Chapter 3

Alex stirs first. Late morning winds flutter the curtains. He rubs his eyes and sees the books and journals splayed across the floor, in the exact way he’d left them. This time, he hadn’t bothered to replace the book with retainer sacrifice in it. He rolls the other direction. Charlotte snores softly, but his motion seems to have given her some life. She holds her rhino, clearly having slept peacefully. He moves closer and plants kisses on her shoulder. She snorts awake, feels him close, smiles and snuggles up to him. “Hey sexy,” she says with a self-conscious laugh. She almost feels a need to congratulate him. She used to think she had orgasms, but nothing before compares. Last night, she experienced something at another level, at least three times. She rolls over to face him and kisses him.

“Hey yourself.” He looks her over. Everything about her looks new. Nothing has changed, of course, but he’s never been so close to the most intimate parts of her, so directly aware of her arousal, as he was last night. She’s generally restrained in her expression, even in bed. Last night, he had experienced the release of every inhibition with all of his senses. The way her legs tightened around his head. Her hands tugging his hair mercilessly. Her unchecked moans. Her sweet taste. Some of it physically hurt, but he didn’t mind. Every little scratch and bruise is evidence of how he’d driven her body to uncontrollable spasms. Until last night, he hadn’t known she was capable of that much sexual energy and joy.

She breathes in his arms for a minute, only half awake. Her head hurts slightly, but not terribly. The cool air is soothing. Some of last night is blurry from the whiskey, but what’s clear is the long time he spent between her legs, focusing entirely on her, before eventually getting on top. Some of what she can access in her brain feels like a dream. Some of it might well be. It takes her a minute before she’s meaningfully conscious, and still isn’t sure how much is reality.

She drops her rhino and lifts her body. It’s heavy, but she feels motivated. She straddles his waist. She fell asleep naked, so only his pajama pants separate the two of them. She can sense him harden under her. But she doesn’t intend to have sex with him again. She’s just seeking his reaction. It’s sexy how quickly he responds when he looks at her.