Forced To Marry My Cousin's Fiancé

Chapter 56: Chapter 56

Lane was having a rough time with the zipper on her maternity dress. She just couldn’t reach it behind her.

After a few failed attempts, she finally gave up and stepped out of the walk-in closet to find some help. She spotted Ethan standing there, putting on the tie she’d laid out for him earlier.

"Ethan..." she called out to get his attention.

He looked up at the sound of her voice.

"Hmm?"

She stared at him for a second before finding her words. "Could you give me a hand? I can’t get this zipper in the back," she said.

"Sure thing," he replied quickly.

She started toward him, but stopped when he stepped into her space. She stayed put until he reached her. Once he was close enough, she spun around so he could get to the zipper.

Lane bit her lip when she felt Ethan’s warm hand brush her back. The feel of his hand against her skin sent a total jolt of electricity through her, and she felt a shiver run straight down her spine until she felt him slide the zipper up.

"Thank you," she said, turning back to face him. Her eyes dropped to his tie, which was still undone because he’d dropped everything to help her out.

To pay him back for the favor, she decided to step in. "Let me get that tie for you, Ethan," she said.

When he nodded, she reached up to fix it. She had to go up on her tiptoes to get a good angle since Ethan was so tall. Noticing her struggle, he leaned down a bit so she wouldn’t have to strain.

She paused and looked up, her eyes meeting his dark gaze.

"Go on, Lane," Ethan said, his voice dropping into a deep baritone.

She went back to the tie and finished the knot. While she adjusted it, she could feel Ethan’s intense gaze locked right on her.

"Done," she said once it was perfect.

Ethan squared his shoulders. "I’ll go finish getting ready," he told her.

She didn’t stick around for a chat because she had to finish getting ready too, and she didn’t want him to be late for work.

Ethan was actually taking her with him today. She’d been pretty caught off guard earlier when he told her the plan after breakfast. When she asked why, he mentioned they had somewhere to go later. To save him a trip back home to pick her up, he figured he’d just bring her along.

Lane headed back into the closet. She grabbed her brush and ran it through her long hair. She did a quick hit of powder and some lipstick, which was about as much makeup as she ever bothered with.

Then she opened her jewelry drawer, grabbed some studs, and popped them in.

Her eyes landed on the box with the necklace Noah had given her. She took it out and fastened it around her neck. It felt like a waste to just leave it hidden away in a box.

Once she was finished, she headed back out. She was busy straightening the pendant when she noticed it wasn’t sitting right. Then she looked up at Ethan. Her mouth went slightly dry when she saw him scowling at the necklace.

It was exactly the same look he’d had on his face when she first opened Noah’s gift.

Lane couldn’t wrap her head around why he looked so annoyed by a piece of jewelry. Was he mad at her? The necklace? Or the person who gave it to her?

After a beat, he took a deep breath and asked, "Ready?"

She just nodded. When he headed for the door, she grabbed her bag off the bed and snagged her phone. She saw Ethan standing in the doorway watching her. It looked like he was waiting, so she picked up the pace.

"Walk slowly, Lane," Ethan warned, his brows furrowing again. "You might slip."

"Oh," she said, slowing down immediately. As she got closer, he reached out and put a hand on the small of her back, gently nudging her forward.

Ethan stayed right by her side as they headed down the stairs. He kept his hand on her back until they were outside the mansion.

"Hop in," he said as the driver opened the back door for them.

She climbed in and Ethan slid in right after her.

Lane was stunned when Ethan reached over to pull her seatbelt across. Even though she was surprised, she couldn’t stop her heart from racing as she watched him seriously buckle her in.

"Always wear your seatbelt, Lane," he said. He looked up, and their eyes locked. She almost wanted to close her eyes when his cool, fresh breath hit her face.

She just nodded in response.

Ethan moved back to his side of the seat. Lane discreetly put a hand over her heart, which was currently refusing to settle back into a normal rhythm.

After a few minutes, she looked down when she felt Ethan adjusting the hem of her dress where it had bunched up.

Her jaw practically dropped when his hand came to rest on her thigh. She couldn’t help but stare his large hand resting there, the veins standing out clearly.

An hour later, they pulled up to his office building. She unbuckled as soon as the driver stopped at the front. Ethan hopped out first and moved to her side to open the door and help her out.

"Let’s go, Lane," he said, ushering her inside.

As they started walking, she felt his hand on her waist again. They were getting close to the entrance when she spotted his employees in the lobby. If she and Ethan walked in together, especially with him holding her like that, people were definitely going to talk.

At first, only their friends and parents knew about the marriage. Eventually, Ethan’s friends found out and the circle got bigger, but Lane knew the employees were still in the dark because Ethan hadn’t made an announcement. She was pretty sure they all thought Olivia was the fiancée and the one Ethan was going to marry.

