Chapter 22 – Finally Giving In (Ava’s POV)

Riley's weight is warm and solid above me, her lips trailing fire along my skin.

I arch into her touch, my body desperate for more, but she takes her time, driving me insane with every slow, deliberate movement.

I tangle my fingers in her hair, pulling her up until our lips meet again.

This kiss is different.

It's not just hunger.

It's something deeper, rawer—like neither of us wants to let go.

Riley rests her forehead against mine, her breathing uneven.

"Are you sure?" she murmurs, her hands stroking my sides, like she's trying to memorize me.

I cup her face, forcing her to look at me.

"I've never been more sure of anything."

Something flickers in her eyes—relief, desire, something else I can't quite name.

Then she kisses me again, and this time, there's no hesitation.

Her hands roam my body, exploring every inch with reverence, like she's worshipping me.

I gasp as she presses her hips against mine, a slow, torturous rhythm that has me clutching onto her, desperate for more.

She's gentle and rough at the same time, her lips never leaving mine for too long, like she can't stand to be apart.

When she finally pushes inside me, I let out a shuddering breath, my nails digging into her back.

Riley pauses, watching me, waiting.

I nod, pulling her closer.

And then she moves.

The world disappears.

There's only her—her warmth, her body, her breath mixing with mine.

She whispers my name like a prayer, and I fall apart in her arms, knowing nothing will ever feel like this again.

Ava traced slow circles against Riley's bare shoulder, her fingers light but deliberate. The heat between them had settled into something deeper—something neither of them had words for yet. The silence wasn't uncomfortable, but it carried weight, as if the night itself was waiting for one of them to break it.

Riley exhaled, her body half-draped over Ava's, their legs tangled together in the dim light. "You keep doing that," she murmured, her voice thick with exhaustion and something softer.

Ava smirked against Riley's temple. "Doing what?"

"That." Riley shifted, rolling onto her back but keeping Ava's arm locked around her waist. "Touching me like you're memorizing me."

Ava hesitated, her hand stilling for half a second before she resumed the gentle strokes along Riley's skin. "Maybe I am."

Riley turned her head, her blue eyes meeting Ava's in the dark. There was something vulnerable there, something that made Ava's breath catch.

"Ava…" Riley started, then stopped, pressing her lips together like she was trying to hold something back.

Ava tightened her hold around Riley's waist, pulling her closer, their bodies flush together again. "Say it."

Riley hesitated again, but this time, she didn't look away. Instead, she reached up, cupping Ava's jaw, her thumb brushing over her cheek. "I love you."

The words landed like a spark in Ava's chest, setting something alight. She felt it spread through her, raw and terrifying and absolutely undeniable.

For once, she didn't have a sharp remark, didn't have a joke to deflect. She only had the truth—the one thing she'd been running from all this time.

She kissed Riley. Deep, slow, reverent. Like a confession.

When they pulled apart, Ava rested her forehead against Riley's, her breath shaky. "Say it again."

Riley smiled, the kind of soft, sleepy smile that Ava knew she'd never get enough of. "I love you."

Ava's heart clenched, her fingers gripping Riley's hip like she was afraid she might disappear. "I love you too," she whispered.

The words hung between them, a promise, an acceptance.

Riley's lips brushed against hers again, and Ava knew—this wasn't just another night between them. This was everything.

Riley's fingers traced lazy patterns over Ava's back, the rhythm hypnotic, like she was committing every inch of her to memory. The warmth of their bodies pressed together, the lingering scent of sweat and sex in the air—it should have felt like any other night, just another moment between them. But it didn't.

It felt different. It felt real.

Ava let out a slow breath, her head resting against Riley's shoulder. "You keep looking at me like that," she murmured, her voice softer than she meant for it to be.

"Like what?" Riley's lips curved, her hand moving up to tangle in Ava's hair, fingers brushing over her scalp in a way that sent shivers down her spine.

"Like you're waiting for me to run."

Riley's hand stilled, her chest rising and falling steadily beneath Ava. "Am I wrong?"

Ava exhaled, tightening her hold on Riley's waist. "I don't want to run from you." The words felt foreign on her tongue, but the truth in them settled deep in her chest.

Riley turned onto her side, their faces close, foreheads almost touching. "Then don't."

