Page 111 of The Obedient Lie

He laid there, chest barely moving, like he was holding his breath. As if he didn’t hold his breath, the spiral might show.

I pushed the sheets off my legs and stood, walking across the cold floorboards.

His eyes tracked me—suspicious, maybe. But there was something else in them too.

I braced my hands on his shoulders and swung one leg over, settling onto his lap before he could argue.

“Emilia—” His voice was low but very strained. “I’m fine.”

He wasn’t. Not even close.

The moment I straddled him, his entire body stiffened beneath me. And when my dress shifted—riding up to my waist, cool air brushing my thighs, his eyes caught it. Locked there.

I leaned in slowly, cupping his jaw with both hands. His skin was warm, tense under my touch.

Then I kissed him.

Soft at first.

Just the barely touching his lips with mine.

But when he didn’t pull away, I pressed in deeper—harder—until I felt him respond, his mouth parting under mine like he’d been holding back for hours.

His hand slid to my waist, fingers digging in tight.

The kiss deepened—slow and hungry. His hand flexed once, then again, and I felt it—the moment his control slipped just slightly.

“Fuck,” he muttered against my mouth. “Are you…”

His fingers slid down, brushed over my hips, pausing as they skimmed bare skin.

He pulled back just enough to look at me. “You’re not wearing panties.”

I shook my head, breath shallow. “Didn’t feel like it.”

His jaw clenched.

I shifted slightly on his lap, just enough for him to feel me.

“I can help you relax,” I whispered.

His hands came up, cradling my face now. His brows were drawn tight, eyes flicking across mine like he was searching for something he couldn’t find.

Still, he didn’t stop me.

I moved again, slow and warm against the tension in his body, he was so tight it felt like he might snap if I wasn’t careful.

His thumb brushed my cheekbone.

“Baby…”

And I just kept moving—gentle, steady. I shifted in his lap, and something in him faltered.

His breath caught—sharp, like he was trying to hold it in.

Without speaking, I kissed him again—softer this time. Slower. Then I slid back just slightly, keeping eye contact as I pushed the blankets away from his body.

“Emilia…” His voice was a warning. But it was soft. Had no fight in in it all all. Very unconvincing.