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They weren’t hurting anyone. Could she get Jayson to see that?

Charlotte wished for a little light. Just enough to see Alex lying next to her. She imagined her naked body, soft and full in all the right places, as she slept on her side. Her back to Charlotte.

She’d fallen asleep like that, but not alone. Charlotte had curled in behind her, holding her until the sweat dried o

her body. Until her ragged breath stabilized and then slowed, signaling she’d fallen asleep. Charlotte expected to pass out shortly after. She’d waited, but instead of dre

ams she was plagued by worry.

It was impossible to continue this way. She had to wake her.

Flipping onto her side, Charlotte slipped her arm under the sheet and around Alex’s abdomen. Reflexively, Alex reached for her, positioning her hand over Charlotte’s and bringing it closer to her chest as she intertwined their fingers.

The act, so small and instinctive, shredded Charlotte from the inside out. She pressed her forehead to Alex’s shoulder blade.

Don’t make this so hard , she prayed as invisible hands wrung her heart like a dirty mop.

Alex stirred in her arms, her breath quickening in an instant. She was waking up.

Charlotte didn’t know whether she wanted her to go back to sleep or not. She couldn’t decide anything. Everything was spinning too fast, spiraling out of her control.

“You awake?” Alex whispered into the dark, her voice husky from sleep.

Instead of responding, Charlotte pressed her lips to the back of Alex’s neck. Damp from the heat of slumber, Alex’s hair was splayed over her pillow and spilling over her back.

She loved it like this, loose and untethered.

Snaking her other arm from beneath Alex’s pillow, Charlotte held her close and tangled her fingers in her hair.

In a single motion, she swept Alex’s hair away, exposing her nude back. She kissed her again, harder this time.

Alex squeezed her hand, her gasp slicing through Charlotte’s resolve. Charlotte bit into her shoulder, sucking hard with the aim of leaving a mark. She needed something to last beyond this night.

“Wasn’t twice enough?” Alex’s question was a breathy groan accompanied by her hand pushing Charlotte’s palm against her chest.

Charlotte gripped her breast hard and kissed her neck harder. “It’s never enough,” she confessed before sliding her hand down Alex’s soft belly.

Alex arched her back away from Charlotte as she parted her thighs, giving her unlimited access. As soon as she slid into her, Charlotte moaned. She’d never tire of her body.

Swinging her hips, Alex’s muscles trembled as she continued grinding against her. Charlotte wrapped her free hand around Alex, keeping her close. Even the sliver of space between them was too much.

“Go easy,” Alex whispered before Charlotte’s fingertips slid inside her.

She moved in deep, gentle thrusts as Alex tightened around her. How could she ever let her go? She’d been starving all her life until she met Alex. How could she ever give up the feeling of being full? Who would willingly go back to empty?

“Don’t stop,” Alex groaned, both hands gripping Charlotte’s forearm pressed against her chest as she bucked against her fingers.

Charlotte had no intention of stopping. She’d never willingly sever this connection. It was like flying. Like creating a new kind of music.

When Alex’s body sti ened, she bit into her shoulder. Her skin would bear a massive purple blotch for days. She couldn’t forget her.

The more intense the pressure Charlotte created with her mouth, the harder Alex moaned. Panting, Alex turned in her arms and claimed Charlotte’s swollen lips. In a flash, she pushed her back and straddled her hips.

Charlotte reached for her phone on the nightstand.

“What are you doing?” Alex asked, breathless as she continued to grind against her pelvic bone. Her irregular movements told Charlotte she was close.

“I want to see you,” she explained, fumbling in the dark until finding the cold glass of her phone.