15. Unmasking Intentions
Unmasking Intentions
Sarah
The door slammed shut behind them, sealing out the buzz of the city and plunging them into a stillness broken only by the sound of their breath and the faint echo of their footsteps on hardwood.
Every moment since the verdict had been a blur: cheering fans, flashing cameras, whispered congratulations. But now, in the quiet of his apartment, there were no distractions.
Just them.
Her back hit the wall, but she barely noticed. His hands mapped her body like he was making up for lost time, fingers trailing down her ribs, across her hips, teasing the waistband of her jeans. She gasped as his mouth found the pulse at her neck, sucking gently until her knees buckled.
Ive missed this, he growled against her skin. You. Moaning my name. Losing yourself for me.
I never stopped wanting you, she breathed, raking her nails down his back.
Then say it, he demanded, his voice a low growl, lips hot against her ear. Tell me how much you missed this cock buried deep in you.
God, Evan, she whimpered, trembling. I missed it. I missed you inside me. Please.
Clothes vanished with frantic urgency, her top over her head, his shirt across the room, jeans undone, skin pressed to skin. Her hands fumbled with his belt as he groaned, his hips already grinding against hers, hard and ready.
He picked her up, her legs locking around his waist, and carried her to the bedroom. The familiar space welcomed them as it had always been waiting. The city lights flickered through the windows, casting them in silver and shadow.
He lay her down gently, then dragged his mouth over every inch of her. Youre so fucking perfect, he murmured between kisses. Every inch of you was made for me.
His hand slipped between her thighs. She was soaked.
Youre so wet for me, baby, he said, voice dark with need. Beg me for it.
Evan, please, she moaned. I need you. I need to feel you stretch me. Fill me.
With a satisfied growl, he thrust into her in one smooth, powerful motion.
Fuck, yes, he groaned. Thats it. Take it. Take all of me.
She cried out as he drove into her, deep and slow, then faster, harder, until she was unraveling beneath him. He worshiped her every thrust, owning her, every curse whispered against her skin like a vow.
Her release hit her like a wave, and she screamed his name, nails clawing at his back. He didnt let up chasing his own high with wild abandon until he came with a guttural moan, collapsing beside her.
And then he pulled her into his arms, breath ragged, lips still brushing hers.
They moved together again, slower, gentler, but just as intense.
Sarah clung to him, her breath catching as his mouth found hers again, softer now, like worship.
Every glide of his hand over her skin sent fresh waves of pleasure spiraling through her.
Inside, her thoughts unraveled every doubt, every fear, falling away beneath the rhythm of their bodies.
She didnt just feel claimed. She felt chosen.
More moans. More whispered filth. More devotion. A second claiming.
This time, no words. Just the sound of bodies, breath, and love that burned hot enough to consume them both.
Later, when the storm passed, they lay wrapped in silence.
Sarah rested her head against his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart.
I never said it to anyone before, he murmured.
She looked up. Said what?
That I love you. That Im in love with you.
Her breath caught.
He brushed his thumb across her cheek. I need to say it. Every day. For every second, I didnt believe I deserved you.
She blinked back the tears. You do. You always did.
They lay in quiet, tangled in each other and the warmth of the moment. Sarah traced lazy circles across his chest, her voice barely above a whisper. Im scared, she confessed. That all of this might be too good to stay.
Evans hand found hers, fingers intertwining. Thats why we fight for it. Not because its easy. Because its real.
She closed her eyes and let herself believe him.
The next morning glowed with an unfamiliar kind of peace.
Sarah woke to sunlight slanting through the curtains and the low hum of music drifting from the kitchen.
She padded barefoot across the cool floor, still wearing his shirt from the night before, and found Evan standing shirtless at the stove, flipping pancakes with an exaggerated focus.
Youre going to burn them, she teased, arms crossed.
He turned with a grin. Excuse you, these are gourmet.
Piper bounded in moments later, her curls wild, dragging a crayon and construction paper in hand. She clambered onto the counter and began drawing.
What are you making, honey? Sarah asked, stepping close.
A house with three hearts. You, me, and Daddy, Piper said matter-of-factly.
