Chapter 18 #2
I nodded and he moved down my body to take off my trainers and socks. He crawled back up, stopping at my waist, and waggled his eyebrows.
‘Your turn,’ he said, his voice low, and my molten insides almost vaporised.
He slid my trousers off, taking a moment to admire my lacy thong.
‘Only you would wear La Perla under that outfit,’ he teased with a half-smile.
I didn’t want to know how Tommy knew about La Perla – I certainly hadn’t been able to afford it when we were married – but it was instantly forgotten when he pulled my knickers off with his teeth.
I giggled, wriggling playfully. Until he ran his tongue the length of my slit, flicking my clit with it and transporting me to another world – another universe – as I stilled beneath him.
Tommy had always loved going down on me – and he’d been superbly skilled at it – but this was something else and it wasn’t long before I felt myself on the brink. But like Tommy, I didn’t want to come like that. I wanted him inside me.
I dragged myself from the euphoria of Tommy’s tongue between my legs and propped myself up on my elbows.
‘Tommy.’ My voice was raw, probably from all the heavy breathing.
He lifted his head, looking at me, then licking his lips.
‘I want you. Now.’
‘Condoms?’
‘Here.’ I rolled over onto my side, opened the drawer by the bed, and pulled out a strip of condoms.
‘You came prepared,’ he teased.
‘Always,’ I replied, skipping over why I’d packed a dozen condoms for a four-day trip. I tore open a packet with my teeth and took one out.
Tommy had edged his way up the bed, kneeling before me, his erection proud. ‘You put it on,’ he pleaded. I rolled the condom onto his cock, firmly holding his shaft. He inhaled sharply but still had the wherewithal to ask, ‘Top or bottom?’
‘Me on top.’
He rolled over and I climbed on top of him, sliding onto his cock. We sighed in unison at coming together, but before either of us moved, we locked eyes again. He reached for me, cupping my cheek with his palm. ‘I’ve missed you, Ally.’
‘Me too,’ I admitted, the ache of missing him dangerously close to the surface.
But I forced it back down, desire winning over. I wanted Tommy to take me to the edge and tumble over it with me. I started rocking against him and his breath caught again.
‘Put your thumb—’ I didn’t even finish my request. He knew and he pressed his thumb hard into my clit, his other hand gripping my hips and guiding me back and forth.
I was close and I could tell he was too.
‘Hold on for me, baby,’ I commanded, and I rode him hard until my entire body was consumed, every molecule of me on fire, then erupting.
Head back, eyes shut, I rode the wave of the orgasm, perhaps the most intense I’d ever experienced, and when I finally opened my eyes and looked down, Tommy was watching me, the left corner of his mouth upturned.
‘That’s so hot, baby.’
I dipped my head to kiss him, my body still thrumming.
His lips parted beneath mine, the kiss deepening as I lost myself in the taste of him, the warmth of his mouth against mine.
His hand cradled the back of my head and I melted into him, surrendering to the kiss.
Eventually, I eased back, breathless, my only thought to give him the same pleasure he’d just given me. ‘Now you.’
I started rocking again, leaning forward so my breasts dangled enticingly.
He grabbed one in each hand, rubbing my nipples roughly with his thumbs.
We looked deep into each other’s eyes as we moved together, the years apart falling away until it was Ally and Tommy as we’d once been – bound by hope, by want, by love.
I saw it building in him, the crescendo rising, and at the last second, his eyes fluttered shut, his whole body trembling. ‘Ahh,’ he cried out. Anyone nearby would have heard him but I didn’t care. Let them.
I came to a rest, then climbed off him. He still had his eyes closed when I crawled into the crook of his arm and curled up beside him, my hand resting on his chest.
‘That was…’ he murmured.
‘It was,’ I agreed, and he chuckled softly, lifting his hand to stroke my arm.
For a long while, we lay cocooned in the quiet comfort of each other, shutting out the world and, with it, reality. Or at least, I was.
But the questions began to intrude, breaking the spell. I wanted answers – no, needed answers.
What’s really going on with Julian?
What is Tommy doing on Aetheria?
What does it mean that we’ve been together twice in two days?
And he’d said he’d missed me. Was that just the heat of the moment, or had he meant it?
‘Ally?’
‘Mmm.’ My mind jolted back to the room. ‘What?’
He chuckled again, then was quiet. ‘I wasn’t just saying that before. I have missed you.’
