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I turn back to her, breathing hard. “Let’s get you out of here.”

She nods, and before she can say anything else, I scoop her into my arms.

“You really don’t have to—”

“Shh,” I murmur against her temple. “I want to.”

I carry her across the lot, past curious glances and a few raised brows, but no one says a damn thing.

Nobody dares.

She clutches my shoulders, burying her face in my neck as I stride straight into my quarters in the lodge without stopping.

The moment the door slams shut behind us, I press her back against it and slam my mouth to hers. She gasps, but kisses me back with just as much heat, like we’ve both been sitting on a powder keg since yesterday. I lift her again, this time out of pure need, and her legs wrap around my waist as I carry her over to the desk and set her down on it.

Her hands are everywhere, my chest, my shoulders, fisting my shirt.

“Jake,” she breathes. “Daddy, I need you—”

“I know,” I growl. “I’ve got you, baby girl. Just hold on.”

It’s quick, frantic, the kind of desperate we don’t have time to analyze. My hands are on her soaked shorts, tugging them down her legs. She’s already pulling at my belt, and I help her get it undone, our mouths crashing together again.

We barely get undressed, just enough to make it work. I slide into her and we both moan, relief and heat tangled together. She clutches my shoulder, her nails digging painfully into my skin but I don’t mind.

“Hang on tight, love,” I murmur, then I thrust into her. Hard and fast. She lets out a strangled cry, her hands flying off my shoulders to grab the edge of the desk. I pull out slowly and slam into her again. And again. She groans, her grip tightening as I continue to drive into her.

God, she’s everything.

This sweet, wild, strong woman that I almost lost today.

She moans my name again, trembling all over. And then she clenches tightly around me, her body drawing taut as she surrenders to a powerful wave of orgasm.

“I love you,” she whispers—underneath her breath, but I hear it.

And it damn near unravels me.

I come with a deep growl, burying my face in her shoulder, heart pounding like it’s about to break through my ribs.

We stay like that for a moment, still joined, panting, her fingers threading through my hair as I breathe her in.

I finally pull back and look at her. “You love me?”

She blinks, cheeks flushing. “I just—yeah. I do.”

I smile. “Good. Because I love you too.”

Her breath catches, her eyes shimmering with tears even as a big smile spreads across her gorgeous face. And I swear, no rescue, no fire, no adrenaline rush can compare to this moment.

“God, I love you so much, Ruby.”

Epilogue

Ruby

Four Years.

It’s hard to believe how much can change in that time. How much I’ve changed.