EXPIRED LOVE

KISSING THE PAIN AWAY

ANGEL'S POV

I got into my car and drove out of the hotel, each turn of the wheel a desperate attempt to outrun the truth, trying so hard to hold back my tears.

I picked up my phone from the passenger's seat, and dialed Ana's contact. She's the only person I needed to see at the moment.

"Hey, it's me," I choked out, a thin veneer of normalcy barely holding. "I'm coming to your apartment to get some rest."

"I was just even about to call you. My brother had just come back from Africa, and he's here with me now."

The energy drained from me. Ana, oblivious to the storm brewing inside me, continued to chatter about her brother.

I ended the call and redirected my drive to her house, a fresh wave of despair washing over me. This was not the refuge I'd envisioned.

When I arrived, Ana's embrace was a welcome anchor, but her keen eyes quickly pierced through my forced composure.

"Angel, what's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost."

I managed a weak smile, the corners of my mouth stretching painfully. Her brother, a tall handsome guy, was seated nearby, and the words caught in my throat.

How could I articulate the shattering of my world with a stranger in the room?

"Nothing much. We'll talk about it soon." I murmured, hoping my voice didn't betray the tremor in my soul.

Ana, sensing my evasiveness but respecting my unspoken request, simply nodded.

"Angel, this is my elder brother, Frank. Frank, this is my best friend, Angel." She beamed, a flicker of pride in her eyes.

"Make yourself at home, darling. I just need to dash to the market for some groceries."

My heart sank a bit. This was my chance to escape, to unburden myself.

"Let's go together," I managed, the words catching. "You can't risk taking a cab when I'm here."

The truth was a desperate plea: I couldn't bear the thought of being alone with a stranger, especially when my soul felt so exposed. I needed Ana, needed to pour out the poison festering within me.

But Ana, ever practical and perhaps a little too trusting, waved off my offer.

"Don't worry babe. You can stay back and keep my brother company until I return." She said and dash out of the house.

A hollow silence descended between me and Frank. I pretended to be utterly consumed by unseen messages on my phone.

"Hey, I'm Frank, Ana's elder brother." Frank's broke the quiet.

I lifted my gaze, forcing a brittle smile. "I'm Angel. Ana is my best friend, and someone I don't take lightly." I said, the words laced with an unintended sharpness.

"It's nice meeting a beautiful damsel like you." He stood, approaching my seat, extending a hand that looked capable and strong. I stretched out my own to shake him.

"It's nice meeting you too." I replied, pulling my hand back perhaps a fraction too quickly.

He sat close to me, on the sofa cushion and crossed his hand on my shoulder, his fingers stroking my hair.

"So tell me, what do you do in this town?" he asked, his voice rich and low.

I swallowed, trying to regain my composure. "Well, I'm the CEO of Angel Luxury Collections. We specialize in selling gold necklaces and diamond wristwatches."

"Wow, your fiancé must be a rich guy," he commented, his hand sliding down from my shoulder, settling on my waist.

I wasn't comfortable with his touch, the intimacy too sudden, too close after what I just witnessed from Alex. But I couldn't speak; my voice was trapped somewhere in the suffocating grief, and I just let him touch me.

Then, his lips, soft and surprisingly found the sensitive skin of my neck. He started kissing my neck, gentle nips and soft presses that ignited a forgotten fire. In that moment, the revelations of Alex and Annabelle's treachery, seemed to melt away. The pain, the anger, the tears, they all receded, replaced by a desperation, and craving.

I was really enjoying it, despite myself, despite everything.

"Please stop," I managed to speak, the words a mere whisper, completely devoid of real conviction. My body, however, leaned subtly into his touch, betraying the lie.

Frank didn't stop. Instead, his hand, warm and firm, moved from my waist, inching upwards until it rested on my breast.

He started pressing it gently. My mind was losing its battle against the intoxicating closeness. I leaned closer to him, drawn in by a primal urge, and we were lost in a deep kiss, a desperate embrace that tasted of escape and forbidden pleasure.

He quickly unzipped my short gown revealing the swell of my breasts. A sudden flush of realization hit me: I hadn't worn a bra when I'd stormed out of my house. He lowered his head, his breath hot against my skin, and started sucking my n*****s, a deep, hungry pull that sent shivers through every nerve.

A moan escaped my lips, a sound I barely recognized as my own. My hands shot up, tangling in his dark hair, holding his head tight, urging him to continue.

"Do you want me to f**k you?" Frank whispered, the heat of his breath vibrating against my earlobe.

"Please f**k me," I answered instantly, the words escaping before I could register the sheer audacity of my reply. It was a complete, reckless surrender.

