My Stepbrother's Dirty Little Secret novel Chapter 552

Chapter 552

Gianna

The world tilted.

One second I was standing on the beach arguing with Raphael.

The next, I was over his shoulder.

“Raphael!”

His hand settled firmly against the back of my thigh as he carried me across the sand like I weighed absolutely nothing.

The private beach stretched behind us. Gentle waves rolled against the shore. The lights from the lake house glowed warmly ahead.

“Put me down.”

“No.”

The stone pathway appeared beneath us as he carried me toward the house. The closer we got, the more details became visible. Floor-to-ceiling windows reflected the moonlight. Warm golden light spilled across the patio.

It looked less like a house and more like something from an architecture magazine.

Unfortunately, I was too busy worrying about Raphael to properly appreciate it.

That felt unfair.

A few hours ago we had been talking about turtles, now he was carrying me into a secluded lake house in the middle of nowhere after informing me he had spent months exercising restraint.

My nervous system was having a difficult time processing these developments.

The front door opened and the interior was enormous. Dark wood, stone walls, high ceilings and massive windows overlooking the lake.

Raphael finally carried me into the center of the living room before setting me carefully on my feet.

The second my shoes touched the floor, I turned toward him, “What is this place?”

Raphael kicked off his shoes, socks and then started to loosen the sleeves of his shirt, “It’s mine.”

I looked around again. The entire back wall was glass. Beyond it, moonlight shimmered across Lake Michigan. A large stone fireplace dominated one side of the room.

He slipped his hands into his pockets, as he looked at me with that scary look in his eyes again, “The estate sits on about forty acres.”

I blinked, “Forty?”

He nodded, “There are guest cottages farther back, a marina, a pavilion near the beach, a boathouse and a helipad.

His mouth twitched slightly as he walked toward the windows overlooking the lake.

“The trees block most of the property from view.”

That was the problem.

Nothing between us had ever felt uncertain before. Before, there had always been walls, rules, and distance.

Now there weren’t.

Now I knew exactly how he felt and he knew exactly how I felt.

My pulse sped up when Raphael stepped closer. His gaze softened slightly, “You know,” he said quietly, “for someone who spent months threatening my peace, you’re surprisingly shy now.”

I covered my face with both hands, “Oh my God.”

A low laugh escaped him. The sound immediately made my heart betray me. Raphael gently pulled my hands away from my face.

His thumb brushed across my knuckles, “Relax, ballerina. It’s just me…”

My pulse somehow got worse.

The weight of his jacket-the one he had wrapped around my shoulders earlier-suddenly felt heavy and hot against my skin.

Raphael didn’t wait for my pulse to slow down. His hands moved to the lapels of the coat, sliding it slowly off my shoulders. He let the expensive fabric drop right onto the floor, discarding it like it meant absolutely nothing.

Without the jacket, the cool air hit my bare arms, making a row of goosebumps erupt across my skin but the chill didn’t last.

Raphael stepped even closer, completely invading my space until the scent of his skin swallowed me whole.