He shook his head, kissing her. “Not even death will separate us.”
If that ever happened, he would bridge that divide, too.
“Promise?” she asked.
He flipped them and nudged her thighs open with his knee. Slipping a hand between them, he growled at the wetness that greeted him.
Removing his fingers, he fitted himself at her entrance.
“I swear it.” He thrust inside her, letting her heat envelop his cock. She groaned, and he caught the sound with his lips. Gods, she was perfect. “You are mine. Forever.”
And then he showed her exactly what it meant to belong to him.
Several hours later,they finally extricated themselves from the bedroom. Ryker and Marlowe ran to Eleyta Park while Brynleigh showered. Even though he knew it was ridiculous, part of him felt sad about being separated from her for that short time.
Every minute of his run, he thought about their relationship—where they’d started and how far they’d come—and his love forher. It shocked him how much he cared about her, yet he wouldn’t have it any other way.
When he and Marlowe returned, Brynleigh was in a chair by the window. Her hair hung in blonde waves down her back, and she hugged her legs to herself as she sipped a mug of warm blood.
Ryker unhooked the dog’s leash and walked towards her. Brushing away her hair, he kissed the back of her neck.
“What are you looking at?” he murmured.
She glanced over her shoulder and smiled. He’d never get enough of that.
“The sun,” she replied.
“It is beautiful.”
Not too hot, nor too cold. Today was a wonderful fall day.
She sighed contentedly, resting her head against him as he placed his hand on her shoulder. “I missed it so much.”
“Now you can watch it every day.”
They looked out the glass for several minutes in companionable silence before Brynleigh hummed.
“This was the moment I knew I was done for.” She raised a brow and met his gaze. “Did I ever tell you that?”
Ryker shook his head. He would’ve remembered something like that.
She chuckled, trailing a finger down the windowpane.
“I walked in here expecting to hate you. Fuckingdeterminedto hate you. I tried so gods-damned hard, Ryker. I needed you to be evil. To be the one who hurt me. And you… you made it impossible.”
“I was already in love with you,” he admitted, staring at the afternoon sun. “I think I loved you the moment I went to look for you after the rebel attack.”
Even then, he’d been ready to give her everything. His soul had known they were meant to be.
She put down her mug and stood, taking his hand in hers. Her thumb swept over the back of his palm, and she leaned against him.
“You were amazing, Ry. You were kind, considerate, funny, and competitive—nothing like what I expected. And I… I fell for you. When I saw the sun, I knew I was yours. And then later that night when River…” Her voice trailed off, and she winced.
“When she told you about the storm,” he finished softly.
“Yeah.” She nodded. “I knew it was over for me. I couldn’t do it.”
Ryker wrapped his arms around Brynleigh and held her close. What would’ve happened if River hadn’t told her the truth about the Incident?