Ana blinked as Ethan pulled away slightly, his thumbs still resting gently on her cheeks. Her lips tingled from the kiss, her heart pounding like it was trying to catch up with what had just happened.
He didn't speak. He didn't need to.
The look in his eyes soft, steady, certain said everything.
For a moment, neither of them moved. The room felt still, suspended in quiet warmth, the low lights casting a golden glow over them. Then Ana reached up, her fingers curling lightly around his wrist, grounding herself.
"That was..." she whispered, voice barely audible, "unexpected."
Ethan's smile widened, slow and deep. "Yeah," he said softly. "But not unwanted?"
She shook her head, a breath of laughter escaping her. "Not even close."
He leaned in again, slower this time, as though asking permission. She met him halfway. Their lips brushed, tender and unhurried, melting into something deeper. Ana rose to her toes instinctively, her hands sliding up to his shoulders, and he drew her closer, one arm wrapping around her waist.
The kiss deepened soft sighs, shifting breaths, fingers threading through hair. There was a carefulness in it, like they were exploring something fragile and new, and yet, underneath, a steady current of something long held back.
When they finally broke apart, Ana's forehead rested against his. She was breathless but calm, like something inside her had finally settled.
"Ethan," she murmured, her voice unsure and steady at the same time, "can we just… not think for a while?"
He nodded without hesitation. "Anything you want."
Her hands moved to his chest, fingers curling slightly into the fabric of his shirt. His heartbeat was solid beneath her touch, steady and strong, and yet somehow syncing with hers in that slow-burning rhythm they both seemed caught in.
Without a word, Ethan leaned forward and kissed her again.
This time, there was no hesitation.
It was deeper, more urgent an unspoken need passing between them, not rushed but intense, deliberate. Ana responded with equal hunger, her hands sliding up to frame his jaw, feeling the warmth of his skin and the softness behind the quiet strength he always carried.
Ethan's hands shifted one resting on her lower back, the other behind her thighs. In one smooth motion, he lifted her into his arms.
Ana gasped softly, surprised, but didn't resist. She held onto him, their faces close, her breath brushing against his cheek.
He said nothing as he carried her down the hallway.
The house was silent, shadows dancing along the walls as they passed. The soft padding of his footsteps and the way her fingers clutched at his shirt were the only sounds in that moment.
When they reached the bedroom, he paused briefly at the doorway, as if asking one last time Are you sure?
Ana pressed her forehead to his, whispering, "Yes."
That was all he needed.
He laid her down gently on the bed, her hair fanning across the pillow, and followed her down without breaking contact. His hands moved with care but urgency, fingers brushing along her sides, her arms, her waist mapping her like he wanted to memorize every part of her.
Ana's hands found the hem of his shirt, tugging it upward, and he let her pull it over his head, his skin warm against hers as they met again in another kiss this one slower, more consuming.
The world narrowed to the heat between them the tangle of breath, the growing ache, the quiet hum of tension finally uncoiling after being wound so tight for so long.
Clothes were shed in soft pulls and gentle brushes, neither rushed nor clumsy just a steady, unfolding surrender to something that had been building for far too long.
When Ethan hovered above her, his gaze swept over her as if she were art—no smirk, no cocky words, just awe.
"Do you know just how beautiful you are?" he asked, voice husky and low.
Ana reached up, touched his face, and whispered, "I want to."
He leaned down, brushing her lips once more, then paused just for a breath his hand reaching to the nightstand beside the bed. She watched, her heart still thudding, as he slid the drawer open and pulled out something small and silver-wrapped. Her eyes flicked down, understanding without words, and something inside her eased. Consideration, always he never forgot.
Ethan met her gaze again, quiet and steady, waiting.
Ana nodded.
And with a tenderness that didn't match the fire in his veins, he prepared, careful and sure.
Then he returned to her, their bodies meeting in a slow rhythm, lips finding skin, hands finding places untouched. There were quiet gasps and shudders, soft moans muffled into shoulders, and Ethan's voice murmuring her name like it was something sacred.
