Chapter 29
Twenty-Nine
CALLUM
T he little pout on Evie’s face as she chops ingredients for dinner tonight pushes a smile up on mine. I jot down the metrics from the weather for this week, scanning the pattern that cycles through the spring and summer seasons.
She’s been pissy at me all day.
I know why.
Arrogance personified is a man who thinks he understands the workings of a woman’s mind. But I’d hedge a bet it’s because I left her teetering on the precipice of oblivion and left her there to fend for herself while I took what I wanted. Well, almost.
Or it could be the fact she’s finally realized this shouldn’t have happened. We shouldn’t have got this far.
Even making her promise me she’ll leave and have a big, beautiful life doesn’t seem like enough. I won’t believe I’ve done the right thing by her until she leaves and doesn’t come back. I know how it sounds—McCreary, the martyr.
Perhaps it makes me that.
Or it allows her to not have to choose something she will regret down the line. It’s not like I’ll ever leave this floating rock. Another life for me wasn’t available when the fates were assigned. Sometimes I think about it, leaving. Traveling to the motherland. Finding my family. Seeing the world.
The promise I made her give me is my gift to her.
Freedom .
You know what they say about love something, set it free and all that damn bullshit. I see the merit in it now. And am acutely aware that I do.
Love her, that is.
I shouldn’t.
I don’t want to.
I don’t want her to carry that burden.
There is a sliver of selfishness that wishes she would stay. Where Evie decides the rest of the world isn’t worth the hassle and stays put here with me.
I’m hopeless when it comes to the quiet little woman who showed up at my slip, carry-on in hand, confusion written all over her beautiful fucking face.
I tried to stay away. Truly, I did.
Slamming the book closed, I run my hands through my hair.
The knife that’s been chopping furiously stops. I swing my gaze to the kitchen to find her chewing that damn bottom lip like she already holds all the worries of the world.
Another reminder she should be living her life, happy and free. Her best life is not on this island. I push out of the sofa and toss the book to the coffee table. “Going to the lantern room.”
I tread the stairs, needing to be anywhere but looking at her pretty face, wanting to envelop her in my hold if only to erase the worry that’s gnawing at her lush bottom lip.
By the time I reach the top of the house, I’m goddamn hard.
It’s too much.
She’s too much.
I fling the maintenance cupboard open and pull out the polishing cloths and the glass cleaner and get to work. The soft cloth works the glass panes over, not leaving any streaks. I let the rhythmic, methodical pattern of the polishing take me out of my head.
The sun is lowering as I give the lantern room a third round of arm-aching, completely unnecessary finishing touches.
A knock taps on the door to the room.
I suck in a breath before letting out a sigh. “Yeah?”
Without a word, Evie pushes through the door. She’s in her sundress, her once pale skin is now sun-kissed, her cheeks blushing with color. She’s stunning.
The way she looks at me . . .
A tangle of desperation and determination.
Nothing like the meek girl who stepped onto my boat almost nine months ago.
Up here, she glows. The sun lights up her dark hair, giving it a golden halo as deep browns study my face. The Fresnel’s got nothing on my Evie.
My heart explodes inside my rib cage, its ragged pieces splattered against the cavity.
God, I need her so bad the ache could kill me.
I am well aware it absolutely will, the day she leaves.
Evie isn’t like Ava. This isn’t like last time. Last time was friends, then lust, to lovers.
Not this.
This is soul-achingly, heartbreakingly deep. When her hands cup my jaw and heat swells in my chest, my lungs burn.
“Breathe, Cal. Please.”
I choke through a raw sound. “Fuck, Evie.”
“Why did you make me make that stupid promise?”
“You’ll figure it out one day, baby girl.”
“What if I break it?” The words are so gentle.
“Don’t, please? That would . . .”
Make me a whole man again. Make me the happiest man alive.
Me.
Me.
Me.
Fucking hell.
I’m not that man anymore. Haven’t been for years.
“Just don’t,” I repeat.
“Okay,” she says, scrunching her face. “But.” She studies my eyes, like there is something she needs to know that I’m not saying.
“Give me one last time. P-pl-lease?” The word breaks, and the tears welling in her eyes with the last phrase spill over.
She forces a smile, her hands on my face trembling.
I stand, shoulders heaving. Heart breaking.
I grab her face and smash my mouth to hers, and I’m intoxicated within less than a second of touching her.
She whimpers with the groan I loose into her mouth, as if this is hurting her as much as it is me.
I manhandle her to my hips. Spinning around, I plant her on the edge of the lamp’s platform.
