Celeste smiled, looking pleased with herself and thoroughly debauched. “I'm a quick learner. And very motivated.”
They made love again, slower this time, but no less intense. Ruby rolled them over so Celeste was straddling her, her hair falling like a curtain around their faces.
“I want to watch you. I want to see your face when you come one more time.”
Celeste's breath hitched, her pupils dilating. She leaned down to kiss Ruby, her tongue claiming, possessing, and Ruby groaned at the shift in dynamic.
When Celeste pulled back, her eyes were dark with desire. “Show me how to make you feelreallygood.”
Ruby guided Celeste's hand between her own legs, showing her the exact pressure and rhythm that worked best. “Like this. Just—oh God, yes, like that.”
Celeste found Ruby’s clit and circled it with the perfect amount of pressure, murmuring, “I love watching you like this and seeing how you react to every gesture.”
“You rouse every bit of desire in me. Everything.”
Ruby felt the pleasure building at the base of her spine, but she didn't want to come alone. She slipped her own hand between Celeste's thighs from behind, finding her wet and ready.
“Oh,” Celeste gasped, her rhythm faltering for a moment before she recovered. “Oh.”
“Together,” Ruby said, her fingers matching Celeste's pace. “I want to come with you.”
They moved in tandem, hands working each other, eyes locked, breathing in sync. The intimacy of it was almost unbearable—watching Celeste's face as pleasure built, feeling her shake above Ruby, knowing they were bringing each other to the edge together.
“I'm close,” Celeste managed to say, her free hand braced on the headboard above Ruby's head.
“Me too. Don't stop, please don't—” Ruby's words cut off in a moan as Celeste's fingers found exactly the right spot.
The orgasm built slowly this time, different from the first. Not the sharp burst of pleasure but something more sustained. Ruby felt it rolling through her in waves, and she could tell from the way Celeste's eyes went wide that she was feeling the same thing.
They came within seconds of each other, crying out in unison, bodies trembling with the force of it. Celeste collapsed onto Ruby, both of them overcome with aftershocks.
“That was…” Celeste started but couldn't seem to finish the sentence.
“Yeah. It really was.”
They were quiet for a while, the only sound their gradually slowing breathing. Celeste's hand stilled, and Ruby realized she was falling asleep.
Ruby should have been satisfied. This was exactly what she'd agreed to, one night of incredible sex with no strings attached. She'd gotten Celeste out of her system. Mission accomplished.
Except she hadn't. Not even close.
If anything, she felt more tangled up in Celeste than before. More drawn to her.
Ruby looked down at Celeste's sleeping face, peaceful and unguarded in a way she never was while awake, and felt her insides do a terrifying lurch.
She hadn't gotten Celeste out of her system. She'd gotten her deeper in.
She was becoming more enmeshed in the intoxicating enigma that was Celeste Russo than she'd been before they'd tumbled into bed, more captivated by the contradiction of her—the woman who lived so specifically but made love like she was in space and Ruby was oxygen. And she was eager, oh so eager.
Oh no,she thought.Oh no, this is bad.
Celeste had made it abundantly clear this could only ever be physical. She had a life and family waiting back home and was too afraid to be herself in the world.
Ruby had promised herself she'd never be someone's secret again. And here she was, lying in bed with a woman who'd just told her in no uncertain terms that this couldn't go anywhere.
But Celeste shifted in her sleep, curling closer, and Ruby's arm came around her automatically, pulling her in.
The city lights filtered through the curtains, painting patterns on the ceiling. Ruby lay awake, listening to Celeste breathe, and tried not to think about what would happen when morning came.
