Morning light spilled across the sheets, soft and golden, but Amber didn't move. She lay tangled in Nathan's arms, her bare skin pressed to his, her cheek resting on his chest. His heartbeat was steady beneath her ear—strong, grounding.
Safe.
It was strange. She'd given him everything last night. Her body. Her trust. The innocence she'd held onto like a shield. And instead of feeling hollow, she felt… whole.
"Awake?" he murmured, voice still rough with sleep.
"Mhm," she whispered, running her fingers across the ridges of his abdomen. "Barely."
He shifted, one hand stroking her back, the other sliding into her hair. "Last night," he said. "I've never—"
"Me neither," she interrupted softly. "I didn't know it could be like that."
He tilted her chin up, forcing her to meet his eyes. "I've had a lot of things, Amber. Nights. Women. But that… that was real."
Her throat tightened. "And what now?"
Nathan sat up, pulling her with him. "Now? Now I show you I'm not walking away. I want more than just one night. I want you."
Amber blinked, heart stuttering. "You're serious?"
He grabbed her hand, laced their fingers together. "I'm not good at this, alright? Feelings. Trust. But when I'm with you… I don't want anyone else. I don't want anything else."
She smiled, tears pricking her lashes. "You're such a mess."
He grinned. "And you're my beautiful disaster."
The moment stretched—raw and perfect.
Then Amber leaned in, kissed him softly, slowly. "I want you too, Nathan. All of you. Even the parts you think are too dark."
"You sure?" he asked, voice low.
She nodded. "I'm done running."
Nathan pulled her into his lap again, burying his face in her neck. "Then you're mine. No more pretending."
"No more pretending," she echoed, wrapping herself around him.
---
Later that day, Nathan took her back to the club. But this time, it wasn't the same. She wasn't lost, timid, or unsure.
She walked in beside him.
Owned.
His hand stayed on the small of her back, protective and proud. The same men who'd once eyed her like prey now stepped aside. She belonged to him, and everyone knew it.
But more than that—he belonged to her.
And as their eyes met across the room, heat flickering like fire between them, she realized something else:
It wasn't just lust. It wasn't just danger.
It was love.
Wicked, wild, all-consuming love.
And she was all in.
THE END