Chapter Three

It was a strange feeling, waking up in a warm bed, having the warmth of another person beside you that genuinely cared about your well-being. It seemed like a dream, a dream that took a nightmare to make real.

Brahm was asleep – deeply so, he breathed so heavy at times that I worried about him and stopped laying on his shoulder. I knew it wasn't appropriate to try that with a sleeping person – but he was such a deep sleeper and I felt so comforted by his company that I couldn't help myself. Since I ran away from...I dare not think it...I'd needed to hide. I thought a busy place like Seattle was a place I could run to, where I could just disappear from everything that wanted to hurt me.

I was wrong, but never so wrong as I was last night.

Despite looking young, there had been several men who kept a close eye on me, and I thought I had courteously avoided them as best I could until last night. I said no to the wrong person, and they had their friends follow me. I thought when I took the bus to another part of the city that they wouldn't be able to find me – I was wrong.

Last night I'd been told where to find wine and liquor bottles, where one might find a few ounces if they were lucky – not for drinking, for bartering with others who were homeless. I tried behind the convenience store, but I didn't have any luck, so I looked at other alleys.

I had a pocket knife, but I've never used it, I didn't know if I would be able to protect myself last night. The knife was mostly for opening cans or for show. I had been about to grab it when he showed up. The fear of two people alone had been overwhelming – a third was nigh unbearable.

I couldn't help but wonder why this person out of all others had been around to save me – he was clearly very wealthy, or the rich and spoiled son of someone very wealthy. He even sneered his nose at me several times last night because of how I looked. I'd not felt ashamed to look so terrible when it kept the men away; but, clearly my not showering beyond the necessary areas wasn't going to stop some people. If it wasn't, then why bother? I couldn't be because I wanted to impress this guy.

Even as I thought that, I knew it was a lie.

The sound of a gun going off near me wasn't something I hadn't experienced before; but, he clearly hadn't and the sight of him vulnerable and repentant effected me. I didn't want him to see me dirty and ugly, even if I wasn't all that pretty, like he was, I can't explain the draw he had on me.

Watching him sleeping, it was such an alien feeling. Like watching a lion sunbathing, this person capable of such fierce protective violence was at peace beside me – a girl he just met.

Did this guy sleep around? Did he have a girlfriend?

My curiosity was getting the best of me.

A quick glance to the clock revealed that it was almost one in the afternoon, we'd both been sleeping too long, I guessed. Leaning away from Brahm, who smelled of something dark and musky that I couldn't put my finger on, I slowly crept out of his tiny bed. For once glad that I wasn't very tell, this way I could fit more easily in his arms.

What was I even doing? We didn't really know each other…

Creeping around his now well-lit room, I surveyed how different he seemed yesterday from today. Yesterday, he was an antihero in black rescuing me, a seemingly worthless nobody, from the hands of two dangerous abusers. The son of someone clearly – very – rich, who for reasons I have no idea as to why, is allowed to live here without his father. He was seventeen though, maybe he would be eighteen soon and then he would legally be able to live here on his own.

He stirred a little and I glanced to him until he breathed deeply again. I watched as he cuddled the white pillow he gave me last night, straight to his chest like he missed me.

A smile spread softly on my face, and I went back to my innocent snooping.

On a school desk were books – school books by the look of them. On top of those were various notebooks filled with art and math equations I didn't know how to solve. The art made me pause – it was dark, brooding, some of it rather graphic of shadows and hallways. Something tortured, that drew me.

I set the notebooks back where they had been and walked to the dresser with a bookshelf beside it. Not feeling comfortable looking inside the dresser, I focused on what I could see on top. One such thing being a brown box, made of wood, that looked like an heirloom. Carefully, I tried to open it and it gave way – but played a song. A song I didn't know, but worried that I would wake him I closed the music box right away.

My eyes snapped to Brahm, and he was still asleep.

Crisis averted, I breathed.

Opening the box, very slowly, I reached inside to grab what had been in there. Two things stuck out to me, a garnet ring of some kind, and something that looked like a bone chew toy. Why would he have a chew toy? Admiring both – especially the way the garnet gleamed in the sunlight so beautifully, I opened the music box and tucked them back inside before it could make any music.

It made a note, and in panic I looked again.

Nope, Brahm still slept, cuddling my pillow.

Beside the wooden music box was a bag that looked a little like a black velvet purse. Curious of it being another girls, or a sisters even, I opened it and pursed my mouth.

