You can turn a guy on with your voice alone. Men are naturally more attracted to low, breathy voices because it signals you're interested.
Evelyn's p.o.v
"We're getting close." Luca commented as we entered yet another town, this one housing many quaint shops and bars that passed us by in a blur as we flew down the Main Street. "The Paris house is my personal favourite, a bit old fashioned but it's surrounded by rose gardens and a generous lake. It's perfect for early morning runs or swimming to clear your head. Oh, and even the library has a bar!"
"Now that I can get down with." I told him with a real smile, keeping my gaze on the window where dusk-covered fields were slowly turning into the sprawl of more populated towns. As we neared Paris the roads became more and more industrial, small villages merging into larger towns that indicated we were close to reaching our destination.
However, before we actually got to the house, Luca had to stop off in a nearby town to deal with an easy target. In the surrounding area there were enough retail stores that I could complete some shopping and get more suitable clothes while Luca was preoccupied with his assassin duties. It was nothing compared to the shopping spree I had planned for when we reached the Paris house, where I intended to make good use of all my newfound cash, but it served its purpose.
It was only a twenty minute drive into Paris and then we were only a mile or so from the house. Luca lived up to his word, although the term 'house' was a severe understatement. As the car pulled up outside a large pair of gleaming, silver gates, the French chateau situated behind them was much more impressive than I'd originally imagined in my head.
The car winded it's way through private gardens surrounding the chateau and we parked right outside the steps leading up to the front doors, an impressive water fountain just behind us. Two stone-carved frogs sat before one another, squirting a steady stream of water into the other's mouth. I continued to assess the ridiculous fountain display as Luca exited the car, and I could've sworn the frog closest even winked at me! Either that or I was delirious from sleep deprivation. It was probably the latter. I couldn't remember the last time I'd had a bed to call my own for more than one night.
"God, I sure haven't missed that ugly fountain." Luca rounded the truck with a nauseated look aimed toward the frog fountain, his nose scrunched in disgust.
"Oh, and here I was thinking you had chosen it personally. I think it's rather beautiful." Beautifully horrific.
"I see you have a good eye for art." So it would seem my jibe didn't go unnoticed, but instead of defending himself or acting offended, he played along with my joke. "I actually hand carved it myself."
I stifled my smile and shut the car door behind me with a little more force than necessary. Damn that charming side of him that made my lips curve up and my stomach dip.
As I followed him through the large double doors leading inside the foyer, weighed down with more shopping than two hands should possibly be able to carry, my jaw dropped. It was stunning. Once inside, I was instantly greeted with a grand staircase leading off in two opposite directions which made up the left and right wings of the chateau. Absolutely everything was furnished in white and gold, right down to the picture frames and vases which each held an extravagant arrangement of white roses.
Surely no one actually lived in a place like this? I thought this kind of opulent luxury was reserved for only royalty and the occasional Hollywood movie star. It was all too much. I was expecting the queen of England to magically appear at any moment, demanding we return the interior of her Buckingham palace estate before she sent us to the dungeons. As it happened, I rather liked my head and would rather it stayed where it belonged atop my shoulders.
The entire building reeked of old money and rancid capitalism, but apart from that, I could appreciate that it was rather pretty. It wasn't my style, but it sure beat my two bed apartment with Adam, where damp mould gathered on the ceilings, any day of the week.
Luca dropped the bags he was carrying in the foyer and instructed me to follow him into the kitchen, explaining that the maid would take them up to my quarters. I tried to insist that it was unnecessary as I could easily take them up myself, but he wouldn't hear of it. Still, I didn't drop my shopping, preferring to do my own dirty work rather than make someone else do it for me. Hell knows I'd been cleaning up after other people for long enough to ensure I wouldn't make anyone else do it now.
As we turned into the kitchen, we were both met with two surprised sets of eyes. "You planning on opening up your own clothing store while you're here?" Lewis spoke up from the kitchen, where he was perched on a black leather stool, his feet propped up on the work surface and a beer clenched in his right hand. I shot him a scowl.
