Page 58 of Eden's Deliverance

“It was just a kiss.”

“Wekissed.Wefucked. I don’t want you to be with anyone else, let alone my best fucking friend, Scarlett,” he bites out, baring his teeth when he says my name.Finally.

Putting aside the fact that he chosenowto treat me like a person, I’m not going to allow him to tell me what I can or can’t do. “I understand why that would upset you, and I’m sorry,” I explain. “But we aren’t dating, Skylar. We’re not together, so you can’t dictate what I do.”

He looks down at the hand between my breasts, skating his fingers across my skin until they brush against my nipple. My breath hitches at the sensation,electricity zinging to my swollen and abandoned clit, but he notices immediately. When his eyes find mine again, I know I’m about to do something stupid.

This man has crawled into my skin, my head, my fucking shower, and now he’s looking at me with the same desire that’s building in my gut from the feel of his hands on me. He’s standing here in wet clothes that hug the muscles of his body, and all I want in this moment is to tear them off.

So I do.

Springing into action, I throw all inhibitions to the wind. My hands go to the button of his pants while he rips at the back of his shirt, but when he gets it off before I’ve even managed to pull his zipper down, he interrupts my efforts with a burning kiss. It’s hotter than the water raining down on us, our tongues continuing the fight where our words left off.

The only thing on my mind is the everlasting memory of how he felt inside me last time. It’s the same memory that’s been creeping into my head every time I’m with The Prince, forcing out the fantasy of Casanova and Broody altogether.

Honestly, after everything he admitted to me about his feelings, the idea of it being a one-time thing started to bother me. It was exhilarating, and even though we rarely see each other, I’ve been hoping we would find a way to reconnect.

The Prince’s touch is reverent, sweet, and compassionate. Skylar’s is completely different. It’s greedy and all-consuming—like he’s completely bewitched by my existence and couldn’t live without it. I try to do him the same honor when I finally get his cock free, squeezing it in my hand so he can feel just how much I want him back.

But he’s an impatient man.

Without even taking his lips off mine, he grabs his dick in one hand and lifts my thigh with the other, bending at the knee to line himself up before bucking into me.

I moan into his mouth and toss my head back, which only gives him access to suck on my neck. The sound of him slurping at the water on my skin onlymakes things hotter, plus the fact that he doesn’t care where we are. He’ll do whatever it takes, as long as he can have me.

“I’m not trying to dictate,” Skylar whispers into my ear. “I’m asking you. Only me, please.” He accentuates each word with the jabbing thrust of his hips, pounding so roughly that my back chafes against the tile wall. “Promise that you’ll only be with me.”

“I can’t.”

I’m meant to see The Prince at the New Year’s Eve party a week from now. We’re going to have sex—it’s a damned orgy, for crying out loud. Everybody is going to be having sex.

As if trying to persuade me past the natural temptation of his offer, he spits on his fingers and reaches between us to rub my clit, leaning back to watch.

I can’t tell him what he wants to hear, though. I know from Broody and Casanova that unkept promises will get me in trouble, and I’m not willing to hurt Skylar any more than I already have.

“I can’t…I can’t…I can’t…” I repeat over and over, defectively pushing against his chest as I feign restraint, but all I can focus on is my impending climax.

I come undone with the exact lightheaded bliss I sought earlier, legs going limp beneath me. Tucking into my neck to plead with the softest whispers, he curls around me to chase his own orgasm.

He’s not happy to know I’m still unspoken for, but he does me the kindness of carrying me to bed anyway, easing my spent body into the warm sheets.

It probably won’t be the last time we do this, but he’s back to being angry with me. At least until next time.

I’ve somehow managed to survive the holiday dinners from hell.

Skylar and I have been pretty successful in staying out of each other’s orbit while we’re living under the same roof, with the exception of that first night.

It’s time for the Rainbow Room party, and I don’t need him or anything else to get me down. I can do that all by myself.

“Scarlett, I don’t have any words, babe,” Penelope exclaims. I look up to find her gawking at me with tears in her eyes, cupping her hands over her mouth in astonishment.

I barely recognize myself in the mirror, and I have to do a double-take to make sure it’s not some trick.

The dress I picked out is a gorgeous, deep-red silk gown with a huge slit up the thigh. The bust is split into two sections: one side is sweetheart-shaped with golden filigree accents that feather down to my waist, and the other side is a continuation of the red silk into a puffy-shoulder sleeve.

I look amazing.

Pen looks incredible, as always. Her gown is a midnight-blue masterpiece that has a semi-sweetheart neckline and off-shoulder sleeves. Metallic golden rays extend from the bust all the way down the hem of her dress.

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