Eyeliner, black nail polish, black lipstick, eye shadow, portable mirror.

He had a make-up bag? Did that mean he had a girlfriend?

Worriedly I looked over, feeling just stupid at myself as I watched him peacefully snooze. There were no pictures of other girls anywhere – just the one of this really young and attractive woman with a man who kind of resembled Brahm.

Given that most of the pictures of that woman were in the master bedroom, I guessed that was his step-mom. Rich people married younger women all the time, right? Where did I stand on that? Looking in any mirror, I knew I couldn't really compete. I wasn't tall, I didn't have super long legs, my nose was to big, my head too square, and I looked young for my age. Which, at thirty, might be useful – but now? He probably saw me as a kid.

I knew the risks of being here, if Brahm was to report me; but, why would he when I alone knew what he had done to save me? If I wanted to, I could use that information badly to blackmail him into keeping me hidden. I didn't think I would ever have to do that, but I couldn't go back there – I had to be on my own til I was of age.

I was sixteen now, two whole years sounded like a long time.

Two years here, with Braham, sounded bearable.

I just hoped he didn't have someone else, someone I couldn't compete with. Someone with money, or a good name, with family you could visit. I set the make up bag down almost immediately when I saw a photo of Brahm with who I assumed were his school friends.

Braham wore eyeliner.

I was going to assume he wore the rest when he wanted to. Halloween was last month, wasn't it? Teenage boys were messy and lazy, right?

The thought alone comforted me, especially when I realized he wore black nail polish. Well, guys wearing make up was certainly pretty weird. But then, I couldn't say I wasn't weird too. At least now I looked presentable...maybe if I had the eyeliner on, he'd really notice me.

I felt foolish then, all this fuss when I should be worrying about far more important things. Like if the cops showed up, if they realized who I was and sent me back to that place.

If I had to, I could be on the streets, I knew enough to survive.

But this boy? This wealthy boy? Aside for his courageous rescue of me, did he know how to live on the streets? Maybe I could teach him, but why would he do that for me?

I had to think of a way that he would really let me stay here – and want me to stay here. There were things women did on the streets for men so they could be protected. I had never wanted to stoop to do those things, scandalous things that made me grimace, but could I say the same for this boy? Maybe someday, but one had to be attracted for that to work, I thought he was last night – but he seemed uncomfortable around me after.

If he was to keep me as a friend, then I needed to do something that any friend would appreciate. What could I do?

The answer was chosen for me.

My stomach growled…

Food! He had to be hungry when he woke, surely there was something I could whip up. Men liked when women cooked for them, didn't they?

Slipping out of his room, closing the door quietly behind me, I saw the condominium for what it was – an airy, heavenly, place that I didn't feel good enough to be in.

Walking past the whitewashed walls and luxurious carpet, I headed to the kitchen and looked at everything with an unsettled stomach. The last thing I cooked was a rat on the spit, because I wasn't able to find any fresh leftovers in the garbage of a grocery store. Three days ago, at that.

Scowling with disgust, thinking it best to never ever tell him of that, I moved to the fridge and peeked inside.

Eggs, milk, butter.

That was a good start.

I closed the fridge and inspected the cupboards. I found flour and baking soda – enough ingredients for pancakes if I could remember -how- to measure them. Pity there wasn't a recipe book around – that would really make things useful.

Almost thirty minutes later – with three tester pancakes in the garbage for not being perfect enough, I seemed to be able to flip a few pancakes to look like perfection and I set them on the breakfast nook on a plate that was strangely yellow and white like sunshine. So much light and color compared to Braham's clothes I'd seen so far.

He sure was sleeping for a while, and it was so weird to want someone to be near. To not want to be alone in a room, but the fear was rising up again. I had no task now to distract myself with, and only the thought of the danger waiting in the alley. Maybe I could go there – remove the evidence before Brahm woke up – so we would be safe – but what if the police had been there already?

Nervously biting my cheek, I headed back to the sleeping bear.

Brahm was awake, now, sitting up in such a way that I could see the sun lightly shine on his pale skin. Very faint freckles on his face and back that I rather liked. Imperfections to his handsome face, I stared too long, and caught myself.

"G-good morning," I said, feeling ridiculous that I was still stuttering. I'd never been someone who stuttered so much before the last year or so.

Brahm, hearing me, looked up and seemed to become a little uncomfortable.

