Chapter Eighteen #3
My fingers trace the edge of one showing a much younger Eunho with his arm slung around Eunbin's shoulders, both of them covered in mud but grinning widely at the camera. The love in this room is unmistakable, worn into every surface like a comfortable sweater.
I turn to look for Eunho and find him hovering near the doorway, hands tucked into his pockets. His shoulders are slightly hunched, uncertainty written in the tense line of his jaw. When our eyes meet, his whole face brightens, a small smile tugging at his lips.
“So…” His voice is softer than usual, almost hesitant. “What did you think of my family?”
The warmth that's been building in my chest all evening swells.
“They're wonderful,” I tell him honestly, letting my fingers drift over another framed photo.
“Your mother is so kind, and your siblings…” I shake my head, smiling.
“I've never seen anything like it. The way you all are with each other—it's special.” I swallow past the sudden thickness in my throat.
“I wish I'd grown up in a family like this.”
Eunho's expression shifts, sympathy softening his features. “They're your family now too, you know.”
The words hit me. My chest tightens as their meaning sinks in. Family. Something I've never had and never really thought I would.
I study Eunho, noting how he's maintaining that careful distance.
His body language screams restraint—shoulders rigid, hands still buried in his pockets like he's physically holding himself back.
I can feel the mating bond humming between us, a magnetic pull urging me closer.
I know he must feel it too, probably even stronger than I do, yet he's letting me set the pace.
The sight of him standing there, trying so hard to give me space despite what must be an overwhelming instinct to close the distance, makes something in my heart crack open.
I hold out my hand to Eunho, beckoning him closer with a gentle curl of my fingers. His eyes lock onto the gesture and he moves forward, drawn like a moth to flame. When his palm slides against mine, warmth blooms at the contact point and spreads up my arm.
I guide him nearer until he's close enough that my head tips back to hold his gaze. My free hand lifts to card through his hair, letting the silky black strands slip between my fingers. The texture is impossibly soft, and I find myself mesmerized by how it falls across his forehead.
My gaze traces the elegant arch of his cheekbones, the full curve of his lips.
His pulse jumps visibly at his throat as I study him.
When I breathe in, his scent fills my lungs—warm and smoky like a hearth fire, with an underlying spice that makes my head spin.
It's comforting and intoxicating all at once.
Almost unconsciously, my fingers drift to his ear. I can't resist tracing the delicate shell of it up to the pointed tip that marks him as fae. As my fingertips stroke along the sensitive edge, Eunho's eyes flutter closed and a groan rumbles deep in his chest.
The sound sends heat coursing through me.
I smile, watching his face as I stretch up on my toes.
When my lips meet his, I keep the kiss gentle at first, savoring the softness.
But then I flick my tongue out for a taste and the flavor of him explodes across my senses.
A moan escapes me as I melt against his chest, pressing myself closer.
That seems to snap his restraint. His hands find my waist and the back of my head, fingers tangling in my hair as he holds me to him. The careful distance he maintained earlier evaporates as he takes control of the kiss.
His tongue sweeps into my mouth like he's chasing the oxygen from my lungs. I arch into him, fingers twisting in the soft fabric of his shirt as his palms slide up my spine. The heat of his hands brands me through the thin cotton of my top—a slow burn that makes my knees wobble.
I break the kiss just long enough to yank his shirt over his head.
The muscles of his abdomen flex as he helps me wrestle the fabric off, his chest rising with quickened breaths.
My palms flatten against the hard planes of his torso.
His skin tastes like cinnamon smoke when I drag my tongue across his collarbone.
“Fuck, Gawon—” His voice cracks as my teeth find the sensitive spot beneath his ear.
His hands fist in my hair, tugging just hard enough to make me gasp. The sting melts into liquid heat between my thighs. I bite harder, rewarded by the rumble building in his chest—a feral sound that vibrates against my lips.
One of his hands slides down to grip my ass, fingers digging into denim as he grinds me along the rigid length straining against his jeans. The friction wrings a moan from my throat. I rock into him, chasing the pressure, nails scraping down his back.
“Bed,” I pant against his mouth. “Now.”
He moves us backward without breaking contact, our tangled legs nearly tripping over a discarded pair of sneakers.
The back of my knees hit the mattress first. Eunho follows me down, bracing his weight on his forearms as I sink into the red comforter.
His hair curtains around our faces, black silk brushing my cheeks.
I hook a leg around his hips, arching up to reclaim his mouth. His restraint unravels with every thrust of his tongue—less careful now, more claiming. The hand under my shirt skates higher, fingertips brushing the underside of my breast. My back bows off the mattress, a silent demand.
He tears his mouth from mine, chest heaving. “Tell me what you want.”
I grab his wrist and shove his hand up my torso. “Stop being polite.”
His laugh comes out ragged, but he obliges, palming me through my bra. The lace chafes deliciously against my nipple. I writhe as he flicks the clasp open. Cool air hits my skin for half a heartbeat before his mouth closes over me.
The groan that tears from him vibrates through my ribs. His free hand works at my jeans, popping the button with a sharp twist. I kick them off, heels digging into the mattress for leverage as he mouths down my stomach. His lips brush the sensitive skin of my inner thigh.