Page 64 of Savage Rose

We walk back to the bonfire hand in hand. There are substantially fewer people around now. I don’t know whether people have left early or sneaked off to have their own sexy times.

Beau grins when he sees us. “Having fun, kids?”

I try to control my sheepish smile, but fail. Xander sits in a chair and pulls me onto his lap. His palm rests on my leg, fingertips pressing into my inner thigh.Oh, Jesus. He’s trying to kill me.A furious blush hits my cheeks, and my voice comes out a little breathy, which makes Beau smirk. “We’re doing great. Where’s Micah?”

“He and Alora took off in that direction earlier.” He juts his chin off to the left of us.

I frown. “Wait, wasn’t he hanging out with Farrah tonight?”

Beau looks at me and shrugs. “So? Alora was willing. Farrah wasn’t for some reason. Micah doesn’t even care who it is, anyway. He just wants someone to attend to his needs.” His brows wiggle up and down.

I can’t help but give him an amused smile.

Xander aims a reproachful look in Beau’s direction. “She doesn’t need to know all of Micah’s business.”

Beau grunts and takes another gulp of whatever is in his cup. “Dude doesn’t even care.” He slides his gaze back to me. “He’s determined to get through high school without ever being in a relationship.”

“Wow. Is that how most guys feel?” I grimace, wondering about Xander. For all intents and purposes, everyone assumes he’s in some sort of a relationship with Aria. But he’s not. So, is he the same way? Am I nothing to him, the way Farrah and Alora are nothing to Micah?

I shiver in the night air, considering the possibility.

Beau laughs. “Nah. Not necessarily. Micah is … different. He mostly does what feels good to him. He doesn’t get emotionally involved.”

“Ever?”

“Nope. He’s not like your man here.” Beau winks and walks away.

Xander’s arm tightens around my waist and his fingers slip under my skirt and dig into the soft skin of my upper thigh just shy of the juncture between my legs. I let out a little whimper as he stares steadily into my eyes.

“Dammit, Scarlett, you’re finding your way under my skin, into my bones, and I don’t know how to stop it.”

My heart kicks. “Then don’t,” I whisper. “Let me in.”

“I wish it were as easy as that.”

Hearing a loud gasp, we both turn our attention across the bonfire to where a seething Aria’s eyes glitter angrily at us. She doesn’t seem the slightest bit amused to find me in Xander’s lap with his hands on me. I get the distinct feeling she’s the unhappiest of campers at our bonfire, and somehow, someway, I’ll be paying for this later.

Chapter 41

As I’m heading to the cafeteria on Monday, Xander texts me to meet him out in the garden again. After a quick pit stop to tell Daphne and Max I’ll be back in a few, I head outside. I assume he wants to meet on the same bench where we met last week, under the big tree. My face colors thinking about what he’d done to me there, but excitement zips through me all the same.

My eyes light up when I find Xander exactly where I thought he’d be, and I cross quickly to him, dropping my bag on the bench with his. He lifts me into his arms, and my legs wrap around him. He growls as his hands grip my ass under my skirt, fingers inching under my boy shorts. I initiate the kiss, nibbling playfully on his lips, and we’re soon lost to each other.

At some point when I was too busy sucking on his tongue to notice, Xander walked us around the back of the big tree. I find my back pressed up against it. He thrusts his pelvis against me, and I think I may die from the pleasure of it. I reach between us, hesitantly at first, feeling how hard he is.

With a gulp, I unwrap my legs from around him. My mouth just over his, I look into his eyes and whisper, “Drop your pants.”

He blinks twice, and then hurries into motion. He undoes his buckle, button and zipper, shoving his pants and boxer briefs down past his cock in one go. He breathes heavily, eyes hooded, jaw tense. My eyes are drawn to his cock, which is massive, thick and long. Perfect, I think. I can’t seem to look away.

“What do you want to do, Scarlett?”

I put my hand over his heart and the hammering of it gives me a little thrill. In answer, my hand slides down the front of his shirt, feeling his taut muscles underneath, then pulls it up from the hem so I can touch all that skin. Once I’ve traced my fingers over him, I fixate on the V leading down to his groin, sliding my fingers down the ridges of muscle until I grasp the base of his erection with one hand, then run the fingers of the other over all the smooth, soft skin over steel.Holy shit.

I swear, the guy just whimpered.

I must have spent too much time touching, overcome by how perfect he is, because suddenly Xander clears his throat. “You’re killing me, Red.”

“I wanted to put my mouth on you the other night and didn’t. I’ve regretted it ever since.” My heart thuds and thumps around in my chest. I’ve never donethisbefore either.

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