An overwhelming melancholia took over Octavia's mood, ruining the last remnant of bliss coursing through her. In an instant, she was back to her sad and hopeless reality.
What had been heavenly now felt wrong, and having his skin plastered on her, his shaft still in her, only worsened her heartache. Her hands on his torso gently pushed him away as she tried to set some distance between them, needing to do whatever she could to preserve her heart. Cuddling after sex wasn't an option. It was too intimate, too tender.
Oblivious to her change of mood, he pulled out with a contented sigh. It felt empty without him inside her, but she'd have to get used to it. After tonight, it would be over. To him, this was just a sex thing, a physical agreement, a naughty deal...
"Fuck, Vee. I knew it'd be good, but this was... something else entirely."
Mindlessly, she nodded, her heart heavy with sorrow. It was different because they had something. She knew it, and she wished he could see it too.
Still not grasping what had just happened, she let herself down from the table before putting her red dress back into place. She was feeling somehow dirty, as if she'd debased herself. She was in love with Cal, but she'd taken whatever he was offering instead, which wasn't enough.
The angelic voices singing some praises to Jesus on the radio didn't help her feel better – far from it. Especially when she had to grab her discarded panties from the floor.
Sex meant a lot to her, which was why she didn't normally do one-night stands. She had always been a hopeless romantic. Despite the failures, she'd truly attempted to build something with her exes. Nothing had ever worked out, though, because there was only one man she wanted.
A moment alone to gather her thoughts seemed great, so she passed by Caleb, who was done discarding the condom, to head to the locker room. Still not noticing her somber mood, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his arms. One of his hands tangled in her hair, and he brought her in for a long, intense, and bone-melting kiss.
When he pulled away, there was something almost euphoric in his expression. He was still high from what they'd shared, and she wished she was in the same state of mind. She wanted to enjoy the night to the fullest.
"I need to go to the bathroom real quick," she told him, needing to get away. A surge of emotions was about to take over, and she needed to be alone when it did. He released her, and she made her escape, swallowing back her tears.
Once alone, Octavia took deep, soothing breaths, trying to calm down her racing mind. None of the realizations she was having were new. Despite her wild hopes and dreams, she'd known for a long time that Caleb didn't belong with her. If he did, something would have happened by now.
But no. He didn't like her this way. As it turned out, he was attracted to her. He wanted to have sex with her, and it was a somehow gratifying thing to know. But he'd agreed to this because it was a single night of steamy sex, not the complete package she so desperately wanted.
She'd told him herself. She wasn't trying to build a life with him, even though it was partially a lie. Of course, if he wanted that too, she'd jump on the occasion in a split second. But this wasn't the deal. The deal was one night of sex and then back to their respective lives.
The best thing she could do was to take this and make the best of it. She would fill her mind with memories of him she would then cherish for the rest of her life.
They only had a few hours, and she wouldn't ruin it by being overly sentimental.
When she came back to the room, all freshened up, Caleb was sitting on the couch, wearing a Santa hat. Vixen was peacefully sleeping on her mat, with her chewing bone by her side. Seeing an opportunity she couldn't miss, Octavia went to Caleb, his eyes following her with intensity, and sat on his lap.
"Hi, Santa," she greeted him innocently. Amused by her take on the situation, he rested one hand high on her thigh and another one on her behind.
"Hello, little Vee. Do I need to ask you if you've been naughty or nice, even though I know exactly how naughty you've been?"
"Oh, I've been the naughtiest, Santa."
"So, tell me, my naughty Octavia, what do you want for Christmas?" he asked, his lips tracing a fiery path on her exposed throat. She'd just had the best sex of her life, but this was enough to make her flustered and confused again.
"I want... I have been wanting to realize a fantasy. One I've had for years now."
"Really? And what happens in this fantasy of yours?"
"Well, it involves you, without this hat, and—"
"The hat's part of the package, baby. I'm afraid it's non-negotiable."
"Alright, then. You, that ridiculous hat, me, and a shelving unit in the store."
"What part are the shelves playing in this scenario?"
"The part where you pin me against them and take me passionately," she admitted, smiling when he grumbled something inaudible. He was the one who wanted her to talk dirty; he couldn't blame her for it.
"I can help you with your fantasy, but only because I'm such a selfless man."
He swallowed her giggle with a languorous kiss and easily maneuvered her so she was straddling him. With baffling ease, he rose from the couch, holding her against him. He then carried her to the door, which made Octavia giggle with amusement.
When Vixen came from her mat, ready to follow them, he stopped her. "No, stay here. Your innocent eyes aren't ready for this."
Octavia was still laughing when they left the room.
Instead of going toward the store as she'd expected, Caleb carried her to his office, where he sat her down on his desk. "What's happening?" she asked as he typed something on his keyboard.
"Turning the CCTV off."
"Oh, smart."
While he did it, she watched him from her venture point, perched on his desk. He looked absurd in his Santa hat, but his profile was still a gorgeous sight, so Octavia didn't hold back on detailing him.
She had so many steamy fantasies about him in this room. She'd imagined having him all over the place. From each wall to the desk, his chair, and the couch.
Once he was done with his task, he grabbed her hand and tangled his fingers with hers, encouraging her to follow him.
Hand in hand, they walked to the store section, ready to work on her Christmas wish.
"Okay, what do you think about the shelves in aisle twenty-seven?" he asked, one of his eyebrows arrogantly cocked up. A smile stretched her lips when she realized what he had in mind. This was where they stocked sex products like contraception and lubes.
"The naughtiest part of the store. I like your style, Dale."
"Yeah, I'm also out of condoms, so it's a two birds with one stone kind of thing."
"Then lead the way, boss."
Outside the large front windows, the blizzard was still raging, the snowy chaos contrasting with the quietness inside the store. People loved a white Christmas, but this was a little excessive.
They reached aisle twenty-seven, and Caleb grabbed a box of condoms with a quickness that showed he was used to getting them here. Octavia watched as he opened the box, feeling her cheeks warm up. Okay, maybe he was right; she did blush too easily. He took the bunch of silvery packages out, shoved them all but one in his pocket, and squeezed the box into a small ball to put it in his other pocket.
"So, tell me. How do things start in this fantasy of yours?"
It would be embarrassing to admit she had at least a dozen scenarios leading to him taking her against a shelving unit, so she decided there was no need to talk to get on with it.
With her arms hooked around his neck, she pulled him down and pressed her mouth on his with passion. His smile was impossible not to notice, but it quickly faded under the intensity of her amorous enterprise.