Chapter 3

The morning light filtered through Lila's curtains in pale gold stripes across the bed. Eli had left sometime after midnight with a lingering kiss that promised more, but his scent—warm skin and faint bar soap—still clung to her pillow. She buried her face in it for a long moment, letting the ache in her body remind her that last night had been real.

Her mother's text hovered in the back of her mind like a storm cloud.

Lila pushed it aside and got ready for work. She chose a fitted emerald blouse that brought out the warmth in her brown skin and a pencil skirt that made her legs look endless. Professional, but she knew exactly how Eli would look at her if he saw her in it. The thought sent a secret thrill through her as she stepped out into the damp Port Haven morning.

At the office, focus remained elusive. Every paragraph she edited blurred into memories of Eli's hands on her breasts, his voice rough with want as he described what he wanted to do to her. By lunch, Jenna cornered her in the break room.

"You have that freshly kissed glow. Also, you're useless today. Spill more."

Lila laughed despite herself and gave her the highlights—minus the more explicit details. Jenna whistled low.

"Childhood friend turned bar-owning sex god. I'm living vicariously through you. Just don't let Rosa find out yet. Your mom has opinions about the Riveras."

The reminder soured Lila's mood. "She already knows he's back. Summoned me for dinner tonight."

Jenna winced. "Good luck. Text me if you need an extraction."

The rest of the day dragged. Lila left early again, telling herself it was to prepare for dinner with her mother. In truth, she stopped by The Anchor on the way home.

The bar was quiet in the late afternoon lull. Eli was behind the counter inventorying bottles, sleeves rolled up, that same focused expression on his face that made her heart stutter. He looked up, and the smile that broke across his features was pure and unguarded.

"There she is." He came around the bar immediately, pulling her into a corner booth away from the few early patrons. His hands settled on her waist as he kissed her—slow, deep, and thoroughly. "Missed you today."

"You saw me last night," she teased against his mouth.

"Not enough." His forehead rested against hers. "How's the manuscript?"

"Terrible. I kept rewriting the same love scene in my head instead."

His low chuckle vibrated through her. "Tell me about it later. In detail." One hand slid down to squeeze her hip. "I've been half-hard all day thinking about how you sounded when you came on my fingers."

Heat flooded her face and pooled lower. "Eli."

"I know. I'm trying to behave." He kissed her once more, then reluctantly pulled back. "I have to cover the evening shift tonight. But tomorrow? I'm off. Let me take you somewhere."

"Anywhere," she said, meaning it.

He walked her to the door, hand at the small of her back, fingers occasionally dipping lower in a teasing promise. When she finally left, her body was humming again, alive in a way she hadn't felt in years.

Dinner with her mother was at Rosa's small but immaculate house on the edge of the old neighborhood. The smell of arroz con pollo and plantains filled the air—comfort food that usually made Lila feel safe. Tonight, it felt like a trap.

Rosa Moreau was still strikingly beautiful at fifty-four, with the same warm brown skin and sharp eyes she'd passed to her daughter. She hugged Lila tightly, then held her at arm's length.

"You look different. Glowy. What's going on?"

Lila shrugged, aiming for casual. "Work's been good. Busy."

They ate at the small dining table, making small talk about Lila's job and Rosa's nursing shifts at the hospital. But Lila could feel the other shoe waiting to drop.

Finally, over coffee, Rosa set her cup down. "I heard Elias Rivera is back. Working at The Anchor."

Lila's spoon paused mid-stir. "Yes. I ran into him."

Rosa's expression tightened. "Stay away from him, mija. That family has always brought trouble. His father… there were rumors back when you two were thick as thieves. Gambling debts. Things Marco got mixed up in after the accident. And Eli left once. What makes you think he won't leave again when things get hard?"

The words landed like stones in Lila's stomach. She knew some of it—Marco's struggles—but the certainty in her mother's voice suggested deeper knowledge.

"Mom, that was years ago. Eli's different. He came back for his dad and Sofia. He's responsible. Kind."

