Chapter 60: The Cold Between Us
That night, Selene climbed into bed beside her like it was the most natural thing in the world, towel-dried hair still damp, her skin cool and smooth under the covers. Aria had barely settled into the pillow before Selene's fingers found her waist. At first, it was casual — a lazy hand draped across her hip, a gentle brush against her stomach as if seeking comfort in contact. But Aria knew Selene better than that. She knew the tension beneath the calm, the way Selene's silence always carried intention.
"You're doing that thing again," Aria mumbled without opening her eyes.
"What thing?" Selene's voice was an innocent murmur, but her fingers trailed lower, just slightly, enough to make Aria's thighs tense.
"That thing where you pretend you're not being a menace." Aria shifted under the blanket. "You're testing me."
Selene chuckled quietly. "You're imagining things."
Her hand slid deliberately over Aria's stomach, teasing just beneath the waistband of her sleep shorts. Aria's breath hitched before she rolled onto her back, eyes fluttering open to find Selene watching her.
"I'm not hungry," Aria said, not entirely sure if it was a warning or a plea.
"I know." Selene leaned closer, her cool breath brushing Aria's lips. "That's not what this is about."
The slow drag of Selene's fingers along her thigh wasn't demanding. It was exploratory, almost curious, like she was feeling out the edges of something fragile and precious. Aria bit her lip, her pulse quickening — not from hunger, not from her succubus bloodline, but from something far more dangerous.
Want.
"Then what is it about?" she whispered, heart thudding against her chest.
Selene didn't answer. She dipped her head instead, brushing her lips down Aria's neck, kissing just beneath her jaw. Aria arched slightly, body betraying her even as she tried to stay calm.
"It's just you," Selene murmured against her throat. "Just wanting you."
Aria let out a shaky breath, her fingers tangling in Selene's hair. "That's not fair."
"You never said I had to play fair."
The teasing escalated slowly. Selene's hands mapped her again with maddening patience, stroking from her collarbone to her hip with feather-light touches, as if memorizing every inch. Aria held out for as long as she could, but the ache was building — different from before, rawer, real. Her hips shifted toward Selene's hand before she could stop herself.
"I hate how good you are at this," she gasped.
"Good?" Selene smirked against her skin. "I haven't even started."
Aria whimpered, catching Selene's mouth with hers to stop the onslaught of teasing. Their kiss was messy, heated, full of frustrated need and building tension. Selene pulled her closer, lips moving against hers in slow, deliberate waves, tongues tangled, breath stolen. Aria clung to her, body arching as Selene's hand slid beneath her shorts and finally touched her where she was already dripping.
"Oh, god," Aria moaned, breaking the kiss.
"Still not hungry?" Selene teased, eyes gleaming.
Aria could barely glare. "Shut up and kiss me."
Selene did, over and over, until Aria was gasping into her mouth, thighs trembling. When Selene finally moved lower, settling between her legs, Aria was already begging, her voice wrecked and pleading.
The first stroke of Selene's tongue was slow — agonizing. Aria cried out, hands buried in the sheets as Selene worked her over with a kind of ruthless, unhurried focus that made her entire body burn. It was so much better than the last time. Controlled, confident, almost cruel in how thoroughly Selene knew exactly what made her lose her mind.
"Please — Selene — don't stop —"
"I wasn't planning to," Selene murmured before flicking her tongue again, this time faster, then slower, then a soft nibble that made Aria scream and clamp her legs around Selene's shoulders.
She didn't even know how many times she came. Her body trembled, breath catching as she tried to hold on, but Selene gave her no room to recover. Each time Aria thought it was over, Selene would change rhythm, pressure, or angle — flicking with the tip of her tongue, then flattening it to drag along her soaked folds, teasing her clit with slow circles that grew maddeningly precise.
At one point, Selene moaned into her, and the vibration shattered whatever composure Aria had left. She sobbed out her climax, entire body tensing before collapsing in a sweat-slicked, overstimulated mess.
When Selene's hand slid up to her chest and toyed with her nipples while massaging her clit, Aria actually whimpered. Her thighs tried to close, but Selene kept her open, unrelenting.
"Too much," she breathed, tears slipping from the corners of her eyes.
"You're doing so good," Selene whispered. "You're beautiful like this."
Aria's head rolled against the pillow, mouth open in a silent moan as Selene kissed her way up her stomach and finally caught her nipple between her lips, sucking and teasing with her tongue while her fingers never stopped.
The orgasm hit her so hard she cried out, her entire body lifting off the mattress. Her voice echoed through the cabin, loud and desperate.
