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"He's not dead, not physically. But the person I knew, the one I considered a brother..." He trails off, shaking his head. "It’s like that part of him is gone forever, and sometimes, the loss feels even more profound."
My heart constricts at the raw anguish in his voice, at the pain etched into the lines of his face. Without a second thought, I lean toward him, wrapping my arms around his solid frame and pulling him close.
For a heartbeat, he remains rigid, every muscle taut with surprise. But then, slowly, he melts into my embrace, his arms snaking around my waist as he buries his face in the crook of my neck. A shuddering breath escapes his lips, his body trembling against mine as the dam finally breaks, unleashing a torrent of grief and anguish he has held at bay for far too long.
Tears prick at my own eyes as I hold him, my fingers combing soothingly through his tousled locks. In this moment, I realize just how deeply we've both been wounded by loss. Yet Ryan's willingness to bare his soul, to share his pain with me, speaks volumes about the trust blossoming between us.
I'm grateful for the chance to offer him comfort, just as he did for me in my darkest hour. Cradling his powerful frame, I'm struck by the tenderness that blooms in my chest—a warmth that extends far beyond mere physical attraction.
Gradually, his trembling subsides, and he pulls back just enough to gaze into my eyes. Desire, longing, vulnerability... and something deeper shines in his eyes, igniting a spark of hope that maybe, just maybe, he's beginning to feel the same profound connection.
A tremor courses through him, and for a heartbeat, I fear I've overstepped, shattered the fragile bond we've forged. But then, with agonizing slowness, he leans in, resting his forehead against mine in tender intimacy.
Our mingled breaths hang in the charged air between us, and I'm acutely aware of the heat emanating from his body, the masculine scent of pine and musk that surrounds me. This close, I can see the flecks of gold that dance amid the cobalt depths of his eyes, endless pools that beckon me to drown in their depths.
A tremor courses through me as the energy shifts, the tender moment morphing into something darker, richer, ignited by the simmering spark that has been flickering between us. Ryan's gaze drops to my parted lips, and I see his throat work in a convulsive swallow.
"Jenna..." he murmurs, his voice a low rumble that resonates through me. "You don't know what you're offering."
Slowly, as if moving through molasses, I reach out to trace the hard plane of his chest, marveling at the heat that scorches my fingertips, the steady thrum of his heartbeat against my palm. Ryan inhales sharply, his abdomen tensing beneath my touch, but he doesn't retreat or rebuff my exploration.
Emboldened, I let my hand glide upward, over the swell of his pectoral, the thick corded muscles of his neck, until I'm cradling the sharp line of his jaw. His eyes narrow to blazing amber slits, sparking with an intensity that should terrify me, but instead sends a delicious shiver of anticipation skating down my spine.
"I think I do," I breathe.
Then his hand is fisting in my hair, anchoring me in place. The breath stutters in my lungs as every nerve ending in my body ignites, scorched by the blazing heat that rolls off him in waves. His mouth slants over mine in a searing, devouring kiss that obliterates any shred of coherent thought.
I'm drowning, consumed by the taste and scent and feel of him—a firestorm of pure masculine potency. My fingers clutch at the rippling muscles of his back, his shoulders, desperate to draw him closer, deeper, until there's no space between us at all. A rumbling growl vibrates against my lips, and I realize with a dizzying jolt that the sound is emanating from the depths of my own throat.
Ryan breaks the kiss with a harsh curse, his forehead dropping to rest against mine as our ragged pants mingle in the charged air between us. "Bloody hell," he grits out hoarsely. "I can scent the desire rolling off you in waves, Jenna. It's maddening…"
His words are swallowed by another searing kiss, this one edged with a desperate urgency that has me trembling in his embrace. Deft fingers work at the fastenings of my clothes, strippingaway the flimsy barriers until I lay bare before him, my body humming with a delicious ache only he can sate.
Ryan's gaze rakes over me with a ferocity that borders on savage. His large hands skim the curves of my body, palms rough against my skin. "You're exquisite," he murmurs, his voice a low, guttural growl that sends shivers cascading down my spine. Then, with a gentleness that belies his towering strength, he eases me onto the plush carpet of moss beneath us.
He lowers his head, capturing one taut nipple between his lips. His tongue swirls around the sensitive peak, sending jolts of pleasure shooting straight to my core. I arch into his touch, a needy whimper escaping my lips as his fingers continue their exploration, tracing the contours of my ribcage, the dip of my navel, the flare of my hips.
"I need to taste you," Ryan groans, his breath hot against my skin. Before I can respond, he is trailing kisses down my stomach, his hands parting my thighs with a possessive urgency that leaves me gasping.
His tongue delves into my folds, lapping at the evidence of my arousal with a fervor that borders on worship. I writhe beneath him, my fingers tangling in his hair as he expertly coaxes me toward the brink of ecstasy. His groans of approval vibrate against my sensitive flesh, each rumble stoking the fire within me higher and higher.
My climax hits me with the force of a tidal wave, my body convulsing with the intensity of my release. Ryan's arms band around my thighs, holding me in place as he wrings every last ounce of pleasure from my quivering form.
As the tremors subside, Ryan crawls up my body, his eyes dark with desire. He claims my mouth in a searing kiss, the tasteof my own arousal mingling with the intoxicating flavor that is uniquely him.
"I want you inside me," I breathe, my hands roaming the corded muscles of his back, urging him closer.
With a growl that resonates deep within my soul, Ryan positions himself at my entrance. He pushes forward, sheathing himself to the hilt in one powerful thrust. The sensation of his thick length filling me is almost too much to bear, yet it is exactly what I crave.
He sets a punishing rhythm, each stroke stoking the embers of desire that still smolder within me. His teeth graze the sensitive skin of my neck, nipping and sucking as if he can't get enough of me. The sensation is deliciously overwhelming, a tantalizing blend of pleasure and pain that has me teetering on the edge once more.
"Ryan, please," I beg, my voice a hoarse whisper as I cling to him, my body coiling with tension.
His response is another deep, growling rumble that seems to reverberate through every cell in my body. His hands roam my form, gripping my hips with bruising intensity as he increases the pace, driving us both toward the precipice of release.
My second orgasm crashes over me with the force of a freight train, my inner muscles clenching around him as stars explode behind my closed eyelids. Ryan follows me over the edge with a final, powerful thrust, his body shuddering as he finds his own release deep within me.
Afterwards, we lay tangled in the aftermath of our passionate embrace, chests heaving and skin shimmering with a fine sheen of perspiration. Ryan's arms are a solid anchor, holding me closeas if afraid to let me go, to let this moment slip away into the ephemeral realm of dreams.
