Chapter 15 - Scarlett #2
This is just me flexing my flirting muscle and pissing off Connor. Otherwise, this man is doing nothing for me. He’s cute, without a doubt. But the last man I dated is still looking at me like I belong to him. I gave him my heart and I never got over it.
When Connor looks at me, it’s with the kind of possessiveness they write about in books. Even right now, I’m wondering how long it will take before he loses his patience.
Do I want him to lose his patience and come over here to stake his claim?
Maybe. The idea makes my heart race faster.
But Connor is too sensible to do something like that.
I don’t know why I’m trying to push him.
Maybe because I need reassurance. If he wants me, how far is he willing to go to get me?
Julia suddenly appears next to me. “Did you know they have a mechanical bull here?” She’s sweaty and exhilarated. “I’ve always wanted to ride one.”
I look to my new friend. “What do you say? Should we go see some bull riding?”
“Only if you’re planning on doing it?” Ryan asks.
I laugh teasingly. “Bold. Is the shy thing just an act, then?”
“Uh, not really,” he says, blushing. “I don’t really know why I said that.”
“Well, now you’ve already said it,” Julia says, with a wicked gleam in her eyes. “So, we may as well do it.”
She grabs my hand and pulls me towards the back. Belatedly, I reach back and take Ryan’s hand. If I’m doing this, I might as well commit.
The crowd is denser in the back and louder. When we push to the front, we see a girl riding the mechanical bull. It looks sexy and it looks dangerous. My sisters and Mia are also gathered on the other side, and I wave at them. Sienna shakes her head at me.
“I’m going next,” Julia says excitedly.
We all cheer her on when she gets up on the bull. It starts slow and then picks up speed. There are a lot of men watching and cheering and for a second, I feel nervous for having committed to this.
“You’re not seriously getting on that, are you?” Ryan asks.
Before I can reply, a voice from behind me says, “No, she isn’t.”
Even in the hot, sweaty bar, surrounded by all these people, I shiver at the sound of his voice. I look over my shoulder at Connor and find him glaring at me.
“Funny, I didn’t realize you were the boss of me.”
A muscle in his jaw ticks. “You’ve proven your point well enough. Don’t push it too far.”
“I haven’t proven anything,” I say, the challenge in my voice obvious.
Connor pinches the bridge of his nose between two fingers. “If you want to ride the damn bull, I can bring you back here after the bar closes.”
The crowd cheers loudly for Julia and I arch onto my toes to whisper in Connor’s ear. “I thought you were going to say I should just ride you.”
His throat bobs with a swallow as his heated gaze meets mine. “Baby girl, you know I won’t deny you anything.”
“Excellent, then I’m going to ride the bull.” I’ve forgotten all about Ryan.
Anger flickers in Connor’s eyes. “If you get on that thing, I won’t be held responsible for my actions.”
Heat pools in my belly at the threat in his voice.
I don’t know what’s happening to me. These are exactly the kind of public displays I hate, and which make me wonder if people get a thrill out of taking their personal lives to the streets.
For me, it’s not really the thrill of other people watching me. It’s all about Connor watching me.
Julia gets off the bull and I walk forward, high fiving her.
Getting on the bull is so easy and the guy who’s running it turns it on once I’m situated.
It bucks to life under me, and I hold on tight, letting my hips rock with the bull rather than being stiff and falling off.
The crowd whoops and cheers but I look directly at Connor.
His face is hardened in anger, but I can see the amusement in his eyes.
Suddenly, he’s walking across the pit towards me, motioning for the bull to be turned off. Before I can protest, he throws me over his shoulder.
“Connor!” I cry out, clutching one hand to my hat so it doesn’t fall off. Shouts ring out from the crowd, and I look up just long enough to see my sisters and cousins giving me a thumbs up. It’s a good thing Caleb and Logan didn’t see this display because there would have been a fight.
Connor carries me down a short hallway and into a room, the door closing behind us.
He lowers me to my feet, tossing my hat aside and pushing me against the door as his mouth descends on mine in a hard, bruising kiss.
I open my mouth, allowing him access as I grip his flannel shirt and pull him against me.
Our mouths move with fervor against each other as we try to close all distance between us.
“You drive me fucking crazy,” Connor says against my lips.
“You call me hellion for a reason,” I remind him.
He growls, kissing me again. I slip my hands under his shirt, raking my nails over his taut stomach. Even though he’s not a professional athlete anymore, he’s still maintained the same physique.
Connor trails kisses down my neck, his teeth raking along my pulse point.
“You just had to wear this top,” he growls against the top of my breasts, his breath fanning over my heated skin.
“You don’t like it?” I tease. “I think it makes my boobs look amazing.”
Connor sucks on the globe of my breast and I cry out, rocking into him.
The scratch of his beard against my soft skin heightens the sensations running through my body.
My pulse pounds between my legs, matching the rhythm of my heart.
I can feel his hard length pressing against my leg and I lower my hand, cupping him through his jeans.
