CHAPTER 23: CHAPTER 23: HEAT BETWEEN THE LINES

We both laughed, the sound light and familiar, and I asked with a smirk, "Is Nicki also back in the city?"

"Yeah," Nantam replied casually. "They came back together."

I raised an eyebrow. "And you’re both staying at the same hotel?"

Nantam chuckled. "Nope. You know Nicki, he’s got a hundred friends in this city. One of them picked him up straight from the airport."

I let out a low chuckle. "See how smooth that was? That’s exactly what you could’ve done with me. Told me ahead, let me come pick you up."

He smiled at me. "It’s called surprising you, duh. If I told you, it wouldn’t have been one."

Before I could respond, a message popped in from Evric.

Just got home. Heading to work later.

I smiled faintly and gave a simple reply:

Alright, take care.

I slipped my phone down quietly and looked at Nantam. "Order anything you want to eat," I said, gesturing toward the menu on the coffee table.

He didn’t hesitate, rattling off a list of his favorite meals, things I remembered he used to love. I just sat there, watching him eat, listening to him talk about his trip, and realizing how good it felt to have him back in the city. To have him here again.

Later that evening, we went to the hotel where he was staying, packed up his things, and moved them to my place.

I settled him in the guest room. Just before bed, we shared a drink in the living room, like old times. That soft kind of silence between friends who don’t need to fill every second with words.

Eventually, he stood up and stretched. "I’ll be right back," he said, heading to the bathroom.

A few seconds later, my phone lit up.

Evric.

I picked up.

His voice came through low, slow, deep, and just the right amount of dangerous. That tone... I knew it. Whenever he called and didn’t sound casual, it meant only one thing.

He needed to claim me.

"I just got home," I said, keeping my voice even. "I want to settle in, then shower. I’ll call you after."

"No," he said almost immediately, "call me before you shower. Or better still... when you’re in the bathroom."

I paused. My breath hitched for a second.

"...Okay."

Just then, I saw Nantam walking back into the living room.

Panic surged. I didn’t want Evric to hear him. I hadn’t mentioned to him that Nantam was staying over. We weren’t even officially a thing, so I didn’t owe him that truth. But still... I kept it to myself. And I wasn’t sure why.

"I’ll call you back soon," I said quickly, cutting the call before Nantam could speak.

We ended up drinking more, and somewhere between the last sip and the silence, Nantam fell asleep on the couch.

I slipped into my bedroom quietly, heart still lightly pounding. I undressed, moving with a kind of nervous energy I couldn’t explain, and stepped into the bathroom. The cool tiles kissed my skin, grounding me a little.

Then I remembered.

I promised him.

I grabbed my phone and hit video call.

He answered immediately, as if he’d been waiting.

"I’m about to shower," I said softly, brushing damp hair behind my ear. "You told me to call you."

He stared at me through the screen, eyes narrowing slightly. "Your face is flushed. Did you drink?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

"With who?" he asked instantly, voice calm, but there was something hidden in the way he asked, something careful.

Before he could push further, I cut in, not wanting to lie, but also not wanting to open that conversation yet. "Evric... I’m tired. If this is going to be an interrogation, I’ll hang up, I just want to shower and sleep, okay? Just tell me why you asked me to call."

I already knew why. I could feel it in his tone, in the energy between us, but still... I wanted to hear him say it.

His gaze held mine for a moment, then he said, "Put your phone down. Place it somewhere I can see all of you."

I hesitated. My hand froze slightly, but after a moment of silence, I gave in and did as he asked.

I placed the phone carefully so the camera could see me clearly.

Even if I wasn’t sure what this was, what we were, part of me still wanted him to want me this way. And part of me liked it.

Evric looked at me for a long moment. His eyes trailed over my body, and then he said, voice low and steady, "You have a damn beautiful body, Zayn."

I should have blushed at the compliment. But I didn’t.

He had seen me like this too many times now. My skin wasn’t new to him. My curves, my tension, my need, it was all familiar. So why the praise?

"You can shower and go to sleep," he added casually.

I narrowed my eyes, unimpressed. "Is that all you called to say?"

A small, knowing smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "What else do you expect?"

I turned my face to the side, pretending like I didn’t care. But he saw through me. He always did. I’m not expecting anything.

"You say you’re not expecting anything," he said, his voice dropping deeper, darker, "but your cock is saying something else, Zayn."

I snapped, my voice sharp but not angry, challenging. "I’m a man, Evric. What do you expect?"

He didn’t miss a beat.

"Tell me what you need me to do right now."

I leaned closer to the screen, feeling the heat rise through me. My voice dropped as I asked, "What would you do if I were standing naked in front of you right now?"

His energy shifted immediately. The tension between us sparked to life.

His voice came out rough, raw, hungry. "I would suck the whole of you, Zayn. Slowly. Until you begged me to stop, or begged me not to."

My breath caught. That was all I needed to hear.

"Undress," I said.

He didn’t hesitate.

He slipped his shirt over his head, revealing that taut, perfect body that made my throat dry. His hands moved with purpose, stripping down piece by piece. And the whole time, his eyes stayed on mine, dark with desire and dominance.

Then came the command, that deep, commanding voice that did dangerous things to me.

"Touch yourself. But only when I say so."

My pulse pounded. I obeyed.

We moved together, over video, yet somehow closer than ever. My hand stroked in time with his voice. His lips parted with every moan, every word of encouragement.

"Harder, Zayn. Let me see how much you want it. Show me where it aches."

His voice became my rhythm. My breath hitched every time he whispered my name, low and dirty and perfect.

It wasn’t just physical, it was us. That unspoken obsession. The tension. The addiction.

I was close. I could hear it in his breathing.

He was too.

Our groans mingled. Our bodies tightened. And just as we both reached the edge.

We were both still gasping for air, our bodies slick with sweat and pleasure, breathless from the intense climax we had just shared across the screen. The sound of our heavy breathing echoed between us, tangled with soft moans and the lingering electricity that refused to fade.

I leaned my head back, eyes half-closed, chest rising and falling as I tried to collect myself.

Evric was the same, his lips parted, eyes dark and glazed, one hand still resting low on his body, the other clutching the edge of the desk.

And then...

KNOCK. KNOCK. KNOCK.

"Zayn!"

My heart slammed in my chest.

It was Nantam. His voice was loud and clear through my door.

Evric’s eyes widened. He heard it.