Chapter 21 – Giving In (Riley’s POV

Ava's breath is hot against my skin, her fingers gripping my shoulders, pulling me closer like she never wants to let go.

I don't think I can let go.

Not now.

Not after everything.

I press her against the wall, my body pinning hers, my hands running down her sides, memorizing every curve, every soft sigh that escapes her lips.

Her thighs tighten around my waist, locking me in place.

There's nowhere to run.

And for the first time, I don't want to.

I tilt my head, kissing the sensitive spot just beneath her ear, dragging my lips down the column of her throat.

She shudders in my arms.

"Riley," she breathes, her voice wrecked, desperate.

I swear I could come just from hearing her say my name like that.

I pull back just enough to look at her, to make sure she's still with me.

Her pupils are blown wide, lips parted, skin flushed.

She's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen.

I cup her cheek, brushing my thumb over her bottom lip.

"I need you," she whispers, voice breaking.

Fuck.

I crash my lips against hers, swallowing her gasp, my hands sliding under her shirt, skin on skin, feeling her, claiming her.

She rocks against me, and I can feel her heat through my jeans, burning me alive.

I need to see her.

All of her.

I tug her shirt over her head, my breath hitching at the sight of her bare skin beneath me.

She's fucking perfect.

Ava watches me, chest rising and falling fast, like she's waiting for me to do something.

Anything.

I drop my mouth to her collarbone, tracing my tongue over the dip, hands sliding up to cup her breasts.

She arches into my touch, a moan spilling from her lips.

I groan, rolling my hips against hers, feeling just how badly she needs me.

This is happening.

There's no stopping now.

Not when we're this far gone.

Ava's nails dig into my shoulders, pulling me closer, her breaths coming out in short, desperate gasps.

I press my forehead against hers, trying to hold on, trying to slow down when every part of me is screaming to take her.

But I can't.

Not yet.

Not when I need to feel every second of this.

I kiss her again, softer this time, teasing the seam of her lips, dragging it out, savoring the way she trembles beneath me.

Ava moans into my mouth, and I swallow the sound, deepening the kiss, pressing my body fully against hers.

She's warm.

She's soft.

She's mine.

She tilts her hips, rubbing against me, her core pressing against my cock through the layers of fabric still between us.

I groan, grinding back, rolling my hips, needing her to feel what she's doing to me.

She gasps, breaking the kiss, her head falling back against the wall, her throat exposed.

I take advantage, trailing kisses down her neck, biting gently at her pulse point, feeling it race beneath my lips.

"Riley," she breathes, her hands gripping my waist.

I grab her thighs, lifting her higher, making her whimper as she clings to me.

The way she looks at me right now—**eyes full of need, lips swollen from my kisses—**is going to ruin me.

She reaches between us, fingers trembling as she tugs at the waistband of my jeans.

I grab her wrists, stilling her movements.

She looks up at me, breathless, confused.

"Are you sure?" I ask, voice hoarse.

Ava swallows hard, her gaze locking onto mine.

She nods.

"I've never been more sure of anything," she whispers.

That's all I need to hear.

I carry her to the bed, laying her down carefully, crawling over her, kissing her like I need her to breathe.

She arches into me, hands threading through my hair, pulling me closer.

This isn't just sex.

This is something deeper.

Something that will change everything.

Ava's fingers tremble as she skims them over my chest, her touch so light yet so consuming.

She traces the lines of my abs, her breath hitching when she reaches my belt.

I watch her, mesmerized.

The way her lips are parted, the way her pupils are blown wide with something between desire and nervous excitement.

"I want this," she whispers, like she can hear my thoughts, like she knows I'm still holding back.

I swallow hard, my restraint unraveling one thread at a time.

I lift her, rolling until she's straddling my lap, her thighs framing me, her body pressing down against my already aching cock.

She gasps, hands flying to my shoulders, her fingers gripping tight.

"Fuck," I breathe out, my head falling back against the mattress.

Ava smirks.

And it's dangerous.

Because that's all it takes for me to snap.

I grip her waist, rolling her hips down against me, pulling a moan from deep in her throat.

She leans down, kissing me slow and deep, teasing me with her tongue, her teeth tugging at my bottom lip.

"Riley," she sighs into my mouth, dragging her nails down my chest, leaving goosebumps in their wake.

I shudder, loving the way she touches me like she's memorizing every inch.

Like she wants to own me the way I already fucking own her.

