Forbidden Cravings
Chapter 43: Her Guilt

The air felt fresh, crisp, but there was this weird heaviness around my back—like something pressing in, warm and steady.

"Ahm*..." I mumbled, shifting slow, my face turning as I chased that comforting heat behind me, my body still half-lost in sleep.

"Ehh..." I froze mid-turn, my breath catching sharp as I saw her. Aeri was right there, sleeping beside me, her dark hair fanned out on the pillow, her face peaceful and close—too close.

My heartbeat skipped, thudding hard in my chest, my face heating up fast, turning red as I stared. For a moment, it was just us—the birds chirping outside, her warm breaths brushing my skin, slow and even.

"What is she doing here??" I thought to myself. She was in a loose tank top, light gray, her naked cleavage, her boobs pressed soft against the fabric. Her dolphin shorts hugged her hips, leaving her smooth, thick thighs bare, one leg tangled in the sheets, the other stretched out beside me.

"Aeri..." I said, my voice barely a whisper, my hand moving on its own, fingers brushing her cheek—soft, warm under my touch.

I pushed a strand of her hair aside, tucking it gently behind her ear, my chest tightening with a pang of guilt I couldn’t shake. "I’m sorry... Aeri..." I muttered, the words slipping out quiet, heavy with everything from yesterday—Sara, the brothel, the mess I’d dragged myself into. My fingers lingered on her face, tracing the curve of her jaw, my breath hitching as I watched her sleep.

"Ah...m..." she moaned soft in her sleep, her lips parting, her brows twitching as her eyes started to flutter open. She rubbed at them with the back of her hand, blinking slow, groggy.

"Umm...Ezra..you are awake? Were you saying something?" she asked, her voice thick with sleep, her head tilting toward me as she squinted, still waking up.

"No—I mean, yeah," I said, flat and quick, sitting up a bit, my hands dropping to the sheets as I tried to steady myself. "Why are you in my room? Sleeping beside me?" I asked, my tone blunt.

"Ehh..." She stopped rubbing her eyes, her hand freezing mid-air as she blinked harder, realization hitting her.

Her face flushed red, her cheeks turning pink fast, her dark eyes darting around the room like she’d just remembered where she was.

"Ohh—oh, that..." she stammered, sitting up quick, her tank top shifting, her hair falling messy over her shoulders. "I... was... I came here to sleep, and I thought I’d wake up early and sneak out before you noticed... but I overslept, I guess..." She laughed nervous, her hands fumbling with the sheets as she swung her legs off the bed.

"And, uh, I should go now..." She started to stand, her shorts riding up a little, her bare feet brushing the rug as she glanced at the door, tense and flustered.

"Wait here!" I said sudden, my voice sharp as I lunged forward, my hands grabbing her waist—warm, soft under my grip. I pulled her back down, flipping her under me in one quick move, her back hitting the mattress with a soft *thump*.

I pinned her hands above her head, locking them there with my own, my knees on either side of her hips. Her eyes went wide, her breath catching, her face still pink as she stared up at me, caught off guard, her tank top stretched tight across her chest now, her thighs brushing mine.

"Ezra..." Aeri whispered my name, her voice soft, her dark eyes locking onto mine as she lay pinned beneath me, her wrists caught in my grip. "Let me go..." She squirmed a little,her breath quick and warm against my face.

I didn’t budge, my knees still on either side of her hips, holding her there as I stared down, serious.

"Why’d you sleep here?" I asked, my voice steady, cutting through the morning quiet. "Didn’t you say you needed more time—needed to think over everything and all that?" I tilted my head, my messy hair falling into my eyes, my hands tightening just a bit on hers as I waited.

She blinked, her cheeks still pink, and looked off to the side, her gaze dropping to the pillow like she couldn’t face me straight.

"Yeah..." she said, her voice small, guilty, a quick gulp catching in her throat. "But yesterday night... you looked kind of sad. I thought maybe something happened at work, you know? Then I figured... maybe you were down because of how I was giving you the silent treatment all day..."

She trailed off, her fingers twitching under mine, her lips pressing tight with that little regret she couldn’t hide.

*Pfft*—a laugh slipped out of me, sharp and sudden, breaking the quiet as I looked down at her. She was so damn cute like this—flustered, guilty. The birds kept chirping outside, the morning rays sneaking through the curtains, lighting up her pouty expression, and I couldn’t help it.

"Why are you laughing, idiot?" she snapped, her eyes flicking back to me, narrowing with fake anger, her cheeks puffing out a little as she tried to glare.

Her hair was a mess, spilling over the pillow, and her tank top rode up just enough to show a sliver of her stomach.

"Nothing..." I said, grinning now, leaning down closer, my face hovering over hers. "You just looked so cute, that’s all." My voice softened, teasing, my breath brushing her lips as I closed the gap.

"What—" she started, her eyes going wide, but before she could finish, I locked her lips with mine, kissing her hard and fast.

She froze for a sec, her body tensing under me, her eyes popping open in surprise—then they softened, fluttering half-shut as she melted into it.

Our lips mingled, warm and slow, her breath hitching against mine as she kissed me back, her hands relaxing in my grip.

My hands slid down from her wrists, brushing her arms as I groped her boobs through her tank top—soft, full, pressing into my palms as I squeezed, keeping the kiss going.

"Ahm.." She made a little sound against my mouth, half-moan, half-surprise, her body arching up into me just a bit, the sheets rustling under us.

"Wait... Ezra..." she said, breaking the kiss with a gasp, her hands coming up to cup my cheeks, her fingers warm against my skin.

"We just woke up—get fresh first. I need to make breakfast too." Her voice was shaky, her face redder now, her eyes darting to the side like she was trying to catch her breath and her common sense at the same time.

"And it can all wait," I said, my voice low, a little rough as I grabbed the hem of her tank top and yanked it up, pulling it over her head in one quick move.

The fabric caught on her arms, locking them up above her, covering her eyes like a blindfold. Her boobs spilled out—bare, soft, her nipples hardening in the cool air—and she squirmed under me, her breath hitching louder.

"Ezra—what are you—" she started, her voice muffled, her hands tugging against it, but I cut her off, pressing a finger to her lips, firm but gentle.

"Now, shhhhh..." I said, my voice quiet, teasing, my finger lingering there as I looked down at her—her chest rising fast, her thighs shifting under me, the morning light painting her skin gold.