Chapter 19
SCARLETT
My hand rests lightly on Ezra’s chest, and beneath my palm, his heartbeat is strong and steady. It feels like a promise, a reassurance I didn’t realize I needed until right now.
“I’ll catch you,” he says, grinning up at me. “I promise. My word is my heart. No regrets.”
“No regrets,” I reply with a nod. Emotion swells in my throat, and I nod again, blinking through the unexpected sting in my eyes.
The air between us shifts, weighted with honesty and possibility, and my breath catches as Ezra closes the space further. His lips brush against mine, gentle yet sure, sealing our silent agreement. When we break apart, I laugh quietly, my breath trembling.
“How do you do that?” I whisper.
“What?” He stands, drawing me up with him. His fingers curl around mine.
“Sweep me off my feet,” I tell him, standing.
Seconds later, he lifts me in his arms, our towels still wrapped around us, as he carries me down the stairs. I run my fingers through the hair at the base of his neck. “I’m so lucky.”
He tries to hold back a grin. “Stop.”
“Or what? You’ll take me back upstairs and make me?” I ask as he walks into the kitchen, then sets my ass on his counter, right next to a white box. “Ooh, what’s that?”
Ezra smiles and leans casually against the counter, his eyes bright with anticipation. “Open it.”
Curiosity builds as I lift the lid, seeing a homemade pecan pie inside. My mouth instantly waters when I smell the sugar. “Oh my. This looks so good.”
Ezra grabs a fork, and as I reach for it, he pulls it away. “Careful. Millie put a love potion in it.”
He holds out the fork, and I take it.
“Your decision,” he says playfully, with a shrug. “But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
I cut into it, scooping a bite onto the end of the utensil, and hold it up for Ezra. “If I’m getting love spelled, so are you.”
He meets my eyes, leaning forward, and I place the bite into his mouth. His eyes don’t leave mine as he chews. “Mm. I think it worked.”
I giggle and cut another piece, taking a bite. It’s sweet, and the crust is perfectly cooked; the pecans are like candy. “Wow. I think it did, too.”
There’s a small envelope tucked in the box. I pick it up and hand it to Ezra, and he shakes his head. “That’s for you.”
My heart lifts even higher when I see my name beautifully scripted across the other side. I trace the letters with my fingertips.
Ezra watches me like I’m his favorite show. “I asked her what it said, and she told me it was a woman-to-woman thing.”
“Oh, then I can’t open this in front of you,” I say playfully. “It’s girl code. Either this is going to be a warning for me to run far away from you or keep you close.”
Ezra chuckles under his breath. “My aunt is my biggest fan. Good luck.”
I glance down at it, finding it strange how something so small can feel so personal. I bet she’s the type of aunt who always calls on birthdays and mails get-well-soon cards.
Ezra’s hand brushes my hand, his eyes full of curiosity as he watches me.
“It’s a sweet gesture,” I say, taking another bite of pie, then feeding him one. His teasing smile makes my stomach flutter.
I want to commit every glance and laugh to memory.
His eyes soften like he can read my mind.
“Well, Millie likes to give unsolicited advice, so I’m sure she’s filled that note with plenty. She’s a super fan of yours.”
I chuckle. “Really? Your aunt read my book?”
“Books,” he adds. “You’re a big deal. Your next book…” He hesitates. “Her Forever?”
“Yes, it’s the final book in my series. Helena finds her forever after waiting so damn long for the right man to appear,” I admit.
“I can’t wait to read it,” he says. The warmth in his voice spreads through me. “What about Scarlett’s happily ever after?”
“Working on it,” I say, leaning forward and kissing him like tomorrow will never come. He stands between my legs, my arms wrapping around his neck as he kisses up my chest to my mouth.
When he pulls away, my eyes glide over the tattoos on his arm: a flower, a bird with its wings spread, and a tree line. It tells a story.
His expression shifts to something playful yet tender. “Tell me this. Out of all the places in the entire world, why did you come to Charleston?”
He grabs the fork and feeds me, maintaining eye contact the whole time.
I stop breathing and have to force myself to focus. “What was the question again?”
He gives me a lazy grin. “Why Charleston?”
“Oh, right. So, I had a book signing here a long time ago and fell in love with the vibe. Everyone was so kind, and it was the last time I felt true happiness in my life, when I remember loving everything,” I explain.
“Your listing was the first one that made me stop scrolling, so I booked it.” I shrug.
“My intuition drove the decision. It was this feeling.”
Ezra cuts himself a sliver of the pie.
“Why did you list your cottage?” I ask.
