Alec shakes his head slightly, it's hard to see but still obvious to me.

"Go out with me", he says softly. I wasn't expecting that.

"Will you sleep with me if I say yes?", I counter perkily. Again the shake of the head. Again only slightly and barely visible.

"You're drunk."

"I'm drunk and horny", I say and Alec sighs.

"When we make love, you should be fully conscious. You should be experiencing this feeling with all your senses. My lips on your skin giving you a tingling shiver. My warm breath tickling your neck and my tongue caressing your nipples. You should feel my hands pressing you gently but firmly into the sheet. And experience the high of pure ecstasy as my cock pushes into your ass."

"You're not making it any better with your words right now", I growl. Alec only makes it worse.

"I know that. But you won't be able to remember this in the morning. So let me tell you, I'm not going to sleep with you until we've dated." As Alec says this, he pushes my pants off my hips. The fabric rubs against my erection and a low moan escapes me.

"You shouldn't have to hold back during our act." The telltale sound of a belt buckle undoing, Alec's tongue licking across my neck. Moist, with gentle pressure, the sweet sin slides across my throat, his lips sucking delicately at the skin, my hands buried in Alec's hair.

"Loud you should be, unbridled and full of passion." Alec lowers his pelvis, moaning into my ear as our erections collide. He is at least as hard as I am. Wave-like, he moves his pelvis and just like the movement of his body, a cocktail of pleasure flows through my veins. Warm and fast, it spreads, turning into liquid lava, hot and bubbling. A thin layer of fabric separates our heated bodies and yet I feel the heat of his body, feel his bulging penis hard against mine. Restlessly, my hands run over his body, exploring every inch. I close my legs around his hips, press the heels of my feet firmly into his buttocks. The pressure on our lengths intensifies. Together we moan and Alec bites lightly into my neck. His arms wrap around my shoulders, he presses me tighter against him and I do the same. We are so close and yet it feels like we are worlds apart.

We find a common rhythm, flowing movements, warm breath on heated skin. The room is filled with Alec's and my moans. Everything inside me burns hot like blazing fire. My skin tingles and a shiver travels over my body, starting at my hair and ending at the tips of my toes. Again it is an intoxicating experience, a game of lust and desire. Pure greed. Satisfaction of a need.

The fountain of release gushes forth and with each thrust, happiness is like poison in my veins. I'm addicted to Alec and what he does to me. Greedily, I press my lips to the soft skin on his neck. He buries his face in the crook of my neck and moans. The salty aroma bubbles onto my tongue, tingles and makes me gasp deeply. Alec's smell of sea and salt, sex and passion, clouds my senses. I feel the pull and the warm surge in my loins, digging my fingers firmly into Alec's shirt, pressing deep into his skin. With my back pressed down, the vibration of his intense moans quivering incessantly in my body and making me tremble, I surrender to my desire.

"Magnus." whimpers Alec pressed close to me. His penis pulses hot against mine as he plunges over the edge of the cliff, letting himself fall. With each thrust of his lust, he bites into my neck, marking me and gasping.

Mark-shattering is this feeling, I have long since relinquished control over my actions, my thinking. Satisfaction alone is at the forefront and like out of my mind I come loudly, knowing only one word.

"Alexander."

Breathing heavily, we lie here, carried close on the wave of ecstasy and the fog slowly lifts.

"That wasn't sex", I say, regretting my words the very next moment.

"Oh Magnus", Alec whispers, leaning on his arms. His forehead leans against mine. We pause in that moment for a moment until Alec rises with a sigh. He breathes a kiss on my forehead and wishes me a good night. Exhausted, satisfied and still slightly drunk, I fall into a deep sleep.

It is bright in the room when I wake up. In my head a whole crew of lumberjacks is cutting down trees. Groaning, I hold my aching skull, massage my temples and forehead. Why is it so bright? And why does my head hurt so much? What happened yesterday? Another blackout. The taste of rum on my tongue again. I jump up with a jolt. My head hurts and glistening bright spots explode before my eyes. The barbecue. Julian. Me drunk. Alec moaning. Fuck. This can't all be true. But it is true. The dried cum in my shorts is irrefutable proof that my memory isn't failing me this time. I don't remember, my ass. I remember everything. Albeit with a few black spots. But I remember. I am still wearing the clothes from last night. Alec left after my comment about sex. And I fell asleep.

The shower is only half as refreshing as I would like. My head aches, every bone in my body screams at me. The muscles and tendons are hissing and the skin still feels like it's on fire. It's been a long time since I felt this shitty. Inevitably, I wonder if it's solely because of my crash or because of Alec. Alec and his way of triggering sensations in me that send my whole body into turmoil at the mere thought of him touching me. Even the cooling shower gel can't relieve the burning of my skin. I feel unspeakably hot, but the water is cold and falls hard on my body, aching. I feel sick and rest my hands on the cold tiles, trying to control the trembling in my legs. My heart races and I get scared. What is happening here? I breathe in carefully, take as much oxygen as possible into my lungs and slowly release the life-giving air. I repeat this procedure for a while. My circulation calms down, my heart beats in its normal rhythm again and the trembling also subsides. I feel weak and drained, tired and exhausted.

"Magnus?", sounds Alec's voice muffled through the bathroom door. Startled, I cringe, turn off the water and carefully step out of the shower. With dripping wet hair, a towel around my hips and goosebumps all over my body, I open the door and look into Alec's worried face. An open book. Concern, but also disappointment. Hope? A little, perhaps.

"Good morning", he says quietly. A glass of water in one hand and a packet of aspirin in the other, he smiles that crooked smile that makes him seem all the younger. And more mischievous.

"Thanks", I say quietly, taking the glass and the box of elixir from him against my buzzing head.

"Get dressed. We have to leave in a minute", Alec says and is halfway out of the bedroom when I register what he said.

"Why? Where to? What did I forget?", I ask, irritated. "Surprise." Is that his answer? That's not an answer and I hate surprises. The last surprise I got ended in tears and anger and a night in Vegas that changed my life.

"I don't like surprises. I owe the last surprise this one", I say flippantly, holding out my hand with the ring to Alec. Our wedding ring. Anger flickers briefly in Alec's gaze. I see the dark clouds and the bright flashes of lightning that are almost certainly meant for me. But as quickly as this change came, it passes again. The dark clouds disappear and make way for the sun. He grins at me and crosses his arms in front of his chest.

"You have no choice. Get dressed. We're leaving in a minute." Alec slips out of the room and I hear him hurry down the stairs, elated. Swiftly I hurry after him, the glass and tablets still untouched in my hand.

"Wait."