Fine hands tug at my work shirt, the buttons pop, and my T-shirt underneath is all I have on a heartbeat later. I pull at her clothes, hauling the cotton dress down at the sweetheart neckline until one full, perfect-as-fuck breast spills over.
No bra.
Maybe . . .
I run a hand up her thigh and when I don’t find material, I can’t restrain the growl ripping past my lips. “Fucking hell, baby girl.”
“The last pair are in shreds. I can’t lose any more.” The prettiest smile blooms over her face.
“Christ, Evie. You don’t make this easy for me.”
She spreads her legs. “Easy is the idea, Cal.”
My forehead hits hers as I struggle to catch my next breath. I slip two fingers inside her. She’s absolutely soaked and so damn tight.
“How long have you been downstairs thinking about this?” I ask, curling my digits forward.
Her back arches, head falling back onto the Fresnel.
“A while . . .” The syllables are breathy.
I clasp my lips around one delicious damn nipple, and she opens further for me.
“Good girl. I want to see you come on my face, on my fingers, and on my cock. If this is our last time, it’s going to be fucking perfect.”
“Fuc—per—oh . . . god.”
She comes, hard. Gripping waves quiver over my fingers. I pump in a rough rhythm, watching her beautiful face wreck right in front of me.
On a pant, her pretty pink tongue pokes out as she wets her bottom lip. That gorgeous thing will be in my dreams for years, I’ve never been so sure of anything in my life.
She grabs my face as she straightens and moves off the lamp, her mouth finding mine. My little woman is so wound up.
I didn’t stand a damn chance.
Her tongue slides inside my mouth and I battle for control. Who am I kidding? When it comes to Eve Holland, I have none.
Fingers traveling the contours of her collarbones, neck and jaw, I draw her attention.
As she breaks at the kiss, I pull her onto my hips.
Cycling through ragged breaths, she stares at me like I could disappear at any second and she is dreading the moment.
With one foot, I turn over the wooden crate housing a few spare rags and brushes.
They clatter to the floor as the upturned crate settles.
I sit on the crate and deposit her on my lap. “Here do, baby girl?” My words are soft.
They take her by surprise. She’s used to rough Cal. Grumpy lighthouse keeper.
Not this time.
There’s no place for anything but me loving on this woman right now.
I flip the sundress up and knead her ass. She rocks in my lap, her wetness soaking through my pants as she rubs her sweet pussy along my aching cock.
Lightning floods every nerve as she bends down and nips my neck, dusting kisses up toward my jaw. Teeth close around my pounding pulse, so light it razes me to the ground. Her tenderness. Her tender heart, putting mine back together.
“Stay right here,” Evie breathes against my ear. “Stay with me, here.”
“Not going anywhere, baby girl.”
Her hands wander until the button on my pants pops and she is desperately tugging at them.
I rise and set her on her feet. When I’m naked as the day I came into this life and she is standing bared before me, I settle back on the crate.
She takes a slow, small step toward me. My mouth aches to savor those dusky nipples.
Cock so fucking hard it’s painful, I wait through each small step she takes.
Drawing it out like she knows it’s our last time.
Like a weapon she can wield against me.
Her legs straddle my lap, still standing, and I run my hands over her hips, leaning down and kissing her belly. Her fingers weave through my hair as I dip and swirl my tongue over her clit, digging into my scalp.
Fuck me, Evie.
I was born to love you, woman. I could spend the rest of my days like this.
The taste of her.
The feel of her.
Every tiny fucking sweet sound that slips through those pretty damn lips...
The last of the light slips away outside, and I lift one elegant, long leg to drape it over my shoulder.
“Cal,” she breathes. One hand moves to my other shoulder as she steadies herself. I dive in, desperate to devour her. To suck, to devastate her pussy. I want to have her on my tongue. A permanent imprint of her taste I can’t wash off.
I tug at her sweet little nub with my teeth and then suckle the burn I created.
She shakes, balancing on one foot.
“Heavens, how do—” Her words dissolve into the sweetest little mewl.
I trace a finger around her entrance. I want to be deep inside this pussy.
I want her to watch me slide into her, slow and deep.
I suckle her clit, sliding one finger inside.
Her hips wriggle in protest of the lack of digits.
But I plan on fucking her so thoroughly, she won’t get the memory of us out of her head. Ever.
Her grip on my shoulder wavers, and I slip her leg down and pull her onto my lap. Breathless, she moves for my mouth.
I lean back a little. “Watch, baby.”
She swallows, and her gaze drops.
