Total pages in book: 171
Estimated words: 162003 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 810(@200wpm)___ 648(@250wpm)___ 540(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 162003 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 810(@200wpm)___ 648(@250wpm)___ 540(@300wpm)
“Maybe not today,” he said. “But…”
“Not ever, Ryland,” I cut him off.
He narrowed his eyes and leaned closer, his breath skating across my lips. “I’m not letting you go, baby girl. You need to accept that.”
I had to close my eyes and take a breath to gather my thoughts. It was the wrong choice because instead, I caught a whiff of his cologne. The scent that I used to associate with comfort. I just wanted to lean into him. To feel his warmth and let him wrap his arms around me. To pretend like the past had never happened and none of the memories that hurt so much ever existed.
But I couldn’t.
“I’m not taking you back,” I insisted. “You need to accept that.”
My words set something off inside of him, and before I even realized what was happening, he pulled me into his lap and crushed my lips against his.
It had been so long since I’d felt them against me. Felt the fire inside of me that only Ryland could stoke. He was like gasoline, and the only thing left to do was combust. So I kissed him back. I gave into his frantic touches and savored them while I could.
His fingers drifted up my thighs, pushing the material of my dress up. And then his palm was rubbing me over my panties. Before my brain could catch up to what was happening, I rocked my hips against him.
It was wrong to lead him on. So, so, wrong.
But I missed this. I missed him. I wanted to allow myself to be weak, just for a few moments. That’s what I told myself while I surrendered.
My lips found his throat and blazed a hot trail up to his jaw while he squeezed the flesh of my ass in his hands. He pushed my panties aside and unzipped himself. I had a moment of panic when I realized what was happening. If I couldn’t resist him now, I didn’t know how I ever would in the future. I tried to pull away.
Ryland gripped me by the arms and growled into my neck. “Don’t deny me what’s mine, Brighton.”
I whimpered when he dragged his teeth along my throat, clamping down when he got to my shoulder. He knew I couldn’t resist that. He knew how wet I was for him. It was always for him.
He gripped my inner thighs and nudged my legs apart, positioning himself at my entrance. He was watching me, his blue eyes searching mine so carefully. He needed to see that I wanted this too. And right then, I couldn’t deny him.
I bit down on my lip and gave him a little nod. And then he was inside of me.
“Oh, fucking Christ...” he muttered. “Ah… God, I’ve missed this. You feel so good, baby girl. So fucking wet.”
He gripped my hips with bruising fingers, rocking me back and forth along his arousal. He was harder than I’d ever felt him, his eyes heavy with lust and pleasure. He didn’t have to tell me this was where he felt he belonged. I could see it written all over his face.
“Give in to me,” he pleaded, gripping my face in his hands. “Say you’ll be mine again.”
I buried my face in the space between his shoulder and his neck, wrapping my arms around him tightly. I couldn’t give him what he wanted. Not this time.
“Brighton.” His voice cracked as his touch grew rougher. Hard fingers dug into my hips, his teeth marking my body everywhere they skimmed. He was desperate to claim me. Tears clung to my lashes as he pressed me against his chest, his heart hammering against mine.
“Do you feel that?” he asked. “It doesn’t beat without you. I need you.”
I couldn’t stand to hear his sweet words. I couldn’t be pulled back into that vortex. So I pulled his face to mine and kissed him until we were both gasping for air. His fingers slipped between us, touching me in the place I so desperately needed. My head fell back, and my eyes squeezed shut as every nerve inside of me flared to life.
“I’m the only one who can give you this,” he murmured. “You know it’s true, Brighton. I’ll always be the only one…”
I exploded around him, crushing his shoulders with the grip of my fingers as I thrashed against him until I thought I might pass out. It had been so long. Too damn long. My contractions set him off soon after, and his face twisted into a mixture of agony and bliss as he uttered a throaty groan against my neck.
One last deep thrust and he was convulsing inside of me. “I love you,” he clipped out. “So fucking much.”
I let my body weight melt against his chest, and he stroked my back, maintaining the connection between us. I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to keep the tears from falling. How could something so bad feel so right? How could I love this man so much? It was killing me, and I was only making it harder on both of us by allowing this to continue.