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This moment…it wasn’t a hookup or a fleeting night. There was more building here. The way she felt about him, it was rooted in her bones, like the vines that rooted deeper and deeper in the soil. Moving forward meant more. It meant taking a step into a space that was completely unknown.

And she wasn’t afraid of it.

She slowly twisted her hands, and this time, he released her. Alana pinched the hem of his shirt and pulled it off him, dropping it at their feet. She traced the tips of her fingers down the creases of his chest and torso, his skin warm against her cold touch.

She tipped forward on her toes, smoothing her hands along his chest and around his shoulders. “Take me to your bed,” she whispered.

Leo nodded and leaned forward, grabbing for the backs of her thighs. He lifted her up, her legs wrapping around his torso as he carried her to the bedroom. His lips were in contact with her skin the entire journey down the hall. She tingled with each spot he tasted, from her shoulders and neck then down between her breasts. They felt like tattoos on her skin, forever leaving their mark.

He tipped open the door with his foot, then closed it behind them, closing Bear out, who was already fast asleep on the couch. He laid Alana down on his bed, covered in a soft heather gray duvet. He never took his eyes from her as he stood up and shimmied out of his jeans, stripping down to a tight pair of black boxer briefs.

“I could watch you forever,” he said, climbing onto the bed.

She reached for him, slipping a hand underneath the elastic of his boxers. “Me too,” she whispered.

He closed the distance between them, crushing his body against hers. One hand tucked around her neck as he kissed her, the other smooth against her side as he moved his way to her leg, tucking it around his waist. He slipped his tongue in her mouth as she drew it open, savoring her with a small groan. His hard length rubbed back and forth down the center of her softest part, his need for her so apparently on display.

She gave in to it completely, allowing her body to go soft where his was hard, reveling in the sweet press of him and his demanding hands and mouth.

He licked his way down her body and between her breasts, dipping his thumb down her underwear, then pressed at her clit.

Her breath hitched as she cried out softly, closing her eyes. The buildup was already so intense she wasn’t sure how long she could take it.

He grinned at the sound as he peeled off her underwear. Then he pulled at her ankles so her ass was at the edge of her bed.

He got on his knees.

She rested the backs of her thighs on his shoulders. “I was hoping I would be the one to taste you first,” she teased.

Leo shook his head, kissing the inside of her thigh. “No. Tonight is all about you.” Then he licked up and down her center.

Her cry was loud as his tongue moved to her clit, circling and circling, adding more tension. She rocked back and forth, riding his tongue, and he hummed with pleasure as she took what she wanted. He dipped two fingers inside her and moved purposefully, driving them in and out with slow, methodical movements. She whimpered as his fingers reached to the last knuckles, until he was deep enough to curl them in.

“Leo!” she screamed as the orgasm cascaded over her in waves. She lifted her head and locked eyes with those piercing blue irises. His lips curled into a smile, his tongue still on her clit as she moved her hips, chasing the sensation. His other hand was on his cock, his underwear at his knees.

She sat up, grabbing for him. “Get over here.”

He obeyed, kicking off the last of his clothes and climbing on top of her. He caged her with one arm, the other reaching for his nightstand. Before he retrieved what was inside, he slowed, then fixed his gaze on her.

“Are you sure?” he asked her. “After tonight, after everything…”

Sophie. He was watching out for her, making sure everything was okay after the news. Except she wasn’t her sister. She wasn’t thinking recklessly—Alana was convinced she hadn’t thought this clearly in her entire life.

She traced his jaw with her thumb. “It’s okay, I’m on birth control. I’m also not afraid, Leo.”

He nuzzled her nose. “I was tested,” he reassured her. “I haven’t done anything since my previous relationship, but I wanted to be sure before the move.”

“Thank you.” She leaned in and sucked on his bottom lip. “You can forget what’s in your nightstand. I’ll be okay.”

He hummed with satisfaction, returning to her fully as he slipped right into her with one swift movement. They both moaned at the tight fit.

“You feel amazing,” he rumbled. His pace was slow as he inched in and out of her, his movements so small she wondered if he didn’t want to spend another second not inside of her. She felt the exact same, wanting him here with her always, feeling every single ridge of him that ached against everything that was soft, wet, and warm.

His kisses grew deeper, and deeper, and deeper, until she could barely breathe. When he released her to suck on her bottom lip, she sucked in a breath, then exhaled with the most delicious, satisfied moan.

“Like oxygen,” he reminded her.

She grinned. “Like oxygen.”