Page 160 of Claiming Pretty

A chill ran down my spine as the familiarity solidified. I turned to Ty, my heart beginning to race.

He said nothing, just nodded for me to continue.

I pushed the door open.

Inside, the light was golden and soft, filtering through blue curtains that swayed in the breeze. The smell of the sea mingled with pine and the faintest trace of fresh paint.

I stepped inside, and my breath hitched as I took in the details—the light and airy rooms overlooking the sea, the antique writing desk beside the sunny window, the large comfortable bed piled high with pillows.

My eyes burned as I wandered deeper into the house, the lump in my throat growing heavier with each step.

It was perfect.

“I had it built for you,” Ty said quietly, his voice steady. “I hope I got it right.”

I turned to look at him, my chest tightening.

He stood beside me, close but not quite touching, his eyes watching me carefully.

He’d done this for me. Every detail was thought out, intentional, andright.

I cupped Ty’s cheek, guiding his hesitant lips toward mine. His resistance was slight, but it was there, a wall of guilt and doubt I was determined to shatter.

The kiss started soft, a gentle test, as if to confirm he hadn’t drifted too far away from me. That we hadn’t lost each other completely.

My heart ached when I remembered the hateful things I’d screamed at him in the forest. The cruel accusations, the raw anger that had cut him like a blade.

I would have to apologize, to tell him I hadn’t meant it—but not now.

Now, I just wanted to be with him. To be with the man who had built this house for me, who knew me better than anyone.

Even if we had to leave soon. Even if this moment was all we’d ever have.

I pulled back just enough to lift my sweater over my head, my movements quick and determined.

Ty froze, his eyes searching mine, conflicted and anguished.

“Don’t stop,” I whispered to Ty, my voice cracking as my fingers yanked at his jacket, a surge of defiance coursing through me, one that burned away the grief and left only raw, aching need.

“Loving each other doesn’t mean we love him any less,” I said. My voice was barely audible, but it was enough.

His gaze held mine for a beat, the anguish in his eyes deepening before something broke. His lips crashed into mine, the kiss fierce and desperate, filled with everything we couldn’t say aloud.

Our tongues twisted together as his hands found my waist, pulling me against him like he couldn’t bear even the smallest distance between us.

As we stripped each other, his touch was fire and comfort, a balm for the wounds we carried but could never heal. And in this moment, there was no room for guilt or doubt, only us.

I lunged at him, naked and desperate to feel him inside me.

Ty chuckled as he lifted me into his arms, and I wrappedmy legs around his waist. “I have one more room to show you.”

I made a frustrated noise, but I let him carry me into the room next door, the only room I hadn’t seen.

The library.

It was so large it spanned from front to back, filled with books on shelves like driftwood.

I froze against Ty, my heart pounding in my ears, as he lowered me to a soft couch the color of sea glass.

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