"We already are."
Our hands fumbled with wet fabric, frantic and clumsy. His jacket hit the floor first, landing with a heavy, waterlogged thud. I yanked at his shirt, buttons catching against my fingers as I struggled to get to the skin beneath.
My hoodie followed, peeled off in one fluid motion that left my skin prickling with goosebumps.
We left a trail of discarded clothes from the entryway to the couch, each layer abandoned without care. Water from his hair dripped onto my collarbone, tracing cool paths down my chest.
Alex shoved at me suddenly, palms flat against my sternum. For a second, I thought he was pushing me away—perhaps he'd come to his senses and realized what a mistake this was. Instead, he pressed his fingers into my skin, pulling me closer.
I responded by capturing his wrists, pinning them against the wall on either side of his head. His breath caught in his throat, and his pupils dilated until his eyes were mostly black, rimmed with green and amber.
"Tell me you want this," I growled as I ground my hips against his. He was already rock hard, and I needed to hear it—I needed the certainty of his consent.
"I want you. I have since the moment I saw you on the beach."
I released one wrist and tugged on the other, leading us to the couch, stumbling in half-removed clothing.
We fell onto the cushions in a tangle, neither caring about wet hair or damp skin. His weight pressed against me, solid and real. I ran my hands up his back, exploring the ridge of his spine and the muscle flex beneath his skin.
He moaned against my neck. "I shouldn't want this, but I can't stop thinking about you."
I closed my eyes, letting his confession wash through me. "I know," was all I could manage. I understood deep in my gut.
I'd tried so hard to forget him and convince myself that what happened in Tahiti was only a moment of island madness.
We shoved our jeans down, and they tangled around our ankles. While his thick, erect cock pressed against my thigh, I fumbled in the side table drawer, fingers closing around a foil packet and a small bottle of lube.
Alex watched me, his breathing turning rapid and shallow. I rolled the condom on with unsteady fingers while he shifted beneath me. His legs parted in invitation, one knee braced against the couch cushions, the other hooked around my hip to pull me closer.
I gripped his hips hard enough that my fingerprints would remain afterward. He didn't flinch at the pressure. Instead, he arched up, pressing against me.
"Are you sure?" I asked, the words barely audible over our ragged breathing.
His answer was to reach between us, wrap his fingers around my shaft, and guide me to where he wanted me most. "I've been sure since Tahiti."
I pressed into him with one long, deliberate thrust, watching his face for any sign of discomfort. His eyes widened slightly initially, but he quickly adjusted to the sensation. I paused, buried deep inside him.
"Move," he commanded, fingers digging into my shoulders.
I withdrew nearly completely before driving back in, setting a pace that was far from gentle. Alex met every movement with equal fervor, his hands exploring my back with desperate greed.
He pulled me down for a kiss with more teeth and breath than finesse.
"I wanted to forget you," I admitted against his throat. "Tried to pretend Tahiti never happened."
He laughed. "How's that working out for you?"
I answered by driving my cock deeper, forcing a moan from his lips that I captured with my mouth. His legs wrapped tighter around me, heels digging into my lower back, urging me on faster and harder. It felt like he was trying to pull me deeper into his body—and maybe into his life, too.
His body tightened around me as he moved close to the edge, muscles tensing. I slipped a hand between us as his cock left a slick pool of precum on my abs. I wrapped my fingers around him, stroking in rhythm with my thrusts.
When he came, he shouted my name, "Michael!" It wasn't a whisper. It was loud enough to echo off the walls.
The sound was enough to push me over the edge seconds later. My orgasm tore through me, and my body shook uncontrollably.
I collapsed on top of him, bracing my weight on my forearms. We stayed that way for what felt like an eternity, bodies tangled together, both of us breathing like we'd run miles. My heart hammered against my ribs, each beat a reminder that I was alive despite everything.
Alex's chest rose and fell beneath mine, breathing gradually slowing. Our urgent heat cooled, but neither of us moved to separate. His skin was warm against mine, slick with sweat where rain had dampened it earlier.
