Agnes

I stared down at the book in my hands, feeling like my face was on fire. “I-I didn’t realize what it was,” I blurted out, desperately trying to cover up my embarrassment. “I-I must have grabbed it by mistake.”

Elijah glanced over at me. To my surprise, there was a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “Agnes, it’s alright. Remember your Luna lesson: you don’t have to explain yourself.”

I fiddled with the edge of the book’s glossy cover. My cheeks heated even more at the sight of the shirtless model on the front. “But I’m telling the truth. I don’t usually read... this sort of thing.”

He shrugged, his eyes returning to the road ahead. The light turned green, and he accelerated, the city turning into a blur around us. “And so what if you did? There’s nothing wrong with that.”

I shot him a sidelong glance, surprised. “You mean, you don’t mind?”

“Why would I?” he asked, glancing at me in the rearview mirror. “It’s still a book just like any other. Who cares if it has... erotic scenes?”

I blinked, taken aback by his nonchalant attitude. “I just thought...”

“I believe it’s healthy for a woman to be in touch with her sexual nature,” he continued. “Too often, society expects women to suppress their desires, to only express them for a man’s benefit. But it’s completely normal—and natural, might I add—to explore and understand oneself.”

I felt my cheeks warm again. “I suppose you’re right,” I mumbled, although now I just felt even more awkward thanks to that little lecture.

“If reading erotica brings you pleasure or helps you relax, then who am I to judge?” He glanced at me briefly, a sincere expression on his face. “And honestly, it’s better than some alternatives, like pornography. At least it’s fictional and doesn’t harm real people. And it’s imaginative.”

Despite myself, a small smile crept onto my lips. “That’s… very progressive of you, Elijah.”

He simply shrugged again as if this were the most mundane thing in the world. “Just make sure Thea doesn’t see it.”

I nodded, turning my gaze to the passing scenery outside the window. Trees blurred into shades of green as we drove in comfortable silence. My mind raced, processing this unexpected side of Elijah. Who would have thought he would be so open-minded about something like this?

But then again, Rosa had said that there was much I still didn’t know about Elijah. I supposed this was just yet another layer of his personality that I uncovered.

And although I didn’t want to let myself consider this as an option, I thought back to the possibilities surrounding the DNA test—if Elijah was somehow the man I had hooked up with all those years ago, then…

Maybe he wasn’t the worst choice in a one night stand, if this was his mentality surrounding more… intimate matters.

By the time we finally pulled up to the house, however, I was dying to get away. I unbuckled my seatbelt and turned to him briefly, my face still red from our encounter. “Thank you for the ride.”

“Anytime,” he replied as he cut the engine.

I hurried inside before he could follow me, clutching the book tightly. Once in my room, I slipped it under the mattress, planning to dispose of it discreetly the next time I went out. No matter what Elijah said, this genre wasn’t really my cup of tea.

But that night, sleep evaded me. I tossed and turned, unable to stop thinking about the DNA test. What if the first test had been a mistake? What if Thea really was my missing daughter after all? And what if Elijah was the man I had hooked up with all those years ago?

With a sigh, I sat up and rubbed my temples. My mind was running in useless circles. Maybe a distraction would help. My gaze drifted to the edge of the mattress where the book was hidden. Biting my lip, I reached down and pulled it out.

“Just a few pages,” I murmured to myself.

Settling back against the pillows, I flipped open the book and began to read. The story was surprisingly engaging—a story about forbidden love between a guy from the streets and a rich girl.

Before I knew it, hours had passed, and I had devoured more than half the book. The detailed scenes sent a flush to my cheeks, but I couldn’t bring myself to stop.

Eventually, my eyelids grew heavy, and the words on the page began to blur. Clutching the book to my chest, I drifted into a deep sleep.

…

Warm hands traced along my spine, pulling me closer. I looked up to see Elijah gazing down at me, his eyes filled with an intensity that made my heart race. His arms enveloped me, tugging me close, as his lips nibbled at my earlobe.

“Agnes,” he whispered, his breath hot against my ear.

I felt a shiver run through me as our lips met, the kiss deep and heady. He moved on top of me like he’d done it a thousand times before, reaching all of my most sensitive spots. Every touch sent sparks coursing through my veins, igniting a fire I hadn’t known existed.

But then, just as things intensified, a distant sound pulled me away.

“Mommy?”

My eyes snapped open at the sound of someone knocking on the door. Morning light filtered through the curtains, and I realized that I was tangled in the sheets, the book still clutched in my hands. My heart pounded as the vivid remnants of the dream lingered.

“Mommy!” Thea’s voice called from the other side of the door. “I’m hungry!”

Panic surged through me. “J-Just a minute!” I scrambled to hide the book under the mattress again, smoothing out the covers hastily.

Taking a deep breath, I opened the door to find Thea standing there with an expectant grin on her face. “Good morning,” I greeted, forcing a smile.

“Good morning!” she chirped. “Can we please have pancakes again?”

“Sure, sweetheart. Let’s go to the kitchen.”

As we made our way downstairs, I tried to shake off the lingering feelings from the dream. That was all it was: a dream induced by late-night erotica.

But every movement reminded me of the way Elijah’s hands had felt on my skin, every warm ray of sunlight streaming in through the windows reminiscent of the heat of his breath against my lips.

It felt so… real. Like it wasn’t just a dream, but a memory.

I was so lost in thought that I didn’t notice him coming around the corner until it was too late. We collided lightly, and I stumbled back.

“Whoa,” he said, steadying me with a hand on my arm. “You alright?”

I looked up into his eyes, the memory of the dream flooding back. My face heated instantly as the sight of his morning-tousled hair reminded me all too well of the sight of him leaning over me in my dream. “I... I’m fine,” I stammered, avoiding his gaze.

He raised an eyebrow, a hint of concern in his expression. “Are you sure? You seem a bit flushed.”

“N-Nothing’s wrong,” I insisted, stepping away from his touch.

Thea tugged at my hand. “Mommy’s making pancakes!”

Elijah glanced between us, then nodded slowly. “Pancakes? Again?”

Thea nodded. “Mhm! They’re my favorite!”

I could feel his eyes on me as Thea tugged me past him, my pulse racing. It was really difficult to keep my breathing steady, and I hoped he couldn’t tell that something was off. But when I glanced over my shoulder at him, he was still staring at me, a somewhat amused expression on his face. He looked like he was about to say something.

Oh… oh, no, I thought.

But he simply called out, “Eat quickly, Agnes. We’re heading to the pack building today.”