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The room service attendant notices, too.His gaze drifts toward her, lingering a beat too long.

Jealousy flares hot and sharp in my chest.Unreasonable.Immediate.Mine.

“Focus on the food,” I snap, my tone cold and cutting as his head jerks back toward the cart.

“Apologies, sir,” he mumbles, shifting uncomfortably as I step closer, taking the receipt and pen from his hand with deliberate force.

“Make sure it doesn’t happen again,” I add, my voice low and dangerous as I sign the slip and shove it back at him.“Or next time my reminder won’t be only words.”

The tension hangs heavy as I step between him and Eve, positioning myself in a way that leaves no room for misinterpretation.He quickly finishes his task and exits the villa.

“Everything alright?”she asks, her voice soft and still tinged with sleep as the door clicks shut behind me.

“Perfect,” I reply, though the edge in my voice betrays me.

“What’s all this?”

“Breakfast,” I say, gesturing to the feast.

“Breakfast?”she repeats, her lips twitching like she’s fighting a smile.“You do realize there’s enough food here to feed a small army?”

I shrug as I sit at the table.“I didn’t know what you’d want, so I got everything.”

She watches me for a moment, something flickering in her green eyes before she pads over to the table.

“So,” I say, leaning back slightly as I watch her pile fresh fruit onto her plate.“What does Eve do when she’s not sunbathing in the Maldives?”

She hesitates for a fraction of a second before answering.“I travel,” she says, her tone breezy, almost rehearsed.“My parents are big believers in self-discovery or whatever you want to call it.”She waves her hand.“So, I figured I’d see the world before getting pulled into the family business.”

“And what business is that?”I ask, keeping my voice casual.

“Acquisitions,” she says quickly.Before I can press further, she glances up at me with a pointed look.“What about you?What brings you here?”

I mirror her evasive smile, leaning forward slightly.“My family is in the hotel business.I’m here checking out some property.Expansion plans.”

“Family business,” she says, her tone teasing as she takes a sip of her coffee.“Guess we’ve got that in common.”

“Guess so,” I reply, matching her tone.“So, this traveling of yours.Is it always solo?”I ask, trying to find out if she picks up men everywhere she goes.

“Mostly,” she replies.“I like the freedom.No schedules to follow, no one to answer to.”

“Sounds lonely.”

“Not really.It’s liberating, actually.I go where I want when I want.What about you?”she counters.“Does the hotel business keep you tethered to one place, or do you get to travel, too?”

“Usually, I stay in one place,” I answer with a shrug.“This trip turned out to be a good excuse to mix work with a little pleasure.”

“Sounds convenient,” she says, lifting a fresh strawberry to her lips.She takes a slow bite, tongue catching a bead of juice before it can slip down her chin.

It shouldn’t be erotic, but it is.Far too much.

“You could say that.”It’s all I can manage, my attention glued to the curve of her lips.

The conversation stalls for a moment, the air between us thick with unspoken truths and the weight of everything we’re both holding back.

Her eyes flick to mine, steady and unreadable.“What are we doing here?”she asks suddenly.

I hold her gaze, unsure how to answer.Tension lingers as the unspoken question hangs between us.