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Closer

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Chapter 56: Closer (Stella's POV)

A small huff of annoyance escaped me at last. The longer we sat out here, the more I couldn't help but notice how careful Rhys was being with me. 

His hands moved over me cautiously and slowly, like he was scared to touch me somewhere intimate, his hold on me was soft, and his kisses never strayed below my jaw. 

Placing my hands on his chest, I pushed him back and looked him dead in the eyes. "Would you like me to recite the alphabet for you?" 

"Huh?" 

"Or walk in a straight line?" 

"What?" he laughed. 

"I can even walk backward," I continued, "want to see?" I began moving off of him but he was quick to understand and pin my hips back in place. 

"I hear you," he smiled, guiding me closer with a hand on the small of my back. 

"Do you? Do you really now?" I asked, giving him a pointed look, and lifted my eyebrows at him. 

"Loud and clear," he smirked, lifting his hand to the nape of my neck before he closed the distance between us, taking my breath away. 

My tight grip on his shoulders shifted as my arms loosely rested around his neck while my fingers raked through his hair as he deepened the kiss. I couldn't help but smile against his lips when the lightest groan escaped him as my hips shifted above his but everything progressed faster than I anticipated and even the loud clap of thunder behind us failed to deter or slow us down. 

Grabbing a hold of his jacket, I pulled him forward until he quit leaning against the wall and slid the jacket off his shoulders and past his arms until he shrugged it off and tossed it aside himself. 

I caught hold of the hem of his t-shirt next, just as I felt his fingers brush against my bare waist and we both pulled away to catch our breaths as I began lifting his shirt off. 

"Should we go inside?" I asked breathlessly as he tossed his shirt aside and stared up at me, panting lightly. 

His hair fell over his eyes until he shook it out before pulling me closer. "I think we should stay out here," he replied, stroking the skin beneath my top, teasing lightly. 

I paused and glanced around briefly, my gaze drifting to the buildings around ours at the same height and level. "Out here?" I mumbled quietly, meeting his eyes. 

He chuckled softly as he tipped my chin down and leaned in to leave a soft kiss. "Nobody's going to see." 

Liar. Anybody could see. Given that the lanterns he hung up had automatically turned off under the downpour of the rain and the candle was blown out by the fleeting breeze, it was fairly dark out on the balcony and with a storm brewing, it would be hard to make out what we were doing even if anyone did see us but... 

My gaze narrowed lightly as I stared back at him. "You do this often, Mr. Romanov?" 

"Do what exactly, Ms. Almonte?" he questioned, his hands snaking up higher beneath my shirt. 

"Fuck women on their balconies?" I asked bluntly without making any moves to stop him as he began lifting my top off. 

"No," he answered as I lifted my arms up, "but I'd like to from now on." 

I bit back a grin as he pulled my shirt over my head and dropped it beside his own. 

It didn't matter how many times Rhys and I did this, it seemed to have the same dizzying effect on me every single time. 

"Rhys," I chuckled softly, tilting his chin up when I caught his gaze straying down my body. 

"Am I not allowed to look?" he asked, lifting a hand to my throat as he slowly pulled me closer. 

"No," I whispered jokingly as I slowly shook my head. 

"No?" he smiled softly as his lips brushed against mine. 

"No," I repeated quietly. A sharp, surprised gasp escaped me as he shut me up with a kiss, stifling the soft moan that crawled up my throat. 

With his grip tightened ever so slightly around my neck, he pushed himself off the wall and I leaned back in response until he tightened an arm around my waist and lifted me off of him, easing me down until my head fell against the pillow. 

I couldn't help but grin against his lips as his kisses finally trailed down my neck and collarbone while he tucked his thumbs into the waistband of my skirt and slowly tugged it down past my legs, dropping it with the rest of our clothes. 

"Aren't you forgetting something?" I asked, lifting a brow at him. He stared at me in confusion until I snuck a hand between us and hooked my fingers into his waistband, tugging his hips forward by the belt. 

"Someone's eager," he teased. He moved back onto his knees and caught my wrists before I could take it off completely. After finishing the job himself, he slid it off but he most definitely caught me staring at the belt and the new glimmer in his eyes and the mischievous smirk on his lips almost had me regretting my thoughts. 

