9. Eamon
Eamon
She stays in my arms for a few moments, her body soft and relaxed against mine.
It’s a sensation I can’t quite describe.
Comfort, maybe, but also something deeper, something I’ve never felt with any other woman.
Usually, once it’s over, I’m already thinking about what comes next, about moving on. Instead, my mind is quiet—content.
Eventually, she shifts, leaning back against the lounger, her hair a wild mess that somehow makes her look even more beautiful. I grab the blanket draped over the chair and settle it over us, the night air cooling slightly. “I’m starving,” she finally says, breaking the silence.
I glance at her, smiling. “Didn’t the five-star dinner at the sandbar do it for you?”
“It did,” she admits with a laugh. “But that feels like hours ago. Plus, I’ve worked up an appetite.”
She shoots me a playful look, and I can’t help but laugh. “Alright, what are you in the mood for?”
“Something easy,” she says, shrugging. “Pizza, maybe?”
“Pizza?” I echo, arching a brow. “Here?”
“Don’t tell me you’re too sophisticated for pizza,” she teases, her green eyes sparkling.
“I didn’t say that,” I reply, pulling out my phone to order. “But I’m pretty sure the resort doesn’t have a greasy takeaway menu lying around.”
“Then you’re not looking hard enough,” she quips.
I call room service, asking for their best attempt at pizza and a bottle of wine. By the time I hang up, Eve has folded the blanket and is leaning against the doorway, her arms loosely crossed and a knowing smile playing on her lips.
“You’re quick to take charge,” she says, her voice edged with challenge.
I step closer, drawn in by the way her gaze holds mine. “Is that a complaint?”
“Not yet,” she replies, her smile widening. “But I’m trying to figure out if you’re always this decisive.”
I stop a few inches from her, letting my eyes roam over her face before meeting her gaze again. “When it comes to getting what I want, yeah.”
Her green eyes sparkle. “And what exactly do you want?”
“You’ll figure it out, Eve. I’m good at making things obvious.”
“Is that your idea of seduction?”
I lean in, my voice dropping low. “If I were trying to seduce you, you’d already know.”
Her composure falters for just a moment before she recovers. “You talk a big game.”
I chuckle softly, the sound rumbling between us. “I don’t play games,” I say, my voice a quiet promise. “And I don’t stop until I win.”
Her cheeks flush, but her defiance remains. “Lucky for you, I’m not the kind to walk away from a challenge.”
I grin, stepping even closer, close enough to feel the heat of her body. “Good,” I murmur. “Because I’m just getting started.”
Eve’s lips part slightly, and for a moment, the space between us feels electric.
“Is that so?” she purrs and slides her hands up my chest, her fingers trailing deliberately slow until they reach the collar of my shirt.
She tugs me down just enough to bring her lips to my ear.
“Prove it,” she whispers, her breath warm against my skin.
Before I can react, she presses a fleeting kiss to the corner of my mouth, a tease, a challenge, and then steps away, brushing past me as her fingers trail down my arm. She pauses at the doorway to the bedroom, her gaze lingering on me with a wicked glint in her eyes before disappearing inside.
I exhale slowly as I pour myself a glass of water, letting the cool liquid chase away the fire she ignited. But when she steps back out, all rational thought vanishes.
Eve’s changed into tiny shorts that cling to her hips, her legs on full display like a fucking invitation. Her half-shirt rides up just enough to tease a glimpse of her toned stomach. The fabric clings to the curve of her breasts, daring me to look and making it impossible not to.
My body reacts instantly, heat surging low in my gut, my blood thrumming with the kind of need that demands release. I grip the glass in my hand tighter, the condensation slick against my skin, as I fight the urge to close the distance between us and pin her against the nearest wall.
She moves with an easy confidence, her every step a slow torment. The way her hips sway, the way her hair tumbles over her shoulders. Everything about her seems designed to undo me.
And the worst part? She has to know. She must see the way my eyes follow her, the way my body reacts in her presence. Or maybe she doesn’t, and that thought alone drives me even closer to the edge.
A sharp chime breaks the moment, and I snap my head toward the door. Damn room service again.
“Saved by the bell,” she teases.
I grunt, straightening and running a hand through my hair as I move to answer the door. A young attendant wheels in a tray topped with two pizzas and a bottle of wine. He glances once at Eve, his gaze lingering a fraction too long on her bare legs and my body tenses.
Another one . It’s the same as yesterday.
The same lingering look that stirs something dark and territorial in me.
If every man here keeps staring at her like that, I might have to start making examples.
I can’t kill every bastard on this island before we leave, but the thought isn’t entirely unappealing.
“Right there,” I say, my voice clipped as I gesture toward the table.
He places the tray carefully, muttering a polite, “Enjoy your meal,” before retreating. My eyes follow him until the door closes, the tension in my chest easing once he’s gone.
“Territorial, are we?” Eve quips from behind me, her green eyes bright with amusement as she saunters over to the table.
Grabbing the wine, I pop the cork. “Just making sure people know their place.”
“Mhmm,” she hums, picking up a slice of pizza and taking a bite, her expression turning blissful. “You might have just earned a few points with this.”
“Only a few?” I ask, pouring two glasses and handing her one as she settles onto the plush sofa.
She grins, patting the cushion beside her. “Guess you’ll have to work for the rest.”
I shake my head and sit next to her. The pizza isn’t half bad, but the way she digs into it, making a satisfied hum, makes it taste even better.
“See?” she says, pointing a slice at me. “Pizza solves everything.”
I chuckle, shaking my head. “I’ll give you that one.”
While we’re eating, Eve grabs the remote and begins searching the guide on the big-screen television. “Do you watch movies?” she asks, scrolling through the options.
“Not often,” I admit, leaning back and nursing my glass of wine.
She pauses, glancing over her shoulder at me. “What kind of person doesn’t watch movies?”
“The kind with a lot of responsibilities,” I say. “But I’ll let you pick.”
“Careful,” she warns. “I could make you sit through a rom-com.”
“Try it,” I say, my tone low, teasing. “And I’ll make you regret it.”
She laughs, finally settling on a classic action movie. “Compromise,” she says, tucking her feet under her.
She dims the lights as the movie starts, and I expect my mind to wander back to work, back to the Callahan’s, back to anything but this moment.
But it doesn’t. Instead, I find myself drawn to her laugh, the way she reacts to the explosions on the screen, and her teasing commentary about the absurdity of the plot.
At some point, she leans into me, her head resting on my shoulder. It feels natural, her warmth seeping into me as I drape an arm around her.
“You’re quiet,” she says softly, glancing up at me.
“I’m just enjoying the moment,” I reply.
Her lips curve into a small smile, one that feels more genuine than anything I’ve seen from her before. “You’re full of surprises, you know that?”
“You’ve mentioned,” I say, smirking.
Halfway through, her phone buzzes on the table. She picks it up, shielding the screen slightly as she unlocks it. Her expression softens almost immediately, her lips tugging into a small, wistful smile as she scrolls through whatever has her attention.
I glance over. “Should I be jealous?”
“It’s just some family stuff,” she says quickly, locking the screen and setting the phone down.
Eve doesn’t elaborate, but her mind seems elsewhere now, her gaze distant even as she leans into me.
“What’d I miss?” she asks, nodding toward the screen.
“Explosions. Car chases. The usual,” I reply, studying her for a moment before turning back to the movie.
What are you hiding, Eve? Before we leave this island, I plan to unravel all your secrets.