Page 73 of Raven

His hand brushed the small of my back. “Now I take you out to eat. Then we come back, lock the door, and I spend the rest of the day making up for lost time.”

Mandy barked softly from her spot near the door, tail thumping in approval. Mike didn’t bother opening an eye.

I laughed. “You better make it good, tough guy. I’ve been patient.”

“Oh, I plan to, sweetheart.” He leaned down, brushing his lips over mine. “Every second of it.”

And just like that, I knew we were finally starting our forever.

* * *

Beatrice

By the timewe finished the lunch that we cooked together, Raven had that look in his eyes again. The kind that made my whole body come alive. But instead of dragging me straight back to the bedroom, he grinned, took my hand, and said, “You’ve never swum in the ocean with me, have you?”

“Not yet,” I said, raising an eyebrow. “But you’re already looking at me like you’re planning to peel off every stitch of my clothing once I do.”

He smirked and kissed my hand. “That’s because I am.”

* * *

The water was colderthan I expected. Salty waves nipped at my ankles as I walked in, Raven just behind me, tossing his shirt to the sand. He was already soaked from diving in once to show off, and now he was grinning at me like he had a plan.

“Come on in, sweetheart. It’s not that bad.”

I squealed as a wave splashed up my thighs. “Liar! It’s freezing!”

“Then I guess I’ll have to warm you up.” He lunged toward me, splashing and scooping me into his arms before I could run. I shrieked and laughed, kicking playfully as he carried me deeper.

“Raven!” I gasped as he dipped me under and then pulled me close, wrapping his arms around my waist. The water lapped at our shoulders, and we bobbed with the waves.

“You know what I thought about every night while I was gone?” he asked, brushing a wet strand of hair from my face.

“Other than how amazing I look in my firefighting uniform?”

He chuckled, tightening his grip. “This. Holding you. Hearing you laugh. That little wrinkle you get when you’re annoyed.”

“I donotwrinkle,” I protested, swatting his chest.

He caught my hand and kissed it. “You do. And it’s adorable. So are your little snores.”

I gasped. “You better not be mocking my sleep noises. You snore like a freight train.”

We laughed until we were breathless, water sparkling around us. But then everything stilled. His eyes locked on mine. The mood shifted.

Heat surged through me. That hunger returned like a crashing wave—sharp, sudden, undeniable.

His hands slid down to my hips, and he pulled me flush against him. “I need you,” he whispered, voice low and thick.

The way he said it made my knees weak.

I leaned in, lips brushing his. “Then take me home.”

* * *

We didn’t makeit to the bedroom.

The hallway wall became our anchor. Raven had my top off in seconds. I yanked his swimming trunks halfway down before he spun us and lifted me into his arms, pinning me gently against the cool drywall. I wrapped my legs around him, completely naked, my breath was stolen by the intensity in his eyes.

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