5. Vivienne

5

VIVIENNE

T he soft crackle of the fire was the only sound in the room, a gentle hiss and pop of the logs as they were consumed by flames. The room, dimly lit by the orange glow, felt warm, too warm under the blanket, but it did nothing to ease the shiver crawling up Vivienne’s spine. Her body was tense, restless in a way that had nothing to do with the cold.

She turned onto her other side, her gaze drifting across the room. Alex was stretched out on the sofa, the rise and fall of her breathing filling the silence. The rhythmic sound seemed to pulse in time with Vivienne’s own heartbeat, slow and steady, but where Alex’s breath was easy, Vivienne’s was shallow, rapid, her chest tight, her mind restless.

The small room was still, and the space between them was thick with all the things they hadn’t said—the things they couldn’t say. Vivienne stared at Alex, unable to stop. She traced the outline of her body, the way the blanket barely covered her. The curve of her arm, the way her shaggy short golden hair fell across her face, the strength in her posture even as she slept—it all swirled in Vivienne’s thoughts, each small detail intensifying the heat already spreading under her skin.

She shifted again, unable to settle, her mind caught in a dizzying loop. Alex was too close, but still so far. The desire that simmered inside her had been there, just beneath the surface, since that first moment they had met, but now it was impossible to ignore. She could feel it like a pressure in her chest, a weight settling lower, making her skin tingle, her breath catch. Every part of her screamed to close the distance between them. But she couldn’t. She shouldn’t.

Her fingers curled into the blanket, gripping it tighter as though that might anchor her. She pressed her palm flat against the pillow, digging the heel of her hand into the soft fabric in an attempt to still her body, to stop it from betraying her thoughts. Her mind, however, was not so easily controlled. It only spurred her desire further.

She hated that it was this Alex Carter, of all people who was creeping beneath her carefully curated defences. This woman whose life and world were so different from her own, this woman who had become the living embodiment of everything Vivienne could never control. But even in this chaotic mess of emotions, even when Vivienne tried to push it away, she couldn’t help it. She couldn’t stop the way her body betrayed her, the way her thoughts turned dark with longing as she stared at Alex in the low light.

What was it about her? What was it about the way Alex carried herself so effortlessly? The way she took up space without even trying, without apology? It made Vivienne feel small, but not the kind of small that made her angry. It made her want to know what it was like to just be. To let go, even for a moment. To release the constant tension she always carried and fall apart in Alex’s strong arms.

To feel pleasure… all the pleasure… from Alex’s capable hands.

But this—this thing between them—it wasn’t that simple, was it? They weren’t supposed to feel this way. Not here, not like this. The distance between them wasn’t just physical; it was the weight of everything unsaid. The conflict. The history. The undeniable differences in the way they moved through the world. She could feel it now, heavy and suffocating in the space between them.

She tried to close her eyes, but the images of Alex—her body, her presence, her warmth—danced behind her eyelids. Her body ached for release, for the pressure to dissipate, but all she had was the weight of her thoughts. She could almost feel Alex’s gaze on her, the sharpness of it cutting through the dark, though she knew Alex was still asleep.

It made Vivienne’s heart race, made her blood burn hot, but she couldn’t stop herself. Her fingers slipped from the edge of the blanket, brushing over the soft, cool skin of her neck. Her mind screamed for control, but she wasn’t sure she wanted it anymore.

No one had ever made her feel like this—vulnerable, exposed. But the feeling of Alex close, even in silence, was palpable. Her body hummed with need, her fingers now tracing the curve of her collarbone, the softest touch, a search for something to calm the storm inside her.

She could feel body heat up, and her mind begged for release. But the thought of Alex on the other side of the room, the weight of her presence, kept her paralyzed. She was caught between her own desire and the quiet, ever-present fear of what would happen if she let go. What would happen if Alex knew she was touching herself?

The room held its breath, every sound amplified in the stillness. The fire crackled softly, a steady rhythm that underscored Vivienne’s shallow breaths. Beneath the blanket, her movements were small and tentative, as though afraid to disturb the fragile quiet. Her fingers caressed her skin, the brush of her touch igniting sparks that danced along her nerves.

She had tried to be silent. Careful. But each shift of her body, each tiny gasp she fought to suppress, felt deafening in the otherwise tranquil space. She swallowed hard, her pulse pounding in her ears, her thoughts racing even as her body moved of its own accord.

Her gaze flicked to Alex, her form still stretched out on the sofa, her chest rising and falling in a slow, steady rhythm. Asleep. Blissfully unaware.

