Page 17 of Maar's Girl

I press her against the wall, the cold tile a stark contrast to the feverish heat of her skin. "Only for you," I confess, my voice a low rumble that vibrates through us both.

Her fingers tangle in my hair, pulling me closer as our kiss deepens, a dance of tongues and teeth that stokes the fire within. The water cascades over us, a symphony of droplets that accentuates the rhythm of our bodies as they move against each other.

"Raaj," she gasps as I trail kisses down her neck, her pulse fluttering like a captured bird beneath my lips. "We shouldn't?—"

"Shouldn't what?" I challenge, my hands exploring the contours of her slick body. "Forget the world beyond these walls?"

She moans in response, her hips bucking against mine, a silent plea for more. "Yes," she breathes, surrendering to the madness that ensnares us both.

I lift her effortlessly, her legs wrapping around my waist as I position myself at her entrance. Our eyes lock, a silentconversation passing between us, a fusion of desire and something deeper, something I dare not name.

With a single, powerful thrust, I'm inside her, her cry of pleasure echoing off the walls of the shower. "Look at me, Alyssa," I command, and her eyes snap to mine, a connection as potent as the physical bond that unites us.

"You feel... so damn good," she stammers, her inner walls tightening around me, an embrace that threatens to unravel my restraint.

"This is where I belong," I grunt, each word punctuated by a thrust that elicits a gasp from her parted lips. "Inside you, Alyssa. Only you."

Our bodies move in sync, a primal dance as old as time. Her nails rake down my back, a sting of pain that only heightens the pleasure that builds within me. We are two souls, bound by a force greater than ourselves, a force that transcends the lies and the secrets that lurk in the shadows.

"I'm close," she whimpers, her voice a symphony of need that drives me to the brink.

"Let go, Alyssa," I urge, my own release imminent. "Let go with me."

With a final, frenzied rhythm, we tumble over the edge together, our cries of ecstasy mingling with the sound of the water that showers down upon us. In this moment, there is nothing but raw, unadulterated bliss, a sanctuary from the chaos that awaits us beyond the steam.

As our breathing slows and the aftershocks of our passion subside, I lower her to the ground, our bodies still intimately entwined. Alyssa looks up at me, her eyes shining with a mix of satisfaction and a vulnerability that tugs at my conscience.

I should tell her the truth. The weight of my deceit is a cold stone in my chest, a reminder of the chasm that divides us. Butas I open my mouth to speak, the words die on my tongue, choked by the fear of losing her.

Instead, I kiss her softly, a tender counterpoint to the fierceness of our earlier fervor. "Let's get you dried off," I murmur, my voice barely above a whisper.

As I reach to turn off the water, Alyssa's hand on my arm stays my movement. "Raaj," she says, her gaze earnest, "no matter what happens, I want you to know—I trust you. Completely."

The irony of her trust is not lost on me. It is a gift I do not deserve, a sacred vow that I have no right to accept. Yet as I wrap her in my arms, the warmth of her body seeping into mine, I find myself clinging to it, a lifeline in the sea of my duplicity.

For now, I am hers, and she is mine. The future can wait. Here, in the sanctuary of our shared passion, there is only us—Maar and Alyssa, bound by a connection that defies the darkness of my past and the uncertainty of our future.

As Alyssa begins to do her makeup I go to the living area and see that my padd is flashing.

I know what message this is.

I stare at the flashing padd, my stomach twisting into knots. The message I've been dreading has finally arrived. With a deep breath, I activate the device, and the holographic display springs to life.

"Enforcer Maar," a gruff voice emanates from the padd, "the first wave of our operatives has landed on Mars. Proceed with the elimination of the target as planned. Failure is not an option. This is your last chance to carry out your mission. Or else our enforcers will carry it out and then eliminate you."

The message blinks out, leaving me in suffocating silence. My mind races, thoughts colliding like asteroids in a violent belt. I can't do this. I won't do this. The realization hits me with the force of a plasma blast – I'm in love with Alyssa.

"Shit," I mutter, running a hand through my hair. "Think, Maar, think."

I pace the room, my footsteps echoing in the sparse Martian apartment. The sound of running water from the bathroom reminds me of Alyssa's presence, her trust in me, her love. I can't betray that. I won't.

A plan begins to form in my mind, desperate and risky, but it's all I've got. We need to run, and we need to do it now. But how do I explain this to Alyssa without revealing my true identity?

CHAPTER 14

ALYSSA

"Let's go away," Raaj says the moment I walk out of the bathroom.

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