‘Wait, how did you know that’s what—’
‘I told you, Ally, I know you.’
I wished I could say the same – that I knew him – but the evidence suggested I didn’t know him at all. Who even was he?
I propped myself on one elbow and peered down at him.
He cracked an eyelid. ‘Yes?’
‘Why are you here?’
He stroked my arm again. ‘Well, I hope that was obvi—’
‘Not in my villa. On Aetheria.’
‘Ahh.’
‘Don’t ahh me. That’s not an answer and considering our marriage ended because you were always off somewhere solving the world’s problems—’
‘Hold on,’ he interrupted. He sat up abruptly, leaning against the bedhead, and pulled a pillow onto his lap. ‘Our marriage ended because you wanted it to – you left me.’
‘Hah! Like hell I did. It’s impossible to leave someone who was never even there, Tommy.’
Feeling exposed under his steely glare, I got up and went into the other room, picking up my hoodie off the floor. I shoved my arms into it and yanked it over my head, thankful it was long enough to cover everything I wanted covered.
‘Ally, please come back.’
I moved into the doorway and stood with my hands on my hips.
‘If you can answer one question.’
‘Go on.’
‘What’s your job – your real job? Are you some sort of spy or something? Fancy yourself as the next James Bond, do you?’
‘Well, no, because he’s fictitious.’
‘Aren’t you fictitious? A skipper – really?
I mean, yes, you can sail – very well, I might add – but you seriously want me to believe that you gave up your career as an engineer to live and work here?
’ I asked, throwing my arms out wide. ‘It’s a playground for spoilt rich people.
And you always hated this kind of excess. You said it was gauche.’
‘It is.’
‘So, what are you doing here then?’
‘I can’t tell you that.’
‘Gah!’ I shouted, digging my fists into my thighs.
I didn’t care who heard us – before when we were fucking or now that we’d moved onto the fighting portion of the evening’s program.
He got up, the pillow falling to the floor. ‘I would if I could, but I can’t – not yet, anyway. You’re already too close to this.’
‘Too close? Newsflash, Tommy – I’m caught right the bloody middle of it! So, before you fill me in on what the hell is going on with Julian and Kovalec and all the rest of it, I want you to answer me – once and for all. Are you a spy?’
‘For want of a better word, yes.’
‘Oh my god,’ I gasped – ridiculous, really, given that every sign had been pointing to yes. But hearing the truth from Tommy’s mouth shocked me to my core.
He sighed loudly, then ran a hand through his hair, mussing it to perfection.
He scouted for his jeans, which were on the floor next to me.
Still dazed from his revelation, I picked them up and tossed them to him.
He caught them one-handed – so many skills, that man – and put them on without bothering to locate his briefs.
‘Let’s sit,’ he said, passing me and heading to one of the sofas.
‘Am I going to need a drink for this?’ I asked, nerves snaking through my stomach.
‘Probably wouldn’t hurt. I’ll have one too.’
I nodded, part numb, part jittery mess, then poured a glass of wine from the bottle I’d opened earlier. I topped myself up and took both glasses to the sofa, where I sat beside Tommy. I handed him his wine, then tugged at my hoodie until it covered my thighs.
‘Okay, I’m ready,’ I said.
‘Trust me, you’re not.’ He was probably right, but what choice did I have? I was part of this now and I needed to know.
Tommy took a deep pull from his glass, then set it on the table, his expression pained. ‘Fuck,’ he muttered to himself.
‘You don’t know if you should tell me,’ I said.
‘Oh no, I know I shouldn’t.’ His eyes found mine and he gave me a loaded look. ‘Like I said before, you’re already too close to this for my liking.’
‘You’re scaring me.’
‘Good. Because all this, what you’re caught up in, it’s serious, Ally. And I really hoped you’d just do the PR stuff and leave before it all came to a head. But now Julian’s told you he’s in a bind and—’
‘Wait, how can you possibly know that? I didn’t tell you about that.’ But before he could answer, it came to me. ‘You bugged his villa. You’ve been spying on him.’
He confirmed this with a nod, and I took a fortifying gulp of wine.
‘Okay,’ I said, ‘tell me – all of it.’
‘I’ll tell you what I can, but I should probably start at the beginning.’
‘Yes, do that.’
My mind raced to catch up on everything I’d just learned, but hopefully I’d be able to piece it together on the fly. If Tommy was prepared to talk, I wouldn’t interrupt him.