I lift her hips, and she lines my cock to her entrance. Her fine fingers wrapped around my aching shaft is almost too much. Once I’m notched at her entrance, I groan. “Down, baby girl. Slow. Look at us.”
The slow, agonizing stroke it takes to get me deep inside her rips the last shred of control from me.
“Christ,” I growl.
“I love that,” she rasps. “Do it again.”
On the edge of blowing my load on the second thrust, I distract myself with her addictive flesh.
I suck a nipple into my mouth as she rises, and my cock pulses.
Threatening to betray me in the worst way possible.
No way is this going to be over in a few minutes.
If this is our last time, we’re going to take all damn night.
My cock slips from her pussy, and I groan. Fuck that. Not being inside this incredible woman is a place I don’t want to be.
“Baby, that ain’t gonna work for me. I can’t do without you.”
I’m fucking desperate .
The cool ocean breeze winds through the slatted, round enclosure. The stars outside blanket the dark sky before I realize the lamp is about to beam to life.
Fuck.
I can’t move.
I don’t want to.
The whir and click of the automated lamp system starts up.
“What the?” Evie turns her head toward the light, and I catch her face in my hands just in time. Like a moth to a flame. I can’t remember a person who’s been up here and been able to resist a glance. It’s like telling someone not to look at the sun.
Light blasts room, oscillating on its axis.
“Oh! Oh my god, that’s amazing.”
“Keep your eyes on me, baby girl. Don’t look at it.” I chuckle, dipping my head to hide from the light as it comes around. With Evie’s back to the light, I can hide from its beam in her shadow.
Analyze that one, McCreary.
“The stars disappear every time it comes around,” she says, fascinated.
“That’s not the most amazing thing about this old lantern room, baby.”
She huffs a breathy laugh as if remembering what we were doing before the lamp came on.
Lowering herself slower than I can handle, she whispers, “Where were we?”
“You trying to kill me with a slow, sweet death.”
“Ditto, grumpy old lighthouse keeper.”
I chuckle and slap her ass, hard.
She jerks over my lap with the impact. “Ah!”
I raise an eyebrow. She liked that.
Fuck, I did, too. The way she jolted on my cock when my hand connected with her ass.
“Do it again,” she begs.
I slap her ass hard. A whimper spills from her lips as she rocks forward.
Fuck me, it takes everything I have to not come.
“Baby, as much as I love this for us, the lantern room isn’t where we want to be right now.”
“Where will you take me, Mr. McCreary?”
I huff a sound. “Now, I sound old.”
The cheekiest smile grows on her face, but when she wriggles those damn hips, the insult fades. My needy cock throbs inside her, threatening to send me over the edge at any second.
“We’re going downstairs,” I grumble.
Pushing to my feet, I hold her on my waist. Leaving our clothes behind, I tread the winding stairs until I make the ground level. A handful of heartbeats later, I deposit Evie on the kitchen table.
And fuck, if this angle isn’t the best view I’ve ever seen.
Still inside her, I tug her to the edge of the table. The old wooden piece groans and wobbles. Now her gaze drops to where mine is stuck. The place where we are joined. Her perfect glistening pussy, my engorged cock sunk deep, like it fucking belongs there.
“God, we are beautiful,” she pants, a fine hand exploring the sensitive skin where she’s wrapped around my cock. She runs a finger over one side of her entrance, and a moan slips out. Her fingers travel, sliding under my balls.
I grind out a growl. “Baby girl . . .”
“You like that?”
“Turn a man feral . . .”
She huffs a low sound.
“I wan—I need to see you slamming into me.”
I haul her up toward me and crash my mouth over hers as I push in deep.
Letting her settle around my girth. Breaking away, I press her down to the wooden surface, one hand on her chest. I slam into her, hard.
Fast. She breaks under the heel of my hand, her cries tumbling from her mouth as her pussy clenches down.
Back arching, she comes, milking me in waves. I lift her up. “See me fill this perfect pussy, Evie baby.”
“Cal . . .”
I thunder into her. Harder than I should. The table scrapes along the floor, and she grips the edges as she tightens around me again. I drop my head, plucking her nipple between my teeth. I’ll make this woman come as many times as I can. Fuck, the way she tightens for me every damn time.
Fucking bliss.
One thumb circling her clit, I suck her peak hard. She bucks on the table, crying out as she clamps down in a vice grip.
“Fu-uck!” I roar, spilling. Hot ropes shoot deep into her, claiming this lithe, beautiful body as mine.
Owning her.
Never before was a man so delusional.