Page 34 of Eden's Deliverance

I’m just too afraid of being burned.

12

Scarlett

Apparently, slutty costumes and sexual exploitations don’t stop at college parties, because Eden is housing almost a hundred of the most dirty, depraved, and underdressed individuals I’ve ever seen in one space.

I’m wearing a skimpy Red Riding Hood outfit while Penelope is dressed as some sort of provocative burlesque bunny, and even we seem seem to have the most skin coverage. The Prince didn’t tell me what he would be wearing tonight, but he should definitely be able to recognize me in my red costume.

We don’t waste any time making our way to the bar and ordering our drinks, scoping out the place to admire all the creative getups. My stomach flutters when I see a man with long hair out on the dance floor, but before I can get a closer look, two hands reach from behind me and cover my eyes. For a second, I start to panic but then I hear Penelope giggle.

“Guess who.” The familiar voice drains the tension from my shoulders, and I lean back into the body behind me. His arms come down and wrap around my chest, hugging me closer so he can press a kiss to my cheek before he spins my bar stool around to face him.

The Prince is wearing the most ridiculously indecent nurse outfit, fitted in only a set of tiny white shorts and Crocs on his feet. A stethoscope is wrappedaround the back of his neck, hanging down over his deliciously broad chest. I run my hands up and over his washboard abs, trailing further until I reach the instrument, then grab both ends and drag him closer for a kiss.

He invites me in, opening his mouth instinctively to attack my tongue in a battle that only becomes more vicious as the alcohol starts to hit me. The beer on his breath sours my taste buds, though.

I fucking hate beer.It doesn’t matter how many variations I try; every single one tops the last on my list of ‘most disgusting things that are falsely labeled as edible. Sauerkraut is a big contender.

I have to pull away from the kiss to avoid vomiting, but he doesn’t seem to mind with the way he’s looking down at me to inspect my costume. His fingers come up to fiddle with the ties of my cape while I play with his stethoscope.

“Does Little Red Riding Hood need a checkup? I know the Big Bad Wolf has been giving you trouble,” he teases, but I can’t help wondering if he’s referring to Casanova and Broody.

I wasn’t shy about telling him what Casanova did on my first night, and thankfully, he took pity on me instead of rejecting me for making him the obvious second choice. But when he scared off Broody, he marked me ashisfirst choice—his priority—and I appreciate that more than he could understand.

“As long as my little rabbit doesn’t mind us missing for a while.” I glance back at Penelope, but she’s got a shit-eating grin on her face. She’s been very vocal about her approval of The Prince, though she keeps making jokes about me leaving the mystery men for her to handle.

They’re notmine, so I shouldn’t care. This isn’t the real world; we aren’t dating these people. Despite what arrangements I have with The Prince, there is no exclusivity. After the comment Broody made to Pen on our first night at the bar, I don’t think they would even go for her, but that doesn’t mean she won’t try. Either way, I have to be supportive. I told her that I was done with them, so I’m sticking to it.

With her official send-off, The Prince and I order a set of drinks to take back with us to the White Room. The butterflies are gone now, replaced with a silent calmness running through my veins alongside the alcohol that’s numbing me from the inside out.

We’ve only had a few nights together, but I find comfort with him because I know he’ll listen to my words, my body, and will give me what I need. I can’t say the same for the mystery men who clearly enjoy torture more than they do pleasure.

Fuck, why am I still thinking about them?

It's not long before I’m pulled out of my thoughts. Suddenly, we’re standing in the middle of the White Room without me even realizing we’ve entered. The Prince’s hands cradle my face when he bends in for a kiss, and I’m not complaining. The man deserves credit where it’s due—he knows what the fuck he’s doing.

I melt into his embrace, throwing my arms around his neck and pressing our bodies so closely together, I can feel the heat radiating from his bare chest. A low grumble from his throat is the reward for my enthusiasm, and my uncontrollable smile breaks the kiss.

“You think it’s funny, what you do to me?” he whispers against my mouth. “Fuck, I need you.” His hands slide into the space between my cape and backside, grabbing my ass in two giant fistfuls.

I do like working him up and doing my own bit of teasing. He’s already proven that he won’t get as feral as Casanova, but I can’t help what I like.

Trapping his bottom lip between my teeth, I bite lightly and draw my head backwards to yank on it. He lets out a deliciously deep moan, and the grip on my ass becomes punishing.

“I guess it’s time for my checkup then,” I purr.

Taking position in the middle of the bed, I lean back on my elbows and watch him traipse over before slowly climbing towards me on his hands and knees.As he should.

I bet Broody and Casanova would nev—

Stop. Thinking.

“I’ll start with your chest. Let’s make sure your heart is beating at the right pace for me.” He’s hovering directly over me, tugging at the ties around my neck until they loosen and the cape falls onto the bed beneath me.

His body looks cut from marble, and when he rises to his knees to put the stethoscope in his ears, the faint light in the room casts defined shadows across his abdomen and around each muscle.

The metal is ice-cold when it touches the skin of my chest, and I’m sure my heart rate elevates from the shock alone. He’s listening to me lose control, staring into my eyes as my heavy breaths fight against the diaphragm of the stethoscope.

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