pte

eal's En

t before conquest. Their first time was late one winter evening, the fire crackling in their cabin upstate. Victor had kissed her slowly, trailing fingertips

hat made her tremble: the brush of lips beneath her jaw, the curve of her lower back. But over the years,

ion. Their first encounter after years apart happened in the backseat of a car, thunder pounding on the roof, her ski

shadows, against walls. When she moaned, he didn't quiet her he encouraged her. Their trysts were fevered confessions, sweat-slick truths whispered into

hts behind her words. He challenged her, teased her intellect and poked her dignity u

Victor's lips on her shoulder reminded her of George's teeth on her

apping a body he knew too well. And she let him. She gasped

er hair. Victor tuck

ed filth. Victo

d a piec

he sheets there knew her better than she wanted to admit. And each time she returned to Victor's

roud of what

n't ready to

ly now arrived with delays. Her eyes darted too often, her phone always facedown

ey sat on the veranda where she used to lean into his shoul

e asked suddenly, his

t. "No," she whis

s fingers brushing hers. She didn't

a woman carrying a weight. And I want to be what

n wall, the moonlight caught the corner

overwhelmed,

didn't believe

hed again lips pursed, cigarette burning. S

closer, like a storm on