Her fingers trembled as they pressed into the heat pooling between her legs. Her body arched slightly, hips tilting under the covers as a soft, involuntary sigh slipped past her lips. She froze, eyes wide, her heart hammering against her ribs as she waited, listened.

Nothing.

The fire continued its steady song, the room otherwise undisturbed. Alex hadn’t moved; her breathing remained unchanged.

Vivienne’s body, however, refused to be still. The tension coiling inside her demanded release, and her frustration and desire tangled together into something she couldn’t tame. She hated herself for it—the lack of discipline, the sheer audacity of her need—but the thought of stopping felt unbearable.

Her fingers moved against her clit again, slower this time, deliberate, as though savoring the torment she was inflicting on herself. Her mind swam with conflicting thoughts: the ache in her chest that felt dangerously close to longing, the burn of shame at her vulnerability, the simmering anger that Alex could make her feel like this without even trying.

She did her best to swallow her moans as her pleasure began to run through her.

And then, it happened.

A faint rustle, a creak of the sofa.

Vivienne’s eyes shot open, her breath hitching in her throat. The blanket bunched in her fists as she went rigid, her entire body seizing with panic.

Alex stirred, turning slightly, her face now angled toward Vivienne. The shadows cast by the firelight softened her features, but her expression—half-lidded dark intriguing eyes, brows furrowed faintly in what could have been curiosity or concern—sent a chill down Vivienne’s spine.

She knows.

The thought slammed into her like a physical blow. She squeezed her eyes shut, willing herself to disappear, to dissolve into the bed and become as invisible as the flickering shadows on the wall.

"Vivienne."

The sound of her name was soft, barely more than a whisper, but it struck like a thunderclap in the silent room. Her eyes snapped open, meeting Alex’s from across the small space.

There was no question now. Alex was awake and fully aware, her gaze sharp despite her lazy, half-asleep posture.

Vivienne’s throat worked, but no words came out. Her mind scrambled for an explanation, a way to spin this moment into something less damning, but the flush of heat still coursed through her.

"What are you doing?" Alex’s voice was calm, steady, but there was an edge to it—dark, dangerous.

Vivienne’s lips parted, but the air in the room felt too thick, choking off her words. She sat up abruptly, pulling the blanket tight around her shoulders as though it might shield her from Alex’s piercing gaze.

"I—" The words caught in her throat, tangled with shame and something else. Something raw and hungry that she couldn’t quite name.

Alex didn’t press. She simply watched, her eyes unreadable. The weight of that silence, that gaze, was too much to bear.

"I thought you were asleep," Vivienne managed at last, the words tumbling out in a rush, as though that might absolve her of what had just transpired.

Alex tilted her head, her expression unchanging. "Clearly."

The word hung between them, sharp and cutting. Vivienne’s skin prickled with embarrassment.

"I wasn’t—" she started, but the lie died on her tongue.

Alex’s eyes narrowed, not in anger, but in something that made Vivienne’s stomach twist and her pulse race. "You don’t have to explain," Alex said finally, her voice low, almost a murmur. She leaned back against the sofa, her gaze never leaving Vivienne.

The words should have been a relief, a reprieve. But the way Alex said them, the way she looked at Vivienne, sent a jolt of something electric down her spine.

For a moment, neither moved. The fire crackled as the room settled into an uneasy quiet once more. But the air was different now, charged, alive.

Vivienne clutched the blanket tighter, her skin still burning white-hot from Alex’s gaze. She didn’t know what to say or do. All she could feel was the weight of her own vulnerability and the undeniable pull of the woman lying across the room from her.

The room felt alive, thrumming with an unspoken energy that pressed down on Vivienne like a physical force. She couldn’t look away from Alex, whose gaze was locked on her with an intensity that made the firelight seem dim by comparison.

There was no more pretense now. No masks, no games. The distance between them felt impossibly small, and yet it buzzed with tension so thick it seemed to vibrate in the air.

Vivienne’s breath hitched as Alex moved, the subtle shift of her body breaking the fragile stillness. Alex sat up on the edge of the sofa, unhurried but deliberate, her eyes never leaving Vivienne.

“You’ve been holding back,” Alex said, her voice low, each word precise and weighted.

Vivienne’s throat tightened. She couldn’t find her voice, couldn’t summon a sharp quip or cutting remark. Instead, she was acutely aware of her own uneven breathing, the way her chest rose and fell too quickly.

