Page 50 of Thanks for Coming Along
Ronan and Eden had just wrapped up their performance of "Under Pressure." Eden nailed the high notes for Freddie’s parts, and Ronan felt like he had held his own on the Bowie parts. The crowd went wild, giving them a standing ovation, and they took a bow together, only for the bar patrons to swarm them.
A few people had started to recognize Eden after she joined Ronan on stage, and the crowd quickly closed in around them. Eden smiled and waved, snapping a few pictures with fans.
The crowd grew a little rowdy, with people pressing in from all sides. Ronan positioned himself protectively in front of Eden, acting as a buffer against the pressing mass of people. He could feel his protective instincts kicking in, and without a second thought, he grabbed her hand, guiding her toward the nearest exit as fans tried to reach out for a touch or selfie.
"Let us through," Ronan said gruffly, a hint of alarm flickering in his chest. He was concerned that the rowdy crowd could potentially hurt Eden, and there was no chance in hell he was allowing that to happen.
"It was wonderful meeting all of you!" Eden called out with a warm smile.
Ronan took the brunt of the crowd, positioning himself as a shield and cradling her protectively against his body. His large frame barricaded her from the handsy horde of people. They reached the front, and Ronan pulled open the door, standing back so Eden could exit first.
She passed through and grabbed Ronan's hand, her fingers intertwining with his. They broke into a brisk run toward the suburban street that stretched out to the bar's right, moving away from his bike.
"Where are you running?" Ronan asked, not that it mattered. He would follow wherever she led him. Probably to the ends of the earth if that was what she wanted.
"I don't know! Away. Far, far away," Eden called over her shoulder, a beaming smile gracing her face. Ronan's heart stopped for a second at the unadulterated beauty of that smile. He followed closely, his eyes fixed on Eden, captivated as her hair billowed in the breeze, the strands dancing with the wind. Ronan cast a glance over his shoulder. They seemed to have shaken off the crowd, and no one was trailing them.
They slowed down when they reached a cul-de-sac at the end of the street, where the pavement turned into a dirt path that led straight to a lake. Ronan couldn't help but stop and take it all in. The moon cast a white glow across the vast expanse of the lake, and its gentle light danced on the water's surface, creating sparkling ripples along the shore. The stars above looked like little diamonds scattered across a piece of black velvet.
That was the thing about life—one moment, you were running for your life, and the next, you were struck by the beauty of it, struck by the beauty that one person, once a stranger, had the power to change everything. And that person, for him, was walking toward that serene lake, the moonlight casting a silvery glow over her silhouette. Her laughter still rang in his ears as they slowed their pace.
They reached the last house before the path that led down to the lake. She turned towards him, but the sudden movement made her tilt to the side, her left leg bending slightly as her heel caught on a crack in the sidewalk. Ronan jerked forward to catch her waist, stopping her from falling. His hands steadied her, the soft silk of her dress grazing his palms as they held her.
Her eyes widened in surprise as their breath mingled in the cool night air. His breaths came in short, uneven bursts from their mad dash from the bar.Did that really happen?A laugh bubbled up from his chest, deep and booming, echoing down the quiet street.
With his hands still resting gently on her waist, she placed her hands on his forearms and gave them a light squeeze. A soft, warm smile tugged at her lips, matching the warmth spreading through Ronan's chest.
"What’s gotten into you, Ro?” she asked coyly, tilting her head to the side. Some moments have the power to change the course of a life—moments where the world holds its breath and waits. He could feel it in the stillness between them, in the way the moonlight caught her eyes, that this was one of those moments. He knew he’d never find out unless he took the chance, and he couldn’t live with himself if he never found out what could unfold between them.
"You," he said simply, slowly moving his hands up the sides of her silky dress. "You have gotten into me, under my skin. When I close my eyes, it's your reflection that I see." He put his hands under her jaw gingerly, running his thumb over her soft cheek. Eden looked up at him with round eyes. Her lips parted slightly as the weight of his words hung between them.
