Page 55 of Revenge of the Forgotten

It was the first time they’d been able to have a moment to themselves since they found Arlet and Khort in Aeris. “How could she do this?” The question was spoken into his chest. Vega’s ordinarily soft voice was filled with rasp, strained from the last thirty hours.

“I don’t know,” he replied honestly. Bridger had been asking himself that too. Marlena had him fooled. From the second he’d met her, she’d been calculating her attack like the spiteful creature she was.

Vega tensed in his arms as she held back a sob.

“Hey.” Bridger’s hand shot to her face, lifting her head by the underside of her chin. “Do not break down now.”

Vega’s eyes were clouded with tears. She had been so strong all night, but Bridger needed her to hold on to that strength for a little longer. He needed her to keep her head in the fight until he was able to get her to safety. Then she could break down, scream, kick—burn the whole fucking place down if she wanted. But not yet.

“You heard her. She’s going to take everyone I love from me.” Her promise echoed down the halls and still sat at the forefront of their minds.

“She’ll never take me from you, Vega. Do you hear me? I am yours from now until my last breath.” Bridger rested his forehead against hers.

Vega reached up, cupping his cheek in her palm. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep.” Her thumb brushed over the stubble forming on his face.

“She’ll have to destroy me before I give up on you. On us.”

Bridger removed what little space was left between them, their lips meeting with such intensity the fire roared in response, reacting to the heat in the room. Bridger’s hand tangled in Vega’s dark hair. It fell down her back in loose, wild curls that were worn from the fighting, from the running.

She opened her mouth as he slid his tongue over her bottom lip.

Bridger was going to devour her.

His other arm snaked around as he picked her up with the ease of lifting a feather.

A tiny gasp escaped her lips, the sound muffled against Bridger’s. Vega wrapped her legs around his body for stability, her back resting against the warm stone wall of the cottage as Bridger’s hand detangled from her hair.

Bridger pulled his lips from hers only to place them on new parts of her body—kissing down her jawline to her neck, where he nibbled softly enough to elicit goosebumps on her soft skin.

Vega wiggled under his lips, arching into him with a soft gasp. “You better shield this room from sound if you don’t want the others to hear the noises I’m about to make.” Her voice was breathless, full of lust.

Bridger laughed, the sound deep and husky. “Way ahead of you, Kitten.” He didn’t take his mouth off her body, his lips continuing to explore the soft skin around the spot on her neck that he loved so much.

Her head lay back against the wall, giving in to Bridger entirely as he continued to move his way down to the collarbone that peeked through her tank top. Vega arched forward, yanking her shirt off with one swift movement, and the garment flew across the room.

Bridger’s length bulged, pressing into the apex of her legs. He thrust his hips into her, giving her the friction she craved.

“Oh gods,” she sang, the need inside her building with the darkening of her gaze.

Neither spoke it out loud—they didn’t have to. Both knew this might be the last time they ever had a moment like this together. Their fear, want, need, hope, and despair melted altogether.

Vega worked Bridger out of his shirt, her hands running down his toned chest.

His lips only left her body long enough to slide his shirt the rest of the way off. Bridger met her lips when his shirt hit the floor, the kiss deepening with desperation he’d never felt before.

Their tongues fought for dominance as Bridger slid his hand into the front of Vega’s skintight pants. His thumb found her clit, rubbing tight circles while he slipped two fingers inside of her. Her nails dug into his back hard enough to break the skin.

Her tight walls constricted around his fingers as soon as he pressed into that little spot that would make her lose control in three, two, one…

“Bridger, I’m gonna…” Vega’s breath hitched, her eyes fluttering with the promise of release.

“That’s it. Eyes on me while you come undone for me, baby.” Bridger pressed a quick kiss on her whimpering lips. She was right there. So close.

“I hate to break up this moment, but I’m going to need to talk to Bridger.”

Bridger’s shield hadn’t only kept those on the outside from hearing them, but it’d distracted him from paying attention to what was going on outside of it too.

Vega gasped, her eyes jolting open with panic. Gods, she’d been right there—so close Bridger could almost taste her pleasure on his fingertips… and he would have if it weren’t for the intrusion.

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