My Stepbrother's Dirty Little Secret novel Chapter 293

Chapter 293

The cold, empty space in my chest suddenly felt too big to carry alone. I didn’t want to be alone in the dark anymore. I didn’t want to think about Leone, or my father, or the jumbled words in my head. I just wanted to feel warm. I wanted to feel real.

Slowly, I pushed myself up from the footstool. My knees were shaking, but I didn’t stop.

I took one tiny step forward until my shins brushed against him. He didn’t wake up, but his breathing shifted, a low, heavy sigh escaping his lips. I held my breath, my heart hammering against my ribs.

Then, I climbed onto him.

I moved slowly, shifting my weight as I slid my legs around his waist. I rolled myself over his lap, settling my hips/ against his thighs, and let my whole body sink into him. I leaned forward, burying my face into the crook of his neck, my hands clutching at the warm, smooth skin of his bare shoulders.

He smelled like expensive cologne, clean skin, and the cold morning air.

The moment my weight fully landed on him, Raphael’s body went completely rigid.

His eyes snapped open, dark and instantly alert. His chest expanded under me as he took a quick, deep breath. For a second, he didn’t move his hands, his muscles locking tight beneath my skin as he realized what—and who— was sitting on him.

I arched my back, pressing my chest flat against his bare skin, feeling the heat of him burning right through the thin silk of my dress. He shifted beneath me, lifting his hips slightly to bring me closer, his strong arm lifting my thighs so I was tucked completely into his lap.

He held me like I was a baby, so tight, so secure, like he was wrapping his entire body around mine to shield me from the rest of the world.

Every time I tried to pull back to catch my breath, he followed me, his lips chasing mine, his grip on my waist tightening until I could feel the individual pressure of his long fingers. I let my eyes close, completely consumed by the taste of him, the hard grip of his hands, and the burning heat that was finally, beautifully, putting the coldness in my chest to sleep.

Slowly, his lips slid down to my jaw, his hot breath panting against my ear. He pulled back just an inch, his dark eyes glittering, “You want tne?” he asked.