"Ow, that's hot."
The piece of white radish, slick with saliva, was spat back into the bowl. Noah Miller grabbed the glass of cold water beside him and gulped down two big mouthfuls. Steam hovered between them, and through the misty haze he caught Evelyn Miller's soft, amused smile.
"Why the rush, Nate? I'm not going to steal it from you."
"I blew on it twice. Thought it was ready."
"Take your time." Evelyn lifted a chunk of lamb with her fork and brought it right to his lips. "Here, let me cool it for you."
"No need. You eat yours, Sis. I'm not helpless."
"Turning your nose up at your sister now?" She smiled with that intimate, alluring curve, her eyes softening. "You just drank from the same glass I used."
"It's not that..." He had no choice but to open his mouth and take the meat from her fork. His lips brushed the exact spot hers had touched moments earlier. The lamb was tender, savory, and perfectly warm.
They had grown used to these small, indirect intimacies since childhood. Evelyn had never minded or shied away from them, always treating it as perfectly natural. Over time, he had stopped feeling any awkwardness about it.
Besides, by now they had shared far more intimate kisses.
In truth, they had long since become something like lovers, Noah thought. Through all these gradual, unspoken moments of closeness, he and Evelyn had slipped into that kind of relationship—whether he still carried any reservations or not.
He glanced up as she gently bit into a vegetable from her own fork. Every gesture, every subtle shift in her expression was so graceful and refined. A woman like her seated at the top floor of a towering office building, looking down over the city, would not seem out of place at all.
If she had taken Grace's offer and joined her company early...
"Sis, is Grace's company really that huge?"
"Mm, it's one of the top firms in Loane City."
"So if you went to work there like she suggested, you'd be making serious money."
"Even if I did, I'd have to take you with me, Nate." Evelyn placed a thin slice of lean meat dripping with broth into his bowl. "Otherwise I wouldn't feel at ease."
"I can take care of myself."
"That's what you said when you first got to Loane University. I still remember that night you called me drunk, asking me to come get you."
"That was... an accident."
"Do I need to list every embarrassing story from your past before you'll admit it?"
Noah had nothing left to say. It had always been this way. In words or actions, he never won against her. Eventually he had even stopped trying to fight it.
When he resisted, Evelyn usually responded with gentle patience—unless he called her by her full name.
After they finished dinner and washed the dishes together, they returned to the room. The computer screen was still lit, now displaying the screensaver.
"Why don't we watch a movie, Nate?" Evelyn glanced out the window at the swirling snow. The ground was already blanketed in pure white, with almost no people or cars in sight. "With snow like this, you're not going anywhere anyway."
"But my Calculus homework..."
"It's the weekend tomorrow. I'll let you put it off until Sunday." She moved the mouse to wake the screen and noticed a new message alert in the corner.
Opening the chat, it was clearly from his roommate based on the profile picture and name. The conversation history held nothing worth her attention.
"Sis, what's up?" Noah leaned in, sensing something.
"Nothing. Your roommate just messaged you." She scrolled idly, but then spotted a video file. The message below it read: "Nate, check this out. Found some sister-type stuff just for you."
"What's this?" Evelyn could guess, but she asked anyway.
Noah's eyes flicked to it, and he lunged forward to slam the laptop shut, his voice urgent. "No, no—don't open that."
"What's wrong? You're acting so strange. You won't even let me see?"
"It's nothing... just some stuff that's not appropriate. I was going to delete it anyway." His face flushed deep red, his thoughts written all over him.
"But it says the file was received, Nate. I'm pretty curious what it is." Evelyn pulled a chair closer and spoke in a firm, commanding tone. "Sit down properly. Don't try to stop me."
He swallowed hard and obeyed. Evelyn stood behind him, leaning over to control the computer.
As the laptop reopened and the video loaded, the expected Japanese woman's voice filled the room. The opening style made the film's genre unmistakable.
Noah kept his head down, trying to hide, his cheeks burning with embarrassment.
"Nate..." Evelyn's voice carried a feigned note of surprise, as if caught off guard. "You like watching this kind of thing?"
"They sent it to me."
"I can understand." She wrapped her arms around his neck, her tone soft and gentle. "You're grown up now, Nate. It's natural to have those needs."
The scene on screen hadn't reached the truly explicit parts yet, but the couple's building intimacy showed it was heading there fast.
She had only meant to tease him a little. Going any further would force them to confront that raw, sexual side of things.
How were they supposed to face it? Before she could truly claim him, Evelyn didn't want to bring up the memory of that chaotic, obsessive afternoon they could never escape.
"Sis?" Noah noticed her pause and asked blankly.
"Let's find something normal to watch instead, Nate... You should..." She hesitated, careful to keep any strangeness from her voice. "Respect yourself, alright?"
"Don't keep reminding me... I know."
She closed the window, opened the browser, and searched for a newly released romance film. Her hand released his shoulder, and she patted it lightly. "Let's watch from the bed. It'll be warmer. Sitting here is too cold."
"Yeah..."
She set the laptop across their laps as they slipped under the covers. Outside, heavy snow drifted down, the air biting cold. Inside, the heater hummed out steady warmth.
The movie scenes shifted and jumped. The glamorous actors reunited after a long separation, embracing and crying in the snow. Noah blinked, and suddenly felt a weight settle on his shoulder.
He looked at Evelyn, her eyes already closed. "Sis, are you falling asleep?"
"Just let me lean on you a while... Where are we in the story?"
"They just met again."
"That's nice." Evelyn's head drooped weakly, her warm breath spilling across his shoulder and neck. Her long, silky black hair brushed his cheek with each subtle shift.
She wore a cream-colored sweater. The soft, full curves of her chest pressed lightly against his arm, the sensation making him freeze in place, afraid to move. The rose scent around him grew even stronger.
Beneath the blankets, her cool, smooth feet rested on top of his. Her skin felt like warm silk, and her long legs tangled gently around his calves.