Page 18 of Owning Eva

The lodge is quiet in the early morning. Outside, the snow sparkles under the soft light, and inside, the fire crackles in the hearth. It’s peaceful, but my mind is anything but.

I’m pacing the library, clutching my coffee mug like it’s a lifeline, trying to make sense of the swirl of emotions that won’t leave me alone.

Last night was… everything. Eli’s kiss, the way he touched me like I was the only thing that mattered—it’s been replaying in my head on a loop.

But the doubts are still there, whispering that this is too much, too fast. That someone like Eli—someone who moves through life with that raw, obsessive certainty—can’t be real.

The door creaks, and I glance up, my stomach flipping when I see him. Eli stands in the doorway, his broad frame silhouetted against the morning light. He’s wearing a black hoodie and jeans, the casual look doing nothing to diminish the overwhelming intensity he brings into every room.

“You’re up early,” he says, stepping inside.

“So are you.”

He shrugs, closing the door behind him. “Couldn’t sleep.”

I raise an eyebrow. “Restless?”

“No,” he says, his dark eyes locking onto mine. “Thinking about you.”

I swallow hard, my pulse quickening as he walks closer. He moves like he’s stalking prey, deliberate and unhurried, but his eyes burn with something that makes me feel like I’m already caught.

“You keep running,” he says, his voice low, rough. “And every time, I let you because I figure you’ll stop when you’re ready. But now…” He stops just in front of me, his broad shoulders towering over me. “I need to know what’s going on in that pretty head of yours, darling.”

I look away, my chest tightening. “It’s not that simple.”

“Then explain it to me,” he says, his tone softer now. “Because I don’t think I can stand another second of not knowing where I stand with you.”

His honesty catches me off guard, and for a moment, all I can do is stare at him. He looks almost vulnerable, which is ridiculous for a man like him. But it’s there—in the way his jaw tightens, how his hands clench at his sides like he’s barely holding himself together.

“I’m scared,” I admit, my voice barely above a whisper. “You’re so… sure. About everything. About me. And I don’t know how to deal with that.”

His eyes soften, but his intensity doesn’t waver. “Eva, I’ve never been sure about anything in my life until you walked into it.”

I let out a shaky breath, my heart pounding. “That’s what scares me. It’s too much.”

“Too much?” He takes a step closer, his voice dropping. “I’ll show you what too much looks like, Eva. I’ll give you everythingI have, and then some, because you’re it for me. There’s no halfway with this. With us.”

The conviction in his voice makes my knees weak. I want to believe him, but the doubts are still there, lingering like shadows.

“What if I’m not enough?” I ask, my voice trembling.

His expression hardens, his jaw clenching as he cups my face in his hands. “Don’t you ever say that again,” he growls. “You’re fucking everything.”

Before I can respond, his lips crash on mine, stealing the air from my lungs. The kiss is raw, hungry, all-consuming, like he’s pouring every unspoken word into it.

I gasp against his delicious mouth as his hands slide to my waist, pulling me against his broad chest. He’s all heat and strength, and I can feel the tension in his body, like he’s barely holding himself back.

“If you don’t want this, tell me to stop now,” Eli murmurs against my lips in a rough, breathless voice .

But I don’t. Instead, I pull him closer, my fingers tangling in his thick hair as I kiss him back with everything I have.

It’s a blur of heat and need as he lifts me effortlessly, setting me on the edge of the desk behind me. His hands roam over my curves, worshiping every inch of me, and I lose myself in the way he makes me feel—wanted, cherished, adored.

“Mine,” he growls, his lips trailing down my neck. “Every part of you is mine, Eva.”

“Yes,” I whisper, the word spilling out before I can stop it. “I’m yours.”

The sound he makes is feral, animalistic as he takes a step back to lock the library door with a loud click that breaks through the silence that’s only filled by our heavy breathing. And next thing I know, his hands are slipping under the hem of my shirt, lifting it up and over my head.

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