Stars, that sound went straight through me. My pulse quickened, heat spread through my chest and down my spine before I could stop it.
Fuck, that was a pretty noise.
Instantly, my veins caught on fire as her moaning became a little louder. I hovered in the doorway, heart pounding, knowing I should look away, should leave, should give her privacy, but my feet stayed rooted.
Every instinct screamed to turn back, to be decent, to let her have her moment unseen. But I didn’t move. Elowyn was laying in bed, her back arching, her eyes closed tightly as her hand rubbed herself.
I should have look away.
But I didn’t.
I should have left.
But I didn’t move.
My breath caught in my throat as I saw her, lost in a moment I was never meant to witness. Every instinct told me to turn around, to respect her privacy, tonotcross this line, yet my body refused to listen.
But then, stars help me, she said my name. A soft, breathless sound that shattered whatever restraint I had left.
Hearing it, hearingmyname from her lips like a prayer, sent something through me I that I had never felt before. My heart pounded so hard it hurt.
I wanted to run. I wanted to go to her. Both urges warred inside me until I thought I might tear apart from the strain.
“Please,” she whispered again, and that one word nearly undid me.
I forced my eyes shut, teeth clenched, trying to summon whatever self-control I still had left before I did something we could never come back from.
Her other hand ran up her tattooed stomach to her breast. I didn’t know where to look, her face, her body, or her hand touching herself eagerly.
I knew I shouldn’t like this. I should not get pleasure from seeing Elowyn writhing around on my bed, desperate to make herself cum, but the painful swelling of my cock said otherwise.
“Fuck,” she whispered. “Abram, please.”
Something about knowing it was me she thought of made my magic swell. Every part of me screamed to cross the line, to go to her, but I forced myself to stay rooted, fists clenched, breath ragged.
Her breathing quickened, her cheeks flushed, her body trembling. The air between us felt charged, heavy enough to crush me.
Then it was over. Her soft gasp fractured the silence, and a wave of heat and guilt crashed through me all at once. I turned away sharply, trying to swallow the ache clawing through my chest.
When I heard her stir, I moved quickly into the living space, running a hand through my hair, desperate to look composed, to not look like I’d just about lost control. Footsteps. The faint sound of fabric shifting. And then her voice, quiet, uncertain.
“Abe.” She paused in the doorway, her tone trembling slightly. “When did you get home?”
“Just now,” I lied, my own voice strained, betraying me anyway. “Why?”
Her eyes darted away from me. “No reason.”
Oh, I liked seeing her like this, on edge, uncertain. It did something to me, watching her pretend to be calm when I could see the truth flickering in her eyes. I took a step closer, tilting my head, studying her. She glanced up, concern tightening her expression.
“Did you just run or something?” I asked, my tone deceptively casual.
Her body tensed. “No, why?”
“Your cheeks are red, like you were doing something strenuous.”
The faintest flicker of panic crossed her face. My lips twitched.
“I was,” she confessed, and for a heartbeat my chest stuttered, waiting for the truth she wouldn’t say. “I moved the dresser in the room.”
