Page 36 of Shattered Echoes

Our conversation tapers off, the silence stretching out. I reach for the last cookie at the same time he does, our fingers brushing. Electricity sparks between us, and before I can even think about it, I move forward, closing the distance between us. Our lips meet again, this time with an urgency that belies our earlier civility and forced nonchalance.

The tension that has been simmering reaches its boiling point. This kiss differs from the one by the waterfall, fueled by a strong feeling I can’t place. It’s raw, desperate, and filled with a yearning for something neither of us can quite explain.

Antonio's hands move with practiced ease, pulling me closer by the elbow with one hand, the other cupping my face, tilting it to deepen the kiss. My own hands tangle in his hair, pulling him closer. We stumble back, knocking over the teacups, sending hot liquid splashing onto the floor. It registers as the world around me fades away, leaving only the fire burning between us.

He pushes me against the counter, his kisses leave a trail down my neck, igniting every patch of skin his lips brush against. My breath comes out in hot, ragged gasps as his hands reach under my sweater. I arch into his touch, a needy moan escaping my lips.

"Upstairs," he says, with heat and desire in his voice.

We're a tangle of limbs as we navigate the stairs, his laughter echoing in the hallway as I trip over my own feet. The bedroom door slams shut behind us, and as quick as a whirlwind, we discard our clothes, shedding our inhibitions as well.

He pushes me onto the bed, kissing me as his hands spread my legs apart. I grow tense with anticipation as his cock brushes against my thigh, and I swallow with difficulty. Before he pushes into me, he looks at me with a mix of hunger and possessiveness that makes my heart pound into a frantic rhythm. He grins and then rubs the tip of his cock in my wetness. I shiver with desire, and his grin widens as he watches me. I feel every inch of him as he pushes into me, his breath hot in my ear as he grunts in satisfaction.

There’s nothing pretty about what comes next. Antonio slams into me, lacking all the grace of our last encounter. While trending his thrusts leaves me breathless, I love every moment. I wrap my arms around his waist, pulling him even deeper into me. Antonio interprets this as compliance and increases the urgency of his thrusts. I tilt my head back as the pleasure mounts, my neck exposed. The loud smacking noise echoes in the lit room.

He’s muttering beside my ear the whole time, but I can’t seem to make any sense of his words as he alternates between speaking and nibbling on my exposed neck. I blink, trying to force away the drowsiness that threatens to drag me into a deep sleep.

The sex is explosive, a collision of pent-up longing and unrelenting passion. We move with desperate urgency, driven by a need that transcends words. Antonio's touches are both tender and fierce, exploring every inch of my body with a subtle reverence that contrasts the animalistic look in his eyes.

He whispers sweet nothings in my ear, his voice a husky undertone, a testament to the effect our connection has on him. My breath comes out in short, ragged pants, ending in soft moans escaping my parted lips.

Just as I reach my peak, he holds me tighter and goes faster. His movement loses its rhythm, and a throaty cry rips out of him as he fidgets, his orgasm arriving a second after mine with impeccable timing. He wraps his massive frame around me, spasming as he releases the last of his seed inside me. My fingers dig into his back, my toes curling and twitching.

When he rolls off me, I can hear him breathing beside me, the sound of a comfortable melody in my ears as I drift off into sleep, worn out.

* * *

I turn to Antonio, smiling, sunlight drifting through the window.

Only, it’s not Antonio. It’s Ricardo.

Oh, God! How did he get into my house? I changed the locks, right? I’m sure I did.

We are back in our apartment in the city, the arena of my worst memories.

“You liked that, didn’t you?” he asks. “I know you did.”

I try to scramble out of bed, my heart beating. “No, no. NO! This is not real!”

He grins at me, his teeth too white to be natural. “Oh, but it is. And I’m just getting started.”

He grabs my flailing ankle with a deathly icy hand and drags me back into the center of the massive bed. I kick at him, frantic and afraid, and that annoys him.

He tugs me more forcefully, sending a jolt of pain through my joints. And then he slaps me with the back of his hand. “That’s what you get for being such a bitch. Now, shut the fuck up. You’re mine, Col. MINE.”

Tears flow down my eyes, and my cheek stings. Another scar. I want to fight him off, but I’m so, so tired. The pain would go away if I just… Let. Him. Win. Losing the will to fight, I squeeze my eyes shut as his cold, rough hands shove my legs apart.

He lets out a bitter laugh, and just before he sticks his cock inside me…

* * *

“Col? Col! Can you hear me?”

Rough hands tug on my shoulders, and I refuse to open my eyes. Just take me already, you bastard! Do I have to watch you do it?

“Wake up, Col. Can you hear me? Wake. UP!”

That voice…

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