My Stepbrother's Dirty Little Secret novel Chapter 401

Chapter 401

Raphael

—

The trees still creaked softly above us while the cold wind moved through the branches. Somewhere far away, water dripped steadily into the creek behind the eastern ridge. The sensors hidden through the property blinked faintly on my watch screen every few seconds.

But compared to the sounds she had been making five minutes ago?

Yeah.

Quiet.

I sat back against the tree trunk, breathing slowly while Gianna stayed curled against my chest in the leaves. Her legs were tangled with mine, her black dress still wrinkled all the way up around her thighs from everything we had just done.

She looked exhausted… used up in that boneless kind of way that came after too much adrenaline.

Her cheek rested against my shoulder while she stared up through the trees. Her hair was a complete mess now. Leaves were caught in it. One long strand stuck to the gloss on her mouth.

I reached over without thinking and pulled it away from her lips.

Her eyes flicked toward mine immediately and a smile pulled at the corner of my mouth before she looked away again.

The moonlight kept catching against the ribbon around her throat. My eyes stayed on it longer than they should have. It looked wrong now like I’d ruined something neat and pretty just by touching it.

Fair enough.

That was usually what happened when I got too interested in things.

Gianna shifted beside me with a small groan, stretching one leg over mine. Her body immediately tensed after, probably feeling every muscle in her thighs.

I snorted quietly.

She glared up at me. “Don’t.”

“You’re the one who kept running.”

“It’s not from running, I feel sore…”

I shook my head slowly while she kept glaring at me like she genuinely believed she had survived some kind of traumatic event instead of enthusiastically participating in it.

I rubbed a hand over my mouth, trying not to laugh again.

For a second neither of us said anything. The wind moved softly through the branches overhead while she stayed curled against my side, warm and exhausted.

Then she shifted again and another tiny wince crossed her face.

I raised an eyebrow, “You good?”

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