“Millie peer pressured me. Kept telling me how I was leaving money on the table,” I explain.
“I honestly listed it to shut her up and prove to her that no one wanted to rent a cottage in someone’s backyard.
So, thank you for proving me wrong. She hasn’t rubbed it in yet, but I know she will.
You know, I lived there for years, and before that, it was my mom’s art studio. ”
“Oh, wow. Your mom created there?”
I chuckle. “Yeah, she loved that little cottage.”
I swallow down the pie. “Thank you for letting me use it.”
“She’d love that you were in there writing your next bestseller,” he says.
“Tell me about her,” I say softly, touching his arm.
“I miss her a lot. Mom raised me alone because my father was never in the picture. I wouldn’t have had it any other way, though. I was so lucky to have her. The coolest mom in the world.”
It makes me wonder more about the woman who shaped him into this beautiful, emotionally intelligent man.
“What was she like?”
“Funny. Caring. Loved with her whole heart.” Ezra pauses, fork suspended briefly above the pie.
A flicker of emotion crosses his face. It’s brief and vulnerable, but he smiles.
“Every morning, I’d walk from the cottage to the kitchen and have coffee with her before we started our days.
She was the strongest person I’ve ever known but was also tenderhearted.
Fiercely creative. She could find beauty in everything, even if it were broken.
Mom was the epitome of finding treasures in other people’s trash. ”
“Seems like you and her have a lot in common.”
“That’s a nice thought.”
I lean down, his lips capturing mine in a soft kiss that quickly transforms into something hungrier, more demanding.
I melt into him, opening my mouth wider, tasting sugar and desire.
My fingers find their way over his bare chest, tracing over the warm planes of his abs, feeling each breath hitch and quicken beneath my touch.
Ezra groans into my mouth, gripping my hips tighter, pulling me flush against him until my ass hangs off the top of the counter. The hard lines of his body fit perfectly against mine, igniting sparks within me. Need overtakes me, and a reckless ache spreads quickly through me.
“Scarlett,” he breathes, lips sliding along my jaw, down my neck, nipping at my sensitive skin. I arch into him, fingers digging into his back, needing more.
“Ezra,” I whisper, dizzy from how much I want him again. His hands skim upward, beneath my towel, teasing my sides, making my knees go weak. His breathing matches mine, and we’re nearly out of control.
But then he suddenly stops, pulling back just enough to meet my gaze. His chest rises and falls rapidly, eyes dark with need, yet filled with restraint.
“You have two thousand words left to write,” he says, lips curving into a playful smirk.
“Can I write you an IOU?” I ask, spreading my legs wider, the towel falling off my body.
Ezra licks his lips. “Hmm, you might need to speak to the manager about that.”
I playfully pick up an invisible phone and hold it to my ear. “Um, yes. This is The Scarlett Collins, and I’d like to speak to the manager.”
He lifts his hand. “Speaking.”
“Yes, apparently, I need a loan of O-coins,” I state.
“Hmm,” he says, his eyes focused on me. “I think we can make an exception, just this once. But it comes with a fifty percent interest rate.”
I scoff. “Excuse me? I’m a faithful customer!”
“Ma’am, it’s our policy. I’m sorry. We’re only doing this as a courtesy this one time. However, I’d be happy to log your complaint.”
His eyes slide up and down my body before he drops to his knees and feasts on me like I’m his last meal. I lean back on my hands, opening my legs wider, giving him every inch of me.
Ezra’s fingers press gently into my thighs, spreading me farther, and a soft gasp escapes as his mouth finds my clit. My hips shift forward, chasing the rhythm and pace he sets for me. Somehow, he already knows what I crave, what my body wants, and he satisfies me every damn time.
“I might have to reconsider reporting you.” I breathe, head tipping back as pleasure pulses through every nerve ending.
He hums in response, the vibration shooting sparks along my skin. His hands grip my hips, holding me steady while he explores every sensitive inch. My fingers thread into his hair, steadying myself as his tongue strokes me perfectly.
“Oh God,” I whisper, my breathing uneven, hips rolling into him as the tension builds higher.
Ezra pauses just long enough to glance up with playful mischief dancing behind his eyes. “Miss Collins? I’m waiting.”
I laugh breathlessly, pulling his mouth back down to where I need him most. “I’m close, still putting my thoughts together.”
His tongue circles my bundle of nerves until my body tenses. His grip tightens, holding me in place as he pushes me over the edge, pleasure unraveling through me. I cry out his name, thighs trembling, heart pounding wildly. He continues until I’m wrecked.
When he finally pulls away, licking his lips, his gaze meets mine. “How about now?”