CHAPTER 14 :NIGHT OF DESIRE
630 Words
Ethan returned home later that night, the quiet of the house greeting him before anything else. He dropped his keys on the table and loosened his shirt, already tired, already thinking of her. That was when he noticed the folded note placed carefully beside the lamp.
Before he reached for it, his phone rang.
“Emily,” he said softly when he saw her name.
“You’re home?” she asked.
“Yes.”
There was a pause. “Read the note.”
He picked it up and unfolded it slowly.
I feel like something is off, and I cannot explain it. I did not like how I felt this morning. Please work on it. I want us to be okay.
That was all.
Ethan smiled faintly and looked up.
Emily was standing by the hallway, leaning against the wall, watching him like she always did when she wanted reassurance but refused to ask for it directly. She looked small in that moment, vulnerable in a way only he ever saw.
He walked to her and cupped her face gently. “I am sorry,” he said. “I have been distracted. Work has been heavy.”
Her eyes searched his. “I just do not want distance between us.”
“There will never be distance,” he replied. “Not like that.”
He kissed her then, slow at first, deep enough to silence the questions between them. Her hands slid into his hair, pulling him closer, her body pressing against his as if she needed to feel his presence fully to believe him.
They moved together without speaking, guided by familiarity and desire. Clothes were removed piece by piece, kisses trailing lower, touches growing bolder. His hands explored her with confidence, reminding her of how well he knew her body. She responded eagerly, breath hitching, fingers digging into his back as he lifted her and carried her to the bedroom.
The intimacy was intense and consuming. It was not rushed. It was hungry, reassuring, emotional. He whispered her name over and over, telling her she was his, telling her he loved her, telling her he was there. She clung to him, meeting every movement, every touch, every pull closer with equal need.
When it was over, she lay against him, flushed and satisfied, her head resting on his chest as her breathing slowly calmed. He held her tightly, one hand tracing lazy circles along her back.
His phone buzzed.
He ignored it.
It buzzed again.
Emily stirred slightly. “Just answer it,” she murmured. “It could be important.”
“It is not,” he said quickly.
The phone rang again.
He reached for it, declined the call, and switched it off without another thought. Then he kissed her shoulder and pulled her closer, resuming the gentle touches that eased her back into sleep.
Soon, her breathing deepened, her body relaxing completely against his.
Ethan waited.
When he was sure she was asleep, he reached for his phone again and turned it on. A message appeared immediately.
Did you get home safe?
He stared at the screen for a long moment before typing.
I am home. I could not answer earlier.
He hesitated, then added another line.
I am sorry.
He sent the message and deleted the conversation immediately, watching it disappear as if it had never existed.
There was no reply.
He placed the phone back on the table, wrapped his arm around Emily, and held her close as she slept peacefully against him. He turned off the lamp and closed his eyes, pressing his cheek lightly to her hair.
In that moment, with her warm body against his and his secrets buried in silence, Ethan convinced himself that everything was still under control.
- Writer
