Chapter Three

A Night To Remember 

~ Elena ~

 The days after the gala felt like a routine I never signed up for, yet here I was, living it. Alexander was buried in work, putting in long hours, while I stayed behind in the penthouse. He’d leave in the mornings with barely a word, come home late, often way too late, and usually head straight to his office or his room. We managed to share dinner only twice, and even then, the conversation was sparse.

 I tried to shake off thoughts of Victoria, but it was like trying to catch smoke with my bare hands. Every time I remembered the way he smiled at her, my heart would twist painfully. He had never looked at me like that.

 By the third night, I had given up on waiting for him. I curled up in bed with a book until sleep finally claimed me.

 I was deep in slumber when I heard the door to my bedroom creak open. I stirred but didn’t fully wake up until I felt something warm against my thigh. At first, I thought I was dreaming. My body reacted instinctively, shifting under the touch.

 Then the warmth moved higher. His hand slipped beneath the hem of my nightdress. My eyes flew open.

 Alexander loomed over me, his shirt partially unbuttoned and his tie hanging loosely. The scent of alcohol wafted from him, but his eyes were sharp, locked onto mine.

 "What are you doing?" I whispered, caught off guard.

 He didn’t respond. His hand slid higher, fingers pressing against my skin, and a warmth spread through me, betraying the resistance in my voice.

 "Stop," I urged, trying to push his hand away.

 With ease, he caught my wrist and pinned it to the bed. His face moved closer, his breath warm against my lips.

 "Do you want me to stop?" His voice was low and rough.

 I froze, my heart racing. I should have said yes. I should have pushed him away more forcefully. But my body had other ideas. Heat ignited between my legs, and I hated that I wanted him.

 I stayed quiet.

 His mouth brushed against my neck, slow and deliberate, sending a shiver down my spine. My free hand weakly pressed against his chest, but he only leaned in closer.

 "Say it," he urged.

 I swallowed hard. "Don’t stop."

 The words slipped out before I could take them back.

 ---

 ~ Alexander ~

 I stumbled into my home, a bit tipsy but still aware of what I was doing. All day, thoughts of her had been swirling in my mind, and honestly, I hated it. I tried to convince myself that she was just a distraction, a face for the cameras, a pawn in someone else's game. But the image of her at the gala, looking stunning in that elegant black dress, kept replaying in my head.

 No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t shake it off. I couldn’t stop thinking about Elena.

 When I opened her door and saw her asleep, that delicate nightdress hugging her curves, I lost all sense of control.

 Touching her sparked something deep inside me. I expected her to push me away, to yell, to fight back. But she didn’t. She murmured for me to stop, but her body told a different story. And when she urged me not to stop in her sleep, I realized that maybe she wanted this just as much as I did.

 I captured her lips in a kiss. She tasted warm and sweet, a complete surprise compared to the bitterness I had prepared myself for. She gasped against me, and I deepened the kiss, parting her lips and letting my tongue explore hers.

 Her hands gripped my shoulders tightly. For someone who claimed to be uninterested, she held onto me like I was her lifeline.

 I pinned her beneath me, my body pressing against hers, feeling the heat radiate through that sheer fabric.

 —

 ~ Elena ~

 His kiss took my breath away. It was intense, demanding, nothing like the cold, mechanical touch he had given me at the wedding. This was raw. Real.

 I tried to remind myself that I shouldn’t let him get to me. That he didn’t love me, didn’t even have feelings for me. But every time his lips touched mine, every time his tongue danced with mine, that thought slipped away.

 His hand moved higher, gripping my thigh with a firm hold. My body instinctively arched toward him. A soft moan escaped my lips, quiet yet impossible to ignore.

 He pulled back slightly, his gaze intense as it locked onto mine. “You’re enjoying this.”

 I turned my face away, feeling a rush of embarrassment. “I’m not.”

 “Liar,” he growled, lifting the hem of my nightdress up past my hips. His hand pressed between my legs, right over my panties. I gasped, my body betraying me again as I felt the warmth spread against the delicate fabric.

