“I’m ready,” she said, voice soft but certain.
His jaw tightened, a flicker of emotion crossing his face, all of it tangled together.
He opened the door.
It was the same room she’d slept in last night, but it felt different now. More intimate. More theirs.
He took her bag from the prospects, set it gently on the dresser, and dismissed them with a nod.
Rook shut the door behind them, locking it with a soft click that sent a shiver down her spine.
Then it was just the two of them.
Avery stood in the middle of the room, suddenly aware of how quiet it was. How close he was. How much she wanted him.
Rook stepped toward her slowly, like approaching something fragile.
“You okay?” he asked.
She nodded. “Are you?”
He let out a breath that sounded like it had been trapped in his chest for years. “I don’t know. I just know I need you close.”
She swallowed. “Then I’m here.”
Something in him softened. He reached out, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear, fingertips trailing down her jaw. She leaned into the touch without thinking.
“Aves,” he murmured, voice low and rough, “I’ve wanted you for so long it hurts.”
Her breath grew faint. “Noah…”
He cupped her face with both hands, his thumbs brushing her cheeks, his forehead lowering to hers.
“I tried to forget you,” he whispered. “Tried to bury it. Tried to be someone who didn’t need you.”
She closed her eyes, heart pounding. “Did it work?”
“No,” he said, voice breaking. “It never worked. Not once.”
Her hands slid up his chest, feeling the tension coiled beneath his skin. “I never forgot you either.”
He inhaled sharply, like her words hit him straight in the ribs.
“Come here,” he whispered.
She stepped into him, and he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her against his chest. She melted into him, her cheek pressed to his heartbeat, her fingers curling into his shirt. The steady thrum vibrated through her, warm and reassuring, carrying the faint cedar scent of his skin mingled with leather from his cut.
He held her like she was something precious. Something irreplaceable. Something he’d been terrified to touch.
“Avery,” he murmured into her hair, “I don’t know how to do this the right way. I’m not used to being careful.” He cupped the back of her neck, gentle despite his words. “But I want to be. With you.”
She brushed her thumb along his jaw. “Start with me.”
His eyes darkened with emotion, deep and unwavering. He lifted her chin with two fingers. “I’m going to kiss you now.”
“Please,” she whispered.
He kissed her.
