31. Scarlet
Chapter 31
Scarlet
Hot, steady breaths fan the back of my neck, stirring me from my sleep. I dreamed of my father’s eyes as he explained I was betrothed and the way my future husband leered at me. It was deep brown eyes with golden, glowing centers that cut through the nightmare and morphed into Matthias and me standing behind a hedge, hiding from the rest of our world. I’d hidden my feelings then, too afraid to be just another one of his conquests, but in my dream, he’d pressed me against the wall and taken my mouth until I gave in to him.
A soft kiss is pressed below my ear, and I startle. Arms hold me in place, stopping me from jumping off the bed.
“Good morning, Little Sparrow.” He shifts me and flips me underneath him, those same brown eyes staring down at me. The dream’s messing with my head because my heart kicks up like I want him to kiss me.
Shock registers when my mind clears. “The door was locked.”
He gives me a sleepy smile, filling my chest with warmth. “I have the key.”
“Of course you do.” I need to get away from the way he’s looking at me before I do something stupid. I push against his chest with all my strength, but he doesn’t move. “Get off me before I bite you.”
A low rumble vibrates from him directly into my chest. “That’s not the threat you think it is.”
“I hate you.” I sneer, putting every ounce of betrayal into my voice.
His brows pull together, the light going out before he lifts off me.
I despise the way I miss his heat and scramble until my back’s to the headboard and my feet are between us. There’s a swirling, sticky sensation in my stomach as I try to process what the hell is going on with me. It’s like two sides of my soul are crashing into each other: the one screaming at me not to trust him and the other one begging me to give in.
“Let me help you blow off some steam,” Matthias says without coming closer.
“Are you going to let me punch you?”
He smirks. “Something like that.”
Matthias gets up, grabbing a few things from my drawer and tossing them at me. “Get up and put these on.”
“Don’t boss me around.” I refuse to get up out of spite.
“Just put them on, and don’t be stubborn for once in your life. You’re going to enjoy this.” Matthias sighs, pinching his nose, and looks up at the ceiling. Getting under his skin like this could become addicting.
I raise the gym shorts that look strikingly familiar to the ones I owned previously. I’d think he brought my clothes over if it wasn’t for the tags. “Fine. Get out.”
Dressed in shorts, a sports bra, and a tight-fitting tank top, I come out of the room to a waiting Matthias. He’s changed into a pair of deep blue gym shorts and a crisp white T-shirt that pulls over his wide chest.
He smirks at me, catching me checking him out, and I look away.
“Don’t get cocky. You know you’re hot.”
He comes closer until his shoes brush against my sneakers. “You think I’m hot?”
“Only on the outside.”
He places a hand to his heart. “Rough.”
I chuckle under my breath and force myself not to stare at his chest. “Are we leaving?”
He hums. “Yes. I think a little outing will be good for you.”
A thrill goes down my spine. This is likely the best shot I have of escaping him. There’s no way he’ll bring all these guards with us. I shudder at the idea of digging the tracker out of my arm, but there’s nothing to be done about that.
“Don’t even think about it.” There’s a clanging sound, and cool metal snaps around my wrist.
I hold up my arm and let the two-foot chain dangle between us. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
He wraps a blindfold around my eyes, blocking out the light.
A low laugh rumbles in his throat. “When are you going to learn? I’ll never underestimate you.”
“I’m sorry about this.” The car stops, and his arms wrap around my waist, pulling me over the console.
“You could have uncuffed me.” I roll my eyes, not that he can see them under the fabric.
“Not a chance.” He grips my hand, entwining our fingers, and leads me forward.
There’s the creak of a door opening, and then his heavy palm presses against my back. “There’s a step here.”
I lift my foot and move forward, and I’m immediately hit with the citrusy scent of cleaner. It’s completely silent, so wherever we are, we’re alone. Damn, he’s not going to kill me, right?
“You know, everything you think is written on your face.” His front is to my back when he lifts the blindfold from my eyes.
I suck in a breath. Every type of gym equipment fills the space. Squat rack, pull-up, a range of weights. The three walls are painted a dark gray, and the other is lined with mirrors. It’s the prettiest gym I’ve ever been in. Nicer than the one I’ve been training at, and that’s saying a lot.
“You like it? It’s our private gym. I’ll take you here whenever you want.” Matthias steps up beside me, a gleam in his eyes.
His offer doesn’t make any sense. Why would he be the one to take me? “What if I want to go during the day? Can’t Oliver just take me?”
“Like I said, I will take you whenever you want,” he deadpans.
“Are you going to just leave a meeting because I ask?”
“Yes.” There’s no humor there—he’s completely serious.
My neck heats, and I swear I can feel my ears turn pink. “You’re being ridiculous.”
He gives me a knowing smile. “You’re cute when you’re flustered.”
Tingles travel down my spine, and my tongue glues to the top of my mouth. How does he just say things like that?
He points at the ring located in the center of the gym, saving me from my embarrassment. “Ready to kick my ass?”
“Wait. You’re going to fight me?” A bubbly sensation fills my chest, and I hop from foot to foot. My smile grows, knowing he’s going to regret this.
