Checkmate？Soulmate！

Chapter 4 A Birthday Gift

Jeffrey's POV:

As I leaned in and kissed Nora's cheek, my heart skipped a beat.

Deep down, I knew I regretted that it wasn't her lips I just kissed, but my rational mind told me I couldn't go there.

Nora was my sister, and I couldn't cross that line!

In Nora's eyes, I saw disbelief—was she shocked that I had the urge to kiss her, or that I backed down?

Suddenly, I couldn't face her gaze anymore; it made me feel ashamed.

"Um... I'll just step out for a moment. I remembered I have something for you," I said abruptly, standing up and fleeing.

After leaving Nora's bedroom, I leaned against the wall and exhaled deeply.

Even though Nora and I weren't related by blood, we were still step-siblings in the eyes of the law, and I shouldn't have thought about kissing her—it was wrong.

After reprimanding myself internally, I returned to her bedroom with the gift box.

"Open it," I said with a smile, unsurprised to see her face light up with delight. Silly girl, how could I forget it was your birthday?

Inside the box were several dresses I'd picked out for her. She was about to start school in Rosewood, where there would be plenty of dances, and she needed beautiful dresses to shine.

Nora's expression was one of pure astonishment. She ran her fingers over the dresses but noticed the brand logos on the packaging.

"Jeffrey, these are too much, too expensive..." she said instinctively, her eyes flashing with panic as she tried to refuse.

She always did this, worrying that I'd spend too much on her, thinking she didn't deserve nice things...

But she deserved every bit of it.

"Don't worry, Nora. It's your birthday gift. Besides, Mom would want you to look your best," I said, lying to encourage her to try them on.

In reality, Amelie wouldn't care what Nora wore; even if she thought Nora's style was dowdy, she wouldn't spend a penny more on her.

Nora was about to say something but, in the end, she chose not to, then picked up a black dress and went into the bathroom under my expectant gaze.

I waited patiently, and soon the bathroom door cracked open.

"Jeffrey... could you help me? I can't zip up the back," Nora whispered, her voice muffled as she peeked out from the door, one hand clutching the neckline of her dress.

Of course, it was no trouble at all. I stepped forward and placed my hand on her back. Suddenly, Nora's dress began to slip!

"No!" Nora gasped, instinctively grabbing at it, but the strapless dress had already slid down.

Her smooth back was now fully exposed, with a sexy curve at her waist, and I could even see her breasts reflected in the mirror...

'Oh no, what am I looking at!' I quickly turned my head away and withdrew my hand as if I'd touched something scalding.

Nora stood frozen, unable to move, and I knew she must be mortified.

"Nora..." I closed my eyes and whispered, my voice betraying my inner turmoil, "I have my eyes closed. You... should pick it up."

Even with my eyes shut, the beautiful scene kept replaying in my mind like a movie.

Damn it!

The rustle of Nora's dress seemed to echo loudly in the small bathroom, each sound piercing through to my already restless heart and making it race even faster.

My face felt hot, and the air in the cramped space felt thin, almost suffocating, forcing me to take deep, calming breaths.

It was only when the soft sound of fabric against skin finally stopped that Nora spoke, her voice barely above a whisper and muffled. "You can... open your eyes now."

I opened my eyes and gently placed my hand back on her back, careful not to touch her skin, afraid that if I did, I might lose control and caress her...

It was incredibly difficult, but I managed to zip up the stubborn zipper and smoothed the hair at the nape of her neck.

Nora turned around, and she looked stunning—more perfect than I had even imagined when I picked out the dress. I couldn't quite meet her eyes; the usually plain Nora now shone like a pearl that had finally been freed from its shell, radiating a dazzling light.

"This dress really suits you..." I said, covering my lips and turning my head slightly.

At first glance, the dress looked plain, but it actually accentuated the figure beautifully. There was a small cutout at the waist—a detail that transfixed me as soon as I noticed it. I never imagined that such a minor design could make Nora look incredibly sexy. I simply couldn't tear my eyes away.

"... Does it look good?" Nora asked nervously, biting her lip, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.

"Of course, it looks amazing," I replied without hesitation, looking at her adorable face.

"What about the back?" She turned around. "Does it make my shoulders look bad from behind?"

"Absolutely not. Your shoulders have always been perfect," I said, staring at her back and recalling the beautiful view I had just seen.

She remained facing away from me, but I could clearly see the emotions in her eyes through the mirror's reflection—admiration, shyness...

I found myself unconsciously leaning closer, my breath hot on the back of her neck. She didn't flinch, and I realized it.

When my burning kiss touched her neck, she gasped and tilted her head back, raising her arm to clutch the back of my head.

'My Nora, my girl, is letting me kiss her like this...' The thought warmed my chest and set me ablaze.

I tried to leave my mark on her neck and shoulders, her breathless gasps sounding so sweet to my ears.

Just as I was about to unzip the very zipper I had just closed, my phone rang. It was like an alarm bell, jolting me back to reality.

I abruptly let go of Nora, her eyes wide with the same shock, as if she couldn't believe what had just happened.

"Oh no, Nora, I'm so sorry." I panicked and left her room, not even daring to ask for her forgiveness.

'Damn it, Jeffrey Hart, what are you doing? Nora is your stepsister, for God's sake! Even if she accidentally showed her upper body in front of you, even if her eyes always held admiration and trust, you shouldn't look at her with desire!'

You were supposed to give her the birthday gift, sit by her bedside, and read "Walden" to her until she fell asleep, not kiss her neck!

I tiptoed back to my room like a thief, still finding it hard to believe what had just happened.

I grabbed my phone, trying to distract myself. Then I saw an unread message from April Moore.

It was a photo. Since our magazine shoot together, she'd been relentlessly messaging me. She often inboxed me with selfies, some with revealing clothing.

This one was no different—she was in a skimpy bikini by the pool. Objectively speaking, she looked like a real-life mermaid. But I felt absolutely nothing, not even a flicker of interest. If anything, the heat still lingering from my time in Nora's room dissipated entirely.

I typed back with zero enthusiasm, not even bothering to take a second glance at the photo: That was a killer.

'It's time to sleep, Jeffrey. Sleep and forget these inappropriate thoughts about your sister. That's what you need to do right now,' I warned myself.