Page 8 of Owning Eva

He steps closer, his expression shifting from playful to something darker, more intense. The laughter dies in my throat as he closes the distance between us, his towering frame casting a shadow over me.

“You’re full of surprises, Carter,” he murmurs in a low voice.

I swallow hard, my heart hammering in my chest. “So are you, Jackson.”

For a moment, we just stand there, the world around us quiet except for the faint sound of the others on the hill. His gaze drops to my lips, and my breath catches.

Before he can do anything—or before I can figure out if I want him to—Emily calls my name from the top of the hill.

“Eva! You coming or what?”

I take a step back, breaking the spell. “I should—”

“Go,” he says, his voice softer now. But the heat in his eyes doesn’t fade as I turn and walk away.

Eight

Eli

I step into my room after dinner. Outside, the snow keeps falling, blanketing the world in white. Inside, it’s all warmth—dim light, the crackle of the fireplace, and the faint scent of cedar. It should feel comforting, peaceful.

Instead, it’s fucking suffocating.

I can’t sit still. Every part of me is wired too tight, and I know exactly why.

Eva Carter.

She’s in my head, under my skin, fucking everywhere. The way she laughed earlier made me want to hear her do it over and over again. The way she gave back as good as she got in that snowball fight, knowing damn well I was close to pinning her to a tree just to see if her breathless teasing would turn into a gasp.

And at dinner? That look she gave me from across the table, like she didn’t know if she wanted to run or crawl into my lap? It’s driving me fucking insane. She’s got this mix of confidence and shyness that makes me want to strip her bare just to see which one wins out.

I rake a hand through my hair, pacing the room. My phone buzzes on the nightstand, and I grab it, needing the distraction.

Russo:Drinks in the lounge, sunshine.

I huff out a laugh. Kid talks too much, but at least it’s something to pull me out of my head.

Me:On my way.

* * *

The lounge is loud when I walk in, the pool table packed. The guys talking shit as usual.

Someone hands me a cue stick. “You ready to get your ass handed to you, Jackson?”

I grab the stick, smirking. “Let’s see what you got.”

I feel myself relax a little. It’s easier to be here, hanging out with my brothers, than sitting upstairs, picturing Eva wrapped up in that sweater, looking so damn soft I wanted to pull her into my lap right there at the table.

“Yo, Jackson.” Our goalie, Dax, snaps his fingers in front of my face. “Earth to the Blizzard. You gonna shoot, or you too busy daydreaming?”

I line up my shot, sinking the ball with practiced ease. “I could beat you in my sleep, dipshit.”

It gets a laugh, but my mind is still not entirely here. Because no matter how much I try, my thoughts keep drifting back to Eva.

* * *

I’m halfway to the lounge, still trying to shake the tension that’s been building all night, when Liam catches up to me. He’sholding two drinks and wearing a knowing smirk that makes me want to punch him in the face.

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