Chapter 19
CHAPTER 19
Russ held Hillary close, his fingers tracing a gentle line along her spine as he gazed at her, his expression softened by something rare and unguarded. She looked up, her heart thudding so loud she was sure he could hear it.
Their lips met slowly, softly, as if savoring every second of the moment. Hillary’s hands moved up to cradle his face, his skin warm and pulsing. The world around them faded, and all that mattered was the gentle rhythm of their breaths, the way they fit so effortlessly against each other.
Russ lifted her slightly, guiding her toward the bed, never breaking contact. As they sank onto the cool sheets, they took their time, exploring the new vulnerability between them. Hillary’s fingers traced patterns along his shoulders, and she shivered under his touch. Each hungry brush of their lips was filled with passion, promises neither of them dared to voice but felt deeply.
When their eyes met again, there was a shared desire that couldn’t be ignored. Russ’s hands moved over her with a newfound confidence, his touch exploring the curve of her waist, the small of her back, each place his fingers grazed seeming to spark warmth that spread through her. She shuddered, anticipation pooling in her belly as his mouth traveled along her neck, his breath hot against her skin, leaving her dizzy with the intensity of it.
By the time he finally filled her with his full length she was so desperate for it she cried out wildly. The anticipation had been so strong, building the tension in her body to a place she’d never felt before.
“Russ,” she breathed with pleasure into his ear. He moved with such force and control that all she needed to do was be taken. Enjoy the work he was doing. The strength he had as he moved in her, above her, seemingly all around her.
Grabbing her hips he pressed her body against the bed and drove even deeper, opening up a whole new level of pleasure and thrill. With a wave of roiling climax she cried out his name and plunged her nails into his back.
Her pleasure seemed to tangle with his own and drive him toward ecstasy even faster. With a primal growl and pulsing body he crashed down on top of her.
In that moment, no one wanted them dead. They weren’t thrown together by circumstances or fate. They were there, in the bed, by choice. They wanted that. They got to decide, and she was damn happy with their decision.
They lay tangled together in the quiet aftermath, Hillary nestled against Russ, her head on his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart. The world felt softer somehow, the dangers they were running from distant, held at bay by the warmth of his arms around her.
Russ’s hand moved gently, brushing a stray lock of her hair behind her ear. She looked up to find him watching her, his gaze so intent that she felt exposed in a way that went beyond the physical.
She let out a quiet laugh, feeling a little self-conscious under his gaze. “What are you thinking?” she asked, then immediately rolled her eyes, groaning at herself. “God, that’s so cliché. Don’t answer that.”
But he only smiled, a lazy, content smile that melted the last of her self-consciousness. “It’s actually easy to answer,” he murmured, his voice soft but resolute. “I was plotting some way we could do this every day for the rest of our lives.”
Hillary’s heart stilled, her breath catching as his words settled over her. She hadn’t allowed herself to think that far ahead—hadn’t let herself believe that this, whatever it was between them, could exist beyond stolen moments. Yet, here he was, saying the thing she hadn’t dared to hope for.
She ran her fingers lightly over his chest, tracing an imaginary line. “You’re sure you want a life like that?” she asked softly, her voice barely above a whisper, afraid to break the spell. “With... all the complications that come with it?”
Russ’s hand found hers, his fingers intertwining with hers as he brought her hand to his lips. “I want every bit of it,” he replied, his eyes never leaving hers. “I know what’s waiting out there, but here, with you... it feels like a life worth fighting for.”