Page 29 (1/2)

His fingers tightened on her chin “Why, Zoey?”

The words fell easily “Because I feel safe with you”

His voice turned rough, unhinged “Why?”

For a year, she’d been caged in So afraid to speak her truth, but not now Not with hi closer until there was no space between them “Because I have never felt like this with anyone, and I don’t want to fight this I’ to believe good things can happen I want you, Rhys Not the fantasy I want the man behind the mask”

His jaw old round with a clang Following her lead, he reached back and removed hers Then his lipsabout him was different Rhys was a man ore many masks, but he was her favorite without one He kissed her with a hunger she couldn’t catch up with He kissed with side all that, his kiss bled with pain Loneliness Neediness Vulnerability And those were things she understood

Realizing she could give hiht up with his intensity and kissed hi up his body until he had her in his arms, and he laid her out on the bed in the middle of the cabin The bare tip of his cock touched her drenched folds His kiss turned h he didn’t say a word Phoenix rules were clear: all participants had to provide ative STI and AIDS tests, plus all women were required to be on birth control She trusted hi hiainst her ear, and she shuddered with the same euphoria

He rocked into her slowly, inti hers with every thrust She explored his body with her hands, feeling all the rooves that made up this man Soon, she felt joined, not only physically but eether Until she becao and fall into the place he brought theht not make sense on paper, but their souls knew each other, somehow understood each other She arched her back into the pleasure, her toes clenching as she cli between theical, unexplainable connection

His thrusts grew faster, harder, until they ether in a perfect rhythside Rhys’ woodsy aroma until it all became too much Too impossible to hold onto And when he caroans and hard thrusts, he took her over the edge with him

That’s where she stayed, in his arms, in his safety for many, many minutes

When she finally returned to her body and reopened her eyes, she discovered hi at her with a sweetness she’d never seen fro had ever felt so real before He saw her, all her faults included, and she saw him The man behind the mask

Gaze locked on her, he said roughly, “You said you wanted me”

She nodded slowly, cupping his smooth face “I did I do”

He shut his eyes for a ain “There has been no one for a long time No one I have let in since I lost so he spoke of his late girlfriend, Katherine, and realizing for the first ti-ups He leaned into her touch and added, “For you, Zoey, there is no pain I wouldn’t endure for more time with you”

Every spike in her heart, every lock on it, exploded “Rhys,” she whispered, beginning to wonder what this meant for them now “I—”

His kiss pro a conversation she knew neither of them was ready for