Was she planning for the future? And was it her future or ours? I knew she had every right to explore her options, to see what opportunities were coming her way after her recent success.
She’d been making it further in tournaments. She was recovering, finally, from whatever had been holding her back these last few years. It made me so proud of her. But what if it was the same thing that took her away from me?
She wouldn’t need this partnership forever. What if she didn’t need me anymore either?
35
Inés
Touching Yourself—The Japanese House
The hot water pounded down on my back, relaxing my muscles and waking me up to face the day.
Both Chloe and I had sailed through our first matches of the tournament. It was a relief, to say the least, that my time in New York wouldn’t end before it had even begun. Today was another match, and I was ready.
I felt that old familiar ache in my bones. It was as much a reward as an irritant. Earned from well-fought competition, from weeks on the road, an endless number of hotel rooms and flights. But it was good. It meant success.
Over the shower, I heard the door click open.
“Hey.” Chloe’s voice echoed through the bathroom. I glanced over my shoulder to look at her, her heated gaze raking down my body.
“You’re up early,” I said. “Thought you’d need the rest after yesterday.” Her match had gone late, a full three sets and through to a tiebreak. She’d won, playing as if she was a world champion.
Her hands went to her silky pajama top, pulling it up over her head. “So, you thought you could sneak a shower without me?”
I smiled, turning around and enjoying the view as she pushed her shorts down, kicking them aside.
“I don’t have a lot of time,” I reminded her. “I’m meeting Maya for a warm-up.”
She stepped into the shower. “When?” She stretched up, her hands finding my hair, massaging my temples. I let her push me back under the shower, her fingers working at my scalp as she washed out the shampoo I had missed, the suds flowing down my body.
“Thirty minutes.” I almost groaned, the enjoyment too much. We’d only been together a few weeks, but somehow this woman had been able to figure me out almost completely.
“Oh, we have more than enough time.” Her hands moved down from my hair, one down to my jawline, pushing me close to her, but her lips didn’t meet mine. Instead, she teased kisses along my neck.
The way she’d learned my body, figured out exactly how I liked it.
“Plus,” she murmured, pressing a kiss to my shoulder, the muscle underneath immediately relaxing under the touch. “I want to make sure you’re relaxed for your match.”
A hand massaged my breast as her mouth continued to work down. My hands trailed down her back, then curled around her neck to pull her close. The longing for her never really went away. It was almost a simmer, ready to explode into a boil the moment she gave the go-ahead.
Her mouth didn’t stop at my chest. Instead, she worked herself down my body, lowering to her knees. Chloe looked up at me, those eyes of hers, more blue than green, practically shining. Her hair when wet turned darker, strands stuck to her face.
How did I get so lucky,I thought as her hand wrapped around my calf, pulling my leg up over her shoulderas she slid forward, bringing her mouth between my thighs. And absolutely nothing but feelings of blissas her tongue ran between my legs, tasting me.
My hand pressed against the glass, trying to find my balance through the pleasure she was giving me. My other was tangled in her hair, pulling her closer, working her mouth against me.
“Fuck,” I hissed. “You’re so good to me.”
She didn’t slow down, her hands slowly easing up my thigh. My head rolled back as she pushed a finger inside of me.
Chloe looked up at me, the absence of her mouth almost cruel. “And your pussy is so fucking pretty,” she crooned. “Are you going to come for me? Maybe if I do this?” She worked a second finger inside of me, working me so perfectly.
My hand slipped, my body jolting as I readjusted my position, my fingers gripping for dear life on a soap shelf.
“Don’t fall,” she joked. “That would be an awkward injury to explain.”
Chloe didn’t give me a chance to respond, her mouth returning to its work. There was no teasing this time, not as she worked another finger in, as she sucked hard, lapped me up with a renewed speed.
