“Hmm. I’m grabbing a drink.” The sound of retreating footsteps never sounded so good. She yanked open the closet ten minutes later, eyes wild, lips parted as if she might still be riding the thrill. I didn’t let her speak. I stepped out, grabbed my shirt,and avoided her gaze as I whispered, “Get your shit together Selene.” She leaned against the wall, arms crossed, blocking the hallway.
“Oh, come on, it’s not that bad.”
“Not that bad?!” I hissed, pausing as she looked at me, unfazed. “Oh, Hi, I just fucked your wife into oblivion, but I’ll be off now.” Creasing my brows towards her.
She just covered her mouth in amusement. I threw on my clothes and pushed past her. Slipping out the side kitchen door, closing it softly before crouching past the study window where he spent most of his time.
To say I fucking legged it was an understatement; I struggled to catch my breath by the time I got back to the car. My hand gripping my chest when my phone buzzed in my pocket, of course, Selene.
“Until next time, lover boy xx”
I lingered in the car a while after arriving back at the flat, allowing my heart to settle back down from the near miss, remembering to park it a few blocks away. The place was in darkness when I pushed open the door, Misfits perfume now becoming a permanent distraction here. It was a mixture of plum, patchouli, and leather. The only reason I knew that was because her things were now scattered across my bedroom, the ornate bottle permanently placed beside the bed. I argued she was secretly moving in, but she would stand her ground, sayinghell would have to freeze over first. All I knew was she wouldn’t stay away for long.
But what got me the most were the dreams… fuck, the dreams. At first, it was small things. Hazy scenes where I couldn’t see her clearly, just caught pieces. Fingers drifting over my chest. Lips brushing the shell of my ear in the dark, whispering things that made me twitch awake, breath caughtsomewhere between a gasp and a curse. I blamed the vodka, or the stress. Or how tightly wound everything was becoming.
But then the dreams got bolder.
More vivid.
Her eyes locked with mine, her thighs on either side of me, her voice low and sultry in a way I’d never heard when we were awake. I’d feel her breath on my neck, the warmth of her mouth grazing mine, her hands dragging beneath my shirt, nails biting into my skin like she knew every place I was weakest.
It was torture.
I’d wake up hard, chest rising in quick bursts like I’d just run a mile, sheets twisted around my legs like a noose.
And worse, she’d be right there asleep beside me, all soft curves and steady breaths. I’d lie still, staring at the ceiling wide-eyed, willing the heat in my blood to settle. Shifting away from her body slowly, like she might wake any second and see my reaction to her. I couldn’t let that happen. I couldn’t risk ruining this strange, delicate thing we had, this messy, comforting limbo where we danced around the truth like cowards. So, I kept hiding it, this building ache, all while pretending I hadn’t already felt her pressed against me a hundred times in the dark behind my eyes. Fuck. I was so screwed.
CHAPTER 25
Ihadn’t noticed she had returned until waking up that morning. Her slight frame was nestled beside me on the bed, hands tucked up high against her face. She was still wearing her clothes from the night before, and I couldn’t help the small smile that appeared. It raised questions as she shifted beside me. She wasn’t in her usual attire, but rather a small, thigh-high black dress. Her makeup, now faded through sleep, still held a slight shimmer on her eyelids. Why was she so dressed up?
My eyes drifted from her peaceful expression down the curves of her body, already feeling myself begin to react to her. The heat within me building as she stretched out, hitching the dress higher to just under her ass. My eyes widened at the sight as I sat myself up on the bed. I needed a distraction, to stop myself from wanting to run my hand down her body and drag her to me. I reached over towards my nightstand, pulling a cigarette from the packet, and lit it, taking a deep drag before holding it in my fingers. A cheeky grin spread as I drifted the cigarette in front of her face.
“What are you doing?” Her raspy voice spoke.
“Oh, youarealive. Thought I was gonna have to report a dead body.” I smirked as her eyes sleepily opened to me.
“Ha, ha, very funny. Why are you waking me up anyway?” She stretched out onto her back before tugging at the hem of her dress, pulling it further down.
I continued drifting the cigarette in my fingers, “Well, if you don’t want it then...” She snatched for it as I moved it from her.
“Ah ah, what’s the magic word?” A taunting tone to my voice as I raised my eyebrows to her.
“Fuck you?”
I chuckled, passing her the cigarette, “Close enough.”
I watched her for a moment as she came round, the cherry of the cigarette glowing bright before letting smoke trickle into the air.
“So, fancy telling me how you managed to get in? While I was sleeping.” She shrugged, staring at the ceiling. “I mean, I’m game for a late-night snuggle buddy as much as the next person. But I kinda like to know they are coming before I wake up next to them.”
She scoffed, tilting her head to me. “I am not your fucking snuggle buddy. Just needed a place to crash, and yours was the closest.”
“Now don’t I feel special.” Pulling myself from the bed, intrigue setting in.
“Why are you looking so fancy?” Raising an eyebrow at her, unable to resist the taunting thoughts running through my mind.
She yawned, running a hand over her eye, wiping away the sleep still in a drowsy state. “Got dragged out by a friend.”
