Page 27 of Everything I Need

“Sure are. Have you ever been out here at night?” I ask.

“No, to be honest I’ve always been too afraid to run the trail at night. You know animals and all.” She shrugs.

“Oh, does that mean I have to protect you from the animals then?”

She stops directly in front of me, making me bump into her back. I reach out to steady myself. “Was that not your plan? I can turn around now if it isn’t, because I will absolutely outrun you and let them eat you.”

“Oh, okay. Like you could outrun me. I have much longer legs than you.”

Before I know it, Scarlett takes off into the field. She is pretty fast.

“Not fair! I have all this stuff and you didn’t give me a warning!” I shout.

“I can’t help it if you aren’t observant!” she yells over her shoulder.

When I finally catch up to Scarlett she is laughing. If thinking she can outrun me is what makes that smile appear she can go right on and think that.

“Here, help me spread this out.” I hand her a corner of the blanket.

“It is so beautiful out here. You can see so many stars.” She looks at me with a flicker of a memory crossing her beautiful face. “Wait, is this like our first date?”

“I hope so. It led to a lot more after that.” I wink.

We lay down on the blanket and watch the stars for a while. I point out a few of the constellations to her, which I’m not sure if she knew or just let me have my moment. It was the perfect excuse to get close to her. Smell her lavender shampoo and feel her smooth skin under my fingers.

Scarlett turns to say something, but we are so close to each other I stole the words from her mouth with a kiss. Her hands begin to roam under my shirt, and I deepen the kiss.

“Did you bring me out here just to get me to kiss you again?” She asks when she pulls away.

“It worked, didn't it?” I wink.

Laughing, she came back in for more. There is nothing more perfect than this moment right now. Laying in the field, under the stars, with Scarlett in my arms.

Chapter Sixteen

Scarlett

Ihavetoadmit,Preston is pretty smooth. After that kiss we spent the night laughing, eating all my favorite snacks, and talking. I learned a lot more about his reasons for leaving the hospital, which made a lot of sense considering I know he isn’t that cold man I met that day in the hallway. Another reminder that we’ve wasted a lot of time by me letting my emotions get the best of me.

“So, you said Colton builds multi-million dollar homes now and your Dad still isn’t proud of him?” I know Preston and Colton’s Dad was always really hard on them, I actually never met him because Preston was afraid he’d scare me off. His stepmother Eleanor seems like she really earned the name wicked step-mother.

“Dr. West isn’t proud of anyone but himself. He only tolerated me because I became the doctor to follow in his footsteps. But when he realized that I wasn’t following exactly in his footsteps by becoming a surgeon, he started to make my life really miserable at the hospital. After a while, I decided I was done trying to impress him and just left. According to him moving and buying Dr. Kramer’s practice was career suicide.” I can see the sadness in his eyes of not having a father figure to support him.

“Well, it sounds like meeting him next week should be real fun.” I roll my eyes.

“You don’t have to go, Scarlett. It won’t be fun at all.” He turns serious.

“Between Caleb and Elizabeth, and your father, I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. You are a wonderful doctor and Colton is more talented than any other contractor I’ve ever seen, judging by your kitchen. Someone needs to stand up to them and defend you two.” Preston gently pulls my face between his hands and stares directly into my soul.

I don’t know which one of us leans in first, but this kiss is different. It is like something changes for us. Being able to understand a little more about Preston allows me to drop that final piece of my wall against him. I can’t stay away from him even if I want to anymore.

I am so entranced by Preston’s mouth on mine, I didn’t notice that my hand begins to reach into the waistband of his pants. They are moving with a mind of their own. I am about to make a move I can’t take back, and a move that I’ve never been the first one to make. I must hesitate too long because I feel his hand on mine.

“If you aren’t ready, we don’t have to do anything more than we are Scarlett,” he says as he pulls back to look me in the eyes.

It’s not that I’m not ready, it isn’t something we haven’t done before, just not yet in this new relationship. I decide to be bold and move my hand further under his waistband. I feel Preston stiffen when I wrap my fingers gently around the base of his cock. I take him fully in my hand and begin stroking up and down. Our kiss turns frenzied and frantic.

Preston pauses, only to remove my shirt and I feel the chill of the mountain air pebbling my skin. He kisses down my neck and pulls the lacey bralette down. Leaning over me, he pulls my peaked nipple into his mouth. God, that feels good. The cold air following his warm mouth left a contrasting sensation I can’t get enough of. I buck my hips into his and he gets the hint.

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