(Ryan's POV)
Her lips touched mine. Soft. Warm. Absolutely world-ending. For a heartbeat, I forgot how to breathe.
Soul didn’t.
He exploded. YES.
The word thundered through my skull like claws on stone. FINALLY. TAKE HER— “Soul—!” I choked, mentally slamming a wall up so fast it made my head spin. But Rayla was still kissing me. Her fingers curled lightly in the fabric of my shirt. Her breath brushed my cheek. She wasn’t demanding or forceful—just… there, close and trembling and real. And I froze. Completely. My hands clung to her waist, they know exactly where they belonged. My heart hammered so hard I genuinely thought I might pass out. Every instinct screamed at me to hold her, to pull her closer, to kiss her back— But another instinct—fear—held me in place. Because this was Ray