He guided his head down, lifting my dress and expertly pulling my panties aside, shifting the thin fabric just enough. His mouth found my p***y immediately. His lips and tongue began a slow, deliberate exploration, a guiding, deeply intimate romance of my core.

The urgency was overwhelming. I closed my eyes, urging him onward, holding his head tighter against my p***y—a grip I didn't intend to loosen.

"I'm going to give you a f**k you will never forget," he murmured against my skin, his voice muffled but potent.

I instinctively spread my legs wide, welcoming the deep, relentless rhythm of his tongue.

The moment stretched, electric, until he lifted me quickly, carrying me into the bed. He stripped off his boxers with a practiced movement, his erection springing free.

Turning me to face the bed, he hitched my hips upward. The thrust was swift and deep. As his p***s filled my p***y, a ragged, involuntary moan escaped my throat.

"Fuck."

Frank began to move, fast and rough, his hand cupping and kneading my breasts fiercely as his hips worked their unstoppable rhythm.

The speed and the reckless power of his driving thrusts thrilled me. I didn't care about the noise; I was lost in the sound of my own voice.

"f**k, f**k me hard, God, yes!"

Frank momentarily pulled out, teasing the sensitive entrance of my p***y with the head of his p***s, a wicked game that made me gasp and clutch the sheets, desperate for his return.

He plunged back in, driving relentlessly into my v****a.

Few moments later, he then stopped, his breathing harsh, commanding me to turn over. Submitting without question, I flipped, lying face up with my legs spread wide open.

He positioned himself above me, inserting his p***s back into my p***y, lowering his body so that his lips met mine—a deep, consuming kiss that promised the coming release consume us.

"Oh my God, you're amazing, this feels incredible! Ohhh! Ahhhh!" My voice, initially a breathless murmur, rose to a ragged shout as Frank began to move within me, a slow, deliberate rhythm that promised both torment and ecstasy. He lowered his head, his dark hair brushing against my neck, as his mouth found my n****e. A jolt, primal and electric, shot through me as he began to suckle it, a tender urgency in his lips and tongue that sent shivers down my spine.

My hands instinctively crossed over his broad, muscular back, holding him impossibly tight against my body. Every nerve ending felt alive, hyper-aware of the delicious friction, the exquisite pressure.

He then lifted his head, a soft, satisfied sigh escaping him as his lips reluctantly left my swollen n****e. His eyes, dark and intense, met mine for a fleeting moment, a flicker of raw, unbridled desire igniting in their depths. A low growl rumbled in his chest as he began to pick up the pace, his thrusts deepening, growing more insistent. This time, the sensation was a sweet, exquisite pain, a glorious surrender that pushed me to the very edge. My shouts were no longer mere sounds; they were uninhibited, raw declarations of pleasure, echoing the primal rhythm of our intertwined bodies.

With a final, deeply satisfying thrust that stole the last breath from my lungs, he slowly withdrew, sliding out of me with a soft, wet pop. He shifted then, collapsing onto his back beside me, his chest heaving, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

He reached out a hand, tracing the curve of my hip, and with a low, husky voice, he invited, "Now climb on top and satisfy yourself." The challenge was clear, the invitation irresistible, and a new wave of desire, potent and empowering, surged through me.

It was at that exact, glorious moment, just as the world threatened to explode, that we heard a voice from the living room.

Anna. She was back.

We froze. Panic seized us both. Frank scrambled off and darted toward the bathroom, slamming the door shut and immediately turning the shower on, hoping the loud spray would mask the sudden silence in the room.

I hastily pulled my dress down, covering myself, smoothing the fabric over my breasts and hips in a desperate attempt to appear composed.

Thank God I hadn't fully removed my panties, I thought, a small, ridiculous whisper of relief in the midst of the chaos.

Anna burst into the room, vibrating with excitement, looking as though she'd just been surprised with a proposal.

"You're back already?" I asked, trying to sound normal, calculatedly slow. If she had gone to the market for groceries as planned, she shouldn't have been back for at least another hour.

"No, I never made it to the market," Anna announced, her eyes glistening. "Ken called! He said he's coming over, so I had to rush back to the house."

Her excitement was infectious, even through my terror. I truly was surprised and happy for her; Ken had declined every invitation to visit her home for the year and two months they'd been dating.

"Are you serious? That's wonderful news," I managed, adjusting myself as she sat eagerly on the edge of the bed.

It was then, in the corner of my eye, that I spotted Frank's crumpled boxers, carelessly discarded. I deftly shifted my body, subtly trapping the fabric with my left hand, pulling it beneath my thigh.

"Where is Frank?" Anna asked, finally noticing his absence.

"Oh, he's just inside the bathroom," I replied easily, forcing a smile. "Taking a shower."