Page 26 of Along Came Summer

I can feel Mira's body heating, her eyes rolling back as that explosive pressure builds. She gasps, her breathing hastens, and her grip on my biceps grows tighter as we get closer to our release. With every thrust, the need for release becomes stronger, burning deep in my groin, making it fucking impossible to hold back much longer. I go lightheaded. Every muscle in my body tenses and strains.

Mira's thighs start to shake, and her moans become louder as I feel her walls contract around me. “Oh fuck, baby, I can feel you coming,” I growl, my head tipping back as I absorb the build-up to that much-needed climax. “Oh, fuck, fuck… Mira...”

The sound of our bodies coming together, the way her breathing changes, the catch of her breath, the way she moans, and the little noises she makes are enough to make a man crazy.

When Mira's walls squeeze me, it sets off my orgasm. I push myself deep inside her, keeping still and allowing her climax to take me over. A deep feral growl rips through my throat as I reach the pinnacle of my release and go over. “Ahh, yes, Mira!” I moan, emptying my load into the condom. With each surge, our bodies quake, and our breathing becomes erratic as we come together in a wave of rapture that we both wish will never end. I watch in enchantment as Mira comes undone under me. Taking in the sound of her moans, the way she's rocking through her orgasm and biting down on her lower lip.

I lower myself down to my elbows and dip my head to kiss her through the last few seconds of her climax. Mira moans and wraps her arms around my neck; she pulls me closer to deepen the kiss. We stay there for a few moments, lips locked in a slow, passionate kiss, content in our little bubble of pleasure, completely covered in paint, but too damn beat to move a muscle.

After I discard the condom, we lay facing each other while we recover. I brush my fingers along her paint-stained cheek, and she sighs, using the tip of her index finger to trace the outline of my lips. “What do you think? Have we created the next masterpiece?” she asks with a lazy grin, and I laugh.

“Oh, absolutely,” I say sweetly, brushing her finger with a kiss. “Picasso himself would be green with envy over this masterpiece.”

“Well, I sure hope so because I have paint in places I'm damn certain it does not belong,” Mira states, scrunching her nose adorably.

Grinning, I look her over, taking a minute to admire her beauty. Her dark hair is still in the messy bun she put it in before we got started; granted, it's more dishevelled now with a couple of loose strands stained with yellow and green paint. She’s also got that after-sex glow going on. Under all the colourful smears of paint, her cheeks are rosy, and her eyes are aglow like pots of molten gold. “You do look a mess—an absurdly sexy varicoloured mess, and I believe it would be a damn crime if we didn’t capture this moment.” Reaching over, I pick up my phone from where I left it on the floor and unlock it to snap a photo of us.

“You better keep this for your eyes only, or I swear I will castrate you, King.” Mira jests with a laugh when I lift her to straddle my lap.

“Wait, does it count if I blow it up to put it above my bed so I can look at it while I stroke one out every night after you’ve gone?” I ask with a raised brow, and she giggles, looking down into my face, her eyes lit up with amusement.

“Why don't you just look at it on your phone while you stroke one out?” Mira inquires, her arms looping around my neck before she kisses my chin.

“I could do that, but I'd rather have something larger scale hanging in my room so I can pretend you're there while I'm slowly fucking my fist to the thought of you.” I withdraw with a smirk as she lets out a shaky breath.

“That's... kind of twisted, and yet somehow I’m finding myself turned on by the thought of it,” Mira remarks, her head tipping back for me when I trail kisses down her neck.

“So, is that a yes, then?”

“Just take the photo already.”

Thus began our unforgettable two-week-long ‘holiday fling’.

Mira and I did everything together during those two weeks. We explored the island. I taught her yoga and how to meditate to control her anxiety. We spent many nights partying and getting drunk with Lexi and Wyatt. We went on a cruise on a private yacht to a remote island and spent hours making love under the stars. And despite me telling myself repeatedly that it was just a fling. I fell for her; I fell for her hard and fast and without caution. Days and nights spent with her blended into one.

