Page 175 of This Life of Mine

“More, Alex. Oh God! Harder!” She screams.

Every last part of me that’s been holding back lets go.

I pull her off the dresser and lean her against the wall. I pump into her, faster and harder.

“Fuck! Lina.”

The voice is rich and resonant, steeped in dark desire, each syllable curling through the silence like smoke from an open flame.

“Oh God…yes!” She breathes.

I drive myself deeper, losing this battle of control.

Lina convulses as her orgasm ripples through her—trembling against me, the intensity of the moment stealing her breath as she clings to me, her forehead resting against my shoulder.

A heartbeat later, the last of my restraint gives way. My eyes shut, a shudder rolling through me as I hold her tight, letting the silence between us say everything words can’t.

For a considerable time, neither of us moves. The world beyond the room disappears, leaving only the steady rhythm ofour breathing and the quiet certainty that neither of us wants to let go.

Holy fuck.

I keep her pinned against the wall for a few moments longer, my helmet lulls back as I fight to steady my breathing. The air inside the mask feels hotter now, every inhale shallow, every exhale trapped against the voice modulator.

Damn this thing.

More than anything, I want to kiss her. To embrace her soft supple lips instead of cold polymer. To brush my thumb across her cheek without the reminder of everything that separates Alex fromThe Wraith.

Instead, I settle for holding her a little tighter.

When my legs steady beneath me, I pull her up into my arms. She’s just as unsteady as I am, and I can’t suppress the small smile tugging at the corner of my mouth.

I carry her to the bed and lower us onto the mattress with deliberate care.

For several long moments, neither of us says a word.

The room is filled only with the ragged cadence of our breathing, our hearts surrendering their frantic rhythm. She melts against my side, warm and impossibly real, and despite everything I’ve done tonight, despite the blood on my hands and the darkness I’ve embraced for years...

I’ve never wanted to take off the mask more than I do right now.

“You...” Her voice is barely above a whisper, broken by uneven breaths. “You just fulfilled one of my biggest fantasies.”

I can’t help but chuckle.

The sound catches her off guard, and a second later she’s laughing too, the room shedding the intensity that had consumed it moments before.

“Glad I could be of service.”

An hour later, we’re ready to go back to Lina’s place.

I catch her smiling at absolutely nothing while she ties her hair back.

When she notices me staring, she grins wider.

That grin alone is enough to make me reconsider leaving this room.

This is going to become a problem. We’re going to end up late everywhere we go.

Customers are going to wonder where one of the owners is. The bakery will probably suffer because neither of us can seem to keep our hands to ourselves.