 His smirk was infuriating. “You’re soaked.”

 “Just stop talking,” I muttered, my cheeks burning.

 Without warning, he pushed my panties aside and slid a finger inside me. I cried out, my back arching in response.

 It was rough and quick, nothing gentle about it. My nails dug into his shoulders as he moved his fingers hard and deep. I moaned uncontrollably, unable to hold back.

 My mind screamed for me to resist, but my body wouldn’t listen. Pleasure crashed over me in waves, building quickly and washing away any coherent thought.

 When I cummed, I grasped him tightly, breathlessly calling his name without intending to.

 ----

 ~ Alexander ~

 The sounds of her moans filled the space, and just the noise was almost enough to send me over the edge. She was tight, wet, and quivering around my fingers, her nails digging into me as if she couldn’t handle it.

 It was addictive to watch her unravel beneath me. I craved more.

 With one swift motion, I yanked her panties off, ripping the delicate fabric. Her nightdress followed suit. I didn’t care about being gentle. I wanted her naked, exposed, and mine.

 I lowered my head between her thighs, holding her hips down as she tried to squirm away. My tongue pressed against her, tasting her, delving deep. She gasped loudly, her hand flying to her mouth to suppress the sound, but I seized her wrist and pulled it away.

 “Don’t hide it,” I murmured against her.

 Her cries echoed in the room as I sucked harder, licked deeper, driving her wild. Her legs shook uncontrollably, her hips grinding helplessly against my mouth.

 When she climaxed again, the flavor of her pushed me beyond any restraint I had left.

 I quickly stripped, tossing my clothes aside until I was completely naked. My cock was hard, throbbing.

 As I crawled back over her, her wide eyes locked onto mine. Fear, desire, confusion—they were all present. But she didn’t push me away.

 I leaned down, taking her nipple into my mouth, biting gently. Her moan was raw, filled with desperation.

 I positioned myself between her thighs, sliding slowly into her tight warmth. Her nails clawed at my back as I pushed deeper, stretching her.

 Her gasp was sharp, but her hips rose to meet me.

 -----

 ~ Elena ~

 The moment he entered me, everything else just faded into the background. The anger, the fear, the resentment, it all vanished under the sheer intensity of his presence.

 He filled me completely, stretching me, pushing deeper than I ever thought possible. My body tensed for a moment, then surrendered as waves of pleasure washed over me.

 He started off slow, savoring every inch, making me whimper with each thrust. My hands clung to his back, gripping tightly as if my very life depended on it.

 Then his rhythm changed. It became more aggressive. Harder. Faster. The bed shook beneath us. My cries morphed into screams, and I lost all awareness of who might be listening.

 “Alexander…” I breathed, his name slipping from my lips over and over.

 He groaned against my neck, his thrusts relentless. Each time he drove into me, electric sensations coursed through my body.

 I tried to remind myself to stop, to resist, to recall everything he had said. But the way he moved, the way he touched me, I was utterly powerless to fight it.

 When I finally reached my climax, it was fierce and all-consuming. My body tightened around him, pulling him in deeper, milking him. I cried out his name once more, louder than ever.

 --

 ~ Alexander ~

 Feeling her climax enveloping me, screaming my name, nearly broke me. I thrust into her harder, faster, chasing my own release.

 She held onto me like I was her lifeline, her nails digging in, her body trembling.

 I could no longer hold back. With one final thrust, I buried myself deep inside her and released, groaning against her ear.

 We collapsed together, our bodies slick with sweat, hearts racing.

 For the first time since our marriage began, I felt liberated from the weight of anger or resentment. Just her.

 But as I finally pulled away and looked at her, reality hit me like a wave.

 She stared back at me, her chest rising and falling rapidly, her eyes wide with surprise.

 Neither of us said a thing.

 ---

 ~ Elena ~

 As I lay beside him, my body still trembling from everything that had just happened, I struggled to wrap my head around it all.

 I hated him. I wanted him. I hated that I wanted him.

 And in that moment, I understood that nothing would ever be the same after this night.