"I might as well spend some of this money, hence the bags." I gave a tilt of my head before pointing a warning index finger in his direction, "And if any of you have a problem with it, then you can very well come and bite my perky lil' ass."
"I'll consider taking you up on that offer, sweet cheeks. Although, I have to admit you're not my usual type." Lewis drawled with a callous smile.
Asshole.
"Lewis, play nice." Luca quipped from his place across the room where he had slipped in beside Jax, both of them glaring at a laptop screen with so much vexation one would assume it was about to jump up and give them both a slap.
I set down the bags filled with clothing. To be fair to myself, I hadn't gone too crazy, but upon passing Victoria's Secret I couldn't help but take advantage of the sale. It would be rude not to. Especially when buying such dainty lingerie used to be such a rare treat, and yet now I could easily do daily shopping trips in my favourite stores without running out of credit.
"What's got you two so feral?" I asked upon joining them at the kitchen table, my eyes scanning over the map on Jax's laptop that they were currently both giving the evil eye to.
"Like you'd seriously be able to help us map out our route, party princess. Stick to the makeup and clothes for now, yeah?" Lewis gave me a sickly sweet smile and I refrained myself from picking up the lampshade beside me and chucking it at his big head. For the life of me, I couldn't remember what I'd done to land myself top spot on his shit list.
"Careful, she's a newbie and most likely stronger than you right now. Don't make enemies you can't fight. " Jax warned, his mouth lifting as she shot me an apologetic smile on behalf of Lewis' crude behaviour. "Or at least fights you can't win."
"Actually," I dragged out each syllable with a sharp look in Lewis' direction, "I did A level Geography, so who knows, maybe I can offer some help here?" It was a shy question and I felt almost silly for even asking when they probably wouldn't need my help. Since when did I start defending myself and acting all timid?
"Actually your help would be great-" Luca was cut short by Lewis who seemed to have a severe stick up his ass this afternoon.
"What did you get at A level, let me guess- a big D?" The second Lewis' crude and quite frankly insulting innuendo left his mouth, I was across the room in seconds. Grabbing a particularly sharp knife off the kitchen counter, I shot across the room and had him pinned down beneath me in matter of milliseconds.
I knew I could move fast, unnaturally fast, but even Lewis looked surprised by the speed at which I'd pinned him down. But more than that, he was also surprised by my strength, which I was thrilled to find was stronger than his. I angled the knife deeper against his throat until it snagged on his skin a little. There was a glimmer of crimson blood stained along the blades edge and I angled dangerously closer in warning.
"One more word-" I hissed, flashing a warning with my canines exposed, "And I'll show you a real D, Douchebag." To be perfectly honest, I had no idea what my insult even meant myself. However, it had been the result of fast thinking on the spot and the way in which I said it caused Lewis to swallow deep and earned me an appraising chuckle from Luca. I didn't turn my attention away from Lewis.
I then jumped off his lap and flashed my most sickly sweet, party princess smile before singing, "Choke on a D, asshole."
There was a moment of silence before everyone burst out laughing, myself included. Jax offered a slow clap for my performance and I gave a rather theatrical bow in return. Who said GCSE drama wouldn't be useful in the future?
"Maybe you are my type after all." Lewis rose a playful eyebrow at me and then added, "Welcome to the family, Evie."
I rolled my eyes, letting them know I was going to unpack before leaving the kitchen. As I entered the foyer once again, I noticed that the bags had already disappeared and in their place was a cursive note, explaining where they had been taken to. Plucking the note from where it had been pinned to the table top, I followed the directions up the grand staircase and into the right wing of the property.
My bedroom was on the second floor and consisted of a large central room with an outlandish four poster bed that looked better suited for Roman Gods holding six person orgies, rather than just little old me. There was also an attached dressing room and impressive bathing quarters that made me want to instantly jump headfirst into the bathtub.
