The Last Night in Lisbon

She took a shaky sip, the alcohol burning a path down her throat. When she set the glass down, her hand was steadier. “I need to think,” she said quietly. “I need… a minute.”

Ben nodded, his expression a mix of hope and understanding. “Take all the time you need. I’ll be inside.”

He rose, pressing another kiss to the top of her head before disappearing into the villa. Alex stayed on the balcony, the weight of his words settling over her like a second skin. Below, the city pulsed with life—a reminder that the world would keep turning, no matter what she decided.

But tonight, in this villa, with her husband of three months and five days, the world felt very small indeed. And the ticking clock of dawn suddenly felt like both a threat and a promise.

Alex found Ben in the bedroom, sitting on the edge of the bed with his head in his hands. The soft glow of the bedside lamp painted shadows across his broad shoulders, making him look both vulnerable and strangely powerful. He’d taken off his shirt, and the sight of his bare skin, usually so familiar, sent a shiver through her.

“Hey,” she said softly, lingering in the doorway. Her heart was a trapped bird against her ribs.

Ben looked up, his eyes wide and searching. “Hey.” He patted the space beside him. “Come here?”

She crossed the room slowly, each step echoing on the tile floor. When she reached the bed, she didn’t sit—not yet. Instead, she let her gaze wander over the room, taking in the rumpled sheets, the open suitcase in the corner, the well-worn copy of *The Mycelium Maze* on the nightstand. The cover featured a tangled web of glowing fungus, its tendrils reaching for the stars. Alex had always found it beautiful. Tonight, it felt like a metaphor.

“I have questions,” she said finally, turning to face him. Her voice was steadier than she felt.

Ben nodded, his expression open and patient. “Ask me anything.”

She took a deep breath. “Why… why this? Why now?”

Ben hesitated, choosing his words carefully. “I’ve always been curious,” he admitted. “But it never felt right with anyone else. Not like this. Not with you.” He reached for her hand, his touch gentle and undemanding. “I want to share this with you. I want to give you this part of me.”

Alex swallowed hard. “And if I’m not… good at it?”

A smile tugged at the corner of Ben’s mouth. “There’s no ‘good’ or ‘bad’ here, Alex. Just us. Just exploration.” He squeezed her fingers. “We take it slow. We talk. We stop if it gets too much. And we use plenty of lube.”

The word “lube” sent another shiver through her, this one tinged with heat. She’d never used it before, never needed to. The thought of Ben’s fingers slick and careful inside her made her breath catch.

“What if it hurts?” she whispered.

“It might,” Ben said softly. “But it shouldn’t. Not if we do it right.” He tugged gently on her hand, urging her closer. “I’ll take care of you. I promise.”

Alex let him pull her down to the bed, her legs suddenly unsteady. She settled beside him, their shoulders touching, the heat of his skin seeping through her thin sundress.

“What if I… what if I like it too much?” The question slipped out before she could stop it, a secret fear laid bare.

Ben’s eyes darkened, his gaze dropping to her mouth. “Then we’ll have found something new to love,” he murmured. “Together.”

He leaned in slowly, giving her time to pull away. When she didn’t, he brushed his lips against hers—a feather-light touch that sparked along her nerves. Alex sighed into the kiss, her body relaxing by degrees. Ben took that as permission to deepen it, his tongue teasing the seam of her lips until she opened for him.

The kiss was slow and thorough, a lazy exploration that had nothing to do with the frantic coupling she’d feared. Ben’s hands stayed on her waist, his thumbs tracing idle circles along her hipbones. When he finally pulled back, Alex was breathless and flushed, her earlier hesitation burned away by the heat between them.

“More questions?” Ben asked, his voice rough with want.

Alex shook her head, her fingers already reaching for the buttons of her dress. “No more questions,” she breathed. “Just… show me.”

