Page 31 of Emmy's Ride

“You’re a coward.” Her voice was softer now, but the daggers in her eyes were anything but. “Not brave enough to stand up and take what you want.”

That was it. The last thread of my control snapped, unraveling into nothing.

In two strides, I was on her, gripping her face as my mouth crashed against hers. It wasn’t careful. It wasn’t sweet.

It was a punishment. A brand. A claim.

She gasped into the kiss, but she didn’t pull away. If anything, she met me with equal fury, her nails digging into myshoulders, her body pressing against me, slick and hot from the shower. I backed her against the cool tile, swallowing her gasp as my hands slid down her sides, fingers gripping her hips like I’d never let go.

I dropped to my knees. My hands ran up her thighs, spreading them slightly as I stared up at her.

She looked back down at me, eyes wide, lips parted. She always loved when I went down on her. I did too.

And then I made her mine.

My mouth found her, teasing, tasting, making her tremble under my touch. A strangled moan slipped from her lips, her fingers tangling into my hair as she melted against the wall. I took my time, pulling her apart, breaking her down until she was nothing but shaking limbs and breathless cries.

When I couldn’t take anymore, I stood, lifted her into my arms, and carried her out of the bathroom.

Her legs locked around my waist, her lips dragging over my jaw, my neck, anywhere she could reach. I laid her on the bed, hovering over her, my mouth exploring, tracing the delicate places that made her sigh.

I’d never stripped and rolled on a condom faster and, finally, I claimed her completely.

A puff of air slipped through her lips as I filled her, stretching her, molding her to me. We moved together in a slow, consuming rhythm, our bodies finding the pace that only we had ever known.

The desperation built, igniting us both to a DEFCON level.

Emmy clung to me, whispering my name like a prayer, and when we finally shattered, we did it together.

Afterward, I didn’t move. I stayed, my arms wrapped around her, our heartbeats syncing in the silence.

Tomorrow, reality would set in. There would be questions, doubts, the weight of everything unsaid. Hopefully, no regrets.

But tonight, for this one fleeting moment, she was mine.

And I wasn’t letting go. Not tonight and maybe never again.

The morning light filtered through the blinds, casting golden streaks across the bed and warming the space where Emmy should have been.

I stirred, reaching for her, but my hand met only empty sheets. A sharp pang settled in my chest, tightening as I cracked my eyes open to find her already dressed, sitting at the small wooden table in the kitchen area of my room.

She was staring at the surface, fingers absently tracing the rim of a coffee cup. Her hair was still damp, curling slightly at the ends, and there were faint shadows beneath her eyes.

She was obviously exhausted and by the look in her eyes and the arch of her shoulders, she was about to run.

“Get back in bed,” I said, voice rough with sleep.

She didn’t even flinch, just let out a slow breath before lifting her gaze to meet mine.

“What we did last night,” she said, “I’m glad we did it. But it changes nothing.”

This shit again?

I pushed myself up, swinging my legs over the edge of the bed. The sheets pooled at my waist, but I didn’t care. I leveled her with a look. “The hell it doesn’t.”

She sighed wearily, shaking her head. “This club is still your life. And I can’t—” She broke off, gripping her cup a little too tightly before forcing herself to relax. “I won’t put myself through losing you again.”

I felt the words like a gut punch, but I refused to let them shake me. “So that’s it? You’re just gonna leave?”

---