Hatred With Benefits

F I F T Y - T H R E E

EVA.

"Come here, " I whisper as he moves between my thighs and he climbs over my body, draping a hand

around me with his head mashed to my chest as he falls to the side.

"Want to go out tomorrow?" He suddenly asks and I tip my head to meet his lifted gaze. I drop my hand

to his hair and bury my fingers in the soft curls. "Where are we going this time?"

"We could go to a bookstore, " he mutters softly as he shifts his hand from my side to my stomach,

trailing his finger across the skin before he caresses my belly piercing and adds, "Pick up some books.

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"That sounds tempting, " I tell him and a smile covers his face. "I know. Do you want to come with me?"

"The break is near its end, " I say and he nods, moving his touch to the middle of my chest. "The more

for us to go. "

"You've convinced me. " I agree and he lifts his head from my chest to press his lips to the skin, igniting

a flame with his touch before he falls back to it, and the sound of our breathing plus my quiet moans as

Emerson teases me with his touch becomes the only sound in the room.

"When did you figure it out?" I ask him, breaking the silence and Emerson lifts a brow before I continue,

"That you were falling for me. "

"Why? You find it hard to believe?" He questions and I shake my head, "Not exactly, but I'm curious. "

"Back at the garden. " He says and moves his hand from my stomach to my breasts, palming the flesh

in his hand as he proceeds, "I didn't admit it to myself back then, but I knew I was falling. You had the

brightest smile I've ever seen on your face; like the prettiest flower amidst hundreds and I knew that I

never want you to lose that smile. The pure feeling of excitement and happiness that surrounded you

that day– I never want you to lose that. " The perfect words. Words that tug at my heart and words that

are enough to make me admit that I'm completely down for Emerson Ford, if I never did before.

"When did you?" He returns the question as he drops his hand from my chest, and I look away from

him; stopping the movement of my hand on his hair as my cheeks redden with blush.

"Don't be shy now, Carson, " Emerson teases as he grips my chin, forcing me to meet his eyes and I

scoff, "I'm not shy. "

"Do I always have to remind you of what a bad liar you are, Eva?" He lifts a mocking brow and I throw

him a glare before I swat his hand from my face, earning a laugh from him.

"Come on, I told you mine; it's only fair that you tell me yours. " He persists as he lifts his body from

mine, letting my hand fall from his hair while he presses an elbow into the bed, leaning his face against

his shoulder as he keeps his eyes on me.

"That night. " I say and he hums for me to go on. "The night when you said you never wanted to stop. I

knew there was no stopping the feelings. " I explain and he leans close, "So you gave in?"

"So I gave in. " I agree, looking down to his lips before I meet his eyes again, and I notice the unusual

glint in the brown orbs before Emerson says, "And you're never going back now. "

I smile before snuggling closer to him, making him fall on the bed with me.

"Want me to stay for a while more?" He whispers as he brushes my hair and I rub my head against his

chest, knowing I want to but we can't.

"No, you need to start leaving. " When I lift my head from his chest to his face, his lips are pushed

forward and I sway nearer to press my lips to his jaw before I drop back to his chest and say, "We're

leaving for the bookstore tomorrow. "

"I know, " he breathes, lowering his hand to my back. "But I want to stay like this for a bit longer. "

"Five minutes?" I offer and he closes his arms around me, "It's more than enough. " He responds and I

shut my eyes, listening to the soft beats of his heart for the next five minutes and taking enough of his

warmth before he leaves.

The time comes for him to leave and Emerson climbs off my bed. I slide against the headboard with the

duvet pulled to my chest as I watch him get dressed.

"Why are you taking that?" I voice out when Emerson grabs the drawing he made of me.

"Do you want to keep it?" He asks the obvious and when I give a nod, he leaves it and makes his way

to my window.

"Careful. " The word slips through my parted lips before I could stop it when Emerson throws a leg over

my window and he chortles, "I'm way past being careful with you, Eva. " He gives a salute with two

fingers before his frame disappears out of sight.

My chest falls in a sigh as I stare at my room with the absence of Emerson Ford, before the details of

the day come rushing back to me and I'm no longer able to hold my squirm as I throw the duvet over

my head.

~

EMERSON.

I walk through the door and the smile on my face instantly drops at the sight of my father across the

room with Hanna standing behind him.

"Where were you?" He queries when he notices my presence and I take a breath before I move

forward, "Out. "

"Does this out not have a name?" He turns away from Hanna to keep his harsh gaze on me and I stave

off my gaze to Eliza standing at the other corner of the room.

"I believe I asked you a question, Emerson. " Dad says, bringing my attention back to him and I say, "I

was out. Don't I have the right to be somewhere else along with your other specifications?"