Alex stood, each step measured as she closed the distance between them. She looked sexier than anything Vivienne could imagine as she pushed her messy waves of blonde hair out of her eyes. Vivienne’s pulse raced, and the heat in her body coiled tighter with every second.

“You think I didn’t notice?” Alex murmured, stopping just short of the bed. She leaned down slightly, her hands braced on the edge of the mattress. Her presence was overwhelming, her voice curling around Vivienne like smoke.

Vivienne couldn’t answer. Words felt inadequate, irrelevant. She was caught, pinned beneath the weight of Alex’s gaze, her body blazing.

Alex reached out, her fingers brushing Vivienne’s cheek. The touch was light, almost gentle, but it carried an unspoken promise that made Vivienne’s stomach twist.

“Tell me to stop,” Alex said, her voice softer now, but no less commanding.

Vivienne’s lips parted, but no sound came out. The air between them seemed to crackle, every second stretching into eternity as she grappled with the question.

Stop .

She should say it. She should push Alex Carter away, reassert the boundaries that had already blurred too far.

But…she didn’t want to. She wanted more. Much more.

Instead, she leaned into Alex’s touch. Her breath came out in a shaky exhale, her eyes fluttering closed as she let herself fall into the moment.

Alex’s hand slid to the back of her neck, her touch firm but careful, grounding Vivienne as she moved closer. The kiss, when it came, was inevitable—slow at first, a test, a question .

Vivienne’s breath caught, her fingers clutching at the blanket she still held around her shoulders. Alex’s lips were warm, insistent, drawing her into a rhythm that left no room for second-guessing.

The kiss deepened, Alex’s control unwavering. She pressed closer, her hands guiding Vivienne with a confidence that made Vivienne’s head spin.

Vivienne didn’t fight it; she couldn’t. Her body responded instinctively, yielding to Alex’s touch, her own hands reaching up to grasp at the fabric of Alex’s shirt. It was as though the tension that had built between them had finally snapped, and now it flooded out in a torrent of heat and desperation.

The blanket slipped from her shoulders, forgotten as Alex pushed her back against the pillows. Vivienne gasped, her senses overwhelmed by the press of Alex’s body, the scent of woodsmoke and something distinctly Alex filling her lungs.

Her usual walls, the defenses she wore like armor, crumbled under Alex’s touch. There was no room for pretense, no room for anything but this—this raw, unfiltered connection that left her vulnerable and exhilarated all at once.

Alex’s movements were deliberate, each touch calculated to draw a response from Vivienne. Her lips traced a path down Vivienne’s neck, her hands mapping out every curve, every shiver.

Vivienne’s head tilted back, her breath escaping in shallow gasps. Her body felt like it was burning, desire pooling low and insistent, her mind too fogged with sensation to process anything beyond the press of Alex’s mouth and the weight of her hands.

For once, she didn’t try to control it. She let herself go, surrendering to the pull of Alex’s dominance, to the way Alex seemed to know exactly how to unravel her.

And yet, amidst the chaos of sensation, there was something grounding in Alex’s touch—a steadiness that kept Vivienne from spinning completely out of control.

The fire crackled in the background, its warmth a pale imitation of the heat between them. The world beyond the cabin felt impossibly far away, as though it no longer existed.

In this moment, there was only Alex .

Vivienne looked up at Alex and saw a smirk playing at the edges of her lips and a shadow dancing in her eyes.

Alex's fingers traced a deliberate path along Vivienne's collarbone, a touch that was both gentle and possessive. The firelight caught the angles of her face, shadowing her expression into something almost lustful. Her other hand gripped Vivienne's arm, holding her in place with quiet authority.

"I've seen the way you look at me," Alex murmured, her voice low and rough. "When you think I'm not watching." Her fingertips ghosted down Vivienne's arm, raising goosebumps in their wake. "The way you try to hide it behind those sharp comments and that perfect facade."

Vivienne's breath caught in her throat. She wanted to protest, to maintain some semblance of control, but Alex's proximity made it impossible to think clearly. The heat of her body, the steady pressure of her hands, the way she seemed to fill every inch of space around them—it was overwhelming.

"I don't—" Vivienne started, but Alex's grip tightened slightly, cutting off her words.

"Don't lie," Alex said softly, dangerously. "Not now." Her free hand slid up to cup Vivienne's jaw, thumb brushing across her lower lip. "You've spent so long pretending, haven't you? Always in control. Always perfect." She leaned closer, her breath warm against Vivienne's ear. "But that's not what you want right now, is it?"

