Page 8 of Bound By Darkness

“You feel fucking incredible,” I growl, sliding a hand up the curve of her back.My fingers thread through her hair, gripping just enough to tilt her head back as I drive into her, each thrust harder and deeper than the last.

Her body trembles, the tight heat of her pulsing around me as her climax builds.I reach around to stroke her, my fingers finding the spot that makes her cry out.

She shatters beneath me, her release hitting her with a force that leaves her gasping, her body clenching around me.The sensation of her, the way she feels, and the way she sounds push me closer to the edge.With a few more erratic thrusts, the tension inside me snaps.My release crashes over me like a storm as I bury myself deep, whispering her name like a vow.

For a moment, the room is filled with nothing but the sound of our ragged breathing, the quiet rush of waves outside the villa the only reminder that the rest of the world still exists.Slowly, I pull out and collapse onto my back beside her.

She doesn’t move at first, her chest rising and falling as she catches her breath.Then she shifts, turning her head to look at me.Her green eyes, still dark with satisfaction, meet mine, and for the first time, I see something I can’t place.Something that digs under my skin and refuses to let go.

Eve’s just unraveled me in a way I’ve never experienced.I know nothing about her other than her first name, yet I feel like I’ve been searching for her my entire life.

And that thought terrifies me.

Who the hell is this woman?And why can’t I look away?

Aoife

I’ve hookedup with men before, but I’ve never taken them back to my room.Never allowed them to sleep in my bed.It’s reckless.But I couldn’t stop myself.

Why this man?Who is he?

The question plays in my mind as I stare at him, sprawled across my sheets like he owns the place, his chest rising and falling in the steady rhythm of sleep.The moonlight streaming through the window casts soft shadows across his sharp features.For a moment, I can almost forget how dangerous this feels.Almost.

Carefully, I ease out from under his arm and slide out of bed.My feet are silent on the cool tiled floor.Slipping into my silk robe, I cinch it at the waist, then glance over my shoulder.He’s still asleep, breaths deep and steady, sprawled across the sheets like sin in human form.

As I move toward the chair, my eyes catch on his clothes.Earlier, he folded them with deliberate precision, as if he hadn’t just fucked me in the shower with the kind of hunger that leaves bruises.It should’ve been endearing.Instead, it twists something deep in my gut, a knot of suspicion I don’t care to examine.

A quick search of his pocket turns up nothing—no wallet, no clues.Then, my gaze shifts to his phone lying on a nearby table.Bingo.I swipe the screen, but of course, it’s locked.

Biting my lip, I debate what my next move will be when the ringing of my own phone startles me.My heart leaps into my throat as I grab it, rushing to the deck to avoid waking him.

As I step outside, I’m greeted by the warm night air and the soft sound of waves lapping against the stilts of the villa, filling the quiet around me.The scent of salt and sea is calming, but it does little to ease the frantic pace of my heart.

I glance at the screen.Ruairi.

“Shit,” I mutter under my breath before answering.

“Finally,” he says, his voice harsh with irritation.“You were supposed to call me hours ago.”

“I got distracted,” I reply, keeping my voice low as I lean against the railing.

“Distracted how?”he demands, the overprotective edge in his tone unmistakable.

“Relax,” I say, rolling my eyes even though he can’t see me.“I was at a beach party and lost track of time.”

He sighs.“You went dark.Anything could’ve happened.”

“But nothing did happen.”The lie slips off my tongue so easily.Something definitely did happen, and it’s currently asleep in my bed.

Ruairi is mid-lecture when I feel it—a presence behind me.My body tenses instinctively as I glance over my shoulder.

It’s him.

He’s completely naked, his body silhouetted in the moonlight, every hard line and muscle on display.His eyes are heavy-lidded, his gaze locked on mine with a heat that sends a shiver down my spine.And he’s hard.Impossibly, painfully hard.

“Everything okay?”Ruairi’s voice crackles through the phone, breaking the spell.

“Yeah,” I say, quickly turning my back to Eamon and gripping the railing tighter.“Just stubbed my toe.I’m fine.”

---