Eight

Hot water cascaded down my body, stealing the glitter and paint I had gathered during the night. I could hear Antonio brushing his teeth on the other side of the opaque shower curtain.

"How did you know that man?" I asked when he finished, combing conditioner through my hair with my fingers.

"What man?" Antonio asked.

"The owner of La Vue," I elaborated.

He was quiet. I poked my head around the curtain to make sure he was still there. He was staring at where I had draped the overcoat on the door handle.

"Tony?"

His blue eyes jumped up to me. He walked over to me, catching a drop of water before it could fall from my chin. "His name is Sebastian. I guess we were friends when we were children, or friendly rivals, but he has since made choices that made me rethink what kind of person he really is."

"Mm, vague," I replied, reaching out from behind the curtain to tuck a lock of hair behind his ear.

"He's dangerous," Tony said, leaning into my hand. He kissed my fingertips, watching me through slitted eyelids. He grew grave for a moment. "I am serious when I say stay away from him."

I felt the sudden desire to put the entire night behind me. I let my lips brush his, my hands dripping water down his neck. "What else are you serious about?" I asked lowly.

"My water bill," he replied. "You're going to use up all the hot water."

"I suppose you better shower then," I said and disappeared back beneath the curtain. I listened to Antonio undress while I washed the conditioner out of my hair. He stepped in and tugged me against him, his hand grasping my inner thigh. I felt every inch of his chest against my back, his hips tucked snuggly against me. His other hand grasped my chest, massaging my hardening nipples underneath the spray of water.

I moaned at the combination of his touch, feeling a pounding begin low in my stomach. I squeezed my legs together, tilting my head up to look at him. A desperate lust rolled through me and I twisted around, feeling him against my stomach. I caught his lips in mine and the fire ignited. Antonio pulled me tighter against him, as if there was any space between us, and squeezed my ass. I wrapped one arm around his shoulder and dragged the other through his damp hair – dark brown now black in the water. Our lips melted like candle wax into each other. A moan escaped from low in his throat.

I felt him harden between my legs. I let my hand fall between us and began touching him teasingly, breaking away from his mouth to let my lips trail down his throat, collarbone, stomach.

"Audrey," Antonio breathed. I raised my eyes up to his face. "Are you sure? A lot happened tonight. I don't want you to do this just to cope."

Though it had started that way, my desire had developed into a hunger that begged to be sated. "I want to," I answered, laying my head against his thigh. "Do you?"

He ran his fingers through my hair. "Yes. Please, yes."

I guided him into my mouth. Antonio gripped the soap dish as I traced my tongue along the length of him. I felt him tense beneath my fingers and, with a deliberate slowness, I formed circles with my tongue against the tip of him. My name escaped his lips in a gasp. I began sucking, tasting every inch of him in my mouth. His hips moved with the same rhythm and I pulled him even deeper, feeling him against the back of my throat.

Antonio's legs shuddered and every part of him tensed as he reached the precipice of release and came down crashing, a shudder rippling through him. I swallowed then stood. My knees were red from kneeling and Antonio's breaths escaped him in rapid puffs.

"I love you, Audrey," he announced, palming the curve of my ass. I kissed his chin and laid my head against his shoulder, suddenly weary.

"I love you too," I whispered, punctuating my words with a yawn. "Can I borrow some clothes?"

He kissed my head, tracing calming circles into my hips. "Of course. Let us get out of the shower first though."

Antonio turned off the water then hoisted me up into his arms. I laughed and wrapped my legs around him, letting him carry me out of the shower and onto the bathmat. He leisurely dried me off, taking his time around my thighs, and almost made me regret not having him finish me off.

Afterwards I sat on his bed while he dug around his closet for some clothes. He produced a pair of his own underwear, sweatpants, and a long-sleeved shirt. I dressed then curled up beneath his blankets, pulling them right up to my neck.

After he dressed, Antonio flopped down on the bed beside me. I nestled closer to him, pressing a kiss into his shoulder. "I'm glad you're okay," he said, and my heart skipped a painful beat.

A knock on his bedroom door removed his attention from me. "Yes?" Antonio called.

Trevor poked his head into the room. "We have a bit of a problem that needs dealing with."

Antonio released a breath and turned back to me. "Okay, I'll be out soon."

The door closed and Antonio climbed on top of me, caging me in with his limbs. "Go to sleep, I'll be with you by the time you wake up," he said, and I pulled him into me, letting the kiss linger.

"Goodnight," I said, and he repeated the farewell, leaving me with a kiss on my forehead. The door closed behind him and I let the muffled voices of Antonio and Trevor talking lull me to sleep.