The question hung in the air between them, heavy with implication. Vivienne's heart hammered against her ribs, her body trembling with need and uncertainty. Alex was right—she was always right, damn her—and the realization made Vivienne's chest tight with something between fear and anticipation.

Alex pulled back just enough to meet her gaze, eyes dark with intent. "Tell me what you want, Vivienne."

It was a command, not a request. The way Alex said her name—like she owned it, owned her—sent a shiver down Vivienne's spine. She parted her lips, but no words came out. How could she possibly voice the chaos of desire and need that thundered through her body?

Alex's smirk deepened, understanding flickering in her eyes. "Or maybe," she said, her voice dropping lower, "you need me to show you instead."

With that, Alex crashed her lips against hers, running her hand up her neck to grab fistfuls of hair, tipping her head back slightly. Alex moved her focus to her exposed neck, leaving searing kisses on her skin.

Vivienne gasped at the touch, something she wasn’t used to. She felt wetness between her legs, hotter and more insistent, and her breath came in ragged in gasps. She wanted more; she wanted Alex.

Alex ran her hand along Vivienne’s side, tracing her curves, and playing with the bottom edge of her silk nightgown. Vivienne’s breath hitched when Alex lifted it slightly, just enough to playfully tease her upper thigh, and she felt her skin warm.

Vivienne moved again to lift Alex’s shirt, wanting to touch her, but Alex’s eyes glinted as she pushed Vivienne down again and held her arm in place against the mattress. Alex stayed silent, but Vivienne didn’t need words to know what she meant. Instead, she put her head against the pillow and closed her eyes, focusing on the points of contact between Alex’s fingertips and her skin.

“Tell me now, what you want, Vivienne,” Alex growled. “Tell me or I will stop now.”

Vivienne swallowed and kept her eyes closed. The threat of Alex not continuing was enough to prompt hesitant words from her.

“I.. uh…” and Vivienne Blackwood certainly wasn’t used to sounding hesitant.

“Tell me, Vivienne,” Alex’s weight pinned her arm harder and Vivienne felt more turned on than she thought she ever had. Usually she was the dominant one. In fact, always she was the dominant one. This wasn’t how sex usually went for her.

“I need you to fuck me.” The words tumbled out of Vivienne’s mouth all of a sudden, her desire that she had had from almost their first meeting was spoken aloud for the first time.

She knew for a fact she had never begged someone to fuck her before.

Alex leaned down, inches from her ear, and huskily purred, “Good girl.”

Alex dipped lower, hovering over Vivienne’s body now, and trailed kisses from her ear, down her neck, down to the top of her breasts. Alex pulled down the silk nightgown til the fabric was taut, and Vivienne was about to protest—it was an expensive nightgown, after all—but Alex didn’t hesitate- she ripped it down the middle, tearing it from Vivienne’s body and leaving her naked and gasping. Vivienne squirmed underneath Alex, who pinned her down again with one hand and looked her body up and down with a look in her eyes like she wanted to devour her.

Vivienne gasped again.

“Do you want me to continue,” Alex asked, fixing her gaze and Vivienne found herself nodding furiously. She had never wanted anything more. Alex’s attention was a curious mix of rough and dominant mixed with tenderness and she liked it more than she would ever admit.

“Say it, Vivienne.”

“Yes… please… please make me come…” Vivienne barely recognized her own voice as needy and desperate as it sounded.

Alex, with her free hand, ran it roughly over Vivienne’s body, pausing at her breasts to tease her nipples roughly. Vivienne found herself moaning into the touch and wanting more and more. Alex dipped her head trailing kisses and bites across Vivienne’s chest, down over the swell of her breasts, sucking her nipples into her mouth and then biting them as though she was relishing Vivienne’s yelps and moans. The kisses moved along Vivienne’s soft belly, and down to her wanting pussy. Vivienne felt her legs opening instinctively.

Still holding down Vivienne—though she didn’t need to; Vivienne had become pliant and wanting—Alex brought her other hand down to Vivienne’s knee as far as she could reach then slowly, slowly brought it up along the outside of Alex’s own thigh where Vivienne curled it around her. Vivienne was well and truly open and exposed to her now. She felt her own wetness seeping. Alex then snaked her hand over to Vivienne’s inner thigh.

She paused there, the two women holding their breaths in unison, as if waiting for what would happen next. Flashes of desire flooded Vivienne’s mind, and she wanted nothing more than to rip off Alex’s clothes and feel her skin and see her body .

But she didn’t.

She wasn’t in control this time.

