He brushes his nose against mine before kissing me with more warmth this time, almost excruciatingly gentle compared to before.
Even under all the darkness inside both of us, Tyler still loves me like something sacred.
A fond smile tugs at his mouth before an affectionate chuckle escapes as he helps me to my feet. Mud and grass cling to different parts of me and cold droplets fall from my soaked hair onto my shoulders.
The clothes we’d abandoned on the ground are entirely soaked, heavy with rain and flecked with mud.
He bends to gather them anyway, shaking his head when he sees the state of mine.
“Yeah, that’s not happening,” he mumbles.
He pulls on his own pants before reaching for his sweatshirt. The fabric is damp from the storm, but it’s still warmer than the rain. Without hesitation, he lifts it over my head and tugs it down into place.
The oversized sweatshirt engulfs me. The sleeves fall past my hands, and the hem brushes the middle of my thighs.
Tyler’s grin widens as he takes me in.
“Much better.”
Rain continues to patter through the trees around us while I tug the sleeves over my hands, the faint scent of him remaining in the fabric despite the storm.
Now I let out a full belly laugh, “I hope your appetite is always voracious when it comes to me” lowering my voice in a sultry tone.
His gaze travels over me, claiming me, “Cassidy Chase, I told you a while ago you’d always be mine, and I never go back on my word.”
The rain has finally started to ease to a drizzle by the time we make it back to the car.
Tyler’s arm stays slung around my shoulders as we walk.
Mostly because I’m exhausted.
Partly because walking barefoot through mud is proving harder than I will ever admit.
His mouth twitches as he fights back a laugh and snorts.
“Don’t.”
I glare up at him.
His grin widens.
“You look like a newborn deer.”
“I hate you.”
“No, you don’t.”
I try to shove him.
He catches my wrist effortlessly.
“Violence isn’t the answer, Cassidy.”
“You’re literally a vigilante.”
“That’s different.”
“How?”
