"No?"
"No."
I take his hand. Lead him toward the bedroom. He follows without question.
Inside, the room is simple. Big bed. Single window looking out at trees. Nothing on the walls. Just space. Just peace.
I turn to face him. "I want this. Want you. Not because we're hiding or because it's forbidden. Just because I want it."
"Callie."
"Is that okay?"
"More than okay."
This time when we come together, it's different. Slower. No urgency. No fear of being caught. Just two people who want each other choosing to be together.
He pulls my shirt over my head. I unbutton his. We undress each other carefully. Taking time. No rush.
When we're both bare, he pulls me onto the bed. Lies beside me instead of over me. His hand traces patterns on my skin. Shoulder. Collarbone. Ribs. Hip.
"I want to memorize you," he says quietly.
"Why?"
"So when I'm working late or stuck in meetings, I can remember this. Remember what I have to come home to."
The words hit deeper than they should. Home. He's already thinking of this as home. Of me as something to come home to.
"Ethan." His name breaks on my lips.
He kisses me. Deep and thorough. His hands map my body like he's drawing a blueprint. Every touch deliberate. Every movement intentional.
When he finally slides into me, I gasp. Not from surprise this time. From the rightness of it. From how perfectly we fit.
"Okay?" he asks.
"Yes. God, yes."
We move together. Slow and steady. No racing toward the end. Just existing in this moment. His breath against my neck. My fingers in his hair. The feeling of him inside me, around me, everywhere.
"Look at me," he says.
I open my eyes. Meet his gaze. See everything reflected back. Want. Need. Something deeper that neither of us has named yet.
"I'm falling for you," he says. "Need you to know that."
My chest tightens. "I'm already gone."
He kisses me. The rhythm shifts. Faster now but still controlled. Still intentional. His hand finds the spot that makes me arch. Everything inside me coiling tighter.
"That's it," he murmurs. "Let go."
I do. Come apart with his name on my lips and his body pressed against mine. He follows seconds later. Face buried in my neck. Hands gripping my hips.
We collapse together. Breathing hard. Hearts racing. The room is quiet except for our labored breathing and birds outside the window.
"I love you," I say before I can stop myself.
