Chapter 1: The First Night Under The Same Roof
The first night under the same roof was supposed to be innocent. It wasn’t.
I didn’t expect my life to change because of a single house.
But that’s exactly what happened the night my mother married Daniel Hartman.
The Hartman estate stood at the end of a private driveway lined with tall oak trees. It didn’t feel like a home — it felt like a warning. The windows were dark, the architecture sharp and modern, and the silence around it almost intimidating.
“You’ll love it here,” my mother said, squeezing my hand as we stepped out of the car. “It’s a fresh start for both of us.”
A fresh start.
I nodded, pretending to believe her.
What she didn’t say — what she didn’t need to say — was that this fresh start also came with a son.
Ethan Hartman.
My new stepbrother.
I had only seen him once before. At the wedding rehearsal dinner. He had stood across the room in a black dress shirt, sleeves rolled up, jaw tense, eyes unreadable. He didn’t smile. He didn’t congratulate my mother. He barely acknowledged me.
But he looked at me.
Not casually. Not politely.
He looked at me like he was trying to figure something out.
And I felt it.
That unsettling awareness crawling under my skin.
The front door opened before we reached it.
He was standing there.
Ethan.
Taller than I remembered. Broader. His dark hair slightly messy, as if he’d run his fingers through it one too many times. His expression neutral, but his eyes…
His eyes moved over me slowly.
“Welcome home,” he said, his voice low, controlled.
Home.
The word felt wrong.
“Hi,” I replied, forcing a small smile.
He stepped aside, letting us enter. As I walked past him, our shoulders brushed — just barely.
But it wasn’t an accident.
I could tell.
The contact was brief, yet deliberate. A quiet statement. A reminder.
You’re in my space now.
Inside, the house was even more intimidating. High ceilings. Minimalist design. Soft lighting. Everything perfectly arranged.
Ethan closed the door behind us.
“You can take the room at the end of the hall,” he said, looking at me instead of my mother. “It has the best view.”
Was he being polite?
Or strategic?
“Thank you,” I said.
Our eyes locked for a second too long.
And something shifted.
That night changed everything between us.
I didn’t know it yet, but what happened next would be even worse in Chapter 2 – The Walls Have Ears.
Later that night, after the celebration dinner and too many forced smiles, I finally escaped to my new bedroom.
It was beautiful. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city lights. A king-sized bed. Soft gray sheets.
But I couldn’t relax.
Because the house didn’t feel empty.
It felt aware.
I changed into a loose satin sleep shirt and brushed my hair out in front of the mirror. For a moment, I almost convinced myself that I was overthinking everything.
He’s just your stepbrother.
Nothing more.
A knock interrupted my thoughts.
Soft. Controlled.
My breath caught.
“Yes?” I called.
The door opened slowly.
Ethan leaned against the frame, arms crossed.
“You forgot this,” he said, holding up my phone.
I hadn’t even realized.
“Thanks,” I murmured, walking toward him.
The distance between us closed too quickly.
When I reached for the phone, he didn’t let go immediately.
Our fingers touched.
Warm.
Electric.
His jaw tightened slightly.
“You should lock your door,” he said quietly.
My heart skipped.
“Why?”
His eyes darkened, scanning my face like he was debating something.
“This house has thin walls,” he replied.
My pulse quickened. “Is that supposed to scare me?”
He stepped closer.
Too close.
The scent of his cologne wrapped around me — subtle, masculine, dangerous.
“No,” he said softly. “It’s supposed to protect you.”
Protect me from what?
From him?
For a moment, neither of us moved.
I could feel the tension building in the silence — heavy, unspoken, undeniable.
“You don’t like this,” I said before I could stop myself.
His brow lifted slightly. “Like what?”
“Me being here.”
A faint smile touched his lips — the first real expression I had seen from him.
“You’re wrong.”
“Then why do you look at me like that?”
“Like what?”
“Like I’m a problem.”
He leaned in just enough that I could feel his breath near my ear.
“Because you are.”
The words sent a shiver down my spine.
Not cruel.
Not angry.
Something else.
Something dangerous.
I swallowed. “I didn’t ask for this either.”
He studied me for a long second. And then, unexpectedly, his hand lifted — hesitating just inches from my waist before dropping back to his side.
Control.
He was holding himself back.
“I know,” he said quietly.
Footsteps echoed faintly from downstairs — my mother’s laughter drifting up.
Reality snapped back into place.
We weren’t alone in the world.
We were just trapped in this house together.
Ethan stepped back, finally releasing my phone.
“Goodnight,” he said.
But his tone didn’t sound like a goodbye.
It sounded like a warning.
After he left, I locked the door.
Just like he told me to.
But that didn’t stop my mind from replaying every second.
The way he stood too close.
The way he watched me.
The way he said I was a problem.
I lay in bed staring at the ceiling, listening.
The house was quiet.
Until it wasn’t.
Around midnight, I heard footsteps in the hallway.
Slow.
Measured.
Stopping right outside my door.
My breathing grew shallow.
Was he—
The handle didn’t turn.
But the presence was there.
I knew it.
After a few seconds, the footsteps continued down the hall.
I exhaled slowly.
This was a mistake.
Moving here.
Living under the same roof.
Because the tension between us wasn’t imaginary.
It was growing.
And tonight was only the first night.
What Happens Next?
That night was only the beginning.
The tension didn’t fade.
It grew stronger.
And the next morning… everything changed.
👉 Continue to Chapter 2 – The Walls Have Ears
If you’re just starting this story, you can always return here:
📖 Read Chapter 1 – Taboo Erotic Romance Story
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