She nods, eyes locking with mine. “Everyday.”
"Then, take what you want," I tell her, my voice rough with need. "Use me. I want to feel you come on me."
She leans down and kisses me, slow and deep, while her hand reaches between us. She wraps her fingers around me and guides me to her entrance. The first push inside her is slow, deliberate. She sinks down inch by inch, her body taking me perfectly. I watch her face the whole time. The way her eyes flutter closed. The way her lips part. The way she bites her lip when I’m fully seated inside her.
"Fuck," I breathe, my hands tightening on her hips. "You feel so good."
She starts to move then. Slow at first, rolling her hips in a way that makes me see stars. Up and down, a steady rhythm that’s got me gripping the sheets. Her hands are on my chest for balance, her nails digging in. I can't stop watching her. Every slow roll of her hips steals my attention, her hair cascading over her shoulders like she doesn't have a care in the world. Then she lifts her eyes to mine, and everything else disappears.
"Yes," I say, my voice deep and encouraging. "Just like that. You’re so sexy. Riding me. Taking what you want."
She laughs breathlessly, the sound turning into a moan when I thrust up to meet her. The pace picks up. She rides me harder, faster, her body moving with a confidence that makes me crazy. I slide one hand between us, my thumb finding her clit, circling it in time with her movements. She gasps my name and I feel her tighten around me.
"Come for me," I tell her, my voice rough. "I want to feel you. I want to watch you fall apart on top of me."
She does. Her whole body tenses, her head falling back as she comes with a soft cry. The sight of her, the feel of her pulsing around me, pushes me right to the edge. I thrust up into her a few more times, chasing my own release, and when it hits it’s like everything in me breaks apart and comes back together at the same time. I groan her name and hold her hips steady as I come deep inside her.
We stay this way for a long moment, both of us breathing hard. She collapses forward onto my chest, her hair tickling my skin.I wrap my arms around her and hold her close, my heart still racing.
"That was..." she starts, then laughs softly against my neck. "Fun. Really fun."
I grin and press a kiss to her temple. "Yeah."
She lifts her head to look at me, her eyes soft and happy. "You make it easy to be that way with you. I like that."
"I’m falling for you," I say simply, because it’s true and because I want her to hear it. "Hard."
She smiles and kisses me, slow and sweet. We stay tangled together for a while longer, talking in soft voices about nothing and everything. The plan. My brothers. The concert. The way it feels to be here, like this, after everything. Eventually we clean up and crawl under the covers. She curls against my side, her head on my shoulder, one leg thrown over mine. I stroke her hair absently, the strands soft between my fingers.
Tomorrow we start making calls. Getting my brothers here. Preparing for the concert. But right now, with Sadie asleep in my arms and the ocean keeping time outside, I let myself have this. The quiet. The closeness. The feeling that maybe we’re building something real in the middle of all the danger. Something worth fighting for. Something that started with a reluctant drive from Halo City and has become the best thing I never saw coming.
I close my eyes and let sleep take me, her warmth against me and the steady sound of the waves the only things I need right now. Whatever comes next, we’ll face it. Together. And that thought, more than anything, lets me finally rest.
20
Sadie
I stand in front of the mirror in the safe house bedroom, smoothing my hands over the soft fabric of the dress I pulled from the back of the closet. It’s a pretty one. Pale pink cotton that falls above my knees, with thin straps and a fitted waist that makes me feel like I’m someone who goes to concerts instead of someone who grades papers on Friday nights. The fabric feels cool and light against my skin, the kind of dress that moves when I walk. I turn slightly, watching the way it swishes around my legs, and smile at my reflection. Tonight’s the Summer Nights Concert at High Tide Pavilion. Gia Golding is performing. I love Gia's music. Her songs are the kind that make you feel seen, like she’s singing straight to the parts of you that you usually keep hidden. I have all her music downloaded on my phone. I never thought I’d get to see her live, especially not here, in the middle of everything that’s happened since I left home.
Jace is getting ready. I can hear him moving around, the husky sound of his voice as he hums something under his breath. The last few days have been a blur of phone calls and planning. His brothers will meet us at the concert.
I’m excited about the concert. Really excited. But I’m also nervous. So nervous my stomach keeps twisting in knots. Tonight we put the plan into motion. Tonight Gia Golding has a surprise, according to Melissa and Brooke when they texted earlier. I don’t know what it is, but the idea of it adds another layer of energy to the already charged night. I smooth the dress again and take a deep breath.
Jace appears in the doorway, leaning against the frame. He’s wearing dark jeans and a button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up, his hair still a little messy in that way I’ve come to love. His eyes travel over me and his expression shifts, the charming grin I used to roll my eyes at softening into something warmer.
"Wow," he says, his voice rough like gravel. "You look incredible, Wells."
I feel my cheeks heat and turn to face him fully. "It’s just a dress. Nothing special."
"It’s special because you’re wearing it," he says, pushing off the door frame and crossing the room. He stops in front of me, his hands settling on my waist. The touch is familiar now, grounding. "You look beautiful. The color brings out the blush in your cheeks. And the way it moves when you walk? I’m going to have a hard time keeping my hands to myself tonight."
I laugh softly, the sound easing some of the nerves in my chest. "I might be okay with that."
He leans in and kisses me. It starts soft but it deepens quickly. His hands slide up my back, pulling me closer. I kiss him back, my fingers curling into his shirt.
"I love you," I say quietly. "More than I thought I would. More than I planned for."
His eyes meet mine, warm and steady. "I love you too, Sadie. Last night, the night before, every moment since we got back from my mother’s. I can’t stop thinking about you. About us. About how right this feels even when everything else is madness."