“You’re coming home with me,” he says, voice roughened with lust.
“What? I don’t get a say?” I ask, as he lowers his head and leaves another bruising kiss on my chest. He’s marking me as his.
“You’re trying to make me come in my jeans, gripping my cock like it belongs to you,” he says wryly. “Do you have something else to add to that?” He watches me with eyes heavy-lidded with lust.
I want this. I want him. Pressing against me, into me, making me feel like I belong to him and only him. I don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow or if everything is going to work out between us. I just know that for tonight, I want him.
“I’ll have to tell my sisters and my cousins,” I say.
“We’ll do it now,” he says, pulling away from me. I wait for doubt or fear to rise, but it doesn’t. I’m not even second guessing my decision to leave with him.
I lean against the door, catching my breath and I watch him reach up and start to unbutton his shirt.
“I thought we’re going to your house?” I frown at him.
“We are, hellion. I’m giving you my shirt to cover up, unless you want to walk out there like that.” He looks at my chest and I follow his gaze to see the bruises blooming along the globes of my breasts.
“Oh my god, Connor! This is ridiculous.”
Gently, he threads my arms through his shirt. It hangs on me like I’m a child. Connor slowly buttons it up, all the way, and then rolls the sleeves so my hands are free. He stands back with a self-satisfied look in his eyes.
I cross my arms, arching an eyebrow. “Are you happy now?”
“I warned you I won’t be responsible for my actions,” he said. “You didn’t want to listen and still got on that thing.”
I shift forward, sliding my hands over his t-shirt covered torso. Arching up, I place sucking kisses all over his neck.
“I bet you liked it, though,” I murmur. “Seeing me up there, riding that bull. It brought back a lot of memories, didn’t it?”
Growling, Connor lowers his mouth to mine. With one hand thrust into my hair, Connor tilts my head, giving him better access to my mouth. I part my lips, letting our tongues tangle and taste. He tastes like whiskey and bad decisions.
“We need to leave. Now, Scarlett.” When he uses my name like that, I know he means business. Considering we’re about to have sex in Cam’s office, this is serious business.
“Can you get my sisters please? I don’t want to go out there,” I say. The insanity which made me bold enough to ride that bull has left and I’m suddenly acutely aware that the people out there probably think we fucked it out in here.
Connor frowns. “I don’t want to leave you in here.”
“There’s no one here to harm me.”
He still looks unsure, and it occurs to me that he probably thinks if he leaves me alone, the fog of lust will lift, and I’ll change my mind about leaving with him.
It’s a definite possibility. But I fought this thing for all of seven days before losing my mind over him.
Again. I have no impulse control when it comes to him.
“Connie, don’t take this the wrong way, but you’ll have to beg for my forgiveness before we even get to the sex. I just don’t want to do it here.” I wave a hand around the small office.
“There’s a possibility you won’t forgive me?” Connor assess me with those gorgeous, dark eyes.
“There’s a possibility, Connor. You just have to risk it.”
“It’s a good thing I like risks, then.”
With a kiss on my head, he tells me to wait and disappears out the door.
I take my first deep breath since I saw him, and I’m assaulted by his scent.
There’s a mirror hanging on the wall next to me and I turn to look at my reflection.
My hair is a mess, my lips are puffy and bruised, cheeks flushed, eyes wild.
“You should change your mind,” I tell my reflection. “Why do you want to leave with a man who broke your heart once and can do it again?”
The door opens again before I can make up my mind either way and my sisters, Mia, and Julia enter the office.
“What is going on?” Sienna demands.
“I think I’m leaving with Connor.”
“You think?” Sadie asks.
“You’re here for seven days and you hook up with Connor Hayes?” Julia wonders. I’m startled for a second that she knows him before I remember that Connor used to play for the Toronto Knights. Of course, Julia knows him, she’s a hockey fan.
“I’ll tell you the history later,” Sienna says, before turning to me. “Are you sure about this?”
“I mean, I know I want to have sex with him, but I’m not sure about anything else. Am I being crazy? You’ll tell me if I was, right?”
“From the older sister POV, I saw the aftermath of him leaving you and now that I know it was him, it doesn’t endear him to us,” Sienna says. “But if you’re sure then we’re okay with it.”
“I’m not ready to forgive him. I just want to have sex with him.”
“He’s hot, for an old guy,” Mia says.
“She does have a point,” Sadie agrees.
I hug my sisters and cousins. “Where are the boys?”
“They won the flirting game and proceeded to the hook up game,” Julia says.
Connor is standing in the little hallway outside with my coat. He helps me put it on and buttons it up, knotting the belt.
“It’s like wrapping my own present,” he whispers, so only I hear him.
“Be safe,” Sienna says, when I hug her. I don’t think she’s talking about sexual safety. I feel like I’m going off to war rather than hooking up with an ex-boyfriend. Only, Connor isn’t any ex-boyfriend. He’s the one I’m still in love with.