My Brother's Best Friend, My Ex-Lover

"How do you want to play? Blindfolded with a tie, or have your hands tied?"

Emily braced her hands against the French windows, biting her lower lip with her pearly white teeth, leaving a string of fine teeth marks on her bright red lips, her voice trembling.

"Blindfolded... blindfolded."

Hot breath brushed past her ear, and behind her, the man's strong, muscular chest pressed against her.

His long, slender, pale fingers held a black tie, his voice husky, speaking close to her ear, coaxing and teasing.

"Only children make choices, baby. You are an adult now. You can have it all."

The black tie blindfolded her. Everything around her disappeared. Her vision was taken away, and her other senses were amplified infinitely, becoming unbearably sensitive.

He was wild as a wolf.

Outside the French windows, snowflakes fluttered down from the dark sky, and the city welcomed its first snowfall.

Snowflakes fell, transforming everything into a silver-clad fairytale world from dusk till dawn.

He sat in a chair. She sat on his lap. He held her as they watched the snow fall from the window.

"Baby, promise me. We will be together forever. Never break up."

"Yes. Never break up."

•••••••

Five years later.

Emily's soft body sank into the blankets, the narrow straps of her sundress slipping from her shoulders to her elbows, revealing her fair shoulders. She was drenched in sweat, her hands gripping the sheets tightly, her toes curled.

The phone suddenly rang, startling her awake.

Best friend Claire: "Hey, Emily, are you up yet?"

Emily's voice was dry, with a strange hint of coquettishness. "Not yet."

"Huh. Something is not right."

Claire noticed something was off. "If I did not know you were single, judging from your voice, I would think you had a wild night with a man."

Emily reached to hang up, but it was too late. Claire's voice boomed through the phone like a megaphone.

"Holy crap! Emily, you were having another wet dream!"

Okay, fine. You guessed right again.

Emily: "You are so clever."

Claire let out a clucking laugh. "Cluck cluck. I have done the math. The man in your dream is your ex-boyfriend."

Emily: "You are most beautiful when you are not talking."

Claire: "What is the use of just thinking about it? It is like water from afar cannot quench immediate thirst. You have broken up, and you cannot enjoy him anyway."

Emily: "..."

Claire's profession is a sex toy designer. While others have lamps, pen holders, and books on their desks, hers is filled with all sorts of adult toys.

A dazzling array of gaudy items, filling the entire room.

"Good friends cannot bear to see each other unsatisfied. Perfect timing! My company just released a new electric product, super powerful. I will give you one for free."

Super powerful. Emily's eyes showed suspicion.

More powerful than Ryan?

Unlikely.

Ryan's excellence was not just due to his powerful family background, but also because he himself was exceptionally outstanding and dazzling.

Throughout his school years, he consistently ranked first in his class, first in his grade, and first in the entire city in every exam.

In terms of appearance, he was handsome from his grade level, from the school itself, to fashion magazines, and finally, he became recognized as having god-like looks throughout the entertainment industry.

He could walk down the street in a casual white T-shirt and be chased by talent scouts for miles, all eager to invite him to become a big star in the entertainment industry.

Opportunities that most people would kill for, Ryan would refuse without batting an eye.

"My girlfriend is incredibly jealous. She gets jealous during kissing scenes, and even hugs are off-limits. I cannot bear to see her upset."

His privileged family background, outstanding appearance, and exceptional abilities have shaped his proud and unruly personality, making him wild and untamed.

He strives for perfection in everything, even in matters of the heart, making his partners completely captivated and unable to resist.

In every aspect, he is an impeccable boyfriend.

No one is better than Ryan.

Claire: "Are you free today? I will bring it to you."

Emily: "I do not think so."

"Think?"

Claire bluntly said, "If you really did not want it, you would have just said 'I do not want it,' not 'I do not think so.'"

Emily: "My brother is coming back from England today. I have to pick him up at the airport later, so I will not be home."

Claire: "Well then, I have a key to your house anyway. I will leave it there for you. Remember to keep it."

