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“I need to taste you again,” Ali said, making her descent, desperate to have Charlotte coming undone. Her tongue swirled around her clit before she even settled between her thighs.

“Fuck, Alina.”

Charlotte’s moans rolled from one to the next as Ali’s tongue made quick work of discovering what brought Charlotte pleasure.

“More,” Charlotte demanded.

Eager to please, Ali slipped one finger in, then another, wasting little time in setting a rhythmic pace, flicking her tongue up and down and angling her fingers in a way that had curses flying from her mouth.

“Right there. Fuck!”

Ali hummed in amusement, heat curling pleasantly in her stomach at how responsive and vocal Charlotte was.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck, harder⁠—”

A wail of delight rebounded off the wall when Ali did just that, increasing the speed and force of her thrusts, sensing Charlotte’s need for release.

“Just like that. Fuck, don’t stop,” Charlotte demanded.

Her innermost fingers curled, stroking against textured flesh. All the signs of an impending climax were there in the way her body shook, the way her spine arched, the way her moans pitched higher, needing one final push. An idea came to Ali, and she slid her free hand up Charlotte’s torso until her fingers wrapped around an inky wave. A single firm tug, and Charlotte groaned, toppling over into ecstasy.

“Lina…”

The abridged name flowed from her like a reverent prayer as she rode the waves of pleasure.

The sound of her name, the way Charlotte’s core gripped her fingers like a vise as her back bowed had Ali moaning as she drew out every speck of pleasure until the shudders ceased and Charlotte’s muscles went slack. Ali withdrew, placing a kiss to her clit before crawling back up to hover over Charlotte.

Wiping arousal from her chin and licking her fingers clean, Ali felt the waring emotions swimming through her as she looked down at Charlotte. She smoothed the damp strands out of her face. God, she was beautiful and wonderful and Ali would never get enough.

“Can you say it again?” she asked, breathless.

Charlotte seemed to struggle to make sense of the request. “Say what, darling?”

“The nickname. No one has ever called me that before.” Ali’s voice was whisper soft, hand cupping Charlotte’s cheek, thumb running over her bottom lip. “Say it again.”

Charlotte lifted an arm, brushing the loose strands of autumn behind her ear. A soft smile full of adoration worked itself across Charlotte’s face as she held Ali’s wistful gaze and let the name slip past her lips in utter rapture.

“Lina.”

20

CHARLOTTE

The squeak of rolling wheels broke through Charlotte’s concentration just before Aurora glided into her office, chair spinning in a slow lazy circle, strawberry blonde curls fanning out.

“Do you need something, Rora?” Charlotte asked, not taking her attention off the screen as her fingers flew across her keyboard.

Her plate was full and her calendar stacked with meetings as far as the eye could see. That was the way of things for acquisitions. They took forever and everyone needed something from her at all times.

“You’re working too hard,” Aurora announced, giving a push to send herself sailing across the polished floor.

“I’m fine.”

“What did you have for lunch today?” Aurora asked, eyeing the half-eaten wrap beside her.

“You know I’ll make up for it at dinner,” Charlotte reminded her, leaving suggested edits and clarifying questions on a proposal from a promising but inexperienced rep. Their ideas were insightful but their ability to articulate wasn’t as advanced as she was used to.

If she’d lifted her gaze, she might have caught the sly curl of Aurora’s grin. “You’ve been more patient since you got laid, that’s for sure⁠—”