I flip us over, pinning her wrists above her head, pressing my body fully against hers.

"You like teasing?" I murmur, kissing down her throat, sucking at the sensitive skin.

Ava shivers.

"Maybe," she whispers, voice breathless.

I slide a hand between her thighs, rubbing slow circles over her clothed heat.

She gasps, arching into my touch, her body begging for more.

Her eyes meet mine, wide and dark with need.

There's no hesitation.

No fear.

Just her, trusting me completely.

I kiss her, deep and slow, pressing her into the mattress, letting her feel exactly what she does to me.

There's no turning back now.

Ava is burning beneath me, her skin hot to the touch, her body shifting restlessly under mine.

She tilts her hips, pressing against my cock through the last barriers of fabric between us, and I swear I see stars.

My self-control is slipping.

Fast.

I kiss her again, deeper, hungrier, needier, my hands mapping every inch of her body, learning her curves, the way she gasps when I squeeze her waist, the way her back arches when I brush against her breast.

"Riley," she whispers, her nails digging into my shoulders, as if holding onto me is the only thing keeping her grounded.

I shift, my knee pressing between her thighs, making her whimper.

That sound.

Fuck.

I kiss my way down her throat, teasing her pulse point, sucking just enough to make her squirm.

Her fingers tangle in my hair, tugging just enough to send a shiver down my spine.

I chuckle against her skin.

"You're going to be the death of me," I murmur, dragging my tongue across her collarbone.

She laughs breathlessly, but it quickly turns into a moan as I slide my hands lower, tracing the waistband of her shorts, dipping my fingers beneath just enough to tease.

She shudders, gasping my name.

I groan, pressing my forehead against hers, breathing her in, trying to control the storm raging inside me.

"I want you," she says, voice raw, honest.

No hesitation.

No doubt.

Just pure need.

I meet her gaze, searching for any uncertainty, any second thoughts.

I find none.

Only her—beautiful, flushed, completely undone beneath me.

I grip her hips, rolling against her, feeling the way her body reacts to mine.

She moans, her fingers trailing down my chest, tracing the lines of my stomach before reaching for my belt.

Ava's hands tremble slightly, but her eyes burn with determination.

She pulls at the leather, unbuckling it slowly, her gaze flicking up to mine through her lashes, as if she knows exactly what she's doing to me.

Fuck.

I grab her wrists, bringing them to my lips, pressing a kiss to each of her palms.

"If we start this…" My voice is thick with restraint. "I won't stop."

Ava licks her lips, her breath uneven.

"I don't want you to stop," she whispers.

And that's all it takes.

Ava's hands are still pressed against mine, our fingers intertwined above her head.

Her body is so warm, so soft beneath me, her chest rising and falling in uneven breaths.

She's watching me.

Not just watching—memorizing.

Like she's taking in every expression, every flicker of emotion crossing my face.

And fuck, she's killing me.

I press another kiss to the inside of her wrist, my lips brushing her racing pulse, and she shivers.

"Tell me what you want," I murmur against her skin.

Ava bites her lip, arching slightly beneath me.

Her body says one thing, but I need to hear it.

I need her words.

"I want you," she whispers, voice hushed but sure.

A confession, a promise, a plea all at once.

My jaw tightens.

"Say it again," I demand, needing to hear it, needing to let the words settle deep in my bones.

She reaches up, cupping my face, her thumb grazing the corner of my mouth.

"I want you, Riley."

Something in me snaps.

I crash my lips against hers, swallowing her gasp.

She melts into me, her hands tangling in my hair, pulling me closer, deeper.

Like she's just as desperate, just as lost in this as I am.

I kiss her until we're both breathless, until our bodies are pressed so tightly together there's no space left between us.

Then I trail my lips lower.

Down her jaw.

Her throat.

Over the delicate curve of her collarbone.

Ava sighs, tilting her head back, exposing more of her skin to me.

I take my time, savoring every reaction, every little noise she makes.

When I reach the edge of her shirt, I hesitate.

Not because I want to stop.

But because this moment—this night—means something.

Ava seems to sense my thoughts because she sits up slightly, meeting my gaze, her fingers brushing my cheek.

"I'm sure," she whispers.

And just like that, nothing else matters.

I slide my hands beneath the fabric, pulling it over her head, revealing more of the woman who has completely unraveled me.

She's breathtaking.

And she's mine.

Ava leans into my touch, her breath warm against my lips as her fingers trace down my chest, leaving a trail of fire in their wake.

