Chapter fifteen

Claire’s POV

The drive home from Evelyn’s house felt longer than usual. Streetlights passed in steady orange blurs through my car windows as I gripped the steering wheel with both hands. The inside of the car still carried the faint scent of the red wine I had brought and the leftover herbs from Evelyn’s perfect dinner. My stomach felt heavy—not from the food, but from the weight of every smile I had forced across the table.

I pulled into my apartment parking lot and sat in the car for several minutes after turning off the engine. The dashboard clock glowed 10:47 PM. My body felt exhausted, but my mind was wide awake, replaying every moment from the dinner. Evelyn’s warm but searching eyes. Lila’s careful answers about her “new boyfriend.” The way the three of us had laughed together like nothing was wrong, while secrets sat thick between us like smoke. I finally got out of the car, the cool night air brushing against my skin. My heels clicked softly on the pavement as I walked to my building. Inside my apartment, I kicked off my shoes by the door and dropped my bag on the couch. The living room felt too quiet. I poured myself a small glass of water and stood at the kitchen counter, staring at nothing.

My phone buzzed. Marcus.

Marcus: How was dinner?

I stared at the message for a long time. My thumbs hovered over the keyboard. I wanted to tell him how painful it had been to sit across from Evelyn knowing I had been with him that very morning. Instead, I typed:

Claire: Tense. She suspects something.

His reply came quickly.

Marcus: Come over. I need to see you.

I shouldn’t. It was late. Dangerous. But my body was already responding to the invitation, the familiar ache, the pull that never seemed to weaken no matter how much guilt I carried. Twenty minutes later, I was at the discreet hotel on the edge of town that we sometimes used. Marcus had the room ready. The moment I stepped inside, he closed the door and pulled me into his arms. His kiss was urgent, deep, tasting faintly of whiskey. His hands slid down my back and gripped my ass, pressing me against the hardness already straining in his pants. I moaned softly into his mouth as he walked me backward toward the king-sized bed.

We undressed each other slowly this time. His fingers unbuttoned my blouse with deliberate care, kissing each inch of skin he revealed. When my bra came off, he cupped my breasts, thumbs brushing over my nipples until they hardened. I gasped as he took one into his mouth, sucking gently while his hand worked the other. I pushed his shirt off his shoulders, running my hands over his chest and down his stomach. His skin was warm, muscles tense under my touch. When I reached his belt, he helped me undo it, stepping out of his pants. His cock sprang free, thick and hard.

Marcus laid me down on the bed and kissed his way down my body. He took his time between my legs, licking slow, broad strokes over my pussy before focusing on my clit. Two fingers slid inside me, curling perfectly as his tongue worked magic. I gripped the sheets, hips lifting, moaning his name as pleasure built and crashed over me in a powerful orgasm. He moved up my body and entered me in one smooth thrust. We both groaned at the feeling. He filled me completely, stretching me in that perfect way that always made me lose control. We moved together, slow and deep at first, then faster, more desperate. Skin slapped against skin. His mouth found mine again in messy kisses as he drove into me harder.

     “Claire,” he groaned against my lips. “You feel so fucking good.”

I wrapped my legs around him, pulling him deeper. Another orgasm built quickly. I came hard around him, clenching and trembling. He followed soon after, burying himself deep and spilling inside me with a low, guttural sound. We stayed joined for a long time afterward, breathing heavily. His weight on top of me felt grounding. Safe in the worst possible way. Eventually, he rolled off and pulled me against his chest. His fingers traced lazy patterns on my bare back.

     “Tell me what happened at dinner,” he said quietly.

I closed my eyes, pressing my cheek against his warm skin. 

    “It was hard. Evelyn kept watching us. Asking questions. Lila talked about her new boyfriend, but she seemed nervous too. I felt like I was going to break the whole time.”

Marcus’s hand stilled on my back. 

   “We’ll be more careful.”

   “Will we?” I whispered. “Sophie is threatening to tell her everything. She saw your car at my place.”

He sighed, holding me tighter. 

    “I’ll handle Sophie. Don’t worry about her.”

We lay in silence for a while. The hotel room air conditioner hummed softly. I traced a finger over his chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart.

    “I love Evelyn,” I said quietly. “She’s my sister. But I can’t stop wanting you. What does that make me?”

Marcus tilted my chin up so I could look at him. His eyes were dark, intense. 

    “It makes you human. We didn’t plan for this to happen. It just did and it’s too strong to ignore.”

He kissed me again, softer this time. The kiss deepened, and soon his hands were roaming my body once more. We made love a second time—slower, more tender. He took me on my side, one leg lifted over his hip, thrusting deep and steady until we both came again. Afterward, I showered quickly in the luxurious bathroom. Hot water poured over my body as I tried to wash away the guilt along with his scent. When I came out, Marcus was already dressed, sitting on the edge of the bed.

     “I should go,” he said, standing up. He pulled me into one last kiss. “Text me when you get home.”

I drove back to my apartment in silence, the city lights blurring slightly from unshed tears. Inside, I crawled into my own bed, pulling the covers up to my chin. The sheets felt cold compared to Marcus’s warmth. Tomorrow would bring another day of pretending. Another day of balancing lies. I didn’t know how much longer I could keep all the pieces from falling apart. But as I closed my eyes, the memory of Marcus moving inside me lingered, warm and addictive. And I knew, deep down, that I wasn’t ready to give him up.