Page 54 of Shadow's Surrender
“You smell good,” he said. “When do you gotta get back?”
“Not for a while. I thought we were just going to talk and not have sex. At least that’s what you implied. You said you needed a friend.”
He put a finger under her chin, tipped her head back, and kissed her. “Are you complaining?”
Twisting away, Scarlett sat in front of him. “Not at all. Do you do this with all your friends?” When the lines deepened on his forehead, she regretted asking the question.
Leaning back against the tree, he splayed his hands across his denim-clad thighs. “First of all, I can’t keep my hands off of you. But second, I also wanted to share this place with you. You’re the only chick I’ve ever brought here. I needed to be with you, that’s all.”
“I shouldn’t have asked. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be, and you have every right to ask. We got something going here, babe. I don’t know what the fuck it is, but I do want you to know you’re the only woman I’m fucking.”
“That’s good to know … and so romantic.” She laughed dryly. “I’m sure you have your pick of women.”
“Easy pussy? For sure.”
“Speaking of that, we didn’t use protection. I was so caught up in the moment that I lost my head. Uh … are you clean?”
“Yeah. I test a lot and I’m good. I’m guessing you’re on birth control.”
She nodded. “So you have a lot of women throwing themselves at you.”
“It happens quite a bit, but I like what we have.” Shadow winked at her.
“What do we have? A friends-with-benefits thing?”
“Not really. A couple of my buddies got something like that going, and both them and the women they’re banging are fucking other people too.” He quirked his lips and stared at her. “You fucking anyone else? What about that dude at Eli’s party?”
“Warren?” She shook her head. “He’s the one my parents, especially my dad, are chomping at the bit for me to marry.”
“So are you still with him?”
“Would you be upset if I were?” she asked.
His nostrils flared as he breathed in and out noisily.
“I’m not. I was until I met you.” She glanced down. “I know it sounds silly, because I didn’t think I’d ever see you again, but after we hooked up, I felt so alive and … daring.” She looked up at him, surprised by the way his face had morphed from anger to gentleness so quickly. “The truth is that I haven’t slept with Warren since then, but I haven’t officially told him to fuck off.”
“Hasn’t he caught on that you don’t want him?”
“Yes and no. He’s persistent. I need to tell him it’s over.”
“Why haven’t you? Are you playing both of us?” His words hit her in the gut.
“No! I’m just avoiding a lot of drama with my parents.”
Shadow sighed loudly. “Babe, you gotta grow up sometime. Your parents aren’t living your life, you are. Don’t undersell it.”
“You’re right. I’ll break it off with Warren for good. I just wasn’t sure if you had someone in your life.”
“Only you. And so you know—I don’t share. You’re with me or you’re not.”
“I’m with you,” she whispered. “And you should know that I don’t like sharing either.”
“Then we don’t have a problem, babe.” Shadow reached into the pocket of his jeans and took out a joint and a lighter and then leaned forward to light it. He inhaled, and as he exhaled, he handed the joint to her.
After looking at it, Scarlett took a few short, quick puffs, then exhaled a plume of smoke and handed it back to Shadow. She pulled up her legs and rested her elbows on her knees as she watched him inhale deeply. When he stretched out his arm toward her, she shook her head, begging off another hit. Soon, he stamped the spent joint out on the ground.
