Page 174 of The World Undone

“Good,” she said, the word more gasp than anything as she rode me. “Come for me, Wade.”

I rutted into her, one more thrust, and exploded, relishing the sound of her own orgasm as her body tightened around mine, the evidence of our lust wet along her thighs.

My breathing was erratic, my heart pumping frantically, as I held her to me, feeling whole for the first time in months.

Unable to form words, I pressed a kiss to her forehead, my head buzzing and vision blurring from the force of my orgasm.

She smiled against me before playfully biting my chest. The jolt of ecstasy had me vowing right then and there to tattoo the imprints of her teeth there the moment I woke up. “Don’t go sleepy on me now, Wade, that was only round one.”

35

MAX

The light was harsh and abrasive against my eyelids, and I wanted nothing more than to sink back into my dream with Wade, to restage the fourth and fifth orgasm he’d given me, to feel the intoxicating flare of his power as it braided with my own.

But no matter how hard I fought it, my body refused to stay asleep for another moment.

Something shifted against me, warm and familiar, then a cold, wet nudge pressed against my hand, jolting me.

Reluctantly, I opened my eyes, squinting against the rays of light pouring through the part in the curtain.

Ralph nudged my hand again, until my fingers were behind his right ear, primed and ready to scratch his favorite spot.

Smiling, I acquiesced to the not-so-subtle request, and he yipped with excitement before jumping up and slathering my face with too-wet licks.

“Ralph,” I laughed, half-heartedly shoving him off me as I sat up.

The room had been silent before, but it was now filled with the sort of silence that was preternatural, on the edge of breaking.

When he finally settled down, head in my lap, I could see more than just giant tufts of black hair.

There were mattresses strewn about the crowded room, familiar faces staring back at me, eyes wide, jolted from sleep, and frozen—Darius, Atlas, Dec, Wade, Eli, Ro, and Izzy.

“Um,” grinning, I shook my head in confusion, patting Ralph again when a gentle nudge reminded me he wasn’t done receiving scratches “good morning.”

As if my voice had pierced the strange bubble of silence, they all moved at once, climbing over each other and the mattresses to get to me, until we were one giant tangle of limbs and bodies.

I couldn’t see who was hugging me where, and I could hardly breathe with the weight of them all on top of me, arguing with each other about giving me space, but no one seemed willing or able to move away.

Somehow, I still managed to laugh, warmth filling me from head to toe.

EPILOGUE

A couple of weeks later…

Warm breath kissed the side of my neck and I curled into it, not bothering to hide the delighted smile spreading across my face.

Atlas pulled me closer, pressing his lips against the spot where my neck met my shoulder.

I squirmed in his grip until I could see his face properly.

He groaned, eyes still closed, before burrowing closer to me again—a cat reluctant to leave the warmth.

I would never get tired of seeing him like this—hair mussed with sleep, words abandoned for a groggy rasp, cheek indented with the lacy pattern lining my camisole.

Atlas hated mornings.

Or, rather, he hated getting out of bed on mornings when I was sleeping next to him. Even more so since the ritual.

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