Page 52 of Tainted Rose

Xander

Waking up with Scarlett curled around my body makes me really fucking happy. A sweeping contentment rolls through me, leaving me feeling whole. The truth of it bursts through me like a lightning strike—I’m not falling. I’ve already fallen. It’s done. I brush my lips over her forehead, and she mumbles in her sleep and cuddles closer to me. She’s mine.

And there’s nothing—not a damn thing—that will stop me from protecting what’s mine.

She shifts closer to me as she wakes and looks up at me from where her head rests on my chest. “Good morning.”

“Morning.” I drag in a deep breath and kiss the top of her head. “I guess you’re going to school, huh?”

She nods. “Yeah. You’re staying home?”

“The doctor told Mom to watch me today and if I was feeling better, I could try going tomorrow.”

“Don’t push it, Xander. We’re lucky it turned out to be pretty minor. How’s that thick skull of yours doing today?”

I trace my fingertips up and down her arm “I don’t know what it’ll be like if I get up and move around, but I’m okay right now.” Hesitation never got anyone anywhere, so I rush on. “I love waking up with you.”

“Mm. I can’t complain. I like being able to touch you whenever I want.” She wets her lips, drawing my eyes to them.

I lightly touch my lips to hers, then tilt her face to the side, my eyes scanning her cheek. “This doesn’t look too bad.”

She presses her lips together. “That’s because your mom gave me a bag of frozen peas to bring the swelling down.”

“Oh, man.” I squeeze my eyes shut. “Did she freak?”

“A little at first. Everything’s fine. Don’t worry about it.”

I can only imagine what my mother thought when my girlfriend appeared with a bruise raising on her cheek. It sets off internal panic that anyone would think I hit her on purpose. “I’ll worry because it’s you and I don’t ever want to hurt you. Never again.” I feather a kiss over the sore spot. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t. It’s not your fault.” Scarlett’s blue eyes flash brilliantly at me. Defiantly. “I don’t want you apologizing for that.” A tiny little smirk slides across her face. “Now, if you want to repeat that thing you did with your tongue last night, that’d be okay.”

“You little minx.” I laugh and pin her under me, running my fingers over her ribs, tickling. She squirms and giggles as she tries to get away. “If you’re not careful, I’ll make you late for class, Red.”

She nips at my earlobe. “How are you going to do that?” One of her eyebrows twitches up in challenge as she eases back to look into my eyes.

“I’ll eat your pussy for breakfast and make you come so hard you’ll still be feeling it while you sit in the middle of English listening to Mrs. Harden drone on about some long-dead poet.”

“I dare you to try.”

Challenge accepted.I kneel over her, slide her sleep shorts off, and dive between her legs, my face the closest place to heaven that I can think of. I take my time kissing her sweet, pink pussy, flicking my tongue over her clit, and making her writhe under my touch. She tastes salty and tart and sweet all at the same time. I could spend the whole morning like this, but we’ve got a limited amount of time if she is going to get to school before the first bell.

I glance up to find her face all flushed and rosy, the impending orgasm clear from her expression. She’s panting, her lips slightly parted, her eyes glazed over. I swipe my tongue over her from back to front, groaning as I do. The sounds she’s making are incredibly sexy. I spread her legs wider with my hands, dipping my tongue into her hot, wet core, doing “that thing” that she likes. She cries out, breathless, rocking her pussy against my face as her orgasm overwhelms her.

When she finally comes down, she covers her face, mumbling between her fingers, “God, that was good.”

I roll her to the side and swat her behind. “Good, then my job is done. Now get your cute little ass out of the bed and into that schoolgirl uniform before you really are late. And have fun thinking of me in English.”

A while later, I finally decide it’s time to wander down to the kitchen in search of food. Scarlett left for school over an hour ago. Her naked body in my bed is exactly what my concussed head needed last night—my hard dick in her pussy, making her twitch and moan. I’m convinced Red makes everything better. And I can’t forget how she’d looked when I told her I’m falling for her. My heart had almost burst wide open with the pure emotion of it. I’ve never felt like this before. Never.

The sounds of cooking drift to me as I come down the hallway, and when I enter, Sebastian is seated at the kitchen island and June is sliding an omelet onto his plate for him.

Sebastian looks up, surprised, one brow lifting. Yeah, me too, buddy. I didn’t expect to see him back already. Did he just get in, or had Scarlett run into him this morning? “I heard you did some time in the hospital yesterday afternoon.” He studies me over his coffee cup. “Feeling okay today? I had to stop your mother from going up to check on you this morning.”

“Yeah.” I rake my hand through my hair. “I’m good, I think. Just going to take it easy today.”

When I make like I’m going to get myself coffee, June fusses. “Go sit down, Xander. I’ve got it. I’ll whip you up something to eat, too.”

For a few minutes, the room is quiet as Sebastian eats his omelet, and I sip on my coffee while June gets busy at the cooktop.

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