Derek whispered into her ear, "Tabitha, why can you forgive everyone else but be so cruel to me?"
Tabitha stared into his eyes and said firmly, "Don't you know why?"
Derek sighed and rested his head on her neck. "The past can't be changed, and the hurt is already done. What more can I do to make it up to you? I only have this life to offer. If that's what you want, take it."
She had never doubted that Derek would go to extremes for her—even when he detested her, he had followed her off the ledge.
In moments of danger, he was always the one to shield her.
Yet this same man, who had shown her such unparalleled care, had also wounded her the deepest.
"I don't want your life. From now on, we're done," she declared.
Derek gave a bitter laugh. "Tabitha, you've already taken my life."
Years of longing had drained him.
With one sentence, two layers of meaning, he shattered the frigid silence between them.
His fingers delved beneath her loose top.
Tabitha bit her lip. "You dare to touch me, and I'll—"
Her flushed face and shy demeanor made Derek's heart melt.
He teasingly nuzzled her earlobe. "I've already touched you more times than I can count, Tabitha. I want your life too."
Tabitha's face burned. "You brute."
His sweat-dampened body had cooled in the evening breeze. When Derek's hand grazed her waist, Tabitha shuddered.
"Tabitha, I miss you," Derek murmured.
Years had passed since that night on the ship—the only time they had truly been intimate.
Derek's stubbornness was unwavering. He had discarded every indulgence Rolf had gifted him, even the adult toys.
Anything related to Tabitha was off-limits, a line he refused to cross.
A tiger that had fasted for years suddenly saw meat within reach. How could he restrain his instincts?
Over the years apart, Derek had come to realize just how vital Tabitha was to him.
The fear of losing her gnawed at him, and the thought of her with someone else tormented him.
Now, with Tabitha right before him, one thought consumed him——mark her, claim her, brand her as his and his alone.
Derek made no aggressive moves but treated Tabitha with utmost tenderness, coaxing her body into submission.
Not far off, the couple resumed their passion, their voices rising and falling like a duet.
Tabitha's body surrendered first. Derek, unhurried, whispered, "See, you want this too."
Humiliated and furious, Tabitha snapped, "This is biology, like wolves hunting sheep. Don't confuse the two."
Derek nibbled her neck. Tabitha arched her back, striving to ignore the sensations.
But Derek knew her body too well!
Like a collector savoring a rare artifact, he explored her with unhurried precision.
The couple nearby, after a brief rest, began again. Their tempo grew longer each time, their cries echoing louder and clearer.
Tabitha's body heated up once more, her eyes glistening with tears, yet she bit her lip to stifle any sound.
Derek traced her lips with his tongue, murmuring, "Tabitha, beg me."
"Never in my dreams!" Tabitha retorted, her blush deepening. "Who's more miserable here?"
Her defiant gaze made Derek chuckle. His Tabitha hadn't changed a bit—still as stubborn as ever.
She was right. The one suffering the most was him.
But neither was willing to concede in this battle of wills.
Though nothing substantial had happened, both were drenched in sweat, gasping for breath like a dying fish.
In the past, their intimate moments were confined to the bedroom, Derek's propriety ensuring it.
This was their first time in such a setting. Their mutual attraction flared like kindling to flame.
Stalemate led to mutual torment, each unwilling to yield.
Tabitha fidgeted restlessly beneath him. Despite no drugs this time, she felt as if a thousand ants were gnawing at her heart.
The sky had darkened, and the full moon shone brightly.
In the countryside, the moonlight was so intense that Derek could clearly see the beads of sweat on Tabitha's forehead and her tightly pursed lips.
He sighed. "Tabitha, why are you doing this to yourself?"
Tabitha stood firm. "Derek, I said it before—I don't want any more entanglement with you. I wasn't joking."