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“Lina.”

Fingers tangled through her hair, drawing her into a fierce kiss as their bodies molded together. Charlotte’s hands curled behind her neck, pulling her in for a toe-curling kiss that made heat burn bone deep.

A sharp gasp tore from Charlotte’s lungs as teeth caught her lower lip, just enough pain to spark lightning through her.

Neither of them managed to say those three little words, but it was enough for now. They came together in a cosmic collision, finally pulled into the same orbit. Hardly any space remained between them, only the desperate need to translate feeling into motion. The words would come when they were meant to, not a second sooner.

Charlotte surrendered to the pull.

Her mouth claimed Ali’s, biting, tasting… plundering. Her hands traced the curve bound in slippery fabric, then slid lower, following the long, luminous line of her thigh, slipping toward waiting heat.

A raw, unguarded sound tore from Ali, rising from a rasp into a low, helpless whine as Charlotte’s fingers met warmth and slick need.

Charlotte’s forehead dropped to Ali’s shoulder as she found the core of her pleasure. Ali’s nails bit into her shoulders as her hips began to grind in desperate search of relief.

“Always so ready for me,” Charlotte murmured.

Charlotte pushed in with one swift, unrelenting motion, burying long fingers to the knuckle.

Ali shattered into sound, moans spilling free as she disintegrated into a brume-like haze as Charlotte scorched a trail of molten kisses down the column of her neck. Ali moved against her, matching her rhythm.

“I was wondering when you were going to claim what’s yours,” Ali taunted.

The sound Charlotte made in response was low and dangerous, the vibration pressed into Ali’s skin right before she sank her teeth into the base of Ali’s neck, lips drawing a dark mark as her pace sped up. She could feel Ali tighten around her, legs going weak as bliss gathered, a star barreling toward collapse.

Her tongue traced upward over sensitive skin to hover over Ali’s ear.

Her voice was little more than a rough breathy purr, sending gooseflesh rippling across Ali’s neck and a shudder running down her spine.

“Is it your intention to rile me up, darling?”

Charlotte added a hard thrust, fingers hitting just right to cause Ali’s nails to dig in deeper, biting into Charlotte’s exposed back as she folded forward.

“Do what you want with me,” Ali gasped, teeth catching on Charlotte’s shoulder.

“Anything?” Charlotte rasped, palm grinding against her clit.

“Anything.”

One hard thrust, then she withdrew, and stepped back, putting space between them.

Ali whimpered, reaching for her.

“On your knees.”

The command hung between them. Ali blinked, dazed and panting, brain struggling to catch up.

Charlotte’s voice sharpened.

“Do I need to repeat myself?”

Spurred into motion, she dropped down… and waited.

Such a good girl.

Charlotte pulled her sweater over her head and slid out of her jeans, watching the way Ali’s brain visibly short circuited at the sight of her willowy frame encased in dark lace, the corset and matching underwear forming a delicate shell over olive skin, leaving little to the imagination.

“Holy—” Ali breathed, eyes devouring fair curves accentuated in all the right ways. “You look⁠—”