I turned the water off and let him pull me with him. We dried off quickly, moving around each other in the small space without speaking. I stepped into the bedroom ahead of him, wrapping the towel around my waist before sitting on the edge of the bed, the mattress dipping under my weight.
Ethan stayed in the doorway for a moment, a towel slung low on his hips, arms crossed loosely over his chest, head tilted as he watched me. The look in his eyes made my pulse kick harder.
“What are you thinking?”
A slow smile curved his mouth. “That we need to have a conversation about consent.”
I lifted a brow.
He pushed off the doorframe and took a few slow steps into the room. “I need to know where you draw the line.”
My chest tightened as I drew in a breath. “There are no lines with you.”
He stopped a few feet away, gaze steady. “We need to be clear.”
“I am being clear,” I said, reaching for his hips when he moved within reach, my hands settling on his skin. “We can do whatever you want.”
Ethan looked down at me, something measured passing through his expression before he leaned closer, voice low near my ear. “What if what I want is to fuck you?”
The reaction in my body was immediate, a collision of resistance and surrender that left my breath stalling.
“Not just that,” he continued, “I want you to let me do whatever I want to you.” His voice dropped, softer now, more controlled. “Let me take the reins.” His gaze flicked to my mouth. “Let me take care of you.”
The words landed deep, settling somewhere beneath thought. My body reacted before I could shape a careful answer, heat spreading as my shoulders loosened despite myself. I stayed right there with him. “You can do whatever you want.”
Ethan didn’t move. “Is that what you want?” he asked quietly, studying my face. “For me to take what’s mine?”
Fuck.
I nodded. A sharp thrill raced through me at the thought of letting go. Of finally being allowed to stop.
“I know you’re not used to it, Ash,” he said. “I know you like being in control.”
A small smile tugged at my mouth. “Can’t it be both?”
Ethan’s lips curved once more, recognizing the words he’d once said to me. “If I do anything that feels wrong, you tell me to stop.”
“You won’t?—”
“Promise me.” His tone sharpened just enough to cut through me. “If you don’t, I won’t know if you like it. And I need to know.”
My chest eased at that, and I let out a slow breath. “I promise.”
He held my gaze another beat, making sure. Then he straightened, the decision settling into his posture. His hands dropped away from me, the sudden absence loud in the quiet room.
“Okay.” He nodded toward the bed. “Move back.”
I did, sitting against the headboard, my pulse thudding in my ears. I focused on that rhythm, on him, on keeping the doubtfrom pressing in as I let myself give over to what he was asking for.
He walked around the bed until he stood directly in front of me. “Lower. Lie down.”
I obeyed, sliding down until my back met the pillows. Ethan’s eyes never left me. He let the seconds stretch?—
One.
Two.
Three.