And still — it wasn't over.
Selene's mouth claimed hers again, and Aria could taste herself on her lips. She moaned into the kiss, dazed, drunk on sensation.
"You —" she gasped when Selene pulled back. "You said you were just starting."
Selene smirked. "I was."
By the time Selene finally relented — after coaxing another peak from her with only her fingers and a whispered promise — Aria could barely form words. She lay limp, trembling, every nerve fried, her body boneless and warm despite the chill in the air.
Selene kissed her once more, slow and soft. "Sleep," she whispered. "I've got you."
And Aria did, curling into her arms like there was nowhere else in the world she'd rather be.
The morning sun filtered through the frost - laced windowpanes of the house, casting delicate patterns on the wooden floor. Aria stirred beneath the thick blankets, sore in all the best ways. Her skin tingled with the ghost of Selene's touch, the memory of breathless kisses and ruined moans still fresh enough to make her thighs clench.
She stretched with a languid groan, blinking up at the ceiling. Her hunger was gone — not just dormant, but silenced completely, replaced by a satisfaction that left her flushed and glowing. It wasn't her succubus bloodline. It wasn't magic.
It was Selene.
Aria sat up slowly, sheets sliding down to her hips. Her body ached in pleasant places. She glanced around the room, surprised to find it empty — until she heard soft movement from the main room.
Wrapping a blanket around herself, she padded barefoot into the kitchen. Selene stood near the stove, bathed in pale morning light, calmly stirring something in a pan. Her white hair was still messy from sleep, but her posture was as cool and composed as ever.
"Good morning," Aria said, voice still scratchy.
Selene turned her head. "Morning."
Aria snuck up behind her, wrapping her arms around Selene's waist and pressing a sleepy kiss between her shoulder blades. "You wore me out."
Selene's hand stilled on the pan. "Wasn't that the idea?"
Aria chuckled into her back. "So cocky. It's not even breakfast and you're already gloating."
Selene turned in her arms, eyes softening as they searched Aria's face. "You seemed… peaceful."
"I am." Aria touched her chest. "Like… something in me finally went quiet."
Selene nodded, lifting a hand to brush a few strands of hair from Aria's face. "That's good."
There was a pause, slow and heavy with warmth, the kind of silence that felt like a secret passed between lips.
"You know," Aria murmured, her voice still low and honey - warm from sleep and satisfaction, "you're even better than in my dreams."
Selene tilted her head, one brow arching in amusement. "Still dreaming about me, are you?"
Aria gave her a languid smile. "I used to. All the time. Before the first time, I —" She hesitated, her fingers toying lazily with the hem of Selene's shirt. "I used to wake up aching."
Selene's smirk deepened. "I remember."
Aria blinked. "Wait — what?"
"You used to moan my name in your sleep, Aria," Selene said, clearly enjoying herself now. "Do you have any idea how hard it was not to devour you right then and there?"
Aria's cheeks flushed a furious red. "You heard that?"
Selene leaned in, her cool breath brushing Aria's ear. "Every time."
"Oh my god," Aria groaned, burying her face in her hands. "I'm never going to recover from this."
"You've already recovered twice," Selene murmured with a devilish smile. "Last night."
Aria let out a breathy laugh, half flustered and half turned on. "You're awful."
"And you," Selene whispered, slipping a hand around her waist and pulling her close, "are delicious when you beg."
Aria swatted her shoulder, but she was smiling, lips barely holding back a grin. "You really don't get tired of teasing me, do you?"
Selene kissed the corner of her mouth. "Never. Especially when you look at me like that."
"Like what?"
"Like you want more."
Aria's eyes darkened, her tone playful. "Maybe I do."
Selene's fingers skimmed down her side, deliberate and slow. "Maybe I'm not done giving."
Aria let out a breathless laugh. "It's not even noon."
"Then we've got time."
They kissed slowly, lazily, until something sizzled too loudly behind them and Selene swore under her breath and turned back to rescue the food.
Aria grinned, still clinging to her from behind. "Let it burn. I'm full."
Selene glanced over her shoulder, amused. "You are insatiable."
"And whose fault is that?" Aria whispered, nibbling at her ear.
Selene let out a breath like a laugh and handed her a plate. "Eat before I make you scream again."
Aria sat at the counter, legs curled beneath her, watching Selene move. There was something quietly domestic about it — Selene, cooking in the morning light, her bare feet padded on the wood. Aria felt it again: that warmth, that comfort. That fragile, dangerous thing that was beginning to feel like love.
She met Selene's eyes across the table and smiled.
Selene smiled back, and that was all she needed.