Page 92 of Lost Paradise

There are plenty of insults I can shrug off without a second thought. Criminal, punk, delinquent, even killer or murderer. But ‘ignorant’ hits differently. It implies something is fundamentally wrong in my head.

My move is so fast no one has time to stop me, and I have Eve flat on the ground with the brat rolling out of her arms and falling into hysterical crying. My hand surrounds her neck, gripping it hard.

It’s so delicate, I can break it right now.

“Don’t ever call me ignorant again.”

Hacked off to the max, my teeth grit together, and my upper lip pulls a snarl. If she wanted to test my patience, she just crossed that line.

Suddenly, a powerful force wrenches me up, a blade pressing against the scar on the back of my neck. I twist, seizing the hand, facing Jack head-on.

"I could snap your wrist,” I warn. “Drop the damn knife."

“You can’t do this, Astro. I’m stopping you from doing something you’ll regret later,” Jack retorts calmly despite my grip tightening dangerously close to breaking his bone.

My legs give way as I release, falling backward into Foster's grasp. I shove him off, but before I can retaliate, a sharp blow to my neck sends me plummeting to the ground, consciousness slipping away.

Chapter 29

I could have stoodamidst the shadows and remained concealed by the dense foliage that surrounds the exotic lagoon, except I don’t feel like it today. After Astro’s outburst earlier and Foster rendering him unconscious, he said to leave the wanker to sleep it off because he’ll wake up with a blooming hangover. It’s a really fucked situation to be in. As much as I can appreciate Astro’s company, attacking Eve as he did was uncalled for, and whatever Foster did to him served him right.

Not bothering to hide my view, I sit on the edge of the large rock next to where Eve’s left her clothes, my legs hanging above the water, and my gaze fixated on her ethereal form. She walks into the crystalline waters like a nymph born of moonlight, her alabaster skin glowing against the backdrop of verdant foliage. I watch as she dunks her head, her long, almost platinum blonde locks cascading down her back like strands of liquid silver, trailing droplets of water that glisten in the dim light surrounding the lagoon.

As she moves with a grace that seems otherworldly, my eyes trace the contours of her nude body, every curve and angle a masterpiece. Her pale round breasts and rosey pebbled nipples are buds waiting for my teeth to nibble on.

Eve’s gaze locks with mine, and I'm momentarily frozen in place, caught in the piercing intensity of her bright blue eyes. But to my surprise, there's no hint of discomfort or disdain in her expression, only a subtle amusement that sends a shiver down my spine.

How the fuck does she manage to do that to me?

Unfazed by my lingering stare, she ventures towards me. Striding confidently, her movements are fluid and graceful, like a goddess descending from her celestial realm. I can't tear my eyes away from her,transfixed by the raw beauty that emanates from her every pore, as if I've fallen under some enchantment from which there is no escape.

I do not attempt to help her climb the rocks; she seems to do it with ease, and I doubt she would even take my hand if I offered it.

"Enjoying the view?" she asks, her voice laced with sarcasm as she meets my gaze head-on.

I look up at the beauty before me; water droplets descend down her body, and I watch them run down her skin. My eyes travel down to her almost hairless slit. Her hair is so light it looks as if she hasn’t got any, and now, all I want to do is reach up and swipe my fingers to feel their silkiness and get a taste of her.

I chuckle softly, unable to suppress the truth any longer. "I suppose you could say I'm a bit of a voyeur," I confess, my tone unexpectedly candid.

"Most men would try to deny it," she observes, cocking her head to the side as she studies me intently.

“Is it bad that I enjoy watching you?”

“How much do you watch me?” she asks, avoiding my question, and I love that she stays there standing, unabashed by her nudity. I don’t try to hide the tenting going on in my trousers either.

“A lot,” I confirm. “You caught my eye from the moment I saw you waiting for the ferry to Hawthornes. I find you a person of interest. I especially love watching you fuck the others.”

She looks as if she’s slowly digesting everything I’ve just admitted, her eyes widening slightly in shock, but there's a flicker of something else—an almost imperceptible curve at the corner of her lips, a glint of intrigue in her gaze.

“Does it turn you on knowing that I enjoy watching?” I ask and wait with eagerness to see her reaction.

Her breath hitches, and for a moment, she bites her lower lip, as if savoring the confession. The shock in her eyes is now mingled with a dark, almost playful curiosity.

“Is it me or the others that turn you on?”

“I hold no secrets, Wildcat. I’ve been with men in the past, but my preference is for women. I’m not attracted to any of the men on this island. You caught my eye, and I haven’t let go.” I stare at her, wondering what her thoughts are at this exact moment.

"Most women would find your voyeurism creepy," she adds with a wry smile, her eyes sparkling with curiosity, yet nothing I’ve admitted seems to phase her much.

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