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Chapter 18: Wardrobe intrusion
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2025-05-17 05:24:50
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Winning Her Back Chapter 18: Wardrobe intrusion
Golden light from the stained-glass poured across the ruby and gold striped marble floor as I stood side by side with Ethan in the large foyer. My heart thudded against my ribcage like a bird in a cage. After all we'd been through, feverish nights, whispered secrets, reluctant recognitions, today we'd face his mother together.The door creaked ajar on a perfumed burst of hot lilac air. There she stood, Mrs. Blackwell in her silk housecoat, the light lavender fabric matching my own attire. Her silver hair was held back by a single pearl comb; her eyes shone with equal amounts of relief and reproof."Darling!" she exclaimed, moving towards him. Ethan overshot her ground in two quick pummels and clamped her in a gentle hug. Their relaxed closeness testified to years of family bond."Mother," he whispered, as she stood checking every part of his body as if he had physical injuries. Mrs. Blackwell turned to me with a radiant smile. “Lila, sweetheart, how are you?” Her gaze swept over my l
Winning Her Back Chapter 17: Matriarch’s arrival
It was Ethan's mother."Hello?" I breathed."Lila, sweetheart," a soft familiar voice spoke. My heart turned over. "It's your mother-in-law.""Why in the world didn't either of you think to call me when Ethan became ill?" Her voice was crisp but with an undertone of anxiety.I swallowed. "He didn’t want you to worry so he told me not to say anything.""Nonsense!" she exclaimed, and I felt positive that she was putting a silk house coat on. "Do you realize how long I’ve been worrying over that boy? I would worry anyway!"I was blush-red with embarrassment and gratitude simultaneously. "I apologize. He's okay now, and under strict bed rest for a few days.""Good." She let out a breath, her tone eased by relief. "I'll be there tomorrow afternoon. I'm going to spend a few days to see with my own eyes that he is fine, no matter what Ethan has to say about it.""Of course," I managed to mutter out, my heart racing at the thought of her being here, and her observant eye. "We'll look forward
Winning Her Back Chapter 16: Bound by morning light
The click of my heels on the marble floor was the only sound in the air as I carried the breakfast tray up the stairs. Two days of strict bed rest had indeed worked as Ethan's cheekbones were less hollow now, a flush back in his lips, and this morning he'd asked for juice instead of water, a win. My heart skipped a beat as I hovered outside his bedroom door.I stood there, my own heart pounding, and took a deep breath before lightly knocking. Inside, all was silent apart from the muted whine of the humidifier. I swung open the door to find Ethan already awake, curled in over pillows, his covers pushed back to his waist. His gaze met mine in dark, troubled stare, a gaze that had pursued me through dreams and, more recently, in frantic fantasy.“Good morning,” I whispered, my voice trembling in a mix of relief and excitement.He formed a slow, exhausted smile that jolted through my chest. "Morning."I set the tray on the small table beside his bed. On the tray was a flute of freshly squ
Winning Her Back Chapter 15: Fevered touches
I stood in Ethan's doorway watching Dr. Morales place his notepad on the bed. Linen drapes filtered late-morning sunlight that poured into the room, lighting it in gentle, subdued colors, a haven of peace in the wake of yesterday's storm.“Mr. Blackwell's vitals are normal," Dr. Morales said briefly, reassuringly. He took the stethoscope off his neck and looked at me. "He overworked himself to the point where his body broke down. The fever that put him out is an eye-opener. He's going to have to have strict bed rest for the rest of the week, no work, no stress. Okay?”I nodded, a wave of relief washing over me. "No problem. I'll make sure he gets adequate rest."Dr. Morales smiled at me warmly. "Keep him hydrated, take his temperature twice a day, and page me if there's a change. Otherwise, I'll see you tomorrow."He stowed his medical bag and continued on, leaving silence behind him. I shut the door carefully and stepped inside.Ethan lay half-submerged in the duvet, chest rising an
Winning Her Back Chapter 14: Phantoms and dreams