Every small detail of my residence was furnished in rose gold and soft peach, offsetting the Birchwood bed frame and wardrobe doors in a complimenting tone. The room was truly stunning and incomparable to my old bedroom back in Amsterdam. I could imagine it being hard to say goodbye to this room in two weeks, even if it was just for seven days until I returned.
I started to unpack my bags, my impromptu shopping trip helping to fill out the draws somewhat, and then tried to call Alicia. Five attempts and little success in getting any service had me ready to throw the slim device across the room. I even tried standing atop the bed with my pone held high in the air, waving it about like a mad woman who'd forgotten to take her meds, you know, like you see people doing in the movies. Although, did that really work? I cursed the phone companies, all of this extravagant architecture and fancy furnishings, only to have no service anywhere in the entire room. Seriously?
I crashed down into one of the white couches pushed up against the far wall, imbedding myself into the array of peach coloured cushions that had been scattered along the couch in a rather tasteful manner. Beside me there was a particularly outlandish, sequin covered cushion with pompom edges that scratched my arms in an uncomfortable way. After a minute of unsuccessfully trying to get comfy, I seized it from behind my back and chucked it across to the bed with a frown.
Who would create such a pillow monstrosity?
My remaining bags had been left beside the door and a quick glance over confirmed my suspicions; I hardly owned enough items of clothing to fill one measly draw, never mind a whole dressing room. Padding across the wooden floor and pulling open the draped curtains, I peered down at the view below. Lush gardens extended for as far as the eye could see in every direction, the far border of the grounds ending in a dark row of trees that hid the main road just beyond it.
The idea of calling this place home seemed ridiculous, and yet I was excited to do exactly that.
~~~~
Luca's p.o.v
I panted hard, landing swift, precise jabs to the punching pads strapped to Lewis' hands and sending him scrambling backwards. I'd already duelled with Jax but he'd quickly thrown in the towel after I almost bruised his cheek. Hey, it wasn't my fault the guy couldn't take my pent up frustration!
I dodged and deflected Lewis' incoming attacks, getting past his defences in an easy manoeuvre. Yet, when he raised his hands in defeat with an apologetic grin, I had to wonder if he'd simply given up so that I too had to put down the gloves.
I hadn't slept last night in the hotel, nor had I been able to sit still all morning since Eve had arrived at the house. So, I'd come to the gym in hope that an intense workout would wear me down enough for exhaustion to take over. It hadn't been completely effective, but it was better than nothing.
After training practice had officially finished, Lewis and Jax piled into the kitchen for a few beers and a well needed break. I followed suit, uncapping a bottled corona but before I could sink into the sofa, I patted down my back pockets only to find them completely empty. Shit.
"Guys I'm just gonna' go grab my phone, I must've left it in the gym." I hopped up from my seat, "If anyone takes my place you're dead meat, hear me?" I warned the three of them before jumping up and jogging back to the gym, trying to be quick so that my beer didn't warm up before I got the chance to enjoy it. My phone was lying near the dumbbell weights, but as I left the double doors and ascended the staircase leading back up to the kitchen, the sound of strumming chords caught to attention.
My head turned in the direction of the music and curiosity got the better of me as I decided to investigate. It didn't sound like a recording, it sounded live. As I silently opened up the door leading into Evelyn's quarters, I noticed all the lights were off except for one lamp in the bedroom. The space was illuminated in warm, soft light.
I peered through the open doors and saw what looked like Evelyn, but I knew it couldn't be her because this girl was sat with her back to me, playing the guitar with remarkable skill. Upon closer inspection, I realised she was playing my personal accoustic guitar and it was most definitely Evelyn, unless she had an identical twin she wasn't telling us about.
I didn't want to disrupt her playing, so I simply watched from the open doorway, taking the occasional swig from my beer. She had just been practicing random chords for almost four minutes, and I was about to turn away, when the opening notes of 'wonder wall' by oasis began to fill the room. I simply listened to her play with my eyes shut, my ears tuned in to the chords and I found myself surprised that her transitions were flawless. If someone had taped my eyes shut, I could have easily believed it was Liam Gallagher sat in there and not just Evelyn.
