Chapter 30
Vulcan
Snowflakes dance in the air as Karina and I pull up to our rented cabin nestled in the mountains just west of the Hudson.
She’s got this childlike wonder in her eyes, lighting up at the sight of the snow-covered trees.
We cart our duffels inside and shake the snow off our boots, relieved to find it adequately heated.
“Wow, Vulcan, this place is incredible,” Karina breathes, her eyes full of awe. While the place is cozy, it’s got the amenities of a luxury getaway. Plush sofas, a roaring fireplace, and an entire wall of windows offering a panoramic view of the winter wonderland.
“Only the best for you,” I say.
The real reason I wanted to get away was so I could come clean to Karina.
Our conversation the other day where we spoke earnestly about our future—possibly bringing kids into the mix—made the weight I’ve been carrying on my chest feel crushing.
It’s overshadowed every precious moment we shared for the past year, and not a day has passed where I haven’t thought to tell her.
I still remember the look on her mother’s face when she signed the contract.
The greed and satisfaction made my stomach turn—still does.
But I did it for Karina, didn’t I? To give her peace, to let her live without that toxic presence looming over her life.
Her mother was a leech who never let up, always ready to tear her down, taking and taking until there was nothing left.
So, I stepped in. I had to step in, to be the protector, the fixer.
But what does it make me, now that I’ve kept it hidden?
Everyone knows the truth now except Karina.
My wife—the one person who should never be kept in the dark.
I still remember that night two months into our marriage when she stood in our bedroom doorway, arms crossed, eyes blazing.
“Tell your family about our arrangement, or I'm sleeping in the guest room until you do.” By sunset that same day, we sat in the living room on FaceTime with Val and my mother, and I told them everything. How we’d met through Minji, how the arrangement had started as a business deal, how we’d fallen in love despite ourselves.
My mother had gone silent for a long moment before bursting into tears of joy.
“The beginning doesn't matter,” she managed between sobs, “I see the love between you now, and that's everything.” She followed this with a string of colorful expletives about my father. Val just smirked and whispered, “I had a feeling this start of it was a little too suspicious. But it worked out for both of you, and that’s what matters.”
But this secret about her mother? This feels different. Heavier. More dangerous to the foundation we've built”
Vulcan, come see the view from here!” Karina calls out.
I join her, slipping an arm around her waist as I look out at the endless stretch of white peaks against the clear blue sky.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” she asks, and I can only nod, my throat feeling tight.
God, this is going to be harder than I imagined.
“Hey, what’s up?” She tilts her head back and looks up at me, and my breath catches.
“You seem… distant. Are you really okay with being away from work for a weekend?” she teases.
“Work hasn’t even crossed my mind. I’m just thinking about how lucky I am,” I settle on, needing a little more time to think of the right words.
Later. I’ll tell her later.
“I’m lucky, too,” she whispers, turning slightly within the circle of my arm to face me, her hands finding their way up to my chest. “If something is bothering you, you don’t have to carry it all by yourself. I’m here for you. You know that, right? I’ve got you.”
I look down into her eyes, so full of concern for me, and there’s that familiar tug of conflict again.
On one hand, there is a deep-seated desire to protect her from everything harsh and ugly, including the reality of my arrangement with her mother.
And on the other, there’s this desperate need to lay it bare and obliterate any secrets between us.
But now is not the time, not when she’s looking at me like I hung the moon.
“If you must know…” My voice trails off as I pretend to think long and hard.
Karina waits patiently, her gaze never wavering from mine. Her fingers gently stroke my beard as if to encourage me. After the trip, I swear.
I muster a smile, focusing on the beauty of the moment rather than the weight of everything left unsaid.
“I’m ready to devour you all over this cabin.
” She gasps as I push her gently against the frost-lined window, my hands roaming over her body.
I don’t ever want to use sex to avoid problems, but I can’t help myself.
With a low growl, I claim her mouth. My tongue explores every inch as if I’m a man starved and she is my sustenance. She moans into my mouth, her hands tangling in my hair as she pulls me closer. I trail my lips down her neck, biting and sucking at the sensitive skin, leaving marks.
“Wait.” She pulls back, eyes narrowed. “You’re not trying to distract me, are you?”
I take off my coat and then hers. “This is what I need right now,” I confess. “To feel close to you. To forget everything else just for a moment.”
Her eyes soften, understanding flickering within them.
“Then let’s forget the world together.” Her fingers trace patterns down my back, and I can feel her hot breath against my ear as she whispers, “I want you to fuck me hard and fast.”
We race to undress, and I lift her effortlessly, her legs wrapping around my waist. I carry her toward the roaring fire, thankful for the staff I hired to set things up before we arrived.
Our bodies grind against each other in anticipation.
I lower her gently onto the plush rug, my hands roaming over her body as she arches her back.