She pauses at the hem of my shirt, glancing up through her lashes.

There's something hesitant but eager in her expression, like she's savoring this moment as much as I am.

"You're beautiful," she murmurs, almost shyly.

I let out a breathless chuckle. Me?

"You're one to talk," I say, voice rough, filled with something raw and desperate.

She smiles—soft, teasing—but her eyes darken when I sit up, gripping the hem of my own shirt and pulling it over my head.

Ava drags her nails lightly down my stomach, making me shudder.

"You're shaking," she notes, voice quiet but teasing.

I smirk. "That's because you're driving me insane."

She laughs, breathless and sweet, before pulling me down into another kiss.

This time, it's slower, deeper, filled with something more than just desire.

Something that terrifies and excites me all at once.

Ava rolls her hips, pressing up against me, and I groan, gripping her waist to hold her still.

"If you keep doing that, I won't last," I admit, my forehead pressed against hers.

Her smile turns mischievous. "Maybe I don't want you to last."

My control is slipping.

Fast.

I kiss her again—hungry, desperate, aching—as I push her back against the mattress.

My hands skim down her sides, over her stomach, until I reach the waistband of her shorts.

Ava's breath catches.

I meet her gaze, giving her one last chance to stop this.

But all she does is lift her hips, silently urging me to continue.

I slide the fabric down her legs, pressing kisses along her thighs, taking my time, memorizing every inch of her.

She gasps when my lips find the inside of her knee, her fingers tangling in my hair.

"Riley…" Her voice is barely a whisper.

I glance up, taking in the sight of her—flushed, breathless, staring down at me like I'm the only thing in her world right now.

I plan to keep it that way.

I smirk.

"I told you," I murmur, pressing one last kiss to her inner thigh.

"You're going to be the death of me."

Ava's body is all soft curves and warmth beneath me, her skin flushed in the dim light of my room.

I trail my hands down her sides, feeling the way she shudders under my touch.

She's so damn responsive, and it's driving me insane.

I press another open-mouthed kiss to her stomach, letting my teeth graze her skin just enough to make her gasp.

Her fingers tighten in my hair, pulling slightly, and I groan against her skin.

She probably doesn't even realize what she's doing to me.

I glance up.

Her lips are parted, her chest rising and falling quickly, eyes dark with need.

"Riley…" She breathes my name like it's the only thing keeping her grounded.

I smirk. I like the way it sounds.

"Tell me what you want, baby." My voice is lower now, rougher.

Ava bites her lip, shifting slightly beneath me, like she's gathering her words.

"I—I want you to touch me," she finally whispers.

A rush of heat coils in my stomach at the pure need in her voice.

I press a kiss just above the waistband of her panties, feeling her tremble beneath me.

"You have no idea how much I want to."

Her breath stutters as I finally hook my fingers beneath the fabric, sliding them down her legs, slow enough to drive her crazy.

Ava squirms, letting out a shaky breath, her thighs pressing together instinctively.

I chuckle softly, pressing a kiss to the inside of her knee.

"So shy now?" I tease.

Her eyes meet mine, dark and full of something dangerous.

"I'm not shy," she whispers, lifting her hips just enough in challenge.

I groan.

Fuck.

Ava has no idea what she does to me.

But she's about to find out.

Ava arches beneath me, breath catching as my lips graze her inner thigh.

I can feel her pulse racing, matching my own, and for a second, I just take her in—the way she looks right now, flushed and breathless, eyes locked onto mine like she's daring me to keep going.

She's so beautiful.

And she's mine.

I run my hands up her sides, slow and deliberate, watching the way her body reacts to every touch, every small press of my fingers.

Ava grips my shoulders, tugging me up until our lips meet again in a kiss that's desperate and messy and full of something neither of us can quite name.

"Riley…" she whispers against my mouth, her fingers curling into my back like she's afraid I'll pull away.

I won't.

I never could.

"I'm here, baby," I murmur, pressing our foreheads together as I run a hand through her hair.

She sighs, her body melting against mine, and I realize something terrifying.

This isn't just sex.

It's never been just sex with her.

It's her. All of her.

Ava's breathing steadies, her arms still wrapped around me, like she's waiting for me to say something.

I swallow hard, because I know exactly what I want to say.

And I think she knows it too.

But for now, I let the words rest on the tip of my tongue, unspoken.

Instead, I kiss her again, slow and deep, promising her everything without saying a single word.