My phone vibrated; it was a message from Alex

- You looked beautiful yesterday...

Suddenly, all the images started flooding back into my mind—the kisses, the caresses, the red light in that room... All the times I asked him if he was cheating on me and he looked me in the eyes and swore he wasn’t... All the times I caught him with messages from other girls, just as stupidly in love as I was... The time I finally found the strength to say “no more” and watched him walk away, without looking back... The tears, the hours I missed him and wished he were by my side, even though I knew it was a huge mistake...

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And now, out of the blue, he was writing to me again, without guilt, without beating around the bush, without any need...

- Hi... Thanks...

That was the only thing I could manage to write; I would have preferred to tell him to go to hell... But part of me still wanted to feel his skin, his kisses, the way he did everything to me, and how it made me feel so dirty and so special...

I had to get him out of my mind. I turned on the TV, without really watching it, then looked for a book, and found Lemark... I looked at the book, feeling a little embarrassed. When I started reading it, I always imagined it was Alex...

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I poured myself a glass of wine, picked up the book, and lay down on the couch... Merlina was with me; she climbed onto my lap and fell asleep, purring...

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My phone vibrated again...

- Would you like to reminisce about the old days?

Alex was definitely an idiot... But somehow his stupid question turned me on... “You shouldn't do this” were the words in my head, but the images were of Alex looking me in the eyes, while his tongue worked wonders between my legs...

I looked at the photo of Marcos and me... “You shouldn't do it,” my last shred of sanity kept repeating to me... If Marcos weren't away on a trip, I would have wanted to jump on him and make love to him the way I used to with that idiot Alex...

- I can't stop thinking about you... Alex texted me...

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I knew it was a cliché, but my desire clung to it, and I replied...

- A lot has happened...

- Do you remember how much fun we had?

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Of course I remembered—never before or since had I felt so alive...

- Yeah... A little... Sort of...

- I don’t believe you...

- That I remember you?

- That it’s just something... Unimportant... What you and I had was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever experienced...

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It’s a lie! You mustn’t do this! My rational mind begged me to put down the damn phone...

- You know, Alex, I’m doing fine now, with a nice guy...

- I don’t believe you either...

- He’s better than you, at least...

- If he were better than me, we wouldn’t be talking...

- I’m just trying to be polite

- I suggest we meet up in two hours. Get yourself ready, and we’ll go out to dinner. You can tell me later if you want dessert—I won’t force you into anything. Do you still love pasta that much?

- Haha, yeah...

- Then I’ll wait for you in two hours at D’Alfredo’s, the place we used to go to. They say it’s better than ever... Don’t be late!

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That confidence annoyed me so much, but it was what I liked most about Alex...

I put down my phone and looked at Merlina... What the hell am I thinking?

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I got up and went to take a shower... Two hours later, I was getting out of the Uber... Alex was already there, with that bad-boy style I’d fallen in love with—a leather jacket, a slightly rumpled T-shirt, that stubble, and his charming smile paired with his green eyes...

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“You look gorgeous,” Alex said, pulling out a chair for me to sit down. When he hugged me, he gave me a very quick kiss on the lips. It didn’t feel strange; it was as if everything I’d experienced before he left had just been a dream… And I’d finally woken up

To be honest, we talked during dinner, but I didn’t know exactly what about; I just watched Alex’s lips move and wished those lips were on my vagina. His sparkling green eyes captivated me; his tattooed arms, full of visible veins, were my downfall, and the scent… It was killing me…

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Suddenly, I stood up as if possessed, walked over to him, and whispered in his ear... “I'll wait for you in the bathroom.”

I left, and two minutes later Alex walked in. I pounced on him like a cat in heat, biting those beautiful lips of his. He bit my neck hard. I wrapped my arms and legs around his body as he closed the bathroom door. He pushed me against the wall while we kissed desperately. Then he picked me up and set me on the sink, I was still hugging him with my legs spread. He stopped to look at me...

“You’re beautiful,” he said, and sank his teeth into my neck again. My fingers slipped inside his shirt and jacket, and I caressed his hard back; I could feel his tense muscles...

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After a while, he took off his clothes, and I did my best to lift my skirt and take off my blouse. He looked at me sweetly, then immediately grabbed my neck tightly and began to choke me. His penis then began to rub against my vulva; it was an exquisite sensation. I was now scratching his chest, covered in tattoos... Hoping he would take pity on me...