'Today is gonna be the day
That they're gonna throw it back to you-'
My eyes instantly shot open in complete and utter surprise. She could sing?
'By now you should've somehow
Realized what you gotta do.
I don't believe that anybody
Feels the way I do, about you now.'
Leaning against the doorway, I stood utterly transfixed by her ability to produce such beautiful notes and how naturally her fingers flew over the strings, almost as though she'd been doing it her whole life. I think I could listen to her play for the rest of my life. My eyes were glued to her lips as she sang, her face now turned in my direction but her eyes were closed in concentration and she seemed lost in the song. Her lips were enticing and I couldn't help myself from wanting to get closer.
'And all the roads we have to walk are winding,
And all the lights that lead us there are blinding.
There are many things that I
Would like to say to you but I don't-'
"Speak Spanish." I finished the joke off for her, purposely outing myself in hope that she wouldn't be so creeped out by my accidental stalking.
I peeled myself from the doorway, taking another long pull from the beer bottle before stalking closer to where she sat. My footsteps echoed along the marble flooring and instantly her eyes flew open, head snapping up in my direction. I only realised that her eyes were damp when she quickly rose a hand to angrily wipe away the escapee tears.
"How long have you been stood there?" She tore her eyes away from me and glanced toward where I'd been stood at the open doorway leading into her quarters. For the life of me, I couldn't understand why she looked so uneasy when her playing had been so flawless, unless the song had brought back old memories of someone from her past. Was that the reason she had been crying?
"Not long." I assured her with an easy smile. "I'm alone, Jax and Lewis are downstairs. I'm sorry for eavesdropping but I really couldn't help myself, especially since it is technically my guitar."
"Oh, right of course. I'm sorry for not asking but it was just lying there untouched and you were all in the gym-" Her cheeks bloomed into a soft rose tint and I was quick to interrupt her unnecessary apologies.
"Don't worry about that, Garry is seriously under appreciated around here anyway so I'm glad to see someone other than me actually making some use of him, truly." I told her honestly, blocking her path as she tried to stand up and walk around me in order to replace the guitar where she'd found it. Glancing down at her smaller height, I reached out for her arm to stop her.
"You named your guitar Gary?" The corners of her lips turned up in the ghost of a smile. There was that dimple I had come to enjoy bringing out over the last two weeks.
"Guilty." I shrugged, turning the accusations onto her. "You never told me you could sing."
She looked embarrassed and her cheeks consequently turned a shade darker in pigment, almost matching her new hair in colour. Was I truly making her that uncomfortable? I fought my grin as I released her arm, enjoying her discomfort a tad too much. She was adorable like this, all shy and unassuming about her talent.
"You never asked. You stole me away from my life without asking questions or even showing a glimpse of remorse." Her tone was as hard and unforgiving as her amber eyes. Our eyes met briefly, but she was quick to retreat her gaze and turn away from me. "Why does it matter? Does it change anything?"
I tried not to let the emotion show on my face. Her honesty stung more than she probably realised or intended. I knew the strange circumstances of our initial introductions were far from perfect or even normal, but I wanted to atone for my mistakes. I hated the idea of her being isolated here, unable to trust or confide in anyone.
"No, but I am more inclined not to challenge you to a singing duel now."
"Good." She taunted, slipping out of my grip in order to replace the guitar by the doorway. I watched her thoughtfully as she balanced the neck against the open door, her face turning slightly to look over her shoulder at me, "because I'd win, hands down."
Challenge on.
Suddenly, I had the destructive impulse to ask whether she'd gone back to Danny's hotel room last night after we'd dealt with Kellan.
She set the guitar down, careful not to misjudge the balance and accidentally cause damage to Gary. The way she was so careful as not to cause any harm to my belonging caused my heart to ache, and then she moved to leave and I couldn't help myself.
"Evie-" I ominously planted her nickname down between us like a pack of C-4, just waiting for the detonator that would blow our unstable friendship into even more pieces than it already was.
