Chapter 5 5.

"And I'm willing to take that risk," I said, leaning forward. "I'm not afraid, Raymond. I'm tired of being kept in the dark. If you want me back, I need to be part of your life-all of it."

He was silent for a long moment, his expression torn. "Ava... I don't want to lose you again. But this... it's not just risky. It's life or death."

"I understand that," I replied, my heart pounding. "But I'm not going to live in fear anymore. Either I'm in, or we're done."

Raymond stared at me, his eyes dark and conflicted. I could see the wheels turning in his mind, the war he was fighting between wanting to protect me and wanting to have me by his side.

Finally, he sighed, leaning back in his chair. "You're really serious about this."

"Dead serious," I said, my voice unwavering.

He looked down at the table, running his fingers along the edge of the napkin. "I don't know if I can live with myself if something happens to you."

"Then don't let anything happen to me," I said simply. "We'll do this together, or not at all."

Raymond looked up at me, his eyes softening with something that felt a lot like admiration. "Exactly! Ava. Preventing you from joining my dark world is the best way I can protect you"

But even as he said the words, I could sense the lingering hesitation in his voice. The risks were real, and I knew that. But if I was going to be with Raymond, I wasn't going to be some passive observer. I was going to be part of his world, no matter what it took.

"I'll think about everything," I added, softening my tone. "But just know, Raymond, this is how it has to be if we're going to move forward."

Raymond nodded, his face a mixture of relief and concern. "I understand."

******************

The drive back was quiet, but the air between us buzzed with an unspoken tension. Raymond's hands gripped the steering wheel, his jaw tight, and I could feel his gaze flicker toward me every few moments. My pulse quickened as we got closer to my apartment, a nervous energy building in my chest.

When we pulled up outside, I hesitated for a moment before unbuckling my seatbelt.

"Do you want to come up?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. I wasn't even sure why I'd asked it. Maybe part of me wanted to test him, to see how badly he wants me-the heat between us that never really went away, no matter how angry or hurt I'd been.

Raymond's eyes met mine, dark and intense. "Are you sure?"

I nodded, swallowing the knot in my throat. "Yeah. I'm sure."

We walked upstairs in silence, the tension between us increasing with every step. By the time we reached the door of my apartment, my heart was racing, anticipation and uncertainty mingling in a way that left me breathless. I unlocked the door and stepped inside, the quiet of the apartment almost deafening.

Raymond followed close behind, shutting the door softly. As soon as it clicked shut, the atmosphere shifted. The space between us felt like a magnetic pull that neither of us could resist any longer.

"I'm sorry for everything, Ava," he whispered, stepping closer. His eyes locked on mine, his voice heavy with sincerity and something darker, something hungrier. "For the pain I caused. For not being there. But I never stopped wanting you."

I could feel the heat rising in my body, the tension in my muscles. "You hurt me," I said softly, but I didn't step back. Instead, I let him close the distance between us.

"I know," he murmured, his hand gently brushing a stray strand of hair away from my face. His touch was soft, but there was something dangerous simmering beneath the surface. "Let me make it right."

Before I could respond, his lips were on mine, claiming them with a fierceness that sent a shockwave through my entire body. I hadn't realized just how much I had missed him-missed this-until I felt the heat of his kiss. My hands instinctively reached for him, pulling him closer, as if I needed to feel every inch of him against me and inside me.

Raymond's hands slid down my sides, gripping my waist firmly as he pressed me back against the wall, deepening the kiss. His long and strong fingers moved further towards the middle of my thigh. I missed his touch so badly. He tried to moved his fingers away from my panty area, but I placed his hands right back there. I whispered "Please dont stop. I miss you. I want those fingers deep inside me.".

I pulled him closer, not wanting to waste another second. My hands found the buttons of his shirt, fumbling as I undid them, desperate to feel the heat of his skin against mine.

"Ava," he groaned against my skin, his breath hot as his lips moved lower, leaving a trail of heat in their wake. "Tell me you want this. Tell me you want me."

I tangled my fingers in his hair, pulling him back up to face me. "I want you," I whispered, my voice breathless. "I've always wanted you."

That was all it took. Raymond's lips crashed into mine again, his body pressing me into the mattress as we moved together, our breaths heavy, our movements frantic. It was raw, intense, a release of all the pent-up emotions that had been simmering between us for so long.

As he laid on me kissing me and caressing me, I gently stroked his length, he mourned in my ears as I did, and that made me completely wet and hornier.

The tension between us built to a fever pitch, our bodies moving in perfect rhythm, every touch, every kiss, every thrust, remininding me of how perfect we were.

"Raymond," I gasped, "Please dont stop". I pressed him against me.

"I don't plan on it" He said has his thrust went even harder.