Hanging up the phone, Emily got out of bed, took a clean pair of underwear from the closet, and changed.

Sitting in front of the vanity mirror, her face was still flushed.

It must be because she had not had sex in so long that she was having those kinds of dreams.

Since breaking up with Ryan, it had been five whole years, and she had not had any.

She sat quietly for a while before finally banishing Ryan's handsome face from her mind.

Slender, white fingers picked up an eyeliner pencil and began to draw, the delicate line tracing a smooth curve along the lash line in a single stroke.

A dusty rose lipstick glided across her lips. A light application provided a gentle, everyday look and enhanced her complexion, while a heavier application transformed her into a cool, edgy girl.

Claire once accurately described Emily: an angelic face, a devilish figure, a blend of innocence and allure, both pure and seductive. The kind of woman straight men adored.

Emily took a taxi to the airport and called her brother, James, only to find his phone switched off.

She looked towards the airport exit, her gaze suddenly freezing.

A man wearing dark sunglasses entered her field of vision.

A black silk shirt, black suit trousers, broad shoulders, a narrow waist, long legs, and a shapely bottom. The top two buttons of his shirt were undone, hands in his pockets, his gait languid and confident, exuding a noble and dashing air.

He looked like he had a high fertility rate.

In the bustling lobby, his striking good looks overshadowed everyone else, making everyone else seem like background figures.

Emily's heart began to race, erratically, because this man looked so much like him.

But compared to her memory, he was taller, his features more defined, his physique more robust, and his aura colder.

The man approached from afar, his black leather shoes clicking rhythmically on the polished floor. His footsteps grew closer, closer, like a hammer blow to Emily's heart.

He walked past her without stopping.

Emily's tightly clenched hands slowly loosened, and she let out a long sigh.

When they broke up, it was a bitter falling out. He went to America, while this flight had come from England.

Perhaps it was just a resemblance.

Five years have passed. Just meeting someone who looks like him, why does her body react so strongly?

Five years is not a long time, but it is not short either. It can make a child grow up, youth fade, and an old person pass away, or it can make him forget her.

After a long separation, even the most passionate and intense feelings will fade.

James's call pulled Emily back to reality.

His voice was deep and his tone indulgent. "Little Seven, your brother is back."

Five years ago, something happened that forced the siblings apart. One went to England, and the other to France.

Emily has only been back in New York for less than a week.

At the exit, James pushed a luggage cart out. He wore a white shirt, black suit trousers, and gold-rimmed glasses perched on his high-bridged nose. Impressive, refined, and handsome.

Forced to go abroad at nineteen, five years of experience shaped him. He shed his youthful naivete, becoming calm and reserved. His complex background and experiences imbued him with a maturity far beyond his years.

James's gaze towards Emily was the same as in his memory. Gentle and reassuring.

"Little Seven, it has been five years. Will you not come and hug your brother?"

Emily's eyes instantly reddened, tears welling up.

James gently stroked her head, taking out a tissue to softly wipe her tears. "I will never leave you again. New York is our home. We will not go anywhere else. We will live openly and honestly in New York."

Emily's tears flowed even more freely.

James patiently and gently wiped away her tears, trying to make her laugh. "The skyline is about to collapse from Little Seven's crying! If she keeps crying, this delicate doll will turn into an ugly baby!"

Emily glared at him with teary eyes. "You are the ugly baby when you cry!"

James: "What nonsense! Even when I do not cry, I am still an ugly baby."

Emily could not help but chuckle.

Liar. Brother is clearly very handsome.

The siblings walked towards the airport exit. At the exit, James suddenly stopped.

"I made a friend in England, and he is returning to New York today. I will introduce you two."

Emily replied, "Okay."

Brother's friend must be a very gentle and refined person.

James pointed ahead and said, "Look, he is over there."

Emily followed his gaze and saw the man wearing sunglasses.

He walked towards her, standing beside her. His tall figure cast a shadow over her, and a dangerous, oppressive aura followed.

James introduced, "My best brother, Ryan Bennett."

Ryan... Ryan what was it again...?