⚠️ Steamy scenes towards the end of the chapter. Proceed with caution!

           Pain and pleasure.

Talia.

  Pain is a sudden hurt that can't be escaped.
It stabs you right into the heart spreading venomous forms to your brain and the next thing you are clouded with judgement and negativity towards everything around you.

Even when Sean's voice echoed through my trail, I kept running, racing far from him. Was it all a lie? The moments we spent together? Why lead me on then?  My mind was swarmed with questions only he could answer.

I slowed down my pace when I sighted a taxi on the other end of the street and boarded it. The taxi man tilted his head quizzically and spoke, "Buenos Noches. Adónde le gusteiria it? [Good evening. Where would you like to go?]

"Do you speak English?"

He nodded. "Si. Where to?"

"Just drive towards Brixerria."

The taxi guy drove in uttermost silence but I caught him looking at me from the front mirror couple of times. I found it creepy and thought to call Prem to let him know of my whereabouts in case I didn't turn up alive.

"Fuck!" I cursed lowly and tapped a fist against my lips lightly while thinking. I dropped everything back there. I didn't have any money or means of communicating. What do I do? Breathe, Talia, breathe.

After a deep breath, I finally spoke. "Take a right turn and move forward until the end of the road and then take a left turn."

He had a slack expression. "Are you sure, Ms?"

When I did not respond he left it at that.

The familiar house was hard to miss even the night. When we edged nearer I saw the lights were on. How did he get here so fast?
  When the taxi stopped, I nervously alighted. "How much is it?"

  He smiled and replied. "That's on me."

I feigned coughing. "Wait here, I'll get the cash for you."

I was barely two steps when he drove away. Who does that? I wondered and slowly reached for the doorbell.

  Ding dong. My heart thundered when I realized that I might have to face him.

Ding dong.

Ding dong.

I sighed. Relief? Maybe?  I wasn't sure but one thing was evident I'll most likely spend the night outside and the only chance of getting in will be once Sean arrived. 

I made myself comfortable on the floor in front of the house. The chirping of the crickets and stridulation of the cicadas tuned me as the now cold devoured me. Why didn't I take a sweater?  I rubbed my palms against each other and touched my face to try and warm myself. I'll freeze if he doesn't turn up.

It was not until a while later that I spotted a figure walking towards the house. I crawled carefully and hid behind the large flower pots. What if it's not him? 

"Talia?" Yup, that's him.

  I came out from my hideout still shivering and waited for him to open the door but instead, he pulled me for an embrace.

 "Don't touch me!" I yanked his arms off me.

 I couldn't make out his facial expression in the dark but I saw him take his hands on his hair. "Let's get you inside before you catch a cold."

I stormed inside and rushed to the bathroom upstairs. Immediately I stripped down my clothes and got under the hot shower hoping it would revive my stiff body. When I stepped out of the bathroom, Sean was holding a mug. "I made some spicy tea just the way you like it. We.."

"-You shouldn't have. I prefer coffee anyway," I held the towel firmly and sat on the bed.

He placed the mug on the nightstand and sat next to me. "Lia, we need to talk. What..."

"- We? There is no 'we' and come to think of it there was never us. Wasn't it?"

When neither of us spoke, I moved to the closet and put on a white turtle neck top and some black shorts. As much as I hated to admit it, I needed the tea more than ever. When I walked out of the closet I didn't find him but I heard the shower running.

Clearing the evidence now? What if he slept with her?  I swallowed the lump in my throat and shook my head. It's not possible. I hoped the latter was right as I took a sip of the tea and wandered off to the first-floor balcony staring into the night.

While there, I took time to think and concluded that despite what was happening, I was only safe with him. I wanted to end everything with him and escape somewhere unknown but my heart was still beating for Sean.

A soft kiss was placed on my neck. "Lia, can we talk? Please?"

Think of him and he shows up.

I turned to face Sean and quickly averted my gaze back to my previous post. How can he walk shirtless at this point? The boxers can do but shirtless? Is he tempting me?

He circled his arms around my waist, my back touching his front.

  "No, there's nothing left to say and if you'll excuse me, I will rather be alone at this moment."  I yanked his arms off my waist and was about to walk away when he grabbed and hoisted me up on his shoulders as if I weighed nothing then went downstairs.

"Sean! Let me go!" I yelled

What's his deal?

He stopped at a door adjacent to the living room and typed a four-digit code and he got into what looked like an office. The walls were strictly white palettes with strategically placed accents of colour throughout. There was a rainbow display of books on the shelves that stood against the wall and a mirrored trestle desk at the centre of the room. The sheer curtains blended with the walls. Adjacent to the bookshelves was a coffee Chester divan and next to it was a distinctive Moroccan rug that made the room more captivating. Who designed this?

Sean placed me on the divan and was quick to lock the door. "I'll only let you out once you listen to me. Is that alright?"

  I smirked. "It's not like you left me a choice. "

He sat next to me and placed his arm on my thigh. I slapped it but he didn't budge. "No touching,"

  He agreed and moved his arm away. "It was never my intention to hurt your feelings. For that, I apologise."

