"We're almost there," Oak says, nodding up ahead."Almost where?" I ask.He smiles at it is one of the most beautiful scenes I've ever seen. "You'll see.""Wow," I gasp as we come to the edge of a stream with a waterfall that is entirely encased in ice. It's one of the most breathtaking things I've ever seen, frozen in time as it was flowing over the rocks.Oak nods. "It's beautiful, isn't it?"I nod and then look at him. "I thought you said you don't have time to venture into the woods. So, how did you find it?""I may have told a little white lie." There's a glint in his eyes. "To be honest, you drove me so crazy I just wanted you to stop talking."I punch him in the arm. "That's not very nice."He grabs my wrist and yanks me against him. "Not because I didn't want to hear you speak, but I was hard around you from the day we fucking met." His warm breath falls on my face as he closes the gap between us. "Everything you did made me want you more, Eva, especially after I'd had to help
"I'm stuffed," I say as I set down my knife and fork, leaning back in the chair.Oak chuckles. "We're going to be eating a lot of turkey for the next week."I scrunch up my nose. "I'm not sure I can stomach anymore for a year," I say, looking at the food we've just eaten.He shakes his head and stands, clearing the dishes off the table to put them in the washer.I help, grabbing the leftovers and taking them to the far counter. "Where do you keep your Tupperware?" I ask.He signals to a drawer on my right, and I pull it out, fishing out and boxing up the leftovers to put in the fridge. Once we've cleared everything away, he looks at me with that all too familiar hungry expression."What are you thinking?" I ask.He walks toward me, closing the gap between us. "I'm thinking that this day has been perfect, but there's one way to make it better."The air escapes my lungs as he yanks me against his hard, muscled chest. "How?" I ask.He leans down and whispers in my ear, "If you let me str
At first, it hurts like hell, as his cock is so hard it feels like he has shoved an iron rod inside of me. "Fuck," he breathes, his voice so husky my thighs tremble. "That feels so damn good." He moves forward another inch and groans. "Looks so damn good."I glance at him over my shoulder, and he smirks. "You've taken every fucking inch."It's hard to believe as I enjoy the unbelievably full sensation deep inside of me. "It feels... good," I say.He growls and grabs my hips. "Tell me if it hurts too much," he grinds out behind closed teeth before pulling his cock back so slowly. "Fuck, I love watching your tight little hole cling to my cock like that, baby girl."I moan as he thrust back inside of my ass, opening my eyes to a whole new meaning of pleasure. "Fuck me," I beg, glancing at him over my shoulder.Oak's jaw is tight, and a vein protrudes from his left temple as he claws onto the control he so desperately tries to wield. I don't want him to keep control. The dark, dirty side
Eva isn't in bed when I wake, so I search for her. My heart pounds harder when I don't find her in the kitchen or the little library. The light in the glasshouse is on, where I keep my laptop and journal."Eva," I say her name as I walk in."What is this?" Eva asks, signaling to my laptop open on the photoshopped image of her kissing the janitor.I must have left my laptop on without locking it. Either that or she guessed my password. The look in her eyes is one of pure anguish, and it makes my chest ache. "You were the one who sent the photograph to my parents." She shakes her head. "Y-you." Her voice breaks, and a stray tear escapes her eyes, trickling down her cheek. She nods at the open diary on the table too. "I know everything.""Eva, listen." I move toward her, but she takes a step back."No," she barks, louder than I've ever heard her speak. "Don't come near me. Natalya warned me someone wanted me here." She clenches her fists by her side. "She said that someone doctored the i
Eva gasps, eyes widening. "You want to murder my parents?"I stand, feeling fresh panic coil through me. "Eva, you must understand that they crushed my dreams and killed the only woman I had ever loved, all because I didn't want to work for them." I pace the floor of the room. "It only felt right that I take everything from them." I sigh heavily. "Until I met you.""And you would have been able to murder them?" Eva asks as if trying to work out whether I'm capable of such violence."Eva, we have more in common than you'd ever know." I meet her gaze. "I told you of my Italian roots. My birth name was Luca Moretti, and I came from Naples." My heart is pounding so hard and fast as I've told no one about my true origins, not even my two closest friends. After all, my family will never give up their search for me. "I was their first-born son, set to inherit and rule a criminal empire, but I never wanted that life." I pace the floor, not looking at Eva as I tell her my deepest, darkest secr
I pace the floor of Oak's cottage, waiting for him to get off the phone with his contact.Although our new arrangement means that the blackmailer has nothing, not once we announce that we're married. Oak intends for me to move in with him at the cottage for the rest of the year, as we will be husband and wife.The priest has already been called to wed us before school starts again. If we are going to pull the wool over my parents' eyes, we have to act fast. They haven't even contacted me over the Christmas period, which isn't surprising. Half the time, they seem to forget I exist, even though they believe I'm important for the future of their clan.Oak's betrayal hurt me more than I can explain. I'm still angry at him about what he did to me and his intention to use me as collateral in his quest for vengeance. It all made sense, though, once he explained everything. My parents tore apart his world, so I guess it's only natural to want to make them pay.He appears from the study, a gra
I twirl my fingers through my hair, gazing at my reflection in the mirror, struggling to believe I'm going to walk down the aisle today and marry the principal of my school.Professor Daniels will attend the ceremony, which seems a little weird, but apparently, he's Oak's closest friend.It's insane. I can't even imagine what Natalya, Azira, and Adrianna will say when I tell them the news at the start of next semester.A woman clears her throat behind me, forcing me to turn. "Are you ready?" she asks. I think she's the florist as she's clutching a bouquet of white roses.I nod in reply, and she enters the small changing room next to the school chapel. "These are for you."I smile. "Thank you."She nods, and then her brow furrows. "Where are your parents?"I narrow my eyes at her. "They couldn't make it," I lie."I'm sorry to hear that." She turns to leave. "Good luck."I don't reply, glancing at myself again in the mirror. Marriage isn't something I ever thought about, and now I'm get
I stare down the barrel of Jamie Carmichaels' gun, knowing I can't let him win this time, not when I have so much more to lose. Eva means more to me than anything I've ever possessed."Put the gun down, Jamie." I cross my arms over my chest and glare at him. "If you kill me, you might as well kiss goodbye to the clan for good."Eva inches closer to my back, fisting my shirt."Hand over my daughter, and then I'll leave." He signals at Eva, who cowers behind me. "Eva, stop this at once and come here," he barks."I'm afraid you are too late, Jamie. Eva is already my lawfully wedded wife, and therefore she's no longer your concern as of about half an hour ago.""I won't stand for it." Jamie snarls, cocking the gun. "Eva is our heir, and she will marry a suitable husband who can rule our empire."Eva steps out from behind my back with her chin held high. "I'll never do that because Oak is my husband, and as I've told you since the day that Karl died, I have no intention of having anything