The Red String Between Us Part II: Frayed Threads

第30章 Where the Ocean Meets the Sky

     Once back inside the resort villa, Kenji opened the doors to the terrace, revealing the infinity pool shimmering like liquid glass. The water mirrored the endless ocean beyond, the horizon blurring where sky met sea in a haze of gold and blue.

He stepped close, his chest brushing mine, voice low and reverent. "Eden... before we go any further, I need to say this."

I looked up at him, breath caught, heart pounding.

His hand lifted to cradle my cheek, thumb brushing softly along my skin. "I love you," he confessed, each word deliberate and raw. "I don't know exactly when it began... but I knew before this trip, and now, after everything, I know it's not ending. Not for me."

The words struck like a tide, sweeping away every wall I had built. My lips parted, trembling under the weight of my own truth.

"Kenji..." I whispered, barely audible. "I love you too."

The moment hung between us—fragile, blazing, and inevitable. Then his lips found mine, urgent and reverent, and the world fell away. Clothes became inconsequential as he guided me into the warm, buoyant embrace of the pool. The ocean beyond seemed infinite, but in that space, it was only us, suspended in private paradise.

Every touch, every kiss carried new meaning, anchored in love confessed. His lips trailed down my neck, slow and reverent, while his hands memorized the curve of my back, the sway of my waist, anchoring me to him.

"Beautiful," he murmured against my skin, voice rough with emotion. "Every part of you."

The horizon blended with the water in shades of gold and blue, and his lips returned to mine, deeper now, a kiss carrying both desire and devotion. My fingers tangled in his damp hair, pulling him closer, until the only thing that existed was the heat and closeness between us.

The gentle lap of water against the pool edges mirrored our rising rhythm, each brush of his hands along my body making my breath hitch. I instinctively wrapped my legs around him, drawing him in, and he responded with a sharp inhale, forehead pressed to mine, eyes dark with both plea and promise.

"Eden..." His voice was both question and vow.

"I'm yours," I whispered, surrendering every defense I had ever held.

The world narrowed to sensation—the salt of the water, the press of his body, the shiver that ran through me as he lifted me slightly, weightless in his arms. Every movement was a conversation of trust and longing.

"Tell me to stop, and I will," he murmured, voice hoarse but steady.

I shook my head, heart racing. "Don't stop. Please, don't stop."

Control slipped entirely, and he kissed me fiercely, claiming and surrendering at once. The connection was overwhelming, fire sparking through water and veins, until every sense merged into one.

When the moment passed, we clung to each other, still floating, foreheads pressed together, breaths mingling. The ocean stretched endlessly before us, waves whispering secrets only we could hear, while security kept the world at bay.

Kenji pressed a soft kiss to my temple. "Now the ocean knows all of me," he whispered.

And in that instant, I knew—I knew, and I was his.