le

call, the puppet mas

Antonio's voice is husky, his

"She can wait. Tonight, I

in deep. I'm half-naked in a hotel suite wi

the glass wall, but inside me, somethin

rying. But all I feel is this heat curlin

s in my head, "Smile f

ht, I

tonio is still

at me lik

ile through the fury b

ough. But she'll never

e staged photos. It's not even Rowa

rink me. Dim me. Strip

eyes locked on his lips, i

g for permissi

ut he lets me. He relaxes his hands, with his

on either side. My

Antonio. I want to be touched like

up my back on in

't pull

fire," he says, wit

lse j

I want

ut right now, I want the flames

s the corner of h

of his shirt and find th

Just watch with an u

I whisper. "The way you lo

aw ti

ht," I brea

r, fingertips trailing over warm s

tiff

woman twice," I whisper, with a stea

I want to

're dangerous," Antonio

he, grinding slowly against him.

yes d

you're doing," he mur

brushing over his mouth, "bu

around my waist. "

m. I cling to him as he carries me to the bed and

k, but his body is all fire and co

. It's possession, def

sure, like he's trying to

lost back into place, not

to feel anything other than the rage an

for a seco

of his pocket-of cour

ond

is mouth claims mine, I feel his restraint. His touch say

m in control, th

t of me

raveli

slides into me, I

ent, everything

**

My throat is dry

d. The bed is

see a glass of water. Unde

eady know, whatever it says

illow, hoping he

remember

hisper, sitting up and clut

hrough the tall window

iverse is watching.

pounds

ly as I move-it's a r

and he gave me a

preads her legs for

and proposes to someone e

x-hu

ss in a hurry, and pack every

y bag, not caring if th

o badly I nearly d

of shame out

re me a glance, but t

his throat and sh

seeing women lea

irst. I won't

ll stings

one night. That I'll forge

o the only plac

hand, I scroll th

at the n

to strip

ht now, I need someone wh

gs, Cara answers, her voice g

... it's ba

, stifling a sob. "I didn

pause. A s

Cara asks, this t

r a day, maybe two. I'll

t home,

omach

key?" I ask, a

c box outside. Like old times,

oice cracks.

person I turn

t's e

and head to

andles and old perfume

gs and collaps

s. My chest

ing crashes

ella. Calis

silently do

t myself cry, the kind of sob tha

sounds like ye

ean to fa

e my eyes f

of everything

he cushion. I d

phone on the coffee

r it-unkno

What if it's Marcel

it bac

it r

sto

n-d

te

d turn th

breath catche

God," I