I panted and shivered, kneeling between her thighs on my bed.
I slowly pulled out of her, watching as my cum dripped from her pussy. Beautiful.
“Hermosa, mi reina.”I pulled my gaze back to her face, her hair a wild tangle on top of her head, her makeup smeared, her eyes red and puffy. “I made a mess of you. And I love every fucking messy part of you.”
She devolved into tears, covering her face with her hands.
“Don’t hide from me. Let me see you.” I pulled her hands from her face and kissed away her tears, tasting the salt on my tongue. “You okay?”
She nodded, wrapping her arms around my neck. “I’m overwhelmed and exhausted, but I’m okay.”
I lifted her from the bed, still clinging to me, and walked her into the bathroom. I sat her on the vanity counter and let go of her to turn on the shower, waiting for the water to warm before helping her down.
She stayed quiet, letting me guide her into the spray of warm water. I washed off her body with my soap, content knowing that my scent would be imprinted on her skin until the next time she showered.
“Did you mean what you said?” she asked timidly.
“I don’t say anything that I don’t mean,” I said, switching places with her, so she was under the warm spray and began to wash myself. “But what are you asking about in particular?”
“That you love every messy part of me.” She looked down, water dripping from her thick black lashes.
I tipped her chin up, not allowing her to avoid my gaze.
“I especially love your messy parts, princess. I don’t need a performer putting on a show, pristine and flawless. I need you messy and gritty and honest and imperfect because that’s what makes you real to me.”
I rested my forehead on hers while the steam from the shower enveloped us in a cocoon of heat. I closed my eyes, breathing her in.
“Ben?”
My eyes snapped open, meeting hers. “Mi reina?”
Her lips twitched, her fingers tracing patterns on the planes of my soapy chest. Her throat bobbed as she swallowed. “Te amo, mi rey.”
My chest swelled, and I smiled, claiming her mouth with a hard kiss. I pulled back, lips still brushing hers. “I love you too, my queen.”
Opening Night
Eve
Thestagewentblack,and the curtains closed as applause rang throughout the theater. The cat calls and whistles shrill and piercing, making butterflies take flight in my belly. I hurried to my place for the curtain call, tipping my head back and closing my eyes to soak up the applause.
I held Melody’s hand. She had stepped into the part of Grace seamlessly after Scarlette's arrest. She’d pulled off a beautiful performance on opening night with only two weeks of rehearsals.
As we took center stage for our final bow, I could pick out Ben’s voice cheering in the front row.
I glanced toward Derek, gratified to see him beaming, cheeks flushed with excitement. Scarlette's confession had proven his innocence, and he'd been released in time for tech rehearsals.
The curtain closed to the continued applause from the crowd. Cast and crew members embraced behind the red tapestry, relieved that our opening night hadn’t been the utter disaster it could have been after the extreme circumstances we’d had to endure.
By the time I’d finished congratulating and hugging my fellow cast mates, I turned to find Ben, waiting in the wings, with a mischievous grin in place.
My legs ate up the distance between us, and I threw my arms around his neck, not caring if I smudged my stage makeup on his white shirt.
“You were amazing. I couldn’t take my eyes off you the entire time you were on stage,” he said, breath whispering through my hair.
“How did you get back here?” I asked.
“I convinced the girl guarding the door to let me in,” he said with a smug grin.
