The Desire Variable | Rewrite

⸻ TWENTY-ONE ⸻

Disoriented, thirsty, and hot, I regain consciousness with a startle. Those aren't my sheets, this isn't my room, and the massive body pressed against me is confusing as fuck.

All at once, the memory of the evening hit me. I'm in Lex's apartment, in his bed, and we had sex for a substantial part of the night. Shit, I fell asleep.

Still foggy, I do a quick assessment of the situation. The moon's faint glow is the only thing lighting up the room, so it's still night. My whole body feels sticky, like I need about two showers to clean all of this off. I discarded the robe during the night—the belt was uncomfortable—so I'm naked. Lex is also in the nude, despite the shorts he slipped on last night. Did he expect more sex?

I remain unmoving for a few seconds, secretly enjoying the moment. I'm half-turned on my stomach, and he's pressed on my back, part of his weight resting on me.

The deed is finally done. I fucked Alexander, and now I'll be free to resume my life without the constant lust and tension.

Careful not to wake him up, I rotate around to face him, which feels like a game of body mikado. He looks so serene, so calm, almost like a different person. Awake, he's always tense or severe, but right now, the perpetual crest between his brows is gone, and the line of his mouth is relaxed. His hair is messy, and I'm almost tempted to brush it with my fingers. But I can't take the risk of waking him up.

I fucked my boss, and not I need to go. I'm not staying for breakfast and cuddles.

Slow but steady, I maneuver my way out of his embrace. As I untangle myself from his hold, he barely moves, his sleep particularly heavy. I quietly wriggle to the edge of the bed to sit up with my feet on the floor.

Ouch, I'll feel him there for a while. My core is sore and overworked, and the tendons on the inside of my thighs are tender, not used to being stretched for that long.

I notice a tall glass of water on the nightstand on my side of the bed, and I immediately quench my thirst with it. When I'm done, I glimpse at the sleeping form behind me, thankful he left the glass for me.

Just as I stand, I hear him move under the sheets behind me. Very slowly, I spin around, worried he woke up. To my great relief, he's still deeply asleep, now lying on his back. He seems more tanned in the darkness. The duvet is low on his abdomen, and I can admire the shapes of his shoulders, arms, and torso. A shallow and superficial wave of pride invades me. I, Andrea Walker, was the center of such a man's attention. Lucky, lucky me...

On my way to the kitchen, I feel out of place, naked and walking around in an apartment I barely know. My things aren't on the kitchen floor anymore, folded on the dinner table. It's ridiculous, but knowing he picked my things and arranged them feels more intimate than him eating me out. Especially when I find my underwear neatly folded too.

I dress up and check the time on my phone, 5:47 am. Shit, I have a bunch of notifications from Tammy, Kate, and Oli. I told Tammy I would get back late, not that I'd be away all night. Then I was too distracted to form a coherent thought.