Everything about it was raw and unfiltered not just physical, but emotional. A slow unraveling of guarded hearts through every touch, every breath.
And when the tension finally broke, it wasn't explosive it was overwhelming in its softness. Ana clung to him, her fingers in his hair, her legs tangled with his, as waves of sensation gave way to something calmer… fuller.
Afterward, he didn't pull away. He stayed wrapped around her, one arm beneath her, the other across her stomach, his hand splayed gently like he never wanted to let go.
Ana rested her cheek against his shoulder, her breathing still slowing, steadying. She didn't need to say anything.
He kissed her temple, then her shoulder, and whispered against her skin, "Still with me?"
She nodded, her voice a quiet murmur. "Completely.".
He looked at her, truly looked like she was the answer to a question he'd been asking for years without realizing it. With one hand, he brushed a stray strand of hair from her face, his thumb lingering at her temple, as if memorizing the feel of her.
"You're beautiful," he murmured, so softly it almost didn't reach her. "And I've missed you… every single day, even when I didn't know how much."
Ana didn't stir.
Her breath was steady now, her features relaxed in sleep, lashes resting gently against her cheeks. She had drifted off somewhere in that quiet, sacred space between warmth and trust, where words became less important than touch.
Ethan smiled faintly, not disappointed, just full. Full of something heavy and warm that ached in the best way. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead, the kind of kiss meant for keeping, meant for remembering.
His arm tightened around her instinctively, drawing her closer into his chest. The silence of the room settled around them, but it wasn't empty it pulsed with the echo of what they'd shared, of what had shifted between them.
"Sleep, Ana," he whispered, voice brushed with affection. "I'm right here."
And he stayed like that, holding her against him, her body fitting easily into the cradle of his. He listened to the soft rhythm of her breathing, the thump of her heart syncing with his, and let his eyes drift closed.
Outside the window, the city lights flickered faintly in the distance, unaware of the quiet turning point inside the room.
It was in that silence wrapped around the woman , his woman.
The Next Morning
Morning sunlight spilled gently through the sheer curtains, brushing over the bed in soft strokes of gold. The room was quiet, save for the distant hum of the city outside and the faint rustle of sheets as Ana stirred.
Her eyes opened slowly, blinking against the light. For a moment, she didn't move. Her body felt warm, heavy in a way that wasn't exhaustion, just… full. She could feel the weight of his arm around her waist, the steady rhythm of his breath brushing against the back of her neck.
Ethan was still asleep, his chest rising and falling behind her in calm, even waves.
Ana lay there, staring at the sunlight on the wall. Her mind wasn't blank it never was but the thoughts didn't rush in like they usually did. They came slow. Careful.
What now?
She didn't regret it. Not even a little. But she also didn't know what it meant. Not entirely.
They were married, yes. But she hadn't married him for love. Not then. Their arrangement had been built on logic and timing, not stolen glances or skipped heartbeats. And yet… last night had felt like more.
More than arrangement.
More than convenience.
Something she hadn't let herself name.
Ana's fingers twitched slightly against the sheets. She could still feel the echo of his touch on her skin. The way he'd held her like he wasn't just touching her body, but something deeper. Something she hadn't realized she'd kept guarded until it cracked open under his hands.
She swallowed.
Carefully, she turned in his arms. Ethan's brows were relaxed in sleep, one hand still resting gently on her hip. There was a softness in his face she rarely got to see, like the weight he always carried had momentarily lifted in rest.
She studied him quietly.
This man so composed, so unreadable at times had held her like she was something precious. Had kissed her like he meant it. Had looked at her like he'd been waiting, not demanding.
And last night, he'd said something.
Something she hadn't heard.
Ana's gaze dropped to his lips.
She didn't know if she loved him. Not yet. But there was something undeniable building between them, slowly, like dawn creeping in through the blinds. She wasn't ready to name it but maybe she didn't have to.