"Morning," He seemed like he was going to get up out of bed; but, changed his mind last second and kept the blanket over his lap. "What's that smell?"

Oh no.

"Um, pancakes."

"Pancakes?"

"Yeah," I had to swallow, for various reasons all relating to being effected by his physical presence. His eye contact was devastating to me. "Do you like those?"

Oh please tell me you do.

"I don't know, its been a while." He stood up then and stretched, running a hand through his black hair. He kind of resembled a cockatoo bird with his hair all ruffled and funky; but, it made him more approachable, more endearing, and I smiled a little when he wasn't looking.

"I...I made them for you," I added, ignoring the funny pattering of my chest when he looked down at me with surprise.

"For me?" He blinked. "You didn't have to do that, Bree, I can cook us something."

Great, wasted effort.

"Uh, I mean," My sunken face may have perked a little when he spoke again. "I'll just make the next meal, then."

He yawned then, and I realized that one of his eye-teeth was longer than the other. How peculiar, I wondered about my teeth then...almost ashamed that I had to borrow a toothbrush in the master bathroom last night. I poured rubbing alcohol on it and let it sit for a bit first; but, I knew I had to fix my possum breath.

My mind flashed back to being called possum last night, and I shuddered.

"You alright?" I must have shivered, because he was right there next to me – pulling on a t-shirt. I had a bad feeling I blushed as seeing him flex while stretching, but I pretended I didn't.

"I'm just trying to forget last night..."

His arms moved around me, and I forgot how to breathe when he squeezed me close.

"Let's eat, then?"He said with some strange firmness to his tone, but the firmness was reassuring somehow.

"Yeah, if you want butter you better hurry and slather it on," I teased, almost.

"Sounds great," he said, though I had a feeling he didn't eat much fatty things given how slender he was. We walked together and he had one hand on the small of my back, no longer holding me, until we were out of the hallway and he dropped his hand completely.

"D-do you eat breakfast?"

He chuckled. "I do when someone cooks it," he said like it was a joke, but I wasn't sure if he was being serious or not.

"Does someone else come by?" My tone was far too worried for my own good, but I don't think he caught the reason why.

"Dad hired a housekeeper, and he has a service that brings groceries once a week. Mostly TV dinners; but, once in a while I'll eat out. I don't have a personal chef – if that's what you're asking."

I pondered that a moment. "How would you feel about me being your personal chef?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Maybe we should see how your pancakes turned out, first?"

If not for the fact that he snickered playfully, I might have been offended, but it was an excellent point...I hadn't made pancakes in over three years. I chuckled with him, about to say something when he spoke first and rendered me silent.

"There's only one plate."

Of course I forget my own.

He smiled a bit at me. "This is a lot of food, get a plate, we can share."

"If you're sure?" I asked, cause I heard boys eat a lot.

"Yeah, my pills won't work good if I eat too much at once, anyway."

He seemed to realize his mistake; but, while I should have dropped it – my curiosity was too strong.

"Your pills?"

Now it was his turn to be embarrassed, and I felt a little bad for having made such an effort to ask about it.

"Just standard stuff, really," he mused, and for now I accepted it.

I was going to insist that he eat the pancakes by himself; but…

My stomach growled again, this time I think he heard it.

"Wow, here have the big one," he pushed his yellow/white plate at me and I held my blue and white plate with protest.

"Oh I don't need that much..."

"Your eyes say no, but your stomach says yes," Brahm teased, and I had to bite down a red face as I relented and gave him the empty plate for him to portion it.

In the end we ate in near silence. My eyes looking at his, my toes tingling when he looked at mine. A happy torture compared to the horrors of last night.

I tried to eat quickly so that we could talk, and gave me an odd look, so I chewed a little more slowly while he ate his foot about the same pace as my adjusted one. I didn't eat very much being small, and it seemed he didn't eat much for other reasons. I was intrigued with wonder about his medicine, but I figured he wasn't comfortable sharing that with me yet.

"Do you think there will be anything on the news, today?"

His eyes flicked up at me from his plate. "I don't know, I'll check the computer in a bit, but the News won't be on til later, we missed the morning show."

I nodded, but wondered if they would have it on the morning show we missed. "What do you think we should do if it is on the news?

He stopped eating altogether, putting the fork down on his plate. "Depends on how much they share." He moved to stand then, taking both of our plates and scraping them out into the trash before setting them under the faucet in the sink to rinse them.