A dark chuckle escaped him as he slowly wrapped it around his knuckles before leaning forward and bracing himself with his free hand. 

My breath hitched as he tucked the belt under my chin and forced me to meet his gaze. "I'd give just about anything to know what kind of wicked thoughts make you look at me that way," he whispered beneath my ear before lightly kissing the same spot. 

He paused to unclasp my bra and slid it down my arms, tossing that aside too. Before I could tell him exactly what my thoughts were and ask for him to bring them to life, I felt him bring my wrists together at my chest before he began to bind them together using his belt. 

My breath got caught as he tightened the leather and then grabbed the belt, lifting my arms up and pinning them down above my head. I blinked, gawking at him in shock. 

"Why?" he asked, "isn't this what you had in mind?" 

"Uh-huh," I nodded, dumbfounded as I lay still, unable to move. 

"What happens next?" he questioned, holding himself up on one arm. 

"Huh?" 

He couldn't help but smile at my stupidity. I would too. "What happens next in your thoughts?" 

I paused momentarily before my eyes dropped to his waist. "You lose those?" 

"Is that a question?" 

I shook my head slowly, still surprised. "Are you... really going to do as I say?" My eyes almost widened as I watched him unbutton his pants before he moved away to work them off. 

"I'm afraid I'm not very good at following orders, Dorogaya, so I can't do as you say," he said, hooking his thumbs into the waistband of my panties, "instead, I'll just take what I want, hmm?" 

I hummed lightly in approval yet I couldn't help but inhale sharply in surprise as I felt his fingers brush against my hip bone before he tugged them down my legs. 

I hadn't even realized when I tried to reach out to him but Rhys was quick to pin my wrists back down before he smashed his lips against mine, silencing my protests with a kiss while his free hand maintained a firm grip on my hip. 

The kiss stifled my startled gasp as I felt his fingers brush against my core as he trailed kisses from my collarbone up the side of my neck, stopping just below my ear. "Do you like it when I touch you here?" he whispered softly, applying a little more pressure before he slipped a finger inside of me. 

"Rhys," I rasped out. 

"Or here, maybe?" 

I couldn't help it as my legs moved to close instinctively. Every touch and every little sensation felt far too overwhelming. 

Using his free hand, Rhys took a hold of my chin and tilted my head sideways, his lips grazing over every inch of my skin as he moved to the other side of my neck. 

My chest rose and fell with each heavy breath I took and what I saw when I finally opened my eyes was the skyline view from my balcony with rain pouring down on the city. I couldn't help but let out a small, whimpering moan as Rhys picked up speed, brushing his thumb over my clit in slow circles. 

With my hands bound above my head, the urge to touch Rhys, to feel his skin beneath me hit me harder than ever. "Keep your hands exactly where they are, my love," he warned as I began bringing them forward. "Be good for me," he breathed out, "and I'll untie you." 

Whenever I was with Rhys, I seemed to lose all control of my senses and body's responses, something about the way he touched me always made me more sensitive. 

"Rhys," I gasped, my hands forming tight fists, my nails digging into my palms. 

Unknowingly, my legs moved to close as I let out a louder moan but Rhys quieted me with a kiss before grinning against my lips, "Not yet, Stella. We're just getting started," he whispered. With each passing moment, his fingers picked up in speed and he pressed harder against me relentlessly. 

I let out a small, frustrated groan as he slowed down before withdrawing from me with a faint laugh escaping him as I met his gaze with a blazing fire burning in my own. "Rhys, please," I begged, "I can't take this anymore." 

He shook his head lightly before kissing my lips softly. "I'm afraid I'm not giving you a choice, Dorogaya." 

I felt more breathless with every brush of his body against mine until he ran a finger along my slit before resuming again. Every nerve and muscle in my body grew taut as he continued without a pause this time. 

It didn't take long for the heat and tension to grow in the pit of my stomach and it grew near impossible for me to keep my hands to myself as I climaxed. "Rhys," I panted, "I'm coming." Everything screamed at me to touch Rhys but he was quick to keep my wrists pinned in place, no matter what. 

