Page 76 of He Falls First

And pleasured.

His fingers graze my neck as he unhooks the necklace, and a shiver races down my spine. Then, his lips are on mine, warm and urgent.

“Show me how hard you fell for me,” I dare to breathe against his lips as the heat of his body burns against mine.

His response is immediate, a growl from deep within his chest as he pushes me down to the bed, pinning me beneath him with both raw strength and exquisite care. He lifts my dress just enough and shoves my panties aside. He might as well have removed them completely, because the lace rips, but by now, I know the deal:

Don’t worry. He’ll buy me new ones.

“I’m already ready for you,” I tell him, just as he feels that’s it’s true—his fingers plunge into me to find me already wet.

“That’s my girl,” he says, unzipping his pants.

And I am. It feels so good to remember I’m really, truly his as he guides his hard, pulsing cock into my entrance. He rocks into me, harder and faster than he ever has before. He’s showing me how hard he’s fallen, alright. I gasp as his fingers move to my clit, squeezing and circling until I scream-gasp his name.

“Hendrix!”

He finds a steady, relentless rhythm then, powerful yet somehow tender, each thrust sending me spiraling closer to the brink. I meet him stroke for stroke under the intensity of his gaze as he tells me without words how much he needs this—needs me.

The climax crashes over us like a tidal wave, obliterating thought and reason, leaving nothing but the raw pulse of life and shared ecstasy. In the aftermath, as we cling to each other, breathing hard, I can’t help but think—this is it. This is falling, and landing, and everything in between.

“Hard enough for you?” he teases, his voice husky with spent passion.

And I have to smile, because yeah, he fell first, but damn, did I follow.

We have to hurry to get ourselves ready now—Gabrielle is always on time, and we don’t need any of our guests to come wandering to find us like this. I pick a different necklace, an understated silver heart, and I watch me and Hendrix together in the mirror as he buckles the clasp for me.

He meets my eyes in the mirror. “Hey. How would you feel about making LocalLink yours?”

I turn to squint at him, my brain still foggy with post-orgasmic bliss. “Mine? As in—mine, mine?”

“Yours, yours,” he confirms with an affectionate smile. “We can keep it attached to Nexus Tech for as long as you need to get your bearings, but then we can make it its own company. Your company. You’ve got a knack for the work, a vision for expanding it. And you believed in it when no one else did.”

Goosebumps pepper my skin, but I barely notice the chill. My heart thumps wildly—not from the sex this time, but from the prospect of what he’s offering.

“Yes!” I say, the word feeling powerful. “Yes, I’d love that.”

Hendrix grins. “Congratulations, Boss Lady.”

He pulls me into a hug. There in the crook of his arm, there’s a warmth spreading through me, even brighter than post-coital bliss alone. It’s pride, pure and simple.

In Hendrix’s sleek, open-concept living room, I’m nestled on the Italian leather couch with a glass of celebratory champagne, the bubbles tickling my nose. Harper sprawls on the floor, her crayons scattered like a rainbow confetti explosion as she sketches what she insists is a mermaid, but looks more like a fish with an identity crisis.

“Wait, so Tobias really just burst in like some sort of deranged villain?” Gabrielle says incredulously.

“Yep, he was in full theatrics mode.” I shake my head.

“God, the nerve of that man!” Gabrielle rolls her eyes. “But you know what? I’m loving that Hendrix punched him in the face.”

“He deserved it,” Hendrix says. “After the things he said about Elizabeth…” He trails off with a growl.

I stand on my tiptoes to press a kiss to his cheek. “My hero.”

“Uncle Hendrix and Lizzy are pretending again,” Harper says, smiling shyly.

“Not anymore, kiddo,” Hendrix tells her. “Lizzy’s my girlfriend for real. What do you think about that?”

Harper’s eyes go bigger than I’ve ever seen them. “I love it!” she squeals.

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