"You don't think they'll sweep it under the rug, do you?" I wondered as I bit down on my lip.

He seemed standoffish at that question, and I wasn't entirely able to guess why. "We won't know til tonight."

I nodded. "Six, right?"

"Right," he agreed.

"So what should we do until then?"

"I don't think leaving the house right now is a good idea, if nothing shows by tomorrow morning, then we will figure out more then. But around the house, I have board games, go fish, video games. Erm, a treadmill if you like to be a hamster, movies." Brahm said as though these were all mundane and boring things. I hadn't played much video games since the Super Nintendo when I was young; but, it all sounded exciting to me. Except the treadmill.

"I have a card game to play, if you want to play it."

He looked at me with interest. "What's it called?"

"Truth or fish," I realized that sounded cheesy.

"'Truth or fish'?"

"Yeah, it's like go fish, except in order to get the cards someone is holding, you have to answer a question or do a dare."

He seemed interested; pondering, as he shut off the sink and walked towards one of the hall closets. I followed him absentmindedly, and lingered a few feet behind like the stray I was.

"And what if someone doesn't want to answer a question?"

I chuckled a little, to lighten the strange tension in the air. "Well, then I get to go again. Or vice versa."

"Hmm," Brahm mused before he took out two decks of playing cards – both the same brand, and walked to the kitchen table. I sat down in the opposite chair from earlier as I watched him shuffle the decks with skilled hands and toss six cards back and forth until we had a matching hand size. He raised his fan of cards, I raised my own, and then I couldn't help but giggle.

"You go first," Brahm insisted, and I looked down at my cards. I had three twos, and bit my lip at the other cards.

"So when we get four of each card, we put it down. The person with the most piles at the end winds, like in Go Fish," I paused only to wet my lips a little, and taking a breath, I smiled.

"Do you have any twos?"

He held up one card in his hand from his deck, showing it to be a two, but he didn't give it to me. "So I ask you a question or give you a dare?"

"Yes, sometimes we played it where I would say truth or dare, but that's up to you."

He sighed, "Well, truth or dare, then?"

"Truth."

He hummed and looked at his hostage two that I needed. "What is your last name?"

Why did he have to ask that?

"Pass."

He sighed and put the two back in his hand, then looked at his cards. "Do you have any sixes?"

I looked down, then frowned. "Go Fish."

"So I just grab a card then, I don't have to jump through any hoops?"

"No hoops, pick a card. If you pick up your card, you get to go again."

He nodded and picked up a card, looking at it before he pursed his lips.

It was my turn again, and I chuckled before I answered. "Do you have any twos?"

"Really?" He asked in exasperation. "Truth or dare, then."

"Dare."

He hummed with some uncertainty and shrugged. "I don't know any dares, hmm..."

"Truth, then."

"Alright," he paused to consider. "What is your favorite color?"

I chuckled at that, it was easy. "Right now? Brown."

"Why brown?" he asked as he handed me a two and I set it down in a little pile in front of me. Picking up cards until I had six of them again.

"You'll need to play to find out," I teased.

"Guh," he joked with a smirk – the kind of smirk that made any girl weak at the knees. He watched down at his cards for a moment. "Do you have any fives?"

I looked down, I had two fives, so I raised them up in the air like a ransom. "Truth or Dare?"

"Just one, or do I do both for two fives?"

"Just one question or dare for all," I explained and he hummed softly again in thought.

"Dare."

I wasn't sure on dares – none of them seemed good enough, so I thought of something embarrassing but not life-damaging. "I dare you to...crow like a rooster."

He grimaced and procrastinated doing it for half a minute before he did it – and it wasn't half bad!

I giggled at him and gave him the fives I had hostage. He set them down in a pack in front of him and I smirked a little now in amusement.

"Alright, do you have any aces?"

He looked through his cards and drew an ace. "Truth or dare?"

"Truth," I said warmly, since I did NOT wanna crow like a rooster back.

"Hmm," he looked into my eyes with his piercing gaze, and I felt something rush down my spine. "Have you had any boyfriends?"

My face turned a bit pinkish, but I shook my head. "No," I said as I handed him the ace.

"Do you have any nines?"

I nodded. "Truth or Dare?"

"Truth," he said warmly.

"Have you had any girlfriends? Do you do girlfriends?"

"That's two questions," he commented, but looked down a little awkwardly. "No, never had a girlfriend, and no, never was really interested in any girls before."

