Page 54 of Hearts Storm

For a moment, I can’t breathe. My lungs refuse to cooperate, chest burning as I gasp for air. My vision swims, dark spots dancing along the edges as I blink.

Brex’s voice sounds far away, muffled by the ringing in my ears. “Reyna? Reyna, talk to me.”

I manage a wheeze, then another, and finally oxygen floods my lungs in a desperate, ragged inhale. “I’m—” I cough, voice thin and shaky. “I’m okay.”

When the world sharpens back into focus, all I can see is Brex. Flecks of mud cover his handsome face as his weight, solid and warm, presses me into the ground.

I turn my head, stomach lurching when I see that the fallen tree is lying less than two feet away. Branches jut like gnarled fingers, one of which is within inches of my eye.

Holy shit. If Brex had been a half-second slower⁠—

“Don’t look,” he murmurs, breath warm against my cheek. “Just breathe. You’re okay. We’re okay.”

I nod, swallowing hard. Adrenaline courses through my veins. My heart is hammering so fast I can feel it in my throat, in my wrists. Even the tips of my fingers.

Brex shifts his weight, sliding a palm under the back of my skull. “Did you hit your head?” he asks, voice strong and steady despite the rapid rise and fall of his chest.

He probes his fingers gently along the back of my skull, sending sharp sparks of pain, making me wince.

“Sorry,” he murmurs, breath brushing along my cheek. “Feels like there’s a small bump. Does it hurt when I press here?”

It smarts, but I’ll live. “Yes, but not too bad.”

His eyes soften, gaze bouncing between mine as he continues his assessment. “Follow my finger.”

I try to focus, but now that his face is level with mine, warm breath brushing over my lips, it’s not so easy.

“Pupils are equal and reactive,” he announces with a hint of satisfaction in his tone. “That’s good.”

His gaze drops to my lips, and for a moment, I think he might kiss me. My breath catches in my throat, heart pounding against my ribs when the world, bright and sharp, suddenly comes into focus.

Brex is lying on top of me. Every single inch of him. Chest pressed against mine, his hips are settled between my thighs, our legs tangled. And notched against my core—hard, unmistakable, and oh so insistent—is his cock.

Fuck a duck.

Nose to nose, I whisper. “Um, Brex?”

“Yeah?” Brown eyes dark, his pupils are blown wide and filled with unmistakable heat.

“What are you doing?” My words come out much breathier than I’d like.

“Saving you.” His lips quirk up at one corner, making my hoo-ha pulse in response. “What’s it look like I’m doing?”

“Well, I definitely know what it would look like if someone were to come along and see us like this.” Heat floods my cheeks despite the cold mud seeping through my clothes when I feel his dick flex. “Not to mention Little Brex seems to have other ideas,” I squeak.

“Little Brex? Seriously?” An eyebrow shoots up, and he rolls his hips. The friction sends a bolt of electricity straight to my throbbing clit. “Need I remind you about the one on one you had with him? Your mouth knows from personal experience he’s anything but little, Pretty.”

A strangled sound—half laugh, half moan—escapes my throat. “Fine. You’ve made your point. Now⁠—”

His grin widens, right before he smashes his mouth on mine.

It’s not gentle. It’s hungry. Like he’s been starving for it. Counting down the days since he last had his mouth on me.

His tongue sweeps past my lips, and I moan into his mouth, my fingers digging into the mud-splattered fabric of his jacket.

Sparks erupt behind my eyelids as he deepens the kiss, one hand fisting in my hair while the other grips my hip, pulling me tighter against him. Mud squelches beneath us, cold and wet, but I barely feel it. All I feel is the heat from his body, searing through every layer of clothing.

Tongue tangling with his, I kiss him back with everything I’ve got.