All Chapters of Beneath her Skirts: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

The rain had been falling in soft, persistent sheets all evening, the kind that made the streets of Port Haven shine like black mirrors. Lila Moreau stood under the awning of her favorite bookstore, clutching a paper bag that held a new notebook she didn't need and a novel she probably wouldn't finish. Her coat was damp at the shoulders, and a strand of dark hair clung to her cheek. She brushed it away with the back of her hand, exhaling a breath that fogged in the cool air. Twenty-six felt both too young and too old at the same time. She had a decent apartment she could almost afford on her own, a job as a junior editor at Harbor Press that paid enough to keep the lights on and the wine stocked, and a carefully curated life where nothing ever got too messy. Especially not her heart. Yet tonight, something restless stirred under her skin. She told herself it was the weather. The way the salt air wrapped around her like a memory she couldn't quite place. But deep down, she knew b

The morning light filtered through Lila's curtains in pale gold stripes across the bed. Eli had left sometime after midnight with a lingering kiss that promised more, but his scent—warm skin and faint bar soap—still clung to her pillow. She buried her face in it for a long moment, letting the ache in her body remind her that last night had been real. Her mother's text hovered in the back of her mind like a storm cloud. Lila pushed it aside and got ready for work. She chose a fitted emerald blouse that brought out the warmth in her brown skin and a pencil skirt that made her legs look endless. Professional, but she knew exactly how Eli would look at her if he saw her in it. The thought sent a secret thrill through her as she stepped out into the damp Port Haven morning. At the office, focus remained elusive. Every paragraph she edited blurred into memories of Eli's hands on her breasts, his voice rough with want as he described what he wanted to do to her. By lunch, Jenna cornered h

The apartment felt too quiet after Eli left. Lila wandered into the bedroom, the sheets still rumpled from their morning together, carrying the faint musk of sex and his cologne. She touched the pillow where his head had rested and felt a confusing mix of warmth and fear. She wanted to trust him completely. The way he had moved inside her—deep, deliberate, almost reverent—had felt like a promise. But the texts, her mother's warnings, and the shadow of Seattle wouldn't leave her alone. Sleep came in fragments. When she finally dragged herself out of bed the next morning, she had dark circles and a restless energy she couldn't shake. At the office, Jenna took one look at her and pulled her into the small conference room. "Okay, glow is gone. Replacement is anxiety. Talk." Lila spilled everything—the incredible sex, the Seattle hint, the anonymous warnings, her mother's dinner ultimatum. Jenna listened, chewing her lip. "Sounds like classic protective bullshit from someone who doesn

The morning light filtered through the thin curtains of Eli's apartment, casting a soft glow over their tangled bodies. Lila lay with her head on his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heart while Sofia's words from the night before echoed in her mind. Old debt collector. The past wasn't just knocking—it was kicking the door down. Eli's fingers traced lazy circles on her bare back. "You're tense again," he murmured, voice still rough from sleep and their middle-of-the-night lovemaking. He had woken her around 2 a.m. with his mouth between her legs, bringing her to a slow, shattering orgasm before sliding into her and riding them both to exhaustion. Lila lifted her head and kissed him. "Just thinking about what Sofia said. About the debt." Eli sighed, rolling them so he hovered over her. His morning hardness pressed against her thigh. "I'll handle it. Some guy my dad owed money to years ago. I paid most of it off before I left for Seattle. Thought it was buried." His lips

The weight of unspoken fears pressed down on Lila as she dressed the next morning in Eli's apartment. Last night's revelations about Seattle had brought them closer in some ways—raw honesty mixed with desperate lovemaking—but the anonymous messages and Reyes' veiled threat created cracks that love alone might not seal. Eli emerged from the bathroom, towel slung low on his hips, water droplets tracing the lines of his chest. He caught her staring and smiled, that slow, devastating curve of his lips that always made her stomach flip. "Come here," he said softly. She went. He pulled her against his damp body and kissed her like he was trying to erase every doubt. His hands slid under her blouse, palms warm against her skin. Within minutes they were back on the bed, clothes half-off in their haste. Eli took his time this morning, as if savoring her. He kissed every inch of her—down her neck, across her collarbones, lingering on her breasts until she was arching and whimpering. When he