I stood up and scoffed, "Are you for real? Is this why you brought me in here? To apologise for cheating or for dumping me at the spa and hooking up with other women!"

Sean stood up as well. "I'm sorry you had to witness that today. I have never and will never condone cheating. I wouldn't do that to anyone and not less to my wife",

I laughed sarcastically. "Wife? Oh, come on, we both know it's just on papers. And besides, I am supposed to believe that what I saw was two people exchanging oxygen? I'm not stupid, Sean!"

He took two steps forward, trapping me against the bookshelf. "It's true no one forced me to kiss that woman today but I wasn't cheating on you. I was working.."

"Working involves saliva exchange? I've been fooled once before, not gonna fall for this...mm.." He kissed the words out off my lips.

  The tingles and the pulsating shocking waves in my nerves never felt real. He lifted me and wrapped my legs around his waist while we continued kissing. It was sweet while it lasted but again my mind and body were battling against each other. He kissed her the same way. "Mm..stop!" I finally blurted out after catching a breath.

He pulled away and grinned. "I was following a lead that Roland had given me. I couldn't take you along and that's why I left you at the spa."

My eyes widened. "But why didn't you say so?"

We both sat down as he narrated. "I thought it wouldn't take much time. I never ignored your calls or texts. I left my phone in the car."

"I saw you typing on your phone before you kissed the woman,"

"True but that wasn't my phone. I took it when she wasn't looking to retrieve some important information and returned it once I got everything. Kissing her was part of that performance of not arousing any suspicion. She fell for it until you showed up and I went after you only to come back and find her grasping her neck for breath."

"Oh, my goodness. Who killed her?"

  "I'm yet to find out from Roland. I believe the ones who killed her might be the ones who targeted me as well."

"What do you mean?"

  "My car blew up in flames."

I stumbled over my words, "I'm sorry-"

"No, I'm sorry." he was quick to respond. He caressed the back of my palms. "I need you to understand that I will not put you in danger but being with me makes you vulnerable. I hurt your feelings today and I apologise for that. No man rejoices in seeing his wife suffer. I'm sorry, Lia."

Surprisingly his words moved me. "Wife? Uh?"

His mouth curved into a grin. "Yes. You are mine. Papers or not that title belongs to only you. I will respect any decision you make about us but I'll have you know that mine still stands."

  "I knew what I was getting into with you, Sean. I don't regret that but I want to understand you better. Your work requires some secrecy and going undercover mode and I dont object but I feel you are always holding back from me. I dont know...I can put. .."

He silenced me with a tender kiss letting me taste the minty flavour on his tongue.  Every time I wanted to speak he made sure the only sound that came out of my mouth was moaning. We shared a blissful rough and passionate kiss before he made me sit on his lap. "I adore you, sweet Lia."  He kissed my eyelids, then my lips and slowly pulled away. "I want only you." His words although foreign ignited the fire burning inside of me and awakened all my sensory organs.

I cupped his face in my hands and kissed him with the same intensity, deep, frantic and slow and muttered, "I'm dangerously addicted to you, Ivan."

His eyes never left mine as he combed my hair with his fingers and then reached underneath my top. I felt strangely enchanted by the situation considering we fought a few minutes ago. At his touch, I felt my nipples rise and I ached for him. All of him.

"Beautiful,"

  Soon he tugged the top and shorts off and I was only in a white laced panty. He kissed and I complied. He sucked my breasts like a newborn. This is good. I reached for his briefs but he stopped me. Then we ground against each other on the divan until we were both throbbing.

He hadn't done anything yet and I was already soaked. He reached into my panties and inserted a finger. I wanted to touch him as well but the pleasure was too much. "Please.." I moaned.

He stopped a playful smirk curling on his face. Then he left a trail of kisses up my thighs, across the belly and finally stopped at my underwear. This is pure bliss. I felt like I was flying out of space. I touched his damp hair while tugging the elastic of my underwear off with his teeth. He stopped and looked at me. His eyes spoke a thousand languages and the one I could decipher was desire and adoration.  He put his mouth close against my vulva and exhaled his warm breath onto it.  Pure euphoria devoured my body. Finally, he slid the underwear to the side and pleasured me with his mouth.

My shallow breaths were now audible and I barely contained myself. "I want you inside me now!"

His boxers were soon gone and his hot and swollen shaft sprung free with a drop forming at the tip. He buried himself deep in me. I moaned hoarsely as he thrust farther.
I was at his complete mercy- pleading for pleasure. He grunted rhythmically a few times while thrusting and I dove my nails deeper into his skin.

  "Aaaa," I was on cloud nine.

He placed his arms underneath my back, pulling me closer to him and I felt him, terrorizing every part of my flower. When his breathing fluctuated I knew he too was soon succumbing to the pleasures. He was slow, rhythmic and gentle and I moaned his name a couple of times.

"Aooww," Orgasm flooded out of my lips and body and seconds later he convulsed and spurted his seed in me.  Together we crumbled like sand both panting hard.