Page 65 of Leave Before I Love You
“Henry?” I whisper.
“Yeah?”
“Are you with that girl?”
He doesn’t hesitate. “No.” He shakes his head, like he already knows exactly who I’m talking about. “Are you with that guy?”
The question makes my stomach flip, but I shake my head. “No.”
We could say more. We could explain who Ashley and Justin are, why neither of us seemed to care much about them on the island. But it doesn’t feel necessary. There’s a trust between us, an understanding that doesn’t need words. It might seem crazy to anyone else, but to me, it makes perfect sense.
Henry’s proven himself in every way that matters. He saved me when the plane went down. He took care of me when I thought I wouldn’t survive the island. In every extreme moment, he’s shown me that if there’s anyone I can trust in this world, it’s him.
Do you want to be with me?The thought flits through my mind, but I don’t say it out loud. Instead, I lean forward and press my lips to his.
The kiss is everything I remember and more. His lips are soft but firm, moving against mine with a mix of tenderness and urgency. He tastes like Henry, like warmth and safety and something I can’t quite define but never want to let go of.
He tightens his arms around me, pulling me closer, and I sink into him, letting everything else fade away. It’s just us, and for the first time since we left the island, I feel like I’m exactly where I’m meant to be.
January 15th
Henry
Avery is here. In my apartment, in my bed, in my arms. And I finally feel like I can breathe.
Thank fuck.
Her lips are on mine, soft and warm, and it’s like the rest of the world disappears. There’s no hospital, no tarmac, no island—just Avery. My hands cup her face, and she leans into me, her body pressing closer, like she’s trying to merge us into one. And hell, I’d let her if it were a physical possibility.
Because you’d do anything for her.
I pull back just enough to look at her, to make sure this is real and not some vivid dream I’ll wake up from. Her eyes meet mine, wide and searching. Her clothes are long gone—leaving her body at some point, just like mine, while we were kissing. Her hair is messy from sleep, slightly curling around her face, and she’s not wearing a trace of makeup.
This is Avery in her rawest form, and she’s fucking perfect.
“Avery,” I murmur, brushing a thumb over her cheek. “Are you sure?”
She nods, her hands slipping up my arms and over my shoulders. “I’m sure,” she whispers.
I kiss her again, deeper this time, and she responds with ahunger that matches my own. I slide my hands down her back, pulling her even closer, until there’s no space between us. Every touch, every sigh, every soft sound she makes fuels something in me I didn’t know existed two weeks ago.
“Fuck,” I groan, flipping her onto her back. “I want you.”
She kisses me harder, her nails digging into the skin of my back with a delicious zing, while her legs wrap around my hips. She pushes her bare pussy against my bare cock, grinding herself against me in a way that makes another groan leave my lips.
“Put your cock inside me,” she whispers, her voice a combination of a demand and a plea. “I need to feel you, Henry.”
I can’t say no. Truthfully, I don’t even try. I just slide my cock inside her perfect pussy, my eyes practically rolling to the back of my head as I feel her warmth stretched tightly around me.
It’s beautifully familiar, and the only thing that feels exactly the same as it did while we were stranded. It’s grounding.
“God, Avery, you feel so good,” I whisper and take her mouth in another deep kiss. “How do you always feel so fucking good?”
A moan escapes her throat when I start to thrust my cock inside her, filling her all the way up before slowly pulling back and doing it all over again. Her perfect tits brush against my chest with every panting breath, and I can already feel pleasure building at the base of my spine.
Her hands explore my body, her touch igniting a fire under my skin. I’ve been with women before—plenty of them, if I’m honest—but nothing has ever felt like this.
Nothing has ever felt likeher.
