HEATH

The door closes behind us with a soft click, and Vee sits on the edge of the bed. I fight asking why not Ewan, but his snoring on the sofa might answer why he can’t help.

"I'm bloody glad tonight's over with. I'd rather fight a horde of demons than sit through a dinner party like that again. I felt really out of place, and then—" Vee looks at her fingernails.

The mattress sinks as I sit beside her, distracted by and wanting to distract her too. "You looked beautiful tonight, Vee."

"Kiss me," she whispers, taking me by surprise again. "Let me forget tonight."

Cupping Vee’s chin with my fingers, I tip her face and place my lips on hers. My mind says ‘gentle’; but when Vee presses her mouth harder, I know I’m gone. My body wins, and I kiss her hard, parting Vee's lips with and pushing my tongue into her mouth. She tastes fucking amazing, as last time, and this time I promise myself I won't walk away with guilt and doubt. I know the score now; I know where we stand, and I'm happy to go along with whatever now I know I won't hurt Vee.

Vee makes a small noise as she welcomes my deeper kiss, and winds her fingers into my hair to pull my face closer. Her soft lips and her sweetness have a power over me as strongly as the unknown bond holding us in this life together.

We fall backwards onto the bed. This is the human Vee; the girl I met before we became something different. I've never wanted to consume someone as much as I do Vee, and the kiss overwhelms me. Kissing Vee reminds me I'm more than a force held inside a human body; this is warm, familiar, and the most natural feeling in the world.

I push apart her legs with my knees and lift myself frightened my weight will be too much. Her dress strap falls to one side and I fight the desire to nip at her collarbone; peppering kisses instead as my fingers brush her skin. Vee's scent intoxicates me further as I breathe her in and take myself away to the world she wants us in.

Earlier on the sofa, I fantasised about running my hands along her leg, upwards to explore her and feel that gorgeous ass beneath my palm; now this is reality. Vee’s dress rides up and her knees part. I settle between her legs, and she trembles as I slide my fingers along her thigh. Vee stops kissing and looks at me as she unbuttons my shirt. She smoothes her hands across my naked chest and pushes the shirt from my shoulders, eyes dark as she traces her fingers across my pecs and then one finger downwards towards my abs.

"This might sound strange, but with you I remember the old Vee. The one who sat in her cubicle at work and lusted over the guy with the cute ass." She kisses me softly again and leaves intoxication on my lips. "For a little while, can we be that Vee and Heath? Right now, I need to be her."

My heart hammers. I'm on the brink of desire taking over, but I rein in my self-control. Are we both in denial? Wanting what we can never be? "Part of you will always be her."

"I thought things were difficult the last week or so, but the last twenty-four hours have been a nightmare, Heath," she whispers and touches my lips. "I've killed, lost control in many ways, and now somebody's told me I'm evil."

I catch her hand. "That's not what he said."

"I don't think I can cope with this." Her voice cracks and my heart shatters. "I want to be strong."

"You are, Vee. Hell, you're stronger than all of us."

She pulls her hand from mine and holds my face between her small palms. "Can I rewind for a few hours and fool myself nothing's changed? Can I pretend this is me and the guy I fantasised about while I sat in my cubicle at my boring job?"

Her eyes reflect the truth we both know. We would fool ourselves. Vee knows how I feel; how I crave a human side too and I'm the one who understands and shares this.

I don't have a chance to respond as her mouth meets mine again, insistent, yielding, and with a desperation to match mine. Words aren't needed as we communicate through each touch and taste. We lose sight of everything together, but there's no hiding the buzzing energy building between our mouths and skin, the explosion in my mind as we unite. I push her dress up and she arches towards me, breath coming in short bursts against my cheek as I switch to kissing her neck.

"But don't you dare push me away again, Heath," she murmurs, nails digging into my shoulders. "Don't do this and reject me."

"I never rejected you; I was confused. Now you're clear—we're all clear—I don't need to pretend."

"Pretend what?" Vee turns her head and our noses bump.

"Pretend you're not inside my head every minute of every day." I swallow. "Pretend that I don't crave you so fucking bad it consumes me."

Vee's chest heaves as she takes in my words, and she sits to unzip the dress, revealing a black lace bra. Her breasts swell against the material, and I'm gone. Lost. To everything but the building need to possess her, even if it's only for a short time.

I pull down the edge of her bra and bow my head to close my mouth around her nipple. I flick with my tongue and close my teeth around it. She makes a sound that pulls me apart; slow and gentle runs out of the door, leaving hunger in its wake. I push up her dress, run my hand along her legs, rough and desperate when I wanted to show her gentle. My cock strains against my jeans; I’m wound tight and tell myself to slow down. But Vee doesn’t want slow either, urging me on as her hands slide down my abs and she presses a palm against the front of my jeans.

