There was nothing rapid or frantic in Carmen’s movements. Everything was deploying in slow motion before Shane’s narrowed eyes: Carmen’s tanned skin, the rivulet of sweat running between her breasts, the tensed muscles of her stomach, the fullness of her lips mouthing something inaudible.

Carmen bent over Shane and kissed her, and Shane kissed her back, inhaling her scent. She bit Carmen’s bottom lip softly, as Carmen’s tongue slowly swirled into her mouth. Her grip on Shane’s shoulder tightened as Carmen pressed her body further onto Shane’s.

“Touch me”, Carmen whispered against Shane’s lips. And once again, Shane heard the words stretching over the point of non return, a whisper that filled up her ears like a blast of wind, slowly, deeply.

She let go of the bed head, circling Carmen’s waist, entwining her fingers on the base of her back, pulling her closer and then pushing her down.

Carmen’s chin rested on the top of Shane’s head and Shane kissed, and kissed sweated skin, moving fluidly and repressing the need of crying out Carmen’s name.

Instead, she panted and let go some soft moans, muffled by Carmen’s skin. Carmen cupped Shane’s face and tilted it up, staring at her. Her eyes seemed to be focusing.

“Don’t hold it”, she muttered, “You can let yourself go, Shane”.

Am I allowed to feel this? Am I worth this pleasure? This intricate feeling of longing and desire biting me, eating me up. Can I really feel this way? Can I?

Words like a whirlwind into Shane’s mind, words unable to be spoken. She stared back at Carmen and let her hands run over the smoothness of her back. She kissed her breasts and then reversed their positions gently.

She lingered over Carmen, perfectly still for a while, then she felt Carmen’s nails gently scraping her sides and started to move, again.

Slowly slowly slowly.

Rarely – or maybe never – Shane had made love so slowly.

You rarely made love, actually.

It was a strange feeling. It was like time didn’t matter anymore. It was like she was perpetuating that moment forever. It was like forever didn’t exist and, at the same time, was the only thing left.

“You are so beautiful…”, she mumbled quietly to Carmen.