Chapter Thirteen
Scarlett had never looked so beautiful to Dylan, her long blonde hair lifting in the gentle breeze, the glow of the heater highlighting her cheekbones and throwing the rest of her face into interesting shadows. Lavender smudges under her eyes made her look vulnerable and a little lost, and he wanted to fold her into his arms and keep her there until all of her pain had disappeared.
No, that wasn’t quite accurate. He didn’t just want to do that. He wanted to make beautiful love to her, tenderly and completely, then hold her all through the night while they slept.
He closed his eyes, but quickly opened them to stop the images in his mind from becoming too graphic. He wanted to sleep with her, he really did, but he wanted her for keeps, not just for kicks. He was only human but would always be a gentleman, so that particular ball was totally in her court.
They were snuggled up together side by side on the huge rattan sofa on the roof with a tartan throw keeping them warm. Scarlett, with one leg thrown over Dylan’s legs, was propped on one elbow as she gazed out at the night sky. They were sharing kisses as they talked, and the intensity between them was deepening. Dylan’s thoughts were growing ever more wayward but he didn’t want to push the relationship forward too quickly.
‘Best to knock it on the head for tonight, do you think?’ He pushed himself up from the rattan sofa. ‘I can sort out Rob’s bed for you?’
Scarlett looked up at him. ‘I don’t want to go inside.’
‘Okay.’ In truth, he didn’t want to, either. He tried to imagine her in his brother’s room, out of harm’s way, but Scarlett being in any room without him didn’t seem right.
He shook his head clear. ‘Maybe I’ll sleep out here tonight.’ He’d had no plans to do that — he’d probably freeze to death if he did, but it was probably for the best.
‘Really?’ She inclined her head. ‘Then, I’d like to stay here, too. We can drink this wine, watch the sky, and I can fall asleep in your arms.’ She patted the sofa for him to return to his seat next to her. ‘If that’s okay with you. Come on, it’ll be cool. We can watch the sun rise in the early hours.’
He inwardly groaned, wanting desperately to fall asleep here, with her, but thinking that maybe a cold shower first might be required. ‘Okay. Your call,’ he said nonchalantly, as if he often fell asleep with a beautiful girl in his arms on his parents’ roof.
He gathered more blankets from the chest and shook them out in the wind before folding them around Scarlett. He sat down next to her again, and her big eyes fixed on his, full of an invitation he wasn’t sure what to do with. Her lips trembled, with cold or desire, he didn’t know, but he didn’t need to find out. Just being next to her was good enough, for now.
Soft rain pitter-pattered around them but they were safe in their cocoon, sheltered by the canopy and cosy within their blankets. Dylan stared into the distance for several minutes, before turning to look back at Scarlett.
‘What’s wrong?’ she asked.
‘You sitting here with me, drinking wine . . . I’m worried that it’s too perfect. I’m waiting for the thunderclap that will take it all away.’
‘Dylan, don’t put me on a pedestal, it gives me a long way to fall. I’m just a normal girl.’ She put her wine glass down, her smile inviting, and lifted a corner of her blanket. ‘Come on, you can find out how normal I am.’
He slid over to her, and she folded the blankets around them both. He waited, paralysed, still as a statue not knowing quite what she was offering, until Scarlett tilted her head upwards and angled her lips towards his. ‘For God’s sake will you just kiss me and see where it leads before we both go off the idea?’
‘Is that all it takes, for real?’ He was only half joking as he gathered her into his chest. ‘Believe me I won’t ever go off the idea.’
Her hair framed her face, whispers of golden threads dancing around her cheeks and neck. She was his dream come true, but since the dream had come true, the fantasy now took on a sharper edge. He wanted more. He wanted her to fall in love with him, as he intended to love her in return.
Letting her hair slide through his fingers, he gazed into her eyes, cupping her cheeks in his palms, before lowering his lips to hers, unable to hold back a second longer.
His need hitched up a notch as her breasts pressed against his chest and her breath audibly caught in her throat. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer, meeting him halfway. The tip of her tongue touched his lips, and a small sigh escaped her mouth as her fingers trailed from his throat to his chest.
Dylan groaned — he couldn’t help it. He explored her lips with his own, trying to keep it low level and languid, but she pressed her hips into his and a hit of adrenaline and desire throbbed through his veins. He allowed his fingers to skim very briefly over her breast, as he dropped his hand to her waist, finding the bare skin under her top. The silkiness of her warm body had him soaring again, booting slow and languid right out of the window. The slow burn of his kiss heated into a fiery longing, as he crushed her lips with his own, deepening the kiss.
Then Scarlett pulled away, clutching at his shirt, her breath erratic. ‘Oh, God.’ Her voice sounded suddenly full of indecision.
He froze. ‘What? Are you okay?’
‘I don’t know.’
‘Do you want to stop?’ He searched her face for a sign of hesitancy, or anxiety, but could only see her smouldering eyes, flushed cheeks, and divine, pink lips, parted and waiting to be kissed.
‘I don’t think so. No.’
He continued to gaze at her, trying to read her. ‘Definitely, no?’
‘Definitely no. I mean yes. Yes, let’s do this please, Dylan.’ She pulled him back towards her.
‘Okay, if you’re sure.’ He kissed her again, trailing his lips down the side of her neck. ‘Do you think we should take this to my bedroom?’ he asked.
‘No, I want to stay here.’
Dylan didn’t argue. They were hidden from prying eyes on the rooftop, and he was far too busy planting kisses down from her neck to her breast to want to go anywhere else.
‘God, you have no idea how much I want you,’ he said, his words now muffled against her throat.
‘I’m starting to get the idea, I really am.’
Dylan forced himself to pull away from her slightly, steadying his own breath — measured and calm.
‘What’s wrong?’ Scarlett’s eyes clouded with confusion.
‘I want you to know, I will never do anything to hurt you. You’re already special to me.’
She smiled, raising her eyebrows.. ‘You think I’m special?’
‘Yes, I really do. Trust me.’
‘Show me,’ she told him, curling an arm around his neck to pull him close.
‘Oh, Scarlett, you send me to places . . .’
‘That’s not a line from a song, is it?’
‘No, but now you mention it — let me just fetch my notepad.’ He grinned and reached out to his rucksack, which was sitting on the floor next to them.
She grabbed his arm. ‘Don’t you dare. I need you.’
‘I so wanted to hear that.’
He drew her legs around his, entwining them together once more. He stroked her arms while kissing her hair, and they lost themselves in their desire for each other as the dark night enveloped them.
‘I knew it, Scarlett, I knew we were going to be great together,’ Dylan said, some time later.
‘Mmm.’
Dylan hoisted himself up onto his elbows. ‘Are you saying we weren’t great?’
‘No, I’m saying it was fantastic, and I’d just like to lie here awhile, in a glow of post sex-thingy.’
He grinned and buried his nose into her hair once more. ‘I guess that’s okay, then. If you’re sure you don’t want an extra time replay?’
She smiled up at him sleepily. ‘It’s been a very lovely, but long, day and I’m really tired, but happy. Truly, I am.’
‘Cool.’ He snuggled into her back, throwing the blankets over them both. He tucked them tightly around Scarlett before entwining his legs around hers and scooping her small frame against his own.
As he listened, her breathing steadied out, he rested his head close to hers. It was all good.