Chapter 53: Unexpected Tenderness

Ethan's fingers traced featherlight patterns on Lily's back as he pulled her close, his grip tightening with each passing second. The delicate caress, unlike his usual firm hold, left Lily baffled. Her skin tingled where his hands brushed against her, sending cascades of shivers down her spine.

The insistent bubbling of the pot on the stove cut through the charged silence. "The soup might boil over," Lily murmured, her practical nature asserting itself even in this intimate moment.

"Lily!" Ethan's voice came out as a strangled growl. His eyes, usually sharp and calculating, now held a raw vulnerability that vanished as quickly as it appeared. Without warning, he crushed his lips against hers in a searing kiss before abruptly releasing her to tend to the stove.