“Fuck, Astoria, don’t stop,” Miller gasped, her voice raw.
Astoria hummed in response, the vibration sending sparks up her spine. She licked deeper, her tongue pressing inside just enough to tease, while one hand slid up to finger Miller’s pussy again, two fingers thrusting in rhythm with her mouth. The sensations were overwhelming, and Miller’s body trembled, every nerve alight. Astoria’s free hand gripped her thighs, nails digging in, holding her open as her fingers curled to hit that deep spot inside her pussy.
Miller’s orgasm built like a storm, coiling tight in her gut. She ground against Astoria’s face, chasing it. When it hit, it was explosive, her pussy squirting against Astoria’s palm and ass clenching around that probing tongue. She cried out, her body convulsing as waves of pleasure ripped through her until she collapsed, boneless.
Astoria didn’t let up immediately. She withdrew her fingers, licking them clean with a satisfied groan, then kissed her way back up Miller’s body. Miller pulled her into a searing kiss, tasting herself on Astoria’s lips, pussy and ass mingled in a heady mix that made her head spin.
She pushed Astoria onto her back. This time, Miller took full control, a feral edge sharpening her movements. She straddled Astoria’s face, lowering her pussy onto that waiting mouth.Astoria’s hands gripped her ass, pulling her down harder as her tongue thrust between her folds. Miller rocked against her, grinding her clit on Astoria’s nose, the sensation rough and perfect. Astoria’s hums vibrated up into Miller’s core, muffled by her thighs, and Miller clawed at the headboard, her nails scraping the wood. She felt Astoria’s tongue flick her clit then plunge inside. She ground down hard as she shuddered through her release, flooding Astoria’s mouth.
Exhausted, Miller slid down, collapsing beside Astoria. Her body ached in the best way, marked by scratches and bites.
Afterward, they lay tangled together in the wreckage, breathing hard, their skin cooling in the air-conditioned room. Astoria's head was on Miller's chest, her fingers tracing idle patterns on Miller's stomach, and for a few minutes, there was nothing but this—the weight of her, the smell of her, the steady rhythm of her breathing slowing.
Miller stared at the ceiling and let herself have it, this small pocket of quiet, this woman in her arms.
But the silence wasn’t the same as other times. Tonight, it felt like the held breath before a raging storm.
She became aware of the clock on the nightstand, its red numbers glowing in the dim room. 10:47. She'd need to leave soon. They both knew the rules, the unspoken agreement that overnight stays were too risky, too traceable. Checkout times and credit card records and hotel staff who might remember faces if given reason to look.
Astoria’s hand stilled on her stomach. “You’re thinking too loud.”
“Sorry.”
“Don’t be.” Astoria shifted, propping her chin on Miller's chest to look at her. Her eyes were soft but shadowed, the fear not gone, just banked for the moment. “I’m thinking, too, if it helps.”
“About what?”
“About how I don’t want you to leave.” Astoria’s mouth curved, but it wasn’t quite a smile. “About how you’re going to leave anyway and how being smart feels like losing something every time.”
Miller’s chest ached. She reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind Astoria’s ear, letting her fingers linger. “I know. I feel it too.”
10:52. The numbers changed while she watched, another minute gone from their borrowed time.
Astoria must have seen her glance at the clock because she exhaled slowly and pressed a kiss to Miller's collarbone.
“Soon,” Astoria whispered.
“Yeah, soon.”
The fear was back now, settling into the spaces between them, a third presence Miller couldn't banish no matter how hard she tried. Valerie was out there somewhere, asking questions, watching, waiting. And Miller was lying here with the woman she was falling for, counting down the minutes until she had to let go.
She pressed a kiss to the top of Astoria's head and held her a little tighter.Not yet,she thought.Just a few more minutes.
The clock glowed red in the darkness. 10:56.
Time kept moving, whether they were ready or not.
18
Chapter 18: Astoria
It’d been four weeks of this, and she still wasn’t used to it.
She thought she would be by now. She thought the intensity would fade into something manageable, something she could tuck away and access when needed before setting it aside again. That was how it had worked with Valerie, back when things were still good between them—or what passed for good—just a physical release that never quite touched anything too deep.
This was nothing like that.
Miller shifted, pressing a lazy kiss to Astoria’s throat before rolling onto her side. Her hand found Astoria’s hip, her fingers tracing idle circles on the bone. The gesture was automatic, the kind of intimate touch that came from knowing someone’s body well enough that you didn’t have to think twice about where to put your hands.
