Hard.
Like he needed me close.
Like he needed to feel me there.
Real.
Alive.
His arms wrapped around me, crushing me to his chest, and I didn’t fight it.Didn’t even think about it.I just melted into him, my hands gripping the back of his shirt.
“I almost lost you before I barely had you,” he said, his voice rough against my ear.
My breath caught and everything inside me stilled.
Because that was real.
That wasn’t anger or adrenaline or anything else.
That was him.
And then he pulled back just enough to look at me.
His eyes searched my face for a second, like he needed to make sure I was okay.
Like he needed to see it, and then he kissed me.
Not soft.
Not careful.
It was intense.Consuming.His mouth on mine like it was the only thing he needed, like everything that had just happened was still running through him and I was the only place he could put it.
My fingers curled into his shirt, holding on as I kissed him back just as hard.
The world around us faded.
The noise.
The chaos.
Everything.
It was just him.
Just us.
And when he finally pulled back, we were both breathing harder than we should have been.
But neither of us moved.
Because after everything that had just happened, letting go wasn’t an option.
Chapter Thirty
Ever
Jude’s hand never left mine as we walked into the clubhouse.His grip was firm, steady, like if he let go for even a second, something might slip through his fingers.
