I put my ear closer to the door like a fucking schoolboy on the other side of the girls’ locker room, to hear more.
To make sure.
To give myself time.
To make a decision.
The options weren’t ideal. There was no way I could just go to sleep now and forget she was in pain. And then I heard it again. The sound. It was...No. NO! No fucking way.
It was a moan. She was trying to hide it, but it was there. A moan. Not a sad cry, not a sound of suffering. A desperate moan.
In an instant, a wave of heat shot down my spine. I froze, my pulse pounding in my ears, as something primal took over, something I couldn’t reason with. And then came the ache. A massive erection that I, as a sexually active male in his thirties, had never experienced so intensely before, bulged out of my pants, sending pain signals straight to my groin. It felt almost like punishment. My breath caught as I struggled to steady myself against the door, trying to calm down because the gravity of what was happening overwhelmed me.
What the hell was happening to me?
I was a grown man. I’d had sex, fantasies. But nothing had ever shaken me like this. Because it wasn’t just the sound of her touching herself on the other side of that door. It was knowing she didn’t know I was here. That this moment belonged to her, and I was intruding simply by existing in it.
Holy. Fucking. God.
My brain short-circuited, melting under the weight of realization. I closed my eyes, trying to survive this madness. To think for a moment. The problem was that there was no way I could actually create a thought in this room.
I should have walked away. But I didn’t. She was lost in herself, and I felt it as if I were there myself.
I had only two options—either I go in and make her come myself. I’d hold her waist down so she couldn’t squirm when I put my head between her legs, my mouth, and lips making their way through her folds. And those moans would be mine, until she called my name. Until she begged me to make her finally come.
And God help me, I would.I would.
I couldn’t tell if it was desire or shame that made my hand tremble. My fingers hovered over the doorknob, barely grazing the cool metal. It would be so easy.
Too easy.
To open the door.
To step into that dimly lit room.
To crawl into bed beside her and become part of what she’d started alone.
Or...
I leave right now. Somewhere. Anywhere but here. Because the sad truth was, I couldn’t go in there. As much as I wanted, I couldn’t make her mine. Because she wasn’t. Frustration and disbelief warred inside me.
How dare she be so close, doing that, completely unaware of what it was doing to me? Even if privately managed. Even if she believed I’d never know.
I was exhausted. Not just from wanting her. But fromfeelingher.
I needed to do one of the hardest things I’ve done in a long time. Maybe ever. Get out of here as soon as possible.
In two silent strides, I grabbed my clothes and stumbled out. The cool air hit like oxygen after a fire, but the ache in my groin refused to fade.
I looked up at our corner balcony, my imagination running wild. I gripped the patio railing, digging my nails into the wood, and lowered my head against it, trying to knock the memory out of me.
Hazel, sweetie, what have you done?!
I needed a cold shower. Since going back inside was out of the question and the pool was too warm, the ocean was the next best option.
Stumbling through the sand, I dove into the chilly water, sinking beneath the surface and counting to ten. When I surfaced, the moon was shining in my face again, as if laughing at me this time.
At first, she was this cute, blue-eyed girl with an easy smile and innocent charm, who was never supposed to be anything but a friend. Someone safe. Simple.
