‘Shh, we’ll talk in the morning. Now, I just need to feel you.’
His tongue slides across my top lip and into my mouth, meeting mine. I’ve missed this taste so much. He nudges the tip of my nose with his then moves to my neck, trailing kisses down to my collarbone.
‘My mark is fading,’ he says between delicious presses of his lips against my skin.
‘I don’t need your mark any more; I have you.’ I let my head fall back, giving him full access.
His breath is hot. ‘You do.’
He kisses me in the way that tells me he’s going to make love to me, slow and gentle.
‘Three days felt like forever,’ he mumbles against my skin.
Give him time to work it out.Tonight, in this moment, I think and hope that Jackson could be right. That faith alone is my reason to stay.
‘Up you get.’ Gregory’s holding a cup of hot coffee, staring down at me.
‘Tired,’ I grumble.
‘Ja, well if you will let men into your bed at all hours…’ He hands me the coffee with a wink that would floor me completely if I weren’t already lying down.
‘Don’t you ever sleep? What time is it?’
‘Early. We’ve got a long drive. Chip-chop.’
‘Chip-chop?’ I ask on a raised brow as I swing my legs over the side of the bed.
‘Exactly.’
I chuckle as my South African leaves the room.I wish playful Gregory could be here always.Although that would probably mean I’d lose the angry, earth-shattering-style fuckings. As much as I love sweet Gregory, I think I’d miss those now I’ve had a taste. Maybe a medley of Gregory’s multiple personalities isn’t too bad.
I hop into the black leather of the Range Rover in my newly purchased country get-up. ‘Just another unnecessary car then?’
‘It’s very necessary. I have a lot of stuff and this has the boot space for a lot of stuff.’
Shaking my head, I strap myself into the seat, feeling like I’m sitting on top of a mountain as Gregory pulls out of thebasement car park. He pushes a button on the cockpit-esque dash and Thirty Seconds to Mars’ ‘Kings and Queens’ blasts through the speakers. I lean back in my seat and watch him as he settles into a needlessly fast but smooth drive out of the city.
‘It was a week ago today,’ I find myself saying. ‘Should we even be doing this: going away for the weekend, being… normal?’
His knuckles tighten on the wheel. ‘Scarlett, normal is the absolute minimum you ought to have.’
‘We met because I agreed to help you with a hostile takeover. Three weeks ago, my dad was murdered because of that. Seven days ago, I shot a man in the head. And any day now, my boyfriend might be charged for my crime. Which part of that is normal?’
He focusses straight ahead but his expression shifts to one that’s pained.
I rest my elbow on the window ledge, propping up my temple. ‘I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that. I just wish you’d stop telling me what I should have when what you really mean is you think I shouldn’t be with you. I don’t think that, Gregory.’
He shakes his head without moving his attention from the road. ‘You should have better, Scarlett. I just don’t seem to be capable of walking away.’
‘You know what, Gregory? Screw your sense of obligation.’
The car screeches and I grip the edge of my seat as we swing off the motorway onto the hard shoulder.This is becoming a dangerous habit.
‘That’s what you think, Scarlett: that this is all because I feel trapped by circumstance?’
I shrug, looking out of the window at the grass verge, anywhere to stop him from seeing my clouded eyes.
‘That’s not why.’
