Chapter 17 #3
Something broke open in Astoria’s expression, the last of her defenses giving way. She surged forward, capturing Miller’s mouth in a kiss that tasted like desperation and relief.
Miller caught her, her hands sliding into Astoria's hair, pulling her closer.
The kiss was different from their others; it was harder, more urgent, with an edge of fear underneath that made everything sharper.
Astoria's fingers dug into Miller's hips, gripping tight enough to leave marks, and Miller didn't care.
She wanted the marks. She wanted proof that this was real, that whatever was coming couldn't erase what they had right now.
They stumbled backward, Miller's shoulders hitting the window she'd been leaning against. The glass was cool through her blouse, a sharp contrast to Astoria's heat pressing against her chest. Astoria's mouth left hers, trailing down her jaw, her neck, her teeth grazing the spot that always made Miller gasp.
“I need—” Astoria’s voice was ragged against her throat. “I need to feel you.”
“I need you.” Miller’s fingers fumbled with the buttons of Astoria’s silk blouse, the fabric slipping like it had a mind of its own, too smooth under her trembling hands.
She yanked harder, popping one button free, and Astoria let out a low chuckle that vibrated against Miller’s collarbone.
The sound cut through the frantic haze in Miller’s mind, grounding her just enough to keep going.
Rachel’s words echoed faintly, but fuck that. Denying it had been easy; wanting Astoria was impossible to ignore.
Astoria’s hands were already at Miller’s skirt, hiking it up roughly over her hips, bunching the material until it sat like a twisted belt.
Miller gasped as Astoria’s thigh pressed between her legs, the tailored slacks rough against her stockings.
She could feel the heat radiating from Astoria, that commanding presence now laser-focused entirely on her.
Miller clawed at the blouse, finally tearing it open to expose the lace bra underneath, black and stark against Astoria’s skin.
She dragged her nails down Astoria’s sides, light scratches that made Astoria hiss and arch closer.
“Fuck, Miller,” Astoria muttered, her breath hot on Miller’s neck.
She nipped at the skin there, hard enough to leave a mark, and miller’s head thunked against the window.
The glass fogged slightly from her exhale, the harbor lights blurring into a distant smear outside.
But all she could focus on was Astoria’s mouth, the way it sucked and bit, sending jolts straight to her core.
Miller’s hands roamed lower, fumbling with Astoria’s belt, the metal buckle clinking as she wrestled it free.
She shoved her hand inside the slacks, past the waistband of Astoria’s underwear, and found her already wet, her slick fingers sliding easily over the swollen folds.
Astoria bucked against her touch, a sharp moan escaping as Miller circled her clit with urgent strokes.
It was messy and desperate, no finesse, just the raw need to feel Astoria unravel by her hands.
Miller’s own pussy throbbed in response, aching for the same attention.
She pinned Astoria’s hip against the window with her body, their work clothes a tangled barrier that only heightened the frenzy.
Astoria’s hand mirrored hers, slipping under Miller’s skirt to cup her through damp panties, her fingers pressing hard against the fabric.
“More,” Miller demanded, her voice breaking.
She kissed Astoria fiercely, their tongues clashing in a wet, open-mouthed battle that left them both panting.
Astoria’s free hand grabbed Miller’s wrist, guiding her fingers deeper, two sliding inside with a squelch that made Miller’s thighs clench.
She pumped them in and out, feeling Astoria’s walls tighten around her, hot and pulsing.
Astoria shoved Miller’s panties aside, her fingers plunging straight into Miller’s pussy without warning.
The stretch burned so good that Miller’s knees nearly buckled, and she bit down on Astoria’s lower lip to stifle a cry.
They ground against each other, her back against the cool window, her skirt rucked up and Astoria’s blouse half-off.
Miller’s shirt hung open, her bra pushed up to expose one breast, her nipple hard and begging.
Astoria leaned down to suck it into her mouth, teeth grazing the peak while her fingers curled inside miller, hitting that spot that made stars burst behind her eyelids.
Miller’s hand sped up, her thumb rubbing Astoria’s clit in tight circles, and Astoria’s moans vibrated against her skin, muffled but insistent.
The edge built fast, too fast. Miller was already close, her body wound tight from the day’s tension.
She clawed at Astoria’s back, her nails digging through the remnants of the blouse, leaving red trails she could feel under her palms. Astoria broke away from her breast with a pop, capturing Miller’s mouth again, kissing her like she was starving.
Their hips rocked in sync, fingers thrusting deeper.
Miller came first, shattering with a muffled scream into Astoria’s mouth, her pussy clenching around those fingers.
Waves of heat crashed through her, legs shaking as she rode it out, still working Astoria relentlessly.
Astoria followed seconds later, her body tensing and a guttural “fuck” tearing from her throat as she shuddered. Miller felt the pulse around her fingers, the gush of wetness coating her hand, and she kept stroking until Astoria slumped forward, her forehead resting on Miller’s shoulder.
But it wasn’t enough.
The yearning clawed at Miller’s insides, feral and unrelenting. She pulled her fingers free, slick and shining, and smeared them across Astoria’s lips before kissing her again, tasting her.
“Bed,” she growled, shoving Astoria toward it.
They stumbled across the room, shedding clothes in a haphazard trail, and Miller kicked off her heels mid-stride. By the time they hit the mattress, they were stripped down to their panties and disheveled shirts, their bodies crashing together in a tangle of limbs.
Miller flipped them so she was on top, straddling Astoria’s hips, grinding her soaked pussy against Astoria’s thigh.
The friction was electric, but she craved more; she needed to consume her.
She pinned Astoria’s wrists above her head with one hand, the other yanking down Astoria’s bra to expose both breasts.
They were full, the nipples dark and erect, and Miller dove in, sucking one while pinching the other, rolling it between her fingers until Astoria writhed beneath her.
