Chapter 74: Need
She doesn’t know. But I do. -Elias
Elias
Her breath was still uneven. So was mine.
We hadn’t spoken since the kiss. Cus there were no words.
Liana was curled up against me like she belonged there.
Like she’d always belonged there.
Under the blanket, in my arms, with her cheek brushing my chest and her fingers curled just slightly into my shirt.
Like she didn’t even realize she was holding on.
She tilted her head up.
Eyes wide. Lashes trembling. Lips still flushed from the kiss.
And I—
I was drowning in the way she looked at me.
Like I was something she wanted, without knowing why.
Like her body had figured it out before her mind could catch up.
She didn’t say anything. She didn’t have to.
Because when she shifted again, just enough to slide one leg over mine and settle into my lap.
I stopped breathing.
She straddled me.
Slow. Soft. Innocent, except it wasn’t.
Her thighs pressed to my hips. Her hands on my shoulders.
Her heart, hammering, right against mine.
“Liana,” I said, or maybe begged.
But she didn’t pull back.
She leaned in, so damn close I could feel her breath on my lips again.
And still, she wasn’t asking for anything.
Not with words.
She was just there.
Trusting.
Open.
So fucking soft.
Like she didn’t know what she was doing.
Like she wanted, but didn’t know what wanting could lead to.
And that was what ruined me.
She had no idea how dangerous that kind of trust was.
Not with someone like me.
Not with someone who’d spent a lifetime teaching himself not to want.
She looked at me.
Full of quiet hope.
Full of something too raw to name.
She was trembling. Just a little.
Not with fear. But with the same thing I felt.
Need. Sharp. Hot. All-consuming.
Her fingertips grazed the edge of my jaw, then traced down my throat.
She didn’t even seem aware of it.
I was already gone.
“Don’t,” I said, voice hoarse.
She blinked. Confused.
Her brows drew in, lips parting like she was going to ask what she’d done wrong.
So I cupped her face gently. Pressed my forehead to hers. And breathed.
She didn’t know.
I told myself.
She doesn’t know.
She was moving again, just the smallest shift of her hips.
But fuck, I felt everything.
And I was about to lose it.
“Liana,” I warned.
This time it came out rough. Raw.
She made the softest sound, like a gasp caught between questions.
Like she didn’t mean to do it.
Like she couldn’t help it.
And it broke me.
I buried my face in the crook of her neck, inhaled her like oxygen, like salvation, like sin.
My hands found her waist. Slid under the hem of her sweater.
Bare skin. Warm. Smooth. Perfect.
She arched into my touch. Not even trying to hide it.
“Jesus,” I hissed, squeezing my eyes shut.
If she kept doing that…
If she leaned in one more inch…
If she whispered my name again in that breathless, trembling way…
I wouldn’t stop. I couldn’t.
Her hands moved to my neck, then into my hair. Pulling me in.
One more kiss.
One more sound.
One more second.
And I’d tear every piece of self-control I had left into shreds.
So I pulled back. Abrupt. Sharp.
She flinched, startled.
“Why?” she whispered.
She looked so small.
So confused.
So fucking beautiful it hurt to look at her.
I cupped her face again.
Kissed her temple.
Then her cheek.
Then the corner of her mouth.
And I said it, because I had to. “Because if I don’t stop now, I won’t stop at all.”
Her breath caught. So did mine.
She stared at me. Eyes wide. Lips trembling.
Then she nodded.
I don’t know what that meant.
Maybe it was permission.
Maybe she understood what I said.
Or maybe, she just trusted me.
Trusted me to stop.
To keep her safe.
Even from herself.
And fuck, that was worse.
Because she didn’t know.
Didn’t know what she was asking for.
Didn’t know how her touch felt like a match to dry wood.
Didn’t know she was already burning me alive without even meaning to.
She wanted more. But not all the way. Not yet.
Maybe not ever.
And I couldn’t take that from her.
Not when she looked at me like I was already the answer to something she didn’t know how to name.
