Page 140 of The Bittersweet Bond

The soft clink of metal rang through the room.

“You asked for it,” he murmured, letting the belt fall to the floor with an effortless flick.

He unbuttoned his chinos, pushing them just enough to hang low on his hips. The fabric fell in an unbothered motion—because of course, only Bas could make undressing look so natural.

Evin bit her lip, her heart now hammering in her chest so loudly she swore he could hear it. Her eyes locked on him as he stilled, hands resting at his sides, the barest trace of smug amusement playing at his lips.

“Happy?” he asked, his voice lower now, quieter.

“More…” was all she could manage. The lump in her throat grew as Bas moved his hands toward the waistband of his boxers.

He pulled them down just a little. Just enough. Provocatively slow.

Until… The faint click of heels outside the door.

Chapter 40

Caught In The Act

Evin

“Shit.” Evin’s heart stopped.

Bas froze mid-movement, his pants unfastened and pooling around his ankles, his shirt somewhere on the floor. He looked at her as if he had just been caught committing a crime. “Who is that?” he whispered.

A quiet curse followed.

“My mom,” Evin choked out, her voice a panicked whisper. “Get dressed! Fast!”

But “fast” clearly wasn’t part of Bas’ skill set under pressure. In his panic, he kicked his shirt further away, tripped over the cards on the floor, and nearly knocked over the coffee table.

“Damn it!” he muttered, yanking up his pants and fumbling with his belt buckle.

Evin jumped up, flailing her hands. “Not the couch! Get inthe kitchen, now!”

A dull thud—bang!—echoed through the living room.

“Did you just—?” Evin whispered, horrified.

“I ran into the doorframe,” Bas hissed, rubbing his forehead. Before he could recover, Evin shoved him halfway through the kitchen door and shut it with a decisive click. “Stay there. Don’t make a sound.”

The front door opened fully, and the rhythmic clatter of heels filled the hallway.

Evin’s mother stepped inside—tall, effortlessly elegant, despite wearing only jeans and a blouse. A faint trace of perfume mixed with the crisp winter air as she entered.

“Evin? I’m home,” she called out, setting her handbag on the console table and shrugging off her coat.

“Hi, Mom!” Evin’s voice was just a touch too cheerful, too high-pitched, as she darted around the living room, hastily picking up a stray box from the floor.

Her mother frowned slightly as she stepped further inside. “What are you doing all alone in here? God, the repair shop nearly drove me insane today. The car’s acting up again, and I had to drop it off. I barely got to have a coffee, and that was it.” She sighed, shaking her head as she slipped off her shoes.

“Oh… yeah, that sounds really annoying,” Evin murmured, gripping the edges of the box in her hands. Her fingers were ice-cold, her cheeks burning.

Her mother lifted her head, scanning the room as if sensing something off. Her gaze landed on the half-fluffed couch cushions before shifting back to Evin, who stood stiff as a board in front of her.

“Everything okay? You seem… tense.”

“Tense?” Evin’s voice cracked. “No. Not at all. Everything’s great!”

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