Episode 7: The Taste of Forbidden Love
808 Words
Claire Is Breaking—And She Knows It
Claire sat in her room, pressing her fingers to her lips.
She could still feel him.
Ethan.
The heat of his hands. The way he had whispered her name like a prayer.
She squeezed her eyes shut, her breath uneven.
Why did it feel like she had done this before?
Why did being in Ethan’s arms feel more familiar than anything else in her life?
She was with Ryan.
She loved Ryan.
Didn’t she?
Then why, when she closed her eyes, was it Ethan she craved?
Her phone buzzed.
A message.
Ethan: You’re still thinking about me.
Claire’s heart slammed against her ribs.
How the hell did he always know?
She typed a response with trembling fingers.
Claire: You need to stop this.
Ethan: You don’t want me to stop.
Her breath caught.
She should block his number.
She should tell Ryan.
But instead, she sat there, staring at the screen, waiting for him to say more.
Because she knew he would.
And she knew she would let him.
A Dangerous Invitation
That night, Ethan stood outside Claire’s dorm.
He didn’t have to wait long.
She stepped out cautiously, arms crossed over her chest. Like she knew she shouldn’t be here.
And yet—she came anyway.
“What do you want?” she whispered.
Ethan smiled, slow and knowing. “Come with me.”
Claire hesitated. “Ethan, this is—”
“Just one night,” he murmured, stepping closer. “No one has to know.”
Her pulse skipped.
Everything inside her screamed to say no.
But then Ethan leaned down, lips brushing her ear.
“Say yes,” he whispered.
And she did.
The Night That Shouldn’t Have Happened
Ethan took her somewhere private.
Not to a party. Not to a crowded place.
A hotel room.
Claire’s throat went dry as she stepped inside, her heart racing.
“This is a mistake,” she breathed.
Ethan shut the door behind them, his eyes dark with intent. “Then leave.”
Her stomach twisted.
She should.
She should run, right now.
But instead, she stood there, watching as Ethan shrugged off his jacket, his gaze never leaving her.
The air thickened between them.
“I can’t do this,” she whispered.
Ethan stepped closer, his fingers tilting her chin up.
“Then why are you still here?”
She sucked in a sharp breath.
God, he was right.
She didn’t want to leave.
She wanted this.
Even if it was wrong.
Even if it meant ruining everything.
Then Ethan kissed her.
And this time—she didn’t stop him.
A Forbidden Touch
The moment their lips met, Claire broke.
Everything inside her unraveled—the guilt, the confusion, the walls she had been trying so hard to keep up.
Ethan’s hands slid down her arms, gripping her waist, pulling her flush against him.
It was too much.
Too good.
Her fingers dug into his hair, her body arching into him like she had done this a thousand times before.
And maybe, in another life, she had.
Ethan groaned against her lips, his grip tightening as he backed her against the wall.
“You feel it, don’t you?” he murmured.
Claire gasped as his lips trailed down her neck, fire spreading through her veins.
She wanted to say no.
She wanted to deny everything.
But her body betrayed her.
And when Ethan lifted her onto the bed, pressing his weight over hers—
She didn’t stop him.
She didn’t want to stop him.
Because for the first time in this life, she felt whole.
Like she had been missing this.
Missing him.
Ethan kissed her harder, deeper—claiming her.
Because in his mind, she was already his.
She had always been his.
And tonight—he was going to make her remember that.
But Nothing Stays a Secret Forever
Claire woke up to the sound of her phone buzzing.
She sat up fast.
Her heart stopped.
Ryan.
34 missed calls.
Her stomach dropped.
She turned slowly, feeling the heat of Ethan’s bare skin beside her.
His arm was draped over her waist.
His breathing was steady, his lips slightly parted as he slept.
And suddenly—reality crashed down on her.
What have I done?
She yanked the sheets around herself, slipping out of bed, her hands shaking.
She needed to go.
She needed to fix this.
But as she reached for her clothes, Ethan stirred.
His grip tightened on her wrist.
“You’re not leaving.”
His voice was husky, possessive.
Claire’s breath caught. “Ethan, I—”
He pulled her back onto the bed.
“No more running, Claire,” he murmured against her lips. “You’re mine.”
She shivered.
Because the terrifying part?
She wanted to be.
(To Be Continued…)
- Writer
