Nothing.
The courtyard is empty. The main house is dark except for the upstairs hall light we leave on for Ben.
Could’ve been the wood settling. Could’ve been nothing.
Or could’ve been Luis doing a perimeter check.
I close the door. Turn back to Jess.
She’s already dressed. Pulling her hair into some kind of knot. Looking anywhere but at me.
“Hey.” I cross to her. Cup her face so she has to look up. “It’s fine. Probably just the house settling.”
“Right. Of course.” But she’s nervous now. The post-orgasm glow is fading into anxiety.
I guide her to the utility sink. Turn on the warm water. We wash our hands together. Shoulders touching. Both stunned silent by what just happened.
This changes everything.
And nothing.
Ben is still asleep upstairs. The contract still says no fraternization. Ethan still warned me to keep my hands off his sister.
But I can’t regret this.
Won’t regret it.
“We need to talk about this,” Jess says quietly.
“I know.”
“The contract has an exit clause,” she continues. “If boundaries blur.”
My breath hitches. I look at her sharply. “You want to use it?”
She doesn’t answer. Not right away.
Then:
“No.” She turns off the water. Driesher hands on the towel I hand her. “But we need to be smart. The work can’t suffer. Ben can’t suffer.”
“Agreed.”
“And no one can know.” Her eyes meet mine. “Especially not Ethan.”
“Especially Ethan.” I pick up her bracelet from the counter. Hold it out to her.
She looks at it. Then at me.
When she doesn’t take it, I close her fingers around it. “Put it back on, Jess.”
She nods slowly, then clasps it around her wrist. The metal catches the dim light.
“So that’s it then,” she says quietly. “One time. Like before.”
“Like before,” I echo.
But we both know it’s different this time. Because before was supposed to be a one-night thing.
