“Do you want to go? We can take Jackson and drive up next week.”
She lifts her head up and looks at me. “Really?”
Her smile is making me smile. “Yeah. I haven’t been since probably high school and Jackson’s never been. You could invite your dad and sister, if you want.”
She stiffens, and the smile is gone from her face. “They…they won’t be able to come.”
“Shit, right. Your dad is sick. How’s he doing?”
With furrowed brows, she turns to me. “I need to tell you something.”25Weston“You can tell me anything,” I say. Unable to help myself, I put my arms around her again. Scarlet tenses, and for a moment I think she’s going to pull away from me. Then she relaxes in my arms, leaning back against me. Holding her is one of the best feelings in the world.
“My dad is sick, but it’s not the kind of sick he’ll get better from.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. He more or less did it to himself. Years of heavy drinking and getting into fights takes its toll on the body.” She inhales, breath catching. I hold her closer, pressing my lips to the back of her neck. I can tell this is painful for her, and the confession is like pulling the bullet out of the wound. It hurt going in, and it’ll hurt coming out, but once it’s gone the wound can begin to heal.
“He’s in a nursing home, a really shitty one at that, but it’s the best I can do. And my sister can’t join us because she’s in jail.”
I blink but don’t say anything. I was not expecting any of that. Waiting for her to go on, I run my fingers up and down her arm.
“Why is she in jail?”
“She got caught up with the wrong crowd.” She shakes her head. “She’s so desperate to fit in she went along with this stupid idea to rob a store and got caught. Her friend had a gun, and even though my sister didn’t, she still got charged with armed robbery.”
“Damn.”
“My sister and my dad…they’re not bad people though. They’ve just…they’ve made bad choices. Hell, I’ve made bad choices.”
“Haven’t we all?”
She turns, eyes glossy. “You have no idea.” Slowly, she twists in my arms and cups my face with her hands. “You’re a good person, Weston. A good dad, a good brother, a good cop. I used to think people like you only existed in fairytales.”
I rest my hands on the curve of her hips. “No one has ever compared me to a fairytale before.”
“Well, they should have. You’re everything I could have—”
I can’t stop myself any longer. I pull Scarlet to me and kiss her. She melts against me, arms flying around my neck. Everything disappears in that moment, and it’s like it’s just us and the stars.
Scarlet’s lips, soft and warm, press against mine with a passion that matches my own. I slide one hand down to the small of her back, feeling the heat of her skin. The blanket falls from her shoulders and she shivers, pressing herself closer to me. The desire I’ve been trying to ignore, trying to convince myself isn’t there, comes rushing back, and my need to be inside her is the most intense thing I’ve ever felt.
“Scarlet,” I say, breaking away and not having my lips on hers feels like I’ve dived underwater and have no air. “You were a little drunk when we left the bar. Are you sure you want to do this?”
“I was a little drunk then,” she says, holding tightly to my shoulders. “But I’m not now. And yes, Wes, I want to do this. I’ve wanted to do this pretty much since the moment I saw you.”
Her brazen confession turns me on even more. I kiss her again and forget we’re on an angled roof. Scarlet pushes up with the intention of moving into my lap but slips and starts to fall. I grab her around the waist, pulling her against me.
“You did catch me,” she whispers.
“I told you I would.” I press my foot down on the roof and steady her. “Let’s go in.”
She nods and turns, reaching for the window frame. She gets in first, and I follow behind, tossing the blanket in behind us and closing the window. We’re in my bedroom, and light from the hall spills in.
“Scarlet,” I say again, heart still racing. Blood rushes through me, and every nerve in my body is alive. “Are you sure you—”
She doesn’t give me a chance to get the rest of the question out. Her lips meet mine again, and it’s all I can do not to throw her down onto the mattress. I kiss her hard, tongue pushing into her mouth, and run a hand through her hair, over her back, and down to her supple ass. Heat rushes through me, and the tip of my cock tingles with anticipation. She puts one of her hands on my chest, slowly raking her fingers down until they rest above the button of my jeans.