He’s watching me. “Just keep smiling at me like that.”
The bubbly anticipation turns to heat, and I have to squeeze my thighs together. Shut it down, Scarlet. I can’t let him see me like this. He handcuffed and blindfolded me, for Christ’s sake.
He doesn’t push me. Instead, he sits me down on a bench near the ring. “Stay here.”
I’m itching to get up just because he told me not to. Hasn’t he realized I don’t like to be told what to do?
“Why are you always thinking about running?” He’s back with a small white box in his hand.
“Why do you always make it so tempting?”
His tongue wets his bottom lip, and I fail not to watch it.
His eyes are on mine when he sinks down to his knees, sending my heart thundering.
“What are you doing?” I squeak out.
“Give me your hand.” I’ve already given it to him before I can think about pulling away. His large body below me, brown eyes looking up, has twisted my brain.
He patiently wraps my knuckles with white tape, taking care to align each row perfectly. His head is bowed, hair tumbling over his forehead. His touch is warm, familiar, everything it shouldn’t be. Without thinking, I brush a strand back and run my finger along the jagged scar.
He stills, eyes shooting to mine. “You did a horrible job.”
I scoff. “Are you kidding me? You wouldn’t stop moving.”
He gives me a cocky smile that makes me breathless. “Yeah, because you kept jabbing me with that needle.”
“Well, if you didn’t open your stitches every night, I wouldn’t have to sew you back up in the morning,” I taunt back, easily settling into this game we used to play.
I’m not sure who starts it first, but we’re both laughing. My head’s thrown back, and my heart feels light. There are tears in my eyes by the time I can finally regain my composure.
His gaze is warm. “I like you like this.”
“Like what?” I ask, still breathless.
“Happy.”
My heart aches, and I have to force myself not to reach for him. How does he do it? How can he ghost me for a decade, show up and kiss me senseless, then freaking kidnap me and still have me wanting to go to him? “Don’t be ridiculous.”
“Come fight me, Little Sparrow. I can take it.” He runs his thumb along my bottom lip and frees it from my teeth.
I stand, needing distance between us. “Don’t cry to me when you get hurt.”
“That’s if you can land a blow.”
I come in close, needing to neutralize his reach, and throw a jab into his gut.
He grunts and tries to grip my arm, but I dance away before he can touch me.
“First hit goes to me.” I grin.
“I let you have it.”
“Sure you did.” Adrenaline tingles under my skin as I hop from foot to foot, keeping myself loose.
He dashes forward, trying to grab my waist, but it leaves him wide open for a hit to the jaw.
I pull it back at the last second so it’s nothing more than a tap. “Don’t worry, I’ll go easy on you. I remember you were quite the whiner.”
“Low blow. You promised not to bring it up again.”
I dance backward on my feet, shifting into my fighting stance, and wait until the moment he comes in to attack again. This time, I easily dodge and swing around his back to wrap the crook of my elbow around his neck.
There’s laughter in my voice when I say, “I’m pretty sure I didn’t. Plus, our promises don’t count anymore.”
His hand closes around my wrist. “Why? I kept mine.”
“What?”
I jerk back, but Matthias tightens his grip, keeping me in place. He kicks my feet from under me and flips me onto my back, putting his weight on top of me. “I told you I’d marry you when you turned twenty-five.”
Stunned, my world spins around me, tipping on its axis. Cracks slice open what I believed to be true, and I desperately try to hold them in place. I search his eyes, warm on mine. “You remembered?”
He drops his head to mine. “I waited for you.”
It feels like he’s splitting me open, and I grit through my teeth, “Don’t lie to me.”
I push at his shoulders, trying to buck him off, but he grabs my wrist and pins them to the mat with one hand, gripping my jaw with the other.
His mouth is hard on mine, biting my bottom lip when I refuse to open. I gasp, and his tongue fills my mouth, a guttural groan vibrating from his chest, reverberating through me. I want to grab him and pull him closer. I want to bury my fingers into his hair and never let him stop.
While he pushed me away, I was able to pretend like he didn’t take up my thoughts.
Now he’s kissing me, broad shoulders pushing me into the mat, like he’s exactly where he belongs. Like he hasn’t been the reason my heart ached and I’ve cried myself to sleep.
The question that’s been swirling in my mind over and over tumbles to the forefront as his stubble scrapes my face.
Has he felt this way the entire time? Did his heart latch onto mine like mine did his? Has it been torture?
I search his gaze, looking for that same feeling that’s been rooted inside me. At fifteen, he was able to capture all that I am. I can only imagine the damage I’ll let him do now.
I rip my mouth away. “What do you want from me?”
“Haven’t you figured it out already?” He places a featherlight kiss to my forehead. “Everything. I want everything.”
Matthias gets up and pulls me with him. “We’re meant to be together, Scarlet, and I’m going to make you believe it.”
There’s a deep ache in my chest as emotions slam through me, years of actions coming head-to-head with his words. “I’d like to see you try.”
It’s the realization that I mean it that has me silent the entire way back to the house.