Chapter 5: Falling Into Sin

Emily’s POV

 Alex was carrying me through the pulsing club lights like I weighed nothing.

One strong arm wrapped under my knees, the other supporting my back. My cheek pressed against his bare chest, still warm from where I’d collapsed into him moments ago. The bass vibrated through his body into mine as he moved through the crowd.

“You’re really drunk, Emily,” he muttered, voice low near my ear. “This is a fucking mess.”

I tightened my arms around his neck, clinging harder.

“Alex…” I whispered, my lips brushing his collarbone. My voice came out soft and broken. “Make me forget him. Please… touch me like you mean it.”

He stopped walking for a second, right at the edge of the dance floor. I felt his chest rise sharply under my cheek. His grip on me tightened.

“Emily,” he said, warning clear in his tone. “You don’t know what you’re asking. Julian’s my best friend. You’re his little sister. This is crossing every line.”

I lifted my head slowly, meeting those stormy gray eyes. The club lights flashed across his sharp jaw and tousled dark hair. Even through the alcohol fog, I could see the battle happening inside him, the responsible guy who knew better versus the playboy who wanted what was right in front of him.

“I don’t care about lines tonight,” I breathed. “He broke me, Alex. I saw him kissing her and I just… I need to feel something else. Something real. Even if it’s only for tonight.”

Alex cursed under his breath. His jaw clenched so hard I saw the muscle jump. But he didn’t put me down.

Instead, he carried me away from the main floor, moving toward a darker, quieter corner near the back hallway where the lights barely reached.

He set me on my feet but kept one arm around my waist, steadying me. My back pressed against the cool wall. The music was still loud but muffled here, like the world had narrowed down to just the two of us.

“This is a bad idea,” he whispered, forehead resting against mine. His breath was warm on my lips. “You’re going to hate me tomorrow.”

“I won’t,” I promised, even though I wasn’t sure. My hands slid up his bare chest, feeling every ridge of muscle. “Just make the pain stop for a little while.”

Alex hesitated one heartbeat longer. Then his resolve snapped.

 He kissed me.

His mouth crashed down on mine, hungry and demanding, like he’d been fighting the urge since the moment I crashed into him. I gasped against his lips and he took the chance to deepen the kiss, tongue brushing mine.

My fingers curled into his shoulders, pulling him closer.

One of his hands slid down my side, gripping my hip through the thin black dress. The other cupped the back of my neck, tilting my head so he could kiss me harder.

Every stroke of his tongue sent sparks racing down my spine. I melted into him, desperate and needy, pouring all my heartbreak into the kiss.

“Fuck, Emily,” he groaned against my mouth, breaking away just enough to breathe. His thumb brushed my bottom lip. “You taste like strawberries and bad decisions.”

I laughed shakily, then pulled him back down. Our kisses grew hotter, messier. His hand roamed lower, slipping under the hem of my dress, fingertips grazing my thigh.

I shivered and pressed closer, feeling the hard lines of his body against mine. His bare chest burned against the fabric of my dress. Every touch made me forget Lucas a little more.

Alex pulled back again, breathing hard. His gray eyes were dark with want, but there was still that flicker of conflict.

“We shouldn’t do this here,” he said, voice rough. “Not like this.”

“Then take me somewhere else,” I whispered, pressing a soft kiss to the corner of his mouth. “Please, Alex.”

He stared at me for a long moment, searching my face like he was looking for any sign I might regret this. Whatever he saw must have convinced him, because he let out a defeated breath and kissed me once more, slower this time, almost tender.

“Alright,” he murmured against my lips. “My place. But if you change your mind at any point, you tell me.”

I nodded, dizzy with alcohol and desire and relief.

He fixed my dress, then took my hand and led me through the back exit of the club. The cool night air hit my skin as we stepped outside.

Alex shrugged on a hoodie one of his teammates handed him near the door, probably borrowed after I ruined his shirt. He kept one arm around me the whole way to his car, steadying my steps.

By the time we reached his apartment, my heart was racing with nervous excitement. The moment the door closed behind us, he pulled me close again. Our kisses picked up right where they left off, urgent, heated, full of everything we shouldn’t feel. Clothes came off slowly between kisses. His hands exploring my skin like he wanted to memorize every inch.

“This is a bad idea,” he whispered one last time as he lifted me onto his bed, lips trailing down my neck.

But he didn’t stop.

And neither did I.

---

Morning light filtered through unfamiliar curtains, soft and golden.

I woke up slowly, my head pounding like someone was hammering inside my skull. My mouth felt dry. My body ached in places I wasn’t used to. The sheets smelled like clean laundry and something masculine.

I shifted slightly and froze.

A strong, heavy arm was wrapped possessively around my bare waist. Warm breath brushed the back of my neck. I was completely naked under the soft gray comforter.

My heart started hammering.

This wasn’t my dorm room. This wasn’t my bed.

Carefully, terrified of what I might see, I turned my head.

Alex Hale lay beside me, still asleep. His dark hair was messy against the pillow. One muscular arm curled around me, the other resting near his face. His broad, bare chest rose and fell in steady breaths. The same chest I’d cried on, kissed, and touched last night.

Memories crashed over me in fragments, the club, my reckless words, vomiting on him, the heated kisses in the dark corner, his voice whispering my name as we fell into his bed.

Oh God.

I had slept with my brother’s best friend.

The hockey captain.

The campus playboy.

And now I was lying naked in his arms, with no idea how I was going to face him when those gray eyes finally opened.