I wrapped my arms around her, locking her against me.
Her cheek pressed to my chest, my chin resting on her shoulder.
Our hearts still racing.
She was still on my lap. Still warm. Still close.
And all I could do was hold her tighter.
While every part of me screamed to take.
But I didn’t.
Because she deserved someone who could hold back.
Even when it hurt like hell.
And for now, for tonight…
That someone had to be me.
Chapter 75: What’s Wrong With Me
No, no, no no. -Liana
Liana
I woke up warm. Too warm.
My face was pressed against his chest, legs tangled with his, the blanket kicked half off.
He was still asleep.
His arm was around me, heavy and protective, his hand resting just above my hip.
I didn’t want to move. Didn’t want to wake him.
But… Something felt… strange.
Off.
Wrong?
I shifted slightly. that’s when I felt it.
A slickness between my thighs.
Not sweat.
Not pee.
Just… wet.
My stomach dropped.
What—
What the hell—
No.
No no no.
My eyes flew open. I held my breath.
Did I…?
No. That can’t be. That doesn’t happen to people like me.
Does it?
I stayed frozen, mentally retracing everything.
We kissed.
I sat on his lap.
He touched my back.
My waist.
He stopped.
He stopped.
But my body—
My body hadn’t.
I bit my lip. Hard.
There was no way to explain this.
No way to even think about it without my face bursting into flames.
I peeked at him.
Still asleep. Peaceful. Beautiful.
Totally unaware that I had…
What even was this?
Was this normal?
Was this what happened when you… liked someone?
Or was something wrong with me?
I pressed my thighs together. Bad idea. It only made everything worse.
I squeaked. Actually squeaked.
Slapped a hand over my mouth.
Dear God, please don’t let him wake up now.
I slowly, very slowly, began inching out from under his arm.
Mission: Escape My Own Body.
I made it halfway off the couch before he stirred.
Not fully awake. Just enough to mumble, “You okay?”
I froze. Panicked.
“Y-yeah,” I said too fast. “Just… bathroom.”
He didn’t open his eyes.
Just pulled the blanket tighter over himself and murmured, “Don’t fall in.”
Don’t fall in???
I fled.
Locked the bathroom door behind me. Stared at my flushed face in the mirror.
“What the hell,” I whispered.
I sat on the toilet, not even needing to go, just trying to breathe. Trying to understand.
But my brain was static and my body was chaos.
This had never happened before. Not even close.
Was it him?
His voice?
His hands?
The way he said my name like it meant something?
I groaned softly, pressing my forehead to my knees.
Something inside me had changed. And I had no idea what to do with it.
Chapter 76: Avoiding You
I wish I can disappear. Like right now. -Liana
Liana
I didn’t text him back.
He’d messaged in the morning “I made too much breakfast. Want to come over?”
And again that afternoon “Got your favorite tea. I’ll drop it off?”
I typed out replies both times. Deleted them both.
Eventually I just sent: “Thanks, but I’m feeling kind of tired today.”
Which wasn’t a lie. But it wasn’t the truth either.
Because I wasn’t just tired.
I was mortified.
Confused.
And maybe a little terrified of what I’d become overnight.
There used to be nothing I couldn’t tell him.
Scraped knees, nightmares, weird dreams, bleeding hearts.
All of it went to Elias.
But this?
This thing with my body,
With wanting,
With wet…
How was I supposed to tell him that?
Hey Elias, I got turned on and now I think I’m broken. What do I do?
Yeah, no.
I was twenty. An adult.
Adults didn’t go crying to the man they had a crush on because their underwear felt weird after a kiss.
So I stayed quiet. Kept my distance.
And tried not to die of embarrassment.
Elias
It had been three days.
Three days since I kissed her.
Three days since she climbed into my lap, pressed her mouth to mine, looked at me like she needed me to breathe.
Three days since she started pretending I didn’t exist.
I wasn’t imagining it.
I’d seen the way she left my messages on read.
Heard the silence in her voice.
Felt the space she was trying to build between us.