“God, yes,” Astoria panted, her lithe body flexing as she tested Miller’s grip.
But Miller held firm, releasing her wrist only to trail her hand down Astoria’s stomach, dipping into her panties again.
This time, she went slower, teasing the entrance before sliding three fingers in, stretching her wide.
Astoria’s back arched, a whine escaping her lips, and Miller fucked her with deliberate strokes, watching her face contort with pleasure.
Astoria’s hands were free now, and she used them to rip Miller’s shirt off completely, tossing it aside.
Her nails raked down Miller’s back, hard enough to sting, urging her on.
Miller leaned down for another kiss, sloppy and deep, their tongues tangling as she curled her fingers inside Astoria, her thumb flicking her clit.
But Astoria bucked up, flipping their positions with surprising strength, and pinned Miller down instead.
Astoria’s cheeks flushed and her eyes were dark with hunger as she smirked down at her.
“My turn,” Astoria said, her voice husky.
She stripped Miller’s panties off in one swift pull, exposing her fully, then shed her own.
Naked now except for the rumpled shirts hanging off their shoulders, they were a mess of sweat-slick skin and desperate touches.
Astoria’s mouth trailed down Miller’s body, kissing and biting a path over her ribs and her stomach until she reached the apex of her thighs.
But she didn’t go for the core yet. Instead, she hooked Miller’s legs over her shoulders, spreading her wide, and buried her face between Miller’s ass cheeks.
Miller’s breath hitched, shock mixing with the building heat as Astoria’s tongue licked a bold stripe over her asshole.
It was intimate in a way that made Miller’s toes curl, her hands fisting the sheets.
Astoria rimmed her hole slowly at first, her tongue circling the tight ring, wetting it with broad, flat strokes.
Miller had never felt anything like it before, and it drove her wild.
She reached down, grabbing Astoria’s hair, and pulled her closer as her hips lifted off the bed.
“Fuck, Astoria, don’t stop,” Miller gasped, her voice raw.
Astoria hummed in response, the vibration sending sparks up her spine.
She licked deeper, her tongue pressing inside just enough to tease, while one hand slid up to finger Miller’s pussy again, two fingers thrusting in rhythm with her mouth.
The sensations were overwhelming, and Miller’s body trembled, every nerve alight.
Astoria’s free hand gripped her thighs, nails digging in, holding her open as her fingers curled to hit that deep spot inside her pussy.
Miller’s orgasm built like a storm, coiling tight in her gut.
She ground against Astoria’s face, chasing it.
When it hit, it was explosive, her pussy squirting against Astoria’s palm and ass clenching around that probing tongue.
She cried out, her body convulsing as waves of pleasure ripped through her until she collapsed, boneless.
Astoria didn’t let up immediately. She withdrew her fingers, licking them clean with a satisfied groan, then kissed her way back up Miller’s body. Miller pulled her into a searing kiss, tasting herself on Astoria’s lips, pussy and ass mingled in a heady mix that made her head spin.
She pushed Astoria onto her back. This time, Miller took full control, a feral edge sharpening her movements.
She straddled Astoria’s face, lowering her pussy onto that waiting mouth.
Astoria’s hands gripped her ass, pulling her down harder as her tongue thrust between her folds.
Miller rocked against her, grinding her clit on Astoria’s nose, the sensation rough and perfect.
Astoria’s hums vibrated up into Miller’s core, muffled by her thighs, and Miller clawed at the headboard, her nails scraping the wood.
She felt Astoria’s tongue flick her clit then plunge inside.
She ground down hard as she shuddered through her release, flooding Astoria’s mouth.
Exhausted, Miller slid down, collapsing beside Astoria. Her body ached in the best way, marked by scratches and bites.
Afterward, they lay tangled together in the wreckage, breathing hard, their skin cooling in the air-conditioned room.
Astoria's head was on Miller's chest, her fingers tracing idle patterns on Miller's stomach, and for a few minutes, there was nothing but this—the weight of her, the smell of her, the steady rhythm of her breathing slowing.
Miller stared at the ceiling and let herself have it, this small pocket of quiet, this woman in her arms.
But the silence wasn’t the same as other times. Tonight, it felt like the held breath before a raging storm.
She became aware of the clock on the nightstand, its red numbers glowing in the dim room.
10:47. She'd need to leave soon. They both knew the rules, the unspoken agreement that overnight stays were too risky, too traceable.
Checkout times and credit card records and hotel staff who might remember faces if given reason to look.
Astoria’s hand stilled on her stomach. “You’re thinking too loud.”
“Sorry.”
“Don’t be.” Astoria shifted, propping her chin on Miller's chest to look at her. Her eyes were soft but shadowed, the fear not gone, just banked for the moment. “I’m thinking, too, if it helps.”
“About what?”
“About how I don’t want you to leave.” Astoria’s mouth curved, but it wasn’t quite a smile. “About how you’re going to leave anyway and how being smart feels like losing something every time.”
Miller’s chest ached. She reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind Astoria’s ear, letting her fingers linger. “I know. I feel it too.”
10:52. The numbers changed while she watched, another minute gone from their borrowed time.
Astoria must have seen her glance at the clock because she exhaled slowly and pressed a kiss to Miller's collarbone.
“Soon,” Astoria whispered.
“Yeah, soon.”
The fear was back now, settling into the spaces between them, a third presence Miller couldn't banish no matter how hard she tried.
Valerie was out there somewhere, asking questions, watching, waiting.
And Miller was lying here with the woman she was falling for, counting down the minutes until she had to let go.
She pressed a kiss to the top of Astoria's head and held her a little tighter. Not yet, she thought. Just a few more minutes.
The clock glowed red in the darkness. 10:56.
Time kept moving, whether they were ready or not.