🎵 Salvatore
It was nighttime. She found herself in a foreign city, staring at an ocean she couldn't touch. Everything about it felt like an escape from reality.
"I'm tired… thank you for bringing me to see the sea beforehand," Valentina said wistfully.
"A pleasure, amore, an absolute pleasure," Bastian replied, kissing her hand.
The color of his eyes, his presence, his essence… everything about him was something she'd missed for days. But more than that, his warmth. His hands, his features, and his voice—so sweet, yet so husky.
Valentina moved closer to embrace him, and also to claim her space, gently brushing Bastian's Adam's apple with her right hand. She looked into his eyes.
How could someone look that good, even under the shadow of night?
"Valentina… I can't stay at the hotel tonight. I need to send in a report. But starting tomorrow, at noon, I'll be all yours."
She felt a pang of disappointment. She quickly pulled her hand away and looked at him firmly. She had wanted to be in his arms from the moment she set foot in that city… but it still wasn't time.
"I understand… I'll see you at noon then," she said, averting her gaze.
Bastian noticed something in her tense, but said nothing. He really couldn't stay, so he tried to organize everything as best he could for the hours ahead.
"Lucas and Andrea…" she said, locking eyes again.
"I know. But my apartment is on the opposite end from theirs," he answered, leading her toward the car.
When Valentina arrived at the hotel, she noticed Bastian knew the owners. It was a small city; everyone knew everyone. Still, it surprised her. She came from a country where, even if it was small, people lived far apart or, at least, weren't as close.
Before the hotel doors closed, Bastian called out. She had stepped out of the car without looking back. He hugged her from behind, kissed her ear, and whispered:
"You look stunning."
And just like that, the old hotel's doors closed behind her.
The first thing she did upon entering the room was collapse onto the bed. She was exhausted. She didn't like spending so many hours on a train, but more than anything, what drained her was the frustration.
She had a breathtaking view of the ocean from her window, but didn't feel like looking. She chose the ceiling instead. She reached out, imagining Bastian's hand over hers, his body on top, kissing her gently on the neck.
She brushed her fingers along her own neck, as if they were his. Though she couldn't feel his skin's roughness, her mind recreated the scene with vivid precision.
As she continued caressing her neck with both hands, she moved slowly to her ears, grazing the lobes with her fingertips, then trailing down her cheeks to her lips. She touched and licked them, pretending they were his kisses.
She closed her eyes. A vibration broke the moment. She was startled at first, but then realized the phone was under her body. It was a message.
She quickly unlocked the screen, hoping it was Bastian saying he had come back for her. But to no real surprise, it was Lucas.
Wchat:
—Are you okay? I just saw Bastian arrive, Lucas wrote.
—Yeah, he has to send a report, but we'll see each other tomorrow. You? Everything good? —Valentina replied.
Her best friend didn't write back. She figured Andrea must be with him. She didn't insist. She put the phone aside. The erotic, unfamiliar sensation that had enveloped her faded, giving way to sleep.
Morning came.
The room felt warm, and dawn shone on her face. Her brown eyes, for a moment, seemed to turn hazel. She checked the time on her phone—it was 11 a.m.
She jumped out of bed in a panic. She had fallen asleep in the same clothes she'd arrived in, and her body ached from the awkward position. Bastian would arrive in an hour. And if there was one thing she admired about him, it was his punctuality.
She headed straight for the shower. The cold water gave her goosebumps; her arm hairs stood on end, but it was the only way to wake up. She exfoliated, and once she stepped out, she felt the salty ocean breeze. The scent was thick… briny.
She hurried: applied her best lotion, her favorite perfume. Left her hair down—the one thing she truly liked about herself—and put on sunscreen. She didn't usually wear makeup, not because she disliked it, but because she never learned how—or never gave herself the chance. But she had promised herself she'd start practicing.
As she put on her steel earrings, someone knocked on the door. That was odd. She hadn't ordered anything. Her first thought was that maybe Bastian had sent something up.
She opened the door without asking.
He was there, framed in the doorway, holding a bouquet of white roses tilted to the side.
"You really shouldn't open the door for strangers, darling…" he said with a playful smile.
"Are those for me?" she asked, her smile even wider.
It was Bastian. He'd come up unannounced, eager to see her as soon as possible. He'd used his connection with the owners to avoid calling her from reception.
He stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. With each step he took, she stepped back. He placed the bouquet on the nightstand, and confidently cupped Valentina's face with both hands.
He stuck out his tongue to gently lick her lips. Then, he placed one hand on her neck, the other on her waist. A soft sound escaped as their mouths met. He opened his slowly, inviting her tongue to explore his.
The kisses, their bodies pressed together, their shared breaths…
Valentina melted into Bastian with her arms around his neck, as he lifted her in one smooth motion.
She felt like she was floating. She sensed dampness on her neck, like the night before. Then something firm pressed against her belly. Bastian sat at the edge of the bed, her straddling him.
He didn't stop kissing her, licking every inch of her neck, biting her ears.
