Page 41 of It Happened Again

“And you…” I said, breathless, “you ruin me. Oh, in a very good way...”

He smiled against my throat. “Let’s ruin each other.”

The tempo increased, my confidence building as pleasure rose, tightening inside me with every stroke. His fingers found my clit, circling in time with our rhythm, and I shattered—body convulsing, breath catching, moaning his name like a vow.

He followed, shifting my body beneath him with tender strength. The moment his body stilled, hovering above mine, I felt the change—his restraint breaking, his need overtaking him. His hands gripped my hips, allowing himself to lose control, to be fully consumed by me. And I welcomed it, arching toward him, matching the fire in his eyes with the blaze in my chest. His release a cry against my skin, a quaking above me. We held each other through it, gasping, trembling, overwhelmed.

When we finally collapsed, boneless and trembling, he wrapped his arms around me, holding me so tightly I could feel his heart beating in sync with mine.

He kissed me and rolled us gently to our sides, pulling the blankets over us.

“I didn’t want to rush this,” he said quietly. “I wanted every second to be a beautiful moment for you. I hope I achieved that.”

I touched his face, memorizing him in the low light. “You made me feel safe. Seen. Desired.”

“You are all of that. And more.”

I smiled, fingers tracing his shoulder. “What now?”

“Now we sleep,” he murmured. “And tomorrow… we figure it all out. Together. Rest now, baby. Don’t let that brain of yours overthink this.”

As I lay there in his arms, warm and full and completely his, I knew we’d crossed a threshold. And there was no going back.

Only forward.

15

MORE ALIVE

MAISY

I woke up warm.Not just under the blanket, but from the inside out.

Brooks’ arm draped over my waist, his breath soft and steady against the back of my neck. One of my legs tangled with his, and I wasn’t sure where his chest ended and my spine began. The sun slipped through the crack in the guest house curtain, casting slow-moving stripes across the white sheets.

We’d... done it.

I’d given him everything.

And somehow, I felt more myself, more alive than I ever had.

He shifted behind me with a sleepy groan, and I bit back a smile when I felt his nose brush against my shoulder.

“You’re still here,” he murmured, voice rough and full of sleep.

“You sound surprised.”

“I thought maybe you’d vanish in a puff of logic and overthinking before sunrise.”

I smirked, reaching behind to swat his hip. “Hilarious.”

He caught my hand and brought it to his lips. “Not joking. I’m glad you stayed.”

I rolled onto my back so I could see him. His hair stuck up, looking completely ridiculous, and the crease of the pillow was still faint on his cheek, but his eyes focused on mine—soft, open, unguarded in a way I hadn’t seen before.

I could have stayed there forever.

But forever was suddenly big and scary, and right now, I needed coffee.

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