Page 91 of House of Scarlett
“You’re right. We are together. And that makes your safety my job and a top priority. Your last guy wasn’t a real man, so I don’t expect you to get how this works. But keeping you safe matters a hell of a lot to me, and I wouldn’t be a man—good, bad, or otherwise—if I didn’t take steps to make it happen.”
Fifty-Five
Legend
Scarlett’s face goes pale,and I automatically wonder if I’m coming on too strong for her. I know she’s not used to a guy like me, but that’s too bad. She’ll get used to it.
“What?”
Scarlett swallows, and what looks like fear streaks across her face. “Chadwick,” she whispers. “What if he’s the troll?”
The blood charging through my veins slows with ice-cold determination. “Then I take care of him and the problem goes away.” I don’t mean to sound like an old mob movie, but if the shoe fits ...
Her wide eyes lift to mine. “We have to tell the detective. They’ll question him. Dig into his phone and computer.”
The thought of tipping off the guy to our suspicions seems like a mistake to me, but when tears well in Scarlett’s eyes, I forget about anything else but making them go away.
“Okay. We’ll play this your way for now. Bring it in, ladybug. You need a fucking hug, and I need to hold you.”
A tear tips over her lids as I open my arms. “How did you know?”
“I’m learning you. Now come here.”
She steps into the circle of my arms, and I wrap them around her, pressing her flush against my chest. We stand like that, in silence, until our breathing matches and I swear we’re in sync.
She takes a step back, and I loosen my grip, but not much.
“What?”
“Thank you.”
“For what?”
“Being you.” She rises on her toes to ghost her mouth across mine, but I need more from her. I need it all.
I reposition my arms to cup the back of her head and tilt it so I can taste her better, andsweet fuck, she is perfect. When her hands go to the hem of my shirt and tug it upward, I’m more than on board with whatever she wants and needs from me right now.
We break apart so she can lose the shirt, and my fingers find the buttons of her blouse. One by one, I free them, revealing her lacy bra and rounded tits.
Without another word, I lift her into my arms and carry her into my bedroom. Thank fuck the sheets were changed yesterday and the bed is made. I lower her onto the comforter and follow her down.
Slowly, like time ceases to exist, we strip each other. She covers my skin with kisses from those pouty lips, and by the time I roll her onto her back and slide a knee between her thighs, she’s soaked and I’m rock hard.
I slide a finger between her slippery lips and stroke up to her clit. “You need me, baby? Need my hard cock filling this tight little cunt of yours?”
Her mouth opens on a moaned exhalation. “Yes.”
“Damn right you do. My cunt. Because you’re fucking mine. Not letting you go. No one is fucking taking you from me.”
“I love you, Gabriel.” The words fall from her lips, and my heart damn near fucking stops.
She loves me.
I squeeze my eyes shut for a beat. “You shouldn’t.”
When I open them, she’s lifting her hand to my face and stroking across my stubbled cheek.
“But I do, and I’m not taking it back. And you’re not kicking me out after we have sex either, because you’re scared of how I feel.”