So, before they hit the doors where everyone could see, she tried to put some distance between them and let him walk ahead.

Ethan stopped in his tracks. When he looked back at her, he was already frowning.

She bit her lip.

"What is it?" he asked in that deep voice of his.

She swallowed hard as she looked at the staff inside. "You go ahead, Ethan. I’ll follow you in," she said.

His scowl deepened. "And why is that?"

"I mean, your employees might see us, and who knows what they’ll say?" she replied. She didn’t have to spell it out; she knew he got the point. Ethan didn’t say anything, he just stared at her.

In that moment, she was sure he understood. She felt a sharp pang in her chest, thinking that maybe he didn’t want them to know about her either. Maybe he was worried about his reputation, since everyone expected him to be with Olivia.

Lane looked away, terrified he’d see the hurt in her eyes. She didn’t want him to know it bothered her.

But after a second, she looked back up as he stepped closer. Their eyes met instantly. "Why, Ethan?" she asked.

Instead of giving her an answer, he reached out and took her hand. Her breath caught as he intertwined their fingers, sending another wave of shivers down her spine.

She was still in total shock as he gently pulled her along, leading her right into the building. Lane’s heart was hammering against her ribs as she noticed the employees turning to stare.

Ethan didn’t seem to care at all. He just kept walking, holding her hand tight.

_________________

Lane jolted awake when she felt a warm sensation brushing against her lips. She slowly blinked her eyes open, only to be struck by the sight of Ethan’s face just inches away.

That warmth on her lips? It was his.

Startled, she sat up so fast she accidentally clocked him right in the face.

Ethan let out a groan. Lane’s eyes went wide as she watched him clutch his jaw. Looks like that’s where she caught him.

"Oh my goodness!" Lane cried. She instinctively reached out toward his hand.

She bit her lip when she saw the redness blooming on his skin, unable to stop herself from reaching up to stroke the spot.

"Does it hurt?" she asked, looking up at him. Even without a mirror, she knew her eyes were a mess of guilt and worry.

"Yes," he answered, making her breath hitch. Once she found her footing, she tried to get up from the office sofa, but she didn’t get far. He grabbed her hand and gave a firm tug.

Instead of landing back on the cushions, Lane ended up right in Ethan’s lap. She felt his arms wrap securely around her waist.

"Ethan, let me get a cold compress," she told him. She tried to stand up again, but his grip only tightened.

She pressed her lips together. She never pegged Ethan as the clingy type.

"No need, Lane," he said, his voice dropping into a low baritone. Lane almost wanted to close her eyes again as his warm, clean-scented breath fanned over her face.

"But we need to give you first."

"A kiss is enough," he cut in.

"Huh?"

"A kiss will do, Lane," he repeated, his voice going raspy.

She blinked rapidly, staring at him and trying to gauge if he was actually serious. Judging by his steady gaze, he definitely was. Lane couldn’t help but glance down at his mouth. She noticed him swallow, his Adam’s apple bobbing.

Taking a deep breath, she reached up to cup his cheek. She could feel the intensity of his stare, and his grip on her waist tightened even more.

She slowly leaned in. Ethan looked like he was bracing for a real kiss, but her lips missed the mark. She landed a soft, gentle one on his chin instead.

She let her lips linger there for a second before pulling back to look at him.

"Better?" she asked.

"That’s not the kind of kiss I need, Lane."

"What kind of...?"

She didn’t get to finish. Ethan lunged forward and captured her lips.

The second they touched, a massive wave of pleasure crashed through her. She felt him give her lip a tiny, teasing tug, like he was baiting her. It worked.

She opened her mouth, letting him take the kiss deeper.

She gripped his shoulders to steady herself as she started kissing him back.

Lane matched his energy with the same fierce passion and hunger. One of Ethan’s hands slid from her waist to the back of her neck, pulling her closer and dominating the kiss.

Whenever he sensed she was running out of air, he’d pull back for a split second. But it was only a breather. He’d immediately reclaim her lips in another firm, heated kiss.

Their tongues practically battled.

Ethan wasn’t just a good kisser. He was a teacher, and she was a fast learner. She felt like an expert by the end of it, giving back exactly what he was putting in.

When Ethan finally let go, she was gasping for air.

"Let’s stop. I might do something else to you," Ethan said, his voice husky.

Lane bit her bottom lip, and Ethan immediately reached up to stop her.

"Don’t bite your lips, Lane, or I’ll bite them myself," he warned, running his thumb over her pout. "We might not make it to where we’re supposed to go."

Even without a mirror, she knew her cheeks were fire-engine red. She caught Ethan staring at her, a tiny smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth.

Ethan helped her up from his lap before standing up himself. Lane’s mouth fell open when she looked down.

"Ethan..."

"Hmm?"

"You’re... you’re..."

Unable to finish, she looked down again. He followed her gaze.

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