Page 18 of Reaper

“I’m here,” he said softly.“I’m not going anywhere.”

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The ride back to her apartment was quiet, the silence between them humming with unspoken tension. When they reached her door, she turned to him, her heart pounding in her chest.

“Thank you for tonight,” she said, her voice steady despite the whirlwind of emotions inside her. “It was perfect … until those bastards showed up.”

“It is perfect,” he said, his eyes locking onto hers.

She kept waiting for Reaper to press her about her past, but he never did. He was going to wait until she was ready, like always, and that touched her immensely.

For a moment, they stood there, the world around them fading away. Savannah wasn’t sure who moved first, but suddenly she was stepping closer, brushing her hands against his chest.

He leaned down, his breath warm against her skin, and then his lips were on hers. The kiss was slow at first, tentative, as if they were both testing the waters. But it quickly deepened, and he slid his hand to her waist, pulling her closer. Savannah speared her fingers through his hair, and she sighed against his mouth, losing herself in the heat of him.

When they finally pulled apart, her cheeks were flushed, her lips tingling. He rested his forehead against hers, his breath ragged.

“Savannah,” he murmured, her name like a promise on his lips.

“Reaper,” she whispered back, her heart full and racing all at once.

She took a step back, her hand lingering on his arm. “Would you … like to come inside?” she asked him.

“I would,” he said again, smiling.

Savannah closed the door behind them, pulse racing.

Chapter Eight

Savannah closed the door behind them, her pulse hammering so loud she was sure he could hear it. The lock clicked into place, the sound echoing in the silence between them.

The air felt electric, charged with everything unsaid, everything they both wanted but hadn’t yet voiced. She turned around, her hand still on the door, and met Reaper’s gaze. He gazed at her face and down her body. The way he looked at her made her feel stripped bare, like he could see every vulnerable part of her, and still he wanted more.

Her chest rose and fell with her rapid breaths, anticipation tightening low in her belly. She took a step forward, her fingers trembling slightly as she reached for his leather jacket. Her heart pounded harder when she felt the heat radiating from his body.

“Let me take this off.” Her voice was soft, hesitant, but full of need.

Reaper nodded, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed. He didn’t say a word, just watched her with that intense, unwavering stare.

She slid her hands under the edges of his jacket, feeling the worn leather and the strength of his arms beneath it. As she pushed the jacket off his shoulders, it fell to the floor with a muted thud. Her fingers brushed against his t-shirt, the fabric stretched taut over the hard lines of his chest. He was so solid, so real, and the knowledge that he was here with her, choosing her, sent a thrill through her veins.

Reaper reached out, his knuckles grazing her cheek, the touch so tender it made her breath catch.

“You sure about this, Savannah?” he asked.

She met his gaze, the vulnerability she usually kept hidden rising to the surface. There were still shadows in her past, ghosts that threatened to pull her back. But standing here, with him, she felt a flicker of light, a chance for something good. Maybe even something real.

“I’m sure,” she whispered.“I want this. I want you.”

Reaper tightened his jaw, but something in his eyes softened.“Then I’m yours.”

The words were like a match striking against flint, igniting a fire that had been smoldering between them for too long. He closed the distance in one swift step.

Reaper cradled her face with his hands as he brought his lips to hers. The kiss started slow, moving his mouth against hers with a gentleness that belied the hunger simmering just beneath the surface. Savannah melted into him, sliding her hand up his chest, feeling the steady thud of his heart under her palms. He pressed his lips more urgently, and she opened for him, letting him in.

He swept his tongue into her mouth, tasting, claiming, sending jolts of heat through every nerve in her body. She moaned softly against his lips, curling her fingers into the fabric of his shirt, desperate to feel more of him.

He growled low in his throat, the sound vibrating through her, and she felt her knees go weak. Reaper tightened his arms around her waist, pulling her flush against him, the hard planes of his body fitting perfectly against her softness.

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