Her arms folded. That familiar fire sparked in her gaze—the kind that always managed to both piss me off and turn me inside out. “If they’re going to tear me down,” she said, steady, like she’d already made peace with the fallout, “I won’t let you come down with me.”
I saw red for a second.
“This isn’t about you being some goddamn sacrifice,” I ground out, fighting to keep my voice level. “This is about protecting you from the vultures picking at us.”
“I can handle it,” she bit back, every line of her body rigid and ready for war.
“No.” The word shot out before I could catch it. “You can’t handle everything on your own.”
“Neither can you!” she fired back, stepping in closer, heat rolling off her like a livewire. “You think I don’t see what this is doing to you? They’re calling you unfocused. Weak. Saying you’ve gone soft since we got married.”
I stared at her, chest heaving. Every word was a blow I’d already taken—but hearing her say them made it real in a way nothing else had.
“That’s exactly why I need you to be careful,” I said, my voice rough, breaking through gritted teeth. “I won’t watch them ruin you just to get to me.”
She paused. Her eyes softened, just for a second. But then her chin lifted again, defiance stamped across every beautiful inch of her.
“I’m not backing down from this fight, Nick. Not for them. And sure as hell not for you.”
“Damn it, Kennedy,” I muttered, my hands flexing at my sides. I wanted to pull her in and protect her from the world—but she wouldn’t let me stand in front of the bullets unless I let her fire back too.
She was fire. Stubborn, reckless, blinding fire.
And even if it drove me insane, I loved her for it.
“We both know what this world is like.” Her voice was steady, but I saw the glint of unshed tears threatening to spill. Still, she didn’t break. She never did. “I refuse to be just another headline—or worse, let them think you’re just another player who’ll toss me aside when things get rough.”
My chest tightened. The fury clawed its way up my throat before I could stop it.
“You’re not just some headline!” The words exploded out of me, raw and rough, echoing off the walls like a shot. I stepped toward her, fast, needing her to hear it—feel it. “You’re so much more than that. And if anyone tries to drag you down because of what we have? They’ll have to fucking go through me first.”
She blinked up at me, her breath catching like I’d knocked the wind out of her. For a moment, the fire in her eyes flickered, giving way to something softer. Something more unsure.
And that—that—gutted me more than the headlines ever could.
I let out a slow breath, trying to ground myself before I shattered whatever this was between us. My voice dropped as I reached for her hand, letting the heat of her skin tether me.
“Just promise me,” I murmured, my thumb brushing over her knuckles, “you won’t fight this battle alone.”
Her eyes met mine—clear, fierce, vulnerable—and in that second, I knew. Whatever storm was coming, whatever the world tried to twist us into, I’d burn it all down before I let it take her from me.
I barely got the words out before she surged up and kissed me—hard, fierce, like she needed to prove something. Her lips moved against mine with a desperation that matched the fire roaring inside me. Her fingers tangled in my hair, pulling me closer, refusing to let go.
And I lost it.
With a growl, I flipped her onto the bed, my hands gripping her hips as I settled above her. Her eyes were wild, daring me to do what we both knew we needed. There was no hesitation, no holding back.
I slammed into her, hard and fast, our bodies colliding with a raw intensity that stole the breath from both of us. The world outside ceased to exist; it was just us—caught in this moment, driven by a need so primal it consumed everything else.
Kennedy’s nails raked down my back, leaving trails of fire in their wake. Her legs wrapped around my waist, pulling me deeper as I thrust into her over and over. Each movement was deliberate, forceful—a claim on every part of her.
She arched beneath me, gasping my name like a plea and a curse all at once. Her body moved with mine in perfect sync, every moan and gasp feeding the inferno blazing between us.
“You’re mine,” I growled against her ear, my voice rough and unsteady. “Say it.”
“Yours,” she panted back, her breath hitching with each powerful thrust. “Only yours.”
That broke something loose inside me—something dark and possessive that wanted to mark every inch of her as mine and only mine. I drove into her harder, faster, feeling her tighten around me with every movement.
