Chapter 3

My breath caught in my throat. My brain short-circuited as I stared at her in utter shock. "Sienna... you..."

"Giggle... I'm just teasing you, silly. It’s late, go to sleep."

Within minutes, Sienna was fast asleep, leaving me utterly tortured.

The fire she had ignited was raging, and with her lying right next to me, I couldn't exactly take matters into my own hands. I ended up counting sheep until dawn before finally passing out.

The next morning, I went to work. The second I walked in, Ethan dragged me to the stairwell.

"Dude, Leo! You hid this so well!" Ethan grinned, nudging me. "I didn't know you had such a hot 'aunt.' Tell you what, I’ll buy you lunch for a whole month if you give me her Snapchat."

"I'm serious, man. I want to shoot my shot. If this works out, I’ll be your wingman for life."

Sienna was my sacred line. I wouldn't let anyone disrespect her.

The thought of Ethan trying to hit on her made my blood boil. There was no way in hell I was letting him near her.

"Ethan, let me make this very clear," I snapped, dropping my usual friendly tone. My eyes flared with anger. "Do not mention Sienna ever again. Or we’re going to have a serious problem. Got it?"

My sudden fury caught him off guard, and he quickly shut up.

On Friday evening, I walked home to the delicious aroma of home-cooked food. Sienna loved cooking, but her busy job rarely gave her the chance to do it.

She had made a perfect three-course meal. Sitting across from a gorgeous woman, my appetite skyrocketed, and I easily polished off three bowls of rice.

"Sienna, tomorrow is the weekend. Let's go to the mall," I suggested after we finished eating. "I want to buy you some clothes."

Ever since I was a kid, Sienna always bought me new clothes for the holidays. She was the one who made sure an unwanted kid like me felt loved. Now that I had been working for a few months and had some savings, it was my turn to spoil her.

I was prepared to argue, knowing she’d try to save my money, but to my surprise, she beamed.

"Really? Our little Leo is all grown up, wanting to buy clothes for me now."

Her words filled me with a sudden wave of guilt. I had always told myself I’d wait until I made more money, but love shouldn't wait. I was glad I was doing it now.

At the mall, I generously told her to pick whatever she wanted. But Sienna only looked at the clearance racks, picking out cheap items.

I knew she was trying to save my money. Sienna usually wore nice, brand-name clothes.

"Sienna, don't worry about my wallet. Let's look at the nicer brands," I urged her.

"These two are fine for now. But..." Sienna gave me a mysterious, beautiful smile. "There's something else I need to buy."

I scratched my head, confused. But soon, my face turned red.

She dragged me straight toward a high-end lingerie boutique. Usually, I would blush and run past these stores, but now, she was pulling me right in.

Sienna held my arm tightly, making sure I couldn't escape.

Surrounded by rows of lace, silk, and colorful intimates, I felt my face burning. I forced my eyes to lock onto the ceiling, trying to look anywhere but at the mannequins.

Sienna, on the other hand, was completely casual, chatting with the salesgirl about cup sizes, memory foam, and push-up designs.

"Your boyfriend is so sweet," the salesgirl suddenly chimed in, smiling at me. "Most guys refuse to step foot in here."

I opened my mouth to correct her, but Sienna beat me to it.

"He really is the best," she said, wrapping her arm around mine and leaning into me with a radiant smile.

In the end, she picked a set, and she didn't let me pay for this one. It cost around forty dollars—pretty expensive for such tiny pieces of fabric, in my opinion. But as long as she liked it, I would have paid forty or even four hundred dollars without hesitating.

"Since you bought me clothes, let me treat you to a nice dinner," she said.

I didn't expect "nice dinner" to mean a romantic, dimly lit Italian restaurant.

The place was decorated with fresh red roses, and soft, romantic jazz played in the background. It was clearly a spot for couples. Maybe it was just the only good place nearby, I reasoned.

Sienna rarely drank, but tonight, she ordered a bottle of red wine and poured me a glass.

After one glass, her cheeks flushed a beautiful rosy pink, making her look absolutely mesmerizing. We talked and laughed, completely losing ourselves in the cozy, intimate vibe.

I felt a little tipsy too. Looking at her, my heart swelled. She had been everything to me—a mother figure, an older sister, a best friend, and now... something more.

Two hours flew by. Sienna stood up, gently tossing her hair. She grabbed her purse with one hand and took my hand with the other.

"Let's go home. I had an amazing time tonight."

The moment we stepped inside my apartment, she let go of my hand, leaned in, and whispered in my ear.

"I’m going to take a shower first. I have a surprise for you."

"A surprise?" I asked, dazed.

She didn't answer, just gave me a wink and slipped into the bathroom.

When she came out, she was wrapped in her usual white towel.

"Here's your surprise," she whispered.

With a swift movement, she let the towel drop to the floor.

Underneath, she was wearing the sexy lace lingerie set we had bought earlier.

I felt a sudden rush of heat to my nose, nearly giving me a nosebleed.