I can feel her wetness against my fingers as I tease her clit, her moans growing louder with each passing moment.
She grabs my cock, her hand gripping it tightly as she guides it toward her entrance.
I thrust into her hard and fast, as requested, and she begins chanting my name, over and over again.
I pound into her, each thrust pushing her closer to the edge.
She screams out in pleasure as she reaches her climax, her body convulsing around my cock.
My own orgasm builds, my muscles tensing as I thrust deeper.
“Swallow it,” I command, pulling out and stroking my cock.
Karina doesn’t need to be told twice. She sits up, opening her mouth and taking me inside, swallowing every last drop as I find my release.
Another thing I learned about Karina: she loves the taste of my cum. She never turns down a chance to swallow, and I love that.
We lie there in the firelight, and I couldn’t tell you how much time passes. When she stretches her arms overhead, her body glowing, I feel a spark of desire at the base of my spine.
“Turn around,” I groan.
Karina smirks and lazily turns to face away from me on her hands and knees. I rise up and run my hands down her back, admiring the curve of her spine and the swell of her hips, my cock hardening again.
Her pussy glistens with wetness, begging to be fucked. I waste no time entering her, sliding in easily. Her warm walls gripping me feels indescribable, and I groan in pleasure as I begin to thrust.
“Mmmm. Fuck, you feel so good, baby,” I moan, grabbing on to her hips and pulling her toward me as I lose myself in her. She moans and gasps, her body rocking forward and back.
I don’t know how long we’re in this position, but eventually Karina’s arms give out, and she collapses onto her elbows, changing the angle, sucking me deeper inside. “Oh god, right there,” she gasps.
I reach around to rub her clit as I continue to drive into her. Her inner walls flutter around me as she approaches another orgasm. “Come for me again, baby,” I urge her as she cries out, her body giving out.
My orgasm builds once again, my muscles tensing as I wrap my form around hers. But I want more, need to taste her on my tongue, so I pull out of her with a low growl, reveling in her whimpers. I flip her on her back and spread her legs wide, tilting her hips up to give me better access.
I dive in, my tongue lapping at her clit.
She lets out a gasp as I suckle on her sensitive clit, my hands gripping her thighs tightly.
I can feel her body trembling beneath me, her hips bucking as she chases her release.
I continue to tease her with my tongue, sliding it up and down her slit before dipping it inside her.
Her walls clench around it, her body begging for more.
I replace my tongue with a single finger, slowly pumping in and out of her as I move up to lick and suck at her clit.
She lets out a low moan, her body writhing. I increase my pace, my tongue and finger working together to take her to the brink.
“I’m close… I’m so fucking close, Vulcan,” she pants.
With one final flick of my tongue, she lets out a scream as her orgasm crashes over her. I continue to lap at her pussy, savoring the salty sweetness of her release. I pull away, giving her a moment to catch her breath before I enter her.
“I fucking love you.” I lean down to capture her lips, moving again, slowly at first, savoring the sensation of her. Everything about this woman reduces me to my baser instincts. Her moans fill my ears, spurring me on as I gradually pick up the pace.
Her hands drift down to where our bodies are joined. She rubs her clit, her breaths coming out in quick gasps. The sight of her pleasuring herself while I’m buried deep inside her is enough to make my control start to slip.
“Vulcan… fuck… fuck me.”
I reach down to intercept her hand with mine, our fingers tangling together as we work to stimulate that sensitive bundle of nerves.
Her inner walls quiver around me, and I know she’s nearly there.
With a few more purposeful thrusts, I watch her face contort with pleasure, and the tension at the base of my spine coils tighter.
And then she’s there, crying out as another powerful orgasm rips through her body.
The sight of her coming undone beneath me sends me over the edge and I release deep inside her, my moans mingling with hers.
We collapse onto the rug, a tangle of limbs and labored breaths.
After what seems like an eternity, Karina shifts under me and looks up with those eyes that seem to always be filled with care and tenderness. Just for me.
And there goes that sharp pang of guilt.
“I never thought I would be this happy.” She yawns. “Ever.”
“You should sleep,” I tell her, smoothing a lock of hair away from her face. I fear I might fuck up this moment and tell her the truth if she doesn’t.
“Mmm.” She hums in agreement but doesn’t close her eyes just yet. Instead, she captures my hand and kisses my knuckles. A tender act that nearly breaks me. “I love you.”
Settling beside her on the rug, I pull a throw blanket over our exhausted bodies and wrap my arms around her. “I love you more.”
Karina falls into a peaceful slumber, her breathing soft and steady against my chest. I gaze down at her, tracing the lines of her face with a gentle finger, longing to protect her from the harsh truths.
But I know I will no longer be a protector in her eyes once I tell her, and that scares the shit out of me.