Two perfect eyebrows perk. “I’m listening.”
“Maybe we leave the horse and steal a riding crop.”
She kisses the horse and struts toward me with purpose. “Leather riding boots would be fun too.”
My fucking zipper is about to bust. “They would.”
“Meet me in the truck, Mr. Reed.”
She brushes past me.
“Where are you going?”
“To steal a riding crop.”
Hooking my finger through the belt loop of her jeans, I tug her toward me then flip her little body over my shoulder.
“Hey!”
“Shh. You’re going to scare the horses.” I smack her ass.
She fights for all of two seconds before her body goes limp. I love her surrender.
I cut her back.
I held a knife to her throat.
I threatened to kill her.
Yet… she gives me everything. Why, Scarlet? I will never fully understand how you do it.
Her hands tug at the back of my shirt, inching it up until I feel the warmth of her lips on my skin. Ambling to the truck with the best part of this world hanging over my shoulder, I close my eyes for a few breaths. Can a hundred and fifteen pounds of sexy, sass, and stubbornness save me? I swear to God… I think it’s possible, and I have no idea what to do with that possibility.
I unlock the truck and ease her from my shoulder, setting her in the seat. She grabs my shirt and pulls me to her lips. There’s no one more undeserving of this moment than I am. Scarlet likes the idea of Karma. Not me. Karma would never give this woman to me. It will be fine with me if Karma dies in a cosmic accident before my name comes up on her Scores to Settle List.
Pulling back, I try to hide the fucking fear that’s eating me up inside. The moment I surrendered to her was a drop-all-weapons-raise-the-white-flag moment that’s left me scared shitless—completely vulnerable. “I’m—” I can’t even speak past the fear. It’s a living thing pulsing in my throat.
Her hands press to my cheeks. “You’re forgiven.”
I don’t deserve her.
“But not forgotten,” I whisper. She’ll never forget what I did. It’s not humanly possible. Sometimes I want the impossible.
Her expression doesn’t change. “My head is undiscriminating with the memories it keeps, but my heart has already forgotten.”
I don’t want to move. Hell, I don’t want to blink. I think if I could stay lost in her long enough, I could let go of everything and my past would truly not matter.
“Let’s go.” I bite her bottom lip, tugging at it until she laughs.
“Where are we going?”
“You’ll see.” I grin and shut her door.
*
Scarlet
“Where are we?”I look around at the tall, tangled trees and overgrowth of weeds hiding the gray-sided two-story house.