My back arched off the ground as Rhys pulled away from me and I somehow managed to look up at him as I struggled to catch my breath. 

"I'm giving you ten seconds," he said, moving to kneel in front of me as he reached behind him and retrieved a foil packet, pinching it between his teeth as he pushed my legs further apart. "Ten seconds before I make you come again," he told me before he tore the packet open, spitting out the edge. 

Ten seconds wasn't nearly enough for me to steady myself or to prepare myself and they seemed to pass in the blink of an eye. 

He grinned, hovering above me as my breathing calmed down. "Are you ready?" he whispered. 

Fuck, no. 

"Yes," I nodded anyway. 

He chuckled softly, "Such a pretty liar," he teased, splaying his fingers over my thigh before he drove his hips forward, eliciting a loud moan from me. 

"Quiet," he warned, his lips gently brushing against mine before he brought up a hand, running the pad of his thumb along my bottom lip. "Fuck it," he whispered, "nobody can hear us over this storm." 

"Rhys," I gasped louder. 

"That's it," he encouraged, "louder, my love." 

Another moan crawled up my throat but no matter how hard I tried to suppress it, I couldn't hold it in and for the first time, I was thankful for the loud booms of thunder echoing around us. Pinning my wrists down a little harder this time, Rhys continued, rhythmically driving his hips into mine to the hilt each and every time. 

The longer this lasted, the deeper the fire in my core grew and it got harder for me to keep control over myself as I came closer to orgasm. 

"I'm close," I whispered breathlessly. 

"Just a little longer, Stella," he said before kissing my neck with a grin teasing his lips. 

Everything felt heightened, every single one of my senses was at its peak. The rain continued ruthlessly but the thunder and flashes of lightning began to calm down. 

I was aware of every single inch of Rhys's body against mine, every breath of his that brushed against my skin in between kisses, every one of his movements and all the pleasure they ignited in me, leaving me a writhing, shaking mess with tingles from head to toe. 

"Rhys," I panted in a warning. 

"You've been so good," he grinned into our kiss, "come for me." 

The fire pooling low in my abdomen finally shattered, drawing out a breathless moan from me as shockwaves of pleasure coursed through me. 

Rhys didn't stop immediately, instead, he eased up on me slowly, trailing kisses down every inch of me until he withdrew from me, both of us still catching our breaths as he unwrapped the belt from my wrists. 

A soft chuckle escaped him as he left a fleeting kiss on my lips before sitting up and handing me his shirt before he moved away and came back moments later, now wearing his briefs. 

I sat upright as my breathing returned to normal and took a look around, stunned at what we had just done. We just had sex... on my balcony. Where anybody could see and anybody could hear me scream. I'm almost certain somebody fucking had. 

"Why do you look so startled?" he teased, holding out a hand to me as he stood before me. 

I took it and pulled myself up, tugging his shirt a little lower down my thighs as I glanced at the neighboring buildings. "I can't believe we just did that," I whispered, rushing to the railing and taking another look around just to be sure. 

"Why?" he asked, coming behind me and pulling my back against his chest with a firm grip on my waist. While resting his chin on my shoulder, he snuck a hand beneath my shirt, between my legs again. "I can," he whispered against my ear. 

"Rhys!" I laughed, pulling his hand away and spinning around, pushing him inside. For each step I took forward, he walked backward, into the apartment. 

"Our clothes!" he laughed, pointing at them. 

"Forget about our clothes! If somebody sees us like this—" 

He tugged me forward, catching me off-guard as I stumbled into him. "Then let them. You're my girlfriend. We can fuck wherever we'd like. Even on balconies in the rain," he smirked with a wink before scooping me and throwing me over his shoulder. 

I let out a small scream, glad that his shirt kept me covered as he walked us upstairs. "Put me down!" I exclaimed while kicking my legs. 

"You didn't think we were done yet, did you? I'm just taking us to bed," he chuckled, delivering a hard spank to my ass.

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Chapter 56

that was SUCH a long chapter of smut

Idek why I titled this chapter 'closer' or if the word was even somewhere in there lmaoo

anyways

next ch: reality

ONLY 2 MORE CHAPTERS TO GO AHHHH