The warmth of his mouth clung to my skin like a phantom. My breathing was halted as Ethan's mouth followed the nape of my neck, his teeth brushing the bared curve where my shoulder curved into my throat."Ethan!" I moaned, hands in his hair as he nipped and sucked, leaving sparks. His hands slid beneath me, starving and claiming, and when his tongue turned rough on my nipple, I leaned up to him, gasping. Down, he kissed, his mouth burning down my belly, lower and lower….Then my world tipped over.I woke up to the pounding of my heart, wet sheets tangled around me like a soggy shroud, as if I had just crawled out of some underground sea. The scent of my dream, Ethan's warm mouth on my collarbone, the soft exhalation of his lips down my neck lingered on me like a live wire. I stood, fingers tracing the silky smooth place where his skin had grazed mine, savoring the ghost prickle before morning light leached it away.I threw off the blankets and sat up, and I crept halfway across the ro
Winning Her Back Chapter 13: Silent recoil
I awoke to thin light filtering through the drapes, yet the weight of last evening's words already pressed on my chest. Ethan's words followed me: "Yesterday was a mistake." I lay wrapped in sheets, my heart pounding against my ribcage as if it sought to escape. The sting of his rejection felt hotter than the sun.I pushed the blankets away and sat up, placing my hand over my chest in a desperate attempt to soothe my pounding heart. With every breath, the bedroom seemed to ring too loudly. I closed my eyes and pictured the curve of the ceiling as I attempted to find enough strength to make it through one more day in this cold space between us.The house hung quietly empty while I crept downstairs. Barefoot, I crept across the marble floor and stood stock still in front of the foyer mirror. I pushed the collar down on my cream-colored blouse, Ironic, really, exactly the same shade as the break between us, and practiced a little, brave smile. The smile went away almost as soon as it app
Winning Her Back Chapter 12: Forward and backward
I awoke before dawn, the last tendrils of a dream still pulsing beneath my skin. In it, Ethan’s lips had brushed mine again, so soft, so urgent, and I’d felt the world narrow to the two of us and the warmth of that stolen kiss. When sunlight finally filtered through the curtains, it felt like a benediction. I let my hand slide over the pillow where his cheek had rested in the dream, and for the first time in weeks, a real smile crossed my lips.I rose slowly, pushing tangled sheets aside and moving to the window. In the garden outside, the morning dew sparkled silver, and the air carried up a soft bird song. My heart was pounding at the recollection of that ball last night, how he'd talked, how his eyes had never, ever left my face, and how he'd finally planted that swift, deadly kiss on my lips when we stepped outside. "Perhaps," I said to myself, drawing in a deep breath,"we're actually getting somewhere."In the kitchen, I heated the kettle and left it to rest while setting my f
Winning Her Back Chapter 11: Red light
I woke to white light flooding through the light-colored curtains, and I rolled over for an instant, filling my lungs with the stillness of the house. My pillow was damp with last night's tears, but when I sat up, scrubbed at my eyes, and lay back again, a clean determination seeped into my marrow. No more dissolving into corners. Today, I'd stand strong.I dressed myself in light silk, a cream silk blouse and fitted pants, I walked silently down to the kitchen. Dewy ferns whisper softly in the morning air as I fill my favorite china with coffee and cradle it. My ribcage contracts with my vow: I deserve respect. Not shreds of his interest but genuine partnership.Marble steps warned me beforehand of Ethan's arrival, coat draped over one arm, briefcase draped over the other. He stood at the entrance of the kitchen, his shoulders braced, eyes frozen. "Morning," he spoke, his voice constricted.I brought my head up to lock eyes with him. My heart was racing but I didn't stir. "Good morni
Winning Her Back Chapter 10: Pain and rage
I heard a high pitched laughter and I turned around to see the source. Ethan entered the house with a stunning woman arm-in-arm, her high heels clicking determinedly on the marble floor.My heart jumped so furiously that I thought I would stumble. I stood stiff just within the entranceway, tea still hot in my hand, as they stood stock-still at the bottom of the great staircase. The woman laughed again, light, musical, utterly at ease in this room which was mine. She glanced up at Ethan, and his mouth twisted into an affectionate half-smile which I had never once seen aimed my way.He cleared his throat, and I found him staring at me. I made myself hold his eyes, but his eyes gave nothing away, only courteous surprise, as if I were a housekeeper he'd neglected to inform. His fingers grazed hers, and the unspoken intimacy between them crackled through the air like a live wire."Lila," he said, voice even, almost practised. "This is Claire." She smiled at me with a courtesy smile, her pr
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