And I hated it.
Because I didn’t do anything wrong.
I stopped.
I stopped.
But something was off.
And I knew one person who could give me answers—Alex.
-at work-
“She’s ghosting me,” I said the second Alex walked in.
Alex didn’t even blink. “Good morning to you too.”
“Have you seen her?”
“Not since yesterday. She said she was going to reorganize her bookshelf and never came out of her room. Which, for Liana, means something’s definitely wrong.”
I sighed. “She won’t talk to me.”
Alex raised an eyebrow. “What did you do?”
“I didn’t do anything.”
Alex stared at me.
Waited.
Then grinned. “Oh. Oh. You did nothing. That’s exactly the problem, dumbass.”
I scowled. “What the hell does that mean?”
Alex leaned back against the wall, arms crossed.
“She’s in love with you. She’s been in love with you. And now her body’s catching up to it, and she’s spiraling.”
I blinked. “I don’t—”
“She’s embarrassed, Elias.” Alex sighed, half exasperated, half amused. “My guess? She probably had a normal biological response and thought it meant she was broken.”
“What kind of response?”
Alex just smiled like the devil herself. “Oh, you’ll see.”
Liana
I didn’t leave my room until late afternoon.
Alex was at work. Or I thought she was.
I padded to the kitchen quietly, trying to just grab water and escape.
Except someone knocked at the door.
I froze. Then slowly tiptoed over to peek.
It was Elias.
Of course it was Elias.
I backed away, heart slamming.
No.
Not now.
Not when I hadn’t figured out how to look at him without remembering the way my body betrayed me.
I held my breath. Waited for him to go away.
Except… the front door clicked open.
Alex’s voice floated in behind him.
“Oh, I told him where the spare key was. You’re welcome!”
I wanted to scream.
Elias stepped in. Shut the door. Turned to me.
Calm. Focused. Dangerous.
“Liana,” he said, voice low. “Talk to me.”
I shook my head. Then turned and bolted.
Straight back to my room.
Shut the door.
Try to hide.
Heart pounding like it was trying to claw out of my chest.
A few seconds later, I heard footsteps.
Not his.
Alex’s knock was soft.
Then her voice, too casual to be real. “What’s wrong, honey? Why are you avoiding him? You’re usually the one who can’t go a full minute without staring at him like he’s made of magic and muscles.”
I groaned. “Go away.”
“I’m already in,” she said, letting herself in like the menace she was. “Now spill.”
I buried my face in a pillow.
“Liana,” she said gently. “Talk to me. What’s going on?”
“Because—” My throat burned. “Because I think something’s wrong with me.”
Alex stilled. “What do you mean?”
“I mean… last time we spent the night together. I woke up and, I noticed—”
I groaned, hands flying up to cover my face. “Something happened. Like… down there. And I didn’t do anything. I wasn’t even thinking about anything. I just, woke up, and it was there.”
Silence.
Then…A snort.
I peeked through my fingers. Alex was definitely trying not to laugh.
“Stop,” I moaned. “I already feel like a freak.”
She sat beside me, rubbing my back. “You’re not broken. You’re just wildly, stupidly in love and your body finally got the memo.”
“But I didn’t want it to happen—”
“No one wants to wake up horny and confused,” Alex said, deadpan. “But here we are.”
I smacked the pillow. “This is the worst.”
“Nope,” she said, standing up with a wicked grin. “You haven’t seen worse yet.”
“What’s that supposed to—wait, where are you going?”
She didn’t answer.
Just strutted out into the hallway, where I could definitely hear Elias waiting.
And I knew.
I was about to die.
After a few minutes, I was seriously considering jumping out of the window and ran.
Alex came back like she’d just returned from war, except she was grinning like a cat who got exactly what she wanted.
I was about to launch a pillow at her face.
Instead, I whispered, “What did you say?”
She closed the door gently behind her. Walked back to the bed.
Sat down beside me like she hadn’t just thrown me into social death.