And in the blink of an eye, it was time to say goodbye.

My heart sits in my chest like a chunk of lead while we walk side by side toward the departure gate. With every step I take, my stomach sinks deeper, and the ache intensifies.

I hate goodbyes, but this was especially bittersweet because I didn’t get to say goodbye the last time. I hug Lexi and Wyatt goodbye first, and they tell Mira they’ll wait for her by the gate to give us some privacy.

Mira sighs and looks up at me with a smile that doesn’t quite reach her eyes. We shuffle closer to one another until my arms circle her waist, and she rests her hands on my chest. We stare meaningfully into each other's eyes, and the words ‘I love you’ sit at the tip of my tongue, just waiting to spill out, but I swallow them and press my forehead to hers.

“God, this is harder than I thought it would be.” She expresses with a shaky laugh, veering her gaze to look at her hands resting on my chest. “I never imagined when I first got here that it would be this hard to leave.” Mira continues quietly and lifts her gaze to mine. I press my molars together to keep my emotions reined in. “Thank you, Levi for everything you’ve done for me these past two weeks. I’ve been a mess for a while now, and you… you helped me findmyselfagain. I didn't know how much I was suffocating until you came along and breathed life back into me.” A tear spills over and streams down her cheek. “If it wasn't for these unforgettable two weeks with you, I would probably still be in that dark place, battling with the monsters in my head, so thank you.”

The backs of my eyelids burn as I swallow against the lump in my throat and lift my hand to brush away the tear. “Don’t do that.” I sigh, shaking my head while my eyes search her tearful gaze. “All I did was offer you a shoulder and an ear. You did the hard part of facing your demons. You are much stronger than you give yourself credit for, Mira Evans.” Mira’s eyes glisten with unshed tears, and she nods meekly while I cup her face and caress her jaw. “Just remember what I told you. It's okay to be scared because being scared means you're about to do something really brave.” Mira blinks, and more tears flow down her cheeks. “You're the most beautiful, most courageous woman I have ever met, and don't you ever let anyone tell you otherwise.” I assert, brushing away her tears, and she nods. Despite my heart aching in my chest, I force a smile on my face and lean in till my lips touch hers. “Now, kiss me one last time and mean it, baby girl." I whisper, and Mira smiles and parts her lips when I run my tongue along her bottom lip, wordlessly requesting access, which she readily grants me, and we share a slow, deep kiss that makes my very soul quake.

I take a moment to memorise the feel of her lips on mine, the sinfully sweet taste of her kiss before whispering tenderly against her lips as we pull apart. “This isn't goodbye.”

Mira's eyes open slowly, and I feel my breath catch in my chest. I've been dreading this moment, hoping that somehow it would never come, yet here we are. Mira holds my gaze, and a kaleidoscope of emotions radiating in her hazel eyes. A silent understanding passes between us, and I already know what she's asking without her having to say a word.

I take her hands in mine, a rush of sorrow coursing through me. Is this the last time I'll ever see her again? I stare into her eyes, and my throat tightens. A tear rolls down her sun-kissed cheek and her lips part like she wants to say something, but no words form.

Shaking my head, I pull her back into my arms, and we embrace tightly. We cling to each other for what feels like an eternity, and I bury my face in her neck and breathe in her scent, filling my lungs with it one last time, memorising every note so I can recall it later when I'm missing her.I love you, Mira Evans.I suppress the wave of sorrow and focus on the present, savouring the warmth and feel of her body against mine.

Reluctantly, I step back and brush one last kiss on her lips. Mira's breath hitches, and her eyes fill with a fresh batch of unshed tears as we stand there for a few moments, neither of us wanting to let go, until finally, she takes a step back, and then another, and another. Each one intensifies the already suffocating ache in my chest. Mira finally turns, and I watch her walk toward Wyatt and Lexi, who are waiting for her by the gate. When she reaches them, Mira looks back at me, and I force a smile and wave. Wyatt wraps his arm around her shoulder, and Mira leans into his consoling embrace as they walk through the gate together.

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