Page 14 of Hollywood Humbug (The Naughty List)

I knew we needed to talk before things went too far, but I forced my thoughts away from all the reasons we shouldn’t be doing this and devoured her mouth until we were both breathless. The only reason I finally tore my lips from hers was so that I could frantically strip her out of her shirt. When I saw her quivering breasts, bouncing slightly from her choppy breaths, and the pebbled nipples poking against the lacy cups of her bra, a groan rumbled up my chest. “So damn beautiful. I need you in my mouth.”

“Yesss,” she hissed, arching her back as my hand slid around to pop the clasp.

“That’s it, baby. I know what you want. What we both need.” As soon as the plump swells spilled free, I lowered my head, but paused when I realized that there was writing tattooed in a curve under each breast. They weren’t in English and I wanted to ask what they meant, but I was distracted when she moaned and arched her back again. Returning my attention to her puckered nipples, I sucked one deep into my mouth. Scarlett’s fingers dug into my scalp, holding me close to her chest while I licked and sucked the tight peak. Gliding my hands up her ribcage, I cupped the undersides of her generous breasts, enjoying how they filled my hands.

Her knees wobbled when I sucked hard, then flicked my tongue over a taut bud. “Kane,” she moaned.

Tilting my head back, I glanced up and my breath caught in my lungs. Her cheeks were flushed pink, and her perfect mouth was parted as she stared down at me, stark need shining in her turquoise eyes.

“Fuck, Scarlett, it shouldn’t be possible for you to be any more beautiful,” I rasped. “But seeing you like this…fuck, baby. You’re a goddess.” Straightening, I wrapped her white-blonde hair around my fist and trailed kisses down her neck before nipping at her pulse point. After a second, I picked her up, and she wrapped her legs around me as I stumbled over to the couch and laid her down. In seconds, I’d removed her leggings and panties, leaving her naked and so fucking gorgeous. My eyes swept down the length of her body, but instead of running them back up, they remained glued to Scarlett’s mound. She was fucking bare, and it was hot as hell, but that wasn’t why I was fascinated with the spot. It was because she had a tattoo right above her slit. It was a tree with intricate branches that formed something like a Celtic knot. Upon closer inspection, I realized the roots were actually more script in another language. And directly above the tree was a symbol that represented the sun.

“Amazing,” I rasped as I used a finger to trace the pattern. “As much as I hate the idea of anyone but me getting this close to your pussy, this is…damn, baby. It’s incredible and looks so beautiful on your soft skin. But I gotta say, it’s turning me the fuck on.”

A throaty laugh escaped her lips, and the sound sent vibrations of pleasure straight to my cock. I was going to lose it before we’d even started if I didn’t get a hold of myself. I gripped my control in an iron fist and whipped off my T-shirt, tossing it away before lowering my body over hers. “Damn, baby. You feel amazing beneath me.”

I dropped my head down and took her mouth in another ravaging kiss as my hands explored every inch of her bare skin. After a few minutes, I was so fucking hard there were black spots in my vision, so I reached between us and released the button on my jeans before lowering the zipper. I didn’t pull myself out just yet, knowing it would break the fragile string holding on to my sanity.

Scarlett’s hand was suddenly at my waistband, slipping inside to wrap her fingers around my cock, but I hastily removed it and raised her arms up over her head. She pouted, and I chuckled at the adorable, yet insanely sexy picture she made.

I shook my head and smirked. “You will not rush me, Scarlett,” I told her firmly. “For two years, I’ve dreamt of you like this. Seeing your eyes glazed with passion, your mouth pink and swollen from my kisses, and feeling your body trembling with desire. Two fucking years, baby. Wanting you the whole damn time, even though I knew better.”

I regretted the words the second they left my mouth, even more so when her entire body stiffened before she shoved her hands against my chest. “You don’t know anything, Kane Remington.”

She caught me by surprise, so she was able to push me back a few inches. “Scarlett, I—oomph!”

Before I could finish, she’d rolled us off the couch, so we landed hard on my back, knocking the breath out of me. She took advantage of my stunned state and jumped up, grabbing her clothes frantically before dashing to the tiny bathroom and slamming the door shut.

Fucking great, Remington.

I was pissed at myself for ruining the moment, but as my breathing returned to normal and blood pumped north to my head, I had to admit that it would have been a mistake. Oh, I intended to have Scarlett—in as many ways as possible. But we needed to clear the air first because I fully intended to keep her. Even if the leak had come from her, I was going to let her explain this time and figure out a way to trust each other again.

But, my gut was telling me it hadn’t been Scarlett. I hadn’t let myself consider another option last time, maybe if I had, my intuition would have told me the same thing. I’d messed up big time and I knew there would be a whole lot of groveling in my future.

My T-shirt was flung over the coffee machine on the tiny kitchen counter across from the couch. I reached over to retrieve it, then put it on as I settled on the couch, waiting for Scarlett to reappear.

“I want you gone when I come back out,” she yelled, her voice slightly muffled behind the door.

“Not happening,” I replied in an even tone, simply stating a fact.

The door slammed against the wall as it was thrown open, and Scarlett marched out, fully dressed, with her hands planted on her hips. “I don’t want you here,” she gritted out through clenched teeth.

“Liar,” I accused with a chuckle that only seemed to piss her off even more.

“We’re not good for each other, Kane. We’re toxic. So what’s the point of rehashing the past? This was a mistake.”

I frowned, irritated that she called what happened between us a mistake. It was anything but, and it was going to happen a fuck of a lot more. “I think you mean inevitable.”

She threw her hands in the air and huffed, “There’s no talking to you!”

I jumped to my feet and closed the small distance between us, crowding her back against the wall. “That’s exactly what I’m trying to do, baby. So, sit your sexy ass down and talk to me.”

“That’s not—I didn’t mean—I just…”

I raised an eyebrow, silently waiting for her to make the next move. When she raised her chin stubbornly, I was torn between laughing and growling, but ultimately pushed both aside and took control of the situation. “Look, I shouldn’t have phrased it like that. I thought I knew better, that I shouldn’t want you because you betrayed me.” Her expression darkened, and I hurried on before she could yell at me. “I was wrong. Wrong not to give you the chance to explain, wrong for automatically assuming it was you, and wrong when I convinced myself that I shouldn’t want you, that we had no future.”

Despite her acting skills, Scarlett’s emotions played across her face and I was happy that she couldn’t always seem to control herself with me. I liked that I was the only one who could read her. I could see her wavering in her conviction to avoid talking about this—about us., and I was tempted to push her a little more, but I had a feeling that it would only cause her to shut down again.

So, I waited, but my questions were burning a hole in my chest and eventually, I asked, “Was it you, Scarlett? You said I didn’t let you explain, well I’m giving you the chance now.”

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