Chapter 22

Ryder

The front door closed behind us with a quiet click. Lila stepped inside first, her heels clicking softly on the wooden floor I followed right after, reaching past her to shut the door completely. The lock snapped into place

She reached for the light switch on the wall. My hand caught hers before her fingers could touch it I turned her around in one smooth motion. Her back pressed against the door. I didn’t give her time to speak. My mouth found hers-hard, deep

hungry.

I kissed her like I’d been starving for it all day. My lips moved over hers roughly. I bit her bottom lip gently, then sucked it into my mouth, teasing with my tongue. She made a small, surprised sound and tried to keep up. At first her kisses were hesitant, unsure, but then she caught the rhythm. Her mouth opened wider. Her tongue met mine. We kissed harder, deeper, tongues sliding and tangling together.

I pressed my body against hers. One hand braced on the door beside her head. The other slid to her waist and pulled her closer. Her hands roared my chest, then my shoulders, gripping tight. We stumbled backward, still kissing, moving scattered through the dark house. My back hit the hallway wall. Her hip bumped the side table. Neither of us cared. We just kept kissing, hands everywhere-my fingers digging into her hips, her nails scraping lightly down my arms.

Suddenly she broke the kiss. Her lips hovered near mine. She stared at my chest, breathing fast. I looked down at her. I was taller, so she had to tilt her head back. The darkness wrapped around us, but the faint glow from the window was enough I could still see the flush on her cheeks, the way her lips were swollen and wet from my mouth.