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“I want an answer, Thalia,” I say, refusing to take the bait.

She rolls her eyes, but finally gives in. “You know damn well you’re the first man I’ve ever slept with…” She pauses—just long enough to test my patience. “…and the only one.”

A slow, satisfied smile forms on my lips. I finish my drink in one go, the burn settling the chaos inside me.

I didn’t realize how much I needed to hear that.

The relief hits hard—like finally exhaling after holding my breath for too long.

“Seriously?” she mutters, unimpressed.

I set the glass down and walk back to her. She hasn’t moved—still exactly where I left her, shoulders tense, eyes tracking every step.

When I stop in front of her, I hold her gaze.

“I saw you practically on top of that guy in the club in Zanzibar, Thalia.” The accusation slips out sharper than intended. “I had every reason to think whatever the hell I wanted.”

“And accusing me of giving you an STD?” she snaps, shoving at my chest.

I catch her wrists before she can escape and pull her into me, her body colliding with mine. My arms wrap around her waist, holding her in place, leaving no space between us.

“I want to hear you say you’re okay with my terms,” I murmur against her mouth, my breath grazing her skin.

“I haven’t said I agree, Ethan,” she whispers back, defiance still there—but softer now, edged with playfulness.

A painful, dangerous smile tugs at my lips as I draw her even closer, feeling every shallow breath she takes.

“Words, Thalia,” I press, insistent.

She hesitates, her gaze flickering between my lips and my eyes. “Are you sure this is what you want?”

I catch her lower lip between my teeth, biting softly, then trace my tongue over it slowly.

“I’m more than sure I want you, kitten.”

“Okay,” she breathes, her resistance slipping as she leans fully into me. “But you’d better not even look at another woman.”

I chuckle softly, satisfaction growing in my chest.

Then I kiss her—slow, consuming—feeling the shift in her, the way she gives in, the warmth of her against me.

“You’re the only woman I pay attention to anyway,” I whisper between kisses.

THIRTY-SEVEN

Thalia

If what I’m living right now is a dream, then I never want to wake up.

Even though I haven’t gotten everything I once thought I wanted, what Ethan gives me is far more than I ever expected from him.

The fact that he hasn’t been with another woman since he started sleeping with me. The fact that he came to me himself with the proposition, admitting that he wants me.

I can’t complain. If anything, I’ve gone far beyond that—I’m not just content, I’m happy.

He lifts his hand behind my back, fingers finding the zipper of my dress before slowly dragging it down.

Whimpering softly against his lips, I ask, “What are you doing?”