CHAPTER 15: HEARTBEAT CONFESSIONS*

The room had gone quiet again, their bodies finally at rest, the storm between them spent. A soft breeze drifted in through the cracked window, rustling the edge of the curtains.

Victoria shifted gently, climbing up over him and letting her bare skin settle against his. She stretched out on his stomach, her legs tangled with his, and began trailing soft, absentminded kisses across his chest and collarbone. Her fingers brushed lightly over his ribs, as if memorizing the feel of him.

Alex chuckled, voice still hoarse. "Trying to start another round?"

She shook her head slowly, resting her chin on his chest. "Mm-mm. I just want to lay here."

He wrapped an arm around her back, letting her settle in. Her head found its place on his chest, ear pressed over his heartbeat. The steady rhythm seemed to calm her.

They lay there in silence for a long while, not needing to speak. Her fingers lazily traced circles on his skin. His hand moved through her hair, slow and gentle.

"I missed this," she murmured eventually, voice so soft it was almost a thought escaping her lips. "I missed you."

Alex didn’t say anything at first. He just held her closer.

She lifted her head slightly, eyes meeting his. "I never felt beautiful like this before... Never felt wanted just for... me."

There was no mask in her voice now...no sharp wit, no CEO armor. Just her.

She turned on her side to face him completely, eyes open, raw. "I need to say something. And I know it’s stupid. Or maybe not stupid...just crazy."

Alex kept his eyes on hers, hand still gently rubbing the back of her arm. "Say it."

She took a breath, almost laughed nervously, but didn’t back out.

"I think I’m falling in love with you." Her voice trembled, but the words were clear. "I know how that sounds. I know it’s too fast, and everything’s complicated. But I can’t help it. When I’m with you, I remember who I used to be...before I became someone who just... survives. Performs."

His heart skipped. She could probably hear it under her cheek.

"Victoria," he said, slow and steady, "You’re not just some role you play. Not to me."

She blinked, breath catching.

"You’re the most fascinating, maddening, beautiful woman I’ve ever met."

Her eyes watered. "You mean that?"

"I do."

He kissed her forehead, then her lips...tender, unrushed. She didn’t speak again, just curled into him, one hand flat over his heart, her breath syncing with his.

For the first time in a long while, she didn’t feel like she was acting.

And for the first time, she let herself believe she wasn’t alone.

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System Update: Target dependency at 94%. Emotional attachment confirmed. External complications detected. Acceleration to final phase recommended.

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The notification blinked across his vision.

Alex smiled, but deep down, he knew.

He was falling, too.

____

Victoria lay there for a long moment, her cheek pressed to his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat like it anchored her. Her fingers idly traced the faint lines of old scars, rising and falling with each breath he took.

Then, without lifting her head, she murmured, "I just want to feel close to you."

She shifted slightly, placing a soft kiss near his collarbone. Another lower. Then lower still. Each one more certain than the last. She didn’t look up right away, didn’t say anything. Just moved down slowly, her lips brushing his skin like a silent confession, until she found herself between his legs...both nervous and drawn in by the quiet heat between them.

Victoria settled between his legs with a quiet breath, her fingers wrapping around him confidently but not without a flicker of nerves in her eyes. She looked up, a faint smirk touching her lips as she felt him already starting to stir in her hand.

"You get hard so fast," she murmured, amused. "Didn’t even do anything yet."

"You just have to look at me," Alex teased back, voice thick.

She leaned in and kissed the tip softly, almost reverently, before letting her tongue tease along the edge, tasting him. There was a small pause, more mental than physical, and then she began stroking him with a slow rhythm, her lips brushing over the head again.

"I barely did this for my husband," she admitted in a whisper. "Didn’t like it much."

"You don’t have to now either," Alex said, watching her carefully.

But she shook her head, resolute. "I want to do it. For you."

She eased him into her mouth, inch by inch, with a quiet breath through her nose. She wasn’t clumsy...she clearly knew what she was doing, but there was a carefulness in her motion, like someone rediscovering something they’d once put away. Her hand stayed wrapped around the base, guiding herself, letting her mouth work over him in slow, wet strokes.

Her eyes flicked up once, half shy, half checking and she saw the way his jaw clenched, the way his hand gripped the sheets. That was all the reassurance she needed.

She picked up the pace just slightly, adding a twist of her wrist, her tongue tracing along the underside with more confidence now. When he let out a low groan, her lashes fluttered.

"You taste better than I thought," she murmured with a grin, before taking him again, deeper this time.

It wasn’t about being perfect, it was about being present. And in that moment, she gave herself fully to the act, not out of duty, but desire.

Alex’s breathing hitched as she wrapped her lips around him again, hands steady at the base. He gripped the headboard, voice low and urgent.

"Take me all the way," he growled.

She hesitated just a beat, then opened wide and slid him deeper. Her throat clenched as he filled her, and a soft gag escaped her lips, wet and unguarded. She pulled back quickly, eyes watering, then caught her breath and dove back in, determined to meet him fully.

"That’s it," he encouraged, pressing a hand to the back of her head. "Don’t stop."

She bobbed, slow at first, then faster, her jaw flexing around him. Each time she went deep, a little choke slipped out...a ragged "ngh..." and Alex’s groan turned louder.

"Fuck, yeah... just like that," he panted. "You feel so good when you try to swallow me whole."

Her gagging grew more pronounced as he pushed, but she kept moving, filled by his insistence, driven by his need. When her eyes fluttered shut and tears threatened, he slowed, murmuring, "You’re doing amazing."

Energized by his praise, she resumed, faster now, lips gliding, tongue teasing the underside, every breath a mix of urgency and slight suffocation. Alex’s voice rose in raw pleasure:

"God, Victoria, don’t hold back, let me hear you choke."

Her next descent was deeper, rougher, and a strangled moan bubbled up as she gagged around him. He thrust into her mouth in time with her bobbing head, each movement a pulse of heat.

"Shit... you’re incredible," he groaned, hips stuttering. "I’m close... keep going, just like that..."

Her cheeks hollowed as she took him deeper, struggling slightly but refusing to slow. He felt her push past the reflex with a whimper, determined to hold him there. His fingers tangled in her hair, and his breath caught.

"Fuck.... Victoria..." he gasped, voice cracking with need.

She gave one last, deliberate suck, deep, slow, wet...before he tipped over the edge with a helpless cry, spilling into her mouth as she held him firmly in place.

When he finally eased out, she collapsed against his thigh, breathless and trembling, hair mussed, eyes shining with a satisfied glow. Alex stared down at her, still panting.

"That was perfect," he rasped, running a finger gently along her jaw. "Absolutely perfect."

She smiled faintly, lips still parted, and rested her cheek against his thigh.

"So...how long do you need to recover?" she murmured, playful, but with a flicker of heat still smoldering in her gaze.

Alex let out a shaky laugh, his hand drifting down to her shoulder.

"Not long."