Vee parts her legs and pushes my hand from where I hold her waist, downwards, permission I wait for. The thought of Vee wet and hot hardens me further, every muscle in my body tight with desire, and the passion in her kisses urge me on. I skim the silk fabric with my fingers, and she takes my hand and presses them there.

I push her panties to one side. Fuck, she’s wet. I lift my head from her breasts and roughly kiss her again. As I explore her mouth, I dip a finger into the warm tightness and push a thumb against her clit. She moves against me, takes her hand away, and runs it back to my jeans. My breath rushes from my lungs as she undoes my zip and curls a hand around my cock, urging me on with a kiss. I slide in another finger, and she tightens around me as I move, my head clouded with the image of replacing my fingers with my cock.

I can barely breathe, my cock throbbing against her belly, and I move against her, wanting so much more than I should take. She moans into my mouth, then takes and strokes me, the touch maddeningly gentle, and I'm so fucking turned on I swear this isn't going to end well. Doesn’t help she’s hotter and wetter beneath my hand, and her breathing shallows into moans.

"Don't," I murmur.

Vee wriggles upwards and pulls at my hand. My sex-focused brain dizzies my thoughts. This is what she wanted, and now she's pulling my fingers away.

But Vee isn't stopping. She guides me towards her and my tip brushes against her pussy, sliding in place of my fingers. I groan. "Vee, I want this so fucking much."

"Then do it," she murmurs.

I rest my head on her shoulder, taking deep breaths as the usual question forms in my head when I'm with a girl. "Dumb question," I half pant, as I rub against her. "Do you think you can get pregnant?"

"No," she hisses. "Heath."

"Because that would really complicate things."

"I can't get pregnant." I shift my head and blink down at her. "I'm not going to explain right now, just do this. Now.”

Control? Gone.

Everything that exists in the normal world falls away. Now there’s only Vee. Us. Skin on fucking beautiful skin. Nothing else matters.

My blood courses red hot, but something else builds. An energy I recognise but never in this situation. I grasp Vee’s legs and push them apart, settling myself between her again. Lacing my fingers through hers, I hold her hands either side of her head and look down.

“You’re beautiful,” I whisper and push into her tight slippery heat, grasping to the control I’ve no way I’ll keep. I pull out again, and she makes a low noise in her throat, shaking beneath my grip.

Vee's peaked nipples brush my skin, and she wraps her legs around me, matching my movement, naked, exploring, and I try to keep calm and slow, but it's not going to happen.

The energy pulses through, sudden and takes hold, releasing something more. I can’t hold back even if I want to as I grip her hands and we meet each other’s needs with a ferocity charged by a power flowing not only between our hands but at every point our bodies touch. Yeah, sex feels good; but this sex, super-charged in a literal sense because my body and hers don’t tremble, the building power’s set to explode the way energy can from my hands. I’d worry I’ll hurt her, but I’m driven by staying in this connected moment.

Vee’s legs grip me tighter, her hands now fisted in my hair and tugging me as I move. Her hips buck against mine in a rhythm to match, the pressure and heat growing as her movements become more urgent. She comes, burying her face in my shoulder to muffle a scream as she tightens around me. Vee digs her fingers into my back and holds me tighter, hot breath panting my ear.

My body can’t hold this any longer. Light explodes behind my eyes, and I come hard, the light and energy bursting from me and surrounding us. I blink down in surprise at Vee who’s sunk back onto the sheets, arm across her eyes, and she continues to fall apart beneath me. She mouths something, and I lean down to hear her murmuring “holy fuck” over and over, her body quivering with the waves pulsing between us. I sink onto Vee and hold her tight, wishing I could stay like this forever, to experience this level with someone—her—all the time.

We don’t move or speak. I don’t think I can. Gathering myself, I pull Vee so she rolls on top of me and push her damp hair from her face with both hands, before covering her face in kisses. “I’m pretty damn sure I’m in love you."

Vee smiles, the kind that reaches her eyes, which spark with a happiness to match whatever the hell just happened in the room. Explosive. Unparalleled.

And something I need to do again. As often as possible.

She blinks at me and hugs me tighter. “Well that was...” She pauses. “Different.”

I laugh, as big a release as the moments with her. “Yes. It was.”

She brushes damp hair from my face and maps it with her fingers before meeting my eyes. "We're not that guy and girl are we?" she whispers.

"No, we're more, Vee." I rub my thumb across her lips. "More than the world could ever touch. We all are."