5. Aoife
Aoife
I’ve hooked up with men before, but I’ve never taken them back to my room. Never allowed them to sleep in my bed. It’s reckless. But I couldn’t stop myself.
Why this man? Who is he?
The question plays in my mind as I stare at him, sprawled across my sheets like he owns the place, his chest rising and falling in the steady rhythm of sleep.
The moonlight streaming through the window casts soft shadows across his sharp features.
For a moment, I can almost forget how dangerous this feels. Almost.
Carefully, I ease out from under his arm and slide out of bed. My feet are silent on the cool tiled floor. Slipping into my silk robe, I cinch it at the waist, then glance over my shoulder. He’s still asleep, breaths deep and steady, sprawled across the sheets like sin in human form.
As I move toward the chair, my eyes catch on his clothes.
Earlier, he folded them with deliberate precision, as if he hadn’t just fucked me in the shower with the kind of hunger that leaves bruises.
It should’ve been endearing. Instead, it twists something deep in my gut, a knot of suspicion I don’t care to examine.
A quick search of his pocket turns up nothing—no wallet, no clues. Then, my gaze shifts to his phone lying on a nearby table. Bingo. I swipe the screen, but of course, it’s locked.
Biting my lip, I debate what my next move will be when the ringing of my own phone startles me. My heart leaps into my throat as I grab it, rushing to the deck to avoid waking him.
As I step outside, I’m greeted by the warm night air and the soft sound of waves lapping against the stilts of the villa, filling the quiet around me. The scent of salt and sea is calming, but it does little to ease the frantic pace of my heart.
I glance at the screen. Ruairi .
“Shit,” I mutter under my breath before answering.
“Finally,” he says, his voice harsh with irritation. “You were supposed to call me hours ago.”
“I got distracted,” I reply, keeping my voice low as I lean against the railing.
“Distracted how?” he demands, the overprotective edge in his tone unmistakable.
“Relax,” I say, rolling my eyes even though he can’t see me. “I was at a beach party and lost track of time.”
He sighs. “You went dark. Anything could’ve happened.”
“But nothing did happen.” The lie slips off my tongue so easily. Something definitely did happen, and it’s currently asleep in my bed.
Ruairi is mid-lecture when I feel it—a presence behind me. My body tenses instinctively as I glance over my shoulder.
It’s him.
He’s completely naked, his body silhouetted in the moonlight, every hard line and muscle on display. His eyes are heavy-lidded, his gaze locked on mine with a heat that sends a shiver down my spine. And he’s hard. Impossibly, painfully hard.
“Everything okay?” Ruairi’s voice crackles through the phone, breaking the spell.
“Yeah,” I say, quickly turning my back to Eamon and gripping the railing tighter. “Just stubbed my toe. I’m fine.”
Eamon steps closer, his hands bracketing my hips from behind. My body betrays me instantly as heat pools low in my belly.
“It’s late, and I’m exhausted,” I tell Ruairi, my voice trembling just enough to make me wince.
“Aoife—”
“I’ll call you in the morning.” I don’t wait for a response, ending the call and tucking my phone into the pocket of my robe as Eamon presses his chest against my back.
“Making excuses, love?” he whispers, his breath warm against my ear.
“You startled me,” I reply, though my voice lacks conviction as his hands slide up my sides, his thumbs grazing the undersides of my breasts.
“Did I?” he asks, his tone teasing as he unties the robe, and it slides off my shoulders, pooling at my feet on the deck. Gently, he kicks it out of the way.
Before I can respond, Eamon spins me around, lifting me onto the railing so that I’m perched precariously, with nothing but his strength keeping me steady. The night air kisses my skin as he spreads my thighs, stepping between them with a confidence that leaves no room for hesitation.
“Someone could see us,” I say, though there’s no real protest in my voice.
His lips curl into a smile as he leans closer. “Let them.”
The heat in his voice sends a shiver through me, and I can’t help the soft laugh that escapes my lips. “Are you always this reckless?”
One hand slides to the back of my neck, holding me in place as his other grips my hip, pulling me flush against him. “Only with you.” The hard length of him presses against my center. My hands clutch his shoulders as he pushes inside me in one smooth, unrelenting motion.
The sensation steals my breath. The way he fills me is overwhelming and perfect all at once. His movements are fast and rough, each thrust driving me closer to the edge as my legs wrap around him, holding him tighter.
The gentle rhythm of the waves mingles with the cries that spill from my lips as he takes me, his pace unrelenting. His hand moves between us, his thumb finding the bundle of nerves that sends electricity shooting through my body.
“Look at me,” he growls, his voice low and commanding as he thrusts harder, deeper.
My gaze snaps to his, and the intensity in his eyes sends me over the edge, my body clenching around him as I shatter in his arms. He follows moments later, his movements faltering as his release crashes over him like a storm, raw and all-consuming.
For a moment, neither of us moves. Our bodies stay locked together, skin slick with sweat, breaths ragged and tangled in the silence. The world feels distant—like it’s paused to let us exist in this one breathless moment.
With a final brush of his lips against mine, Eamon steps back, helping me down from the railing, his hands lingering on my hips as if reluctant to let go. My legs tremble as I find my footing, my body still humming from the intensity of what just happened.
When his hands finally fall away, it’s like coming down too fast from a high I didn’t know I was chasing.
The space between us feels too wide, too cold.
There’s something about him I can’t shake.
He’s a stranger, yet it feels like he sees a part of me I’ve always kept hidden.
Like he’s touching a place I’m not sure I want exposed.
“Who are you?” I ask, the question slipping out before I can stop it.
He tilts his head slightly, his lips curving into a slow, deliberate smile. “Someone you’ll wish you never met,” he says, his voice deep and velvety. A chill skitters down my spine.
I narrow my eyes, frustration warring with the undeniable pull he has on me. “That’s not an answer.”
“It’s the truth,” he counters, stepping closer, his eyes locked onto mine. His hand lifts, his knuckles brushing against my jaw, lingering there as if daring me to push him away. “You should be running from me, Eve.”
“Yet you’re the one who can’t seem to let go,” I say my voice thick with defiance.
His smirk deepens, a dangerous glint in his eyes as his hands slide to the back of my neck, pulling me a fraction closer. “Perhaps I don’t plan to.”
The words hit harder than I expect. It’s a confession cloaked in something darker, something that sets my pulse racing all over again. I open my mouth to respond, to throw his words back at him, but nothing comes out. He’s stolen every thought, every breath, leaving me standing here, exposed.
“You don’t trust easily,” he says, his voice softer now, though no less intense. “But you let me in.”
“I wanted to see who you are when you think no one’s watching,” I counter.
He chuckles softly, the sound low and rich, his thumb brushing along my jaw. “Careful, love. You might not like what you find.”
“I’m not afraid of you,” I whisper, though the tremor in my voice betrays me.
His eyes flash with something that feels like both a warning and a promise. “We all have our demons,” he murmurs, the words a dark caress. “The real question is, what happens when they recognize each other?”