27
Darana
The water falls with heavy, rhythmic violence over our heads, but the roar of the shower in the main house can’t drown out the pounding of my own heart.
Outside, the storm continues to lash every corner with flashes of lightning that intermittently illuminate the fogged-up windows, as if the sky itself were witnessing what’s about to happen.
There’s no room for logic or accumulated reproaches.
Steam floods the glass stall, enveloping us in a warm, dense mist that smells of the soap’s wild lavender and Camila Bennet’s damp, burning skin.
I’ve pinned her against the shower tiles, my hands on either side of her waist, devouring her mouth with a desperation that burns through my insides.
It’s a clash of lips and tongues that tastes of unresolved issues, old resentment, and pent-up desire that has been on the verge of sending us flying a thousand times over the course of all these days.
Camila lets out a wet gasp against my mouth, tangling her long fingers in my soaked hair.
She pulls my head down urgently, forcing me to deepen a kiss that is no longer subtle in the least. Her tongue seeks mine with brutal boldness, claiming me, erasing in an instant the physical and emotional distance that has separated us for so long in this remote corner of the Outback.
I feel the contrast of her body pressing against mine; our wet skin slides together in a chaotic back-and-forth motion that sets my blood ablaze to the point of pain.
Right after that, my hands automatically slide down her hips, feeling the perfect curve of her buttocks and pressing her against me so she can feel the unbearable tension taking hold of me.
“Darana…” she moans against my lips as I pull away just a few millimeters to find her neck.
I don’t let her speak. I don’t want words or logical explanations that will put our walls back up.
I bite her earlobe and leave a trail of fiery kisses down her jaw and throat, savoring the warm water sliding over her skin.
My fingers dig into her ribs, slowly moving up the sides of her torso until they reach her breasts.
Her nipples are erect, hard from the contrast between the initial chill and the heat that now consumes us.
When my palms brush against them, Camila arches her back against the tiles, letting out a muffled cry that echoes off the glass walls.
Seeing her like this, completely exposed, without the armor of her computers, her graphs, or her aloof demeanor, gives me a rush of power and possession that makes my legs tremble.
The water hits my shoulders, still sore from the blow against the fence, washing away the blood from my arm—which is now nothing more than a simple scratch—but the physical pain disappears completely in the face of the adrenaline rush.
I slide a hand over her belly, tracing the lines of her muscles until I sink my fingers into the wetness between her thighs.
Camila instinctively spreads her legs, seeking my touch, and when my finger brushes her swollen center, a hoarse moan escapes her throat.
She’s soaking wet, burning with desire, so ready that her sanity goes down the drain along with the mud.
“Look at me, Bennet,” I command, grabbing her chin to force those dark, intelligent eyes to lock onto mine. They’re clouded with desire, shining and fixed on me with devotion. “Look at me and tell me this is real. Tell me you’re not going to run off at dawn tomorrow.”
“No, Darana… God knows I’m not going anywhere,” she gasps, clutching my shoulders tightly as I pick up the pace of my fingers, caressing her clitoris with precise, circular movements that make her lose control. “Fuck me deep… please. I’m going crazy.”
I smile and slide two fingers inside her, feeling her slick, tight heat envelop me.
Camila throws her head back, and her nails scratch my wet back as she moves in time with my hand.
The rhythm becomes fast, carnal, and direct.
I hear the wet sound of our bodies, her ragged gasps, and the constant patter of the water.
Every time I sink deeper into her, Camila clings to my neck, seeking my mouth to drown her moans in desperate kisses.
The tension is so high that it feels as if the storm outside has come in with us.
Camila’s movements become erratic; I know she’s about to break.
I feel her inner walls tighten around me.
I increase the pressure, rubbing her most sensitive spot with my thumb while my fingers thrust deeply in and out.
“Darana!” she cries out my name in a broken voice as her body explodes in a violent orgasm that makes her tremble from head to toe.
Camila collapses against my chest, burying her face in the crook of my neck as the final spasms course through her. I hold her tightly beneath the hot stream of the shower, feeling her heart racing against my ribs.
Still panting, her eyes bloodshot and her hair plastered to her cheeks, she pushes me until I’m the one slamming into the shower wall. Her gaze has changed: now I see a fierce, mischievous, and brazen determination that reminds me exactly why she’s always been my most dangerous rival.
“Don’t think you’re going to get away with this,” she warns in my ear with a smile that sends shivers down my spine while her hands slide down my hips without asking permission.
She grabs my thigh and lifts my leg, forcing me to wrap my arm around her waist. The position leaves me completely exposed to the stream of water and her eager fingers.
Camila doesn’t waste any time; she positions herself between my legs and locks her gaze on mine as she slides her hand over my pussy, finding my unbridled desire.
When her fingers thrust inside me, I let out a shrill scream that pierces the steam.
Her touch is expert; she moves with a dexterity that wipes every thought from my mind.
“Do you like that, Calloway?” she purrs, moving her fingers in a sinful rhythm that makes me arch my back and dig my nails into the tiles.
“Don’t stop, Bennet… damn it,” I beg, biting my lip to keep from screaming louder.
Camila laughs—a sensual laugh that vibrates directly in my belly—and speeds up her movements. Her thumb presses against my clitoris with relentless precision while her fingers sink deep inside me, sending waves of pleasure shooting up my legs and clouding my vision.
The pleasure builds in my lower abdomen like an electric charge—heavy and delicious.
I grind desperately against her hand, craving more, giving myself over completely.
Camila grips my hips tightly, holding me steady against the wall as she continues her relentless assault, devouring me with her gaze and savoring every gasp and the way her name slips between my teeth.
“That’s it, Darana… look at me. Don’t you dare stop,” she demands.
I look at her, and the world goes dark. A wave of brutal heat explodes inside me, an electric jolt that courses down my entire back.
My body tenses to the limit as the orgasm lashes through me, leaving my nerves fried and my muscles vibrating in uncontrollable spasms. I cling to her as if she were the only solid anchor in the middle of the desert, emptying myself completely into her hands.
We remain entwined beneath the water. Camila gently lowers my leg but doesn’t pull away; she rests her forehead against mine, caressing my waist with a lazy stroke that restores my calm.
In that damp, shared silence, I feel the years of distance dissolve.
I remember the nights when I’d watch her out of the corner of my eye, the time we spent as friends that always ended with a certain spark, how much it hurt me, and how I hated her when she left.
And yet, here we are. The storm continues to rage outside, the estate remains in danger, and the ghosts of the past lurk around every corner.
But in here, enveloped in steam and with our skin burning, I know that the game of cat and mouse is over.
There are no maps that apply anymore, nor any laboratories that can explain what’s happening to us. We’re just Darana and Camila, two women who’ve finally stopped pretending they can live without each other.