Page 85 of Saving You

“More.”

Who was Ridge to deny him? Gripping Oz by the hips, he rolled his own, pushing in inch by inch. It was an agonizing eternity of ignoring every instinct that told him to grip him and fuck his ass until neither one of them knew up from down.

And he would do that one day.

Maybe even tonight.

But in that moment, he needed to be slow. Tender. Full of purpose.

And endlessly patient.

He drank in every single one of Oz’s gasps, his groans, the way his hips moved and his muscles clenched. He watched his expression, waiting for the most minute sign that he wasn’t into it. But that never came. Oz licked his lips and shifted, trying to take all of him.

‘Please,’ his hand begged. ‘Please, please, please.’

Ridge gave a harder thrust, slipping all the way in, and Oz grunted, sitting up halfway. He nodded, looking absolutely fucking wrecked and desperate. He tightened around Ridge, and his hands lifted, clawing at his shoulders.

“I’m so close. I’m already so close,” he said aloud. “Please. Make me come on your cock. Make me take it.”

Ridge lost himself in that moment. All of his plans burned to ash, and from that rose a feral need to stake his claim. He gripped Oz under his ass, lifting him halfway into the air, and he began to pound into him—rough, heavy thrusts that filled the room with the sound of skin slapping against skin.

He grunted with the effort, gasped at how fucking good it felt. He shifted Oz’s hips until he let out that sheer animal sound of pleasure when he hit his prostate, and then he thrust hard—over and over and over until Oz’s eyes slammed shut and his body tightened.

He was coming. Oh fuck, he was coming. His back arched as he spilled between them, and Ridge only managed three more thrusts before he filled the condom deep inside his lover. He had no memory of lowering Oz, no memory of collapsing on top of him.

He came to rolling his hips as his cock began to soften, and he quickly pulled out, holding it by the base so he didn’t make a mess. His stomach and chest were sticky from Oz’s release, but it was the most glorious feeling in the world.

Rolling to the side, he pulled the condom off, tied it, and let it fall on the side of the bed with a wet plop.

‘Gross,’ Oz signed.

Ridge burst into laughter and buried his face against Oz’s neck, breathing in the scent of his sweat and his come. It was fucking glorious. ‘I am so in love with you,’ he signed when he pulled away.

Oz’s blush had started to fade, but his ears and the apples of his cheeks went pink again. ‘Pillow talk?’

Ridge shrugged. ‘Maybe, but it’s also the truth. I’m yours. I need you to know that. I understand you have a lot of work to do on yourself, but I’m here for it.’

Oz smiled, kissed him softly, then rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling for a long beat. ‘I wonder,’ he signed after a short pause, ‘is this town cursed?’

Ridge frowned. ‘What do you mean?’

‘How many people do we know got into pretend relationships, and they ended up finding their forever person?’

Ridge snorted and rolled onto his stomach, kissing Oz on the ribs. ‘Maybe,’ he signed, a little sloppy with his elbows folded, ‘you—and the others like you—subconsciously knew it was meant to be. Maybe that’s why you chose me.’

‘Maybe,’ Oz offered with a small grin.

He rolled onto his side, curling against Ridge. They were sticky, and they’d regret not cleaning up in the morning, but that was a future Ridge problem. For now, there was this: warm arms, soft lips, easy breathing, and the promise of thousands more nights and thousands more mornings like this.

Ridge woke to the house empty and a note on the counter:

Ina and I went to get a sweet treat and some things from my house. I’m going to stay a while, I think. If that’s okay with you.

Stay forever, Ridge thought to himself. He wondered if maybe that was too much, but he didn’t think it would be. He’d probably say it later to see the look in Oz’s eyes. Maybe it would match his own because he knew his pupils were heart-shaped at the thought of his beloved and his daughter going about their morning like they’d always done this.

Like it was right. Inevitable. Like life before his lover had just…been on pause.

He smiled through his coffee and through his shower, though he did wish Oz was there to join him. He dressed and fixed his hair, then checked to make sure he wasn’t needed in early before staring into the fridge, debating if he wanted to cook something or down a protein shake.

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