Ben’s eyes flared with heat, his hands joining hers at her buttons. Together, they undressed each other with trembling fingers, the familiar landscape of each other’s bodies suddenly new and uncharted. Alex’s sundress fell to the floor, followed by Ben’s shorts and boxers. When they were both naked, Ben pulled her into his lap, his erection hot and hard against her thigh.

“Look at you,” he murmured, his gaze roaming over her face, her breasts, the curve of her hip. “So beautiful. So brave.”

Alex flushed under his praise, her skin tingling where his eyes touched. “I’m not brave,” she whispered. “I’m terrified.”

“Bravery isn’t the absence of fear,” Ben said, his hand skimming up her spine to tangle in her hair. “It’s feeling the fear and doing it anyway.” He tugged gently, tilting her head back to expose the column of her throat. “And you, my love, are the bravest person I know.”

He kissed her again, this time with more urgency, his free hand sliding between her legs to cup her heat. Alex gasped into his mouth, her hips rocking instinctively into his touch. Ben groaned, his fingers slicking through her folds to circle her clit with practiced ease.

Alex’s head fell back, her eyes fluttering closed as pleasure coiled low in her belly. “Ben,” she breathed, her nails digging into his shoulders. “Please.”

“Please what?” he teased, his fingers dipping lower to tease her entrance. “Tell me what you want, baby.”

“You,” she gasped, her hips bucking. “I want you.”

Ben’s touch vanished, and Alex whimpered at the loss. But then he was shifting her in his lap, turning her to face the full-length mirror on the opposite wall. Alex’s breath caught at the sight of them together—Ben’s broad chest against her back, his muscled arms cradling her close, his cock hot and hard against the curve of her ass.

“Look at us,” Ben murmured, his lips brushing the shell of her ear. “Look how perfect we are together.”

Alex shivered, her eyes locked on their reflection. Ben’s hands were everywhere—skimming her thighs, cupping her breasts, tracing the curve of her waist. He touched her like she was something precious, something to be savored, and the reverence in his gaze made her feel powerful and wanted.

When his hand slid between her legs again, Alex parted her thighs eagerly, her body aching for his touch. Ben didn’t disappoint, his fingers slipping inside her with a groan that vibrated against her back.

“Fuck, you’re wet,” he growled, his teeth grazing her shoulder. “So ready for me.”

Alex moaned, her head falling back against his chest as he worked her with slow, deep strokes. The world narrowed to the feel of him inside her, the heat of his skin, the rhythmic push and pull that wound the tension in her core tighter and tighter.

“Ben,” she gasped, her hips rocking to meet his thrusts. “I’m close.”

“Come for me,” he urged, his thumb finding her clit and circling with just the right amount of pressure. “Let me feel you.”

Alex shattered, her body clenching around his fingers as waves of pleasure crashed over her. Ben held her through it, his lips soft against her hair as she trembled and gasped in his arms.

When the aftershocks faded, Alex sagged against him, boneless and sated. But Ben wasn’t done with her. He shifted again, lifting her easily and laying her back on the bed. Alex blinked up at him, her body still humming with the echoes of her orgasm.

Ben leaned over her, his eyes dark and intent. “My turn,” he murmured, reaching for the bottle of lube on the nightstand.

Alex’s breath caught, her earlier nerves fluttering back to life. But before they could take root, Ben was kissing her again, his lips soft and reassuring on hers.

“Trust me,” he whispered against her mouth. “I’ve got you.”

And in that moment, with the Lisbon moonlight painting silver streaks across the bed and Ben’s steady heartbeat a comforting rhythm against her chest, Alex did.

Ben held out his hand, palm up. “Shower first?”

Alex took it, letting him pull her to her feet. Her legs were still unsteady, her body loose and warm from her orgasm. “Shower,” she agreed, following him into the villa’s spacious bathroom.

The room was all marble and glass, the walk-in shower easily big enough for two. Ben turned on the water, adjusting the temperature until steam began to fill the air. Alex watched him move, the play of muscle under skin, the way the mist kissed his shoulders and back.