Page 28 of Saving Scarlett

Leaving her bedroom, I went into the kitchen, wetting a clean washcloth and bringing it back to her room. When I walked through the door, I was surprised to find her lying on the bed, curled up on her side.

Everything in me wanted to climb onto the bed and hold her, but I didn’t. Instead, I walked around the other side and lowered myself into the chair I had fallen asleep in the night before. Her eyes opened to look up at me, but she didn’t speak.

“Here,” I said, reaching forward and wiping her face and neck with a damp washcloth. “This may help.”

She closed her eyes, seeming to enjoy the coolness. “I’m sorry for upsetting you, Little Red. I never meant—“

“No.” Opening her eyes, she reached out and grabbed my hand, stopping my ministrations. “Don’t you dare take the blame for what he did to me. You didn’t do anything wrong. He should have told me about her. I would have gladly let him go, but I’m not surprised he cared more about the money. You are not to blame in any of this. He is.”

Although I knew she believed everything she said, I also knew I would continue to blame myself because I should’ve told her sooner. “He’s a dirtbag and deserves everything that’s coming to him.” Setting the cloth aside, I used my other hand to brush the hair away from her face. Even after being sick, her beauty made my chest squeeze even tighter. “He won’t get away with this, Scarlett, and once he’s gone, you’ll be able to go after everything you’ve ever wanted. No one will hold you back anymore.”

When she looked away from me, her eyes going glassy, I realized my words hadn’t landed the way I’d wanted them too. “What’s wrong? Did I say something to upset you?”

Without looking at me, she squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head. When her eyes flicked back up to meet mine, a tear trailed down her cheek, destroying me from the inside. “You keep saying I can have whatever I want, Bane, but what if what I want is you?”

Rolling onto her back, she wrapped her arms around my waist and pulled me on top of her, pressing her lips to mine. My cock was as hard as steel, so there was no way she didn’t feel it when I nestled between her thighs. There was no way for me to hide how much I desired her. The only thing keeping us apart and protecting her from me was our clothing, and that was incredibly dangerous. Although I’d promised myself that I wouldn’t go any further than kissing her, it was clear she didn’t intend to make it easy for me.

Chapter 26

The Survivor

As Bane’s hips settled between my thighs, everything else left my mind. I wanted him badly. My entire body begged to be touched by him—to have him inside of me. I needed it more than I needed air.

Pulling away from my lips, he rested his forehead against mine, both of us left panting, the kiss making me glad I’d brushed, and mouth washed before leaving the bathroom.

“I need you to understand we can’t go any further than this right now. If you want to judge whether I’m good enough for you or not, I can accept that, but I’m not comfortable with moving too fast. There are too many unknowns right now, and you have been through so much already.”

Even though I understood his words, they still hurt my chest. They still felt too much like rejection. He was more than just a distraction to me, but sex could be a perfect distraction, and it was exactly what I needed at that moment. Still, I had to take what I could get.

Lifting my mouth to his, I kissed him deeply, claiming him as mine, forcing a groan from his chest. When I pulled away, we were both breathless.

“I know you want to protect me, Bane, but I want you—all of you.”

Closing his eyes, he threaded his fingers in my hair. “I know you do, Little Red. I want you too—more than you know—but we still have much to discuss, a video to watch, and a lot of really important shit to plan. If I slid inside of you tonight, we would spend the next week in this bed, because I would never be able to get enough, but all that would do is put you more in danger. I can’t lose track of our reality right now—not if I want to protect you. When you’re safe, I promise I’ll make it up to you.”

The hardline Bane drew in the sand was disappointing, but I understood why he did it. Still, my body was on fire, my pussy throbbing against his still clothed hardness between my legs, and I had a difficult time thinking about anything else.

“Do you still want to watch the video tonight? I don’t feel sick anymore, so I think I can handle it.”

Without responding, he wrapped his arms around me and rolled us over until he was on his back. The moment I was straddling him, I slid against the hard bar of him that was lined up against my center, only making me want him more. The heat he was packing was impressive.

Unable to help myself, I rolled my hips, dragging my pussy against his erection, cursing our clothes for being between us. A guttural moan rumbled out of him, telling me he enjoyed it, but he still grabbed my hips and halted my movement. “If you keep doing that, I will lose the fight I’m struggling to maintain my willpower.”

My lips tipping up in a grin, I didn’t bother telling him that was my plan, because he already knew it. “If you want me to stop, then we should probably get out of this bed because my willpower is already gone. What I really need is to come. It’s been a long time.”

The groan that came from him was more pained than an injured animal. Digging his fingers into my ass, he lifted his hips and dragged me against him, sending my eyes into the back of my head. “I won’t fuck you yet, Little Red, because once I do, you’ll be mine forever, but I didn’t say anything about not being willing to make you come. If that’s what you need to hold you over, then I’m sure I could help.”

His words sent electric heat surging all the way down into my core, my pussy begging to be filled. “Please.”

The minute the plea left my mouth, he flipped me back on my back, tugging on the waistline of my pants. “Take these off, so I can help you release some tension.”

I giggled, sliding my pants and panties down and kicking them to the floor. “Is that what they’re calling it?”

The smirk he shot at me was purely evil, but his eyes turned hungry when his gaze shifted to between my thighs, his tongue swiping across his lips. Damn. He was so fucking sexy.

“Are you sure you want me to touch you, Little Red? I don’t want you to do anything you aren’t ready for.”

Opening my thighs wider, I nodded. “Please.”

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