Page 35 of Last Ride of the Umbra Fae

“We all lose in the end, Ryder. That’s just how life goes.”

My lips pressed thin as I tucked a strand of hair away from her face. “Ain’t that the truth,” I replied. Every word she spoke was an echo of my own thoughts.

“Even when you think you have something you want to hold on to, it will always be a breath away from slipping from your grasp,” she said. “There will always be that voice to remind me every time I want to latch on to anything that brings a sliver of happiness my way, things could change in the blink of an eye.”

“It is the ebb and flow of being caught in the middle of a changing world when we are still hanging on to our pasts,” I said as our eyes locked.

Though she and I were different people, I felt our souls were the same.

She leaned into my shoulder and nestled into my warmth as a comfortable silence bloomed. I allowed it to grow, just a little, enough to wrap my arm around her.

“The fact that I can get this close to you and still be alive is worth holding on to.” My heart fluttered inside the vessel of cobwebs and dusty corners.

She hummed faintly, a sleepy tone that had me gently leaning us back until we were against the rolled blanket. She nestled into the crook of my neck, and I felt her eyelashes against my skin as she closed her eyes. “You’re nice and warm, so I’ll let you live for now.”

I chuckled, closing my eyes as I placed my hat over my face. Soon, we fell asleep under the stars.

23

Vessa

The blanket was a welcome comfort this strange, frosty morning. Sometime in the night, I had draped it over us. Well, mostly over me. My palm remained on his chest, and beneath, his heart was a resting pulse. I could ruin and crush his heart within the same breath and, by the next, be ready to douse myself in whatever magic he would cast my way. I was on opposite sides of my own spectrum, hating the way he made me feel. He was a warning and a desire, rough with a simple touch that could unravel me, and here I was with my legs intertwined with his.

With Ryder still asleep, I was left with nothing but reeling thoughts. He lazily moaned at the sudden drag of my leg as I shifted. He turned onto his side, facing me with warm, muscled arms caging me in. My face was buried between his pecs, halting my next breath. His rich scent enveloped me. How could such a rough, rugged man smell so good? Indecisive about what to do, I closed my eyes and hoped to drift back to sleep and forget about any of this, but there was something hard nestled between us, right below my stomach.

My eyes widened as I felt his length throb against me.

Fucking hells.

There was a deep warmth pooling just below my belly as his bulge pushed against my center, the angle pressing just right. It pulsed in response as the rest of me stilled. The sensation grew to a need. I moved slightly against him, feeling the pressure build, coaxing me ever so slightly to thrust my hips. Heat flushed across my face and chest as my pulse pounded in my ears. Before I knew it, another thrust of my hips, and I was quietly grinding against him. The pleasure grew to a wild, untamed need as another carefully taken breath escaped me. I pressed down a little harder, allowing more pressure to build between the apex of my thighs, with my center clenching and aching for what was not inside me.

What am I doing?

His body was so massive beside mine. Just his length alone could tear me apart. My heart pummeled against my chest, and I found it hard to breathe.

“Vessa.” Ryder’s length twitched in response to what I’d been doing. I could have sworn it grew bigger once his thoughts connected. I exhaled a shaky breath at how he said my name, deep and husky. It was a relief to know he was awake, because my heart and lungs couldn’t have handled much more. He groaned, another throb, and his hand was in my hair, cupping the back of my head. With surprising force, his lips came crashing down, our tongues clashing in a mangled mess as his hips pushed against mine. His tongue was a warm welcome inside my mouth. I moaned against him as he rolled onto his back, aligning me right back where I belonged. I straddled his thighs as I rocked against his length with the shame still blushing my cheeks.

Oh gods.

His hands trailed up my waist, and with a simple pull, I lifted my arms and my top was off. He groaned, eyes hazed with lust ashe took in the sight of my breasts, nipples hardening against the cool morning air.

“Fuck,” he exhaled on a bated breath, and by the end of it, he was kissing the center of my chest, moving down toward the mark of the moon. His tongue slid over that flesh, eliciting a spark deep within my core. Whatever was brewing there felt like banked embers blooming back to life, and he was here to fan the flames.

“Ryder,” I softly moaned. I had never allowed anyone to touch that space before, and I wanted more of it. He began to move his head upward, but I nudged him right back to the very center. He licked me there again, this time ending in a little bite. A soft whimper escaped me. He enjoyed exploring my body with his tongue, taking his time as if it didn’t exist around us.

He brought his lips to my nipple, sucking and flicking the hardened flesh. I moaned, moving my body against his, core clenching nothing but air as heat pooled below my belly.

I needed more.

“I should torment you for starting without me,” he finally said, gliding his lips across my chest before taking the other nipple into his mouth. My head tipped back. I was so hot and crazed, but it wasn’t fair I was exposed and he wasn’t. My nails dug into his chest, and with a simple grab, his shirt split down the middle. I tore his sleeves off next, tossing the fabric somewhere behind me.

“Just to keep it fair.” I smirked.

A primal sound raptured through his throat, and he suddenly grabbed me by my waist and hauled me onto my back. My dark hair splayed across the blanket.

“I think I like this game,” he said, positioning himself between my thighs. He studied me for a moment, leaning his weight on one arm, half caging me in while his other handexplored the peaks of my breasts. “Maybe this time, we can finish what we started.”

Ryder’s fingertips trailed over every curve of my body, featherlight in the way he explored me. His eyes flicked to mine; a pale and cooling warmth of blue reminding me of a calming sea. A look that could surely undo me. His hand hovered over my pants, tracing the seam until he slipped beneath, and I felt his bare flesh on mine. I was left waiting on another heavy exhale, eyes drenched in desire as he rested just above my wet entrance.

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