This kiss was different—deeper, hungrier, more demanding. His tongue stroked against mine with purpose, no longer teaching but claiming. One of his hands tangled in my hair, tilting my head back to give him better access, while the other slid down my body with possessive intent.
My entire world narrowed down to the feeling of Jaxson’s mouth on mine, like someone had hit the pause button on everything else. Each kiss felt better than finding money in a forgotten pocket, and I was definitely going for the jackpot. My fingers found their way into his hair, holding on like he was my personal lifeline in this ocean of overwhelming sensations.
Then his hand started sliding down my body, and if I thought I was malfunctioning before, this was full system crash territory. When those clever fingers wrapped around my cock again, my hips jerked up like I’d been shocked by faulty wiring. He swallowed my embarrassing sounds, his strokes getting more confident, more demanding, like he was on a mission to destroy what was left of my sanity.
My brain was trying to multitask—focus on the kissing, process the touching, remember how to breathe—and failing worse than Colt attempting to understand Nico’s jokes. Jaxson’s hand knew exactly what it was doing, like he had some kind of blueprint to my pleasure, and I was rapidly approaching the point of no return.
That strange warmth between us had transformed into something almost tangible now, a connection that seemed to strengthen with each shared breath, each stroke of his hand, each press of his lips against mine. The honey-sweet scent was everywhere, so strong it was like we were swimming in it. It intensified with every touch, every kiss, every shared breath. Each time Jaxson’s hand stroked me, the scent pulsed stronger, like it was responding to our pleasure.
A few small flickers of what almost looked like golden light danced at the edges of my vision, there and gone so quickly I was sure I’d imagined them. Great, now I’m seeing things. Maybe pleasure-induced hallucinations are a real medical condition. It had to be the pleasure, the intensity of sensation—not something supernatural or magical. That would be crazy, right?
“Jaxson,” I gasped between kisses, my voice sounding about as stable as a house of cards in a windstorm. “Please…”
He pulled back just enough to look at me, his eyes darker than midnight. But around the edges of his irises, that amber-gold still glowed, like banked coals waiting to ignite. He inhaled deeply again, his eyes momentarily closing in what looked likepleasure before snapping open to focus on me with renewed intensity. “Please what, Lan?” His thumb swept over the sensitive head of my cock, spreading the wetness gathered there, and my entire body jerked like I’d been electrocuted. “Tell me what you need.”
“You,” I breathed, too far gone to care about my dignity—which had probably fled the scene hours ago anyway. Way to go, Lan. Might as well skywrite Hopelessly in Love with My Stepbrother across Manhattan at this point. “I need you. I’ve always needed you.”
Something shifted in his expression, an emotion more complex than Colt’s morning protein shake recipe. It was wonder and hunger and possessiveness all rolled into one overwhelming look. He leaned down, pressing his forehead against mine as his hand continued its mission to destroy what was left of my sanity. His breath mingled with mine, hot and intimate, and I swear even the air between us felt charged with electricity.
“I’m here,” he murmured, his words ghosting across my lips like a promise. “I’ve got you, Lan. I’ve always had you. Just let go.”
I tried to keep some semblance of control, to show off all my newly acquired kissing skills like a proper student, but my body had other ideas. The pleasure was building faster than Wei’s conspiracy theories during a power outage, each stroke of Jaxson’s hand pushing me closer to the edge.
My cock throbbed in his grip, harder than I’d ever been in my life. Every nerve ending was on fire, every muscle tense with anticipation. The pressure was building at the base of my spine, hot and insistent, ready to explode. That golden warmth between us was reaching a crescendo, like something ancient and powerful was about to break free.
“Jaxson,” I moaned into his mouth, my voice doing things that would make my future self die of embarrassment. So much for maintaining any shred of dignity. “I can’t… I’m going to…”
“Let go for me,” he whispered, claiming my mouth again like he was starving for the taste. His hand moved faster, grip tightening just enough to send me spiraling. “Show me how good it feels.”
