Page 21 of Lone Wolf (Red Rivals)
CHAPTER 21
Sunny
The locker room has private shower stalls and I pull Ariadne into the largest one at the end, locking the door behind us.
For a moment, we just look at each other, the reality of what we’re about to do hanging between us. This isn’t like before—quick, desperate couplings born of adrenaline. This feels deliberate. Meaningful.
“Are you sure?” I ask, needing to hear her say it.
She answers by pulling her henley over her head in one smooth motion, revealing the lean muscle beneath. “I’ve never been more sure of anything.”
I follow her lead, stripping off my tank top and sweatpants until we’re both standing in just our underwear. The vulnerability of the moment makes my heart race. I’ve never been shy about my body, but there’s something different about being seen by Ariadne—really seen, with everything on display.
But when I look at her, I see only desire in her eyes, a hunger that matches my own. She reaches behind her to turn on the shower, and then we’re both shedding what little remains of our clothing as steam begins to fill the small space.
The water cascades over our bodies as I press her against the cool tile wall. Her skin is slick beneath my hands, and I can’t get enough of touching her, of tracing every curve and dip of her body that I’ve only glimpsed before now.
“You’re so fucking beautiful,” I breathe against her neck, and I feel her shiver despite the heat of the shower.
She doesn’t say anything in response—typical Ariadne—but her hands grip my hips, pulling me closer until our bodies are flush against each other. The sensation of her wet skin sliding against mine makes me dizzy with want. I trail my fingers down her stomach, feeling the muscles tense beneath my touch.
“Let me wash you,” she says, and the words are more commanding than I expect, raising goosebumps all over me, even though the water is warm. I nod, turning around, expecting her to reach for the shower gel, but instead I feel her hands sliding over my wet skin, massaging my shoulders, working down my back.
“You carry a lot of tension here,” she murmurs, her thumbs pressing into knots I didn’t even know I had.
I groan, dropping my head forward. “Occupational hazard.”
Her hands continue their journey downward, cupping my ass, squeezing gently. Then I hear the snap of a bottle opening, and the scent of vanilla fills the steamy air as she pours shower gel into her palm. Her slick hands return to my shoulders, working the soap into a lather. Then she presses her front against my back and reaches around to soap up my tits.
“Fuck,” I whisper as her slippery hands massage my nipples, working them into tight peaks.
“I’ll get there,” she promises. “But first I’m going to clean every inch of you.”
Her hands travel down my stomach, across my hips, and then she’s kneeling behind me, her fingers sliding soap along my thighs, my calves. The sensation of her hands working their way back up makes my knees weak. She pays particular attention to the curve where my ass meets my thighs, her soapy hands kneading the flesh with a hunger that makes me gasp. She spreads me open, her slick fingers sliding between my cheeks, circling my asshole with a deliberate pressure that makes my breath catch.
“Is this okay?” she asks, her voice low and husky.
“God, yes,” I moan back, bracing my hands against the shower wall.
I melt into her touch, pushing back against her hand. She takes her time, cleaning me thoroughly, and then directs the shower spray all over me to rinse away the soap. I expect her to stand up, but instead I feel her hands on my ass again, spreading me open. The warm water runs down my crack, and I shiver as I feel her breath against my wet skin.
“I want to taste you here,” she whispers, and before I can even process what she’s saying, her tongue flicks against my asshole.
“Holy fuck,” I gasp, my fingers clawing at the tile wall. No one has ever done this to me before, and the sensation is so intense I almost buckle.
Ariadne steadies me with her hands on my hips. “Relax,” she says, sounding amused, and then her tongue is circling my rim again, slow and deliberate.
I’m trembling now, caught between embarrassment and overwhelming pleasure. Her tongue is relentless, tracing patterns around my hole before pressing against it more firmly. When she points her tongue and pushes it inside me, I let out a sound I’ve never heard myself make before—a high, desperate whine that echoes off the shower walls.
Her tongue pushes deeper, fucking into me with a rhythm that has me panting. I’ve never felt anything like this—the taboo nature of it, the intensity, the way she’s claiming every part of me. Her hands spread my cheeks wider, her thumbs pulling at my asshole to open me up more for her probing tongue.
“Oh my God,” I gasp, my voice breaking. “Oh my God, fuck ?—”
She hums against me, the vibration sending shockwaves through my body. Then she pulls back just enough to speak, her breath hot against my sensitive skin.
“You taste so good here,” she says, her voice thick with desire. “So clean, so tight.” Then she’s diving back in, her tongue circling my rim before pushing inside again. She lets go of my ass and then I feel her hand sliding up between my thighs, her fingers sliding into my soaking pussy as her tongue continues its assault on my asshole.
I cry out, my hips bucking back against her face and then forward into her hand as she slides two fingers deep inside me. The dual sensation is overwhelming—her tongue circling and probing my tight rim while her fingers fuck my cunt. I’m caught between two points of pleasure, not knowing whether to push back against her tongue or forward onto her fingers. She solves this dilemma by reaching around with her other hand to find my clit, rubbing tight circles against the swollen bud.
