I lock my ankles behind his back. Meet him thrust for thrust. The prep table creaks beneath us. Metal rattling. I can't care about anything except this. Him. Us. The way our bodies fit together like they were made for this.
His forehead drops to mine. Breath mingling. Sweat slicking skin. The angle shifts. He hits something inside me that makes stars burst behind my eyelids.
"There. Right there. Don't stop."
"Not stopping."
His pace increases. Harder. Faster. Chasing the edge we're both racing toward. I can feel it building. Pressure mounting. Pleasure spiraling tighter.
My vision whites out. I shatter. Clenching around him. Crying out. He follows. Groaning my name. Hips stuttering. Fingers digging into my thighs hard enough to bruise.
We collapse together. Tangled. Gasping. Heartbeats thundering in sync.
From somewhere overhead, Pebble meows. Loud. Insistent.
I start to laugh. Can't help it. The absurdity of it all catching up. "The kitten's judging us."
Grath lifts his head. Looks up at where Pebble's perched on the shelf. Watching with those unblinking eyes.
"Probably deserved."
"Definitely deserved."
He helps me sit up. Hands gentle now. Tender. Brushes hair from my face. Kisses my forehead. My nose. My mouth. Soft. Sweet.
"We should?—"
The back door slams.
We freeze.
Footsteps. Heavy. Unfamiliar.
"Hello? Anybody here?"
Grath moves fast. Grabs his shirt. Tosses me mine. I scramble to dress. Fingers shaking. Heart racing for entirely different reasons now.
"Storage check. Monthly inspection."
Oh god. The building inspector.
Who has a key.
Who's early.
Who's about to walk in and find us half-naked and guilty on the prep table where I make pastries.
Grath's eyes meet mine. Wide. Panicked.
This is bad.
This is very, very bad.
The inspector doesn't find us.
Grath shoves me into the walk-in cooler. Follows. Yanks the door almost closed. Leaving just enough gap to breathe. To hear.
We stand there. Pressed together in the dark. Surrounded by milk crates and tomorrow's butter. My heart hammering so loud I'm sure it'll give us away.
