Chapter 3

Daley and I drank in silence for a while. After a few glasses, I started feeling lightheaded. When I tried to get up and head to bed, my head spun, and I ended up leaning against Daley.

Before I could steady myself, Daley wrapped his arm around my waist.

"Let go of me! Neal is sleeping next door," I protested, struggling against him.

Daley smirked. "Relax. He's a heavy sleeper. He won't wake up."

I opened my mouth to argue further, but Daley silenced me by pressing his lips against mine. His kiss was firm and demanding, swallowing the rest of my words. As his lips trailed across my skin, his hands moved with purpose, igniting something within me that I hadn't felt in a long time.

Despite my better judgment, I found myself responding to him. My hands instinctively wound around his neck, and I pulled him closer, matching the fervor of his kisses. My body betrayed me, succumbing to the forbidden allure of the moment.

The weight of guilt gnawed at me, knowing Neal was just a wall away. I tried to suppress any sound, biting down on my lip to avoid making a noise that could give us away.

Daley seemed to find my restraint amusing, his actions growing bolder as if daring me to lose control.

I felt ashamed to be doing such a thing with my brother-in-law when my husband was asleep, separated by a thin wall. But I had to admit that it was exhilarating. The sensation numbed my mind as I gave in to my desires.

Eventually, I couldn't hold back. A gasp escaped my lips, loud enough to make me blush with embarrassment, and my body and soul were soon overwhelmed with pleasure that I had never felt before.

Two hours later, I lay in Daley's arms, utterly spent and covered in a sheen of sweat. He toyed with a lock of my damp hair, his voice teasing. "Maia, you're incredible. I can't get enough of you."

I pushed his hand away, my cheeks flushing. "You'd better be careful. If Neal finds out, he'll kill you."

Daley chuckled, his tone playful and carefree. "As long as we're careful, no one will ever know. It'll be our little secret." He leaned in to kiss me again.

After a night of entanglement with Daley, I experienced euphoria. I then took a quick shower and slipped back into bed beside Neal.

I couldn't help but compare the two brothers. Neal was always composed and respectful, almost routine in bed. Daley, on the other hand, was wild and unrestrained, bringing out feelings I didn't know I had. It was terrifying and exhilarating all at once. I even felt addicted as my mind kept wandering back to the burning desire and sensation I felt from last night.

Although I knew it was wrong and felt a deep sense of guilt toward Neal, I couldn't stop myself from liking and being drawn to that feeling.

I sighed, picked up the white bottle on the nightstand, and shook out two vitamins to take. Neal had bought them for me, insisting I take them daily. He said they would help improve my sleep and overall health.

But even with the vitamins, sleep continued to elude me. Resigned, I decided to get up and make breakfast instead.

Neal's internal clock was remarkably precise; he always woke up at 8:00 AM. By the time he entered the kitchen, I had already toasted the bread, spread peanut butter on it, and prepared a cup of black coffee, setting everything neatly on the table.

He ate his toast while reading the newspaper, the picture of a calm routine.

After a short while, though, I noticed small red spots beginning to appear on his neck.

"What are those red spots on your neck? I don't remember you being allergic to peanut butter," I stated with a frown.

Neal quickly covered his neck, as if he wanted to hide the rash. His eyes darted away briefly before he replied with a forced chuckle, "It's nothing. Probably just the heat."

Without giving me a chance to inspect further, he grabbed his jacket and left for work. He even rejected my offer to apply ointment on him. We kept some rash ointment handy because Daley was allergic to peanut butter. I wasn't sure when Neal had started developing the same allergy.

For some reason, I felt like the brothers were merging into one; I used to think they only looked similar, but they seemed more and more alike now, and sometimes I couldn't even tell them apart.

Moments after Neal left, Daley strolled into the kitchen, shirtless and unapologetic. His toned physique was impossible to ignore as he made himself comfortable.

He held me and forced me to sit on his lap as he settled into the chair. I had to admit I was extremely attracted to Daley, but I would never divorce Neal to be with him.

I shoved him away and stood up, fixing my clothes. "Daley, last night was a mistake. We both had too much to drink. Let's forget it happened."

His expression turned mischievous. "A mistake? Maia, you're breaking my heart. How could you ditch me after the fun we had last night?"

"Daley," I said firmly, "I'm your sister-in-law. Whatever this is, it ends now. Let's go back to the way things were."

I left him sitting there, refusing to engage further as I cleared the dishes and entered the kitchen.

That evening, Neal came home earlier than usual and suggested we go out for a date. I agreed, seeing as it had been so long since we'd spent any time together. He had always been busy for the past year.

I dressed carefully, opting for a simple white dress reminiscent of the one I wore when we first met. We walked hand in hand as we went window shopping and even had a nice, romantic dinner. We drank wine and clinked glasses. It was amazing.

We ended the night at an outdoor cinema. It seemed romantic at first until I realized the screen was playing something far more risqué than I expected. Around us, other cars began to sway in time with the heated scenes on the screen, their entanglement vaguely visible through the windows as muffled sounds of passion filled the air.