He followed her down, collapsing heavily on top of her. His weight was a solid, uncompromising pressure, crushing the air from her lungs in a way that felt strangely comforting, a final, physical declaration of his presence. His breath came in ragged, deep gasps, sounding like a runner who had just finished a marathon, a desperate, raw sound that spoke of exertion pushed past the point of control. His skin was slick with sweat, the heat of his body an encompassing blanket that sealed them together. He buried his face in the damp curve of her neck and shoulder, his heart hammering a frantic, spent rhythm against her collarbone, a rhythm she could feel echoed faintly in her own chest.
Olivia lay utterly still beneath him, savoring the profound stillness that followed the violent, beautiful
