For a long moment, there was nothing but the sound of their ragged breathing, the way their bodies trembled in the aftermath. Ethan collapsed beside her, pulling her into his arms, his lips pressing against her forehead in a kiss that was somehow both tender and possessive. Ruby melted against him, her skin still buzzing, her heart pounding in time with his.
The air between them was no longer thick with tension, but with something deeper, something sated. Ethan’s fingers traced lazy patterns along her spine, his touch grounding her even as her mind still spun. “You’re mine,” he murmured, his voice rough but certain. “No more running.”
Ruby tilted her head up, her hazel eyes meeting his golden ones. There was no fear in her gaze, no hesitation. Just a quiet, fierce certainty. “I won't,” s
