Lila

We stayed tangled on the couch for a few more minutes, breathing each other in. Ryder’s arms were wrapped around me from behind, his chest pressed to my back, his heartbeat steady against my spine. I felt alive there—warm, wanted, and completely claimed. My body still hummed from everything we’d done, tender and satisfied, but already hungry for more.

I shifted gently in his hold. “Do you want to shower together?” I asked softly. “I’ll prepare something light for dinner afterward.”

He stirred. His arms tightened around me for a second before he answered. “Yeah,” he murmured, voice thick with satisfaction. “That’s a great idea.”

We untangled slowly. My...