A look of rebellion etched her face, then melted into pure, glittering lust. “You think you’re punishing me?” Whatever fight had been there siphoned into utmost surrender. “Ren, you’re giving me exactly what I need.”
Something hot twisted in my belly, bathing in her submission.
The need to own every part of her made me slip straight into the animalistic aggression I tried to hide.
I couldn’t stop it.
I’d never been able to stop it.
But with her so beautiful and aroused beneath me—fighting back, matching my thrusts, biting me, scratching me—I’d found my equal.
I’d found home.
“What are you doing to me, Della?” Rearing up, I ploughed into her. Not caring she inched upward, dislodging twigs and leaves with each thrust. My knees burned from digging into earth. My back cramped for bowing into her, forcing everything I could inside her. “I promised I’d never hurt you. And now you’ve driven me to the worst.”
I was a rough lover, but this…seeing her come undone in the most basic way possible, covered in earth with the scent of nature all around us, I lost it.
Dropping on top of her, I didn’t care she bore my full weight or that I’d trapped her, smothered her, captured her.
She was mine, and she’d take what I gave her.
“Hurt me because nothing has felt this good in my life.”
Grabbing her around the neck, I kissed her furious and vicious. My fingers twitched to squeeze. My nails ached to mark.
“Make me come, Ren. Please make me come.” She moaned as I drove into her with all the finesse of a raging bull.
Burrowing my face into the crook of her neck, I drove again and again. “You’ve ruined me. Fuck, you’ve ruined me.” Harder and harder I rode her until the forest was full of skin slapping and animals rutting.
She cried out as I thrust faster, crueller, driven by her fight and surrender.
“Della.” My forehead crashed against hers as I panted and raged, wanting to climb deeper, cursing her and myself. “Fuck.”
Pinching her wrists with my left hand, my right soared down her body, squeezing her breast with nasty fingers before finding the place where we were joined.
We were wet and messy and scorching hot.
It turned me on.
Christ, it turned me on.
I couldn’t catch my breath as I found her clit and rubbed.
Her back snapped up. “Oh, God!”
“Shut up. Just shut up.” I rubbed harder, all while plunging my tongue into her mouth in time to the plunging between her legs.
Her nails punctured my ass, riding with me as I rode her.
Every roll and twist and thrust of my hips, she matched me until I didn’t know who fucked who.
Leaves flew. Birds scattered. And it was no longer about love but war.
“Ren!” Her body tightened, her legs spasmed around my hips, and the delicious heat of her pulsed with release.
I lost everything that made me human.
I only lived to make love to this woman.
I only existed to be hers.
My orgasm brewed full of pain and exquisite intensity, pushing me over the edge.
We clawed and cried and thrust and fucked, and my entire world changed being inside her. My soul switched owners as the thunderstorm that had teased me from the beginning finally found its matching cloud and erupted into existence.
My release ripped howls from my chest, vows from my heart, and promises from my soul. And I knew, without a shadow of a fucking doubt, I would never be whole again unless I had Della.
She was it for me.
I belonged to myself no more.
I’d officially handed over my life, and I was done fighting.
Forever.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
DELLA
* * * * * *
2031
A NEW MANUSCRIPT, a new page, a new story.
It’s been a long time since I wrote down our tale. Too long since I’ve felt the keys of a laptop beneath my fingers and sat alone with my memories.
So many, many memories.
To be honest, I don’t even know where to begin.
I did scribble now and again into that tatty notebook I took with me, but once Ren and I slept together, I forgot about everything else.
I didn’t need anything else.
It was like the past story of our lives was over, and we had a new story to look forward to.
Does that make sense? It was the end of an era. Forbidden, unrequited love no more.
I will admit that I worried a little once we finally ‘did the deed.’ I worried that Ren would struggle with our new connection. I worried we’d still have roadblocks to overcome.
I needn’t have worried.
Once Ren took me on that forest floor, filling me so full and hard that I had external and internal bruises for days, he committed himself to everything he’d been fighting.
His protectiveness became fiercer. His love deeper. His commitment truer than it had ever been.
That first time—that magical time—we both walked away (or rather limped) with cuts and scrapes and a togetherness that meant we could barely stop touching long enough to put up the tent.