Ava searched her eyes, half expecting doubt, half expecting hesitation. But all she saw was quiet certainty, the kind that made her heart ache.

"I love you," Riley repeated, softer this time, as if she wasn't just saying it—she was giving it to Ava, handing over something fragile, something sacred.

Ava swallowed, her fingers gripping Riley's wrist as if grounding herself. "I love you too." It wasn't just an echo; it was real, just as terrifying and exhilarating as the first time she'd said it.

Riley smiled, the kind that made Ava weak in ways she never expected. "You sure?"

Ava rolled her eyes, nudging her forehead against Riley's with a small huff. "You're impossible."

"And you love it."

Ava groaned, shoving Riley onto her back and climbing over her in one smooth motion, her hands bracketing Riley's face. "I do," she admitted, her lips brushing against Riley's in a teasing, feather-light touch. "And you love this."

Riley's breath hitched as Ava's fingers traced along her side, slow and deliberate, her lips barely pressing against her jaw, then her throat.

"You're ridiculous," Riley whispered, her hands sliding up Ava's back, nails scraping lightly against her skin.

Ava smirked against her collarbone. "And you're mine."

Riley's laugh was quiet, but the way she pulled Ava closer, the way her body melted into hers—it was answer enough.

They stayed like that, tangled in each other, in whispered confessions and teasing smiles, in fingers tracing over warm skin and lips pressed against every place they could reach. It wasn't just about sex, or the heat between them—it was about them, finally allowing themselves to be something more.

As the night stretched on, Ava realized something—she didn't want to run anymore.

She was exactly where she wanted to be.

Ava's fingers trailed down Riley's bare back, tracing the curve of her spine with a reverence she wasn't used to. Every touch felt deliberate, every shift between them heavy with meaning. The room was quiet except for the soft rustle of sheets and their slowed breathing, but the silence wasn't empty—it was full, charged with something Ava had been too afraid to name until tonight.

Riley watched her through half-lidded eyes, her expression unreadable. But Ava knew better—she could feel it in the way Riley's hand moved to rest over her heart, her fingertips brushing against her skin like she was grounding herself in Ava's presence.

"Why do you keep looking at me like that?" Ava asked, voice low.

Riley smiled, lazy and slow. "Because you're beautiful."

Ava huffed a quiet laugh, shaking her head. "You're ridiculous."

Riley didn't argue. Instead, she stretched, her body pressing against Ava's in a way that made heat coil low in her stomach again. But this time, it wasn't just about the fire between them. It was softer. Intimate.

Ava swallowed, her hands moving to cup Riley's face. "Say it again," she whispered, needing to hear it, needing to feel it settle in her bones.

Riley didn't hesitate. "You're beautiful."

Ava kissed her, slow and deep, pouring everything she couldn't put into words into the way her lips moved against Riley's. Riley responded just as eagerly, her hands gripping Ava's waist, pulling her closer, until there was no space left between them.

Riley's breath hitched when Ava's fingers slid lower, tracing over the dip of her hip before pressing into the soft curve of her thigh. Ava knew every inch of her now, every sensitive spot, every place that made Riley sigh, shudder, beg. But this wasn't like before.

This was unhurried.

Ava's lips brushed against Riley's cheek, down to the curve of her jaw, her kisses featherlight, teasing. "I love you," she whispered between each one.

Riley's grip tightened. "Ava—"

Ava silenced her with another kiss, one that had Riley melting beneath her. And then she moved lower, pressing open-mouthed kisses down Riley's throat, her collarbone, the delicate swell of her chest.

Riley arched into her touch, her breath shivering out between parted lips. "You're going to kill me," she murmured, but there was no complaint in her voice.

Ava smirked against her skin. "Not before I make you feel good first."

She kissed lower, her hands exploring, rediscovering every place that made Riley gasp, that made her body tense before melting into pleasure. Ava reveled in every sound, every whispered plea, every way Riley responded to her. And when she finally had Riley unraveling beneath her, her name falling from Riley's lips like a prayer, Ava knew—this was different. This was theirs.

Afterward, when Riley was still catching her breath, Ava pressed soft kisses to her shoulder, then her temple, then the corner of her mouth.

Riley smiled, shifting so she could tangle their legs together, keeping Ava close. "You know, if you keep looking at me like that, I might start thinking you actually like me."