“I told him you weren’t mad,” she said calmly. “That you were just… overwhelmed.”
My breath hitched. “What did he say?”
Alex tilted her head, studying me. “He said he didn’t know. He thought maybe he messed up. That maybe you didn’t want him like he thought you did.”
My chest clenched. “I do—” I swallowed. “I just didn’t know how to… handle it.”
“I told him that,” she said, voice gentler now. “I told him you woke up scared because your body reacted like it finally got the memo your heart’s been writing for years. And you didn’t know what that meant.”
I buried my face in my hands. “God.”
Alex nudged me with her shoulder. “He didn’t laugh. He didn’t flinch. He just… closed his eyes for a second. Like it hurt.”
I peeked through my fingers. “Why would it hurt?”
“Because he hates that you thought you were broken,” she said quietly. “That you were ashamed.”
Something stung behind my eyes.
“He said if that was your body waking up to love,” she added softly, “then it’s the most beautiful thing he’s ever caused.”
The air left my lungs.
I stared at the ceiling, blinking fast. My voice was barely a whisper.
“What am I supposed to do with that?”
Alex grinned. “I’d start with letting him in.”
Chapter 77: Birthday Gift (nsfw)
Oh. My. God. –Liana
Liana
I didn’t even know Elias had a birthday.
At least, not until I overheard Alex on the phone.
“So we’re definitely doing the glitter thing again, right?” Alex laughed into her phone, voice low and mischievous. “Oh come on, it’s Elias. It’s tradition to make him miserable for at least ten minutes. Plus, he secretly loves it.”
I froze in the hallway.
Birthday? Elias’s birthday?
Why didn’t I know that?
All these years, he’d never once mentioned it.
Never celebrated. Never even hinted at it. And I’d never asked.
I waited until Alex hung up, then practically jumped on her the second she stepped out of her room.
“Alex! Is Elias’s birthday soon?”
Alex smirked. “Saturday. Why?”
I stared at her, mouth open, suddenly feeling like the world’s worst human being. “I’ve never celebrated his birthday before.”
She shrugged casually. “He hates birthdays. Pretends to, anyway. We’ve been forcing him to celebrate for years.”
“But I—what am I supposed to do? I don’t know anything about giving gifts, especially to Elias.”
Alex’s smirk turned wicked. “Easy. Wrap yourself up, put a bow on top, and call it a day. Best gift ever.”
I flushed so hard I thought my head would explode. “Alex—”
She laughed, disappearing briefly into her room before emerging with a thin package. “Relax, I’ve already got you covered.”
I took it hesitantly. Inside was a delicate, silky nightgown. thin straps, a soft blush color.
It was pretty. Sweet, even.
“This… doesn’t seem so bad.”
She gave me a very pointed look. “Just trust me. Wear it. No matter what. Promise?”
I swallowed. “Promise.”
Elias
I hadn’t planned on doing anything for my birthday. As usual.
But Alex had insisted I stay home that night. Claimed she’d ordered pizza, and that it would hurt her feelings if I bailed. Which was obviously bullshit, but I agreed anyway.
I should’ve known she was plotting something.
But when the doorbell rang, and I opened it expecting Alex’s usual prank—
It wasn’t Alex at all.
It was Liana.
Standing there, looking shy and nervous, clutching a small gift bag in front of her. “Hi,” she whispered, cheeks pink.
“Hey,” I breathed, surprised. “What are you doing here?”
“Alex told me to come,” she admitted, biting her lip. “She said it was your birthday.”
My chest tightened. “You didn’t have to—”
“I wanted to,” she interrupted softly, lifting the bag slightly. “Can I come in?”
I stepped aside immediately, heart pounding strangely as she brushed past me.
Liana
Elias took the gift bag from me gently. “Thanks, you didn’t have to get me anything.”
“Open it,” I urged quietly, suddenly shy again.
He pulled out a small keychain. nothing fancy, just a tiny silver charm shaped like a house. “Because…” I mumbled, staring at my feet, “you always made me feel safe. Like home.”