Sarahs breath hitched. Evan caught her eye, smile softening. For a moment, nothing else mattered.
Later that week, Sarah woke to find a note on her pillow.
Her eyes blinked open slowly, adjusting to the soft glow of morning light. The hush of the room was broken only by the muffled sounds of traffic far below. She stretched, only to feel the cool press of paper beneath her fingertips. Her breath caught.
A note.
Handwritten, folded neatly, resting where his head had been hours ago.
Her heart skipped as she unfolded it, the edges still warm from his hands. The handwriting was unmistakably Evans, slanted, messy, but somehow elegant. The kind of scrawl that said he hadnt overthought it, which made it feel even more intimate.
Come dressed for something stupidly romantic. No questions.
E.
The sun was barely up, but her pulse was already racing. She sat on the edge of the bed for a moment, still in her sleep shirt, staring at the note like it might burst into flames from the heat of her curiosity.
Her first instinct was to smile at Evan and his surprises. But then nerves prickled along her spine. What if this was too fast? What if she wasnt ready for what he might say next?
But deep down, she knew.
He wasnt the same man shed first met. And she wasnt the same woman. They had grown toward each other.
She walked to the closet and found a sleek black dress hanging there, elegant and simple. A note taped to the hanger read: Youll be breathtaking in this.
When she arrived at the rooftop, her breath caught.
The lights above her sparkled like stars strung on wire. The rooftop overlooked the city skyline, the distant glow casting everything in soft gold. The soft rustle of leaves, the scent of blooming jasmine, the faint strum of a guitar warming up, it was magic.
She saw him before he saw her. Evan, standing beneath the arch of lights, surrounded by familiar faces, Loretta chatting with Leo, near the back. Sarah passed Leo, who gave her a subtle thumbs-up.
He hasnt slept in days writing this, he murmured as she passed.
The dress hugged her curves just right, and as she stepped into the circle of guests, she felt every eye turn none more intensely than his.
String lights danced overhead. A soft breeze carried the scent of roses. A small crowd of family, close friends, and bandmates stood in a loose circle. At the center, Evan waited, guitar in hand, smiling nervously but sure.
He strummed once, then twice, then launched into the song hed played on stage.
But this time, he added a new verse:
You brought me back when I was gone You made a house feel like a home I used to live in echoes and noise, but now I wake to your voice Now all I want is you and her, and Sunday mornings never ending.
As he sang, Sarahs mind drifted to quiet moments Piper curled between them with her favorite book; Evan burned the toast and blamed the toaster with a boyish grin; laughter echoing off the shower tiles as they danced barefoot on wet floors.
All the tiny, beautiful pieces of a life built accidentally but chosen deliberately.*
When he finished, silence fell. Then he walked to her, pulled her into his arms.
You changed my life, he said. And I want to spend the rest of mine proving it.
Sarah barely breathed. Evan
Just before she could finish, a flicker of movement caught her eye: a woman stepping out from the edge of the crowd. The air shifted. Sarahs skin prickled.
The woman wore a tailored crimson coat and designer heels that clicked sharply against the rooftop tile. Her walk was poised, practiced. Predatory.
Evans entire body tensed beside her. His jaw clenched. His hand in Sarahs loosened just slightly.
And then she spoke.
But just before he could say more, he could fall to one knee, a voice called from across the rooftop.
Sorry to crash the party, a woman said, stepping into the light.
Sarah turned.
And her smile froze.
Because the woman standing there wasnt a stranger.
She was someone from Evans past.
Sarahs heart dropped. Recognition wasnt immediate, but the change in atmosphere was undeniable.
Her pulse thudded in her ears as she glanced between Evan and the woman.
A tightness coiled in her chest, instinctively bracing for impact, and the energy shifted.
The way Evan stiffened beside her. The way his smile vanished.
The way his fingers loosened around hers.
The woman smirked. "We need to talk. Now."
Sarah didnt move.
Inside, her pulse thundered. Seconds ago, shed been floating drunk on love and music and the image of a forever home. Now, that feeling crashed like a wave, cold and sharp and dizzying.
Whatever this is, she thought, its going to change everything.
Someone with secrets.
And she wasnt here to celebrate.