Page 181 of Taken By the Fae

He crawls over me, his gaze meeting mine as he splays his fingers across my cheek. “You still with me?”

I meet his gaze and smile. “I’m here.”

He kisses me before leaning away. “You’re sure?”

I nod. There isn’t a place on earth I’d rather be.

He presses his lips together, and before I can comment on his annoying little smirk, his lips are back on mine, and he hardens against my thigh.

“Lift your hips,” he instructs in a voice that would make me do just about anything.

I do as I’m told, and he slides into me in one quick, smooth motion, sealing his mouth over mine and swallowing the moan that escapes my lips.

His thrusts are slow and deep, drawing soft sounds from me with ease. He groans against my lips as he reaches between our bodies and tweaks my clit. My hips buck against him, pushing him deeper and making me clench around him.

“Fuck, Rory.” His breath is hot against my cheek. He nips my bottom lip before kissing me hard.

I reach for him, sliding my fingers through his hair and tugging at the ends.

He increases the pace, and I match his thrusts, my legs trapping him between them as my heart pounds against my rib cage. We’re battling it out, in a race to see who will come apart first.

I clench around him again, holding him to me as I come hard. Only a few thrusts later, he groans, his muscles tense as his own release charges through him.

He slides out of me and peppers kisses along my jaw, against my cheek, my brow, my forehead. I giggle beneath him, trying to squirm away, but he holds me there, grinning.

“I love you,” he says.

I kiss him. “I love you.”

He wraps his arms around me, hugging me against his side as our breathing settles to a normal pace. Amid all the sadness and fear of what is still to come—in this moment right here—I allow myself to smile, to be happy, because after everything we’ve been through, we deserve it.

* * *

“I thought they were going to kill you,” he whispers, his voice cracking as he stares at the ceiling.

We finally made it to the bedroom and have been lying next to each other in silence for half an hour, neither of us able to sleep.

My heart sinks, and I reach for his hand, sliding my fingers through his. “I’m here, Tris. I’m okay.” My tone is calm, soft, but anger bubbles inside of me. I’m glad Max destroyed the Experiment’s facility. I don’t feel guilty over the lives I took to get out of there. If that makes me a monster, so be it. They almost took everything from me. I wasn’t going to let them get away with it—I couldn’t.

He squeezes my hand, but still won’t look at me. His jaw is sharp, a muscle ticking along it, and shadowed with stubble. He hasn’t shaved in the six days I’ve been back, but the slightly unkempt look suits him.

I place my free hand against his cheek and turn his face toward me. My chest tightens at the glassiness in his eyes. His jaw is clenched against my palm, and all I want to do is take away his pain. “Breathe,” I murmur.

He blinks, causing a tear to escape his eye and drip onto the pillow beside him. “I don’t know what I would’ve done if I’d lost you.” I can’t imagine what’s going through his head right now. He did lose someone—his best friend. The two of us were never close, but I’m mourning his loss alongside my friends.

“You didn’t lose me. I’m right here.” I don’t know what else to say that’ll ease the fear in his eyes.

He sits up, leaning against the headboard, and I follow. He pulls my hands into his, holding them in his lap. “I know this isn’t exactly how you pictured your life playing out.”

I offer a soft laugh. “Nothing has happened how I planned since the day I met you.”

He traces slow circles over the back of my hand with his thumb. “If I could go back and change the way we met—”

I kiss him, cutting off his words. “I know,” I murmur. “But you can’t, and that’s okay.” My fingers splay across his cheek, and he turns his face to press his lips against my palm, closing his eyes.

“You’re all I want,” he says, opening his eyes to meet my gaze. “For the rest of whatever time we have.”

I smile as tears fill my eyes. “We might not have forever, but we have each other.”

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