The hypothetical detonator here was the fact that my reason for calling out her name was dangerous territory. My follow up was a minefield of sorts; completely foreign territory.
I debated making up a fake reason for calling out her name. Maybe I could ask her to play another song in order to cover up the strange tension between us, but I couldn't find it within me to lie. That wasn't what I wanted. What I wanted, was to ask her if she had followed Danny back to his hotel room last night, or vice versa, and yet I couldn't because I found myself unwilling to find out the answer.
What if she simply confirmed my suspicions and I had to picture the two of them together in her hotel room? Hot and sweaty beneath the sheets, her naked body pinned beneath him as they panted and cursed. The thought didn't sit well with me and there was no mistaking the ugly feeling in the pit of my stomach. The seven letter word had me grinding down on my molars.
I had no right to ask the question and definitely no right to feel jealous of a man I didn't even know. Eve was her own woman and could do as she pleased, had been doing exactly that long before I showed up and turned her life upside down.
"Did you want to say something?" she asked, brows furrowed in confusion. I looked down at the guitar in a desperate attempt to avoid her imploring eyes.
"I should be going." I lied, my breathing uneven. She studied my face intently, searching for something that her abilities wouldn't reveal despite her solid efforts. My head was a permanently locked fortress to her and no amount of telepathy skills would crack it.
She watched me for a second longer before shaking her head, almost as though in confirmation that I couldn't feel emotion, just as she suspected. In Evelyn's mind, I probably didn't hold the ability to harbour any positive emotions. When I didn't speak another word, she took a careful step closer, examining my features. She was definitely onto me and her following words only confirmed my suspicions.
"No, no I didn't sleep with him. Is that what you want to hear, are you happy now?" She waved her hand to encompass my body with a wary look. She didn't sleep with him. The prospect was almost too good to be true and for the life of me, I couldn't figure out why. I shouldn't care, and yet I did. I didn't want another man to touch her ever again unless it was me; unless it was me claiming that mouth and making her moan incoherent obscenities toward the heavens. "I never want to sell my body to another man ever again, and the next time I share myself with a guy, it's going to bloody well be on my terms and because I want it. Are we clear?"
"Crystal."
I returned back downstairs to the boys with an empty corona and a wide smile that I couldn't seem to shift. What was she doing to me? I never usually smiled like a goof, it just wasn't me.
"What's got into you?" Jax quirked a brow, instantly picking up on my shift in mood. "We didn't ask for the Cheshire Cat."
I shook off his comment and rounded the kitchen island in search of the fridge for another beer. The TV was set onto an X-Rated channel and a large pair of D cup tits stared back at me from the 40inch screen. Classy boys, real classy.
"Who is this smiling imposter and what have you done with our Luca?" Lewis jumped up from the sofa and slid across to where I was stood, bracing both his hands on the granite counter and narrowing his eyes suspiciously. His gaze glanced down to my empty hand. "You don't even have your phone. Where have you been?"
Shit. I must have left my phone in Eve's room after all that. The girl had a way of distracting me that left me completely clueless and I hated it.
"Knock it off you two." I brushed off Lewis' arm and knocked back a long gulp of the cold beer, trying to forget about the beautiful girl sat upstairs with angel eyes and the voice of a siren. I could only hope that unlike the sailors in Greek mythology, I wouldn't be lured into destruction by the sweetness of her enchanting song. Although, it might already be too late.
Someone up there was purposely messing with my head and it was driving me crazy. The girl could play the guitar, seriously? She was practically made for me and the fact that she was officially off-limits only made her all the more tempting.
That night as I sat in bed, back propped up against the wooden headboard in my bedroom, I strummed away at the guitar and found lyrical inspiration for the first time in years.
'She's a delicate rose in early spring,
But she isn't soft;
And when her masquerade petals fall,
Her deadly thorns uncover.'
The lyrics seemed fitting, and so I wrote them down before turning off the light and falling into a restless sleep.
*A/N: Question of the day. If you could trade 1 year of your life for $30,000, how many years would you trade in?*