Chapter 7: I’m going all out tonight
Ethan froze at the door, his heart pounding as he turned to face her. Mara's heart raced just as fast.
She took a deep breath, steadying herself. "I want, you to undress me," she whispered, eyes dropping to the floor, afraid to meet his gaze.
Ethan stood there, silent. He wasn't smiling, but his chest rose and fell with deep, uneven breaths. Slowly, he shut the door and took a step forward. Then another.
Mara didn't move. She was rooted to the spot, as if the air itself had wrapped around her, holding her in place.
"Say that again?"
Ethan's voice was low and steady, but there was something raw beneath it. He was close now, so close he could breathe in her scent, something soft and familiar that made his pulse quicken.
Mara swallowed hard. "I'm ready," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
A tremor ran through her as if she had just unleashed a storm inside herself. Ethan saw it, the way she shivered, the way her chest rose and fell unevenly. He knew.
And God, he loved her.
Right now, all he wanted was to pull her close, to claim her, to make her his. But he held still, waiting, watching, his heart pounding in sync with hers.
"Turn around," Ethan whispered, his breath warm against her ear.