“Good girl,” I whispered as I moved slowly in her, bringing us both back down more gradually. “You were amazing.”
“I didn’t do much,” she said, half laughing.
“Are you joking?” I asked, slowing now and laying still, buried deep inside her. “You took everything I gave you. You were strong, wild, unleashed. That’s everything to me.” I kissed her tenderly.
Finally, I was softening so I pulled out and laid on my side next to her. She rolled onto her side to face me. We gazed at each other, smiles tugging at both of our mouths. Giddy was the word I’d use for myself. It wasn’t a feeling I’d ever associated with myself before. But there it was.
“Elena,” I whispered, rolling her name around my mouth. “Tell me about your mother.”
“My mum? Why?”
“Well, I know a little of your father. But not your mother. Is that where you get your name?”
She nodded slightly. “It was my grandmother’s name. My mum was Spanish. They met while Dad was working in F1 and on the road all the time.”
“Where are your parents now?” I gently ran my fingers up and down over her hip as I listened to her speak.
“Mum died when I was nine and Dad died last year. Cancer.”
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have pried.”
“No, it’s fine.” Our eyes met again then and there was steel in hers.
“That’s why this story means so much to you,” I said, nodding with final understanding.
“It is. He was never the same after he left Obsidian. He never really recovered from it. But he was right about the cheating back then and no one believed him. He died without ever seeing things set right.”
“So you want to do that for him?”
She nodded. She raised a hand and swatted a tear from her cheek.
“What if there’s nothing there to expose now?” I kept my voice measured, my tone soft. I half expected her to get angry, but she took a deep breath and fixed her gaze on me.
“We’ll see, won’t we?”
“I suppose we will.”
We laid still and silent for a while, sleep trying to claim me, but her warm body was so close and I was addicted to touching her. My fingers skimmed over her skin and my eyes kept popping open each time they tried to close.
“Aleks,” she whispered, her eyes not meeting mine.
“Hmm?”
“This is really intoxicating. This thing we’re doing.”
“I feel the same.”
“It’s…” She hesitated and picked at the sheet between us.
“What? You can say.”
“It’s not just sex to me. You know that, right?”
I nodded and pulled her closer.
“I don’t do—what do they call it?—Casual hook ups,” I said, my voice low. “I do relationships.”
“Oh. Is that was this is?”
