Page 56 of Six of Hearts
"Let go," I urged, my thumb finding her centre, circling. "I want to feel you."
She came with my name on her lips, her whole body tensing and then releasing. I followed her over, pulling out at the last second, my release spilling onto her stomach as I groaned her name.
We stayed like that for a moment, both of us breathing hard, and I grabbed a kitchen towel, wetting it under the tap before gently cleaning her off.
Her eyes were soft as she watched me, and something passed between us—something deeper than just the physical.
"Holy shit," she finally said, laughing breathlessly. "That was..."
"Yeah." I helped her down from the counter, steadying her when her legs wobbled. She wrapped her arms around my neck, and I held her close, breathing in the scent of her hair.
"Stay tonight?" I asked quietly.
"I was hoping you'd ask." She smiled against my shoulder.
I led her down the hall to my bedroom, our fingers intertwined. As much as I'd enjoyed the spontaneity of the kitchen, I wanted this too—the quiet intimacy of bringing her to my bed, of holding her through the night.
We climbed under the covers, and she curled into me, her head on my chest, one leg thrown over mine. My hand traced lazy patterns on her back.
"Ethan?" she said after a while.
"Yeah?"
"This means something to me. You mean something to me."
My throat tightened. "You mean something to me too," I said, the words feeling inadequate for what I actually felt. "More than I expected."
She tilted her head up to look at me, and I saw my own feelings reflected in her eyes. "Good," she whispered.
I kissed her, slower this time, tender. When we finally broke apart, she settled back against my chest with a contented sigh.
Within minutes, her breathing had evened out, and she was asleep in my arms. I lay there in the dark, holding her, and felt something shift inside me.
This wasn't just about the incredible physical connection we had—though that was undeniable. It was about the way shemade me laugh, the way she cared for Leo, the way she'd somehow become essential to my life in just a few months.
My ex-wife and I had never had this. The passion, yes, but also the ease. The feeling that I could be completely myself, and it would be enough. More than enough.
I was falling in love with her. Maybe I already had.
Whatever complications lay ahead with this unconventional arrangement, whatever challenges we'd face, I knew one thing for certain: I was in this for the long haul. And I was pretty sure she was too.
Sixteen
Julian
I could barely believe what Ethan had told me.
Had Aria really told him that she was falling in love with us? I couldn’t tell if I was more frightened by the fact that she had verbalised it or by the fact that it didn’t terrify me the way I thought it should.
I’d spent my time with her, but I had no idea all of that was going through her mind. It wasn’t as if she wasn’t absolutely perfect, or like my child didn’t love her.
Worse things had certainly happened to me. To have a woman like Aria in love with me, that was the kind of thing guys dreamed about; the kind of thing I’d dreamed about ever since my ex first left. I peeked over at her.
We were in my car headed north to Decatur, where I had my own cabin. It was one of my favourite places to go, not just because it was away from the hustle and bustle of the city, but because it was right near a few perfect hunting trails.
I knew it would be a perfect, romantic place to take Aria, where I could have her all to myself.
She’d mentioned back when we first met that she was intrigued by my hunting hobby, and I figured there was no better way to introduce her to the craft than to show her where I spent my time.