He went silent, then carefully slipped it into his pocket, his voice soft. “Thank you.”
My heart was fluttering wildly now. “There’s… something else.”
He raised an eyebrow.
Oh god. The nightgown.
“I—I’ll be right back,” I squeaked, and practically bolted for the bathroom.
The nightgown felt soft against my skin, delicate, almost weightless.
It didn’t look weird. Normal, even.
I took a deep breath, then stepped out.
Elias
She stepped into the room wearing that gown.
That fucking gown.
The one Alex probably picked out just to destroy me.
Spaghetti straps. Bare shoulders. Soft blush fabric.
It clung to her hips, flowed just enough to suggest without revealing. until she moved.
And the light hit her from behind.
I saw everything.
The soft curve of her thighs, the outline of her breasts, her nipples faintly visible through the sheer fabric.
I forgot how to breathe.
“Liana,” I rasped, my voice scraping low in my throat.
She froze. “Is… is it too much?”
My chest rose sharply. “No.”
It wasn’t too much.
It was fucking unbearable.
Liana
My breathing turned shallow. “Happy birthday,” I whispered.
Elias’s eyes softened, and then he closed the distance, pulling me gently into his arms.
His lips found mine, warm, slow, careful. then not so careful.
I felt my knees weaken when he deepened the kiss, one hand sliding into my hair, the other wrapping around my waist, pulling me tight against him.
Heat flared low in my stomach.
My body seemed to move on its own, pressing closer, craving more.
“Liana,” he murmured against my lips, voice wrecked.
My breath hitched as his hand moved down my back, slow and deliberate, tracing patterns that made me gasp.
Something inside me twisted and tightened, pulling sharper, hotter, overwhelming.
“Oh—” I whimpered, clinging tighter. “Elias—”
“Tell me to stop,” he said roughly, desperately. “If you don’t—”
“Don’t stop,” I gasped. I needed more. Needed something, anything that’s him.
Elias held me close, one hand gently cradling my face, his thumb tracing soft circles along my jaw, the other resting at the small of my back, pulling me tighter against him.
His lips moved slowly from mine to my cheek, trailing lingering kisses down my neck. Each touch sent tiny shocks of heat through me, pooling low and warm in my belly.
I tilted my head instinctively, giving him better access, gasping softly as his lips brushed against the sensitive spot just beneath my ear.
“Okay?” he whispered, voice thick with restraint.
I nodded shakily, my pulse racing. “Yes.”
He lifted me gently, towards the couch and easing me onto the soft cushions.
His eyes never left mine, silently checking in, making sure I was still comfortable.
When he leaned over me again, his kiss was deeper, hungrier—yet still gentle.
His fingertips moved softly, slowly along my side, tracing my curves through the thin fabric of the gown Alex had given me.
Heat flared sharply inside me. My breath hitched, my heartbeat quickening.
“Relax,” Elias murmured, his lips brushing mine. “Just feel.”
His hand drifted down my waist, his touch firm but careful, pressing just enough to make me ache in places I didn’t even know existed.
A quiet sound slipped from my lips—something needy, something helplessly eager.
Encouraged, he slowly slid his hand down my thigh, lifting the hem of my gown slightly, exposing my bare skin to the cool air.
My body trembled.
His hand moved inward, tracing deliberate circles against my inner thigh.
Each slow motion sent sparks shooting through my nerves, gathering into an unfamiliar pressure deep inside me.
It felt good. better than good. Warm, intense, but strange.
My breath quickened as Elias pressed another soft kiss against my neck, his thumb brushing tenderly over the sensitive skin of my thigh.
“You’re doing perfect,” he whispered gently, sensing my tension. “Just breathe.”
Elias
Then I was at her feet.
She blinked. “Elias?”
My hands slid up the backs of her thighs. “Trust me,” I whispered.
She swallowed hard. “I do.”
I hooked a finger under the hem of the gown and slowly pushed it upward, revealing inch after inch of smooth, pale skin.
