Our laughter caught in our throats as realization dawned—she was lying on top of me, breath warm against my skin. Her lips found mine then, slow and deliberate, igniting a fire that made the world around us blur and dissolve. That kiss reached deep, reverberating through every fiber of my being with a raw, electrifying hunger that tasted of promises yet to be spoken.
I turned her around and I was on the top of her, and for a long moment, we simply looked at each other, two hearts that had been through fire, finally finding rest.
I reached out and framed her face in my hands. Her skin was warm beneath my palms, familiar, alive. I leaned in and pressed a kiss to her forehead, lingering there as I whispered, "You are my peace, Dec."
Then I kissed the bridge of her nose, soft and slow. "My light."
A breath later, my lips brushed the corner of her mouth, then the other. "Your smile keeps me breathing," I said, my voice catching.
She closed her eyes, and I kissed her eyelids, one after the other, reverent as a prayer. "Your eyes see the best in me, even when I can't."
My mouth traced along her cheeks, down the curve of her jaw. Between each kiss, words slipped out unplanned, like confessions. "You're my reason. My miracle. My home."
Her hands came up to rest over mine, trembling slightly. I could feel her heartbeat against my fingers.
I kissed her again — this time on the lips, slow and steady. Her breath hitched softly against mine, and I could taste the salt of tears she hadn't realized she was crying. She breathed my name like a prayer. "Ryder," she whispered, so soft it almost disappeared into the night. Then her eyes flickered down to my side. "Your wound..."
"The doctor said it's fine," I murmured, brushing my thumb along her jaw. "Now it's up to you."
Her lips parted, trembling just slightly, and she nodded. I kissed her again. Her hands came up to my chest, hesitant at first, then certain, pulling me closer until there was no space left between us. Every touch felt like rediscovery, as though I'd known her in a hundred lives and had been waiting to find her again in this one.
When I finally pulled back, we stood up and I rested my forehead against hers, breathing her in. My voice dropped to a whisper, the words fragile and shaking,"I don't think you understand what you are to me."
Her eyes softened, and she looked at me like she wanted to answer but I shook my head gently. "No," I said, my voice breaking. "Let me show you."
I sank slowly to my knees before her, my hands resting lightly but reverently on her hips. I looked up at her—not like a man looking at a woman, but like someone staring at something divine. I began to taste her, and it felt like I was in heaven.
Her hands trembled as they reached down and threaded through my hair, grounding me. Her eyes shone with the reflection of starlight and something far deeper, raw and intense. I felt every shiver that ran through her body as I moved with worshipfulintent, my lips and tongue exploring every inch, claiming her in the sweetest torment.
Every kiss, every flick of my tongue drew a shuddering moan from her lips. Her body arched into me, inviting me closer, deeper. Our connection was fierce and breathless, a dance of surrender and control. Her fingers tangled in my hair, pulling me up only to press softer, but more demanding kisses, promises of unspoken ecstasies yet to come.
"Ryder..." she breathed out, her voice trembling as waves of pleasure coursed through her body, her climax radiant and divine, breathtaking in its sheer intensity. I pressed a soft, reverent kiss against the palm of her hand, closing my eyes to savor the moment.
"I want to spend my life honoring you Ven," I whispered, my voice thick with feeling. "Because I can't imagine anything else."
She looked at me, her eyes heavy with desire as she knelt before me, the heat of her body pressing closer until our foreheads touched once more.
"Ryder," she breathed, her voice thick and low with need, "Make me yours."
I leaned up, brushing my lips slowly against hers, every kiss a promise, insistent yet tender. My hand drifted lower, sliding beneath the fabric of her clothes, gathering her nearer, my breath warm against her lips as I murmured, "God, you feel so damn good... I need to taste every inch of you."
A shiver rippled through her, her body arching instinctively into my touch, soft gasps escaping her parted lips. Her eyes locked onmine, a fierce fire blazing deep within them. "I want you to take charge, Ryder," she pleaded.
I leaned in, biting her bottom lip gently, a dark whisper brushing against her lips. "Anything you want; I’ll own you completely."
Suddenly, she pulled me down, her lips crashing hard against mine with raw, desperate hunger. Her hands roamed boldly, smoldering and demanding, tracing every curve, every bare inch of skin in their path—claiming me as fiercely as I claimed her. The heat between us flared, enveloping us in a fierce cocoon where nothing existed but our slick, searing connection.
Her voice, low and breathy, spilled over me with a commanding edge I had never heard before, full of hunger, fire, and ferocity.
I was captivated by her—the fierce beauty, the undeniable power radiating from her new-found confidence, this side of her I vowed to protect, cherish, and worship for the rest of my life. My hands kept cupping and exploring, sending electric shivers darting along every nerve ending. She arched into my touch, breath rushing in hotter, softer gasps, the flames between us rising higher and fiercer.
Later, wrapped in the quiet glow of the night, she lay with her head resting against me, her fingers tracing slow circles over the scar on my chest. The rhythm was soft, almost hypnotic.
"Okay," she said after a long silence, her voice teasing but gentle. "I think it's time you finally explain why you call meVen.Especially during, you know..."
I smiled, brushing my thumb along her jaw. "Give me a second."
I crossed the room to where I'd hidden a small wooden box, one I'd spent countless hours perfecting. When I came back, I set it gently in her hands.
