Page 68 of Lost Paradise

With a resigned sigh, I steel myself for what needs to be done. As their leader, it's not just about keeping them safe; it's about guiding them, even when they refuse to see reason. Even if it means dragging them, kicking and screaming, away from the edge of disaster.

I break into a sprint, closing the distance between us in quick strides. Just as Eve turns to confront me, I act on instinct, disarming her with one swift motion and hoisting her over my shoulder before she can protest. After handing the spears to Zane, I directed everyone back to camp.

“Put me down, you imbecile!” Her voice is a mixture of anger and resentment, the sound echoing through the dense foliage of the jungle.

“Not a chance, darling,” I reply, my tone laced with a hint of amusement as I jog through the tangled undergrowth, her thrashing attempts to escape only serving to deepen the lines of frustration etched on my brow.

“I swear, Foster, I’m going to make you suffer.” Eve's threat hangs in the air between us, a reminder of the precarious balance between duty and defiance that defines our relationship.

“If it means ensuring your safety, then I’d suffer twice over.” I retort, my voice tight with frustration, my heartheavy with the weight of our argument.

“This is demeaning,” she spits out, her voice dripping with resentment

“It was demeaning the moment you decided to defy my leadership,” I shoot back, my tone harsh with the sting of betrayal. “I’d take the males down in a heartbeat, but you, as my lover, will get a different treatment.”

“Fuck you, Foster.” Her words are a venomous hiss, but beneath the anger, I can hear the fear, the uncertainty that clouds her usually fierce demeanor.

“Gladly, darling,” I reply, my voice softer now, “but now isn’t the time for it. If Astro has been kidnapped, we need to plan a rescue for him.”

“Please don’t keep me locked out of the group like some damsel in distress. I don’t want to be that girl. I’ve been wrapped up in cotton wool my whole life because of what I was born into, but I hated it.” As Eve's words cut through the thick jungle air, I feel a pang of guilt clawing at my insides, gnawing away at my resolve. Her plea is raw, unfiltered, and filled with a vulnerability I hadn't anticipated. “I don’t want to despise you, Foster. I want to love you, praise you for seeing me differently.”

Her words hang in the air between us, heavy with emotion, and for a moment, I'm rendered speechless. The weight of her honesty threatens to crush me, to suffocate me with the enormity of her revelation.

But rather than question it, I remain silent, my jaw clenched tight, my heart pounding a frantic rhythm in my chest. My steps never falter as I carry Eve through the dense jungle, her protests ringing in my ears like a relentless drumbeat of defiance.

As soon as we hit close to base, I let Eve down, expecting relief to flood through me at the cessation of her struggles. But before I can even take a breath, her hand connects with my cheek in a sharp, stinging slap. The force of it catches me off guard, my head snapping to the side with the impact.

Instinctively, I react, seizing her wrist in a vice-like grip and pinning her against the nearest tree. My heart pounds in my chest, a mixture of adrenaline and anger coursing through my veins as I tower over her, my body radiating with tension.

Thankfully, the others aren’t here yet to witness it.

"As your leader," I growl, my voice low and dangerous, "you are to obey my demands. Slap me again, and I'll have you tied up." My words hang in the air, heavy with the weight of their implication.

I can feel the tension crackling between us, the heat of our bodies pressed close in the dim light of the camp. With each breath, I can sense the defiance radiating off her in waves, but I refuse to back down. Not now, not when the safety of the group hangs in the balance.

"Just remember what you told me," I continue, my grip tightening on her wrists as I lean in closer, my breath hot against her skin. "We're no longer part of a civilized world. The rules and regulations we once hid behind don't apply here.

“If you’re expecting first-class treatment because of who your parents are, you can fucking forget it. That shit does not relate here or with me anymore.”

I can see the flicker of uncertainty in her eyes, the realization dawning on her that our reality has shifted, that survival in this unforgiving wilderness demands a different set of rules.

"Make sure you heed your own advice when addressing me in front of the others," I add, my voice softening slightly with a hint of warning. "When we're alone, do as you like. But you will never undermine my authority again."

As I gaze into Eve's eyes, searching for any sign of understanding, her expression remains inscrutable, a mask of unreadable emotions. The tension between us sizzles like electricity, thickening the air with anticipation and uncertainty.

In a sudden surge of impulse, I lean forward, closing the distance between us in a heartbeat. Our lips meet in a fierce, passionate kiss, a collision of desire and longing that leaves me breathless. For a moment, the world falls away, leaving only the heat of her lips against my own, the press of her body against mine.

Eve doesn't fight or push me away; instead, she responds with equal enthusiasm, her body melding seamlessly into me as if we were made for each other. In that moment, everything else fades into insignificance, leaving only the two of us bound together by the intensity of our connection.

Pulling away, I catch my breath, my chest heaving with the force of my emotions. "I only want to love you too, Eve," I murmur, my voice raw with sincerity. "And because of that, expect my possessive, caveman-like tendencies. I won't wrap you up in cotton wool, but I willprotect you with my life if I have to because, without you, there is no me."

The weight of my words hangs in the air between us, a silent promise of devotion and unwavering loyalty.

“Okay.”

Her simple response catches me off guard, the weight of her words sinking in like heavy stones settling in the pit of my stomach.

“Okay?” I repeat, my voice tinged with disbelief and a hint of hope.

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