Nibbling my lip, I looked at his eyes and felt something really strange inside my stomach, a weird fluttering. Not from this game, or his eye contact, but it occurred to me that I would be alone with him for a long time in this condo – hopefully. Alone with a boy, a very handsome boy that I was attracted to. Was I going to pursue more than friendship while I was here? Would he think I was disgusting and kick me out? That worried me now, and I anxiously bit down on my tongue as I tried to remember whose turn it was. Oh, right, mine.

Drawing more cards to refuel my hand, I set down a four pack of threes and picked up four more cards.

"Do you have any tens?"

He grimaced as though debating whether or not to lie about having them. "Mhm, truth or dare."

"Truth."

"Do you have any parents?"

I didn't really want to answer this one, but I had already used up a pass. "I don't know, I was found as a baby."

He seemed somewhere between concerned and interested as he looked up from his cards at me. His sympathy was strangely comforting, as though he knew what it was like. He took his one ten from his deck and handed it to me, I set it next to the other tens as he drew a card and looked down at my hand. Not really caring about winning he game so much as getting to know him better.

"Do you have any Queens?"

He scowled. "Go fish," he said.

I did, and he mused a bit before he asked me another question. "Do you have any jacks?"

"Truth or dare?"

"Hmm, truth."

"N-Now I have three Jacks, so I will ask a harder question, but you can pass." I said, not wanting to make him feel like he had to answer this one. He chuckled at me and gestured with his free hand for me.

"I know, silly, what's your question?"

"Have you ever had sex?"

Both of his eyebrows shot up in the air like I'd asked him to start a wildfire in a children's playground; but, I had expected that.

"Urhm...what uh, qualifies."

I opened my mouth in a gasp. "Is that a yes?" I said with some surprise, even though I figured he was handsome enough to not have trouble in that department – as least to my mind.

Brahm awkwardly laughed and shook his head. "It's a 'sort of'...I haven't gone all the way, but I have had some things happen before."

I wanted to know what those were, but I felt he would insist on another question first, so I handed him the three Jacks he won and he set down another pile. I didn't mind that he was winning. He picked up four cards and looked through them before he went. His eyes occasionally watching me with avid curiosity.

"Do you have any threes?" I asked, and he shook his head before he found one hidden behind another card.

"Ah, here. Truth or dare."

Figuring he might ask me an equally scary question, I shook my foot under the table. "Dare."

He leaned in on his elbows with something like mischief on his face. "I dare you..." His eyes lingered on my own, and I started to feel extra nervous. "-to tell me if you've had sex before."

I blushed, I couldn't help it. "N-no. I've kissed a little, used my hand before."

Now Brahm looked a bit bashful, and it was so adorable that I found myself pinkish again as he handed me his one three.

"Do you have any sevens?"

I looked, but I already knew I didn't have any. "No, go fish."

He reached for the deck and picked a card, turning it around to reveal a seven.

"My turn again, then," he chuckled in a deeper tone as he looked down to his deck. "Do you have any ones?"

Nodding, I raised the one to show him. "Truth or dare?"

"Dare."

I bit my lip, trying to think of something that wasn't going to make us both blush, or feel too ridiculous...even though I really wanted to see if he would answer more of my questions, I tried to withhold from asking blush-worthy things. "I...dare you..." I looked around the condo in a cursory glance. "to-..."

I trailed off, I couldn't ask it after all. "Make us some coffee."

His cards almost smacked the table in exasperation as he laughed and walked to the kitchen. I watched him wander away, he moved smoothly to the freezer to fetch a bag of some fancy coffee beans and set it up in what I now realized was an espresso maker. It seemed he was a skilled home barista, and that was intriguing to know. He came back in a couple minutes, and I added some milk to mine, preferring my coffee a little sweet.

When he sat back down, I gave him the 'one' card he asked for.

"Do you have any Kings?" I asked as he set down another four pack of cards. He searched his desk and shook his head. "Go fish."

I looked down and picked up a card, smirking a little. He smirked a little back, and it sent shivers through my toes.

"Do you have any sevens?"

"Again?" I teased as I sighed and held up the card I just picked up, a little suspicious of him having seen it a second ago. "Truth or dare."

"Truth."

"Was it weird for you?" I had to pause to get the courage to ask, and he spoke before I could.

"Was what weird for me?"

"Me, sleeping next to you."

