Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 94092 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94092 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 470(@200wpm)___ 376(@250wpm)___ 314(@300wpm)
His gaze drops to my lips, a flicker of hesitation, of self-loathing, and I see it—the battle raging in him, the brother he’s supposed to be warring with the man who wants me so desperately he can’t control himself. My heart pounds, a frantic beat, and I know I should pull away, should stop this before it begins. There are a thousand reasons to, but my weak body betrays me. I lean closer, drawn by a pull I can’t resist.
His hand moves, slow, trembling, cupping my cheek, his thumb grazing my skin, wiping away a tear with a tenderness that cracks me open. “Amelia,” he whispers, his voice raw, breaking on my name, a plea and a warning wrapped in one.
His breath is warm, scented with the honey and chamomile tea, and it brushes my lips, a ghost of a touch that sends a shiver down my spine. My hands are still around his waist, my fingers digging into the soft cotton, and I feel the tension in him, the restraint, the line he’s fighting not to cross.
His lips hover over mine, so close I can feel the heat of them, the barest whisper of contact, and time slows, each second stretching into an eternity. My breath catches, a soft gasp, and I tilt my head, just a fraction, my lips parting, an invitation I don’t mean to give. His eyes search mine, dark with need and guilt.
It’s war inside him.
Then, I see the exact moment he breaks, the restraint shattering like the cup at our feet. With a growl, his mouth swoops down and finds mine, a ravenous kiss that steals away my breath. His lips are hot and demanding, a devouring hunger that consumes me whole. There is not even an attempt at gentleness—it’s ferocious with desperate yearning, a decade of want poured into the press of his mouth, the sweep of his tongue.
It's pure fire.
I melt into him, my body alive, electric, my hands sliding up his chest, feeling the pounding of his heart under my palms. His tongue explores, fiery and deep. Everything it touches it claims for itself, and I respond, a soft moan vibrating against his lips, my fingers curling into his skin, anchoring me to this man I’ve loved and longed for in equal measure.
This is everything I’ve ever wanted—his taste, his heat, the way he kisses me like I’m the only thing that matters. And it’s everything I’ve feared—the line we’re crossing, the truth I can’t share, the betrayal of the family he’s built. For a heartbeat, I’m lost, drowning in him, in us, my body pressing closer, my hips brushing his, the friction sparking a fire I can’t contain. His hand slides to my neck, his fingers tangling in my hair, pulling me deeper, and I’m falling, spiraling into a place where nothing exists but this kiss, this need.
The ache between my legs.
But reality crashes through, Sara’s face flashing in my mind—her kind smile, her trust, her home opened to me like I was her sister. Guilt surges, a cold wave that chokes me, dousing the fire. My hands push against his chest, my breath ragged, my lips tingling, swollen from his.
“Max, no,” I gasp, my voice breaking, raw with panic and shame.
He staggers back, his eyes wide, horrified, his face paling in the cold light of the moon.
“Amelia, I’m sorry,” he says, his voice raw, trembling, his hands raking through his hair, tugging at the strands like he’s trying to punish himself. “God, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean—I shouldn’t have—”
He steps back, his chest heaving, his eyes glassy with shame, horror etched into every line of his face, believing he’s crossed the unforgivable line with his own half-sister.
I shake my head, hot tears streaming down my cheeks, my arms wrapping around myself, my tank top damp against my skin. I can’t speak the truth—that he’s not my brother, he never was, that the kiss was as much my fault, my want, as his.
But the guilt isn’t about him—it’s about Sara, her hospitality, her friendship. I betrayed her. My weakness, my failure to stop this before it began. I feel dizzy and sway on my feet. His hand reaches out instinctively to help me, but I quickly grip the table corner. My throat is too tight for words, so I nod in acceptance of his apology. It does nothing to ease the ache, the shame, the love that burns in me, even as I stand there, broken and in disgrace.
Chapter
Twenty
MAX
The taste of Amelia’s mouth—warm, sweet—burns on my tongue as I stride away from the kitchen, my bare feet pounding the hardwood, each step a lash of self-disgust. I behaved like a ravenous animal. I would have taken her right there in the kitchen, where my son could have come upon me. Unforgivable.