Page 97 of The Grand Ruin: Lance & Scarlet-Part One

“But I’m your sunshine when all you can see is the moon and stars.” I snap my eyes down, finding her awake and peering up at me. “It could be worse.”

Fuck.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

My knee parts her legs, and I roll us, stretching out over her. Our mouths meet, and I kiss her so damn hard, but she puts up resistance, locking her hands around my neck, fingers running through my scalp.

“You make me a bad man, Scarlet Lowell.”

She pulls back, panting as she halts me with a fistful of my hair. Her eyes jump around my face as if my words annoy her. “It doesn’t feel that way. Not even a little bit.”

I groan, raining kisses down her neck.

Her breasts.

Her stomach.

I am a bad man.

SEVENTEEN

Scarlet

“Do the two of you have any plans for the day?”

My eyes lift to my dad, and I give him a warning gaze. I know when he’s in a playful mood, and today, he seems to be in top form.

We’re sitting around the twelve-seater table in the dining room, eating the breakfast I’ve cooked.

“I was going to ask if Scarlet wanted to come to my mum’s for dinner, actually.”

I pause with my fork halfway to my mouth. “You were?”

What the hell?

I’ve only heard terrible things about his mum. Why would he want to take me to meet her?

“I have some documents for her to sign,” he says, as if sensing my thoughts. “It won’t be an all-day thing.”

“Well, that will be lovely, right, Scar?” My dad prompts me, brows rising as if to tell me not to be so rude.

I watch Lance, waiting for him to look at me, but he doesn’t.

I really don’t want to go. I have a feeling my dad can sense that. His gaze keeps coming back to me as if he can see my internal struggle.

Lance accidentally met my dad. It’s not like I wanted them to meet. This isn’t supposed to be anything serious.

And I definitely can’t do this long term. He knows that.

My stare shifts to my dad. His skin is sallow and drained of its usual brightness. He’s sick, and I’m “meeting the family”?

“Scarlet.” The panic inside of me sparks as I look up at Lance sitting to my right. His face is softer now, his gaze reassuring. I have a feeling if my dad wasn’t at the table, he’d kiss me. Instead, he finds a slight smile for me. “You don’t have to come.”

You don’t have to come.But I want you to.I can see the unspoken words lurking like the pain in his eyes. He doesn’t want to go to his mum’s on his own.

So, he asked me to go with him.

Me.

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