He doesn't speak for a while, and when he finally opens his mouth; his words don't sting any less than

they usually do. "You could have made yourself useful and come to me. You should have stayed back

at that school when you knew you would be useless. "

"Mason—" Eliza, my stepmom speaks from the side to caution my dad, but she's quick to quiet down

when he throws her a look.

"I didn't come here for you, and you shouldn't be disappointed because I've never shown any interest in

your business. "

"Your brother is—" he starts, but I cut him off, knowing the words that'll follow. "My brother is not me,

and you should never think differently. " A muscle ticks in his jaw and anger masks his face but I don't

let him speak another word before I twist my body in the direction that leads me away from him.

There are whispers behind but I don't make a stop until I'm inside my room with my door closed behind

me. Letting out a puff of my breath, I take a second to calm down the emotions raging from me from the

minor encounter with my father before I stalk towards my bed.

I fall back on it and toss around a few times before I get out of bed, and stroll towards my window. I

place my hands on the edge and look to the only place that's capable of bringing me serenity. My lips

stretch into a smile as I watch the figure of Eva move across her room, before I turn back at the creak

of my door.

"What are you doing?" I say to Hanna as she stands feet away with her back to my door and she

pushes her body from the frame. "Making sure you're alright after what just happened. "

"Of course, I am. Why wouldn't I be?" I move away from the window and Hanna glances at it before

she meets my eyes and says, "Were you looking at her again?"

"What are you talking about?" I feign oblivion and she chuckles, "You don't have to pretend, Emery. I

know you were looking at Eva. "

"And if I was?" I fold my arms against my chest and she walks closer to me. "I'm guessing you like her.

"

"Hanna—"

"I saw her pictures. " She interrupts me and I scowl at her. "I told you to stop sneaking into my room

without my permission!"

"I wasn't. " She's quick to defend herself. "I wanted one of your books and I saw the camera. That is

beyond the point though; you like her, Emerson. "

"I'm aware of that. " I mumble dryly as I move back to my bed and slide on it.

"So don't you think you should—"

"What did I say about giving me relationship advice and poking your nose into my business?" I raise my

body slightly from the mattress to look at her and she does that annoying thing where she murmurs

some words under her breath before she passes me a sweet smile, "Of course, brother. I'll be on my

way since I know you're fine. "

"Good, " I bob my head then lift a brow when she lingers at the spot.

"So much for worrying about you. " She whispers before she turns around and makes her way out of

my room. When she's out of sight, I turn my body flat on the bed and stretch my hand to the side to

bring out the said camera; calmness swelling through me as I look through her pictures.

~

I tap my fingers against the steering wheel as I watch Carson from afar. She's dressed in Jean pants

with a sweatshirt and a baseball cap over her head. A smile spreads to my face as I watch her peer

around her before she makes her way towards me and climbs inside the car, shutting the door when

she's settled on her seat.

"Almost thought you're a creep. " I tease her when she turns her body to me and she opens her mouth,

"Funny, Ford. "

"Ready?" I ask her as she removes her cap and throws it to her side.

"Ready, " she confirms and I start the engine before driving out of the spot.

"Do you have a particular place in mind?" She inquires as she brings out her phone and I hum, taking a

glance at her before I look back to the path before me, "It's a treasure, and I think you'll love it. "

~

"It's so beautiful!" Eva exclaims as we walk inside the bookstore and she twirls around, her eyes

moving across every corner.

"They are just books, Carson, " I tell her as the sweet, musky scent of old books welcomes us and she

turns to me with a frown on her face, "What do you mean? They are not just books. This is fucking

heaven, Ford. "

"It's heaven when I have my mouth on yours, or my cock inside you; I don't think this comes close,

Carson. " I tell her with a raise of my shoulder, not caring about my choice of words, but Carson

definitely cares as she slaps my arm.

"We're in public. " She says with a pointed look and when I furrow my brows in silent questioning; she

adds, "Add a filter, Ford. "

"Never. I want to watch you get shy by the small words despite your hard girl demeanour. " I throw her

a wink and she tries hard to keep her hard face, but it easily drops to be replaced by a small smile

when she opens her mouth, "I hate you. "

"Sincerely yours, Eva. " I say and she shakes her head before she turns in the other direction, bringing

a laugh to my lips as I watch her stroll away.

"I've never been here before. How do you discover places like this?" She asks when I catch up to her

and I say, "I spent most of my time alone, so it was easy to discover things I love. "

At my words, Eva turns her head to me and there's that look in her eyes; one that tells me she's

wondering how I must have felt being alone.

