LOGINRowan’s grip around me was confident for a guy I was sure had only ever been with girls, sending a shiver through my whole body. His warm palm slid over me in a slow, deliberate motion, pulling a ragged gasp from my lips before I could hold it in.He moved with excruciatingly slow patience, his thumb gliding over the slick tip with every upward stroke, spreading the wetness and making my hips instinctively thrust into his hand.The pleasure was intense, coiling tightly in my belly, and I couldn’t help but shake or let out soft sounds that slipped past my lips, despite trying to keep quiet."Look at you," he whispered once again, his voice rich and smooth, eyes locked onto my face as if he was memorizing every flush and twitch of my body."So damn sensitive, baby. One touch and you’re falling apart for me already. You look amazing like this...laid out under me, flushed and trembling. I’ve wanted this for months. To be completely honest, I’ve wanted this for years. All soft and perfect,
Rowan’s hands moved to the bottom of his shirt, fingers curling under the soft fabric as he smoothly pulled it up, revealing his sculpted torso inch by inch. I couldn’t tear my eyes away; my breath hitched as the shirt cleared his chest, and he tossed it aside into the shadows of the room.The moonlight and a faint glow from under the door outlined the defined ridges of his abs, every muscle honed from countless hours at the gym and on the basketball court, the kind of physique that made my mouth go dry and my stomach twist with desire.A flush crept up my neck and across my cheeks while I stared, completely captivated, then, mortified I jerked my gaze away, fixing it on the ceiling as if it were the most captivating thing I’d ever seen.Rowan’s low chuckle rumbled through the quiet, warm and knowing, and before I could think of a response, he gently caught my wrist, guiding my hand forward until it lay flat against the warm, taut skin of his stomach."I know you’ve been wanting to to
"Rowan—" I began, my voice breathless and unsteady.He lifted his head just enough to meet my gaze, a wicked little smile on his lips."Shh. Don’t worry," he murmured against my skin, his voice low and rough with desire. "I’m not going to leave marks. Not this time since it’d be way too hard to explain to Rachel over breakfast."The thought of trying to casually eat cereal while hiding hickeys crossed my mind, and I let out a shaky laugh that turned into a soft moan as he returned to kissing my shoulder, careful yet deliberate, like he was trying to memorize every inch.The only sounds in the room after that were my uneven breathing and the soft, helpless noises I couldn’t hold in. Rowan’s mouth was warm and sure, igniting fire everywhere it touched, and his words...oh, his words were murmured against my skin between kisses, dark, teasing, and utterly filthy."Been thinking about this for so long," he whispered, his lips grazing the hollow of my collarbone. "You under me like this. Al
My brain totally short-circuited. I swear I could hear the little hamster wheel in my head just screech to a stop and fall right off its axle.Every alarm bell that should’ve been blaring...Step-siblings! Wrong! Boundaries! Guest room in a stranger’s house! Your mom’s best friend’s place! The dead mom’s best friend’s house!They all went suspiciously quiet, as if they all decided to take a smoke break at the worst possible time.Rowan’s thumb brushed against my lower lip, his face just inches from mine in the dim light, his eyes searching for any hint that I wanted to pull back. His voice dropped to the softest whisper, rough around the edges with restraint."Tell me to stop, Atlas."And I really should have. I mean, I really, really should have. That would have been the responsible, sane choice...the one that wouldn’t land me in hell.But then the truth hit me like a rogue pillow to the face: there was no spell or dark magic here. It was just me finally admitting that I didn’t want h
The silence between us had stretched long enough to feel oddly comfortable, almost like an extra blanket wrapping around us. Outside, the storm pounded against the window, but beneath the heavy blankets, our bed had turned into a cozy little world of its own, it was warm, dim, and safe.I lay on my back, gazing at the faint shadows dancing on the ceiling, listening to Rowan’s steady breathing, and I couldn’t help but wonder if he was asleep or just pretending, like I was.Or if he knew I was pretending to be asleep.Then, before I could really think about it, the words slipped out, soft and honest in the dark."You know... I wasn’t really worried you’d try to ...seduce me or anything," I whispered. "That’s not why I was acting so strange about the bed."Rowan shifted next to me, the mattress dipping slightly as he turned on his side to face me. "Then what was it? Why were you so... terrified?"I winced, terrified? I came off as terrified?!Crap!I swallowed hard, my cheeks warming eve
I opened my mouth to protest, but the words just disappeared. Watching him, this six-foot tall, annoyingly thoughtful stepbrother making a terrible bed for himself on the cold hardwood while his damp hair fell around his face with that faded T-shirt and sweatpants combo somehow making him look both cozy and frustratingly attractive made my guilt hit hard like a pillow to the face (which, to be fair, I had done earlier).God, Atlas, I thought to myself, it’s just a bed. A big, blanket-filled bed. You’re being ridiculous. Childish and dramatic in fact; he’s just trying to keep you from freezing. Get over yourself.Even though this reminded me of the only one bed trope in the fanfics Millie would gush about and I’d stare at her in mild confusion."Fine," I blurted out before my pride could intervene. I sat at the edge of the mattress, pulling my knees up. "I’m sorry. That was stupid. We can share. It’s big enough."Rowan paused, quilt halfway folded, looking up at me with one eyebrow rai







