The ocean murmured softly against the shore, the tide ebbing and flowing in rhythmic sighs, as though it, too, longed. The sand stretched endlessly beneath the vast sprawl of the Milky Way, a luminous river of light cutting through the night. A warm breeze carried the scent of salt and distant flowers, teasing along Ava’s skin as she stood at the water’s edge, her toes sinking into the cool sand.

She had been waiting for this moment all week.

A week apart from Leo had been unbearable. It wasn’t just the absence of his touch; it was the way she felt untethered without him, the way the teasing texts and late-night phone calls had only made her ache more. Her body had grown restless in his absence, aching with a need she couldn’t quench alone. Now, as she heard his footsteps pressing into the sand behind her, a slow, measured approach, her heart pounded in her chest. She turned, and there he was.

Tall, broad-shouldered, his shirt unbuttoned just enough to show a hint of his toned chest, his posture relaxed yet commanding, every inch of him radiating the warmth and strength that made her feel safe, loved, and wanted. His dark eyes smouldered as they drank her in, taking their time, tracing over the thin fabric of her dress, the bare skin beneath it. Ava swallowed hard, her breath catching as he came closer, his gaze never leaving her, until his face was mere inches from hers.

“Leo,” she whispered, the single word a plea, a promise, a declaration.

He didn’t answer with words. His hands were on her in an instant, pulling her against him, his lips crashing onto hers in a desperate, open-mouthed kiss. Ava melted into him, moaning softly as his fingers pressed into her hips, as his tongue teased hers, claiming, devouring. She clung to him, her body already burning, already aching with need. The way he kissed her made her feel cherished, alive, as though every kiss was a thread weaving them closer.

“I missed you,” she gasped against his mouth, her voice trembling with the weight of her longing.

His hands roamed lower, gripping her thighs as he lifted her effortlessly. “You have no idea,” he growled, his lips brushing over her jaw, his words sending a wave of heat through her.

She wrapped her legs around his waist as he carried her up the beach, her body pressed to his, her senses overwhelmed with the scent of the ocean, the heat of his body, and the pressure of his erection against her. The air was thick with heat, with longing, and when he laid her down on the cool sand, she shivered—not from the cold, but from the sheer anticipation thrumming through her veins. Her skin tingled with the brush of his fingertips, her nipples hardening against the fabric of her dress as he hovered above her.

Leo’s gaze was dark, heavy with hunger and desire. His fingers traced the line of her dress, slowly, reverently, as though undressing her was as important as loving her. He peeled the fabric up, revealing inch by inch of her skin, his breath warm against her as he exposed her to the night. When she was finally bare before him, he let out a low groan, his hands sliding up her thighs, spreading her open beneath him.

“I need to taste you,” he murmured, his voice rough, hungry.

Ava barely had time to respond before his mouth was on her.

She gasped, her back arching off the sand as his tongue flicked over her, teasing, tasting. He moved slowly at first, savouring every reaction, every breathless moan. Then he grew more insistent, sucking at her most sensitive spot, lapping at her with deep, hungry strokes. His grip on her thighs tightened, holding her open as he devoured her, as he sent wave after wave of pleasure spiralling through her.

“Leo—” she choked out, her fingers digging into the sand. “I’m—”

He didn’t stop. He moaned against her, the vibration sending a fresh jolt of pleasure through her core, and she shattered—her climax crashing over her like the waves behind them, her body trembling beneath his mouth, a cry of release escaping her lips as her body clenched and pulsed.

She was still gasping for breath when Leo moved up her body, his lips brushing over her flushed skin. He kissed her deeply, tasting herself on his lips, before she reached for him instinctively, her hands tugging at his trousers, needing him just as desperately as he needed her.

“I need you inside me,” she whispered, her voice still breathless, barely able to contain the need that burned through her.

Leo groaned, helping her push his trousers down, freeing himself. He was thick, hard, and aching, and when he positioned himself at her entrance, he hesitated only a moment—just long enough to meet her gaze, to make sure she was ready, willing. Then he pushed inside, filling her in one slow, deep stroke.

Ava cried out, her body arching as he stretched her, as pleasure and relief flooded her all at once. She wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him closer, feeling him fill her completely, deeply. Leo let out a shuddering breath, his forehead pressing against hers as he stilled, letting them both feel it—the intimacy, the heat, the raw need crackling between them.

Then he moved.

His movements were slow at first, deliberate, as if he were trying to draw every ounce of pleasure from her. But as the rhythm grew, so did their passion. His hips snapped against hers, driving into her deep and fast. Ava gasped, clinging to his shoulders, as he took her hard, as every thrust sent fire racing through her veins. She met him stroke for stroke, their bodies moving together in perfect rhythm, the slick sound of their movements mingling with their ragged moans.

The pressure coiled inside her again, too soon, too intense.

“I’m—” she started, but before she could reach the edge, Leo suddenly pulled out, chest heaving, eyes wild.

“Not yet,” he rasped, his voice thick with desire. “I want to feel you come when I’m buried inside you.”

Ava whimpered at the loss, her body still trembling, still craving him.

Leo rolled onto his back, pulling her with him. She straddled his hips, and for a moment, she simply took him in—the way his chest rose and fell, the way his cock twitched against his stomach, still glistening with her arousal.

Then she slid down his body, her lips tracing the hard planes of his abdomen, lower, until she reached him. She took him into her mouth slowly, savouring his taste, the way he groaned the moment her tongue swirled over the head. She stroked him with her hand, taking him deeper, letting her lips and tongue tease him until his hands tangled in her hair, his hips bucking involuntarily.

“Fuck, Ava,” he groaned. “If you keep that up, I—”

She moaned around him, and that was it. His muscles tensed, his breath stuttered, and then he was coming—hot, thick spurts spilling onto her tongue, his groan ragged and desperate. She swallowed every drop, licking him clean, loving the way his body shuddered beneath her, feeling his pleasure pour into her as his hands loosened from her hair, still trembling from the force of his release.

He was still catching his breath when he pulled her up and flipped her beneath him again.

“My turn,” he murmured against her lips.

He pushed inside her once more, slower this time, deeper. The hunger was still there, but now it was something richer—something consuming. He kissed her as he moved, rolling his hips, letting her feel every inch of him, letting her moans melt into his mouth.

Leo angled his hips just right, and Ava cried out, her body clenching around him. “That’s it,” he murmured, his voice rough. “Let go for me.”

Her orgasm tore through her, her body tightening, milking him, sending pleasure spiralling through them both. She felt everything—every pulse of him, every deep, shuddering thrust as he followed her over the edge.

Leo groaned against her skin, his release spilling inside her, filling her with heat. She could feel it, every throb, every twitch, the way his body trembled with the force of his pleasure. The sensation sent aftershocks rippling through her, leaving her breathless, utterly spent.

For a long while, neither of them moved. They lay tangled together, their skin slick with sweat, their hearts still pounding in unison. The night was silent except for their breathing and the distant murmur of the waves.

Finally, Leo let out a breathless chuckle, pressing a lazy kiss to her collarbone. “That,” he murmured, “was worth every second of waiting.”

Ava sighed in contentment, tracing slow circles on his back. “Next time, no more time apart.”

He kissed her again, slow and deep, as though sealing a promise. “Agreed.”

And beneath the infinite sky, with the ocean whispering its secrets, they lay together—whole, sated, and utterly lost in each other.