Chapter 5

The apartment felt too quiet after Eli left. Lila wandered into the bedroom, the sheets still rumpled from their morning together, carrying the faint musk of sex and his cologne. She touched the pillow where his head had rested and felt a confusing mix of warmth and fear.

She wanted to trust him completely. The way he had moved inside her—deep, deliberate, almost reverent—had felt like a promise. But the texts, her mother's warnings, and the shadow of Seattle wouldn't leave her alone.

Sleep came in fragments. When she finally dragged herself out of bed the next morning, she had dark circles and a restless energy she couldn't shake. At the office, Jenna took one look at her and pulled her into the small conference room.

"Okay, glow is gone. Replacement is anxiety. Talk."

Lila spilled everything—the incredible sex, the Seattle hint, the anonymous warnings, her mother's dinner ultimatum. Jenna listened, chewing her lip.

"Sounds like classic protective bullshit from someone who doesn't want you with the 'wrong' guy. But the anonymous stuff is creepy. You think it's real?"

"I don't know," Lila admitted. "Eli told me some of it. Self-defense thing. It fits who he is—he's always been the guy who steps in."

Jenna shrugged. "Then trust your gut. And your vagina. That man has you walking funny. That's not nothing."

Lila laughed despite herself, but the unease lingered through her edits. By mid-afternoon she couldn't focus anymore and left early, heading toward the docks where she and Eli used to spend endless summer hours as kids.

The water lapped against the old pilings, salt air sharp and familiar. She sat on their old spot, notebook in her lap, and tried to write. The words that came were about him—about strong hands and hazel eyes and the way he looked at her like she was home.

Her phone buzzed. Eli.

Eli: Dad stabilized. Long night. Can I see you? Need something good today.

Lila: Docks. Our spot.

He arrived twenty minutes later, looking exhausted but lighting up when he saw her. Dark circles under his eyes, hair messy, wearing the same clothes from last night. He pulled her into a tight hug, burying his face in her neck.

"Missed you," he murmured. "Even though it's only been hours."

They sat together on the weathered wood, his arm around her shoulders. She leaned into him, letting the steady beat of his heart calm her racing thoughts. He told her about Marco's rough night—breathing difficulties, old pain flaring up—and how Sofia had been scared.

"I hate that you carry so much," Lila said softly.

Eli shrugged. "It's family. But being with you… it makes the load feel lighter. Like there's something just for me."

The tenderness in his voice cracked something open inside her. She turned, straddling his lap right there on the dock where anyone might see. The risk sent a thrill through her. Eli's hands settled on her hips immediately, sliding under her blouse to stroke bare skin.

"Here?" he asked, voice already husky.

"Kiss me like you mean it."

He did. The kiss started urgent and turned devouring. His tongue stroked hers while his hands roamed higher, cupping her breasts through her bra. Lila rocked against the growing bulge in his jeans, the friction making her whimper into his mouth.

"Been thinking about you all night," he growled against her throat. "How wet you got for me. How you sounded when you came on my cock."

His words ignited her. She ground down harder, chasing the pressure against her clit. Eli slipped one hand between them, pressing his fingers against her through her pants until she was panting.

"Eli… someone might see."

"Let them." He nipped her collarbone. "Let them see how crazy you make me."

The danger heightened everything. They didn't go further than heavy petting and desperate kisses, but by the time they separated, both were flushed and aching. Eli adjusted himself with a groan.

"My place tonight?" he asked. "After my shift. I want you in my bed. All night."

"Yes."

The Anchor was busier than usual that evening. Lila sat at the bar nursing a glass of wine, watching Eli work. He moved with efficient grace, but his eyes kept finding hers, dark with promise. Every glance felt like foreplay.

During a lull, he leaned across the bar, voice low. "You're killing me in that skirt. Keep crossing your legs like that and I'll drag you to the back room."

Heat pooled low in her belly. She uncrossed and recrossed them slowly, teasing. Eli's jaw tightened.

Mace, Eli's coworker and best friend, noticed the tension and smirked. "Get a room, you two. The vibes are making me horny."

Eli flipped him off good-naturedly but stole another heated kiss when Mace wasn't looking—deep, possessive, his hand briefly sliding high on her thigh under the bar.

By closing time, Lila was throbbing with need. They barely made it up the stairs to his apartment. The door had just clicked shut when Eli pushed her against it, dropping to his knees.

He shoved her skirt up and pulled her panties aside, burying his face between her thighs. His tongue was relentless—long licks, tight circles on her clit, two fingers curling inside her. Lila came fast and hard, biting her lip to stifle her cries as her legs shook.

Eli stood, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, eyes blazing. "Bed. Now."

They left a trail of clothes to his small bedroom. Naked, he lifted her onto the bed and settled between her spread thighs. This time there was no condom discussion—she was on the pill and they had talked about it earlier. He pushed inside her bare, both of them groaning at the raw sensation.

"Fuck, Lila. You feel incredible." He started slow, savoring every inch, then built to a steady, powerful rhythm. The bed creaked beneath them. Lila met every thrust, nails raking down his back.

He flipped them so she was on top, hands guiding her hips as she rode him. The new angle hit deeper. Eli sat up, sucking on her breasts while she moved, one hand between them rubbing her clit.

"Come for me again," he demanded, voice rough. "Want to feel you milking my cock."

She did, shattering around him with a keening moan. Eli followed right after, burying himself deep and spilling inside her with a guttural groan, hips jerking through the aftershocks.

They collapsed in a sweaty, satisfied tangle. Eli stayed inside her as they caught their breath, stroking her back tenderly.

"I love you, you know," he whispered into the quiet. "Always have. Even when I was gone."

Lila's heart stuttered. The words were huge, perfect, and terrifying. She kissed him softly. "I love you too, Eli."

For a while, it felt like enough. They fell asleep wrapped around each other, his release still warm between her thighs.

But at 3:17 a.m., Lila's phone lit up on the nightstand with another anonymous text.

Unknown: He didn't tell you the whole truth. Ask about the girl he almost killed in Seattle. Check the news archives. You deserve better than a violent man.

Lila's blood ran cold. She slipped out of bed quietly, staring at the screen in the bathroom light. Eli slept peacefully behind her, unaware.

The doubt she had pushed away came roaring back. Was the man she had just given herself to completely someone she truly knew?

She deleted the message, but the seed of suspicion had been planted.