Page 27

Adrian

E lena was asleep in my arms, her soft, warm body curled against mine, her breathing slow and even.

I stared at the ceiling, unable to sleep, my mind too full.

What we had done together, how she had opened herself up to me, and how she had let me explore every inch of her—it had been incredible. It was more than incredible. And god, the way she sounded when she came.

My cock hardened just thinking about the sweet sounds she made for me.

I had never felt this kind of connection before. I had never felt this strongly about anyone in my life. And yet, with her, it was so effortless.

I knew I should be terrified—falling for someone this fast, this deeply—but I wasn’t. Not even a little, because at the heart of it, I think I always loved her. From the first time she stepped into our home with her book clutched in her hands, her blue eyes wide as she drank everything in, she was mine.

Neither of us knew it yet, though.

For the first time in my life, I felt like I was exactly where I was supposed to be. I had been looking for something pure, something real, and I had finally found it in her—my missing puzzle piece .

I shifted slightly, my fingers absently trailing along her bare back, feeling the warmth of her skin and watching the steady rise and fall of her chest with each breath.

This perfect, delicate, strong girl was mine. I wasn’t going to let her go, that much I was sure of.

Troy slipped into the forefront of my mind.

The worry hit me all at once. It had been too long. Hours. Nearly the entire day and into the night. He wasn’t back yet.

A heavy weight settled in my chest, my fingers tapping softly against the plastic of the raft in a steady rhythm.

I should look for him.

I should be out there searching. I couldn’t leave Elena alone, though. If something happened to both of us, she’d die too.

So I waited. And waited. And waited.

The hours dragged on, each one ticking by slower than the last.

I kept my ears trained on every sound, my body coiled tight with anticipation, worry, and frustration. I wasn't sure which was worse, so many ugly scenarios rushed through my head. Him freezing to death, getting eaten by a mountain lion, or him falling off the mountain.

Just when I thought I’d go mad, the door to the plane opened, and he walked inside, nearly frozen.

I stiffened, careful not to jostle Elena, my eyes locked on him as he peeled off his jacket, hat, gloves, and boots.

He looked exhausted, but there was something else too.

Something in the way his eyes gleamed and his hands shook—not just from the cold, but from something more.

“What happened?” I asked, my voice low but filled with urgency. “It’s late. You were gone for-fucking-ever, man. We were worried.”

Troy exhaled sharply, his body trembling as he stood near the small fire, trying to get warm.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to worry you guys.”

I sighed, not wanting to argue that it didn’t matter if it was what he meant. It happened regardless.

“I got service,” he murmured.

I sat up immediately, careful not to wake Elena, my pulse spiking .

Troy met my eyes. “I called Dad. Left a voicemail. I managed to dial 9-1-1, too, but the service cut out, and I couldn’t get it back.”

I stared at him, my breath caught in my chest. I let out a sharp laugh, a sound of pure, raw relief.

“Holy shit,” I whispered, running a hand down my face, giddy with excitement. “Troy, you fucking?—”

“I know,” he muttered, a tired smirk tugging at the corners of his lips.

We talked in hushed voices, going over everything—what he said, what he managed to send, the photo of the mountain view he had texted.

It wasn’t a guarantee, but it was something.

For the first time in weeks, we had hope.

Troy finally looked over at Elena, his expression softening. He froze after a moment.

His eyes flicked back to me, then to the bare skin of Elena’s shoulder, the way she was nestled so closely against me beneath the covers.

His brows lifted slightly, silently asking a question.

I smirked, nodding. I did feel proud of myself for making the leap.

Troy’s lips curved, but there was something more profound in his gaze.

“You?” he asked, voice low. “Fucked her?”

I shook my head. “We messed around a little,” I admitted. “But I didn’t—” I hesitated before sighing. “I wanted to wait. I did get her off, though, and she, uh, got me off, too.”

Troy tilted his head, studying me in that way only he could—like he could see right through me and read every thought in my head before I even said it.

I swallowed, my throat tight, my mind on the hours before when I’d touched her—tasted her. My dick pulsed with need instantly at those memories.

“I wanted to do it with you,” I continued softly, barely audible, my heart pounding as I confessed my intentions. “Both of us. Together. With her. She’s a virgin. No one has ever touched her. It didn’t seem right for me to take it all when she belongs to both of us.”

Troy didn’t move for a moment. When he did, he grinned .

He didn’t tease or mock me for my words and feelings.

He understood, and at that moment, I knew he’d have waited for me, too.

He stripped out of his clothes immediately, climbing into bed beside Elena, pulling her from me and into him.

She stirred, fluttering her lashes, and the moment she realized he was back, she sucked in a sharp, shaky breath, her eyes filling with tears.

Troy’s arm wrapped around her, holding her so tightly, his lips pressing to her forehead, her cheeks, anywhere he could reach.

Her hands gripped his face, and then she was kissing him. Deep, desperate, full of relief, love, and fear all at once.

“I was so scared,” she whispered against his lips, her voice cracking, her fingers trembling against his skin in the firelight. “I thought you weren’t coming back.”

Troy shook his head, kissing her over and over.

“I will always come back,” he answered repeatedly, as if it were a prayer, a promise he would never dream of breaking to her.

I watched them, my chest tight. So many emotions rushed through me that I wasn’t sure which to focus on first.

Fuck it.

I didn’t need to sort through them.

I moved closer to them. I couldn’t stay away. Not from her. Not from him.

I pressed against her back, wrapping my arms around both of them as best I could. My lips found the soft curve of her shoulder, and my breath mingled with theirs.

We held her together, anchoring her between us, surrounding her with warmth and safety, reassuring her without words.

As the fire crackled beside us, our bodies pressed tightly together, and I listened to the steady, rhythmic sound of our breathing; only one thought ran through my head.

One more day.

We made it one more day.

I would fight for as many more as it took.

I was greedy like that.