Recruiting Eva (Compound Series Part2) 18+

Chapter 4

During dinner, she met another recruit, Melissa. Afterwards, Nico and Melissa decided to give her another tour of the compound. One that was more fun. They had shown her the pool and spa area, a fireplace near the edge of the woods surrounding the compound, and other places Steve had left out. They ended their tour on the top of the roof.

Covered in light blankets and with beers in hand, they watched the sun set behind the trees. It was a beautiful place to be. It felt peaceful. The three of them had spent a lovely evening together, and both Nico and Melissa couldn't stop gushing about how important and amazing being part of the program was.

"So, how does this whole program work," Eva asked, taking a sip of her beer.

"We train our abilities individually," said Melissa. "And group training is a huge thing. No room for loners."

"We go on small missions. Either with our assigned mentor or as a group," Nico added.

"Most of them consist of gathering data that we can use against HYDRA," Melissa said.

"Oh don't forget the parties," Nico said, wiggling her eyebrows.

Noticing Eva's raised eyebrows, Melissa explained, "Sometimes, if the missions were a success, we celebrate."

"Sometimes, even Mr. Stark joins," Nico said.

"Yeah, but those parties often end up being very extra," Melissa laughed.

"How? Or why?" Eva asked. She hadn't been to a party in ages.

"Well, we need sponsors to keep this all running," Nico shrugged.

"I thought Stark was paying for all of this," Eva admitted.

"He did," Nico said.

"Okay, girls, let's go inside again. It's getting cold," Melissa suggested.

It was in the middle of the night when Eva strolled into the living area. The lights were dimmed so she could still see everything, without it being too bright. She grabbed a glass and filled it with tab water, then walked over to the window looking out into the atrium.

She was massaging her neck with her free hand when a movement in the corner of her eye startled her.

"Eva," his deep voice echoed through the room.

"Jesus!" she breathed out, nearly dropping the glass in her hand.

"The hair is confusing, but you can call me Bucky," he said.

She had thought about him over the past two years, not in a good way... mostly. But standing in front of him, actually looking into his eyes again, her brain provided all the wrong memories. Being reminded of how he felt, how he tasted, hearing him say her name didn't help either.

"It's three in the morning. What are you doing here?" she said, recovering from the shock.

"Nightmares," Bucky said, looking into the glass in his hand.

"Tell me about it," she muttered.

Wordlessly, he pushed the bottle of whiskey towards her. A silent invitation to join him. Eva contemplated for a second whether to just turn around and go back to bed. Nothing good ever happened after three in the morning. Or how did the saying go? She emptied her glass and took the seat opposite of him. After filling her glass, she leaned back in the armchair.

Sooner or later, they had to talk. Why not in that moment, when they were alone, in the middle of the night?

She took a sip of her whiskey and watched him over the rim of her glass. The scarce light seemed to be even darker in this corner of the living area, casting a gloomy atmosphere around him. He still looked handsome, and she hated herself for thinking that about him.

When she met his stare, she realized he had checked her out just like she had him. There was a burning in his eyes that made her hold her breath. Memories flooded her mind. She desperately tried to push them away. Eva squeezed her legs together, trying to ignore the throbbing in between them.

"That night..." he began, only to be interrupted by her.

"Don't," she said, biting her lip. "What happened, happened."

She could see the muscles in his jaw tightening.

"I'm here because I owe Steve," Eva said. "Should I choose to stay... we need to set rules."

He pulled his brows together.

"This," she said, pointing between the two of them. "Can't happen. Won't happen."

James kept quiet, tilting his head slightly as she continued. She tensed under his gaze, feeling as if her pyjamas, pants, top, and sweater weren't enough. Hell, an astronaut's suit wouldn't be enough to stop her from feeling so vulnerable.

"A-and you should stop looking at me like that," she stuttered.

"Like what?" he teased.

She shut her mouth with a click and kept quiet. He knew what she meant. He put his glass down, got up, and walked over to her. Leaning down, he put his hands on the armchair on either side of her. Eva leaned back, barely able to look up as his intoxicating scent filled her nose.

"What are you so afraid of?" He said in a low voice.

"You," she breathed.

"Why?" he asked, holding the gaze of her widened eyes.

"Because you are a distraction," she said, barely audible.

He backed away, leaving her alone in the scarce light of the compound. Her heart was pounding against her chest. This would be the end of her.