Hatred With Benefits novel Chapter 92

EMERSON.

"Give me that!" Eva whines as she strides inside the living room, and I laugh as I dodge her attempt to grab the plate from me.

"Emerson. Give it to me. " She insists and I shake my head, "I let you have the two other slices; I'm not giving you the last one. "

She frowns. "I thought you don't love cakes. You wouldn't have bought it if I didn't insist. "

"But we did, and I'm having this one now. I'm not giving it to you, babe. " I state firmly and she drops next to me, "You're so petty. "

"Not any lesser than you, Carson. " I tease her as she grabs the remote in front of her, and she shoves her middle finger in my face.

Chuckling, I take my attention back to the plate and lift the fork to my mouth. I don't see it coming when Eva suddenly grabs my jaw, turning my head to her and biting the cake out of my mouth.

She wipes the corner of my mouth with her forefinger, and slips it inside her mouth as she leans back with a grin on her face, "I told you I'd get it. "

"That's cheating. " I say as I swallow the rest in my mouth, and she beams. "I did it anyway. "

"I'm taking your chocolate. " I tell her and she throws me a glare, "No, you won't. "

"Never be too sure, baby. " I chuckle as I take another bite in my mouth. I drop the plate to the table, and turn my head toward her.

"What are you—" the rest of her words fall into silence when I grab the back of her head, and share the cake with her. She moans and locks her hands around my neck, taking more than I offer before she pulls away with another yet cheeky grin. "Why do you fight me when you eventually give in?"

"I'd ask you the same question. " I whisper and she smiles, her hand rubbing my neck before she slides one down to my chin and meets my lips again. I drop my hands to her waist as I slowly lift her from her seat, and move her over me, slipping my hand beneath the top she has on to her bare skin.

She pulls away for a split second to meet my eyes before she lowers her mouth to my neck, and a sound leaves my throat at the touch of her lips to the skin. Teeth scraping against the flesh and leaving another mark on her favourite spot.

"Emerson. " She detaches her mouth to moan and I smile as I rub my finger across her clad pussy, "I might just get you pregnant one of these days. "

"What's wrong?" I furrow my brows when Eva pulls away from me, her whole expression changing.

"You said pregnant. " She repeats my words and I nod, "Yes, and what's wrong with that?"

"You meant that as a joke, didn't you?" She lifts a brow, and I lift my body off the couch to shift to her side. "I did, and wait— what if I didn't mean it as a joke?"

Eva holds a serious expression as she speaks, "What do you mean by that?"

"That's exactly what I'm asking you. What if I didn't mean it as a joke? Like I actually want to get you knocked up?" I question and she chuckles, "You're kidding?"

When I don't follow and give her no response, her smile fades, "You're not? Em? Pregnant? Like this?"

"Yes, what's wrong with that?" I lift my brow, and I watch her move off the couch, her voice loud as her next words slip through her lips, "What do you mean what's wrong with that? I'm fucking nineteen. "

"You'll be twenty soon. " I remind her and she shakes her head, "Almost twenty and still in college. This is definitely not the right time to think about getting me pregnant. "

"I was joking, babe, " I laugh, grabbing her hand to pull her back to me and she sighs as she falls on my lap. Lowering my hand to her back, I add, "But what if it actually happens? What if I actually want to get you pregnant? Don't you want that?"

"I don't know how to feel about it. " She confesses in a small voice, dropping her head.

I tip her chin to raise her gaze to mine. "Eva, you're my woman. You'll be the one to carry my babies. "

"I'm not so sure about that. " She mutters and I frown, "What do you mean?"

"Come on, Emerson. Let's be realistic. It's still a long journey. " She raises her shoulder, and I slide my hand to her face, pushing her hair behind her ears before I cup her face with my hands, "No, it's not. Why are you saying things like that?"

"Like what?"

"Like you don't want to be with me forever?" I say and she shakes her head, "That's not what I meant. I just mean—"

"If I go down on my knees right now, and ask you to marry me; will you reject me?" I query and she sighs again, "Emerson, I—"

"No, answer the question, Carson. Will you reject me?" I persist, and she wets her lips before she answers, "Right now, maybe I won't. But later—"

"You will reject me if I ask you to marry me later?"

"No, I don't mean it like that. God, Emerson. We still have a long journey ahead of us, anything could happen. You might not want to get married to me later on. " She says the words as if she doesn't have me in the back of her palm. As if I'm not the same guy that's so fucking crazy over her. As if I never promised always and forever with her. As if she doesn't know the extent to which I'd go just to keep her like this.

"No. I've never felt that way and I'll never feel that way. And neither should you. I thought you wanted me to spend the rest of your life with you? What changed?" I stroke her cheeks and she drops her hand to my chest.

"Nothing. I'm just being realistic here, Emerson. There'll be more challenges and troubles, and we might not be as lucky as we are at the moment. We might eventually break apart. I don't want to spend these moments thinking we're endgame, when we might not be. You might get bored of me, and decide you want to—" I stop her before she can finish.

"No. Don't say those things to me. We are endgame and I'll get married to you. You'll carry my kids and you'll give me one beautiful family. How the hell could you possibly think I would get bored of you? Are you saying that because you don't want what I want?" I ask her, ensuring she doesn't tear her gaze from mine as she mumbles, "No. "

"Then why– baby, are you scared? Are you scared to become those things?" I narrow my eyes at her, and when the uncertainty clears from her face to be replaced with an expression of fear, I know she is.

"Yes. I almost lost you once and there's no assurance that I won't again. We don't know what awaits us, Emerson. " She says the words softly, and my chest drops at the thought that, that once occurrence has her entire mindset changed about us.

"Forever awaits us, Eva. You won't lose me again. Ever. " I assure her with a smile.

"You said those words once. " She says and I drop my hands from her face with a frown, "I thought you said you trust me?"

"I do. " She nods, and I grab her hands from my chest to lace my fingers through hers.