Chapter 244: A Dangerous Kind of Game
She was truly the most fascinating woman he had ever known across both his lifetimes, and he was certain that fact would never change. He had felt the surge of overwhelming emotion pouring from her earlier, when she had tried so hard to say something. Ivan wanted deeply to know what she had been so desperate to tell him, but he himself had been flooded by her emotions, which was why he had first tried to calm her, so he could steady himself as well.
Now, as he waited for her in the water, impatience crept in, each passing second stretching longer than the last.
He extended his senses and soon caught the sound of soft footsteps padding slowly towards him from inside the cottage. His heartbeat began to hammer against his chest as his molten red eyes turned towards the doorway, anticipating her appearance at any moment.
His gaze locked onto the only woman who had ever managed to claim his heart so completely. As Eve stepped into view, light from the open door spilled over her back, leaving her front shrouded in shadow, and he felt his breath catch at the sight of her.
But even in the darkness, his sharp vision picked out her delicate features as her wide blue eyes took in the surroundings once more before finally settling on him. The moment they did, that familiar magnetic pull surged between them again, yet Ivan made no move to close the distance. He wanted to admire her from afar for just a little longer.
He watched her quietly, taking in her graceful form, noticing that she was still wearing the gown he had dressed her in himself after tending to her day after day during her deep slumber. Oh, how he had longed for her to open those jewel-like eyes and look at him with the same raw emotion she held now. As she did, he felt himself drowning in them all over again.
Eve, on the other hand, found her gaze drawn to his undressed, godlike form, half-submerged in the water up to his waist. Her eyes lingered on his face before slowly drifting down, taking in his undeniably sculpted physique. She gulped softly as desire bloomed once more, sending heat coursing through her already flustered body.
For a fleeting moment, she nearly forgot what she had come here to do. But when her eyes lifted back to his, she caught the elegant arch of his brow, as though he were silently asking what she was waiting for. The look reminded her all too clearly that she had come here to play with fire.
So, without further ado, she released a soft breath that turned into a faint wisp of smoke in the cold air around them. Steam rose from the water before her, and she did not break the eye contact she held with him as she slowly lifted her hands to her back, fingers finding the ribbon that kept the dress secured at her waist. With a gentle tug, it loosened, and the fabric slipped slightly, relaxing around her shoulders.
She knew she had never done anything so bold in her entire life, and standing there now, with his sharp, intense gaze fixed on her every movement, she briefly wondered if she should abandon the idea altogether and retreat to the warmth of the bed. Her heart fluttered wildly against her chest as the realisation set in that she had come to play with fire, to tease the devil himself. And perhaps, just perhaps, it had been a reckless idea from the start, one that might very well leave her burned in the end.
But when she saw Ivan tilt his head back to rest against the rock, his eyes still gleaming with amusement as he continued to stare at her, his expression remained as serene as ever, like the calm water surrounding him.
’Stop being a coward, Eve!’ she scolded herself. Drawing in another lungful of crisp night air, she lifted her trembling hands to her shoulders, gripped the edges of the fabric, and in one smooth motion slid the gown down, letting it pool at her feet.
Heat rushed from her shoulders to her neck and flooded her cheeks as she stood before him in all her glory, clad only in white underwear.
As the wind picked up again, goosebumps rose across her skin at its touch, her twin peaks hardened, yet she remained standing there a moment longer, watching Ivan closely and taking in every single reaction he gave.
His previously languid posture stiffened the instant the gown slipped from her body. The amusement dancing in his eyes vanished, replaced by a flash of stunned surprise that quickly ignited into raw, unfiltered hunger. His hands, which had been resting casually against the rocks beside him, tightened abruptly, his grip crushing down until a sharp crack rang out. When her blue eyes flicked to his hand, she saw the stone crumble beneath his palm, and she gulped softly.
But even as she felt incredibly nervous, a sense of glee bloomed at his reaction. Biting back a smile that threatened to break free, she grew more confident as she noticed the clear crack in his calm composure and thought, ’Well, serve you right for leaving me like that earlier.’
With that thought, she took a step towards the water and heard a faint ripple from where Ivan stood. When she lifted her gaze to meet his once more, she realised he had moved at the same moment she did. Their eyes locked again, and Eve took another step forward, only for him to glide seamlessly through the water towards her, his gaze that of a predator closing in on its prey, no longer bothering to hide it. They continued this silent dance until they were close once more.
Without a word, Eve sat down at the edge of the platform and dipped her milky smooth legs into the hot stream again. A soft hum escaped her as she appreciated the warmth against her skin. She looked up at Ivan, who was watching her every move with quiet intensity, and once again she found herself utterly captivated by his angelic face. God, he was beautiful. And in that moment, every mischievous plan she had carefully formed vanished the instant he extended his hands for her to take.
She took it without resistance, and with a gentle tug, he pulled her towards him. As she yielded, her body descended into the stream, her arms instinctively wrapping around the strong muscles of his pale neck as she pressed herself against his bare body. Ivan’s arms closed around her in turn, steadying her securely against him. Their breaths mingled at close range, already ragged with the intense yearning that burned between them.
With Eve still barely accustomed to floating, she was not confident enough to swim on her own and knew she was very much at his mercy. She felt his hold tighten as he guided them away from the platform, moving into the deeper part of the water towards the rock where he had been resting. With such close proximity and beneath his hungry gaze, she could not bring herself to ask any questions. Instead, she clung to him like a lifeline, trusting him completely.
On reaching the rock, he turned her towards it and adjusted her back against its surface. The cold stone met her bare skin, making her shiver as a soft gasp escaped her.
She then heard him ask in a deep, velvety voice, "Are you trying to make me lose control, Eve?"
Tongue tied beneath the weight of his serious expression, she watched him lean closer, his lips near hers, as he whispered, "Or is this a punishment you decided to inflict on me for not giving me what you truly wanted back in the room?"
Realising that he had read her intentions so clearly, her eyes widened, and her heart skipped a beat. Ivan noticed it all, and the corners of his lips curved into the faintest ghost of a smile. It was neither playful nor cold, but something far more dangerous, a smile that told her the predator had caught his prey red-handed, and the hunt was well and truly over.
She turned her head to the side and whispered, "I did not know that me undressing for a swim was a punishment for you."
Even as she spoke, she was acutely aware of his hot body pressed against hers, feeling the steady rise and fall of his chest brushing against her own.
"Really?" he replied in a seductive murmur. "Then why are you not meeting my gaze while saying that?"
She parted her lips to reply and turned back to face him, and the moment she did, he leaned over her, making her breath hitch. His hands travelled from her waist down to her rounded hips, feeling them slowly before gripping her thighs and wrapping them around his waist. Reaching up, he caught her jaw and brushed his lips lightly over hers.
"Because, baby," he murmured softly, "if you think you can play with this devil....you must be ready for what follows." His voice dropped into a dark whisper. "I will pull you so far into me that your world will fade away, until all you can feel is me, only my presence around you, my touch, and my name... again and again, until you beg me to stop. But I won’t."
