Chapter Thirty Tristan
Iwatched Adriana curl up on the couch, her short dark hair framing her face like the halo of a saint who had seen too much. The weight of our world faded away as she bit her lip in anticipation.
“Can you go again?” I asked, already knowing the answer from the fevered look in her eyes.
“Tristan,” she breathed out, her voice laced with hunger and a hint of desperation, “all I think about is you fucking me.”
I positioned myself behind her again, feeling the heat from her body beckoning me closer. My hands found her swollen belly, a sign of the new lives we created—lives that were both a miracle and a complication in the treacherous world we inhabited. As I cradled the promise of our future, I slid into her slowly.
“Tristan...” Her voice broke, a whisper of vulnerability that clung to the charged air of the hideaway apartment. My name on her lips felt like a prayer, an invocation of raw need that resonated deep within my bones.
I eased into a rhythm, the kind that whispered of patience and reverence. Adriana’s breath hitched as I moved within her, my hand splayed across her abdomen, feeling the rise and fall with each shared breath. The late afternoon light failed to penetrate the curtains of our Boston hideaway, granting us the anonymity that twilight offered—a shield from prying eyes and the ever-looming gaze of the Callahan Domain.
“Tristan,” she murmured again, the sound laced with pleasure that echoed off the walls of our secret sanctuary. My grip tightened as I set a deliberately slow pace.
Her back arched slightly, pressing against me, inviting a deeper connection. Her skin was warm beneath my touch, a contrast to the cool leather of the couch. She moaned softly, a crescendo of ecstasy building within her as I maintained the slow, purposeful cadence that centered wholly on her satisfaction.
“Good?” I managed to ask, my voice rougher than I intended, betraying the intensity of my own pleasure.
“More than good,” she gasped out, her words punctuated by another low moan that shot straight through me. I could feel her body tensing, her muscles clenching around me as I guided her towards the brink. Her hands clutched at the cushions, her fingers digging into the soft fabric as if anchoring herself to the moment.
“You close?”
“Tristan, please,” she pleaded, her tone threaded with a raw need that matched my own.
“Anything for you, Ade,” I promised, my movements becoming more insistent, fueled by the desire to watch her unravel beneath me. Her response was immediate; she writhed with abandon, her body greeting every thrust with an eagerness that spilled over into impassioned cries.
Fuck. I had to think about anything else not to come right then and there. I focused on how the leather of the couch felt under me, on how warm my skin was, on anything other than the way Adriana’s body was making me feel.
“Jesus,” Adriana said.
I put my hand on her clit and rubbed it softly, lightly. “Can I give you another orgasm?”
She laughed. “Honestly, I don’t know.”
“Can I try?”
“Yes.”
So I did. I kissed the nape of her neck, the soft skin there salty with sweat. My fingers on her clit grew more insistent as I felt her body begin to convulse beneath me, the waves of pleasure rolling through her in a rhythm that matched the pounding of our hearts.
“Fuck!” Adriana’s voice was a husky whisper now, her cries muffled as she buried her face into the pillow to stifle the sounds of ecstasy that danced on her tongue.
I felt her tighten around me, a sure sign that she was close again. With each push of myself into her, she met me halfway, the slick sound of our connection punctuating the air. I leaned down, my lips tracing the line of her neck as I wetted my fingers with her spit.
“Look at me,” I commanded softly, and she opened her eyes, her gaze laced with a vulnerability that tugged at something deep within me. I circled her clit with fervor, and her body responded in kind, a crescendo of pleasure building within her.
Then it happened—an overwhelming wave that crashed over her. Adriana’s climax tore through her with such intensity that tears spilled from her eyes, streaking down her cheeks in silent testimony to the depth of her release. In that moment, she was perfect in her rawness, her form shuddering.
I should have been surprised when she cried out, a soft gasp escaping her lips, not from another surge of ecstasy but from a different release entirely—a little pee escaping as her body quaked uncontrollably from the force of her orgasm. After a quick moment of surprise, what filled me was an inexplicable sense of pride.
“Tristan...” Her voice was a breathy whisper, laden with emotions that neither of us fully understood.
