Neither of us speaks.
We just sit there on the nursery floor staring at each other while the city glows faintly beyond the windows.
My pulse starts hammering quietly beneath my skin as Ray’s gaze drops briefly to my mouth. Then lifts again. I shift slightly closer without even realising I’m doing it. His hand slides gently to the side of my neck, warm and careful, his thumb resting just beneath my jaw.
“Wynter,” he murmurs softly.
The way he says my name nearly undoes me. And when he leans in this time, I don’t pull away, I meet him halfway.
The kiss is soft at first. Tentative.
Then Ray exhales quietly against my mouth, and something in him gives way. His hand tightens slightly at my neck as he kisses me deeper, slower, like he’s been wanting this for far longer than he ever intended to admit.
Warmth floods every inch of me instantly.
I slide my hand into his hair without thinking, and the sound that leaves him—low and rough in the back of his throat—makes my stomach flip violently. It’s like all the emotion we’ve both been trying to hold back has finally manifested into this moment.
Ray pulls back just enough for our foreheads to rest together, both of us breathing slightly unevenly. His eyes stay closed for a second longer before he finally looks at me, and the emotion in them steals the air from my lungs completely.
“I missed you,” he whispers softly.
I smile, my eyes filling with happy tears as I nod in agreement.
RAY
By the time we pull onto the quiet street, I’m already out of my comfort zone, even though I’ve spent the entire drive pretending otherwise.
“You’re doing that thing again,” Wynter says softly from the passenger seat.
I glance sideways at her. “What thing?”
“The jaw thing.”
I loosen my teeth immediately.Traitorous body.“I’m fine.”
“You look like you’re heading into a hostage negotiation.”
I huff out a quiet laugh despite myself and pull the car up outside a modest semi-detached house with cream walls and overflowing flowerpots beneath the windows.
It’s nothing like the places I’m used to visiting. No gates. No security. No polished perfection. Just . . .home.The kind I used to picture when I was a kid.
Warm yellow light spills through the downstairs windows onto the drive, and even before we get out of the car, I can see movement inside.
Wynter smiles softly beside me as she unclips her seatbelt.
“You’ll survive,” she murmurs before climbing out.Easy for her to say.
The second we step onto the driveway, the front door swings open and Alec is standing there. His entire face lights up. “There’s my girl.” He pulls her into a hug immediately, and something tight settles unexpectedly in my chest watching the way she melts into it.
Comfort. Safety. Like she’s home before she’s even crossed the threshold.
Alec kisses the top of her head before finally looking towards me. “Ray.” There’s no hostility in his voice, considering the last time we saw one another, I was taking his daughter under my care.
I step forward, offering my hand automatically. “How have you been, Alec?”
Alec ignores the hand completely and pulls me into a hug too. I freeze. Wynter bursts into laughter beside me. “Oh my god,” she wheezes, “you’ve broken him.”
Alec finally lets me go, grinning. “We’re huggers in this family, son. You’ll adjust.”
