Page 59 of Sin

Ethan lifts my spent body from the wall and carries me back to the bed. After laying me down gently, he strides over to the kitchenette.

I marvel at the sight of him. That firm ass and those rippling muscles on his back. I never thought he’d be so relaxed in the nude, but then again, he must know he’s a beautiful physical specimen.

He grabs a towel from the counter and turns on the faucet.

“Ethan,” I say. “I don’t need to be cleaned up.”

He shakes his head as he turns to me and starts walking back to the bed. “My come is dripping down your thigh.” His lips quirk. “As much as I love the sight of it, it’s got to be uncomfortable. Plus…” He sits down on the bed, and the mattress dips under his weight. “I like taking care of you.”

The affectionate glint in his eyes warms my whole body. It’s a look that says he would do anything to ensure my comfort. His touch is careful and precise as he cleans me up. It’s endearing, so characteristically Ethan. When he’s finished, he bunches the towel into a ball and sends it through the air like a rocket. It lands in the center of the laundry basket at the other end of the room.

“Show off,” I murmur, my eyes starting to fall shut.

He climbs into the bed and pulls my face against his chest. “If that was showing off, I’m in serious trouble. I thought I fucked your brains out tonight. I hope you weren’t faking those orgasms.”

“Fucked my brains out,” a soft voice says. “Yes. It was the best…ever.”

“Really?” someone murmurs.

In the next moment, I drift into peaceful oblivion.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Ethan

Morning sunlight brushes over her face, casting streaks of shadows from her lashes over her cheekbones. That bright-red hair fans out over the pillow. Her lips are slightly parted, pink, and a little swollen from my kisses.

She’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen, and she’s mine.

A buzzing energy courses through my veins, almost like a high. I haven’t slept a wink. This is maybe the first time since I was a kid that I stayed up all night.

I understand now how people become addicted to sex. The fireworks of pumping and exploding inside of her were exquisite enough, but the heady possessiveness that settled over me afterward was much longer lasting.

She belongs to me.

Only me.

And where is the guilt? I thought for sure it would settle in after the euphoria of coming inside her faded. Yet, I haven’t felt even a twinge of it yet.

It’s as if God has disappeared.

I clench my jaw. If he refuses to reach out to me, I won’t cry about it. I’ve called out to him so many times over the years, begged for his comfort. All he ever gave me was a deep, unshakable guilt, an ever-present reminder of my unworthiness.

God, if you want me to give up the paradise on earth I’ve found, you need to try a little harder. Show me your unconditional love and forgiveness. Until you do…

I’m going to savor every precious moment with Lily.

I reach out and rub my thumb along her full bottom lip. God, she’s gorgeous. What would it be like to wake up to this every day?

I never understood the phrase “heaven on earth” until now. This girl has shattered everything I thought I knew. Fucking her brought me into a realm of quiet wonder and profound peace.

Why have I only ever felt it with her? It’s the kind of experience that should only come from God. Or so I always believed.

It doesn’t make sense that sin could feel so…freeing.

I lean down, my lips finding the warmth of her skin. I trace the line of her shoulder with gentle kisses. She stirs underneath me, a soft moan escaping her lips.

A delicious sound.

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