"I didn't say it as a bad thing, Carson, " I inform her. "Being alone isn't always an awful thing. I

discovered things I love and I enjoyed doing them. "

"Sometimes you amaze me, Emerson. " She utters as she turns away and heads over to the first shelf

by our right.

"It's a surprise you get amazed only sometimes when there are thousands of things to be stunned

about, Eva. " She stops the movement of her hand on the shelf to look at me and she says, "And all the

time, your Ego annoys me. "

"You got to know your worth, Carson. " I smile and she rolls her eyes before she turns her attention

back to the books. I watch as she runs her finger across them, and slide further to the side with me

right on her tail before she stops at a specific book.

I angle my head to get a better view of the one that's managed to catch her interest. "I have a copy of

that. " I tell her at the sight of THE DEAL.

"Really? I didn't see it on your shelves. " She pulls out the book and runs her finger across the front.

"Funny of you to think those are all of my books, Eva. " I let out a chuckle and her widened eyes snaps

to mine. "You have more books?"

"Those aren't half of my books. " Eva's eyes widen more, and it intrigues me how surprised she seems

to be with that detail.

"How do you read them? I can almost swear I've never seen you with any of those books back at our

apartment. " She points out as she passes me the book before she turns back to the shelf.

"Not as I used to do. I found something more interesting. "

"Fucking around?" She questions, not taking her eyes off the shelf and I draw closer to her, leaning

down to her ear to whisper, "Fucking you. "

As Eva turns her head, I push forward to brush my lips against hers, letting it linger for a few seconds

before I catch her gaze. "Definitely more interesting. "

Eva licks her lips torturously slowly and fire cackles across the tip of mine with a yearning to feel them

again.

"What do you say I fuck you between one of these shelves?" I ask, not attempting to hide the desire

that coats my words and Eva looks away from me to the shelves, before her gaze settles on mine

again and she says, "Keep it in your pants, Ford. We're here for books. "

"I don't mind a bit of an extra reward. " I drop my gaze to her chest, and when I look back to her; there's

the familiar look in her eyes with indecision hiding beneath them and I know she's considering the offer.

The thought of this naughty girl contemplating accepting my request to take her right there only makes

her so damn wilder.

Knowing Eva Carson though, it doesn't come as a surprise when she steps away from me without a

word and continues her search.

I turn my head sideways and lean against the shelf next to me as I watch her eyes move across each

book, mumbling some words to herself before she stops as she did with the first one.

She pulls out the book from the rest, and stares down at it as she strolls back to me, "I've been looking

everywhere for this one!"

When she lifts her head, her gaze is like one I've never seen before, accompanied by that bright smile

on her face.

I've been with different women in many different ways, and I've had them look at me in many different

manners, but none of them comes close to the look Carson has on her face.

It's the gleam shining through her orbs. It's her letting her guard down for me. It's the way she suddenly

let me in, and the way she makes it easy to recognize those emotions. It's the affection and care in her

eyes– one that I always want her to look at me with. One that I never want her to stop. Not from this

moment. Not later. Not ever.

"Emerson, " Eva's call of my name brings me out of my thoughts and I smile as I bring her to my chest

with a wrap of my arm around her waist.

A sharp exhale leaves her mouth at the sudden action as she flattens her hands to my chest with the

book staying between us and I lift my other hand to her face, admiring the way she shudders slightly at

the touch of my skin to hers.

"Emerson—" she calls again, the sound of my name rolling off her tongue in a way that tightens the

front of my pants, and intensifies the feelings that burn in me for Eva Carson.

I lean down to press my lips to the corner of her lips, giving a small touch that's enough to calm the

need that spurts through me for her and when I pull back, I say, "You look excited. "

A smile appears on her face and she gives a nod, "I am. Want to pick them together?" I avert my gaze

to the book in her hand and to the ones that are across the room before I meet her eyes and hum,

"Then you can pick out your favourite parts and let me bring them into reality for you. "

Eva is quick to grasp the meaning behind my words and I let out a chuckle when she peeks around us,

"You want it here?"

"Fuck off. " She grumbles as she pushes away from me, and I laugh as she attempts to hide her face,

moving back to the previous shelf she was looking through.

After a few seconds, she turns back to me and gestures with her fingers, "With me. "

They are innocent words, but they carry more than they are meant to, with her calm voice and her

relaxed gaze and the way my heart skips a beat at the sound of them.

With a smile I'm unable to curb on my face, I stride towards her and stand by her side as we look

through the shelf with a comfortable silence settling between us.

Eva Carson: the girl I hated for having everything I was looking for, turns out to be, indeed, everything I

was looking for.