When I reached the top of her thighs, I paused.
Gently took off her underwear.
I exhaled slowly. My mouth watered. She shifted slightly, legs tensing.
“Tell me if you want me to stop.”
She shook her head.
I leaned forward. And kissed her. There.
She flinched.
Her hands flew to cover her mouth. A soft, startled sound slipped through.
I kissed again, slower this time, letting her feel the warmth of my breath, the wet press of my lips, the reverent way I touched her like she was sacred.
Then I parted her gently with my thumbs and began to lick.
Lightly. Barely. A tease.
She gasped again. sharper this time, hips twitching away and then back, as if her own body couldn’t decide whether to run or beg for more.
She jolted, eyes flying wide open. “Elias! Wait—you can’t—”
I reached up to gently squeeze her hand, offering her the softest, most reassuring smile. “Trust me.”
She whimpered.
I kept going. My tongue traced slow, rhythmic strokes, then circled her clit, soft at first, then firmer. Her thighs trembled. Her hips began to move, unsure, instinctual.
I moaned against her, deep, involuntary. because fuck, she tasted like sweetness and innocence and everything I’d ever craved.
“Elias—please—” she cried out.
“Tell me what you need,” I said, voice muffled against her heat.
“I—I don’t know—I can’t—” Her back arched, one hand flying down to grip my hair.
I took her clit between my lips and sucked, gentle but steady, flicking my tongue faster, watching as she writhed beneath me, panting, legs shaking.
She was falling apart.
And I was nowhere near done.
I slipped a finger inside her. slow, careful, watching her, her breath catch, her body clench around me.
“Is that okay?” I asked.
She nodded too fast.
Her walls fluttered around my finger as I added another, curling slowly, hitting just the right spot.
“Elias—oh god—something’s—something’s happening—”
I didn’t stop.
Her thighs tightened around my head. Her hands clawed at the cushions.
Then suddenly, she gasped—
“Wait! Stop—stop—oh god I think—I think I have to go!”
I paused, head lifting, heart racing.
She scrambled back, face flushed, mortified. “I’m serious, I really—oh my god—”
She fled to the bathroom.
Door slammed. Locked.
Silence.
I stayed on the sofa.
Still rock hard.
Still tasting her.
Still stunned.
Liana
I locked the bathroom door behind me, sinking to the floor, mortified.
What just happened?
How could I possibly need the bathroom at a time like this?
Oh god. I wanted to die. Right now.
I didn’t know how long I stayed there, heart still racing, face still blazing, before finally realizing I couldn’t hide forever.
Elias
I sat quietly on the couch, bewildered, listening to the silence from behind the bathroom door. My mind spun, quickly piecing together what had happened.
She really had no idea.
The realization softened something in my chest, a tenderness spreading through me.
I waited patiently, giving her all the time she needed.
When the bathroom door finally creaked open, Liana stepped out slowly, her face scarlet, her eyes filled with embarrassment and unshed tears.
“Hey,” I said gently, standing carefully. “Are you okay?”
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, voice trembling, avoiding my eyes. “I don’t know what happened—I felt this weird pressure, and I thought I was going to—I don’t know—I feel so stupid—”
“Hey, hey,” I said softly, stepping closer and carefully cupping her flushed face. “You’re not stupid. You didn’t do anything wrong. You weren’t about to pee yourself.”
She looked up at me, eyes wide and unsure. “Then…what was it?”
I smiled softly, stroking her cheek gently with my thumb. “That feeling is normal, babe. Your body was responding naturally. You were just very close. close to feeling really good.”
She stared at me blankly, confused. “Close to what?”
I hesitated slightly, then gently explained, “Close to having an orgasm, Liana.”
She gasped softly, her face turning an even deeper shade of red. “Oh my god,” she whispered, covering her face with her hands. “I didn’t know—I’ve never—”
I laughed softly, pulling her gently back into my arms, pressing a reassuring kiss to her forehead.