She leaned in closer; both touched each other with desperation, her body tingling all over.
Desire surged—so much that she dug her nails into his shoulders.
Valentina moaned softly. She felt shivers, pleasure, want. But suddenly, she stopped him.
Her face flushed. Her passion-clouded eyes locked with his. Her hands clutched his arms tightly. Bastian breathed heavily, his chest rising and falling.
She noticed a scent…
"Your perfume?... Caramel?" she asked, hands on his chest.
She thought it would be best if what they had happened a little later. She wasn't thinking clearly. She knew what it was. She had imagined it. But her body… her sensations clouded all judgment.
Bastian was faster. He crashed his mouth into hers again, full of desperate longing. He hugged her with contained fury. He whispered her name into her ear.
"I want you so much…" he said, with a sorrow that pierced her skin.
And so began a weekend where the body spoke before reason.
______________________________________________________________________________
Elsewhere in the city, in a family villa, a couple of men were joyfully cooking together: an omega and a beta who couldn't bear to be apart.
"I missed making breakfast together," Andrea said with a big smile while brewing coffee.
His smile, his hands, his skin when he smiled, how he blushed… Lucas loved all of it. Any doubts or fleeting thoughts vanished whenever he was near Andrea.
Lucas felt at peace with him, cherished—as if they shared something more than just skin: something real. And he longed to know him even more.
Andrea had a small apartment inside the family villa, so they didn't need to mingle with the rest. But despite it only being a month—or a bit more—since they'd met, Andrea proposed something.
"You want me to meet your parents?" Lucas asked, surprised.
"Haha, yes. Why not? We all live together in the villa. Even my grandparents," Andrea replied, leaning against Lucas.
That wasn't something Lucas was used to. Meeting the parents was the last thing he expected that weekend. In fact, it had only been a few hours since he'd arrived in the country, and Andrea's heat still hadn't kicked in.
Heat could be unpredictable. While omegas could estimate their cycles, it wasn't exact.
Lucas had planned to stay the whole week since Andrea's heat would last around four days. He had everything set: arrive Saturday, end around Tuesday or Wednesday, and stay a few more days to pamper him.
Night fell, and Lucas wandered the villa. He hadn't heard from Valentina, so he checked his phone and realized he hadn't replied to her last message.
Wchat
—All good? Where are you? ARE YOU GUYS DOING IT ALREADY?? LOL
—VALENTINAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
—Reply at least after drinking water…
Lucas figured that if his best friend wasn't replying—which was unusual—it was probably because she had something between her legs that wouldn't let her move.
He burst out laughing like a lunatic in the garden, but stopped when he heard voices.
"What's so funny?" —"Ah! Ah!" Andrea exclaimed, tickling him.
"It's just that Valentina's not answering. She's probably sucking your cousin's soul out," Lucas said, laughing.
Andrea didn't reply. He just winked. He knew Valentina and Bastian would be busy, and part of him was happy about it.
He planned to talk to Valentina at some point, whether she liked it or not. He needed to. She was part of the life of someone he cared about, and she was dating someone from his family. She'd be around for a long time.
Andrea quickly changed the subject and told Lucas his family wanted to have dinner with them.
He led him by the hand to the main house to reintroduce him to everyone.
"Remember Lucas? As you know, we're dating. He's a beta, so please be nice," Andrea said aloud.
Everyone smiled. No one questioned anything, and they invited him to the table. They served him everything. They even switched languages for him. Some dishes Lucas didn't even recognize, but he took the opportunity to observe Andrea more—what he liked, what he didn't.
Hours passed. The wine bottles multiplied, so did the laughter… and, like in every family, small arguments arose.
Andrea, bold as ever, jumped into a family debate. There was always something to complain about. But through it all, he never stopped looking at Lucas. They held hands the entire time, and even toasted as a couple in front of everyone.
Lucas felt incredibly welcomed. The peace, the familiarity, the jokes… it all reminded him of his own family: his moms, his sister, Sundays full of anecdotes and dishes.
At 2 a.m., the table was empty. Everything had been cleaned, and every member of Andrea's family had gone to bed.
Something caught Lucas's attention: no one had asked about Bastian. He had met Bastian's parents—a warm omega couple, man and woman. They looked like him.
He wanted to ask Andrea, but figured everyone probably already knew where Bastian was. They were an open, affectionate family. He'd noticed that the first time, and now it was confirmed. He let the thought go.
Time kept flowing, but Andrea's heat still hadn't come. Both were tired. Lucas wanted to go further, wanted to say it, but stopped. He knew the heat might come in the middle of the night, and if that happened, he'd need his strength. Best to rest.
"Lucas… my heat isn't here yet. Probably tomorrow," Andrea said, yawning.
"Don't worry. If it doesn't come… I'll make it come for you," Lucas said, biting his ear.
Deep down, Lucas wanted to be inside Andrea.
He had come with a purpose: to fix what was breaking.
But in that moment, he wasn't thinking with his heart. He was thinking with his body.