Rejected and Pregnant I Fled The Pack (Evelyn and Damon) novel Chapter 269

Ethan pov

I stepped out of the bathroom, towel wrapped low around my waist, steam still curling off my skin from the hot shower, and made my way toward the dresser, understanding Nadia had settled into bed a while earlier and should genuinely be deep in sleep by now.

Her sharp, audible gasp nearly made me jump entirely out of my own skin.

I turned quickly, finding her sitting up against the headboard, apparently not asleep at all, her eyes fixed directly on me with obvious, wide-eyed attention she clearly hadn't managed to actually conceal before I'd caught her.

I felt a slow, genuine smile building as I processed exactly what had just happened.

"I thought you were sleeping," I said, making no immediate move to actually cover myself further, genuinely curious how she'd continue navigating this particular, rather direct confrontation with her own obvious attraction.

"I was," she said quickly, though her voice carried that same, familiar flustered quality I'd come to genuinely enjoy over these past several days. "I mean, I was trying to sleep, and then you came out, and—"

She stopped herself, apparently realizing she was genuinely rambling, and I watched her cheeks flush with that particular, deep color I found increasingly charming given everything else difficult we continued navigating.

I walked toward the bed slowly, deliberately unhurried, understanding genuine amusement building with each step at her continued, obvious attempt to maintain some semblance of composure despite her eyes remaining fixed rather thoroughly on my chest and abs.

"What's wrong, baby," I asked, settling onto the edge of the mattress beside her, genuine warmth and teasing both evident in my voice now.

"Nothing," she said, though her voice came out considerably higher than her usual tone, her gaze still apparently unable to actually lift properly toward my face.

I couldn't entirely suppress the genuine chuckle building in my chest, watching her continue struggling with obvious, flustered attraction. "You're staring again," I observed gently, repeating the same teasing acknowledgment we'd exchanged multiple times throughout these past several days.

"I'm not," she said, though the claim carried considerably less conviction than usual, her eyes finally, belatedly lifting toward my face, though I noticed her gaze seemed to require genuine, visible effort to actually remain there.

"No?" I asked, allowing genuine playfulness to color my voice now. "Because from where I'm sitting, you've barely managed to actually look away since I walked out of that bathroom."

Her blush deepened further at that direct observation, and I watched her finally seem to accept the genuine futility of continued denial. "Fine," she said, something between exasperation and reluctant amusement entering her tone. "I was staring. Genuinely, thoroughly staring."

"I appreciate the honesty," I said, something warm and pleased evident in my voice.

"You're genuinely distracting," she continued, something almost accusatory in her tone despite the obvious teasing quality underlying her words. "Walking around half-dressed, apparently without any genuine concern for how it affects my ability to actually maintain composure."

"Would you prefer I remain fully dressed at all times," I asked, genuine curiosity underlying my continued amusement, "or do you actually enjoy this particular distraction, despite your protests?"

She was quiet for a moment, something thoughtful crossing her expression despite her obvious, continued embarrassment. "I think," she said slowly, "I genuinely enjoy it. Though admitting that feels considerably more vulnerable than I'm typically comfortable expressing."

Something warm and deeply moved settled into my chest at that honest admission, appreciating exactly how much genuine trust that kind of vulnerable acknowledgment actually required given everything complicated about her own painful history.

"Thank you," I said softly, "for actually sharing that, rather than continuing to deny something we both genuinely recognize."

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