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CHAPTER 488
~Ella's POV~
And there he was. Richard.
Tall and broad-shouldered, dressed in a dark grey shirt with the sleeves rolled up to reveal the strong lines of his forearms.
His intense gaze still flickered with restless energy as it locked onto mine, and something profound shifted in his expression.
He didn't speak, didn't ask for permission. He simply stepped forward and kissed me.
There was no prelude, no gentle approach. Just the immediate heat of his mouth on mine, the firm pressure of a man who had clearly been wrestling with his desires for far too long.
My breath hitched, a jolt of surprise momentarily freezing me.
I didn't return the kiss immediately, not even as his hand slid to the curve of my waist, holding me with a possessiveness that spoke volumes of his unspoken fears.
Perhaps I should have pulled away, or perhaps the thought even flickered through my mind.
