“Dude, I’m going.” Rowan turns and runs back toward the pub, tripping a few more times before clearing the sand.
“Thank you—” I turn, but Theodore is already a tall figure in the distance. I chase after him. “Stop!”
He doesn’t.
I hop on one foot and then the other, pulling off my flip-flops, then I continue to close the distance between us. “Thank you.”
Theo keeps walking as I try to match his long strides, my winded breath louder than the waves along the dark shore.
“You stubborn arse! Did you hear me? If you hate me so much, then why save me back there?”
“Go to bed,” he says as we walk into the house.
My eyes shoot daggers as he continues to the stairs without even looking at me. I blame the wine or maybe the lack of food, but before my mind fully registers what I’m doing, one of my flip-flops connects with the back of his head.
He stops, turning ever so slowly.
I shake my head. “Don’t look at me like that. I don’t care how fucked-up you are. I’m not a child you can order around. Why were you on the beach? Were you following me? Why save me? Is it because you think I’myourtoy and no other man except you is allowed to manhandle me? Well, I have news for you, Theodore Reed, I am not your—”
CHAPTER NINE
Theodore
I’m fed upwith this woman running her mouth.
Seven weeks.
I had seven weeks of quietude, but now she’s back to irritating the living hell out of me, distorting every word with her I’m-a-fucking-queen accent. Her eyes widen as I swallow the distance between us in two, quick strides. At the last moment, she holds up her little fists that wouldn’t dent a piece of bread. She can’t be serious. I’m not going to fight her with my fists. I take her with my mouth. The instant our lips meet, she sucks in a breath so big I’m shocked her tiny lungs hold that much air.
Anger boils in my veins. I need to stop. I’ve made my point—she doesn’t want this. Shecan’twant this. Why the hell doesn’t she move? Push me away. Slap my face and tell me to fuck off.
The warm body I can’t tear my fucking mouth from falls limp as my hands cup her face. This is by far the dumbest thing I have ever done. Her hands cover mine, clawing into my skin like she’s trying to release my grip on her, but her hungry mouth begs for me to keep going. Why is she kissing me back like she’s trying to crawl inside of me?
I hate that her taste quenches something hidden deep in the dark shadows of my soulless being that’s been starving for so long. I hate that her warm touch feels like a jagged knife stabbing the pain I’ve tucked away for the day when I can avenge it.
If we don’t stop, she could awaken something thatcannotbe brought to life. Not ever.
I hate Nolan for planting her in my world. I hate this life.
I really. Fucking. Hate. This. Life.
CHAPTER TEN
My name is Scarlet Stone and I love sex. I believe if all emotion and reason were stripped from human existence, the answer to all physical questions would be sex.
Scarlet
Ididn’t seethis coming.
At. All.
The candlelit dinner wasn’t foreplay or some sort of seduction. I wasn’t lying when I told him I wanted a human connection. Apparently, to men, a human connection is sex. So why am I kissing him back like I’ve never wanted anything more in my whole life? I skipped dinner. It must be my misplaced hunger. I planned on ravaging the leftover Japanese yam that’s on the top shelf of the fridge. My mouth has confused his for a yam.
“This means…” His lips brush along my jaw as he whispers in a shaky voice that sends waves of chills over my skin.
My head falls back, eyelids heavy. “Nothing,” I whisper or reallymoan.Of course it means nothing because it’s not happening. Dear lord, my body is misbehaving tonight. His right hand slips under my shirt.
Don’t beg, Scarlet.
