Back to the Fire
Diana
I woke up to the soft light filtering through the thick curtains of the hotel room. My muscles were still sore from how much Ethan had driven me wild the night before. It was as if every part of my body had been taken over by him again, as if we had erased that time of distance and coldness that had remained between us since my mother's health became a priority.
I lay there, staring at the ceiling, trying to process what had happened. It wasn't just sex. It was never just that with him. It was intensity, it was surrender, it was as if he had ripped all my worries, all my fears, from within me and replaced them with a feeling of peace and desire at the same time. I felt alive.
Ethan was beside me, still asleep. His hair was messy, his face relaxed, and that expression that only appeared when he forgot the weight of the world. I turned to my side and looked at him, remembering the way he had taken me yesterday. I had forgotten what it felt like to have his body pressed against mine, dominating me without asking permission, making me beg for more.
"Are you staring at me, angel?" he murmured, his eyes closed, but a smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
"I'm not staring..." I mumbled, laughing softly. "I'm just remembering last night."
He opened his eyes, still sleepy, and moved closer, pulling my waist to press against his chest. "I'm remembering too. It's been a long time since I've had you like this. Completely. Only mine." His voice was hoarse, heavy with a desire that seemed never to fade.
My body reacted to just those words. But at the same time, guilt crept in lightly, as always. My mother was still recovering, and part of me felt wrong for being there, surrendering to this pleasure while she fought to regain her health.
"Ethan..." I said softly, somewhat hesitantly. "I don't know if I should be this happy."
He lifted my chin with his fingers, forcing me to look into his eyes. “Listen, Diana. You’ve been taking care of your mother all this time. And you’ll continue to do so. But you also need to live. You need to breathe. I’m here. And I won’t let you drown in this guilt. One thing doesn’t negate the other.”
I took a deep breath, trying to believe every word. He was right. I knew it. But it was still difficult to switch off my mind.
“You talk like it’s easy,” I whispered.
“It’s not easy.” He leaned closer and kissed my forehead. “But I’ll remind you as many times as necessary that you deserve this. You deserve to feel pleasure, you deserve to be happy. Because, if it’s up to me, you’ll never again go so long without being touched like this.”
I laughed nervously, but the heat rose through my body again. He knew exactly what to say, and worse, he knew how to touch me so that I would forget everything. His hands began to slide slowly down my waist, as if marking me again. — Ethan... — my voice came out shaky, almost a plea for him to continue.
— You went crazy yesterday, but I'm not finished yet. — He whispered in my ear, and I shivered all over. — Yesterday was just the beginning, angel. I want to enjoy every second of these days with you.
I closed my eyes, surrendering again. He kissed me forcefully, as if reclaiming what was his, and I gave in. The whole morning became a repetition of moans, touches, and silent promises.
When we finally stopped, it was almost lunchtime. I dragged myself to the bathroom with wobbly legs, laughing to myself at the mess we had made in the bedroom. He followed me, of course, not missing the chance to tease me.
— Look at your satisfied face. — He leaned against the door, crossing his arms and looking at me as if I were a trophy.
— Isn't yours too? “— I retorted, trying to sound serious, but my smile gave everything away.
— I’m exactly where I’ve always wanted to be. — He replied firmly, and I felt my heart race.
After we got ready, we went down to lunch at the hotel restaurant. Everything was impeccable, from the dishes to the service. But nothing seemed more impressive than the way he looked at me. I almost forgot about the food when I saw his intense gaze, as if I were the center of the world.
— You know I’ve wanted to bring you here for a long time, right? — he said, holding my hand on the table.
— Here? — I asked curiously.
— Not just here. — He squeezed my fingers. — I wanted to travel with you without worry, without interruptions. Just the two of us. I was dying to do this.
My chest tightened. We had been through so much in such a short time that I almost forgot how simple it was just to be with him. No fights, no fears, no secrets.
— I missed you too.” — I admitted it, and realized how true it was.
The rest of the day was light, almost perfect. We strolled around the city, visited some tourist spots, took photos that I knew he would never show anyone, because Ethan had this very reserved side.
And that night, back at the hotel, he kept his promise not to let me rest so soon.
It was intense. It was warm. It was as if every part of our connection had been reborn. I couldn't think of anything else but him.
Lying down afterward, with my head on his chest, I realized how good it had made me feel. How much I needed to allow myself to be happy with the man I loved. And how, despite all the problems, we still managed to find each other amidst the chaos.
I sighed, closing my eyes.
"Thank you for reminding me of that, Ethan."
He ran his hand through my hair and murmured, "I'll remind you every day, angel. Until you truly believe it."
At that moment, I knew that no matter what came next, he was there. I was there. And together, we always found a way to start over.