Page 151 of When We Ignite

“Nah,” I breathed, my lips grazing his neck. “It feels good.”

“You weren’t kidding about your threshold,” he murmured, almost to himself.

I chuckled, but his tone turned serious.

“I’m not joking, pet. That was rough—even for me—and it was only our first time. You need to tell me if it hurts.”

I considered that for a moment. “It’s not that it doesn’t hurt. It’s just…the kind of pain that feels good, not bad.”

Sebastian’s lips parted slightly, his eyes widening as he processed my words.

“You’re really good at not crossing the line—keeping it right where it needs to be,” I added with a shrug.

“I thought you didn’t like that.”

“You were the one who told me I liked getting rough,” I reminded him, arching a brow.

He shook his head, correcting me. “Justgettingrough—notreceivingit.”

I stared up at the ceiling, shrugging again. “Can’t it be both?”

A grin spread across his face, caught somewhere between surprise and amusement. “But you don’t like it when I make you bend over.”

“That feels different. Just like you ordering me around. Though, I guess that gets easier the more I know you,” I admitted, pausing before adding, “I thought you got off on humiliating me.”

Sebastian’s brows furrowed in confusion. “Of course I don’t.”

“I know that now. I can read your creep face much better these days. That’s why I like looking at you.”

That earned me a startled laugh from him. “Stop calling me that,” he said, grinning.

“When you stop calling me pet, I’ll consider it,” I shot back, my grin widening.

Sebastian laughed again before rolling over me, peppering kisses across my neck and holding me tightly. His strong hands slid around my back as he pulled me close, his body warm and solid against mine. I wrapped my legs around his hips and my arms around his neck, clinging to this moment.

The intimacy of his touch was already getting to me. “Are you not done with me yet?”

“After a fuck like that?” he murmured against my skin, his lips brushing the sensitive spot under my ear. “Not a chance, darling. Good luck getting out of my bed.”

For one moment, I closed my eyes and let myself feel it—the weight of him holding me, the way his voice softened when he called me darling. I let myself imagine, just for a second, what it would feel like if he were actually mine.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

ETHAN

Over the next few days, my favorite pastime became discovering Sebastian’s little quirks hidden around his apartment. At first glance, the place seemed almost too empty—minimalist to a fault—but the more I explored, the more I realized it was just meticulously organized. Hidden cabinets and discreet bookcases filled every corner, neatly stashing his belongings. He told me most of his things were still at his apartment in DC, but this space held the essentials he always needed. It only made it that much more interesting when I did find something.

One day, I stumbled across a bookcase in his living room packed with fantasy novels. When I asked him about it, he admitted he’d been a big reader as a kid and still liked to revisit them from time to time. Then he looked at me like I’d grown a second head when I admitted I hadn’t read—or even heard of—most of them. That happened the same Saturday we had sex for the first time. Later that afternoon, after we’d gone for another round (this time with Sebastian insisting on taking it slow), he pulled a book from the shelf, told me all about why he loved it, and handed it to me to read. I started it that night, curled up beside him in bed while he worked on his laptop.

The next day, I discovered his perfume collection, tucked behind the mirror in the bathroom after we’d showered. There were hundreds of bottles. He pointed out the one he wore most often and explained that, while he usually stuck to one or two, he just liked having them. He sprayed it on himself, and I moved close to smell it on his skin. Then he picked one for me, claiming it suited me better. He leaned in to check if it smelled right, and one kiss on my neck later, we were tumbling back into bed.

We barely left it all day.

By Monday, Sebastian’s full staff arrived at the house. The cleaning lady, his chef, and Aria all came bustling in as though it were routine. Aria even brought me clothes—or rather, Sebastian bought them and had her pass them to me while she went over his meetings for the day. I liked her. She was sharp-tongued and had no problem scolding Sebastian, which was both entertaining and refreshing.

It felt odd having people around as we went about our day, but Sebastian seemed completely at ease. Jodi, his chef, told me Sebastian had been eating the exact same breakfast since the day they met five years ago. Apparently, it was a rare treat when Jodi got to make something different. She made me protein pancakes with whipped ricotta and fresh berries, which were so good I scarfed them down happily. Meanwhile, Sebastian sat beside me, eating his usual: three eggs, a single piece of toast, and black coffee.

Aria kept sneaking glances at me throughout the morning. After I’d changed into the sweatpants they got me, I told Sebastian I was heading out for a while. I’d aimed to say a quick goodbye, but Sebastian had other ideas.