Page 44 of The Love We Make

“What is going on here?” She knew the answer to that. But she wanted me to tell her, to talk to her, to keep her calm.

“Ethan and Madison sitting in a tree,” I started as she giggled. “K-I-S-S-I-N-G.”

“Oh geez. If only the kids from 4th grade could see us now.”

She was leaning on her arm and I was leaning on my opposite arm to face her. We were both smiling and eyeing each other as I ran my right hand up and down her thighs again.

“Or our parents,” I added, just to see her cringe.

“Shit, mom and dad, and mom and dad can never know about this. I bet they’d die a very slow and painful death if they knew what we got ourselves into.”

Maybe they would. They raised us like siblings or cousins. We were supposed to be here looking after one another—like siblings. I tried to tell myself a million times that doing thiswaslooking after Madison. I knew her dad—and my own dad—wouldn't think so. They would deem me a villain. A man taking advantage of a woman for his own perversions.

But Madison and I had no blood relation. We were not related in any way other than what we were raised in our minds to believe and feel. Those old habits weren’t dying easily. As attractive as Madison was, as amazing as a woman as I saw her to be, I still felt a little taboo for arranging sex with her.

“Here we are,” the waitress said, stirring me from my thoughts. Madison and I both sat up and thanked her for our dinner as she sat out the plates.

We started eating in silence but soon picked up a safe but mindless conversation—the weather, the food, the awkward bend in her fork. Topics designed to distract us from what was to come, and also keep the awkward silence from filling the air.

With the plates empty and the check paid, we made our way outside and into the waiting car service. We sped through the city and made our way into the hotel. Up until that point, Madison didn’t know where we were going, but her gasp when I hit the top floor button of the new hotel didn’t go unnoticed.

“I hope you didn’t go through a lot of trouble,” she whispered in the quiet elevator.

“I didn’t. I did exactly what I wanted to do.”

She bit her lip and smiled making me rock on my heels in satisfaction.

“I’m a little nervous,” she admitted but still smiling.

“Me too.”

“Really?”

This was the first time I admitted I was nervous. I had told her I was concerned and I was scared to lose our friendship. I was worried about us thinking this was more than it was. She wasn’t wrong to ask for some time away from each other when this was over. We had to get our heads on straight.

But not now. I told her I would do this and I meant it. “Yeah, I am nervous but ready.”

“Me too,” she mimicked me.

The elevator dinged each time we hit a floor going up. “Six more dings and I am no longer your best friend.”

“Huh?” She asked, scared.

“When we enter those doors, I’m not your best friend. I can’t be.” I had to make sure my brain knew I wasn’t having sex with my sister. I needed my dick to know Madison wasn’t my cousin or any other type of relative.

I knew. I had proven it getting aroused with her on my lap and with my hands on her legs.

But did she?

I wasn’t sure, so my words were not just for me, but for her.

Get out of your head Maddy, we aren’t best friends again until Tuesday.

???

Madison gasped when we walked into the suite, both of us slipping off our shoes at the door.

I had to admit, it was better than the pictures and the most impressive space I had ever seen. The windows were floor to ceiling and wrapped around the entire suite—in every room. Even the huge clawfoot bathtub sat in front of the window and overlooked the city.