22. Rhett
The last traces of the primal rage that had surged through me when I’d seen that bruise on Scarlett’s face had finally faded away. Now I was just hungry and tired. And desperate to wrap my arms around her and hold her close. Stupid. That was not part of the deal. So instead, I stood and said, “I’ll grab you a shirt.”
“Okay.”
Rummaging in my draw, I pulled out an old college t-shirt. “And an ice pack for your face.”
She put the shirt on and climbed from the bed. “Is it bad?”
“Here, let me see,” I said softly, reaching out to gently push her hair away from her face. The bruise was already darkening, a blotch against her porcelain skin. “I’ve seen worse,” I told her, but my voice was tight. I hated that someone had dared to lay a hand on her and had to swallow down the bile that rose in my throat at the thought.
The intercom buzzed then, a shrill sound that made us both jump. I leaned over and pressed the button. “Yes?”
“Your order has arrived, Mr. Rivers.” The voice of my doorman came through loud and clear.
“Send it up, thanks.” I let go of the intercom and turned back to Scarlett. Fuck, she looked adorable in my shirt. I rubbed at my chest, not really liking the tightness I felt there. “How hungry are you?”
“Starving.”
She followed me into the kitchen, watching as I grabbed an ice pack from the freezer. “Take this while I grab the food.”
“Yes, sir.”
“That’s my girl.”
She gave me her signature eye roll, but placed the pack to her cheek anyway, wincing as she did so.
Figuring she’d be more comfortable on the couch, I brought the food to the living room and put it on the coffee table.
“This okay?”
“Sure.” She perched on the edge of my leather couch, the ice pack pressed to her cheek, looking like she belonged in my space more than I did. Shaking my head at how ridiculous that was, I sat down next to her. Fuck, what was it about her in my shirt that had me all…whatever. Feeling like I needed something else to occupy my attention, I switched the television on and found a baseball game to watch. Then I pretended to watch it for the next ten minutes while we ate.
When we finished, Scarlett wiped her mouth with a napkin and turned to me, her blue eyes bright in the soft glow of the living room. She took the ice pack from her face and placed it on the table.
“You know you can’t get me pregnant again, right?”
I almost choked on my last bite of pizza. “Uh, yeah. Of course.”
The way she leaned in, letting me catch a whiff of her perfume, made my head swim. “Do you know what that means?”
I swallowed hard, my mind racing to catch up. “No. What does it mean?”
A slow, seductive smile spread across her face, and she reached out to trace a finger down my chest. “It means…you can fuck me bare.”
My pulse leaped. “Uh, yeah, I guess it does mean that.” The thought of being inside her with nothing between us was fucking intoxicating. “Scarlett,” I began, my voice hoarse, not even sure what I was planning to say.
She cut me off with a kiss, her lips soft and insistent against mine. “Don’t overthink it, Rhett,” she murmured against my mouth, moving so that she was straddling me. “Just fuck me bare.”
Jesus fuck, the feel of her body pressed against me was like a drug. I could feel her through the thin fabric of my sweatpants. “Just fuck me bare,” she’d said, and every cell in my body screamed yes, as the world seemed to tilt on its axis.
I gripped her hips, pulling her closer to me as her tongue danced with mine. The taste of her, the feel of her body against mine—it was all-consuming. I wanted more, needed more. Needed to feel her, skin to skin, without any barriers between us.
We broke apart, breathless, and I looked into her eyes, searching for any signs of doubt. There were none. Only a fierce heat that matched my own. “Are you sure?” I asked, giving her one last chance to back out.
She ground against me and it was all I could do not to whimper. “Fuck yes, I’m sure.”
Then her hands were on me, tugging at my sweatpants, freeing my aching cock. I hissed in a breath as her fingers wrapped around me, her touch sending waves of pleasure coursing through me. I wanted to savor the feel of her, to commit every moment to memory, but more than that, I wanted, needed to touch her.
I reached for the hem of her shirt - my shirt - and pulled it over her head. Fuck, she was a vision, all soft curves and creamy skin. Her perfect tits begged for my attention.
I didn’t make her wait, dipping my head, capturing one nipple between my lips. I licked and sucked, reveling in the way her breath hitched and her fingers dug into my shoulders. “Oh, god, that’s so good.” Her moans, breathy and desperate, filled my head, a sweet symphony that spurred me on. I was driving her crazy, and I knew it. Until it was too much. “Rhett, please,” she gasped, her voice a plea I couldn’t ignore.
I shifted, positioning myself at her entrance. She was wet and ready for me, and the knowledge that I was about to be inside her, skin to skin, was almost too much to bear.
Her eyes locked on mine when I gripped her hips, holding her still as I slowly, inexorably, pushed inside her. The way she shuddered with pleasure rippled through me and I had to grit my teeth to hold back.
God, this connection between us felt electric, so strong I could almost touch it. It was too much to think about, so I let myself get lost in her, lost in the feel of her body against mine. I pulled her close and kissed her, hard and hungry. She gave as good as she got, and I could feel myself spiraling out of control.
“Come on, Scarlett. Take control.”
It was all the encouragement she needed. Her movements started slowly, just a gentle rocking of her hips, but in no time at all, the urgency was building. Her nails scored my back as she rode me, her movements growing more frantic with each passing second. I could feel the coil of tension building deep inside me, and I knew I wouldn’t last much longer. But I wanted—needed—to see her fall apart first.
I reached between us, my fingers finding her clit. I circled it with my thumb, pressing and rubbing in time with our movements.
“Rhett!” she cried out, her body convulsing around mine as her orgasm swept through her. The sensation of her climax triggered my own release, and I thrust into her one final time, spilling myself deep inside her.
Scarlett collapsed against my chest, her body lax and sated. I held her close, my arms wrapped tightly around her, never wanting to let go.
We stayed like that for a long while, the silence between us comfortable and intimate. The world swam back into focus as our breathing slowed and our hearts stopped racing. Finally, Scarlett lifted her head, a hot smile playing on her lips. “Christ, you’ve got some moves on you,” she said, her voice husky with satisfaction.
I chuckled, pressing a kiss to her forehead and pulling her close again. “Straight back at you.”
She nestled against me, but there was a tension in her body that hadn’t been there a moment ago. “It’s getting late. I should…”
“Mm mmm,” I agreed, but I made no move to stand up. I was content to stay right where I was, with Scarlett in my lap and the taste of her still on my tongue. I really wanted her to stay the night. Wanted to wake up with her in the morning and… Not be a couple, you dumb fuck. “I’ll drive you home.”