CHAPTER 17
Four days later
Micaela and Victoria slip back into their comfortable routine. One writes a chapter, the other reads it, and as soon as she”s done, she starts typing the next. They maintain a good pace and feel exhilarated. They”re not the only ones; Javier praises them each night as they send him updates on their progress.
However, today they are drained. In recent days, they”ve tried to make up for lost time and have barely left their chairs. They”ve written, read, and edited to the point of mental exhaustion that prevents them from continuing.
”I need to get out of here,” Victoria suddenly declares, removing her glasses and rubbing her eyes. ”I”m exhausted.”
”Me too. How about we take a walk to the village?” Micaela suggests, stretching her stiff muscles.
”I”ll change clothes, and then we can go. We can afford an afternoon off. We”ve made good progress and have two chapters to send to Javier tonight,” Victoria says, standing and closing her laptop quickly as if a monster might leap out.
”Give me a few extra minutes, I desperately need a shower,” Micaela requests, lifting her arms to sniff her armpits. From the grimace she makes, it”s clear she stinks.
”You”re such a pig,” Victoria laughs, a sound that to Micaela feels like music. ”Hurry up, don”t be long.”
Both women head toward the staircase leading to the second floor—one destined for the bathroom and the other for her bedroom. Twenty minutes later, Victoria is closing the front door behind them, and they set off toward the village center. From the outside looking in, one might mistake their outing for a date. Dressed simply yet with an understated elegance, it’s clear each has chosen her outfit with the other in mind.
They decide to stop at a bakery well-known in Vinuesa for its excellent coffee and irresistible homemade pastries. Javier had mentioned this, and now, craving a sugar fix, they stride confidently toward the establishment. Upon arrival, they choose a corner table offering ample privacy.
“Hello, do you know what you’d like to order?” a young, strikingly attractive waitress greets them.
“What do you recommend?” Micaela asks, her voice dripping with a friendly curiosity, “We’ve heard great things about this place.”
Victoria tenses slightly. As the waitress approaches, she notices the girl’s gaze linger a bit too long on Micaela. It irks her, the way the waitress looks at her companion, but Micaela’s flirtatious undertone stings even more.
“Oh, everything’s really good here,” the waitress replies, her eyes still on Micaela. “Especially the pastries—they’re delicious.”
“We’ll have a latte, an espresso, and two of those pastries, please,” Victoria interjects sharply, barely masking her annoyance.
The waitress frowns subtly, her attempt to hide her displeasure failing, as she scribbles down the order and turns to prepare it.
“Can you behave? You’re acting like you’re in heat,” Victoria hisses, her frustration bubbling over.
“Excuse me?” Micaela looks genuinely shocked, puzzled by Victoria’s sudden outburst.
“You’re not taking her to bed. We have an agreement, and if you break it, there will be consequences,” Victoria warns, meeting Micaela’s gaze with a fierce intensity.
“I’m lost, Victoria,” Micaela protests, her confusion growing. She can’t fathom what she’s done to provoke such a reaction.
“Here you go,” the waitress returns, setting down their order. “Latte for you, and I assume the espresso is yours,” she smiles flirtatiously at Micaela, leaving the pastries and winking before she turns to leave.
“It’s unbelievable,” Victoria mutters, abruptly standing up. “I’m leaving. My stomach is turning. You stay and enjoy yourself.”
“Are you serious?” Micaela asks, her voice filled with astonishment.
But Victoria doesn’t respond. She’s already storming out of the bakery, leaving Micaela as stunned as she is confused.
“Could I get the check, please?” Micaela calls out to the waitress, who, noticing Victoria’s swift exit, lingers nearby with a hopeful smile.
“Leaving so soon?” the waitress asks, her tone overly familiar, as if they shared a secret camaraderie.
Micaela finally understands that Victoria”s abrupt exit from the café was spurred by another surge of jealousy. While she doesn”t fully support Victoria”s reactions, the waitress”s flirtation hadn”t gone unnoticed, leaving a bitter taste in her mouth. The thought of Victoria as more than just a roommate sends an unexpected thrill through her, though she doesn”t understand why.
”I”ll pay with a card,” Micaela declares, her voice cutting through the air like a knife. The waitress blushes, taken aback by Micaela”s direct dismissal of her flirtation.
”Do you want a copy of the receipt?” the waitress asks, barely making eye contact.
”No, thank you,” Micaela replies, rising swiftly from her chair to chase after Victoria, her heart pounding with a mix of curiosity, excitement, and anger that she struggles to contain.
Victoria storms through the streets, her ears buzzing with anger. She”s never felt jealousy like this before, especially not for someone she”s just met and often finds insufferable and vain. She quickens her pace, desperate to reach the safety of their temporary home—a place that feels like a prison yet holds memories she”ll carry for a lifetime.
Suddenly, her heart skips as she hears hurried footsteps behind her and Micaela”s voice calling out. Victoria ignores her, but Micaela catches up and grabs her arm.
”Can you stop, please?” Micaela pleads, gasping for breath.
Victoria doesn”t answer; she just keeps walking.
