Page 22 of Dad Bod's Daring December

Strong hands gather me close, pulling me into the security of his arms. That only makes me sob louder as Edward envelops me.

“Hey,” he whispers, his chest a solid wall against my shaking shoulders. “You’re safe now. With me.”

Tears soak his chest as the reality of what we’ve faced crashes down on me. A woman’s spite, a gang’s vendetta, all for what?

Edward strokes my hair, his words a vow in the darkness. “Whatever it takes, Firefly. I’m here. This is our home. Our fight.” I cling to him, the steady beat of his heart beneath my palm a reminder of life, precious and fragile.

“I don’t want to run,” I manage to say between sobs. “This is where I belong. Where we belong, Edward.”

“Then we stay,” he replies, his voice fierce with determination. “Because I love you, and that’s all that matters.”

Love, a word so powerful it stills my shaking and dries my tears. I lift my face to his, our lips meeting in a kiss that seals our promise to each other.

“I love you, Edward. God, I love you.”

In the quiet aftermath, with the dawn’s light creeping past the makeshift barricades and casting a soft glow across the room, his hands roam my body, tracing gentle paths that leave warmth in their wake.

“Your wound,” I protest, trying to be thoughtful even as my body makes its demands known. But the reminder is faint, more of a whispered concern, as I clutch at him.

His fingers brush my face, pushing back strands of hair that have fallen loose. He looks into my eyes, and I see the intensity ofwhat he feels for me in their depths, a fire that seems to consume the exhaustion of the night.

“Fuck my wound, Ember. I need you.” Edward replies in a gravelly whisper that sends sparks up my spine, igniting something deep within me that answers his need.

“Then have me, Edward. Have all of me,” I respond, surrendering completely to the only man who makes me feel like the only people left in the world are us.

Chapter 11

Ember

Edward’s mouth lands on mine in a frenzy of need, his tongue delving deep. Now the adrenaline has worn off, I’m desperate for him. I need visceral reassurance that he’s still here, alive, his blood flowing, his heart beating. Just as my heart beats for him. Only him.

Panting, I pull back, tearing his t-shirt over his head before lowering my hands to unbutton his jeans. I push them down his muscular thighs, palming his swollen cock through his boxers.

“Fuck, I love you, Firefly.”

His words still my movements. I lift my gaze to his beautiful gray eyes. “I loveyou, Edward Hayes. You are everything to me.”

Edward wipes away the tear trickling down my cheek. “Thank you.”

“For what?” I whisper.

“For bringing me back to life. For loving me exactly as I am.”

More tears slip down my cheeks, but they’re not the kind that comes from sadness. They’re the kind that wash away the cracks, the fears, the shadows of the past.

“And for letting me love you,” Edward adds, his voice breaking slightly. “For trusting me with your heart.”

I swallow the lump in my throat. “Edward?”

“Yeah, Firefly?”

“I need you to make love to me. But first, I need you to fuck me.”

His eyes widen, and his nostrils flare. With a growl, he backs me up against the closed bedroom door. The mirror hung on the back is cold against my hot skin. “Sweetheart, I’m dangerously close to losing it.”

My heart beats in my mouth, and my blood thrums through my veins. I bite his earlobe. “Maybe I want you to lose it.”

Our clothes disappear in a flurry of urgency, flying in all directions. Once we’re naked, Edward places his palms on the door beside me, caging me in with his arms.

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