She didn’t want to break this spell, whatever this was. She didn’t want Alex to change her mind and take her hands away and go back to the couch. She wanted this moment to last forever, as if in some kind of suspended animation, but her body wasn’t willing to wait. It coiled tighter with heat until she squirmed under Alex’s touch, trying to will it to move closer.

“Please…” Vivienne begged.

Alex quirked a smile in the corner of her lips, but it was fleeting, gone as quickly as it came. But she got Vivienne’s message.

Alex squeezed Vivienne’s inner thigh roughly, eliciting a squeal that was half-moan, half-surprise from Vivienne, and she brought her hand up further, further, further…until she was inches away from Vivienne’s pussy. She could feel Alex’s larger hands, the callouses from the physical labor, against her sensitive skin, and she felt close to bursting right then.

Alex teased Vivienne, first running a finger along her slit back and forth, then tracing tight circles around her clit. Vivienne felt another rush of wetness between her legs as her entire body responded to Alex’s touch. Alex stayed there, circling Vivienne’s clit, pressing down with more pressure as the seconds ticked away.

Even though Alex was still wearing her pajamas, Vivienne felt the barriers between them melt away—all the ones that really mattered anyway. She felt her chest and the muscles in her stomach loosen, as if anticipating, hoping, for what came next.

“Stay still,” Alex commanded.

Alex let go of Vivienne’s arm, watching her with those deep honey-colored eyes to make sure Vivienne didn’t move. She obliged, staying as still as she could with the rush of pleasure flooding her body. Alex dropped her right hand down and slammed what felt like two fingers straight into Vivienne.

Vivienne moaned with pleasure, the sudden pressure inside her tantalizing. It’d been far too long since she had been intimate with anyone that she feared she would have forgotten how it went, how it felt. But her body remembered. Her inner walls loosened to make space for Alex’s fingers as Alex curled her fingers upward to find that sensitive spot that would make Vivienne see stars.

Vivienne rocked her hips in time with Alex’s fingering, finding a shared rhythm that felt natural. Each time Alex’s fingers slipped in deeper, her body jolted with excitement and she felt warm liquid pooling between her legs.

Alex didn’t let up, though, either not noticing the sticky heat or not caring. She plunged a third finger inside Vivienne and began to fuck her hard. Relentlessly slamming in and out of her with her thumb sliding against Vivienne’s clitoris.

Vivienne could hardly keep up, her mind and body unraveling as Alex continued. She was lost to the fucking and the intensity of pleasure she felt building deep inside her. She caught her breath just long enough to open her eyes and look at Alex, surprised to find that Alex was already watching her, studying every twitch on her face and jolt of her body, adjusting her pace to maximize Vivienne’s pleasure. Vivienne noticed a twinkle in her eyes, as if Alex were getting pleasured simply by watching Vivienne’s pleasure .

She leaned her head back against the pillow again, stretching her neck upward, exposing the soft skin. Alex took the opportunity and leaned down, leaving more searing kisses and bites against her neck as she kept pushing hard inside of her.

“Come for me, Vivienne,” Alex commanded, her thumb more insistent on Vivienne’s clitoris. Vivienne thought there was more inside her now, maybe 4 fingers fucking her hard- she had lost track of what was going on. She had lost herself to pure sensation.

“You feel so good to fuck. So wet for me, Vivienne. Come for my fingers, there’s a good girl.”

Vivienne felt her body tighten, the sensation building up until her orgasm crashed over her, sending shivers of pleasure down her body as she cried out and felt herself gushing into Alex’s hand.

“Good girl,” Alex growled in her ear as she held her through the shudders of her orgasm, her fingers still deep inside Vivienne.

And when it was over, the quiet returned as Alex slid her fingers out of Vivienne and pulled away from her. The silence was thick and heavy, but no longer as suffocating.

Silently, Alex gave her a final look that Vivienne couldn’t decipher, then slipped out of the bed, moving toward the couch, where Vivienne saw her crawl under the blanket.

Vivienne, still reeling from her orgasm, lay there, naked, legs open, and well and truly fucked. She could feel the insides of her pussy still throbbing from the pounding she had just received. She grabbed for the blanket to cover herself, still feeling the sticky liquid between her thighs. After the orgasm aftershocks rocked her body and reality seeped in, she couldn’t help but wonder what the hell happened and what it all meant. For her, for Alex, for both of them.

The cabin's darkness felt different now, charged with unspoken questions and the heat of their encounter. Even the constant howl of the wind couldn't drown out the thundering of her heart.

She rolled over in the bed, preparing for a night of fitful, restless sleep.