Chapter 944:
He smiled faintly, his voice dropping to a husky whisper. “You already are my hero.”
His hand slid to the back of her neck, fingers threading into her hair. Tilting his head, he captured her lips in a kiss, the faint trace of wine lingering between them. Beneath the towering tree, desire wrapped around them like a silken shroud, shutting out the world beyond its branches.
In the middle of their kiss, Brad’s teeth grazed her lower lip. His voice came low and rough. “I missed you.”
Rylie’s pulse stumbled. Her fingers—frozen until now—lifted and curled around his neck, drawing herself closer.
Brad’s arm tightened around her waist with unyielding strength. Feeling her move, he pulled her in until their bodies met fully.
She could feel the hard tension of his muscles, the powerful slope of his shoulders, and the heat radiating through the thin barrier of his shirt, every breath between them growing faster.
Around them, the rainforest pulsed with life—the steady hum of insects threading through the night—while the quiet sounds of their closeness deepened beneath the sheltering tree.
“That’s enough!”
The tension between them snapped like thunder. Brad’s thumb brushed softly over Rylie’s lips, pausing where the warmth of their kiss still lingered. “It’s Melany and Deandre,” he said in a low tone.
Even in the dim light, Rylie could make out the details. Deandre’s hand was wrapped in a fresh bandage, proof he’d gone after Melany soon after she left.
Melany’s eyes burned with anger. “How dare you say that? Keep me? You expect me to give up my education just to stay by your side forever? You’re unbelievably selfish!”
Deandre’s voice turned sharp, anger cutting through every word. “Isn’t that the kind of life most women want? To be indulged, given everything—and you’re still complaining. And now you’re chasing other men?”
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A sharp crack split the air, echoing through the trees.
Melany’s breathing quickened, her eyes flashing. “I’m not some woman you can buy! Maybe I don’t have your fortune, but I’m not pathetic enough to become a beast’s mistress just because we slept together twice.”
Deandre’s jaw tightened. “A beast? That’s what I am to you?”
Melany pressed a throbbing hand to her chest, her voice trembling with rage. “What else would you call yourself? Any attractive woman is enough to lure you in. You’re disgusting—an unprincipled man!”
Her words hit like daggers. In a surge of fury, Deandre shoved her back against the wall and crashed his mouth onto hers. His arms locked around her, trapping her in place as his voice scraped against her ear. “Then watch closely. When a beast burns, it doesn’t wait for the right place.”
Melany’s eyes flashed with fear. His sheer strength crushed her resistance, leaving her helpless in his grip. Panic surged through her as the thought struck—he might force her right there, out in the open.
Desperate and shaking, she blurted, “I’m pregnant!”
Deandre froze mid-motion. His hand slid away from her chest as he caught her chin between his fingers. “What did you just say?”
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