I whine and moan as she increases her pace, her fingers pumping into me faster as her fingers press against my clit. Her mouth is relentless, her tongue swirling and licking and thrusting into me. The pleasure builds until I’m shaking, my legs barely holding me up—and then I cry out as the orgasm washes over me.
My knees give out, and I slump forward, catching myself against the shower wall. Ariadne stands, her hands stroking my back, and then she pulls me close, holding me while the aftershocks of my orgasm ripple through me. She takes my hand and guides it to her warm, slick pussy, helping me find the spot where she wants to be touched. “Come on, Santiago. Give a little.” She sounds amused. I turn around to watch her as I finger her, let her grind down on the heel of my hand, and her fingers find their way back to my clit again. We stand there with the water thundering around us, staring into each other’s eyes as she coaxes another orgasm from me before she finally gives in to her own pleasure, like a shock running through her as she grabs my hand, holding it in place as she rocks through a long, intense climax.
When we finally step out and dry off, I feel both exhausted and exhilarated, wrung out in the best possible way. We dress in companionable silence, stealing glances and small touches as if to reassure ourselves that what happened was real.
“That was...” Ariadne—Sarah?—begins, then shakes her head, a small smile playing at the corners of her mouth. “I don’t have words for what that was.”
“Really fucking hot?” I suggest, grinning.
She laughs, a sound so rare and precious it makes my heart swell. “That’s an understatement.” She finishes lacing up her sneakers, then looks up at me. “And talk about a workout. I’m starving . We should grab dinner.”
“Yeah we should.” As we leave the training area, I reach out and take her hand.
She looks down at our intertwined fingers.
“Is…this okay?” I ask.
She nods. “I’m just not…I’m not good at this. But I want to try. With you.” She takes a deep breath. “Look, I’m afraid of feeling this much. It goes against everything I was trained to be. But I’m more afraid of not feeling it.”
I lace our fingers more firmly together. “We’ll figure it out together. One day at a time.”
“One day at a time,” she echoes, squeezing my hand. She smiles again, and the sight of it fills me with a fierce joy.
But we’ve barely made it halfway down the corridor when Enzo comes running toward us, his expression urgent.
“Hey!” he calls. “Hadria’s called everyone to the war room, right now. Something big’s happening.”
Ariadne and I exchange a glance, our momentary peace shattered by the intrusion of reality. Without another word, we follow Enzo, our fingers still intertwined as we make our way there. The war room is already packed when we arrive, Hadria sitting on her throne and every other member having taken their seats at the table. The recruits mill around, finding places to stand, and we join them.
“Now that we’re all here,” Hadria begins, her voice cutting through the murmurs, “I have an announcement. Thanks to Johnny de Luca’s intelligence networks, we’ve located the final trafficking operation in the Mancini network. The last piece of the puzzle.”
A ripple of excitement runs through the room. This is what we’ve been working toward—the culmination of weeks of effort, of blood and sacrifice.
“They’re operating out of a large lakeside estate,” Hadria elaborates, her voice carrying easily. “Our sources indicate they’re planning a transfer tomorrow night—moving their ‘merchandise’ to New York.”
The clinical way she describes it makes my stomach turn, but I understand the necessity of emotional distance. These kinds of operations require clear heads, not righteous fury—no matter how justified that fury might be.
“So we move tomorrow night,” Hadria continues. “Teams will be assigned in the morning briefing. I want everyone rested and prepared. This is our chance to shut down this operation for good.”
As the room begins to empty, Hadria catches my eye. “Santiago and Graves—stay behind.”
Ariadne and I exchange a glance but remain behind as the others filter out. When the room is empty save for Hadria, Lyssa, Scarlett, and us, Hadria gestures for us to approach.
“Given what happened today to both of you,” she says, her voice softer than it was during the briefing, “I’d understand if either of you wanted to sit this one out.”
I shake my head immediately. “No. I want to be there. For Mari.”
Hadria turns her gaze to Ariadne. “And you?”
Ariadne straightens her spine, her expression resolute. “I’ll be there. Sunny and I…well, we’ll have each other’s backs.”
“And the team’s,” I add quickly. “And I won’t let personal feelings compromise the mission. I won’t…lose control.”
Hadria studies us for a long moment, her gaze moving from our faces to our still-clasped hands and back. Then she nods, seemingly satisfied with what she sees.
“Alright.” She turns to Lyssa. “Add them to Delta. I want our best on point for this.”
Lyssa nods. “Already planned on it, Boss.”
As we turn to leave, Scarlett steps forward. “Get some rest,” she advises us, her voice gentle. “Tomorrow will be a long day.”
As we leave the war room, I take Ariadne’s hand again. It feels so natural, like we should always have been like this: lovers instead of rivals.
“Are you really okay with this?” Ariadne asks quietly as we head downstairs. “I’ll believe you if you tell me you are—but I want to make sure.”
I squeeze her hand. “I’ve never been more certain of anything. This is what I came here to do. And now, I have something Mari never had—backup.” I stop and look into her eyes. “We do this together. Right? No matter what happens, we face it side by side.”
She nods, her expression softening. “Side by side.”