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“That’s it, angel. Let go for me. I want to feel you come undone.”

With every thrust, she tightened around me.

God, this was ecstasy.

Barbara’s body went taut as a bowstring, every muscle tensing as she teetered on the precipice of surrender.

“Victor!” she cried out, her voice raw and desperate. She squeezed her eyes shut. “Oh God?—”

“Look at me,” I commanded. “I want to see your eyes when I make you feel heaven.”

Her eyes flew open, locking on mine with an intensity that stole my breath. In that moment of perfect connection, I saw everything—her vulnerability, her trust, her unbridled passion. It was the most erotic, most beautiful sight I’d ever beheld.

With a keening wail, Barbara shattered. Her back arched off the bed, pressing her breasts against my chest as aftershocks rippled through her lithe frame.

She pulsed around me, gripping and releasing in an exquisite rhythm, the sumptuous friction threatening to pull me under with her.

But I held back, determined to prolong her bliss.

“That’s it, my angel.” I maintained my relentless pace. “Let me feel every quiver, every pulse. You’re so beautiful when you come apart for me.”

The way she came undone was mesmerizing—head thrown back, exposing the elegant column of her throat, lips open with cries of pleasure. Her sapphire eyes locked on mine, dark and hazy with euphoria. I drank in every detail, committing the moment to memory.

As her body relaxed, I fought to maintain control, my body trembling with the effort of holding back my release.

I wanted to savor every exquisite sensation, to draw out our union for as long as I could.

But the sight of her flushed and sated beneath me, her silken heat still pulsing around me, nearly wrecked me.

“You’re so perfect, angel,” I murmured, my voice rough with barely restrained passion. “I could spend eternity buried inside you, and it would never be enough.”

I resumed my thrusts, slower now but no less intense. Barbara whimpered, oversensitive in the aftermath. I felt the familiar tightening at the base of my spine, pleasure coiling in my core.

In that moment, I knew with bone-deep certainty that I would do anything—give up everything—to keep her by my side.

“You’re mine.” I pressed my forehead to hers. “Tell me you’re mine, angel.”

“I’m yours.”

She squeezed around me, and I let go.

With a guttural groan, I buried myself deep inside her. The dam burst, and wave after wave of release crashed over me as I stiffened and exploded within her. My hips jerked erratically, and I drove into her one final time as I emptied myself completely.

I collapsed onto Barbara, burying my face in the crook of her neck as I caught my breath. Her skin was flushed and damp, her pulse racing against my lips. I pressed tender kisses along her throat, savoring the lingering taste of salt on her skin.

After a moment, I eased away and reached for her wrists. I untied them slowly, massaging the delicate skin where the silk had left faint marks, gently kissing each pulse point.

Barbara let out a soft, contented sigh as I gathered her close, her body melting into mine. I ran my fingers through her tousled golden hair, relishing the silky texture against my skin. After a while, she tilted her head back to gaze up at me, her blue eyes soft with emotion.

“That was…” she began, her voice trailing off.

“Incredible? Mind-blowing? Earth-shattering?” I supplied with a playful smirk.

She laughed softly, the tinkling sound like music to my ears. “All of the above,” she murmured, pressing a tender kiss to my chest. “I’ve never felt anything like that before.”

Pride and satisfaction swelled within me. I tightened my arms around her.

“I never knew it could be like this.” Her voice was soft with wonder. “So intense, so…all-consuming.”

I inhaled the sweet, powdery scent of her hair.

“This is how it’s meant to be, darling. Two souls merging, bodies and hearts in perfect harmony.

” I skimmed my hand down her back, savoring the satiny texture of her skin.

“You deserve nothing less than complete devotion and pleasure beyond your wildest dreams.”

Her lips curled into a slow, satisfied smile. “You certainly deliver on both counts.”

“As do you.”

A shaft of late afternoon sunlight slanted through the curtains, casting a golden glow over Barbara’s skin as she lay nestled in my arms. Dust motes danced in the air, suspended in time—like us. I could have stayed there forever.

Barbara shifted slightly, her gaze drifting to the clock on the nightstand. She tensed, a slight furrow creasing between her brows.

“What is it, angel?” I brushed a strand of hair from her forehead.

She sighed, looking at me with regret and resignation. “I need to leave soon. Frank’s shift ends at five, and I have the car.”

“It’s 1951. A lady like you should have her own car.”

Barbara sighed softly, a wistful smile playing on her lips. “Perhaps one day.” She gently pressed her palm to my chest. “But it wouldn’t change the fact that I still have to go.”

I tightened my arms around her, reluctant to let her leave our intimate cocoon. “Stay a little longer,” I murmured, nuzzling her hair. “I’m not ready to give you up just yet.”

“I wish I could stay forever,” she whispered. “But you know I can’t.”

Reality crept in, slow and unwelcome, like dusk stealing the last light of day.

I cupped her cheek, stroking her soft skin with my thumb.

“Maybe not today. But one day, my darling, I hope you stay and never leave. Let me give you the life you deserve.” I gazed into her eyes, willing her to see the depth of my conviction.

“I promise you, Barbara. I’ll move heaven and earth to make it happen. Whatever it takes.”

She said nothing in response, but her understated nod and smile were assent enough.

With a soft sigh, she disentangled herself from my arms and sat up, the sheet pooling around her waist. I drank in the sight of her bare back, golden hair tumbling over her shoulders.

Her tone was wistful, but her words were as neat and necessary as a pressed shirt. “I should get dressed.”