02

« It’s not like I cut him off when I met you. I still talked to him multiple times a day. »

He’s quiet for a moment. « Do you- this is going to sound crazy- but do you possibly think Viktor could be bi-sexual ? »

I pull back from his chest, wide-eyed. « No. I mean, he’s never spoken about women like that before. I could change around him, shower around him and he wouldn’t even look up from his tablet. »

« Change in front of him ? Shower in front of him ? »

I roll my eyes. « He’s gay, Stellan. I’ve known him long enough to know that. »

« … It’s so strange. He’s never hated me, he didn’t hate me a month ago. How could he have such a drastic change since then ? »

« I don’t know… I really don’t. »

A smile warms my cheeks as I feel him push my hair back away from my face in the dark. « A week was too long. »

I nod, running my hand over his shirt. « Way too long… Were you able to get everything done ? »

« Yes, my boxes are being sent and I donated everything else, really. »

« And… Ronald ? Your job ? »

« Taken care of, » he murmurs, smiling softly. I release a breath of frustration, frowning.

« I am sorry you had to do that. »

« I’m good with the decision. I need to be here. »

« I’m so glad you are, » I confess, feeling his hand travel down the base of my neck, down my spinal cord underneath the sheet. My eyes close as his fingers splay against my bare hip and over my backside. I barely have enough time to open my eyes once more before he takes my mouth with force, pulling my body into his.

I’m breathless, half from pleasure and partly, from nervousness. With shaking hands, I reach up, grasping the buttons on his shirt, undoing them one by one. I don’t know what I should do. I don’t know how to tell him.

« You’re trembling, » he states, pulling back. Grasping my hand, he moves me back against the mattress, pulling down the sheet slowly. I watch his eyes move over the spaces that become uncovered, swallowing with difficulty. His lips move over the space between my breasts and further down- they press to my navel and I gasp, lifting my back up in pleasure. « There we go. Relax for me, baby. »

His strong, determined tongue has me undone not once, but twice before he moves off the bed, removing the shirt I forgot to unbutton all the way and his tight, fitted jeans. My eyes flicker to the bedside drawer as he bends over, opening it.

I feel my face redden even deeper… I should tell him. But how can I ? Right now ?

« Stellan… »

Naked and looking very much like an angel in the moonlight, he comes over me, careful not to settle too firmly onto me. His lips find mine and he breathes the word against them, « What ? »

Fucking coward ! Just do it ! You’ll feel better once you get it out there. He pushes back a strand of my hair sweetly, tucking it behind my ear. I close my eyes as he presses his lips to my temple, then my cheek- he showers me with love, exactly what I need.

« Iris ? »

I shake my head, pressing my lips together. « Take me. Just take me, Stellan. »

Because then at least, if he leaves when he finds out, I’ll have this moment. I’ll remember this perfect moment where we were everything the other needed and nothing else. He presses his lips to my cheek lightly and nods.

« Turn over. »

He backs up enough as I turn over, laying flat onto my stomach. My nerves have gotten the best of me, making me feel shy and fairly anxious. I hope he isn’t noticing.

I turn my face towards his as he settles behind me, his strong arm coming around my front. He enters me slowly, moaning at the tightness of my closed legs. I drop my head down onto the bed as he begins moving above me, closing my eyes tightly.

« Jesus Christ. »

« You feel so good. »

We rock together, rhythmically sound as usual between us ; his mouth on my neck, whispering soft, explicit confessions in my ear. I clutch the bed sheet tighter, gritting my teeth as he groans, producing my favorite sound in the world.

I turn my face, looking for one thing in particular : his lips. Breathing heavy, he kisses me briefly, breaking away only to gasp for oxygen. We’re sweaty and shaking, the pleasure mind-blowing. Whether it’s our feelings for each other or just his sheer talent, I don’t know but in my twenty-six years of living, I’ve never know anything as amazing than being in bed with him. Nothing.

« Lift your hips. »

I do so, surprised when he begins moving faster, dropping a hand onto the bed to support himself. I gasp, smiling deliciously as his other hand moves under my body, touching my sex gently, circling my clit perfectly.

« Jesus Christ- you’re trying to kill me. »

« No, not that, » he answers with a breathless chuckle. My smile fades as my body begins to tense and pull beneath him. It takes everything I have not to drop my hips back onto the bed.

« Oh- my-« 

« Yes- yes. »

« Fuck ! » I cry out as my legs clamp together and my body drops back down, unable to help it. He follows me as if he were expecting it and his hand leaves my sex to grip my hip tightly as he releases, gasping against my back. My eyes close languidly, a small smile on my face as he settles back onto me.

Touching gently, we drift off to sleep exactly like that.

« I’m not going to lie, my back is killing me, » I murmur slyly, smirking against my coffee cup. Stellan grins proudly from across the table, holding the morning paper.

« Mine too. »

« Worth it though. »

« Every second. »

I continue to stare as he goes back to reading, his toast and jam barely touched. He’s shirtless so I don’t really expect to look away anytime soon. I consumed my breakfast- whether it was from the strenuous exercise last night or the result from the baby growing inside of me, I don’t know.

« Do you have to go see the lawyer today ? »

« Yes… our old friend Marcus is definitely trying to get us. »

Good ol’ Marcus. Fucking asshole. « What’s happened ? »

« Nothing yet. He’s just milking that abuse allegation for all it’s worth. »

« Because it’s the only thing they have to go off of. »

« Exactly. The thing is because she’s a woman, it really doesn’t matter much that she hurts men. You notice how no one’s talking about that ? »

I sigh, setting down my cup. « Have you got anything- an alibi for that night ? »

« Well, I told you. I was with her and Vance walked in on us. We had been arguing because I was ceasing our contract… I left and the next day, I was leaving a bar- I was jumped. »