”What the hell was that back there?” Micaela persists.
Silence.
”Fine, have it your way,” Micaela concedes as they reach their house, seeing that Victoria has no intention of discussing the matter.
Victoria storms upstairs, her frustration boiling over, and slams the bedroom door so hard it might be heard throughout the village. She can”t control her jealousy—it consumes her.
For Micaela, this is the last straw. She can”t tolerate such behavior anymore. Her usual restraint crumbles, replaced by a boldness that propels her up the stairs. She bursts through the door, finding Victoria standing by the window, trying to calm herself.
”I won”t let you throw these tantrums whenever you feel like it,” Micaela shouts.
Victoria”s eyes widen, and without thinking, she lashes out with the harsh words she”s always kept unspoken.
”You”re a slut; you can”t see a woman without losing your mind. It”s in your nature,” she spits bitterly.
Micaela”s response is a mocking laugh, which only infuriates Victoria more.
”And you”re sexually frustrated, darling. You could use a good orgasm. I”ve got my Enigma black from Lelo fully charged—it”s the best thing I”ve tried in years. I”ll lend it to you to clear up that rabid mood,” Micaela says as she opens the closet and retrieves the toy, extending it towards Victoria.
”Get that away from me!” Victoria”s voice is sharp as she bats the device across the room with such force that it skitters into a corner.
”You”re being rude,” Micaela accuses, stepping closer, the air between them charged with tension.
”And you,” Victoria retorts, her voice low and dangerous as she moves even closer, ”are utterly insufferable.” They stand so near now that each can feel the other”s breath, hot and rapid.
”And you say I”m the immature one. Yet here you are, throwing a fit of jealousy because another woman was flirting with me,” Micaela continues, her words slicing through the growing tension while Victoria breathes like a dragon about to unleash fire.
”I was not jealous,” Victoria snaps back, her teeth clenched.
”Yes, you were. Just admit that—”
Micaela doesn”t see it coming, but in a swift movement, Victoria”s right hand finds the back of her neck, pulling her into a fierce, impassioned kiss. It takes Micaela a few seconds to respond, but when she does, she presses Victoria against the nearest wall, deepening the kiss, their tongues tangling. Victoria lets out a moan so raw that Micaela”s knees weaken with the sound.
Both are experienced, but Micaela has been with women long enough to know exactly how to please them, and she”s ready to use every trick she knows. She wants Victoria to shudder with pure carnal pleasure.
”Turn around,” Micaela commands, her voice husky to the point of being unrecognizable even to herself.
Blind with pleasure, Victoria complies. She can”t recall ever being this turned on by just a few kisses. Micaela presses against her back and slides her left hand under Victoria”s shirt slowly. Her fingers trace a path across Victoria”s abdomen up to her breast, caressing with genuine devotion as her hot tongue works its way from the nape of Victoria”s neck to her earlobe. Victoria”s heart pounds so fiercely she fears it might stop; her excitement barely allows her to breathe.
Micaela rocks against her, her own arousal rubbing against Victoria”s backside as she uses her right hand to unclasp the bra and her left to tease Victoria”s painfully erect nipples.
”Are you wet? Because I”m dripping,” Micaela whispers, grabbing Victoria”s hand and guiding it inside her pants so Victoria can feel the truth of her words.
Victoria, typically not one to initiate, finds herself driven to act by a desire so intense it threatens to consume her. The older writer turns without removing her hand from Micaela”s pants. With her free hand, she unbuttons and unzips Micaela”s jeans for better access.
Micaela”s touch is skilled, and her gaze darkens further with each movement. ”Fuck me, Victoria. I want your fingers deep,” she pleads, her voice breaking with desire.
Victoria remains silent, words failing her, but she obeys Micaela”s plea without hesitation. She slides two fingers inside and begins a rhythm that Micaela finds exquisitely perfect.
”God, you do that so well. Fuck me harder; I”m going to come,” Micaela urges, pulling Victoria into a kiss. The pleasure is almost indescribable, heightened by the clash of their tongues, sending Micaela into spasms so intense she fears she might collapse.
Victoria”s heart races as Micaela”s climax shakes her so intensely that she has to wrap her arms around her and guide her gently back onto the bed. The writer, with Italian surnames etched into her identity, keeps her eyes shut, a smile of pure bliss playing on her lips—a sight Victoria can”t help but gaze at, utterly enchanted.
What follows is a blur for both of them. They spend hours tangled in the sheets, exploring each other, moving through positions that Victoria knows will leave her sore tomorrow. Micaela, relentless, brings Victoria to the heights of pleasure over and over, her moans confirming the depth of her enjoyment.
They don”t stop until movement seems like an impossible task. Both are so spent they skip the shower, crawling under the duvet instead. They sigh in unison, utterly exhausted. Micaela falls asleep instantly against Victoria”s chest, her contentment palpable. It had been a long while since she”d enjoyed herself so thoroughly. Victoria, on the cusp of succumbing to sleep herself, is jolted by a sudden thought that tightens her chest—she has fallen hard for the erotic writer, and she has no idea what this means for their future living together.