and trailing them together while he studied her for a moment.

“You’re beautiful,” he said. “So fucking beautiful.”

Luci’s eyes moved up to meet his, startled by the softness in his tone. He gazed at her as if she truly were a masterpiece set before him. Something too precious to risk letting out of his sight. She tried to respond with something, anything, but the words got caught somewhere in her throat.

“I mean it,” he added like it wasn’t just a compliment but atruth he’d been carrying for far too long. “Not just like this. You’re beautiful when you’re focused. When you’re afraid but being brave anyway. When you fight for people even if you don’t think they deserve it.”

His thumb skimmed her jaw with an aching sort of softness his hands seemed unsuited for, yet it made her heart stutter all the same. “Maybe you don’t see it Luci, but I do.”

Before Luci could respond, his lips found the curve of her neck, where he kissed softly as if trying to memorize the rhythm of her pulse. Her head tipped back at the contact, lips parted in a breathy moan that Alex echoed with a quiet rumble across his chest.

“I love you,” she whispered, barely above the sound of the water trickling around them. Here there was warmth that had nothing to do with the water beginning to spread across her skin. “I love you.”

“And I love you,” Alex said, pulling back just enough to meet her adoring gaze. “I’ve loved you from the moment I saw you — way before the world fell apart. You’ve always been it for me. It’s always just been you.”

Somewhere deep in Luci’s chest, she knew every word he spoke was the truth.

Before the sincerity could truly settle in her bones, Luci reached for him again, closing the distance between them and capturing his lips with hers.

This kiss was different from the ones before. It wasn’t gentle or sweet. It was all hunger and unchecked desire. It was like she’d just realized how short life could be and wasn’t willing to waste another second of it waiting for some perfect moment that was never going to come. They would make this moment perfect.

Alex’s tongue brushed against her bottom lip, begging for entrance. Luci obliged as her hands dug through the back ofhis hair and her hips rolled over his hardened length. A moan passed from her lips to his as she felt him twitching beneath her. His groan came out choked, sending desperation flooding all the way down to her toes. Fire rushed through her veins as the heat of the water washed down her back. Their bodies pressed so tightly together made her head feel like it was spinning out of control.