Chapter 7

seven

. . .

Lila

A crack of thunder rattles the window and jolts me awake. In a flash of lightning, my bedroom plunges into darkness. My heart races as I try to calm my quickening breaths.

Ever since that night I got trapped alone in the elevator when the power went out, storms terrify me.

The walls feel like they're closing in, crushing the air from my lungs.

I don’t think.

I just act.

Before I can second guess myself, I'm padding down the hallway to Ethan’s room, torn between fear and longing. I hesitate only a moment before slipping inside.

"Ethan?" My voice comes out small and trembling.

He rolls over, eyes glinting in the dark. "Lila? What's wrong?"

"The power...the storm..." I swallow hard. "I-I don’t like storms."

In an instant, he's pulling back the covers, drawing me into his strong arms. I burrow against his bare chest, drinking in his warmth and solidness. He smells like citrus and sandalwood, achingly familiar.

"I've got you, baby," he murmurs into my hair. "You're safe with me."

But as his hands skim my body as if they’re checking for injury, sparks trail in their wake. I shiver, and it's not from fear.

Ethan notices, his breath catching. The air thickens between us, heavy with unspoken desire.

Desire I’ve been fighting for way too long.

"Lila..." His eyes search mine, reflecting the hunger building inside me. "Don’t tell me to stop."

I don’t say anything for a long moment, and Ethan doesn’t either. Instead, he just stares at me, his eyes hopeful, pleading, desperate .

Finally, I surge up to capture his mouth with mine. "Don't stop,” I breathe against his lips. “I need you."

That’s all the encouragement he needs.

He takes control of the kiss. It turns feverish, days of pent-up passion pouring out. Clothes vanish between frantic caresses until it's just skin against skin, heartbeats pounding in sync. He touches me like he's been starving for it, mapping every curve and valley. I arch into him, wanting more, more.

More!

He trails kisses over my stomach. His lips blaze a path down my body, leaving me aching and breathless. When he reaches the apex of my thighs, he pauses, glancing up at me with a devilish grin.

"You're fucking perfect," he growls. "I'm going to worship this sweet pussy."

Then his mouth is on me and I nearly come undone. He licks and sucks, stoking the fire inside me higher and higher. My hands fist in his hair as I writhe beneath his wicked tongue. Just as I'm about to shatter, he pulls back. I whimper at the loss of his mouth, but then he's crawling up my body, settling between my thighs. His hard length nudges against my entrance and I gasp, the delicious pressure almost too much to bear.

I dig my nails into his shoulders.

“Tell me,” his eyes darken, “are you a virgin?”

My cheeks flame as I nod.

His nostrils flare. “Good because I was going to have to kill anyone else who ever saw you like this.”

His eyes lock with mine, dark with lust and something else, something deeper.

I shiver at his confession. I love how possessive he is. Maybe it should scare me, but it doesn’t.

“I’ll try to go slow,” he tells me, but I shake my head.

“No, just do it.”

He holds my eyes as I feel him positioning himself at my entrance, and then without warning, he plunges deep into me.

When he finally bottoms out in me, I cry out from the exquisite fullness.

“Shh,” he soothes me as he strokes my hair back from my face. “You’re mine now, baby. Gonna take such good care of you. Promise.” He stills, giving me a moment to adjust before starting to move.

He goes slowly at first, but then he picks up the pace. “Can’t. Hold. Back. Too. Good,” he pants out between thrusts, the sweat beading on his brow.

Each deep, purposeful stroke sends pleasure licking through my veins. It borders on too much, the intensity threatening to overwhelm me.

"That's it, baby," he groans against my throat. "Take all of me. You're mine now."

"Yes, yours," I gasp, tilting my hips to meet his. "Only yours."

Release builds at the base of my spine, winding tighter with every thrust. I cling to his shoulders as it crests, my body clenching around him.

“Fuck!” he roars as his own climax follows in hot, pulsing waves I can feel jetting into me.

After, we lay tangled together, fighting to catch our breath. Ethan brushes damp strands of hair from my face, his touch impossibly gentle now. Amazement and satisfaction war in his gaze.

"I knew it would be like this," he says softly, almost to himself. "From the moment I saw you..."

My heart flips at the raw honesty in his words. Though a part of me always sensed our connection ran soul-deep, its power still rocks me. This is more than physical—it's a joining of hearts and souls.

For a moment, I forget that he’s my stepbrother.

Soft morning light filters through the curtains as I blink awake, momentarily disoriented. Ethan's muscular arm is draped possessively over my waist, his breath tickling the nape of my neck.

Memories of last night flood back—the desperate kisses, the slide of sweat-slicked skin, the almost unbearable pleasure. I flush, desire already stirring despite my nerves.

Did we really just...? My stepbrother, the man I shouldn’t be with... It seems unreal, yet the delicious ache in my body tells me otherwise.

Ethan stirs, pulling me tighter against his chest. "Mmm, Lila," he murmurs, voice gravelly with sleep. "Please tell me this isn't a dream."

I turn in his arms to face him, my heart fluttering at the vulnerability in his eyes, such a contrast to his usual confidence. "It's not a dream," I assure softly, cupping his jaw. "But what does it mean for us, Ethan? Everything's changed..."

He captures my hand, pressing a kiss to the palm. "It means you're mine now. I'm not letting you go, not after I've finally had a taste." His gaze darkens with intensity. "I want the whole world to know you belong to me."

Apprehension slices through me. "Ethan, we can't. Think about our parents. They'd never understand." I sit up, holding the sheet to my bare chest. "Maybe this was a mistake..."

He surges up, gripping my shoulders. "Don't say that. This could never be a mistake. You’re mine, Lila. Can't you feel it?" His thumb strokes my bottom lip. "I’m never letting you go," he vows.

I tremble under the heat of his stare, the conviction in his words weakening my resolve. How can something so wrong feel so incredibly right? "I...I just need time to process this. Us. Can we please keep it between us for now? I'm not ready for everyone to know."

Ethan looks like he wants to argue, but he finally sighs instead, his grip gentling. "Alright, baby. I'll be your dirty little secret...for now." A wicked glint enters his eye as he draws me back down. "But in this bed, you're all mine. And I plan to show you just how much, over and over again."

Any protests dissolve under the onslaught of his mouth, his touch reigniting the fire between us. As he rolls me under him, I surrender to the exquisite fall, knowing I'm lost to him…