"You've shaken my world to its core," Ronan confessed, his voice brimming with earnestness as he held Eden's gaze. "You make me want to take risks, to leap into the unknown." He continued, his eyes locked onto hers. "You've brought me back to life, Eden. I feel alive in ways I never thought possible. It's like I've been sleepwalking through life until now, and you've awakened something in me that I never knew existed."
A cool, soft breeze lifted Eden's chestnut hair into the air, making the strands levitate for a few seconds around her face. His hands still held her face delicately. She looked like a goddess bathed in the moonlight, her golden skin glimmering in the glow of the silver light.
He leaned in closer, his heart pounding with a mix of anticipation and uncertainty. Eden's gaze remained transfixed on him, her sapphire eyes tracing the contours of his face with rapt attention. Her eyes danced between his eyes and his lips, their dilation betraying the intensity of her emotions.Fuck it.Ronan closed the gap. He pressed his lips softly to Eden's full lips, applying a faint pressure.
Dear lord. She tasted even better than he could have ever imagined. Ronan's heart thundered in his chest, each beat echoing like a jackhammer in his neck. With desperation, he anchored his left hand firmly on her waist, drawing her closer until their bodies melded together, every contour fitting together perfectly.
His fingers moved into her soft hair. The feeling of his fingertips brushing through it made her let out a soft, almost involuntary moan. That small indecent sound caught his skin on fire, unleashing a blaze of unbridled hunger, his lips crashing into hers. He hungered for her like a starved man, and the touch of her lips sent electric surges coursing through his veins, lighting a fire that consumed every inch of his being. Eden seized the front of his shirt, her fingers curling around the fabric as she pulled him closer.
He trailed his hands down the sides of her body until he reached her hips, his calloused palms scraping the silk fabric. He subtly lowered his body and, in one smooth motion, gathered her up from behind, her lithe, long legs instinctively winding around his waist. Eden let out a small, breathy gasp at the contact. Ronan used that opening and stroked his tongue directly onto hers.
Eden placed her fingers into his hair, scratching his scalp with her nails that sent a shock wave through his body. Her tongue stroked his while her hands pulled lightly on the ends of his hair. An involuntary groan left his body as Eden rubbed her hot center over the erection under the seam of his pants. He pushed his hips against her, desperate to elicit another sound from her, wanting to memorize that sound and etch it deep into his mind.
He has never needed anyone like this. What he felt for Eden transcended desire. She was as essential as the very air he breathed. Kissing her was no longer a choice. There was no life without it, and no way to go back to how things were before. This was a kiss that shattered everything, a seismic, life-altering moment.
Suddenly, a searing bright white light sparked behind his eyelids, followed by a nasally voice booming, "Please remove yourself off my property, or I will be phoning the police." The voice seemed to appear out of thin air.
Ronan felt completely disoriented as he detached his lips from Eden's. As his vision adjusted to the sudden blinding light, he found himself staring at a security camera perched on the side of a colonial home. Its floodlight cast an intrusive, almost accusatory spotlight upon them.
Somehow, Ronan had ended up standing on the house's lawn, Eden still perched in his arms.
He heard a hiss, and then, a millisecond later, he was instantly soaked by water from a sprinkler. Eden jumped a little in his arms as the cold water splashed over her. She squealed as the droplets sprayed across them, glistening as they scattered over her cheeks and brow. Some clung to her long, dark eyelashes, and her hair quickly soaked through, droplets trickling down its length.
A smile played on her lips, her eyelids were half-lidded with desire. Ronan couldn't help himself and leaned in for another kiss. Their lips met again, and this time, her laughter reverberated on his lips. He felt her smile against him as the cold water sprayed around them, making him laugh too, his chest rumbling with the sound.
Ronan slowly and carefully let her legs go, watching as she slid down his waist and placed her feet on the ground. Ronan leaned back, his clothes soaked through. Eden's dress now clung to her curves like a second skin, accentuating the contours of her breasts and the curve of her thighs. The fabric revealed her hourglass figure, and he gazed at her, mesmerized by the shape of her body.