Rosa reached across the table, covering Lila's hand. "I know you had a soft spot for him as a girl. But you've worked so hard to build something stable. Don't throw it away on a bartender with baggage. You deserve better than late nights and uncertainty."

The condescension stung. Lila pulled her hand back. "I'm not a child anymore. And Eli isn't just some bartender. He's… important to me."

Rosa's eyes narrowed. "Have you already started something with him?"

Lila didn't answer. The silence was answer enough.

Her mother sighed heavily. "Just be careful. People like the Riveras… they pull you in. And when the real problems surface, they drown you with them."

Lila left dinner earlier than usual, tension knotting her shoulders. The walk home was filled with conflicting thoughts. Her mother's warnings clashed violently with the memory of Eli's gentle hands and honest eyes. She trusted him. Didn't she?

Her phone lit up with a text as she turned onto her street.

Eli: Shift ended early. Outside your building if you want company.

Her heart lifted despite everything. She rounded the corner and there he was, leaning against the brick wall, hands in his pockets, looking unfairly handsome under the streetlight.

The moment he saw her face, his expression shifted to concern. "Bad dinner?"

She walked straight into his arms. He held her without question, one hand stroking her back. "Want to talk about it?"

"Later," she whispered. "Right now I just want you."

They barely made it through her apartment door before the kiss turned fierce. Eli kicked the door shut and lifted her, hands under her thighs as she wrapped her legs around his waist. He carried her to the bedroom with ease, laying her down on the bed like she was something precious.

Clothes came off in a heated rush—her blouse unbuttoned with reverent fingers, his t-shirt yanked over his head. Lila's hands explored the planes of his chest, the faint scars on his ribs, the trail of dark hair disappearing into his jeans. When she palmed the thick length of him through the denim, he hissed her name like a prayer.

"Slow down, baby," he murmured, though his hips bucked into her touch. "I want to see all of you."

He stripped her slowly, kissing every inch of skin he revealed. By the time she was bare beneath him, she was trembling with need. Eli took his time—mouth worshiping her breasts, tongue tracing circles around her navel, then lower.

When he settled between her thighs and looked up at her with dark, hungry eyes, Lila thought she might combust.

"Can I?" he asked, voice rough.

"Yes. God, yes."

The first stroke of his tongue against her folds drew a sharp cry from her throat. He licked her with devastating patience—exploring, learning what made her hips jerk and her fingers fist the sheets. Two thick fingers joined his mouth, curling inside her while he sucked gently on her clit.

Lila came hard, back arching, his name falling from her lips like a litany. He didn't stop, working her through it until she was boneless and gasping.

Only then did he crawl up her body, kissing her so she could taste herself on his tongue. His erection pressed hot and heavy against her thigh, but he made no move to take more.

"Not tonight," he whispered when she reached for him. "You've had a rough evening. Let me just hold you."

They lay tangled together, skin to skin. Eli pulled the covers over them and stroked her hair as she told him about her mother's warnings. He listened quietly, tension evident in his jaw.

"There's some truth to it," he admitted after a long pause. "Dad had problems after the accident. Gambling, mostly. I worked a lot of shit jobs to help dig us out. Left because I thought getting distance would make it easier to send money without the drama pulling me under. But I hated leaving you. Hated it every single day."

Lila traced a scar on his shoulder. "Why didn't you say goodbye?"

"I was scared you'd ask me to stay. And I would have." His arms tightened around her. "I'm not that kid anymore, Lila. I'm here. For good."

She believed him. In that moment, wrapped in his warmth, she believed every word.

But as they drifted toward sleep, Lila's phone vibrated on the nightstand. She reached for it sleepily.

A message from an unknown number.

Unknown: Stay away from Eli Rivera. He's not who you think. Ask him about what really happened in Seattle.

Lila deleted it, heart pounding. She curled closer to Eli's sleeping form, but sleep evaded her.

Secrets had a way of surfacing in Port Haven. And this one felt like it could shatter everything they were so carefully building.