My whole body tensed like I’d been struck by lightning, except this waswaybetter. Pleasure crashed through me in waves that would put a tsunami warning to shame, white-hot and all-consuming. I broke the kiss to cry out his name, clutching his shoulders like they were the last solid thing in a world gone liquid as I came harder than I ever had in my life, spilling over his hand and onto my stomach.
The world went white for a moment, every muscle in my body seizing with pleasure so intense it bordered on pain. Beneath the physical release, I felt something else—a connection deepening, strengthening, like an ancient bond reawakening. That golden warmth seemed to pulse with my heartbeat, wrapping around both of us like invisible threads binding us together.
The honey-sweet scent reached its peak, filling the room completely, like we were in the center of some magical garden rather than Jaxson’s bedroom. It should have been overwhelming, but instead it felt perfect—a sensory complement to the pleasure still rolling through me in waves.
I was vaguely aware of Jaxson murmuring praise against my skin, his lips trailing along my jaw, my neck, but I was too far gone to process the words. It sounded like a language I should understand but couldn’t quite grasp—ancient and powerful and meant just for me.
When I finally clawed my way back to reality, he was pressing soft kisses all over my face—forehead, cheeks, the corner of mymouth—each one feeling like a cool drink after wandering in the desert. They felt like promises, though what kind, my pleasure-drunk brain couldn’t compute.
“You’re beautiful like this,” he murmured against my temple, his voice a low rumble that vibrated through me. Something in his tone made my heart do that weird stuttering thing that probably needed medical attention. “So beautiful, Lan. Mine.”
That last word, barely audible but unmistakable, sent another wave of that strange warmth through me. It should have felt possessive, maybe even concerning, but instead it felt right, like a key turning in a lock that had been waiting to be opened. Like he was claiming something that had always been his.
I buried my face in his chest faster than Wei diving for the last protein bar, suddenly shy despite what we’d just done. Oh,nowyou’re feeling shy? Where was this modesty when you were begging him to touch you? Like, hello delayed embarrassment, your timing isimpeccable. His arms wrapped around me though, creating this perfect little bubble where maybe, just maybe, everything would be okay.
As my heart rate slowly returned to something resembling normal, I noticed the honey-sweet scent gradually fading, becoming subtler but not disappearing entirely. It lingered like a memory, a promise of something more. I wanted to ask Jaxson if he could smell it too, if he knew what it meant, but the words felt too heavy, too charged with meaning I wasn’t ready to face.
I could feel him still hard against my hip, his cock pressing insistently through the thin fabric of his pajama pants. Part of me wanted to return the favor, to make him feel as good as he’d made me feel, but exhaustion was rapidly claiming me, my limbs heavy with satisfaction and that strange energy still humming between us.
“Sleep now,” he said softly, pressing one last kiss to my temple like sealing an envelope. His hand stroked through myhair in a gesture so tender it made my chest ache. “We have time.”
Time. The word echoed in my mind, full of promise and possibility. Time for what, exactly? For more lessons? For exploring whatever this was between us? I wanted to ask, but my eyelids were already drooping, the combination of physical release and emotional overload dragging me toward sleep.
As I drifted off in his arms, my brain tried to process everything that had just happened. Wrapped in Jaxson’s warmth, still tingling from touches that definitely weren’t brotherly, I let myself believe that maybe dreams really do come true—even if those dreams involved falling for your stupidly perfect stepbrother.
Jaxson’s strong arms around me, his scent surrounding me like the world’s most addictive comfort blanket, the memory of his lips and hands bringing me to heights that would make Bree’s romance collection seem tame… For the first time in forever, I knew I’d sleep better than Colt after completing his precious spreadsheets. Everything was perfect, and if this was a game, I’d definitely hit the jackpot ending.
Though a small voice in the back of my mind wondered: what happens when the credits roll and real life begins again? Would this change everything? Would Jaxson regret it in the morning? Would I? And what about that strange scent, that golden warmth that had wrapped around us like a living thing? Was that normal, or was it something else entirely?