Chapter nine

Claire’s POV

The weight of Evelyn’s hug still lingered on my skin as I drove away from her house, my hands gripping the steering wheel so tightly my knuckles ached. She had seen me leaving the club. She didn’t say it outright, but the suspicion in her eyes was unmistakable. One wrong word, one slip, and everything I’d built with Marcus—the secret fire that kept me going—could burn our entire family to the ground. I pulled into a quiet parking lot near the river, needing space to breathe. My phone buzzed. Sophie again.

Sophie: Clock is ticking. End it or I send the photos tomorrow.

I deleted the message, heart pounding. Blackmail. From my sister’s best friend. The same woman who used to laugh with us at family barbecues. How long had she been watching us? How many times had she seen Marcus pull me into dark corners or storage rooms? My mind drifted back to last night. The way Marcus had fucked me against the wall, raw and possessive, filling me until I couldn’t think straight. Even now, hours later, I could still feel the soreness between my legs, the evidence of how badly I craved him. No one else had ever made me lose control like that. Not even close.

I texted Marcus before I could stop myself: Need you. My place. Now.

He arrived thirty minutes later, letting himself in with the spare key I’d given him years ago. The second the door closed, he had me pinned against it, mouth devouring mine in a bruising kiss. His hands shoved my jeans down, fingers finding me soaked and ready.

      “Always so eager for me,” he growled, dropping to his knees. 

He hooked one of my legs over his shoulder and buried his tongue in my pussy, licking and sucking with filthy precision. I moaned loudly, fingers tangled in his hair as he worked me closer to the edge. Two thick fingers joined his tongue, curling inside me until I came hard, shaking and gasping his name. Marcus stood, freeing his cock. It was rock hard, veins prominent, the head already glistening. He lifted me effortlessly, wrapping my legs around his waist and thrusting up into me in one powerful stroke. The angle was deep, almost too much, but I loved it. He fucked me against the door with long, punishing strokes, the wood rattling with every thrust.

     “Tell me you can’t live without this,” he demanded, biting my neck.

     “I can’t,” I whimpered, meeting every thrust. “I need you, Marcus. Only you.”

He groaned, picking up speed, pounding into me until we both shattered. He came deep inside, hot pulses that marked me as his once again. We slid to the floor together, still joined, breathing ragged. For a while, we just held each other. Then reality crept back in.

     “Sophie knows,” I whispered against his chest. “She has photos. She’s threatening to tell Evelyn.”

Marcus tensed beneath me. He tilted my chin up, eyes dark with determination. 

    “I’ll handle Sophie. She won’t ruin this. What we have… it’s been going on too long to stop now.”

His words should have terrified me. Instead, they ignited something dangerous in my chest—obsession mixed with fear. I traced the line of his jaw, the same jaw my sister kissed every morning.

     “What about Evelyn?” I asked. “And Lila mentioned a new boyfriend at brunch. Everything feels like it’s closing in.”

Marcus’s expression shifted, something unreadable flickering across his face before he masked it with a smirk. 

    “Evelyn will be fine. Focus on us. I’ll take care of the rest.”

He kissed me again, slower this time, and we ended up in my bed for another round. This time he took me from behind, slow and deep, his hand between my legs rubbing my clit until I came twice more. By the time he left, the sun had set and my body was exhausted but satisfied. Alone in my apartment, I showered, watching his cum wash down the drain. Guilt gnawed at me, but so did the thrill. I was playing with fire, betraying the sister who had always protected me. As I dried off, my phone rang. It was Lila.

     “Hey,” I answered, trying to sound normal. “What’s up?”

Lila’s voice was hesitant on the other end.

      “Can we talk? In person? I… I think I’m in over my head with this guy.”

I agreed to meet her the next day, but as I hung up, a chilling thought settled over me. The walls were closing in faster than any of us could escape.