“It’s okay,” I whispered against her hair, voice calm and comforting. “We’ll take it slow. I’ll explain it to you. Later, when you’re ready.”
She nodded shakily, burying her hot face into my chest. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize,” I murmured gently, holding her tighter, feeling her relax gradually in my embrace. “This is probably the best birthday I’ve ever had.”
She groaned miserably into my shirt.
But when I glanced down, the shy little smile tugging at the corners of her lips told me she didn’t entirely disagree.
Chapter 78: The Line
I’m ready. –Liana
Liana
I woke up aching. Not the painful kind. The empty kind.
My legs were tangled in the sheets. My skin still felt too hot, too sensitive.
Even just shifting made me hyper-aware of every place Elias had touched me last night.
I’d dreamt of his mouth.
I’d dreamt of the way he said my name like it was both a question and a prayer.
The way he’d looked at me—focused, worshipful, hungry, gentle.
I covered my face with both hands, trying to breathe.
I should’ve been humiliated.
I was humiliated.
But more than that…
I wanted more.
I wanted him.
Not just to kiss me.
Not just to touch me.
I wanted all of him.
The thought made my stomach twist, my face burn. But it didn’t go away.
It sat there. Heavy. Certain.
Elias
She came into the kitchen late.
Hair messy. Wearing one of my shirts that barely hit mid-thigh. Bare legs.
I nearly dropped my coffee.
“Morning,” I said, like I hadn’t been thinking about her all night.
Like I hadn’t replayed every moan, every tremble, every taste in my dreams.
“Hey.” She looked up at me. And smiled. Shy. Soft.
But there was something else in it, too.
Something… deliberate.
She walked over and stood close. Too close. I froze.
“Sleep okay?” I asked.
Her eyes flicked to my mouth. “Mm-hmm.”
I tried to breathe. Failed.
She stepped even closer, until our hips nearly touched, then reached past me, just to grab a mug.
But her hand brushed mine as she did.
My pulse shot straight to hell.
I caught her wrist gently. “Liana.”
She looked up, eyes wide.
“You know you almost killed me last night, right?”
A flicker of something in her expression—mischief?
No. Want.
“Did I?” she said softly.
I leaned in, brushing her hair back behind her ear. “You were so close.”
“I know.”
“I wanted to finish it.”
“I know,” she said again. Then, biting her lip “I wanted you to.”
I went very, very still.
She didn’t look away.
“I didn’t know what was happening,” she whispered. “But now I do.”
I stared at her, trying to read between every word.
Every inch of her body that was subtly leaning into mine.
“What are you saying?”
She paused. Swallowed.
Then said, quieter “I don’t want you to stop next time.”
Liana
I tried to act normal all day.
I helped Alex with groceries, folded laundry, even sat through a stupid action movie with half my brain missing.
Because I couldn’t stop thinking about what I said.
I don’t want you to stop next time.
The words kept echoing.
And Elias, he hadn’t said anything after that. Just looked at me with something raw and restrained and so intense I thought I might combust right there in the kitchen.
Now it was almost midnight.
Alex was asleep.
And I was standing outside Elias’s house like an idiot.
I’d changed.
Something soft. Something fitted.
Not see-through, not too revealing, but definitely not innocent.
My fingers curled into the hem.
This was a mistake.
I should go back.
But then, the door opened.
He was shirtless.
His hair tousled, eyes heavy-lidded, voice low. “Liana?”
I couldn’t move.
He stepped aside silently, a question in the shape of a breath.
I walked in.
He closed the door behind me. Didn’t touch me. Just waited.
I stood there for a moment, hands clenched at my sides.
Then… “Can you hold me?”
He exhaled, like he’d been holding it in all day.
He walked over and wrapped his arms around me. Tight. Steady.
I pressed my face against his chest, breathing him in. Safe. Familiar. Mine.
And then I said it. “If you want … I’m not going to ask you to stop.”
He didn’t kiss me at first.
He just looked at me. Like he was asking—
Are you sure you want to cross this line?
And I looked back. I nodded once.
Yes.