Ava scoffed, rolling her eyes. "God, you're impossible."

Riley chuckled, but then her expression softened, her fingers brushing against Ava's cheek. "I meant it, you know. Before."

Ava's breath caught.

"I love you."

Ava felt something in her chest tighten, something real. She exhaled slowly, pressing her forehead against Riley's. "I love you too."

Riley smiled against her lips, her arms tightening around Ava as if she never wanted to let go.

And for the first time in a long time, Ava didn't want to let go either.

Ava traced lazy circles on Riley's bare skin, her fingertips dragging lightly across her stomach. The warmth of Riley's body was intoxicating, like a drug Ava never knew she needed but was already addicted to. She could stay like this forever—pressed against her, limbs tangled, hearts beating in the same slow rhythm.

Riley sighed, shifting slightly, her lips brushing against Ava's shoulder. "You're not tired?" Her voice was low, husky from exhaustion but laced with amusement.

Ava smirked, letting her fingers trail lower, teasing. "I should be. But you make it hard to sleep."

Riley let out a breathless chuckle, her hand sliding up Ava's back. "I do have that effect on people."

Ava rolled her eyes. "Cocky."

Riley hummed. "You like it."

Ava bit her lip, refusing to confirm or deny it. Instead, she moved closer, pressing a lingering kiss to Riley's jaw. Riley tilted her head slightly, allowing Ava's lips to ghost over the sensitive spot beneath her ear. She shivered, her fingers tightening against Ava's hip.

Ava grinned. Got her.

Riley turned, flipping them so Ava was beneath her now, pinned against the mattress. The shift sent a thrill through Ava, her breath catching as Riley's weight pressed into her.

Riley smirked, clearly pleased with herself. "Thought you were in charge, huh?"

Ava swallowed, eyes darkening as Riley's fingers trailed down her side, slow and deliberate.

"Maybe."

Riley kissed her, deep and lingering, her tongue sweeping against Ava's in a way that made her toes curl. Ava arched beneath her, her body responding instinctively to Riley's touch. It wasn't just about pleasure—though there was plenty of that. It was about this, the connection, the way Riley's hands moved like she wanted to memorize every part of her.

Ava moaned into the kiss, gripping Riley's waist and pulling her closer, needing more—needing everything.

Riley's breath was hot against her skin as she murmured, "I love seeing you like this."

Ava's heart skipped a beat. The words hit deeper than they should have, burrowing under her skin and settling in her chest.

Riley must've noticed her hesitation because she pulled back slightly, searching Ava's gaze. "Too much?"

Ava swallowed hard, then shook her head. "No. Not at all."

Riley brushed her knuckles along Ava's cheek, her expression softening. "Good. Because I meant it."

Ava exhaled, something tight unraveling in her chest. "You're—"

Riley kissed her again, cutting off whatever Ava had been about to say. Not that she minded. Because Riley's hands were moving again, rediscovering every sensitive spot, every place that made Ava gasp and shudder.

Ava arched into her, desperate and wanting, fingers tangling in Riley's hair. "Please," she whispered, not even sure what she was asking for, only that she needed.

Riley chuckled against her skin, pressing a kiss to her collarbone. "I've got you."

And she did.

She always did.

Time blurred after that, lost in whispered gasps, tangled limbs, and the slow, consuming heat that built between them. Riley took her apart piece by piece, until Ava was nothing but sensation, nothing but a mess of moans and pleas and shuddering breaths.

And when Ava finally came undone, trembling and breathless, Riley held her close, pressing soft kisses to her damp skin, murmuring words Ava couldn't quite process but felt deep in her soul.

They stayed like that for a while, bodies tangled, their breathing eventually slowing.

Ava exhaled, running her fingers through Riley's hair. "You're dangerous," she murmured.

Riley smiled, sleepy and satisfied. "You survived."

Ava huffed a quiet laugh. "Barely."

Riley nuzzled against her, sighing contentedly. "Guess you'll have to stay close. Just in case."

Ava knew it was meant as a teasing remark, but there was something unspoken beneath it. A quiet don't go.

She tightened her grip around Riley, pulling her closer. "Yeah," she whispered. "I think I will."

And for the first time, she meant it.