Elena set her fork down. The sound of it against the plate was soft and final. She could not manage another bite. The thick residual heat of Marcus inside her and the aching lower marks and the complete submission and the absolute ownership all sat under the silence like a single continuous pressure that had nowhere left to go except further inward. Marcus’s hands remained flat on the table. The private frequency between them stayed locked down and strained and fully present underneath the heavy quiet.

Victoria stood up slowly. The legs of her chair scraped softly against the floor. She looked at the two of them for a final...