“Shh, I’ve got you.” My words were meant to comfort, to reassure her that there was no judgment here, only us, only this—
“Sorry,” Adriana murmured, her cheeks flushed with a mixture of embarrassment and the afterglow. She looked up at me through those dark lashes, a hint of vulnerability in her gaze that tugged at something deep within my chest.
“Hey,” I said, chuckling as I brushed a stray lock of hair from her face, “don’t be. You’re pregnant, remember? Stuff like this happens.” My grin was wide, teasing, trying to ease her discomfort. “Besides, I can’t believe I managed to get you to do that.”
Her eyes narrowed playfully, a spark returning as she gave me a gentle hit on the chest. “You’re terrible,” she accused, but the laughter in her voice told me she was far from mad.
“Only for you,” I shot back, catching her hand and planting a kiss on her knuckles. The air felt lighter between us, the tension replaced with the ease of our banter.
Cradling her face, I looked into her eyes, ensuring she felt the weight of my next words. “Ade, I promise you, there’s no going back for me. I won’t get cold feet again. I’m all in.” The seriousness of my vow hung between us, an oath that went beyond the words themselves.
Her gaze searched my face. “We can talk about it later,” she said.
The late afternoon sun was fading, casting the hideaway apartment in a warm, almost ethereal hue. We were cocooned in this temporary sanctuary within Boston, far from the prying eyes of The Callahan Domain and the constant undercurrents of danger that came with it.
I moved on, not because I didn’t care, but because right now, she needed tenderness more than promises. I reached for her hand, turning it palm up to reveal a silver ring she’d worn since high school.
“Your fingers are getting swollen,” I observed, tracing the outline of the ring gently. It was a small thing, but noticing these details mattered. It showed I paid attention, that I cared about every part of her life.
“Yeah,” she admitted, a hint of frustration in her voice. “It’s been like this for a while.”
“Let’s get it resized then,” I offered, trying to keep the mood light. “You shouldn’t have to be uncomfortable.”
A wistful smile crossed her lips. “I hope they won’t be swollen forever.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle, the sound rumbling from deep within my chest. “With any luck, we’ll get back to normal soon—whatever our normal is.”
Adriana laughed too, the sound mingling with mine, a brief harmony against the dissonance of our lives. And for that fleeting moment, as the day gave way to night, our laughter felt like a promise of better days to come, a reminder that amidst the chaos, we had each other. And that was worth fighting for.
The buzz of my phone broke the spell, the vibration in the pocket of my discarded jeans on the floor enough to startle me.
I leaned over and kissed Adriana, a soft press of lips that promised more but had to wait. “I know we have a lot to unpack,” I murmured, pulling back just enough to look into her eyes, “but could you stay here tonight? We’ll talk when I come back.”
“Talk?” she asked, one eyebrow arching in that way that told me she was ready to peel away layers of any excuse or evasion.
“Yeah,” I replied, standing up and fishing the phone from my pocket with a sigh. “Sean’s got a report on Ronan’s dealings. I need to hear it straight from him.”
“Yeah,” I replied, standing up and fishing the phone from my pocket with a sigh. “Sean’s got a report on Ronan’s dealings. I need to hear it straight from him.”
“Right now, Ade, I’m suspicious of everyone.” The words left a bitter taste in my mouth, souring the charged atmosphere between us. I got dressed as I spoke. It wasn’t what I wanted to say to her, not now, but…
“Even me?” Her question was quiet, almost lost in the growing darkness of the room.
“Never you,” I answered quickly, fiercely, because it was true. In a world where shadows clung to every corner and loyalty was as fickle as the flickering streetlights outside, my faith in her remained unshaken. That was the kind of truth that didn’t need light to be seen.
“Good.” Adriana nodded, her dark hair catching the last strips of daylight that dared to stretch into the room. “Because I’m staying, not for your peace of mind, but because this is where I want to be.”
I couldn’t help the smile that tugged at my lips even as I pocketed the phone and moved toward the door. Her resolve was a force all its own, and it bolstered me more than she might realize.
“Lock up behind me,” I said, pausing at the threshold. “And don’t answer if anyone comes knocking, okay? Only open up for me.”
“Tristan.” She stood, crossing the few steps between us with purpose. “Come back to me in one piece. That’s non-negotiable.”
“Of course,” I said. “Wouldn’t dream of anything less.”