He seemed taken aback, like the question caught him off guard. "At first, but if it helped you feel safe, then I don't mind."

I smiled, relaxing my shoulders which had tensed up considerably. "I'm glad, I wasn't sure if I creeped you out last night." I mentioned as I handed him the seven and took another card from the big deck.

"I thought it would, but its okay. Never had anyone larger than a dog snuggling me before."

"Do you like snuggling?"

He chuckled at me. "I think that's another question."

"Oh right," I feigned.

"Do you have any fours?"

"Go fish," I teased before I took out my two fours and sighed. "Truth or dare?"

"Sneaky," he joked before he laughed a little. "Truth."

"Are you happy here?"

Brahm pursed his lips, as though not sure how to answer that.

"I want to be, if that answer is enough for you."

"It is, now if you don't mind, do you have any ones?"

Silliness aside, we played until we had sets of four all over the table. We shared both serious and silly things, favorite colors and guilty pleasures or things we were embarrassed about. We had a few cards left, I knew the question or dare had to be big, or at least I felt that it would be as I looked at Brahm. He seemed to be considering, and we both knew that at this point we were probably both holding eights.

Soon enough, he looked at me very seriously and smiled with his one slightly larger fang tooth beaming at me. "Do you have any eights?"

I gave him a look and pursed my lip. "Course I do, truth or dare?"

"Dare."

I considered what could be a good dare, and bit my lip a little. "I..." my only thought was to ask him to take me to the movies, but that seemed like something silly to ask. We couldn't leave the apartment now, and we couldn't risk missing the six-o-clock news either.

"Yes?" He pressed when I didn't say anything.

"Well, I dare you to..." I started, but my mind was drawing blanks on something that didn't feel overreaching. A good balance between too much and something that wasn't challenging at all. In the end, I guess I was cowardice. I just sat there awkwardly biting my lip across the table.

"I'm not crowing again," Brahm teased, and I chuckled then.

"No, no, I'm just having trouble thinking of something," I mused as I just gave him the cards so he could win. Or in the least, win before we counted to see who had more big piles, though this was really a three or more person game, and I probably didn't play it right.

The chair scooted out from under Brahm, and I glanced up with my gray eyes to look at him. He seemed to be thinking about something seriously as he refused to take the cards from my hand.

"I'm not going to take your cards for free," he said, and I swallowed anxiously because he was standing up and walking around to me.

One hand pressed on the table on front of me as he leaned down closer, and our eyes met. His piercing irises captured me, and I found myself fluttering on the inside when I thought he started to lean in. His other hand reaching to me, I didn't notice it until I felt soft fingers on my cheek.

Time stood still, and I I forgot how to breathe as he watched me so poignantly. His lips pressed dangerously close to my mouth, and for a single heartbeat hope shuddered through me.

I didn't think, I just reached up to rest my hands on his stomach as he leaned closer, pressing across that little distance by standing on my toes like a ballerina to brush my lips against his own.

The brush seemed to be all the incentive he needed, and my eyes closed when his lips cascaded over mine and his arms slid around me and clutched me to his body. If not for his arms holding me up, I was sure I might have fallen over with how the strength seemed to be drunk from my lips as his tongue skillfully caressed my own in a sensuous dance I'd never engaged in before. I didn't mean to – but the sensation like shivering from my lips cascaded down to every vulnerable place and a sound bubbled up from my mouth.

The sound edged him further as I felt myself set on something; his body pressing strongly against my own. The sounds of our lips meeting over and over again like damp pricks of rain on water. My eyes were closed, I forgot we were we were, and I felt his fingernails prickling into my back like forceful claws to keep my chest pressed up against his own.

Gasps were stolen from my lips, desperate breathing from my nose and his as his mouth sucked against my bottom lip and intertwined our lips again and again.

Our lips had joined from gentle to enraptured so quickly that when our kisses stopped – it was as though the sound of Velcro being torn apart resonated from our swollen mouths.

Only then did I open my eyes, panting deeply with little strength for words, and see Brahm struggling the same. I was on the table, and without looking I had a feeling that cards were all over the floor. I watched his damp, reddened, mouth; his eyes wet from lust, and I trembled fearfully. He was trembling too, but fear did not seem to be the reason.

Neither of us spoke, and I had a feeling that he was going to – or that we might lean forward once we caught our breath and bridge the distance to kiss again.

But, a sound interrupted it, a sound that came out of nowhere.